On this week's episode: Breaking down the new trailer for "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," new season of "The Last of Us" thoughts, season finale of "Daredevil: Born Again," interview with "Eephus" actor Russ Gannon, Adam Sandler's "Happy Gilmore" theater re-release, HBO Max's "The Pitt" is a big hit with medical professionals, and more!
The Hub on Hollywood, hosted by Jamie and James, delves into the thriving film industry in New England. The podcast explores the production of various projects, including commercials, television shows, and full-length feature films.
The podcast insights into New England’s growing film industry, as well as entertainment news and reviews. Subscribers can access the podcast on the iHeartRadio app and follow the hosts on Instagram and TikTok for updates.
The Hub on Hollywood, hosted by Jamie and James, delves into the thriving film industry in New England. The podcast explores the production of various projects, including commercials, television shows, and full-length feature films.
The podcast insights into New England’s growing film industry, as well as entertainment news and reviews. Subscribers can access the podcast on the iHeartRadio app and follow the hosts on Instagram and TikTok for updates.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is the Hub on Hollywood and iHeartRadio podcast. I'm
your co host James Rojas.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
And I'm Jamie Blanco.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
On this week's episode, we have a great interview with
a local actor who stars in a new movie filmed
right here in Massachusetts and it is getting great reviews
on Rotten Tomatoes, an Adam Sandlery classic returning to the
big screen just in time for its sequel. Local casting
news and some really good shows Jamie and I are watching.
(00:38):
But speaking of watching, Jamie, have you seen you must
have a hope, I hope you've seen the trailer the
new trailer for the Fantastic four First Steps.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Yes, yeah, that's I mean, it looks mister fantastic. Okay,
I mean, what else do.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
You need, mister Pedro Pascale.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Looks great, It looks fantastic.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Yes, yeah, this movie and Sue which if you're watching
the video right now after this podcast, go to our
YouTube page. We just posted some behind the scenes looks
look at the new Superman movie. So along with Superman,
this is my most anticipated film of this year. They
(01:18):
were able to reveal some more plots and details and
characters in this trailer and the first one is you know,
the first standout is we get a really good glimpse
or look at the Silver Surfer. Jamie. What's your knowledge
with the Silver Surfer and the canon and comic lore.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Oh gosh, you know, I'm not as much of an
expert on the Fantastic Four and all of them. I
know that I enjoyed the Silver Surfer the last time
they had a series of movies that introduced him. I
really enjoyed that character design and in all of that.
How are you feeling about it, James, I take it
(01:59):
you're more into the Fantastic Four Lower and yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
The funny thing is my wife and I watched the
trailer at the same time because I said, oh, the
new Fantastic Four trailers out, let's watch it. And so
we're watching it and she's like, I have no idea
what's going on. I have no idea about these characters.
And I'm like, you don't know the Fantastic Four. He's like,
I've heard of them, but I don't know like any
of them or what they do.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yeah, I know who the characters are.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Yeah, my wife, Yeah, my wife, she would not be
able to tell you. But what I can tell you
is that. Yeah, the Silver Surfer oftentimes portrayed as a
as a man in the comics, and in the previous
Fantastic four movie, this one that we have a woman,
which is also you know, you know, it goes back
to its roots in comics, So this is comic accurate
as well, like a different Silver Surfer. But basically, Silver
(02:47):
Surfer works as a as a planet finder for Galactis,
the Big Bad, the eater of worlds, and so the
Silver Surfer has lowcate Earth, and Earth has been marked
for death for Galactus's impending arrival. And so we get
(03:08):
a really good look at the Silver Surfer. I think
she looks fantastic. Speaking about mister Fantastic, we got a
good look at at Pedro Pascal stretching as well. That's
one thing they did not show in the first trailer,
but now we do see him stretch jump, which which
looks good that you know, second or two of stretching
we saw.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Okay, yeah, Loofy vibes right.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Do you do you feel like it predates Loofy by
the way, yeah, now saying this predates Loofy, so Loofy
is taking after mister Fantastic.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
But I think you know, for the very short period
that we saw him stretch and jump, I think it
looked good. So I think Marvel is, you know, putting
all their top CGI and VFX artists on this, so
I think they're gonna make it look good. I pray.
We also found out in this trailer that Soon Storm
is pregnant. This is another thing that has been explored
(04:05):
in the comics, and I'm I don't know it too well,
like the lore or like the history of it, but
I do know that the child of Sue Storm and
mister Fantastic Read Richards, you know, they are their own
superhero with you know, their unique superpower and uh so
that'd be interesting to see what happens from that or
comes of that, whether we'll see the birth or whether
(04:27):
that'll be you know, maybe at the very end the
teaser for the next film or.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
For you, James, do you feel like they're giving too
much away a trailer that happens a lot.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Yeah. So people are already putting on their their thinking
cavs on and and and their inspector gadget goggles and
uh and microscopes uh uh to work. Because one of
the things is that that we learned from the pot
from the trailer is that it looks like read Richard's
work is what drew Galactus to the Earth. He was
(05:01):
saying in there that he's concerned about his actions drawing
some unwanted attention. So maybe read Richards is doing some
scientific experiments and maybe a signal goes out it catches
the tension of Galactus and the Silver Surfer, which gets
them drawn to Earth. There's also some scenes and I
don't want to you know, I'm gonna mention it, but
you know, for those who are trying to go in
(05:23):
the Fantastic Four completely blind, pause for like or like
skip for ten seconds or fifteen seconds. But people are
theorizing that because Galactus is coming for the Fantastic Four,
read Richards, he's been able to figure out like universal like,
you know, how to go to a different multiverse. And
(05:44):
so the theory is that the Fantastic Four at the
end of the movie will jump into a multiverse, leave
their nineteen sixties aesthetic world in order to save it,
because they're the reason why Galactus wants to eat the Earth.
If they're not there, then Galactus will eat the Earth.
So that's one theory that people are dissecting.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
You know what, I hope, James, I hope that this
is its own standalone thing. I don't really need to
see it bleeding into the greater MCU and the multiverse
and all of that. I would just love for something
to not be a part of that anymore, you know
what I mean, Like to just be its own beautiful
(06:22):
thing with its own aesthetic, like you said, in its
own little world. I'd really like for that, you know.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Yeah, So I hope, I hope this is a you know,
a standalone movie on itself, so you can watch it,
you know, on repeat how many times you want, and
you don't have to watch something before or after. I
will give a spoiler is that when they announce the
cast for Avengers Doomsday, where Robert Downey Junior is the
big bad and they showed like that big long line
of casting chairs or seats and with the names of
(06:52):
the actors, Well, you know, we saw the actors who
play you know, Johnny Storm or the Thing or play
you know, Pedro Pascal and Sue Storm. They're in those chairs.
Their names are there, so they're gonna be I think
Doomsday is going to be this multiverse kind of colliding,
where all these different variants of superheroes are going to be,
(07:14):
you know, coming to one location in time to fight doomsday. Yeah,
you imagine it. You don't have to watch any more movies.
You can stop watching all the MC movies and that'll
be the end of it. You could do that. That
is always an option. Yeah, last last few things. We
see the Fantastic car, which is like, you know, hilariously
(07:36):
seemingly accurate to the comics. We saw Galactys marching down
down an Earth street with his big feet. Reminded me
of a scene of like Godzilla, you know, storming stomping
through New York, And I think those are the big takeaways.
But yeah, this is I'm very excited for.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
This film, all right, And when is it coming out?
When can we see.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
That is coming out? Let's see when is Fantastic four
coming out? Twenty fifth, July twenty fifth, so just around
the corner summer blockbuster. Yeah, there we go, just just
an arms stretch away, an arm.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Stretch away, and Pedro Pascal's everywhere, He's everywhere. Were talking
about him, and so I mean it's just we can't
get enough of Pedro. I hope he's pacing himself though, Okay,
I hope that he's resting and in meditating and whatever
he needs to do, right because the world can't get
(08:35):
enough of him and he just needs to take care
of himself, all right.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Yeah, I think actors go through this, Like many actors.
You'll notice it with like I don't know just name
which actor, but there'll be a series where they're so
hot and they're like in every movie for a period
of five years or something, and then they kind of
trickle off. They're still you know, big stars, they're still
doing big movies, but they're spaced out further. They're doing
more independent stuff or not so being a flashy But
(09:00):
this is Pedro's like period to be in everything, and
you know, I used to be annoyed by that, Like
all these actors are are in everything right now, like
three movies seemingly a year in these projects. But I'm like,
if you're an actor, make your money, get your work in,
get it while it lasts, because that flame will not
always burn as brightly as it does right now. So
that's right.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Yeah, And there are a ton of opportunities for actors
in New England to be getting that money, money coming up, James,
we're gonna be talking about that in a little bit,
was there.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
I think that was basically, yeah, we can, we can
jump to cast and calls.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
All right, there we go, Here we go. We're gonna
ride that silver surfboard on over over the hub, over
the hub.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Absolutely, the silver screen.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
We're gonna get you that money. You know, since COVID
and since the dual strikes, it's been tough. Man, it's
been tough being an actor, and the of those opportunities
that were really popping for a few years have dried
up a bit. But it's looking like we're going to
have a robust summer and the casting calls are just
(10:10):
starting to pour in. So very excited about that. So
without further ado, let's hit it man. First of all,
M Night shamalan and is coming to town. He's gonna
be filming in Rhode Island of Films starring Jake Jillenhall.
The Rhode Island Film Office just put out a notice
(10:33):
about that, and in one of their press releases they said, Hey,
you want to be a background extra. You want to
help A M. Night and Jake Jillenhall make something incredible.
Reach out to Rhode Island Extras at gmail dot com
and they're going to be letting you know what information
(10:54):
that they need. Typically, you know, it's your headshot, your resume,
your sizes, where you're from, your contact information Rhode islandextras
dot com for that one for the Rhode Island filming
of The Next Night Shyamalan movie. Also A twenty four
(11:15):
is shooting a feature film called Tony, which explores the
early life of renowned cheft Anthony Burdaine. You know Anthony Burdaine.
So that's pretty exciting. That's going to be taking place
from May until early July, mostly in Provincetown and the
South Shore of Boston. Boston Casting is handling this one,
(11:37):
so you're gonn want to sign up for Bostoncasting dot
com to get all their notifications on that. But right now,
for this project, they're looking for kitchen staff, regular kitchen
staff to appear. They're looking for all men, all ages,
open ethnicities, and they want real kitchen staff, like people
(11:58):
with real experience who have dynast unique personalities. No prior
acting experience is necessary for this one. Uh, if you're interested,
you're gonna want to email Tony Kitchen Casting at gmail
dot com with your name, photo, description of yourself and
your cooking experience. They are very excited to hear about
(12:22):
that one. There is also another feature film that Boston
Casting is handling. This is actually a half hour series,
not a feature film. This is a series that is
gonna be filming in Massachusetts in areas like Devin's Gloucester, Worcester, Rockport, Gratten,
like that area. This is gonna be happening, Gratten. Just
(12:46):
isn't that fun to say? It's gonna be about ten episodes.
That's gonna be filming for May through August. The storyline
here is a mysteriously cursed New England island is led
by a mayor who refuses to believe the warnings of
its superstitious citizens. You gotta, you gotta listen, You gotta listen,
(13:09):
you know you gotta. They're looking for uh sag folks
to be a part of this right now. They're looking
for their small group of core townspeople. These are mostly
background roles, so you're gonna need to be available for
multiple days throughout the duration of filming. If this sounds
like you, like I said before, hop onto Bostoncasting dot com.
(13:33):
Uh so you can sign up for free, get the
notifications and let them know that you are available for
this project. So, James, tons of exciting stuff going on
in the in the filmmaking part, but also apparently in
the TV show, in the reality show realm.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Right, Yeah, you could say we got a situation going on, right,
I went there. Yeah, we talked about this during the
last episode, and I was trying to wrap my brain
around the description of the Jersey Shore coming to the
shores of Boston. And yeah, so it's the original cast
or many of the of the cast members of the
(14:15):
reality TV show The Jersey Shore. They're in Massachusetts. They're
in New Hampshire filming this kind of I guess new
series for MTV. And so they stopped in the Granite State,
just north of us. They went to this restaurant it's
called the Puritan back Room in Manchester. Apparently this place
is known for being the birthplace of chicken tenders. So here. Yeah,
(14:40):
I mean, I mean, I'm not the one going to
dispute it, but I'll take their word for it. But yeah,
so Mike the situation, Nicole Snooky POLIZI, Ronnie Magro and
the crew from the show. We're at the restaurant this
past week filming Jersey Shore Family Vacation. How much I
(15:01):
mean again like kind of like the I was saying,
the celebrities who are making all these movies like during
this hot period, like if you can and go for it,
I guess you know, get your paycheck. And so at
first I was kind of not annoyed because these guys
don't really bother me. But my mind, my mind was going,
who cares about these guys? Apparently there's enough interest where
people do and if they if they make money, why
(15:24):
not just go for it. Everybody needs some money right now?
Speaker 2 (15:26):
So all right, but James, look, I'm gonna I'm gonna
pick a fight with New Hampshire right now.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Please please please Look, as.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Long as there has been chicken, as long as there've
been chicken, there must have been chicken tenders, you know
what I mean, Like you put a little breading on it.
That can't be something new. That con'd be something that
the city of Manchester invented, I mean had for thousands
of years.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Somebody had to invent it. Well, get get this, uh,
buffalo wings. Buffalo wings weren't quote invented or the style
of buffalo wings weren't popularized or invented until like somebody
in the city of Buffalo made them, or I don't know.
I don't know how that. I don't know that history either.
I don't question these things. I don't question chicken history.
But but but yeah, you're right, somebody should look into this.
(16:11):
I think Matt Shecher actually introduced somebody who's like a
chicken tender, mayor or ambassador.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
A chicken expert.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Do that, because I'll text, I'll text Matt and we'll
include maybe like a voice message in this pocket, which.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Just doesn't sound legit to me. That's all we'll find out.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
We'll find out. But I think that's all we need
to say about the Jersey Shore. We don't we don't
need to go further and see this topic. But yeah,
if you if you're fans of the of the Cast,
they're they're back, they're coming back, and they're in town.
They're in Boston, in New Hampshire, So good for that
speak about New Hampshire and a New Hampshire boy born
and raised is a mister Adam Sandler. We of course
(16:52):
know that his sequel to Happy Gilmore, Happy Gilmore Too,
is coming out in theaters in a couple of months,
and we saw, you know, a lot of people are
very excited when he comes to town. He hires a
lot of background actors and makes a lot of money
and whatnot. Guess what, He's making even more money from
movie theaters because Universal Pictures announced that Happy Gilmore, the original,
(17:16):
the first one, is coming back for a theatrical re
release in theaters nationwide, but only for two days, those
days being April twenty seventh and the thirtieth. I don't
know why, but twenty seventh and the thirtieth. If you
want to see Happy Gillmore Swing, Swing Away on the
big screen, Tickets for that re release are on sale
(17:39):
right now. Now get this, Jamie, what's up? I just
found out minutes ago on this podcast live that Happy
Gilmore is coming out the exact same day, the exact
same weekend as Fantastic Four. I think this is terrible,
Like why would they release? Why I would they come
out with that movie not only thirty years later or
(18:02):
at all, but also the same weekend as Fantastic Four,
one of the most anticipated weekend films of the year.
So I don't know. Good luck, May the May the
Victor go the spoils. Yeah, all right, exactly exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
And completed that feat no no more than five minutes ago.
He can do it. He can do it. Anyways, go on,
go on.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Don't mind me, no, no, no, Well, speaking of victories
and the spoils, we are being spoiled by really really
great television right now. Either that's on you know, Disney
plus HBO, Max or you know, wherever, wherever you wherever
you are. But we are watching right now. Jamie and
I were watching Daredevil Born Again. The season finale episode
(18:46):
just got posted this week, and I'm halfway through the
final episode. Don't tell me if I could take us
back to the rewind machine and and and go back
in time for a little bit. When this series, before
it came out, you were saying, oh, you know what,
you know, I have no stranger to saying I'm not
(19:07):
that excited for many Marvel projects, and you're like, well,
at least you know Daredevil's coming out again. And I
was very very lukewarm about it, if not cold, on
the idea of going back into the Daredevil world. I
enjoy Daredevil, the original series, the original run and everything,
but you know that that that that wall I just
(19:28):
I felt like I could not climb over that wall
of art around my heart. But guess what, Daredevil broke
through that wall. And this is a really really good season.
Like it looks so good, the story is so good,
the action is great. Why can't they do this in
movies anymore? But yeah, how are you enjoying the season
(19:49):
so far? I'm just enjoying that you were right, you
were right. Kudos, kudos, seriously, no words. Yeah, it's a
really good season. And and again halfway through the final episode,
so right after this podcast, I'm gonna finish it. But
I'm enjoying everything about this season so far.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
I've enjoyed everything about it. Like I said, the very
first episode had me and my sister in law. We
were watching it together like screaming at the television and
like clutching our hearts, and I think, you know, they
made very dramatic choices, and it's paying off, and you're
bringing back characters that you care about. You're telling stories
(20:28):
that fits so seamlessly into the world, and it's gritty
but it has heart and it's stylistically just my god,
you can just gorge on it. I just want more
and more and more, and I just I love Charlie
Cox to death and everything that he has done, you know,
(20:49):
previously with Daredevil, and this season it's just yeah. I mean,
I can't sing the praises enough. I am a little
bit behind you. I haven't been able to catch help yet.
So when it's when it's all said and done, maybe
we can do a spoiler review. But I'm curious. Maybe
you can say, or maybe you can't say, what your
(21:10):
what your favorite or most surprising thing is about this season.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Hmmm surprising, I don't know. I'm impressed. I Daredevil is
known for having really good fight sequences, fight scenes, so
I'm impressed by that they've reached expectations, if at if
not at times exceeding those expectations, which is great. I
love that we have John Berthall back here as the Punisher,
(21:38):
and that's not really big spoiler just because he's he
was like featured uh in the in the promotion and
the trailers and whatnot, but his his reintroductions as the
Punisher is fantastic. He's he's killing it no pun intended
or pun intended for this final episode so much, and
it's it's beautiful. It's like it's music to my ears,
(21:59):
and so it's a but he's doing a great job.
The story is really strong too, So maybe that may
have been the more most surprising thing is that has
a really solid story that I'm really invested in with
like Fisk becoming the mayor of New York and and
now he's he's bringing in his mob mentality into the
(22:19):
workings the inner workings of governments, the corruption of governments,
which you know, at face value doesn't sound like a stretch,
but you know, he does it in his own fisk
a way.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
So you know what, I think they did such an
amazing job of like making you wonder or even hope that, hey,
maybe Fisk is turning over a new leaf. You know,
maybe he is trying to do a good thing. But
like like the juxtaposition, like the switching of roles right
from a villain and here who is a villain, who
(22:51):
is a hero, who's in the right, who's in the wrong.
You know that that moral grayness and the swapping of roles,
you know, back in worth and back. But I just
love it. I just love it. I just love it.
That's all. That's all.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
I love it too. So if you're not watching Daredevil
if you were kind of like me on the fence
and not really eager to get into it, get into it.
It gets my full you know, my two thumbs up approval.
Watch it right now, Disney Plus what you should also
watch right now and is much heavier, more realistic, more grounded.
(23:26):
Topic is the is the medical healthcare system and the
pits Jamie. Before I brought it up, did you hear
about the pit? Because I had just recently learned about it,
and it's blowing my mind.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
I had seen like memes of it. I think people
were so right into it. Yeah, it's there are million
medical dramas, right, but there's something about this that just
seems a little bit different that people are excited about.
So I've seen like clips, I've seen like bits and
pieces that people seem to be really excited about. But
(24:00):
tell me, so hooked you?
Speaker 1 (24:03):
So I was. I was sick this past week, and
so I was, like, you know, at home on the
couch for hours on end, and so I figured, let
me just start watching stuff I'm gonna get. Let me
get to actual shows and movies I've been wanting to
watch and I have not had the time to. So
I saw something about The Pit getting really good reviews,
and you know, it's like, oh, and I'm watching random
(24:24):
shows too, and so some of that are not so good,
but I'm happy I'm just watching them. But I decided,
you know what medical drama I'm getting. I hear it's
good stuff. I hear it's pretty realistic. Let me just
pop it on. Each episode is about an hour and
and maybe the first ten to fifteen minutes, I was like,
I'm not really sure if I'm going to be into
this because they get really into the nitty gritty of
like medical procedure and it takes place in an er
(24:47):
an emergency room in Pittsburgh. And eventually, like I just
got hooked by the characters, by the scene, by the setting.
Basically it's on the eight. It's an HBO medical drama.
It's it's very popular right now actually among those in
the healthcare industry, because it's being described as the most
accurate medical drama of all time, with compelling depictions of
(25:10):
the medical practices. The story is. It follows the daily
lives of healthcare professionals in a Pittsburgh hospital referred to
as the Pits, and as employees juggle personal crisises workplace
politics and the emotional toll of treating critical patients. It
reveals the resiliency required for this noble calling. And it's
(25:34):
so interesting because I wasn't a big fan of the Er.
Some people have said this is like an ER reboot,
so much so that there's actually a lawsuit going on,
but that's a whole different discussion going on. Yeah, but
it's really gripping, Like a lot of the medical jargon
is going straight over my head. But you're following the story,
(25:55):
you're following the emotion of all these characters, and you're
getting really invested very quickly. And one thing that really
actually got me more invested in this is again the
medical community they're talking about this. I'm not sure if
you know about this doctor on YouTube, doctor Mike, very popular.
He's like thirteen million subscribers, and he reacts to a
lot of like movies or TV shows like medical emergencies
(26:18):
and he says, oh, this is realistic, this is this
would never happen, or you know, he kind of dissects
things pun intended. And he's been going through like each
episode like episode one, two, three, and and like he's
describing like he's watching it. You know, he's describing things
as he's watching the episode, and he's like calling things
left and right, or like they would do this in
(26:38):
this situation, and then they do it, or they use
he uses this jargon and then they use it, and
vice versa. So it seems very accurate, and it seems
like the medical industry really appreciates it. And I love
how this is formatted because this is a I believe,
a thirteen episode season, and each episode is one hour
(26:59):
of one shift, one day shift in the er. So
it begins like at seven am, and so that's the
first episode seven to eight, and then eight to nine
is the second, and so on and so on, and
so it's one continuous day of crazy emergencies in the
emergency room. You know, people get brought in with a
gunshow wound with a nail gun to their head or heart,
(27:23):
or somebody burn their hand, and and there are things
that are so minimal to obviously like emergency room level
life and death situations. It's a very gripping show basically,
what I'm trying to say, if you, like myself, were
not are not into medical dramas I thought I was,
I wasn't into it. This one I think would be
worth your time and would get you hooked into that.
(27:44):
So I recommend The Pit.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
And you could probably learn something too, Yeah by watching it.
That sounds that sounds really really cool.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
I can't.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
I hate I hate watching medical shows where it's just
like it's just overly dramatic and you know it's completely inaccurate.
And yeah, I can't really get into it. So that's
good to hear about The Pit. And James, there's one
other show that people need to glue themselves to the
couch four that that that we've been watching, As you mentioned,
(28:17):
just a glut of great television being rained upon us
right now, which is fantastic when you need distractions. The
Last of Us Season two, Episode one is Up you Are.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
Episode one's up. Yeah. I watched episode one day after
it came out. Like I said, I was six, I
decided to watch everything. Yeah, and so perfect timing, perfect timing.
But episode one, it's a really good start to the
to the season. And yeah, I don't want to give
away any spoilers, but we can give like a kind
of synopsis of where we are from the first season.
(28:56):
So episode one is future days. This takes place half
a decade following the events in Salt Lake City, Ellie
is nineteen years old. Now she's encountering new threats, new
kind of infected, while Joel is seeking to mend his
relationship with Allie. And this opens up with showing the
character Abby and the rest of the surviving Fireflies right
(29:19):
after the rampage that Joel went on to save Ali.
They're burying their dead, they're mourning they're dead, and this
character Abby basically saying she's hell bent on exacting revenge
on Joel for you know, killing everybody at their compound
to save Ali, and pretty much you know them regrouping
(29:41):
to go to Seattle with the rest of the other
Firefly branches. And then it picks up five years later
in Wyoming where there's a settlement. Joel and Ellie they
that's where they go to find refuge. The settlement has
become more sustainable, they're really flourishing, and at the same time,
because of that success, they're actually kind of letting their
(30:03):
guard down. And so that's where that we're kind of like,
that's where the scene is being set right now. But
how did you think about the first episode back?
Speaker 2 (30:12):
I thought it was you've got that vibe, right, You've
got the I just love seeing Pedro back, Pascal back
as Joel. You've got Bella Ramsay back as Ellie. And
that dynamic and that relationship and that tension is done
so well, right because if you had watched the end
(30:34):
of the last season, you know that Joel he damned
the entire world and slaughtered the fireflies just to save her,
and then he lied about it, right, And so it's
not clear whether she knows or doesn't know about the
lie yet, but there's this tension and this anger and
this frustration between them, which is also very much like
(30:55):
you know, teenage child and father, which is sort of
dynamic that they have anyway. But what I really enjoy, James,
is that so far it looks like it's staying mostly
true to the video game, with just some minor changes,
including Catherine O'Hara who joins and plays a character who's
a therapist.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Yeah, that was great to see. I was surprised by her.
And she kills it as as this like this therapist
psychotherapist at the compound where she's asking Joel to like,
you know, she she knows that there's this tense relationship
between him and Ellie now and she knows Joel is
(31:38):
hiding something, and she asks him, like, did you did
you do something to Ellie and he says yes, He's like,
did you hurt her? He says, no, I saved her,
And so he's he's trying to justify his rampage, killing
so many people to save her and also again potentially
doing the world because you know, we don't know for
sure if that there would be a cure through her
(31:59):
through her blood. But from the first season, but her
performance and her grief and her loss and her anger
really really shined. And so Cathan o'harew beautiful addition to
this to this world.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
I love her and everything and we are in for
adventure and pain this season. My goodness, the tension, the
tension is there. We know that that the hurt is coming.
Bella Ramsey too, is just a freaking standout. We feel
her pain so viscerally. The dynamics between her and Joel
(32:34):
center stage and you just can't help but be drawn
into it. And Joel and everyone around him are going
to be grappling with the consequences of his actions, and
there's just like a delicious anticipation there, so very much
looking forward to continuing to watch more of the Last
of Us. We see at the end of you know,
the first episode, the Horde is coming, so let's see
(32:57):
what happens from there.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
The new episode comes out Mondays, so I believe every Monday,
new episode or Sunday Sunday new episode. So Sunday, Sunday,
Sunday Sunday, I can't wait for that.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
James speaking of something that is highly rated, well received,
well reviewed, one hundred percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Locally a
locally created a film movie called Ethhus all local cast,
you know, filmed here. It just wrapped up its theatrical
(33:33):
run is going to be available on streaming, and we
talked with one of the stars of that film, Russ
Gannon from Needham, local actor who worked him way up
from from background to you know, a lead in a
film that's getting on und so much critical acclaim one
(33:55):
hundred percent of Rotten Tomatoes, that is nothing to sneeze at.
We were lucky enough to have Russ on the show.
And without further ado, here's my interview with Russ Gannon
and I am joined by a fantastic actor from Needham Massachusetts,
Russell Gannon. Russell's promoting an exciting movie called ethis Is
(34:18):
That Right? Is Great, which just had its theatrical run
and will be available soon on streaming. Russell, thank you
so much for joining us.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Now, before we get started on Athos, because there's a
lot of meat there, tell me a little bit about
how you got started. I understand you were a radio
man and then you got bit by the acting buzz.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
I was yeah.
Speaker 5 (34:41):
I was a student at Emerson, graduated with a degree
in radio communications with a minor in comedy writing, and
at the time I was working for w RKO Radio
as one of the producers on the Jay Mary Williams
talk show, also trying my hand at stand up and
(35:04):
also trying.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
To be a writer.
Speaker 5 (35:06):
I was a writer for the Boston Phoenix and the
Boston Herald, and it was all music related.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
I was as far away from.
Speaker 5 (35:14):
The acting world as can be and stayed in the
music industry for a number of years.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
I was.
Speaker 5 (35:22):
A traffic reporter on WBZ here in Boston and then
managed a record store in Harvard Square for a number
of years, and somewhere around two thousand and three, when
the whole music industry sort of collapsed. Yeah, had a
friend of mine asked me if I was still interested
(35:42):
in being on the air, and so I got a
job at ninety two five The River, and I was
a DJ for a couple of years back on the air,
and I was really bored. The industry had changed, and
I just I found myself looking for something else to do.
So I saw an ad on Craigslist to be an
act an extra on the game Plan with the Rock
(36:07):
And that was a Fall of two thousand and six,
and first day of filming eight hundred extras, somebody from
wardrobe tapped me on the shoulder and said, you're a
coach today and right and now I'm on the field
and at lunchtime I'm throwing a football on the fifty
(36:28):
yard line with another extra, and I'm like, okay, this
is I can do this.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
I can do this for a living.
Speaker 5 (36:34):
And I just sort of picked everyone's brain, like can
you make a living doing this?
Speaker 3 (36:39):
How do you? What is the union? What's say? I
had no idea what anything.
Speaker 5 (36:44):
Was, and then I just started doing background on ghosts
of Girlfriends, past twenty seven dresses, the Proposal, all the
rom com stuff, that.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
Was shooting in and around the Boston area at the time, and.
Speaker 5 (36:59):
I wound up getting my way into the Screen Actors
Guild in two thousand and eight. I had earned my
way in through background work, joined after in two thousand
and nine and then ran for the board the local
board for New England and was voted in twenty eleven.
Merge was twenty twelve, and I just sort of stayed
(37:22):
active in the Union while also trying to learn how
to act. Now I'm a Union actor who had never
acted before, so.
Speaker 2 (37:32):
Is that right?
Speaker 3 (37:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (37:34):
So in twenty thirteen, I got a role in a
Lifetime movie called Sins of the Preacher, which was shot
by John Stimpson. He shoots a lot of Lifetime in
Hallmark movies in the Boston area and he had auditioned
me to play the role of the church deacon and
I ended up getting that, and a couple of years
(37:56):
later I got a role in a Chinese television show
called Wonderful Life, where I played a lawyer. And then
even during COVID, I discovered how to build a studio
and do voiceover work. I had done some voiceover work
for the TV show Frontline on PBS, but so I
(38:19):
built this studio that I'm sitting in now, and I
started working on animated voice projects. My daughter at the
time was going to rit in Rochester studying three D animation,
so I started doing animated voice work. I had some
help from the animated voiceover committee for SAG. This woman,
(38:39):
lar Jill Miller, who does voices for Nickelodeon, helped me
to design and build this studio. Forever grateful for her
help in doing that. And yeah, coming out of COVID,
I wound up on Dexter New Blood for five months
as Clancy Brown stand in, and I continue to to
(39:00):
try to work as much as possible. I landed roles
in Boston Strangler and American Fiction, both of which wound
up on the cutting room floor.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
But hate when that happens.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
It's like, oh, you're so close.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
It's still experience, right, and it's still on your resume.
And so I just want to back up a little
bit because you talked about going from background to eventually
getting that big break and having lines on an actual
TV show, so I kind of rather a film. I
wanted to ask you kind of about the pressure of that,
(39:43):
the transition of that, How is it going from background,
which is what I do as well. I feel like
we have a little bit of a similar trajectory. I
came from radio and after SAG, after merged, I started
doing background work, completely fell in love with it. But
I am a chicken Russell. I'm going to I admit
that to everyone in the world here. I am terrified
(40:03):
of getting front of the camera, having lines, having that
pressure on you. So can you talk about a little
bit about that, that transition and preparing to actually, you know,
be the guy in front of the camera saying the.
Speaker 3 (40:13):
Lines, Yeah, I'm with you. Uh. When I when I
started doing this, I was terrified. I'm when I.
Speaker 5 (40:23):
When I started in radio, I had a horrible fear
of public speaking. I really it took a long time.
I was doing an Irish show on w e R
S at Emerson and that helped me get over my
fear of speaking. But getting into an audition room with lines,
I was shaking. I would go in and I would shake.
And there's nothing worse than seeing somebody who is just
(40:46):
does not have that confidence going into a room to
do something that you just need all his confidence to do.
And I just couldn't. I couldn't do it I and
I was in SAD. That was that was the thing.
I joined SAD before i'd really taken any acting classes.
So there wasn't a lot of non union stuff you
could do to help get over those those nerves, and
(41:11):
so my my fear of getting in the room was
just getting in the way of everything. And I had
spoken to someone and I said, how do you how
do you get experience your union? How do you get experience?
And they're like, well, you're limited really to student films.
I'm like, what, what's that? Like, what do you mean
(41:32):
student films? And they're like, yeah, all these colleges around Boston,
b You and Emerson and mass Art and Leslie and
even BC Northeastern Harvard, they all have film programs and
they're always looking for actors and they can sign you
under the Student Film Agreement. This was before the micro
budget contract. And so I'm like, great, let's let's get
(41:56):
all our nerves and all of that practice with students
who are also learning and practicing and so all that
work of forgetting your lines, auditioning and being a complete wreck.
I'm doing it with students that are nervous, that are
also worried that they're not prepared. And so I was
(42:21):
able to kind of work with some filmmakers and we
kind of learned together. And when I did get this role,
my biggest fear was I'm going to forget my lines.
And it was a good two and a half minute
scene and we did it a lot and I had
those lines down. I had those lines down, and one
(42:41):
take gone completely forgot my lines, just staring at everyone like, uh,
I don't know where the lines wet. And John came
over He's like, that's why I cut. Give us a script,
give them a couple of minutes to look it over.
Let's just start again. And it was as big a
deal as it was in my head that you're gonna
(43:04):
you're the one that's screwing up everything, and everybody is
terrified of doing that, and so, you know, that was
the experience I needed to kind of get over that,
and improv classes helped me immensely as well. When I
was at Emerson, I was in Emerson Comedy Workshop, but
(43:25):
I was not a fan of improv at all. Improv
gives you the freedom to mess a line up and
keep going and just you know, sometimes it's not even
the lines, it's just knowing your character and just saying
stuff and you know, getting through that. If you know
(43:46):
the character and you know what that character might say,
it just flows and it feels so natural. And then
they can yell cut and they're like, you weren't even close.
We we liked what you did. And I find it's
freeing sometimes to try. That was the other thing. I
had a fear of not getting the lines one correct,
(44:07):
which you also have to leave behind because it just
there's nothing worse than looking like an actor who's trying
to remember a line on care you know it and
and you're not present with the reader, with anyone in
the room because you're like, it's that line, it's what
(44:30):
is it?
Speaker 3 (44:30):
You know?
Speaker 5 (44:31):
And it comes across on on screen. So now the
character know that. Lots of practice, just put a camera
in your room and just read stuff, memorize whenever possible.
That's that's your muscle that you have to keep orging.
But but but people screw up all the time, big actors,
(44:52):
And yeah, and and you got to get out of
your head. That's where that's where we get stuck all
the time.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
Right, So I'm I'm and now do you feel like
you're in a place of like more confidence going in
and knowing that you have that little bit of flexibility.
I think some of the greatest the greatest lines that
come out of movies are when actors sort of just
go off the rift, like they riff, or they come
(45:20):
up with something, or they forgot their line so they
said something else and they're like, Wow, that works because
it was in character, even though it wasn't exactly what
you were supposed to say. So I just think that's
that's fascinating and a great point that I feel like
we haven't heard enough about the student films. Also, there
are so many programs here in Boston, so that's that's
(45:40):
a really great resource for people who are trying to
get into it. With that being said, yes, all that
being said, Russell, let's talk about ephis.
Speaker 3 (45:50):
Yes, what is it about?
Speaker 2 (45:52):
And how did you get involved?
Speaker 5 (45:54):
So EVAs takes its name from a type of baseball pitch,
a very slow curveball that was immortalized by Boston Red
Sox pitcher Bill Lee in the nineteen seventy five World Series.
In Game seven, he threw an ephas pitch that was
hit out of the park, and.
Speaker 3 (46:13):
As he says, it is still going.
Speaker 5 (46:16):
The Red Sox lost the nineteen seventy five World Series
to the reds Billy has always been associated with with
the Ephas pitch, although it goes back to the early twenties.
It's a very high arching pitch that's thrown very slowly
like that. And the film is sort of an analogy
of time passing you by in that you don't really
(46:40):
realize that time has passed you by until it's passed
you by. And so this is a film that takes
place in the early nineties. It is the last game
played on a baseball field shot in Douglas, Massachusetts, and
we're playing this game for the last time before they
bulldozed the field and turn it into a school. Engineer
(47:00):
in charge of the project is one of the characters
in the film, Graham, the coach of the River Dogs,
who I play second baseman Bill Belinda on the River Dogs.
Speaker 3 (47:13):
There's some.
Speaker 5 (47:16):
Animosity between the two teams because they realize this is
the last game ever played. And so the game itself
takes place over the course of one day, same location.
Speaker 3 (47:25):
Starts in the morning, ends at night.
Speaker 5 (47:27):
There is no star, there is no third act, there
is no climax, there is no there. It is literally
a slice of life film and it's.
Speaker 3 (47:44):
Very moving. It's funny.
Speaker 6 (47:47):
The characters are so real and lived in that you
would swear you just picked twenty two guys off the
street and say just be yourselves and just play that.
Speaker 5 (48:00):
It's all scripted. There's a little improv in there. It
feels like it's all imp it's just so natural the
way it goes, but it's just it's really, as director
Carson Lunn calls it, a tribute to the third space.
There's home, there's work, and there's a third space where
you go to be with your friends, where you go
(48:23):
and just find a place that's not work or home,
and those places are disappearing. That that third space that
we used to really enjoy, whether it was golf, bowling, baseball,
anything that people would get together. And this is pre
cell phone, so there's no distraction. In the dugout, people
(48:44):
are having conversations. And what's great about the film too,
is the way it's the sound is mixed, is that
their conversation's happening all throughout the theater, and you'd swear
somebody's talking in the corner of the theater, but it's
the baseball players on second base or having a conversation,
and then there's the action in front.
Speaker 3 (49:04):
So the movie's great. I got involved with it.
Speaker 5 (49:06):
I found an ad on backstage, which of course is
a great resource for actors to find films, you know,
whether it be student film's voiceover even you know, feature films.
And so in May of twenty twenty one, I auditioned
for the role of Bill Belinda. I was cast a
(49:29):
few months later as one of the last It was
actually May of twenty twenty two. They had cast most
of the film in twenty twenty one, and then we're
just trying to come up with funding. In May of
twenty twenty two, I auditioned. We started shooting in October
of twenty twenty two, and it was in this field
(49:51):
called Soldiers Field in Douglas, mass which has history. Boston
Red Sox and the Yankees played an exhibition game there
in the mid forties, and so it has the history
and it feels like an old field. And so we
shocked for about twenty five days in that October, and
it was fun. We all played baseball, we'd practice, we'd stretch,
(50:14):
and we really got to know each other as two
teams playing one final game.
Speaker 2 (50:20):
So yeah, so that brings me to my next question
was what was it like becoming this character and what
sort of physical preparation did you need to do to
be this baseball player?
Speaker 5 (50:31):
Sure, you know, the last time I played baseball, I
played little league in Needham. I played when I was
at WRKO. I played in the advertising Softball league. We
would play over in Brighten by the bus stop pub.
We'd all on Western av we'd go over. We'd play
softball all the radio stations and some of the ad firms.
(50:52):
And so I haven't played since nineteen ninety one. So
that's the first thing. It's like, you know, blowing the
dust off glove, you know, finding you know, cleats that fit.
And and so we spent a couple of weeks just
doing the fundamentals, hitting the ball, fielding the ball, getting
(51:12):
used to running, and we all get hurt. We all
just you know, no matter how much we'd stretch, we
just we just moved to the side and we'd feel
a pop and we'd be like, Okay, that's not moving
for the rest of the shoot.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
And that's all.
Speaker 5 (51:30):
And my character is worse than I am actually in
real life, which was a challenge. My biggest challenge was
not being a good ballplayer, ye which ruined some takes
there were There was a I couldn't I couldn't let
this ball go by me, and I had to make
this diving stop and Carson's like, Russ, that's you got
(51:54):
to let that ball go through.
Speaker 3 (51:56):
So we can't go on until that.
Speaker 5 (51:59):
So I strive, make out, I get hit by a pitch,
I walk. It's just I'm an awful player. And in
the film, my family is there watching me. I'm the
only one whose family is there, and they're watching me.
And every time I'm so enthusiastic, like this time I'm
(52:19):
getting a hit, and I don't get ahead.
Speaker 3 (52:21):
This time I'll get a hit, and they're like, we
want to go home. I'm like, no, no, no, this
time I'm getting a hit.
Speaker 2 (52:27):
It sounds like when I played softball yea.
Speaker 3 (52:32):
And so yeah, that was the challenge for me.
Speaker 5 (52:34):
Was was having to play below my ability.
Speaker 2 (52:38):
And who is your character's.
Speaker 3 (52:41):
Yeah, Bill Belinda. So he's the second baseman for the
River Dogs.
Speaker 5 (52:45):
We play a team called Adler Paints, and you know,
it doesn't really matter.
Speaker 3 (52:52):
Which team wins.
Speaker 5 (52:54):
That's the That's what you see these baseball movies where
it comes down to this like low motion, like Okay,
here it comes here's the winning run, and it doesn't matter,
Like it really doesn't matter who wins this game. It's
just they have to play it to completion. And so
so yeah, so I'm Bill Belinda, and my wife Linda
(53:18):
Belinda it really is there as well, and my two
kids and and yeah, and I'm just this happy, go
lucky guy that likes playing baseball.
Speaker 2 (53:28):
I love it. And this film is is getting great reviews.
One reviewer called it the best baseball movie since Moneyball,
and how does that make you feel?
Speaker 3 (53:39):
Like?
Speaker 2 (53:39):
Seeing the just overall very very positive reviews for.
Speaker 5 (53:43):
Yeah, Yeah, it's it's a little surreal. I woke up
this morning to a text from a friend of mine
in La that sent me Rotten Tomatoes best Films of
twenty twenty five and ephus is number one.
Speaker 2 (53:58):
You wow to congratulation.
Speaker 3 (54:00):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (54:01):
It's got one hundred percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. So
we saw the film for the first time last year,
last May or last April, first time in eighteen months.
We saw the film and we were blown away, Like
we left the theater like what what did we just
(54:22):
watch this film?
Speaker 3 (54:23):
Is amazing? How did we make this movie?
Speaker 5 (54:26):
Like it didn't feel like we were making this movie
when we were making it. And then we found out
we got into the con Film Festival and the Director's
Fortnite and we were having our premiere in France. So
sixty cast and crew flew to France to see this
film in a sold out auditorium right next to the
(54:48):
Carlton Hotel where Alfred Hitchcock had shot to catch a
thief with Carrie Grant and our film is playing next door.
So and then we come out of the theater and
we're on a rooftop watching the sunset over the Mediterranean,
where like this is just.
Speaker 3 (55:07):
This isn't what we do.
Speaker 5 (55:09):
We were background, you know, a background in Mall cop
What am I doing in France?
Speaker 3 (55:14):
You know?
Speaker 5 (55:15):
So and so that the response has been amazing. We
went down to New York last October. We played a
promotional baseball game on the Lower East Side that was
visited by fans by the press, and we had a
great fun game that almost mirrored the film itself, where
(55:36):
another team wanted to use the field.
Speaker 3 (55:38):
We were over our time.
Speaker 5 (55:40):
And then we went to the New York Film Festival
for its premiere at Lincoln Center. They had moved the
film to the Alice Tully Hall, which is the largest
hall they have, because of all the people that had
requested tickets to see the film. So it we're incredibly
proud of the film. We're blown away at the response
that we've got from it, Fans coming up to us,
(56:03):
people that are tweeting about it, just random best ofs
that it's in with, Like I saw something that said,
you know black bag ephis Like, what how are we
plumped in with Steven Soderberg movie? Like it's it's hard
to feel to like wrap our heads around it a
(56:24):
little bit. But at the same time, we're really proud
of the film and we really want everybody to see it.
And so, yeah, it's been in limited release for about
five weeks. It was playing, it's finishing up in Summerville
and then it starts streaming Today is tax Day, the
(56:46):
fifteenth of April, and so it's starting to stream on
Apple TV, pay per view and Fandango and so but
we got it in one hundred and eighty something theaters
nationwide from Anchorage, Alaska down to all down the West coast,
up in Montana, Michigan, Florida, like it was playing everywhere
(57:08):
and people were requesting it. Theaters were calling, uh Music
Book Films, who's our distributor, and then saying, you know,
we want the film to play in our town, and
uh so, yeah we're but you know so now you
can see it now. Now if you've got Apple TV
or you get ben Dango, you can see.
Speaker 2 (57:27):
It's like it feels like a Cinderella story, like you know,
as as a fellow background actors, Wow, it's possible.
Speaker 3 (57:35):
It is.
Speaker 5 (57:36):
It is, and and so and and the people on set,
like I only knew three of the people and I'd
met them all through background work. I'd like the kid
Chris Goodwin who plays our catcher, played my son in
an Emerson film like five years ago. You know, David
pride Moore who plays Troy, our pitcher. He and I
(57:58):
were in background. We met on the game Plan, I think,
and we've been doing background work for years.
Speaker 2 (58:05):
No, we've had We've had David pride Moore on the
Hollywood as well. So it's just it's really exciting to
see all of our local folks doing so well and
one hundred percent of Rotten tomatoes, nothing to sneeze at.
That is such an accomplishment and exciting to see how
many people requested this film. And I'm gonna go watch
(58:27):
it now we're done, because we're done talking today. So
I just wanted to sort of wrap up this conversation
a little bit on that vein, like what's it like
being an actor in New England And do you feel
that the opportunities are there? And I think you know,
you've talked about this, this trajectory that you know there
(58:47):
there is a path there.
Speaker 5 (58:49):
Is I think you know we're in a We're in
a downward period right now.
Speaker 3 (58:54):
There's no doubt about it. Uh, you know, a.
Speaker 5 (58:58):
Combination of the strikes, the end of peak TV, the
shooting in Canada, of in Vancouver, Toronto, big movie hubs.
Right now, there's not a lot of work unless you
look for it. And I think that as an actor,
you really have to look at everything. You know, we
(59:23):
all want to be in a feature film, and we
want those feature films to shoot in Boston, and we
want them to be nice roles that we can audition
for and feel like we're we're you know, we have
a shot at them. That they're not pre cast in
New York in LA that we have a shotout. So
what happens when that works not here? Well, people are
(59:46):
still making films. I mean, I was at the Boston
International Film Festival on Saturday to see a film that
we shot a couple months ago called Fletcher's Five. It
was written locally, shot locally, produced locally, premiered locally, and
(01:00:06):
yet it's a really fun like heist film that we shot.
These are the opportunities that you have to look for,
and whether it be a student film, whether it be
something you write yourself, whether it's you and friends are
writing something you just want to shoot it. An actor
(01:00:27):
has to work. You have to just keep looking for
those opportunities. And I think that Boston has had a
lot of opportunity, especially since the Film tax Credit went
into place, and we've been very fortunate to have a
dozen or so movies or TV shows shooting here every year.
(01:00:47):
But if that starts drying up, it doesn't mean that
the work can't be found. You just have to dig
a little deeper. You have to find it, you know,
And as I said at the top, you know, student
films are a great way to practice, whether you need
footage for your real whether you just want to practice
in front of the camera, whether you just and those
(01:01:08):
are all there's constant work. I'm shooting a student film tomorrow, right,
you know, And I'm never at that point where I
feel like they're beneath me. I've you know, I'm done
with student films now. I love I love working on them.
Some of them are really creative and they're thinking outside
(01:01:29):
the box. Don't forget everything. Everywhere All at Once was
a student film. It started as a student film. La
La Land started as a student thesis film at Harvard.
These films are using local actors to do thesis work
and then they go off to Hollywood and they're like,
I want that guy, right, you know that this guy
Cliff Blake who's in ephis has been working with Carson
(01:01:53):
Lunn since he was a student at Emerson almost fourteen
years ago, and he loves working with him. And this
is the film he's done with Carson.
Speaker 2 (01:02:01):
So that's amazing. So Russell, where can people find you?
Follow you, support you and what can we look ahead for?
What are you working on next? If you can talk
about it?
Speaker 3 (01:02:17):
Yeah, absolutely So.
Speaker 5 (01:02:19):
I can be found on on Facebook, Instagram, x Russ
gannon gannon Russ. Russcannon dot com is my official website.
I have all my links on their clips and how
to get in touch with me if anybody wants to
gain in touch with me, so Ruscannon dot com. I
(01:02:40):
have a film that is in u post production right
now called Everything's Fine that I play a therapist.
Speaker 3 (01:02:52):
And we've shot a lot.
Speaker 5 (01:02:53):
Of that last year that is coming out hopefully in
the next couple of months or so, which still doing
some last minute adr work on it, but.
Speaker 3 (01:03:05):
I have that.
Speaker 5 (01:03:07):
I do a podcast called Twisted Tales of Madness and
Horror Present. Just finished my eleventh episode where I get
to play around with fun voices. It's a very adult
horror themed language is nice. It's very freeing to having
(01:03:31):
a script that's loaded with profanity and it is Yeah.
And like I said, Fletcher's five just came out. I'm
assuming that that will be on some platforms at some point.
That just premiered on Saturday, and otherwise I'm just I'm
(01:03:52):
just looking for my next project. So any filmmaker that's
out there that enjoys my work, you know how to
reach me.
Speaker 2 (01:04:00):
Exactly nice pitch. I like that Russell again and thank
you so much for joining us here on the Hub
on Hollywood. I feel like we can keep talking and
keep talking. We're going to have to have you back
on at some point. Congratulations again on the success of Ethos.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, and we'll see you
next time.
Speaker 3 (01:04:19):
Great. Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:04:21):
Thank you, and a big thank you again to Russ
for coming on the Helb on Hollywood talking about Ethus
and his career and the future projects he's working on.
So thank you again. If you are out there working
in New England in the film industry or a filmmaker,
you're an actor, any any position in the whole filmmaking process,
(01:04:42):
please reach out to us. We'd love to talk to you,
have you on the podcast and then talk about what's
it like being a filmmaker in Massachusetts and in New England.
So reach out to us. You can find us on
all the social medias. We are on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok,
at Hub on Hollywood. You can follow Jamie on Twitter, Instagram,
myself on Blue Sky. So do not hesitate, and do
(01:05:04):
not hesitate to subscribe and like this episode. As you
mentioned last week, Jamie, we broke the four hundred subscriber mark.
We're like over four hundred and twenty subscribers. So thanks
so much for those of those of you joining the
Hub on Hollywood Army and just you know again joining
in on the conversation and sharing your passion for the
(01:05:25):
film industry, TV entertainments, you know, and all that stuff.
So we really appreciate you joining us on this podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:05:33):
Thank you so much. And I hope we get to
have Russ back on. We've had producers, we've had you know,
makeup people, like anybody who's a part of that world.
We want to talk to you. Like James said, I
really want some stunt guys. Are you a stunt guy? Listening?
Speaker 1 (01:05:50):
Steama Sma Speama on Matt Sheer, He's uh, I'm gonna
have to follow touch base with him again. But he's
actually working. I don't want to. I don't want to
spoil his story. He's working on a surf for a
w b Z. But he's gonna be talking to a
stunt performer sunman and and there may be some crazy
stuff going on. So we'll circle back to that. We'll
(01:06:11):
put a pin in that. But yeah, if you're a
stunt person working inside Massachusetts or New England. I'll reach
out to us who want you on the show.
Speaker 2 (01:06:18):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 3 (01:06:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:06:20):
So we talked about a lot, James. We covered a
lot of ground. We talked a lot about New England
films and movies and TV shows more to come. Very
excited about the opportunities that are coming this spring and summer. Subscribe, subscribe,
subscribe like you here and we'll see you next week.
Until then, I'm Jamie, I'm James.
This is the Hub on Hollywood and iHeartRadio podcast. I'm
your co host James Rojas.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
And I'm Jamie Blanco.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
On this week's episode, we have a great interview with
a local actor who stars in a new movie filmed
right here in Massachusetts and it is getting great reviews
on Rotten Tomatoes, an Adam Sandlery classic returning to the
big screen just in time for its sequel. Local casting
news and some really good shows Jamie and I are watching.
(00:38):
But speaking of watching, Jamie, have you seen you must
have a hope, I hope you've seen the trailer the
new trailer for the Fantastic four First Steps.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Yes, yeah, that's I mean, it looks mister fantastic. Okay,
I mean, what else do.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
You need, mister Pedro Pascale.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Looks great, It looks fantastic.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Yes, yeah, this movie and Sue which if you're watching
the video right now after this podcast, go to our
YouTube page. We just posted some behind the scenes looks
look at the new Superman movie. So along with Superman,
this is my most anticipated film of this year. They
(01:18):
were able to reveal some more plots and details and
characters in this trailer and the first one is you know,
the first standout is we get a really good glimpse
or look at the Silver Surfer. Jamie. What's your knowledge
with the Silver Surfer and the canon and comic lore.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Oh gosh, you know, I'm not as much of an
expert on the Fantastic Four and all of them. I
know that I enjoyed the Silver Surfer the last time
they had a series of movies that introduced him. I
really enjoyed that character design and in all of that.
How are you feeling about it, James, I take it
(01:59):
you're more into the Fantastic Four Lower and yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
The funny thing is my wife and I watched the
trailer at the same time because I said, oh, the
new Fantastic Four trailers out, let's watch it. And so
we're watching it and she's like, I have no idea
what's going on. I have no idea about these characters.
And I'm like, you don't know the Fantastic Four. He's like,
I've heard of them, but I don't know like any
of them or what they do.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yeah, I know who the characters are.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Yeah, my wife, Yeah, my wife, she would not be
able to tell you. But what I can tell you
is that. Yeah, the Silver Surfer oftentimes portrayed as a
as a man in the comics, and in the previous
Fantastic four movie, this one that we have a woman,
which is also you know, you know, it goes back
to its roots in comics, So this is comic accurate
as well, like a different Silver Surfer. But basically, Silver
(02:47):
Surfer works as a as a planet finder for Galactis,
the Big Bad, the eater of worlds, and so the
Silver Surfer has lowcate Earth, and Earth has been marked
for death for Galactus's impending arrival. And so we get
(03:08):
a really good look at the Silver Surfer. I think
she looks fantastic. Speaking about mister Fantastic, we got a
good look at at Pedro Pascal stretching as well. That's
one thing they did not show in the first trailer,
but now we do see him stretch jump, which which
looks good that you know, second or two of stretching
we saw.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Okay, yeah, Loofy vibes right.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Do you do you feel like it predates Loofy by
the way, yeah, now saying this predates Loofy, so Loofy
is taking after mister Fantastic.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
But I think you know, for the very short period
that we saw him stretch and jump, I think it
looked good. So I think Marvel is, you know, putting
all their top CGI and VFX artists on this, so
I think they're gonna make it look good. I pray.
We also found out in this trailer that Soon Storm
is pregnant. This is another thing that has been explored
(04:05):
in the comics, and I'm I don't know it too well,
like the lore or like the history of it, but
I do know that the child of Sue Storm and
mister Fantastic Read Richards, you know, they are their own
superhero with you know, their unique superpower and uh so
that'd be interesting to see what happens from that or
comes of that, whether we'll see the birth or whether
(04:27):
that'll be you know, maybe at the very end the
teaser for the next film or.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
For you, James, do you feel like they're giving too
much away a trailer that happens a lot.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Yeah. So people are already putting on their their thinking
cavs on and and and their inspector gadget goggles and
uh and microscopes uh uh to work. Because one of
the things is that that we learned from the pot
from the trailer is that it looks like read Richard's
work is what drew Galactus to the Earth. He was
(05:01):
saying in there that he's concerned about his actions drawing
some unwanted attention. So maybe read Richards is doing some
scientific experiments and maybe a signal goes out it catches
the tension of Galactus and the Silver Surfer, which gets
them drawn to Earth. There's also some scenes and I
don't want to you know, I'm gonna mention it, but
you know, for those who are trying to go in
(05:23):
the Fantastic Four completely blind, pause for like or like
skip for ten seconds or fifteen seconds. But people are
theorizing that because Galactus is coming for the Fantastic Four,
read Richards, he's been able to figure out like universal like,
you know, how to go to a different multiverse. And
(05:44):
so the theory is that the Fantastic Four at the
end of the movie will jump into a multiverse, leave
their nineteen sixties aesthetic world in order to save it,
because they're the reason why Galactus wants to eat the Earth.
If they're not there, then Galactus will eat the Earth.
So that's one theory that people are dissecting.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
You know what, I hope, James, I hope that this
is its own standalone thing. I don't really need to
see it bleeding into the greater MCU and the multiverse
and all of that. I would just love for something
to not be a part of that anymore, you know
what I mean, Like to just be its own beautiful
(06:22):
thing with its own aesthetic, like you said, in its
own little world. I'd really like for that, you know.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Yeah, So I hope, I hope this is a you know,
a standalone movie on itself, so you can watch it,
you know, on repeat how many times you want, and
you don't have to watch something before or after. I
will give a spoiler is that when they announce the
cast for Avengers Doomsday, where Robert Downey Junior is the
big bad and they showed like that big long line
of casting chairs or seats and with the names of
(06:52):
the actors, Well, you know, we saw the actors who
play you know, Johnny Storm or the Thing or play
you know, Pedro Pascal and Sue Storm. They're in those chairs.
Their names are there, so they're gonna be I think
Doomsday is going to be this multiverse kind of colliding,
where all these different variants of superheroes are going to be,
(07:14):
you know, coming to one location in time to fight doomsday. Yeah,
you imagine it. You don't have to watch any more movies.
You can stop watching all the MC movies and that'll
be the end of it. You could do that. That
is always an option. Yeah, last last few things. We
see the Fantastic car, which is like, you know, hilariously
(07:36):
seemingly accurate to the comics. We saw Galactys marching down
down an Earth street with his big feet. Reminded me
of a scene of like Godzilla, you know, storming stomping
through New York, And I think those are the big takeaways.
But yeah, this is I'm very excited for.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
This film, all right, And when is it coming out?
When can we see.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
That is coming out? Let's see when is Fantastic four
coming out? Twenty fifth, July twenty fifth, so just around
the corner summer blockbuster. Yeah, there we go, just just
an arms stretch away, an arm.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Stretch away, and Pedro Pascal's everywhere, He's everywhere. Were talking
about him, and so I mean it's just we can't
get enough of Pedro. I hope he's pacing himself though, Okay,
I hope that he's resting and in meditating and whatever
he needs to do, right because the world can't get
(08:35):
enough of him and he just needs to take care
of himself, all right.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Yeah, I think actors go through this, Like many actors.
You'll notice it with like I don't know just name
which actor, but there'll be a series where they're so
hot and they're like in every movie for a period
of five years or something, and then they kind of
trickle off. They're still you know, big stars, they're still
doing big movies, but they're spaced out further. They're doing
more independent stuff or not so being a flashy But
(09:00):
this is Pedro's like period to be in everything, and
you know, I used to be annoyed by that, Like
all these actors are are in everything right now, like
three movies seemingly a year in these projects. But I'm like,
if you're an actor, make your money, get your work in,
get it while it lasts, because that flame will not
always burn as brightly as it does right now. So
that's right.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Yeah, And there are a ton of opportunities for actors
in New England to be getting that money, money coming up, James,
we're gonna be talking about that in a little bit,
was there.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
I think that was basically, yeah, we can, we can
jump to cast and calls.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
All right, there we go, Here we go. We're gonna
ride that silver surfboard on over over the hub, over
the hub.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Absolutely, the silver screen.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
We're gonna get you that money. You know, since COVID
and since the dual strikes, it's been tough. Man, it's
been tough being an actor, and the of those opportunities
that were really popping for a few years have dried
up a bit. But it's looking like we're going to
have a robust summer and the casting calls are just
(10:10):
starting to pour in. So very excited about that. So
without further ado, let's hit it man. First of all,
M Night shamalan and is coming to town. He's gonna
be filming in Rhode Island of Films starring Jake Jillenhall.
The Rhode Island Film Office just put out a notice
(10:33):
about that, and in one of their press releases they said, Hey,
you want to be a background extra. You want to
help A M. Night and Jake Jillenhall make something incredible.
Reach out to Rhode Island Extras at gmail dot com
and they're going to be letting you know what information
(10:54):
that they need. Typically, you know, it's your headshot, your resume,
your sizes, where you're from, your contact information Rhode islandextras
dot com for that one for the Rhode Island filming
of The Next Night Shyamalan movie. Also A twenty four
(11:15):
is shooting a feature film called Tony, which explores the
early life of renowned cheft Anthony Burdaine. You know Anthony Burdaine.
So that's pretty exciting. That's going to be taking place
from May until early July, mostly in Provincetown and the
South Shore of Boston. Boston Casting is handling this one,
(11:37):
so you're gonn want to sign up for Bostoncasting dot
com to get all their notifications on that. But right now,
for this project, they're looking for kitchen staff, regular kitchen
staff to appear. They're looking for all men, all ages,
open ethnicities, and they want real kitchen staff, like people
(11:58):
with real experience who have dynast unique personalities. No prior
acting experience is necessary for this one. Uh, if you're interested,
you're gonna want to email Tony Kitchen Casting at gmail
dot com with your name, photo, description of yourself and
your cooking experience. They are very excited to hear about
(12:22):
that one. There is also another feature film that Boston
Casting is handling. This is actually a half hour series,
not a feature film. This is a series that is
gonna be filming in Massachusetts in areas like Devin's Gloucester, Worcester, Rockport, Gratten,
like that area. This is gonna be happening, Gratten. Just
(12:46):
isn't that fun to say? It's gonna be about ten episodes.
That's gonna be filming for May through August. The storyline
here is a mysteriously cursed New England island is led
by a mayor who refuses to believe the warnings of
its superstitious citizens. You gotta, you gotta listen, You gotta listen,
(13:09):
you know you gotta. They're looking for uh sag folks
to be a part of this right now. They're looking
for their small group of core townspeople. These are mostly
background roles, so you're gonna need to be available for
multiple days throughout the duration of filming. If this sounds
like you, like I said before, hop onto Bostoncasting dot com.
(13:33):
Uh so you can sign up for free, get the
notifications and let them know that you are available for
this project. So, James, tons of exciting stuff going on
in the in the filmmaking part, but also apparently in
the TV show, in the reality show realm.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Right, Yeah, you could say we got a situation going on, right,
I went there. Yeah, we talked about this during the
last episode, and I was trying to wrap my brain
around the description of the Jersey Shore coming to the
shores of Boston. And yeah, so it's the original cast
or many of the of the cast members of the
(14:15):
reality TV show The Jersey Shore. They're in Massachusetts. They're
in New Hampshire filming this kind of I guess new
series for MTV. And so they stopped in the Granite State,
just north of us. They went to this restaurant it's
called the Puritan back Room in Manchester. Apparently this place
is known for being the birthplace of chicken tenders. So here. Yeah,
(14:40):
I mean, I mean, I'm not the one going to
dispute it, but I'll take their word for it. But yeah,
so Mike the situation, Nicole Snooky POLIZI, Ronnie Magro and
the crew from the show. We're at the restaurant this
past week filming Jersey Shore Family Vacation. How much I
(15:01):
mean again like kind of like the I was saying,
the celebrities who are making all these movies like during
this hot period, like if you can and go for it,
I guess you know, get your paycheck. And so at
first I was kind of not annoyed because these guys
don't really bother me. But my mind, my mind was going,
who cares about these guys? Apparently there's enough interest where
people do and if they if they make money, why
(15:24):
not just go for it. Everybody needs some money right now?
Speaker 2 (15:26):
So all right, but James, look, I'm gonna I'm gonna
pick a fight with New Hampshire right now.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Please please please Look, as.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Long as there has been chicken, as long as there've
been chicken, there must have been chicken tenders, you know
what I mean, Like you put a little breading on it.
That can't be something new. That con'd be something that
the city of Manchester invented, I mean had for thousands
of years.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Somebody had to invent it. Well, get get this, uh,
buffalo wings. Buffalo wings weren't quote invented or the style
of buffalo wings weren't popularized or invented until like somebody
in the city of Buffalo made them, or I don't know.
I don't know how that. I don't know that history either.
I don't question these things. I don't question chicken history.
But but but yeah, you're right, somebody should look into this.
(16:11):
I think Matt Shecher actually introduced somebody who's like a
chicken tender, mayor or ambassador.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
A chicken expert.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Do that, because I'll text, I'll text Matt and we'll
include maybe like a voice message in this pocket, which.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Just doesn't sound legit to me. That's all we'll find out.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
We'll find out. But I think that's all we need
to say about the Jersey Shore. We don't we don't
need to go further and see this topic. But yeah,
if you if you're fans of the of the Cast,
they're they're back, they're coming back, and they're in town.
They're in Boston, in New Hampshire, So good for that
speak about New Hampshire and a New Hampshire boy born
and raised is a mister Adam Sandler. We of course
(16:52):
know that his sequel to Happy Gilmore, Happy Gilmore Too,
is coming out in theaters in a couple of months,
and we saw, you know, a lot of people are
very excited when he comes to town. He hires a
lot of background actors and makes a lot of money
and whatnot. Guess what, He's making even more money from
movie theaters because Universal Pictures announced that Happy Gilmore, the original,
(17:16):
the first one, is coming back for a theatrical re
release in theaters nationwide, but only for two days, those
days being April twenty seventh and the thirtieth. I don't
know why, but twenty seventh and the thirtieth. If you
want to see Happy Gillmore Swing, Swing Away on the
big screen, Tickets for that re release are on sale
(17:39):
right now. Now get this, Jamie, what's up? I just
found out minutes ago on this podcast live that Happy
Gilmore is coming out the exact same day, the exact
same weekend as Fantastic Four. I think this is terrible,
Like why would they release? Why I would they come
out with that movie not only thirty years later or
(18:02):
at all, but also the same weekend as Fantastic Four,
one of the most anticipated weekend films of the year.
So I don't know. Good luck, May the May the
Victor go the spoils. Yeah, all right, exactly exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
And completed that feat no no more than five minutes ago.
He can do it. He can do it. Anyways, go on,
go on.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Don't mind me, no, no, no, Well, speaking of victories
and the spoils, we are being spoiled by really really
great television right now. Either that's on you know, Disney
plus HBO, Max or you know, wherever, wherever you wherever
you are. But we are watching right now. Jamie and
I were watching Daredevil Born Again. The season finale episode
(18:46):
just got posted this week, and I'm halfway through the
final episode. Don't tell me if I could take us
back to the rewind machine and and and go back
in time for a little bit. When this series, before
it came out, you were saying, oh, you know what,
you know, I have no stranger to saying I'm not
(19:07):
that excited for many Marvel projects, and you're like, well,
at least you know Daredevil's coming out again. And I
was very very lukewarm about it, if not cold, on
the idea of going back into the Daredevil world. I
enjoy Daredevil, the original series, the original run and everything,
but you know that that that that wall I just
(19:28):
I felt like I could not climb over that wall
of art around my heart. But guess what, Daredevil broke
through that wall. And this is a really really good season.
Like it looks so good, the story is so good,
the action is great. Why can't they do this in
movies anymore? But yeah, how are you enjoying the season
(19:49):
so far? I'm just enjoying that you were right, you
were right. Kudos, kudos, seriously, no words. Yeah, it's a
really good season. And and again halfway through the final episode,
so right after this podcast, I'm gonna finish it. But
I'm enjoying everything about this season so far.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
I've enjoyed everything about it. Like I said, the very
first episode had me and my sister in law. We
were watching it together like screaming at the television and
like clutching our hearts, and I think, you know, they
made very dramatic choices, and it's paying off, and you're
bringing back characters that you care about. You're telling stories
(20:28):
that fits so seamlessly into the world, and it's gritty
but it has heart and it's stylistically just my god,
you can just gorge on it. I just want more
and more and more, and I just I love Charlie
Cox to death and everything that he has done, you know,
(20:49):
previously with Daredevil, and this season it's just yeah. I mean,
I can't sing the praises enough. I am a little
bit behind you. I haven't been able to catch help yet.
So when it's when it's all said and done, maybe
we can do a spoiler review. But I'm curious. Maybe
you can say, or maybe you can't say, what your
(21:10):
what your favorite or most surprising thing is about this season.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Hmmm surprising, I don't know. I'm impressed. I Daredevil is
known for having really good fight sequences, fight scenes, so
I'm impressed by that they've reached expectations, if at if
not at times exceeding those expectations, which is great. I
love that we have John Berthall back here as the Punisher,
(21:38):
and that's not really big spoiler just because he's he
was like featured uh in the in the promotion and
the trailers and whatnot, but his his reintroductions as the
Punisher is fantastic. He's he's killing it no pun intended
or pun intended for this final episode so much, and
it's it's beautiful. It's like it's music to my ears,
(21:59):
and so it's a but he's doing a great job.
The story is really strong too, So maybe that may
have been the more most surprising thing is that has
a really solid story that I'm really invested in with
like Fisk becoming the mayor of New York and and
now he's he's bringing in his mob mentality into the
(22:19):
workings the inner workings of governments, the corruption of governments,
which you know, at face value doesn't sound like a stretch,
but you know, he does it in his own fisk
a way.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
So you know what, I think they did such an
amazing job of like making you wonder or even hope that, hey,
maybe Fisk is turning over a new leaf. You know,
maybe he is trying to do a good thing. But
like like the juxtaposition, like the switching of roles right
from a villain and here who is a villain, who
(22:51):
is a hero, who's in the right, who's in the wrong.
You know that that moral grayness and the swapping of roles,
you know, back in worth and back. But I just
love it. I just love it. I just love it.
That's all. That's all.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
I love it too. So if you're not watching Daredevil
if you were kind of like me on the fence
and not really eager to get into it, get into it.
It gets my full you know, my two thumbs up approval.
Watch it right now, Disney Plus what you should also
watch right now and is much heavier, more realistic, more grounded.
(23:26):
Topic is the is the medical healthcare system and the
pits Jamie. Before I brought it up, did you hear
about the pit? Because I had just recently learned about it,
and it's blowing my mind.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
I had seen like memes of it. I think people
were so right into it. Yeah, it's there are million
medical dramas, right, but there's something about this that just
seems a little bit different that people are excited about.
So I've seen like clips, I've seen like bits and
pieces that people seem to be really excited about. But
(24:00):
tell me, so hooked you?
Speaker 1 (24:03):
So I was. I was sick this past week, and
so I was, like, you know, at home on the
couch for hours on end, and so I figured, let
me just start watching stuff I'm gonna get. Let me
get to actual shows and movies I've been wanting to
watch and I have not had the time to. So
I saw something about The Pit getting really good reviews,
and you know, it's like, oh, and I'm watching random
(24:24):
shows too, and so some of that are not so good,
but I'm happy I'm just watching them. But I decided,
you know what medical drama I'm getting. I hear it's
good stuff. I hear it's pretty realistic. Let me just
pop it on. Each episode is about an hour and
and maybe the first ten to fifteen minutes, I was like,
I'm not really sure if I'm going to be into
this because they get really into the nitty gritty of
like medical procedure and it takes place in an er
(24:47):
an emergency room in Pittsburgh. And eventually, like I just
got hooked by the characters, by the scene, by the setting.
Basically it's on the eight. It's an HBO medical drama.
It's it's very popular right now actually among those in
the healthcare industry, because it's being described as the most
accurate medical drama of all time, with compelling depictions of
(25:10):
the medical practices. The story is. It follows the daily
lives of healthcare professionals in a Pittsburgh hospital referred to
as the Pits, and as employees juggle personal crisises workplace
politics and the emotional toll of treating critical patients. It
reveals the resiliency required for this noble calling. And it's
(25:34):
so interesting because I wasn't a big fan of the Er.
Some people have said this is like an ER reboot,
so much so that there's actually a lawsuit going on,
but that's a whole different discussion going on. Yeah, but
it's really gripping, Like a lot of the medical jargon
is going straight over my head. But you're following the story,
(25:55):
you're following the emotion of all these characters, and you're
getting really invested very quickly. And one thing that really
actually got me more invested in this is again the
medical community they're talking about this. I'm not sure if
you know about this doctor on YouTube, doctor Mike, very popular.
He's like thirteen million subscribers, and he reacts to a
lot of like movies or TV shows like medical emergencies
(26:18):
and he says, oh, this is realistic, this is this
would never happen, or you know, he kind of dissects
things pun intended. And he's been going through like each
episode like episode one, two, three, and and like he's
describing like he's watching it. You know, he's describing things
as he's watching the episode, and he's like calling things
left and right, or like they would do this in
(26:38):
this situation, and then they do it, or they use
he uses this jargon and then they use it, and
vice versa. So it seems very accurate, and it seems
like the medical industry really appreciates it. And I love
how this is formatted because this is a I believe,
a thirteen episode season, and each episode is one hour
(26:59):
of one shift, one day shift in the er. So
it begins like at seven am, and so that's the
first episode seven to eight, and then eight to nine
is the second, and so on and so on, and
so it's one continuous day of crazy emergencies in the
emergency room. You know, people get brought in with a
gunshow wound with a nail gun to their head or heart,
(27:23):
or somebody burn their hand, and and there are things
that are so minimal to obviously like emergency room level
life and death situations. It's a very gripping show basically,
what I'm trying to say, if you, like myself, were
not are not into medical dramas I thought I was,
I wasn't into it. This one I think would be
worth your time and would get you hooked into that.
(27:44):
So I recommend The Pit.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
And you could probably learn something too, Yeah by watching it.
That sounds that sounds really really cool.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
I can't.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
I hate I hate watching medical shows where it's just
like it's just overly dramatic and you know it's completely inaccurate.
And yeah, I can't really get into it. So that's
good to hear about The Pit. And James, there's one
other show that people need to glue themselves to the
couch four that that that we've been watching, As you mentioned,
(28:17):
just a glut of great television being rained upon us
right now, which is fantastic when you need distractions. The
Last of Us Season two, Episode one is Up you Are.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
Episode one's up. Yeah. I watched episode one day after
it came out. Like I said, I was six, I
decided to watch everything. Yeah, and so perfect timing, perfect timing.
But episode one, it's a really good start to the
to the season. And yeah, I don't want to give
away any spoilers, but we can give like a kind
of synopsis of where we are from the first season.
(28:56):
So episode one is future days. This takes place half
a decade following the events in Salt Lake City, Ellie
is nineteen years old. Now she's encountering new threats, new
kind of infected, while Joel is seeking to mend his
relationship with Allie. And this opens up with showing the
character Abby and the rest of the surviving Fireflies right
(29:19):
after the rampage that Joel went on to save Ali.
They're burying their dead, they're mourning they're dead, and this
character Abby basically saying she's hell bent on exacting revenge
on Joel for you know, killing everybody at their compound
to save Ali, and pretty much you know them regrouping
(29:41):
to go to Seattle with the rest of the other
Firefly branches. And then it picks up five years later
in Wyoming where there's a settlement. Joel and Ellie they
that's where they go to find refuge. The settlement has
become more sustainable, they're really flourishing, and at the same time,
because of that success, they're actually kind of letting their
(30:03):
guard down. And so that's where that we're kind of like,
that's where the scene is being set right now. But
how did you think about the first episode back?
Speaker 2 (30:12):
I thought it was you've got that vibe, right, You've
got the I just love seeing Pedro back, Pascal back
as Joel. You've got Bella Ramsay back as Ellie. And
that dynamic and that relationship and that tension is done
so well, right because if you had watched the end
(30:34):
of the last season, you know that Joel he damned
the entire world and slaughtered the fireflies just to save her,
and then he lied about it, right, And so it's
not clear whether she knows or doesn't know about the
lie yet, but there's this tension and this anger and
this frustration between them, which is also very much like
(30:55):
you know, teenage child and father, which is sort of
dynamic that they have anyway. But what I really enjoy, James,
is that so far it looks like it's staying mostly
true to the video game, with just some minor changes,
including Catherine O'Hara who joins and plays a character who's
a therapist.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Yeah, that was great to see. I was surprised by her.
And she kills it as as this like this therapist
psychotherapist at the compound where she's asking Joel to like,
you know, she she knows that there's this tense relationship
between him and Ellie now and she knows Joel is
(31:38):
hiding something, and she asks him, like, did you did
you do something to Ellie and he says yes, He's like,
did you hurt her? He says, no, I saved her,
And so he's he's trying to justify his rampage, killing
so many people to save her and also again potentially
doing the world because you know, we don't know for
sure if that there would be a cure through her
(31:59):
through her blood. But from the first season, but her
performance and her grief and her loss and her anger
really really shined. And so Cathan o'harew beautiful addition to
this to this world.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
I love her and everything and we are in for
adventure and pain this season. My goodness, the tension, the
tension is there. We know that that the hurt is coming.
Bella Ramsey too, is just a freaking standout. We feel
her pain so viscerally. The dynamics between her and Joel
(32:34):
center stage and you just can't help but be drawn
into it. And Joel and everyone around him are going
to be grappling with the consequences of his actions, and
there's just like a delicious anticipation there, so very much
looking forward to continuing to watch more of the Last
of Us. We see at the end of you know,
the first episode, the Horde is coming, so let's see
(32:57):
what happens from there.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
The new episode comes out Mondays, so I believe every Monday,
new episode or Sunday Sunday new episode. So Sunday, Sunday,
Sunday Sunday, I can't wait for that.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
James speaking of something that is highly rated, well received,
well reviewed, one hundred percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Locally a
locally created a film movie called Ethhus all local cast,
you know, filmed here. It just wrapped up its theatrical
(33:33):
run is going to be available on streaming, and we
talked with one of the stars of that film, Russ
Gannon from Needham, local actor who worked him way up
from from background to you know, a lead in a
film that's getting on und so much critical acclaim one
(33:55):
hundred percent of Rotten Tomatoes, that is nothing to sneeze at.
We were lucky enough to have Russ on the show.
And without further ado, here's my interview with Russ Gannon
and I am joined by a fantastic actor from Needham Massachusetts,
Russell Gannon. Russell's promoting an exciting movie called ethis Is
(34:18):
That Right? Is Great, which just had its theatrical run
and will be available soon on streaming. Russell, thank you
so much for joining us.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Now, before we get started on Athos, because there's a
lot of meat there, tell me a little bit about
how you got started. I understand you were a radio
man and then you got bit by the acting buzz.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
I was yeah.
Speaker 5 (34:41):
I was a student at Emerson, graduated with a degree
in radio communications with a minor in comedy writing, and
at the time I was working for w RKO Radio
as one of the producers on the Jay Mary Williams
talk show, also trying my hand at stand up and
(35:04):
also trying.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
To be a writer.
Speaker 5 (35:06):
I was a writer for the Boston Phoenix and the
Boston Herald, and it was all music related.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
I was as far away from.
Speaker 5 (35:14):
The acting world as can be and stayed in the
music industry for a number of years.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
I was.
Speaker 5 (35:22):
A traffic reporter on WBZ here in Boston and then
managed a record store in Harvard Square for a number
of years, and somewhere around two thousand and three, when
the whole music industry sort of collapsed. Yeah, had a
friend of mine asked me if I was still interested
(35:42):
in being on the air, and so I got a
job at ninety two five The River, and I was
a DJ for a couple of years back on the air,
and I was really bored. The industry had changed, and
I just I found myself looking for something else to do.
So I saw an ad on Craigslist to be an
act an extra on the game Plan with the Rock
(36:07):
And that was a Fall of two thousand and six,
and first day of filming eight hundred extras, somebody from
wardrobe tapped me on the shoulder and said, you're a
coach today and right and now I'm on the field
and at lunchtime I'm throwing a football on the fifty
(36:28):
yard line with another extra, and I'm like, okay, this
is I can do this.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
I can do this for a living.
Speaker 5 (36:34):
And I just sort of picked everyone's brain, like can
you make a living doing this?
Speaker 3 (36:39):
How do you? What is the union? What's say? I
had no idea what anything.
Speaker 5 (36:44):
Was, and then I just started doing background on ghosts
of Girlfriends, past twenty seven dresses, the Proposal, all the
rom com stuff, that.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
Was shooting in and around the Boston area at the time, and.
Speaker 5 (36:59):
I wound up getting my way into the Screen Actors
Guild in two thousand and eight. I had earned my
way in through background work, joined after in two thousand
and nine and then ran for the board the local
board for New England and was voted in twenty eleven.
Merge was twenty twelve, and I just sort of stayed
(37:22):
active in the Union while also trying to learn how
to act. Now I'm a Union actor who had never
acted before, so.
Speaker 2 (37:32):
Is that right?
Speaker 3 (37:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (37:34):
So in twenty thirteen, I got a role in a
Lifetime movie called Sins of the Preacher, which was shot
by John Stimpson. He shoots a lot of Lifetime in
Hallmark movies in the Boston area and he had auditioned
me to play the role of the church deacon and
I ended up getting that, and a couple of years
(37:56):
later I got a role in a Chinese television show
called Wonderful Life, where I played a lawyer. And then
even during COVID, I discovered how to build a studio
and do voiceover work. I had done some voiceover work
for the TV show Frontline on PBS, but so I
(38:19):
built this studio that I'm sitting in now, and I
started working on animated voice projects. My daughter at the
time was going to rit in Rochester studying three D animation,
so I started doing animated voice work. I had some
help from the animated voiceover committee for SAG. This woman,
(38:39):
lar Jill Miller, who does voices for Nickelodeon, helped me
to design and build this studio. Forever grateful for her
help in doing that. And yeah, coming out of COVID,
I wound up on Dexter New Blood for five months
as Clancy Brown stand in, and I continue to to
(39:00):
try to work as much as possible. I landed roles
in Boston Strangler and American Fiction, both of which wound
up on the cutting room floor.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
But hate when that happens.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
It's like, oh, you're so close.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
It's still experience, right, and it's still on your resume.
And so I just want to back up a little
bit because you talked about going from background to eventually
getting that big break and having lines on an actual
TV show, so I kind of rather a film. I
wanted to ask you kind of about the pressure of that,
(39:43):
the transition of that, How is it going from background,
which is what I do as well. I feel like
we have a little bit of a similar trajectory. I
came from radio and after SAG, after merged, I started
doing background work, completely fell in love with it. But
I am a chicken Russell. I'm going to I admit
that to everyone in the world here. I am terrified
(40:03):
of getting front of the camera, having lines, having that
pressure on you. So can you talk about a little
bit about that, that transition and preparing to actually, you know,
be the guy in front of the camera saying the.
Speaker 3 (40:13):
Lines, Yeah, I'm with you. Uh. When I when I
started doing this, I was terrified. I'm when I.
Speaker 5 (40:23):
When I started in radio, I had a horrible fear
of public speaking. I really it took a long time.
I was doing an Irish show on w e R
S at Emerson and that helped me get over my
fear of speaking. But getting into an audition room with lines,
I was shaking. I would go in and I would shake.
And there's nothing worse than seeing somebody who is just
(40:46):
does not have that confidence going into a room to
do something that you just need all his confidence to do.
And I just couldn't. I couldn't do it I and
I was in SAD. That was that was the thing.
I joined SAD before i'd really taken any acting classes.
So there wasn't a lot of non union stuff you
could do to help get over those those nerves, and
(41:11):
so my my fear of getting in the room was
just getting in the way of everything. And I had
spoken to someone and I said, how do you how
do you get experience your union? How do you get experience?
And they're like, well, you're limited really to student films.
I'm like, what, what's that? Like, what do you mean
(41:32):
student films? And they're like, yeah, all these colleges around Boston,
b You and Emerson and mass Art and Leslie and
even BC Northeastern Harvard, they all have film programs and
they're always looking for actors and they can sign you
under the Student Film Agreement. This was before the micro
budget contract. And so I'm like, great, let's let's get
(41:56):
all our nerves and all of that practice with students
who are also learning and practicing and so all that
work of forgetting your lines, auditioning and being a complete wreck.
I'm doing it with students that are nervous, that are
also worried that they're not prepared. And so I was
(42:21):
able to kind of work with some filmmakers and we
kind of learned together. And when I did get this role,
my biggest fear was I'm going to forget my lines.
And it was a good two and a half minute
scene and we did it a lot and I had
those lines down. I had those lines down, and one
(42:41):
take gone completely forgot my lines, just staring at everyone like, uh,
I don't know where the lines wet. And John came
over He's like, that's why I cut. Give us a script,
give them a couple of minutes to look it over.
Let's just start again. And it was as big a
deal as it was in my head that you're gonna
(43:04):
you're the one that's screwing up everything, and everybody is
terrified of doing that, and so, you know, that was
the experience I needed to kind of get over that,
and improv classes helped me immensely as well. When I
was at Emerson, I was in Emerson Comedy Workshop, but
(43:25):
I was not a fan of improv at all. Improv
gives you the freedom to mess a line up and
keep going and just you know, sometimes it's not even
the lines, it's just knowing your character and just saying
stuff and you know, getting through that. If you know
(43:46):
the character and you know what that character might say,
it just flows and it feels so natural. And then
they can yell cut and they're like, you weren't even close.
We we liked what you did. And I find it's
freeing sometimes to try. That was the other thing. I
had a fear of not getting the lines one correct,
(44:07):
which you also have to leave behind because it just
there's nothing worse than looking like an actor who's trying
to remember a line on care you know it and
and you're not present with the reader, with anyone in
the room because you're like, it's that line, it's what
(44:30):
is it?
Speaker 3 (44:30):
You know?
Speaker 5 (44:31):
And it comes across on on screen. So now the
character know that. Lots of practice, just put a camera
in your room and just read stuff, memorize whenever possible.
That's that's your muscle that you have to keep orging.
But but but people screw up all the time, big actors,
(44:52):
And yeah, and and you got to get out of
your head. That's where that's where we get stuck all
the time.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
Right, So I'm I'm and now do you feel like
you're in a place of like more confidence going in
and knowing that you have that little bit of flexibility.
I think some of the greatest the greatest lines that
come out of movies are when actors sort of just
go off the rift, like they riff, or they come
(45:20):
up with something, or they forgot their line so they
said something else and they're like, Wow, that works because
it was in character, even though it wasn't exactly what
you were supposed to say. So I just think that's
that's fascinating and a great point that I feel like
we haven't heard enough about the student films. Also, there
are so many programs here in Boston, so that's that's
(45:40):
a really great resource for people who are trying to
get into it. With that being said, yes, all that
being said, Russell, let's talk about ephis.
Speaker 3 (45:50):
Yes, what is it about?
Speaker 2 (45:52):
And how did you get involved?
Speaker 5 (45:54):
So EVAs takes its name from a type of baseball pitch,
a very slow curveball that was immortalized by Boston Red
Sox pitcher Bill Lee in the nineteen seventy five World Series.
In Game seven, he threw an ephas pitch that was
hit out of the park, and.
Speaker 3 (46:13):
As he says, it is still going.
Speaker 5 (46:16):
The Red Sox lost the nineteen seventy five World Series
to the reds Billy has always been associated with with
the Ephas pitch, although it goes back to the early twenties.
It's a very high arching pitch that's thrown very slowly
like that. And the film is sort of an analogy
of time passing you by in that you don't really
(46:40):
realize that time has passed you by until it's passed
you by. And so this is a film that takes
place in the early nineties. It is the last game
played on a baseball field shot in Douglas, Massachusetts, and
we're playing this game for the last time before they
bulldozed the field and turn it into a school. Engineer
(47:00):
in charge of the project is one of the characters
in the film, Graham, the coach of the River Dogs,
who I play second baseman Bill Belinda on the River Dogs.
Speaker 3 (47:13):
There's some.
Speaker 5 (47:16):
Animosity between the two teams because they realize this is
the last game ever played. And so the game itself
takes place over the course of one day, same location.
Speaker 3 (47:25):
Starts in the morning, ends at night.
Speaker 5 (47:27):
There is no star, there is no third act, there
is no climax, there is no there. It is literally
a slice of life film and it's.
Speaker 3 (47:44):
Very moving. It's funny.
Speaker 6 (47:47):
The characters are so real and lived in that you
would swear you just picked twenty two guys off the
street and say just be yourselves and just play that.
Speaker 5 (48:00):
It's all scripted. There's a little improv in there. It
feels like it's all imp it's just so natural the
way it goes, but it's just it's really, as director
Carson Lunn calls it, a tribute to the third space.
There's home, there's work, and there's a third space where
you go to be with your friends, where you go
(48:23):
and just find a place that's not work or home,
and those places are disappearing. That that third space that
we used to really enjoy, whether it was golf, bowling, baseball,
anything that people would get together. And this is pre
cell phone, so there's no distraction. In the dugout, people
(48:44):
are having conversations. And what's great about the film too,
is the way it's the sound is mixed, is that
their conversation's happening all throughout the theater, and you'd swear
somebody's talking in the corner of the theater, but it's
the baseball players on second base or having a conversation,
and then there's the action in front.
Speaker 3 (49:04):
So the movie's great. I got involved with it.
Speaker 5 (49:06):
I found an ad on backstage, which of course is
a great resource for actors to find films, you know,
whether it be student film's voiceover even you know, feature films.
And so in May of twenty twenty one, I auditioned
for the role of Bill Belinda. I was cast a
(49:29):
few months later as one of the last It was
actually May of twenty twenty two. They had cast most
of the film in twenty twenty one, and then we're
just trying to come up with funding. In May of
twenty twenty two, I auditioned. We started shooting in October
of twenty twenty two, and it was in this field
(49:51):
called Soldiers Field in Douglas, mass which has history. Boston
Red Sox and the Yankees played an exhibition game there
in the mid forties, and so it has the history
and it feels like an old field. And so we
shocked for about twenty five days in that October, and
it was fun. We all played baseball, we'd practice, we'd stretch,
(50:14):
and we really got to know each other as two
teams playing one final game.
Speaker 2 (50:20):
So yeah, so that brings me to my next question
was what was it like becoming this character and what
sort of physical preparation did you need to do to
be this baseball player?
Speaker 5 (50:31):
Sure, you know, the last time I played baseball, I
played little league in Needham. I played when I was
at WRKO. I played in the advertising Softball league. We
would play over in Brighten by the bus stop pub.
We'd all on Western av we'd go over. We'd play
softball all the radio stations and some of the ad firms.
(50:52):
And so I haven't played since nineteen ninety one. So
that's the first thing. It's like, you know, blowing the
dust off glove, you know, finding you know, cleats that fit.
And and so we spent a couple of weeks just
doing the fundamentals, hitting the ball, fielding the ball, getting
(51:12):
used to running, and we all get hurt. We all
just you know, no matter how much we'd stretch, we
just we just moved to the side and we'd feel
a pop and we'd be like, Okay, that's not moving
for the rest of the shoot.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
And that's all.
Speaker 5 (51:30):
And my character is worse than I am actually in
real life, which was a challenge. My biggest challenge was
not being a good ballplayer, ye which ruined some takes
there were There was a I couldn't I couldn't let
this ball go by me, and I had to make
this diving stop and Carson's like, Russ, that's you got
(51:54):
to let that ball go through.
Speaker 3 (51:56):
So we can't go on until that.
Speaker 5 (51:59):
So I strive, make out, I get hit by a pitch,
I walk. It's just I'm an awful player. And in
the film, my family is there watching me. I'm the
only one whose family is there, and they're watching me.
And every time I'm so enthusiastic, like this time I'm
(52:19):
getting a hit, and I don't get ahead.
Speaker 3 (52:21):
This time I'll get a hit, and they're like, we
want to go home. I'm like, no, no, no, this
time I'm getting a hit.
Speaker 2 (52:27):
It sounds like when I played softball yea.
Speaker 3 (52:32):
And so yeah, that was the challenge for me.
Speaker 5 (52:34):
Was was having to play below my ability.
Speaker 2 (52:38):
And who is your character's.
Speaker 3 (52:41):
Yeah, Bill Belinda. So he's the second baseman for the
River Dogs.
Speaker 5 (52:45):
We play a team called Adler Paints, and you know,
it doesn't really matter.
Speaker 3 (52:52):
Which team wins.
Speaker 5 (52:54):
That's the That's what you see these baseball movies where
it comes down to this like low motion, like Okay,
here it comes here's the winning run, and it doesn't matter,
Like it really doesn't matter who wins this game. It's
just they have to play it to completion. And so
so yeah, so I'm Bill Belinda, and my wife Linda
(53:18):
Belinda it really is there as well, and my two
kids and and yeah, and I'm just this happy, go
lucky guy that likes playing baseball.
Speaker 2 (53:28):
I love it. And this film is is getting great reviews.
One reviewer called it the best baseball movie since Moneyball,
and how does that make you feel?
Speaker 3 (53:39):
Like?
Speaker 2 (53:39):
Seeing the just overall very very positive reviews for.
Speaker 5 (53:43):
Yeah, Yeah, it's it's a little surreal. I woke up
this morning to a text from a friend of mine
in La that sent me Rotten Tomatoes best Films of
twenty twenty five and ephus is number one.
Speaker 2 (53:58):
You wow to congratulation.
Speaker 3 (54:00):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (54:01):
It's got one hundred percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. So
we saw the film for the first time last year,
last May or last April, first time in eighteen months.
We saw the film and we were blown away, Like
we left the theater like what what did we just
(54:22):
watch this film?
Speaker 3 (54:23):
Is amazing? How did we make this movie?
Speaker 5 (54:26):
Like it didn't feel like we were making this movie
when we were making it. And then we found out
we got into the con Film Festival and the Director's
Fortnite and we were having our premiere in France. So
sixty cast and crew flew to France to see this
film in a sold out auditorium right next to the
(54:48):
Carlton Hotel where Alfred Hitchcock had shot to catch a
thief with Carrie Grant and our film is playing next door.
So and then we come out of the theater and
we're on a rooftop watching the sunset over the Mediterranean,
where like this is just.
Speaker 3 (55:07):
This isn't what we do.
Speaker 5 (55:09):
We were background, you know, a background in Mall cop
What am I doing in France?
Speaker 3 (55:14):
You know?
Speaker 5 (55:15):
So and so that the response has been amazing. We
went down to New York last October. We played a
promotional baseball game on the Lower East Side that was
visited by fans by the press, and we had a
great fun game that almost mirrored the film itself, where
(55:36):
another team wanted to use the field.
Speaker 3 (55:38):
We were over our time.
Speaker 5 (55:40):
And then we went to the New York Film Festival
for its premiere at Lincoln Center. They had moved the
film to the Alice Tully Hall, which is the largest
hall they have, because of all the people that had
requested tickets to see the film. So it we're incredibly
proud of the film. We're blown away at the response
that we've got from it, Fans coming up to us,
(56:03):
people that are tweeting about it, just random best ofs
that it's in with, Like I saw something that said,
you know black bag ephis Like, what how are we
plumped in with Steven Soderberg movie? Like it's it's hard
to feel to like wrap our heads around it a
(56:24):
little bit. But at the same time, we're really proud
of the film and we really want everybody to see it.
And so, yeah, it's been in limited release for about
five weeks. It was playing, it's finishing up in Summerville
and then it starts streaming Today is tax Day, the
(56:46):
fifteenth of April, and so it's starting to stream on
Apple TV, pay per view and Fandango and so but
we got it in one hundred and eighty something theaters
nationwide from Anchorage, Alaska down to all down the West coast,
up in Montana, Michigan, Florida, like it was playing everywhere
(57:08):
and people were requesting it. Theaters were calling, uh Music
Book Films, who's our distributor, and then saying, you know,
we want the film to play in our town, and
uh so, yeah we're but you know so now you
can see it now. Now if you've got Apple TV
or you get ben Dango, you can see.
Speaker 2 (57:27):
It's like it feels like a Cinderella story, like you know,
as as a fellow background actors, Wow, it's possible.
Speaker 3 (57:35):
It is.
Speaker 5 (57:36):
It is, and and so and and the people on set,
like I only knew three of the people and I'd
met them all through background work. I'd like the kid
Chris Goodwin who plays our catcher, played my son in
an Emerson film like five years ago. You know, David
pride Moore who plays Troy, our pitcher. He and I
(57:58):
were in background. We met on the game Plan, I think,
and we've been doing background work for years.
Speaker 2 (58:05):
No, we've had We've had David pride Moore on the
Hollywood as well. So it's just it's really exciting to
see all of our local folks doing so well and
one hundred percent of Rotten tomatoes, nothing to sneeze at.
That is such an accomplishment and exciting to see how
many people requested this film. And I'm gonna go watch
(58:27):
it now we're done, because we're done talking today. So
I just wanted to sort of wrap up this conversation
a little bit on that vein, like what's it like
being an actor in New England And do you feel
that the opportunities are there? And I think you know,
you've talked about this, this trajectory that you know there
(58:47):
there is a path there.
Speaker 5 (58:49):
Is I think you know we're in a We're in
a downward period right now.
Speaker 3 (58:54):
There's no doubt about it. Uh, you know, a.
Speaker 5 (58:58):
Combination of the strikes, the end of peak TV, the
shooting in Canada, of in Vancouver, Toronto, big movie hubs.
Right now, there's not a lot of work unless you
look for it. And I think that as an actor,
you really have to look at everything. You know, we
(59:23):
all want to be in a feature film, and we
want those feature films to shoot in Boston, and we
want them to be nice roles that we can audition
for and feel like we're we're you know, we have
a shot at them. That they're not pre cast in
New York in LA that we have a shotout. So
what happens when that works not here? Well, people are
(59:46):
still making films. I mean, I was at the Boston
International Film Festival on Saturday to see a film that
we shot a couple months ago called Fletcher's Five. It
was written locally, shot locally, produced locally, premiered locally, and
(01:00:06):
yet it's a really fun like heist film that we shot.
These are the opportunities that you have to look for,
and whether it be a student film, whether it be
something you write yourself, whether it's you and friends are
writing something you just want to shoot it. An actor
(01:00:27):
has to work. You have to just keep looking for
those opportunities. And I think that Boston has had a
lot of opportunity, especially since the Film tax Credit went
into place, and we've been very fortunate to have a
dozen or so movies or TV shows shooting here every year.
(01:00:47):
But if that starts drying up, it doesn't mean that
the work can't be found. You just have to dig
a little deeper. You have to find it, you know,
And as I said at the top, you know, student
films are a great way to practice, whether you need
footage for your real whether you just want to practice
in front of the camera, whether you just and those
(01:01:08):
are all there's constant work. I'm shooting a student film tomorrow, right,
you know, And I'm never at that point where I
feel like they're beneath me. I've you know, I'm done
with student films now. I love I love working on them.
Some of them are really creative and they're thinking outside
(01:01:29):
the box. Don't forget everything. Everywhere All at Once was
a student film. It started as a student film. La
La Land started as a student thesis film at Harvard.
These films are using local actors to do thesis work
and then they go off to Hollywood and they're like,
I want that guy, right, you know that this guy
Cliff Blake who's in ephis has been working with Carson
(01:01:53):
Lunn since he was a student at Emerson almost fourteen
years ago, and he loves working with him. And this
is the film he's done with Carson.
Speaker 2 (01:02:01):
So that's amazing. So Russell, where can people find you?
Follow you, support you and what can we look ahead for?
What are you working on next? If you can talk
about it?
Speaker 3 (01:02:17):
Yeah, absolutely So.
Speaker 5 (01:02:19):
I can be found on on Facebook, Instagram, x Russ
gannon gannon Russ. Russcannon dot com is my official website.
I have all my links on their clips and how
to get in touch with me if anybody wants to
gain in touch with me, so Ruscannon dot com. I
(01:02:40):
have a film that is in u post production right
now called Everything's Fine that I play a therapist.
Speaker 3 (01:02:52):
And we've shot a lot.
Speaker 5 (01:02:53):
Of that last year that is coming out hopefully in
the next couple of months or so, which still doing
some last minute adr work on it, but.
Speaker 3 (01:03:05):
I have that.
Speaker 5 (01:03:07):
I do a podcast called Twisted Tales of Madness and
Horror Present. Just finished my eleventh episode where I get
to play around with fun voices. It's a very adult
horror themed language is nice. It's very freeing to having
(01:03:31):
a script that's loaded with profanity and it is Yeah.
And like I said, Fletcher's five just came out. I'm
assuming that that will be on some platforms at some point.
That just premiered on Saturday, and otherwise I'm just I'm
(01:03:52):
just looking for my next project. So any filmmaker that's
out there that enjoys my work, you know how to
reach me.
Speaker 2 (01:04:00):
Exactly nice pitch. I like that Russell again and thank
you so much for joining us here on the Hub
on Hollywood. I feel like we can keep talking and
keep talking. We're going to have to have you back
on at some point. Congratulations again on the success of Ethos.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, and we'll see you
next time.
Speaker 3 (01:04:19):
Great. Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:04:21):
Thank you, and a big thank you again to Russ
for coming on the Helb on Hollywood talking about Ethus
and his career and the future projects he's working on.
So thank you again. If you are out there working
in New England in the film industry or a filmmaker,
you're an actor, any any position in the whole filmmaking process,
(01:04:42):
please reach out to us. We'd love to talk to you,
have you on the podcast and then talk about what's
it like being a filmmaker in Massachusetts and in New England.
So reach out to us. You can find us on
all the social medias. We are on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok,
at Hub on Hollywood. You can follow Jamie on Twitter, Instagram,
myself on Blue Sky. So do not hesitate, and do
(01:05:04):
not hesitate to subscribe and like this episode. As you
mentioned last week, Jamie, we broke the four hundred subscriber mark.
We're like over four hundred and twenty subscribers. So thanks
so much for those of those of you joining the
Hub on Hollywood Army and just you know again joining
in on the conversation and sharing your passion for the
(01:05:25):
film industry, TV entertainments, you know, and all that stuff.
So we really appreciate you joining us on this podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:05:33):
Thank you so much. And I hope we get to
have Russ back on. We've had producers, we've had you know,
makeup people, like anybody who's a part of that world.
We want to talk to you. Like James said, I
really want some stunt guys. Are you a stunt guy? Listening?
Speaker 1 (01:05:50):
Steama Sma Speama on Matt Sheer, He's uh, I'm gonna
have to follow touch base with him again. But he's
actually working. I don't want to. I don't want to
spoil his story. He's working on a surf for a
w b Z. But he's gonna be talking to a
stunt performer sunman and and there may be some crazy
stuff going on. So we'll circle back to that. We'll
(01:06:11):
put a pin in that. But yeah, if you're a
stunt person working inside Massachusetts or New England. I'll reach
out to us who want you on the show.
Speaker 2 (01:06:18):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 3 (01:06:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:06:20):
So we talked about a lot, James. We covered a
lot of ground. We talked a lot about New England
films and movies and TV shows more to come. Very
excited about the opportunities that are coming this spring and summer. Subscribe, subscribe,
subscribe like you here and we'll see you next week.
Until then, I'm Jamie, I'm James.
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