After the success of Demon Music Group’s first three phases on vinyl, the next four BBC radio episodes of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will be released on March 29th. The Quandary Phase vinyl (episodes 19 – 22) is available to pre-order now from Amazon. In addition, Amazon are offering 500 exclusive copies which include an art print signed by cast member and comedy legend Stephen Fry! Check out the trailer below:
The brand new first-time vinyl edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Quandary Phase comes on heavyweight blue vinyl, packaged in the lavish style of the preceding Primary Phase, Secondary Phase and Tertiary Phase LP releases.
Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin’s epic series of fantasy novels, which has been adopted into a hugely popular TV series, is one of the popular culture phenomena of our times. Almost ubiquitous in its reach across national and cultural boundaries, it is little wonder that it has spawned an ever-growing catalogue of related video games. Here, we’ll take a look at five of the best GoT games out there.
Reigns: Game of Thrones
This game was released in late 2018, and comes from the developer Nerial, who worked in tandem with HBO. The game is the third in the Reigns series, and follows the same template as the previous two titles, but has the Game of Thrones universe as its setting.
A strategy game, you take on the identity of one of the main characters from the TV series, and must meet a series of challenges that allow you to build your campaign and unlock other characters. Mini games like tavern brawls and jousting are also present. The game is available for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Microsoft Windows.
Game of Thrones
Released in 2014, this game is shares the exact same title as the series, and is an adventure game which allows you to work your way through a number of episodes based on action and characters from the TV series. Developed by Telltale Games, the structure of this game follows the pattern set by other games from the developer, such as The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us.
The plot of the game revolves around the northern House Forrester, which rules Ironrath. There are five playable characters you can control, and fans of the TV series will recognise plenty of the voice actors, settings and characters. If you want to really experience the world of Game of Thrones, this is the game you need.
Game Of Thrones Slots Game
Of course, some people would rather play slots games than all-action adventure games. For the person who wants to spin some GoT-related reels, the Games of Thrones slot game offers plenty of entertainment. The game has three rows, five reels and 243 paylines. The symbols on the reels will be very familiar to fans of the TV series, as the coats of arms of all four of the story’s main houses are featured.
Game of Thrones Seven Kingdoms
For those readers who like to become immersed in world of massively-multiplayer role-playing games (MMRPGs), Seven Kingdoms is the game for you. Set in the same time frame as the TV series, this game allows you to take an active role in the conflict between the houses of Lannister, Baratheon and Stark. It features an action-based combat system, and you can participate in giant battles and sieges in its later stages.
Game of Thrones: Genesis
This game takes players through an earlier period in the history of Westeros, so many of the characters and places may be unfamiliar to fans of the TV series. An older game, this was released back in 2011, and many players may find it a little dated. For hardcore fans of the series, though, this is chance to dive down deep into the myths and legends that underpin Game of Thrones.
One of the most exciting developments for female-driven genre content is The Final Girls. Created by Anna Bogutskaya and Olivia Howe as ‘a London-based screening series focused on exploring feminist themes in horror cinema and highlighting the representation and work of women in horror, both in front of and behind the camera’, the brand launched its latest series of shorts highlighting female talent, titled ‘We Are The Weirdos’ at Soho House in February 2019. There will be a UK-tour of the collection at key venues around the country, including the London Prince Charles Cinema. STARBURST had the pleasure of speaking with the founders after the launch.
STARBURST: Tell us about how you created The Final Girls brand.
THE FINAL GIRLS: We were both working together and bonded over a shared – and secret – love for horror films. The Final Girls emerged very organically over a WhatsApp conversation! In a matter of minutes we had the name, the date of the first event and the first film we wanted to screen. Since then, we’ve stuck to our original vision of exploring the intersections of horror film and feminism, but have also been increasingly more interested in creating a platform that can actively support and promote female talent in genre cinema.
Obviously we must talk about the genre itself and the films that have impressed you the most over the years. Are you more in tune with classic horrors like Halloween and The Exorcist, or do you feel the modern horror film has more to offer the audience who view it today?
Contemporary genre cinema is an incredibly exciting space – filmmakers are pushing boundaries, both in terms of form and content, and it feels like it’s a moment when the industry is also taking note of the creative value and impact of genre. Personally, we don’t have a favourite decade, we love diving deep into the bowels of horror film history and discovering new oddities, although of course we’ve got modern cinema favourites, like A Nightmare on Elm Street or Rosemary’s Baby.
Short films are always a good showcase for new talent. Of the directors who have been lucky to feature in your presentations, who is currently doing well in terms of features and other success?
Out of last year’s crop of We Are the Weirdos, Prano Bailey-Bond and Amelia Moses are currently developing their first feature films and, although we couldn’t feature her short last year, Kate Herron has just directed several episodes of Sex Education for Netflix and is working on her debut feature as well.
You tend to focus on feminist themes in horror and cult based content. Given the changes that women are seeking in the industry to become more aware and visible, are you going to look at other genres in the future and perhaps create a separate brand that highlights other directing talents?
Not at the moment, we want to focus exclusively on genre cinema – but there are so many opportunities that are exploring around creating a bigger platform that will, ultimately, be productive and helpful for women in the genre industry. And, potentially, actually producing original genre content.
Do you work with a lot of distributors as well when selecting your programme?
Yes, we work closely with film distributors on select new releases and re-releases, always within the realm of genre cinema. In 2017, we worked on the release of The Love Witch, and just last year we hosted a private screening of Assassination Nation, so we’re looking to do a lot more of those type of collaborations in the future.
What have been your favourite short films since the Final Girls inauguration?
We can’t really pick a favourite amongst so many great shorts! But some standouts include Prano Bailey-Bond’s Nasty and Shortcut (We are the Weirdos 2017), Kate Herron’s Smear and Gabriela Staniszewska’s I Should Have Run (We are the Weirdos 2017). This year, we were really floored by Kate Dolan’s Catcalls, which is included in this year’s Weirdos programme.
In addition to London, you also focus on the regions in the UK as well. How does the reaction to content in London vary around the country?
We’ve absolutely loved travelling around the UK and meeting some of our audiences in person. We still remember the first screening of We Are the Weirdos in Edinburgh, with audiences dressed up for it and absolutely pumped to see some great shorts.
Finally, can you see yourself producing content as a Final Girls Film Production strand and work with some of the talent you showcase?
So we have one set of these classic movies to give away on Blu-ray thanks to Lionsgate UK and Witchfinder and we could not be more excited.
Class of 1999 is one of our personal favourites for a start!
So here is the question you need to answer to be in with a chance at grabbing all three….
Who directed Class of 1999 (spoiler we interviewed him in the latest issue)
a) Joe Dante
b) Mark L. Lester
c) Charles Band
Email your answer, along with your address details, to [email protected] labelled CLASS1999before midnight on MARCH 5TH
CLASS OF 1999 (1990)
The time is the future, and youth gang violence is so high that the areas around some schools have become “free fire zones” into which not even the police will venture. When Miles Langford (Malcolm McDowell), the principal of Kennedy High School, decides to take his school back from the gangs, robotics specialist Dr. Robert Forrest (Stacy Keach) provides “tactical education units”. Human-like androids have been programmed to teach and are supplied with weapons to handle discipline problems. These kids will get a lesson in staying alive!
SPECIAL FEATURES
Audio commentary with producer/director Mark L. Lester
‘School Safety’ – interviews with director/producer Mark L. Lester and co-producer Eugene Mazzola
‘New Rules’ – an interview with screenwriter C. Courtney Joyner
‘Cyber-Teachers From Hell’ – interviews with special effects creators Eric Allard and Rick Stratton
‘Future of Discipline’ – an interview with director of photography Mark Irwin
Theatrical trailer
TV spots
Still gallery
Video promo
PARENTS (1989)
Meet the Laemles. Dad’s got a great job. Mom has all the modern conveniences a happy homemaker could ask for. And ten-year-old Michael has neat new friends and two parents who kill him with kindness. They’re the all-American family… or are they? Michael can’t figure out why his family serves leftovers every night. “Leftovers? Well, what were they before they were leftovers?” questions young Michael. “Leftovers-to-be,” smiles dad. Dad’s bringing home the bacon… and a whole lot more. Michael’s parents are getting away with murder – making home where the horror is!
SPECIAL FEATURES
Audio commentary with director Bob Balaban and producer Bonnie Palef
Isolated score selections and audio interview with composer Jonathan Elias
‘Leftovers To Be’ – with screenwriter Christopher Hawthorne
‘Mother’s Day’ – with actress Mary Beth Hurt
‘Inside Out’ – an interview with director of photography Robin Vidgeon
‘Vintage Tastes’ – with decorative consultant Yolanda Cuomo
Theatrical trailer
Radio spots
Still gallery
THE UNHOLY (1988)
In New Orleans, a city with a dark underside of black magic and satanic worship, two priests have been brutally murdered at St. Agnes Church. Now The Unholy reigns, only to be challenged by the purest of mortal souls. Father Michael (Ben Cross), believed to be spiritually blessed, is appointed to the ungodly parish. Is he really the “chosen one”, strong enough to fight such ravishing temptation, such raw evil? Or is he simply the third to die? Some say Father Michael hasn’t got a prayer.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Audio commentary with director Camilo Vila
Isolated score selections and audio interview with composer Roger Bellon
Audio interview with production designer & co-writer Fernando Fonseca, featuring isolated selections from his unused score
‘Sins of the Father’ with Ben Cross
‘Demons in the Flesh: The Monsters of The Unholy’
‘Prayer Offerings’ with production designer & co-writer Fernando Fonseca
Original ending featuring optional audio commentary with producer Mathew Hayden
Theatrical trailer
TV spots
Radio spots
Original storyboard gallery
Sill gallery
Terms & Conditions:
Lionsgate UK/STARBURST do not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries due to the Internet or email problems. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. Entrants must supply full details as required on the competition page, and comply with all rules to be eligible for the prizes. No responsibility is accepted for ineligible entries or entries made fraudulently. Unless otherwise stated, the Competition is not open to employees of: (a) the Company; and (b) any third party appointed by the Company to organise and/or manage the Competition; and (c) the Competition sponsor(s). This competition is a game promoted STARBURST. STARBURST’s decision is final in every situation and no correspondence will be entered into. STARBURST reserves the right to cancel the competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside of its control. Entrants must be UK residents and 18 or over. Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this competition. The winners will be drawn at random from all the correct entries, and only they will be contacted personally. Prize must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred. There will be no cash alternatives. STARBURST routinely adds the email addresses of competition entrants to the regular newsletter, in order to keep entrants informed of upcoming competition opportunities. Details of how to unsubscribe are contained within each newsletter. All information held by STARBURST will not be disclosed to any third parties
We’ve teamed up with the wonderful Demon Records to bring you this great chance to win one of these beauties on translucent blue vinyl. It really is a sight to behold!
For this competition, we’re going to do something a bit different and this will be chosen totally at random and is purely a bit of fun:
Who is your favourite classic era Doctor?
a) William Hartnell
b) Patrick Troughton
c) Jon Pertwee
d) Tom Baker
d) Peter Davison
e) Colin Baker
f) Sylvester McCoy
g )Paul McGann
Email your answer, along with your address details, to [email protected] labelled DALEKSbefore midnight on MARCH 5TH
From the press release:
In this classic 12 part ‘lost’ adventure, first shown on TV from October 1965 to January 1966, the Daleks threaten to destroy the fabric of time itself. In their quest to control the Solar System, they have taken possession of the devastating Time Destructor. Determined to stop them, the Doctor steals the core of the weapon before he and his friends are pursued across time and space by his ruthless, powerful nemeses.
From the eerie sonics of Ron Grainer & Delia Derbyshire’s original theme tune and the familiar ‘wheezing, groaning’ of the TARDIS, to soundscapes illustrating the jungles of Kembel and alien spacecraft, the story is brought to life by the unique sounds produced by the BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop .
Written by Terry Nation and Dennis Spooner, this is the longest single Doctor Who adventure ever made for television. Linking narration is provided by Peter Purves (Steven) and the cast includes Kevin Stoney as Mavic Chen, Nicholas Courtney as Bret Vyon, Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom and Peter Butterworth as the Meddling Monk. The film recordings of all but three episodes of this story are lost from the BBC archives.
The prelude episode Mission to the Unknown is presented on its own single-sided disc with a unique Dalek (exclusive edition) or TARDIS (standard edition) etched reverse.
DOCTOR WHO: THE DALEKS’ MASTER PLAN / NARRATOR: PETER PURVES / CAST: WILLIAM HARTNELL, PETER PURVES, ADRIENNA HILL, JEAN MARSH, NICHOLAS COURTNEY, KEVIN STONEY, PETER BUTTERWORTH / LABEL: DEMON RECORDS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Terms & Conditions:
Bis/STARBURST do not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries due to the Internet or email problems. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. Entrants must supply full details as required on the competition page, and comply with all rules to be eligible for the prizes. No responsibility is accepted for ineligible entries or entries made fraudulently. Unless otherwise stated, the Competition is not open to employees of: (a) the Company; and (b) any third party appointed by the Company to organise and/or manage the Competition; and (c) the Competition sponsor(s). This competition is a game promoted STARBURST. STARBURST’s decision is final in every situation and no correspondence will be entered into. STARBURST reserves the right to cancel the competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside of its control. Entrants must be UK residents and 18 or over. Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this competition. The winners will be drawn at random from all the correct entries, and only they will be contacted personally. Prize must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred. There will be no cash alternatives. STARBURST routinely adds the email addresses of competition entrants to the regular newsletter, in order to keep entrants informed of upcoming competition opportunities. Details of how to unsubscribe are contained within each newsletter. All information held by STARBURST will not be disclosed to any third parties
Gavin Grant Smith is a Scottish science fiction writer best known for the sci-fi novel Veteran. His latest work is the critically acclaimed Bastard Legion series, which is cracking military sci-fi. We caught up to find out more about his latest novel, The Bastard Legion War Criminals.
STARBUST: What’s the elevator pitch for The Bastard Legion War Criminals?
Gavin Grant Smith: Aliens meets The Dirty Dozen. Or: a mercenary legion, consisting of some of the worst criminals in human space, is blamed for a series of atrocities – most of which they didn’t commit – whilst fighting a vicious colonial war on an alien jungle planet. But if they didn’t commit the atrocities who, or what, did?
And how would you pitch that to someone who has only ever seen Star Trek?
If the Federation were to hire the Bastard Legion, the Borg would just go home. These are the people you send to frighten the Klingons.
What character is the most fun to write?
Miska, the protagonist, is a lot of fun to write because she’s a horrible person, but she’s very upbeat about it, and that’s very refreshing (for me, at least). I also like the Mafia consigliere ‘Uncle’ Vido Cofino because I write him as a genuinely nice guy, and I suspect he probably is. Also Massimo ‘the Fisherman’ Prola, Vido’s right hand man, who’s not so nice. With those two characters, I get to embrace my love of the likes of The Sopranos and Goodfellas, which becomes all the more interesting when you get past their archetypal exterior and find out what they’re really about. The big fun about the series is writing about a group of people who have an excellent reason to dislike one another coming to very begrudgingly like each other. It’s best not to get too attached to any characters, however, as the body count is so high Sean Bean fears being drafted.
Which character seriously needs to have word with themselves?
Well, Miska doesn’t really get morality… but she seems reasonably content. Torricone, one of the convicts, tries to be her conscience and I suspect he can be a little sanctimonious about it. The serial killer known as the Ultra, leader of the Nightmare Squad, a kind of post-human weapon of mass destruction only used in emergencies, is a bit too cool for school but he seems popular. I’m not sure that they’re ‘have a word with themselves’ kinds of people. There’s a lot of psycho/sociopath juggling amongst the Bastard Legion.
Why did you go for military sci-fi?
I’m not sure I have a really good answer for this. I’m interested in military history, particularly the history of Special Forces, but I also saw Aliens when I was 12, decided that Star Wars wasn’t for me, and I haven’t really looked back since (also Rogue Trooper!) I’m a bit wary of mil-SF as a subgenre but there’s no denying that’s what the Bastard Legion books are, though there’s a big crime element as well. I guess I see myself as writing SF action adventure stories.
Why did you use the name ‘Bastard Legion’?
Because punk rock – that’s why! Err… I genuinely can’t remember. I was thinking about all the names of pulp – I love pulp in all its myriad forms – bad boy military units: The Dirty Dozen, Inglorious Bastards, The Expendables, Bad Company, etc. and Bastards just seemed to fit. Legion came because I wanted a big pool of potential victims err… I mean characters choose from and this feeds into a central mystery running through the series. It’s caused some problems, it made some people in my publishers a bit nervous, doubtless it didn’t help foreign sales, and I can’t advertise it on that guardian of public morality: Facebook.
The Internet tells us that you won the Campbell for Veteran. How has that shaped your writing career so far?
Sadly I didn’t win the Campbell award, I was nominated for it but Ian McDonald won it, which is worrying because I’ve been holding a grudge against Hannu Rajaniemi for winning it for years now. Also I saw Ian in the pub last week could’ve railed bitterly against him if I’d realised! It’s made no discernable difference to my career and I have to admit that when I was told about it I had no idea what a Campbell award was or its significance. Now my only award ambition is to get the award that George R. R. Martin allegedly gives out for not winning a Hugo!
What has been the most interesting shift in sci-fi writing in recent years?
It feels, and I’ll probably be told that I’m hugely out of touch for saying this but we’ve moved a little beyond trends in science fiction. My sweet spot is the sort of post/transhuman space opera and that seems to be going great guns at the moment. I think the most interesting thing that’s happening, however, is that we’re starting to hear from a much more diverse spectrum of writers. I know there’s people out there who feel it’s a cynical box ticking exercise but I think it’s making a huge difference. We’re getting perspectives that we’ve never seen before, which is in turn making us older hands reassess our comfortable position and so every one is just making a bit more of an effort across the board. What I don’t understand is the resistance to this, particularly in a genre like SF. I mean it’s not as if all of Heinlein’s books have been burned.
What tropes do you personally avoid the most?
I love tropes! I’m irritated that so many of them are now considered old hat. I’m the guy who’s annoyed that he can’t get away with writing a book where a dwarf, elf and wizard all go on an adventure together. The ones I do avoid are the ones I know I sort of should because people express dislike for them. There are also some properly toxic tropes out there tied to representations of race, gender, and sexuality – those can do a burton. Other than that I avoid the chosen one trope because I’m deeply suspicious of messianic figures (as good guys anyway), and think people should save themselves rather than wait for a hero to do it for them. Thing is people say they don’t like the chosen one/messianic trope but it’s pretty much every superhero film. At least Harry Potter was bred as a weapon!
If you could give the 16-year-old version of yourself any advice, what would it be? Would you listen?
Be less of a dick, try harder in college, write more, mullets aren’t cool, go easier on your family. Also, here, take this manuscript and send it to this address before the Internet takes off! And no, he wouldn’t listen. He was an idiot.
Imagine being massively into videogames but, due a disability which is completely out of your control, you aren’t able to play. Your friends are all talking about how far they’ve got on the latest releases, but all you can do is watch everybody else play and wish that you were able to experience all the pleasures of gaming for yourself. It’d be awful, right?
The wonderful people at Special Effect are well aware of how depressing such a situation might be, and are on a mission to help as many people as possible to enjoy videogames, leisure technology and communication, no matter what their disability might be. To do this, Special Effect visit their customers at home and work out what they want to play and what they need to play it, then modify or create the equipment needed for those customers to begin their gaming adventures.
Check out this video to see some of Special Effect’s creations in action:
What’s Gameblast all about? Special Effect are asking people to organise and run their own gaming fundraiser (timed marathon, pub quiz, fancy dress day at work, whatever you like!) during the weekend of February 22-24, with the aim of reaching (and hopefully surpassing) this year’s Gameblast target of £150,000. Supporters can take part as an individual, a group of friends, or even as an organisation, and with the likes of Game, Twitch and Insert Coin all helping to spread the word this year, hopes are high for a fantastic weekend of gaming.
All of the money raised during Gameblast’s various events will enable Special Effect to visit more customers and come up with the right equipment for each client. This support is absolutely vital to the charity, as Special Effect doesn’t charge for their services – it’s all done out of the goodness of their own hearts. Approximately 90% of all money raised during Gameblast is spent directly on frontline work with customers and their families, with the remaining 10% being used to simply keep the charity runnning.
So wherever you are in the world, if you feel like turning your usual weekend of gaming into a contribution towards a fantastic cause, please head on over to the Gameblast 2019 website to register your interest:
Alternatively, if setting up your own event seems like it might be a bit too time-consuming, feel free to hit the link below to support the STARBURST gaming team as they take part in a non-stop 24-hour gaming marathon!
CAPTAIN MARVEL takes centre stage in the latest issue of STARBURST as we look back at the chequered history of the character and forward to the new film.
Elsewhere, we chat to the director and stars of HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U, heading to terrifying and delight cinemagoers in March.
With the live-action version of DUMBO hitting screens soon, we look at the other Disney properties that have been given the do-over with real people and what we can expect in the future.
We go on the set of WINIFRED MEEKS, the latest film from JASON FIGGIS, chat with VANESSA MARSHALL about voicing Gamora in the animated GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY series, and MARK L. LESTER reveals all about cult classic CLASS OF 1999.
If that’s not enough, there’s a preview of the STARBURST International Film Festival and a profile of TROMA, the studio headed by our Guest of Honour, Lloyd Kaufman.
In our regular features, Horror Obscura digs up some loved ones and Independents Day focuses on another up and coming director.
Plus all your favourite COLUMNS, NEWS, REVIEWS and much MORE from the worlds of SCI-FI, HORROR and FANTASY!
Often referred to as one of the best all-round professional wrestlers of his generation, Jay “Christian” Reso is now hosting a new TV show that’s every bit as brutal as being RKO’d through a table by Randy Orton. Premiering on HISTORY in the UK later this month, Knight Fight is an unrelenting battle between armoured knights fighting for pride, honour, the title of Fight Knight Champion, and a possible $20,000. We caught up with Jay to discuss this brutal-but-brilliant show, the comparisons between pro wrestling and medieval MMA, his ever-expanding career away from the squared circle, and a whole lot more.
STARBURST: For those unfamiliar with Knight Fight, how would you summarise the show?
Jay Reso: It’s a hard-hitting, action-packed, physical combat sport. At this point it’s a relatively underground sport, and HISTORY has given these knights the platform to show the world what they can do. They go around and compete in festivals all over the United States, all over the world. In some circles it’s known as medieval MMA or even Knight Fight Club. I’m not sure if they have Medieval Times over there in the UK, but over here there’s this themed restaurant called Medieval Times. I did think, “Do people think it’s going to be two people jousting, trying to knock each other off a horse?” No, these guys are going at it; they’re swinging, they have full size blunted weapons. It’s the weapons and armour you’d see from historical times, and they leave it all out there, man. It’s really something to see.
Not being familiar with all of this before you signed on for the show, did you expect it to be so brutal?
No, I didn’t. When I got the call that I was going to be involved with it, I was actually vacationing in London. I was over there for a month this past summer and they sent me a bunch of footage. I’d heard of it, kinda seen clips of it, but when I really watched the footage they sent me I was just blown away at what it was that these guys do. Of course, when I got on set and watched it all unfold in front of me, I grew a whole new appreciation for the physicality that the show brings. If you like action sports, if you like hard-hitting combat sports – not unlike you would see in MMA or in boxing or in a contact sport like American football – you’re gonna love this show. For these guys, this being a relatively underground sport, to get on this stage is their WrestleMania; this is their big moment to show the world what they do. You know they’re going to leave everything out there, and there’s a cash prize at the end. They win $10,000, then there’s the chance to come back in the finale and win another $10,000 if they win it all. So there’s a lot on the line.
Have you had the urge or chance to suit up and try this out for yourself yet?
No. I’m 45, my getting beat up days are behind me. I’ve done enough falling off ladders through tables. I’ve done enough of that. I’ll leave it to these guys to do it. I looked at some of the weapons they have and checked those out, and the armour, but I didn’t want to disrespect anybody. The armour these competitors compete in is their own armour. It’s very personal to them, it fits almost like a glove. They go into battle with their armour. We throw them a little bit of a curveball after the grand melee, we throw them into a team melee and take them back to the armoury to present them with new armour from an iconic period in history. That throws them off a little bit because they’re used to their own armour, and that’s another mental thing that they have to overcome as well as the physical; they get thrown this curveball that they have to suit up in this new armour. We provide each team with their own armour and they have to figure it out in 90 minutes. Sometimes they’re using a weapon they’re not used to, or the armour doesn’t fit quite like they’re used to, and they have to go out there and win it. Then the winning team gets split up and have to duel. We go back to the armoury again but then it’s up to them; they can go back to their own armour or they can use pieces of the armour we’ve presented to them during the team situation. So it’s a really cool concept.
It seems as if this world is a very close-knit community in the sense that so many of these guys have competed against each other before or are training partners. As a former wrestler, is that something that you could relate to? For instance, you came up in the business with people like Edge and Rhyno, where you were buddies and trained together but you were all ultimately competing to get noticed.
Very much so, and even relatable in the sense that, to me, when I was coming up in independent wrestling before I made it, I was wrestling for little or no money. I was just wrestling to get my name out there and I would’ve done it for free because I loved it that much. And these guys remind me of that. They’re pretty much doing this for no money, they’re going out to festivals, they’re going out to different competitions. They’re competing because they purely love what it is they do. Yeah, they’re going out there and trying to do whatever it takes to win – it’s like a switch flips in your mind and the competitor takes over – but after, the camaraderie these guys have for each other is unbelievable. They’re out there trying to take each other’s heads off, trying to hurt each other, then they pick each other up, dust each other off, give a hug. Win or lose, all the competitors are very, very gracious, and I was really impressed with that.
Having seen the first two episodes, an early personal favourite was Trash Panda. Without going too heavy on spoilers, is there anyone in the series that was your particular favourite or you had the most fun watching?
The guy that won the first show, Brian Juranty. He epitomised to me what a knight is. He even looked like a knight with his beard and his haircut, the way he carried himself, and he was so fluid out there when he was competing. His awareness was impeccable. You kind of have to learn when you’re out there watching it, but there’s a real technique to what these guys do out there; they’re not just throwing bombs or trying to knock people out, you have to defend and be aware of where you are at all times. These guys are carrying an extra 80 lbs of weight on their body with the armour on. And the helmets, the peripheral vision of those isn’t great. You have to have your head on a swivel, you have to have a real awareness and try not to turn your back. To me, he just tied everything together really, really well and I was really impressed with him.
Right now, you have E&C’s Pod of Awesomeness, The Edge and Christian Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness on the WWE Network, you’ve previously done Haven, you recently did SuperGrid with Lowell Dean – who had nothing but praise for you. As a former wrestler, though, have you found that sometimes people may incorrectly typecast you or have a certain stereotype in mind when you’ve gone for new roles?
I think the stigma and the stereotype of that has been knocked down a little bit because of guys like The Rock and Dave Bautista doing so well with what they’re doing. For me, I was never the biggest guy. I was never a guy who was 6’6” or 6’7” that could get roles as Bouncer #1 or Bouncer #2. For me, the thing I have going for me is that in street clothes I look relatively like a normal person. I just wanted to challenge myself when I retired from in-ring competition. It was almost like, “Okay, I’m still a relatively young guy. I don’t want to sit around and do nothing, what’s the next challenge?” It’s almost like when I started to wrestle. The challenge then was to gain experience and knowledge, to work with people that were better than me so that I could to try and get better. I portrayed the character of Christian, and I still am to this day. With wrestling, the great thing is that everything is live. You’re pretty much trained right away that there’s no back-up. When you’re doing different things and learning lines, that is already ingrained in you that there’s no second take here, you’ve got to nail it. When I went in for SuperGrid, my first day on set I had four full pages of dialogue that was all me. I remember Lowell – who’s amazing by the way, an amazing director, an amazing person who made me so comfortable from the moment I stepped on set – he said, “Well we’ll get as much of this as we can.” I turned around and said, “No, no, we’ll get all of this.” He said, “I like that attitude,” and then we got it all. He came up to me afterwards, he was all, “When you said that, I was thinking ‘we’ll see…’” He appreciated that I was prepared. More than anything, I think what surprises people about wrestlers is that they’re always prepared. That’s what I try to be; I just try to be a professional. I want to learn as much as I can and to get better.
On the wrestling front, you’ve been officially retired for a few years now, although there was a rumour a few weeks ago that you were to be a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble match. Is there any truth to that or is just online chatter?
You hear it every year, right? I’m not going to be back in the ring at all. I was in Phoenix, I was at the Royal Rumble, but I was shooting some content for the WWE Network. I don’t know if somebody saw me there and it leaked out that I was there. I never heard the rumours so I’m not sure, but you know how it goes. Somebody sees you and automatically you’re entering the Royal Rumble.
To just touch on The Edge and Christian Show, as someone who grew up watching wrestling in the ‘80s it’s all kinds of fun to see Sean Mooney pop up or to try and guess the names of classic Survivor Series teams. For you and Edge, how cool is it to revisit so many of the things that you grew up with?
It’s really, really cool. You realise there’s this whole library of content on the WWE Network. Even if the people watching it might not have grown up in our era or not really know what it is they saw, they can always go back through the WWE Network and watch it. Even having some of the legends come on the show and do cameos and things like that, that was huge for me and Edge. A show like this had never been done before, a variety show with a wrestling theme, so we just had a ton of fun with it. We tried to have everybody that came on for cameos just have as much fun as we were having, and I think that came through in the final product.
Is there any word on a possible third season for The Edge & Christian Show at this stage, and what other projects have you got in the pipeline that you can tell us about?
I had a really, really busy 2018, which I was really grateful for and really happy about. Right now we’re about to wrap up the second season of The Edge and Christian Show, and then we’ll see. I haven’t heard anything about a third season yet, but I know it’s been really well received; people seem to really enjoy it. That’s what it’s all about for us, about putting out something that people like. I had a really fun time writing and producing that. It was another new challenge and that was great. Right now, my focus is all on Knight Fight – premiering in the UK on February 19th. We talked before about different challenges, and hosting something outside of the wrestling walls was something I was really interested in. When this opportunity came up, I jumped at it. I couldn’t be more proud of the competitors and I can’t wait for everybody in the UK to see it.
You obviously have to cover certain bases, but how much freedom did you have on Knight Fight? For instance, the whole “Fight!” shout and fist action you do before each battle.
Everybody was really great. The other judges, John Clements and Andre Sinou, they were great and obviously helped me a lot. They’re experts in weapons and this sort of combat. Getting to work with them, I was like a sponge just soaking it all in. All the banter you see between us, that was completely just us talking and trying to explain what it is that we just saw the competitors do. And the “Fight!” thing, it was written in there that we would start things. Instead of a bell ringing or something, there had to be something to signal the start of the fight. They didn’t have it written in there as “Fight!”, but the thing just happened. I was just trying to make it a little more emphatic, a little more like, “Hey, we’re going to battle here. Let’s go!”
UK audiences can check out Knight Fight on HISTORY from February 19th.
STARBURST has a feeling of déjà vu as we get the lowdown on HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U from the film’s stars JESSICA ROTHE and ISRAEL BROUSSARD…
STARBURST: How was it getting back into the character of Tree/Carter for you?
Jessica Rothe: It was amazing and completely terrifying! Shooting the first film was an unbelievable experience because we bonded as a cast and crew and Chris Landon (the writer/director) was our captain. He is such an intelligent, generous, and kind human being that he set the tone on set and challenged everyone to be their best version of themselves. So when the opportunity for the second film came around, I was so excited to get the band back together again. But I was nervous because sequels are tricky and it’s easy to sit back and do all of the same things as the first one, but that can create a boring film. I have to commend Chris for saying we can’t do that; we have to turn this thing on its head to make it crazier and funnier and more emotional and continue evolving the world and expanding it. Once we put the focus on that, I realised that it’s just a continuation and I don’t have to replicate anything, and I can expand on what I did before.
Israel Broussard: It was little difficult, to be honest – Carter had such a happy-go-lucky vibe that I was worried the energy wouldn’t match from the first one, especially because of the continuity and starting the story from the next day. But once I got that out of my head and we started shooting, I fell right back into being Carter. It was super fun in the end.
It was a great choice was to have your character called Tree, meaning that her growth over time works on another level.
JR: Exactly! Chris is great like that. There’s also the joke about if a tree falls in the woods does it make a sound. Tree is in a metaphysical quandary, and I think another reason people connected with the film is she turns into such a badass and seizes her own destiny without having to wait for someone to save her – it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t need help or that she won’t ask for help, but she’s not the kind of person to run away from the killer. Blumhouse has been doing a great job with helping genre films with female empowered characters and leads – for example, look at the new Halloween movie, it had a purely female-driven protagonist story. I think that audiences are really ready to see that.
What are some of your favourites scenes (or more specifically, deaths) that you shot across both films?
JR: There is truly a plethora of fun and strange deaths that Tree has. There was a time on set that the game of the day was “What are all the weird and creative ways that we can kill Jessica?” [laughs] which was a very funny but morbid game. I loved shooting the skydiving scene in HDD2U, which was a reshoot; it was added after we had wrapped the second film. Chris had wanted to do and wasn’t sure if it would work, but once we did it, he said we have to use that. It was so much fun, and our costume designer nailed the bathing suit, and I got to do a trust fall, in which I fell kinda far. The electrocution death was also a lot of fun, that hairstyle was all my hair and lots of hairspray. These weren’t death scenes, but I also loved filming the scenes with Tree’s mum in the second film because they were emotionally challenging. They had a different energy and it as fun figuring out how to balance that with the rest of the film.
IB: I had fun re-watching the first one, and with this one, I had read the script but had no idea on how Chris was going to execute it. The dorm room scenes were always a lot of fun; in the second one, specifically, I loved the scenes with Tree and her mum. Almost every time I saw that I would tear up. That definitely gave the movie what the first one lacked, which was pure emotion and we did it while maintaining the main concept. And, of course, the skydiving scene [laughs], it was so much fun to film.
HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U is in cinemas now and you can read our review here. Read more from our interview with Jessica and Israel as well as director Christopher Landon in the latest issue of STARBURST #458 – on sale now.
