Source TheFilmStage
Monday, 16 December 2013
Sunday, 13 October 2013
Kate del Castillo in People en Español's '25 Most Powerful Women of 2013'
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| Kate del Castillo & Marian Gonzalez del Castillo |
Another powerful woman is included in the Mexican edition Kate del Castillo , who is not only known for her acting work, but for her performance as an ambassador against human trafficking in Mexico. "It's a problem that is growing tremendously. It's terrible, "said the actress in this edition.
That's why Kate joins forces with the activist Marian Gonzalez del Castillo , who won the vote in PeopleEnEspanol.com to be part of this list. "She is a woman who has inspired me a lot," says the artist, who along with Marian-who are not related despite having the same name, has attended shelters in her country to give encouragement to child victims of trafficking. "Apart from saving a lot of kids, [Marian] given the opportunity of a new life. She is a superwoman, "she says.
Source PeopleEnespanol
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
Sunday, 6 October 2013
Set photos from 'Killers Trilogy'
Click each photo for a larger view.
Cameron Stewart is in the 2nd photo with the knife in his hand.
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Craig Owens talks about making the new 'Chiodos' album (Alternative Press)
CHIODOS are currently in the studio with producer David Bottrill (Coheed And Cambria, Tool, King Crimson) recording their fourth album, their first for Razor & Tie. Frontman Craig Owens spoke with Jason Pettigrew about his headspace during the making of the currently untitled album, and how he’s feeling a lot better in his own skin these days.
How’s life in Chiodos World?
It’s awesome. It’s crazy.
You say it’s “crazy.” Did you imagine it would ever be this good?
Absolutely not. We’ve never gotten along as well as we are right now.
The time spent apart and the distance seems to have been great but you also have that personal relationship with keyboardist Bradley Bell that you really don’t have with anyone else in the band.
Yeah, Brad and I are definitely closer than I would say the other guys and I are, but it’s something that I’ve really made a point to work on, you know? While out on the road, I’m making an effort and taking interest in what other band members do.
You guys are working with producer David Bottrill, who has overseen records for King Crimson, Tool and all sorts of art-metal acts. What’s the experience been like?
The experience has been a positive one. He’s got a lot of great ideas: He’s big on structures, and he’s big on certain chord changes. He just brings a great, fresh outside perspective, but I think that the best thing he’s brought so far is his work ethic. We did the first 13 days of pre-pro, and we worked every single day since we got there—around eight-hour days—and in a positive, motivational way.
Is he pulling things out of you that you really didn’t expect to have?
I don’t necessarily know because I haven’t worked with him in the vocal booth yet. What he brings out of the guys is definitely in a positive, show-me way. I think a lot of it has to do with structures. We’re known for being random with our music and taking left turns: I think he’s trying to either bring that out or just voice his opinion. Sometimes we accept it, sometimes we don’t.
Looking back on this past summer, how did the Warped Tour experience change the band? How did you make sure that you wouldn’t fall into old, bad habits?
I think it comes down to trust. There are still hard conversations that need to be had in the band. We haven’t all sat down in a room and said, “You did this, and you did this.” We haven’t really done that, so I think that will probably need to happen, at some point—just so we can accept it and move on, you know? I think we’re just learning how to trust one another again; learning how to communicate. I think that’s what Warped Tour did. It showed everyone that we’ll all show up. We needed to know that we’d be able to live in that space and that we’d be able to have fun doing it, and that everyone would show up, play well and do the signings.
Even as far as just hanging out goes, just having conversations and communicating again. You have to rebuild a relationship after a few years. After it gets dragged through the dirt as hard as ours did, I wasn’t just ready to open-arm-hug my brothers like it was some sort of movie. It’s still a cautious experience for me.
I remember asking you at Warped if you thought this gets easier, and you said no because the band have to constantly prove to people you’re just as valid as ever. Does that situation somehow influence the making of this record?
We’ve always been good at the music thing, man. The music thing was fine. That’s the only thing that kept us together for years. Playing on stage and making records and things like that—that was fine. It’s a much more pleasant experience this time around, but we were always good at that. As far as chemistry and things like that, it all comes down to rebuilding the personal [relationships]. But we picked up right where we left off musically.
Do you feel that the band can do anything they want without anyone’s pre-conceived notion of what Chiodos are “supposed” to sound like in 2014?
Yeah, we can do anything we want. When we’re around one another in the rehearsal room, we’ve always thought, “We’re Chiodos; we can do whatever we want musically,” because we’ve been so consistently random. I think only Bone Palace Ballet was the focused idea. It was still very eclectic, but at the same time, it was all dark, and a bit heavy. On this record, you’re gonna hear anthems and you’re gonna hear the heaviest, darkest stuff we’ve ever done. It’s a well thought-out record, but if you played track two to track nine to somebody random, they’d be like, “This is the same band?” But no, we don’t stop ourselves. We make whatever sounds good to us and whatever picture we see, we try and paint it the best that we can. We never really will say, “This band needs to sound like this, otherwise; we won’t succeed.” Because first of all, success is just relative, really. It really comes down to if you don’t love it, it’s not going to work. That’s what it all comes down to—not how heavy, soft or poppy or anything like that.
Is there any conscientious concern from the band about that?
I think that’s where Dave comes in. I think that sometimes we do things that may go over people’s heads on the first or second listen. Sometimes, maybe they don’t understand—from a musical aspect—what it is that we’re doing. But I’d like to think that with this record, we’re going to deliver without alienating anyone. I don’t mean that by cutting all of the edges off, and making it so readily accessible that it turns into a pop record. We’re just more conscious of our different angular parts than we have been in the past.
So you don’t want to have any boundaries going into it, but you’re not going to go off the wall either.
Yeah. So far, we’ve chosen nine songs that are definitely being tracked, and out of those songs, I can’t see any of them being too off the wall or too pop for anyone. I just think they’re us. I think this is a much more mature, much more reeled-in Chiodos, more focused.
When fans approach you to express their appreciation for Chiodos, what are the aspects of the band people really gravitate toward?
What it comes down to is if there’s true soul to the music. I can’t control what style of music our fans like; it’s ever-changing in human beings, and that’s something else I’ve noticed. But I think the commonality from fans is they relate to the soul of what it is that we do. I think it makes them feel. As artists, that’s our job: to make people feel, and to do that through honest interpretations of our own experiences. A lot of our fans early on were thanking us because we got them into screaming music. It wasn’t because we were screaming and they just happened to like us. It was that they listened to us, they connected, then they learned to love that. I think that’s something we have that isn’t ever going away. I think it’s an honest approach in the soul of Chiodos, and it comes from all of the band members; honestly wanting to be there, honestly wanting to make the best music we can, and not really thinking too much about genres or specifications that will limit us. If it’s honest and true and the soul comes through it, then we’re okay playing that and good things will come from it. That’s a lot of the reason why I missed Chiodos—I missed the soul of it.
What’s the most poignant thing you’ve written for this record?
Oh man, that’s heavy. My writing for this record has been the most mature and honest and heavy—it’s heavy. A lot of this record has to do with faith; believing in God, believing in the devil and my battle with that. I think people are really going to hear a lot of that. That being said, there’s everything. There’s nothing on this record that isn’t powerful.
With this record, I had to take a look at myself. I had to say, “You know what? It’s time stop writing self-loathing songs, and start writing how you can help other people.” It’s a different way to write for me, but it’s been really beneficial. I’m known for such deep, dark, sad things. And while it’s still deep and dark, there’s a point where you look in the mirror and you say, “Do I wanna sing about this anymore? And can I write honestly about this anymore or am I trying to fill a role?” I’ve moved on from that past role and evolved. I believe that maturity isn’t necessarily in the sound of the record—it’s still youthful and angst-filled—but it’s got a lot less self-loathing. I take responsibility for the platform that I’ve build for myself, and I’m going to do something good with it.
So being back in this band has given you a sense of self-actualization?
It opened up the possibilities of me staying true to who I am, and helped me along that path. But I think that people will start noticing that it’s going to be a lot less of a narcissistic journey, I guess. Warped Tour was the first time we’ve toured together [in years]; it’s the first time I’ve toured in a year. I had to sit and ask myself, “Is this what I want to do? This feels really narcissistic.” I just had to find a positive way to make that work for me, and make it feel like I wasn’t just out there for myself. It took me a while to realize that I had a platform that gave me the opportunity to give me something good, and I wasn’t just building it up so I could look down and see how big it’s gotten. That actualization and realization freed me because I think that’s who I’ve been all along.
There’s a lyric in this new record, kind of a little summary of what I’m saying about that. I just wrote it before I left on Monday, so who knows if I’ll even like it in a couple weeks. But right now it says what it is that I’m trying to say: “I believed you when you called me the villain/And like the devil that was cast out and defined by sin/I believed I could be some kind of here, but I got lost/And on the way to heaven I was dragged through hell.” I think that that’s kind of what happened. I believe that I was selfish, and I believed I was a villain and inside, it never sat well. So, I felt like I was leading this double life where I felt like I was a good person, but it never rang true. A lot of people—my fans especially—were upset when I came back to Chiodos. A lot of them were happy, but a lot of them were upset because they followed me and stuck by me and they didn’t understand. I hope that they can understand through proof of seeing it that it was such a liberating, freeing thing. Because now I can actually be the person who I want to be and who I am, without trying to sound too cheesy and prolific.
But you’re no stranger to a lot of craziness.
It’s still the calm before the storm. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but it is. I’m just really thankful, really blessed and I really am grateful for it. I’ll just keep putting out that good energy and hope that it comes back and if it doesn’t then so be it. At least I can sleep at night.
You know, I’ve thought about it, right? Because I’ve been pretty quiet and I kept thinking about it. I’m in such a different place, and I almost feel kind of disconnected, in a way. Because I’m not as deep into social media and the going-ons and this and that. I’m just excited to let the record speak for itself. I know that’s cheesy, but we’ve done everything that we were supposed to do and we’ve done it in the right way, and I think that because of that, a lot of really amazing things are going to happen, and I hope people choose to be a part of that journey. alt
Source Alternative Press
10 Q&A's with Markus Redmond
Q: You have recently starred in Jules Stewart’s (mother of Twilight star Kristen Stewart) directorial debut ‘K-11’ (2012), which deals with issues to do with transgender and inequality. What was your experience like working on that film and have you taken anything away from it?
A: Working in K-11 was one of the most fantastic experiences I’ve had shooting a film in my life. I hadn’t been acting when I was called to audition, I hadn’t acted in a film for six years prior to doing K-11, but I couldn’t have asked for a better reintroduction. Jules is an amazing director and an even better woman. I came away with a renewed since of purpose and self worth after doing the film and that had everything to do with watching Jules work, and getting to know her and the cast, many of whom are still valued friends of mine.
Q: What show/film has been the most enjoyable to shoot? Why?
A: They are all fun for various reasons. I haven’t really had a bad time shooting anything. K-11 was ridiculously fun. The material was so heavy, I think we all (the cast) made the decision to be silly as much as possible off camera. The film that I wrote and starred in with Whoopi Goldberg was maybe the most amazing experience. Just to have people like Whoopi and Sharon Stone saying the words I wrote is something I will always cherish experiencing. I did some stints on the show “Angel”. Fighting David Boreanaz was always fun.
A: Mostly it’s time. When you have millions of dollars, the director has time to shoot so much more. When you are independent, things move fast and in many ways you have to be more prepared than you would have to be on a big budget film. All the other stuff, when you have a great crew like K-11′s, you don’t notice so much if you are there to do your job and because you believe in the project.
A: I honestly don’t know where the stories come from anymore…lol! I’m just grateful that they keep coming. I can see a scene in something else, or overhear a conversation, or hear a song, or see a picture… just about anything can trigger a story in me. I jot it down, if it’s still a good idea to me a couple of days later, I’ll dive in to the writing. When I write a script, I see it… I know how it sounds, smells, feels… it’s a full vision in my head. It’s very important to find a director who sees what I see in order to work together. I put it all on the page. If a director reads a script of mine, calls me and starts telling me stuff that was in my head already and then starts expanding on it to make the vision even more vibrant, that’s the director for me. I have been very fortunate to have found the directors I have, my latest film project Pacific Standard was no exception. Christy Romano is a wonderfully talented director as well as an accomplished actress. She immediately got what I wrote on the page and we’ve been in sync on the project ever since.
Q: If you had not started to work in this field, what other occupation would you like to have taken up?
A: This is it. Acting is all I ever wanted to do and it led me to writing, which I’ve been dabbling in since I was a little kid. I’m not built for anything else.
Q: What was your favourite film to watch while growing up? How has this influenced your acting style (if it has at all)?
A: I am a fan and student of the films of the 1930s. There is a level of class to the film making back then that we have really lost. My Man Godfrey and The Thin Man are two of the greatest comedies every created on film. I’m also a complete Woody Allen fanatic and the one person I’m always trying to live up to in my own work. Manhattan is just brilliant and lovely to me, despite the fact that Woody himself hated the film. But as a kid, if it was in black and white with a swing music soundtrack, I was watching it. I still am. Those old stars had a style set to the music of the era, and I know that when I am building a character, I use the same music to find the rhythm I’m looking for.
A: It’s the best and worst thing that has happened to modern society. On the one hand, a global community has been created and never before has so much information been so readily available to people who otherwise would never be able to get their hands on. The problem is it is almost impossible to truly verify and filter what you get or from who. Also, anonymity means that people don’t have to stand by their words. They can hide and spit bile, which the internet is full of. People who have absolutely no place can way in on things that they have no real knowledge of or experience with. The internet has created a race of know-it-alls who know nothing, can’t spell and don’t understand how to use apostrophes. Still, when a real connection is made and everything lines up, it’s everything the future was promised to be. It’s the world now and we have to harness the good as much as possible.
Q: Is there a film or book you wish that you had written or starred in and why?
A: Not so much books… but I would have loved to have played Darth Vader. Seriously, how cool would it be to be Darth Vader?
Q: Who would you like to have had as part of a dream cast? And are there any acting legends you look up to?
A: I really dig the people that I am working with on the projects I am putting together, but I would love to write something for Alyssa Milano and co-star with her. How this woman didn’t become a huge romantic comedy film star I’ll never know. She is underrated in my opinion. Rose McGowan, Chris Rock, Christina Hendricks, Julie Delpy, Seth Green, and of course, Woody Allen… these are all people who I would love to write for and act with. I think I see something different in them than their images allow and that’s what I would like to uncover in their work. Except for Julie Delpy and Woody Allen. They’re both such brilliant writers, I’d just like to say their words. My acting heroes are all dead. Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Clark Gable, William Powell, Lauren Bacall, James Cagney… I could go on and on. The 30′s and 40′s have it, man.
Q: As you have a lot of experience in the film industry, what advice would you give to those wanting to break into it?
A: Be sure you love the art. This is the wrong business to get into to become famous. There are so many easier ways to get famous now, thanks to the internet. This is a business based on opinion, so you must have one of yourself that is not shaken by an unfavourable one from someone else. Get involved in a film making community. It’s not just about booking jobs anymore, there aren’t as many of them as there used to be. You have to make your own opportunities, form your own alliances and grow together. That’s where the business is headed.
Source thanks to @funkyfanatic for the interview.
Thursday, 19 September 2013
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Jules Stewart shares a set pic for new project 'Killers Trilogy'
JulesStewart The set is built- Gearing up to shoot opening sequence for #KILLERStrilogy at the end of the month with @Libertinefilms. #hotset
Thursday, 5 September 2013
Monday, 19 August 2013
Sunday, 11 August 2013
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
New movie still of Cameron Stewart as 'Sledgehammer'
Click pic for larger view
Cameron Stewart in his onscreen debut as "Sledgehammer" in K-11
Source LibertineFilms
Thursday, 25 July 2013
Thursday, 18 July 2013
Scan: Jules Stewart's interview with FilmInk (Australia)
Click on the scan for a readable view.
Scan is from the August issue of FilmInk (Australia), out now.
Scan thanks to @Mel452
Friday, 12 July 2013
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
Monday, 17 June 2013
Poster: Fan Art by Sean Beck
Sean Beck also did the first art work for K-11 (below).
Click each image for a larger view.
Source LibertineFilms
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
New photo of the K-11 cast on set
Click on pic for a larger view
"Most of the great K11 Cast, waiting for AD to yell, "And we're Back!"
Looking great team!
Friday, 17 May 2013
Monday, 13 May 2013
Breaking Glass Pictures heads to Cannes 2013 with K-11
Breaking Glass Pictures heads to Cannes with four new sales titles led by prison tale K-11, currently available across the US on VoD and DVD.
Jules Stewart’s directorial debut – she is the mother of Kristen Stewart – stars Kate del Castillo, Goran Visnjic and DB Sweeney.
Kinyarwanda is an in-depth look at the Rwandan genocide and played in official selection at Sundance 2011.
The line-up includes urban drama Changing The Game, which chronicles the life of a young African-American on the mean streets of North Philadelphia who lands a place at an Ivy League school and ends up on Wall Street, where he must deal with racism and jealousy.
Simple Moves is a psychological drama from director and actor Pau Masó. The film follows a young man drawn into the sexual underbelly of New York City’s gay club scene.
Source Screen Daily
Sounds as if K-11 is going back to the Cannes market this year.
Perhaps to enter some new markets for release.
Wishing you all good luck!
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
K-11 is out on DVD/Bluray in Australia on June 19!
Great cover artwork for the Aussie DVD/Bluray.
Australia, you can get a copy from Eagle Entertainment.
Check your local stores too. Just don't forget to watch it from June 19. :)
Friday, 3 May 2013
Jules Stewart talks to CableTV about K-11 - Part 2
In the second part of our exclusive interview with Jules Stewart, Stewart discusses what it’s like moving away from script supervisor and into the director’s chair, reading tabloids, and her relationship with her daughter, Kristen.
What is a risk for you to step away from being a script supervisor and step into the directing chair?
JS: Anytime you do something that you have never done before, it’s a risk. I really didn’t have anything to lose. When the financiers said, “We want you to direct, or we are not going to give you the money” it was sort of a done deal. I had no choice.
You mentioned casting is so important. How do you find the right actors for the part?
JS: You can’t be afraid of making mistakes because then you will never move forward. So you can take that and put that aside. For me, when you are doing a project that requires people to step outside of their comfort zone you have to find people that are engaged, that want to do it — that are not afraid of the material. You need to find people that want to go that extra mile and make the character even more intense. They have to have the ability to not just act, they have to transform that character. They have to be that character, and that’s what makes the performances real.
How hands-on were you with the film?
JS. I was 100 percent involved. I did everything. The writing process was fun. It took us about a year to write this. You know you give it to people to read and they give you notes and this project was supposed to be funded three times. So when people are willing to give you money and they give you notes, you make the changes they want. So it went through a huge changing project, but ultimately, it came back to the original idea. It went full circle.
How do the notes affect your progress on the film?
JS: You take all the notes — this is my process. You take all the notes, you say okay, and then you don’t do anything — then you think about them. At first you are inclined to say no and keep everything the way it is. But then you have to realize that other people have good ideas. When you start to make some of the changes you realize “Wow, this really works” or it doesn’t work at all and you throw it away. I only took the notes that I thought were moving the project in a forward, positive notion. I didn’t take bad ideas ever.
Did you feel as a first-time director there was something to prove?
JS: No. I was just out to tell a good story and just make a film. I had a job just like everyone else on the set. It was my job to orchestrate the choreography, the camera work, and the attitude of the performances. That was just my job. We filmed it all in 22 days. It went by so fast; it was like nothing.
Who would you love to work with in the future?
JS: Oh, that’s a tough one. I love Gary Oldman and Sandra Bullock. There are so many great performers today that it’s hard to just pick one.
What’s it like reading about your personal life and/or daughter’s personal life in the tabloids?
JS: If you read that you are crazy. People write things that aren’t true all the time; they make things up to sell their papers. We don’t buy into it. We don’t care; they could write whatever they want. A couple of years ago, when I was in the grocery store I read that my daughter was having an alien baby. It’s like, really? [laughs] You deal with it. It’s rubbish and it’s a desperate attempt to get people to spend their money.
What do you like to do in your spare time when you are not working?
JS: Well, I am a painter and I refurbish old cars. I like to rebuild old vintage automobiles. I paint them. I redo the interior. My friends work on the motors and stuff.
I read that you did a cook-off with Kristen on your Twitter. Is that true?
JS: Kristen loves a good challenge. We agreed to do a lasagna cook-off and we had all of our friends over and they were judges. Kristen won the cook-off and I was really proud of her.
Do you like using Twitter to connect with your fans?
JS: It’s completely awesome. It’s awesome to have people support you and make you feel like you are doing the right thing. It gives you that little something that helps you to keep going.
Where can people check out K-11?
JS: It’s on cable television. So if you have that, you can see it now On Demand. We are releasing it on DVD, which is probably what I would do, is buy the DVD. It has special features. It has director commentary, music videos, etc. But if you really want to see it, like now, you can find it On Demand.
Listen to Jules' full interview with CableTV:
Read Part 1 at our post - here.
Source CableTV with thanks to @Monica1236 for the interview.
Via @KstewAngel
Sunday, 28 April 2013
Video & Photos: Goran Visnjic on Jimmy Kimmel - April 25
Tagged photos, arriving at Jimmy Kimmel on April 25
Click on each photo for a larger view
Click on each photo for a larger view
Photos: Source
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Kate del Castillo & Jules Stewart interview with the Advocate about K-11
Kate del Castillo shines as the beautiful and vicious leader among the gay men and trans women incarcerated in the prison thriller K-11.
After a successful run on the festival circuit, K-11 is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD. The fast-paced, gripping thriller features stellar performances from its lead actors, including ER’s Goran Visnjic as the literal and figurative “straight man,” Raymond Saxx, a record producer thrown in jail for drug use. D.B. Sweeney is a sniveling, detestable foil to Raymond, as the corrupt prison guard Sgt. Johnson. As Ben Shapiro, Clerks star Jason Mewes serves as Johnson’s “man on the inside,” helping the officer funnel drugs into the prison at an exorbitant markup.
But the true star of the movie is Mexican actress Kate del Castillo, who shines in her most captivating, nuanced performance in English-language film as the self-proclaimed queen of the dorm, a Latina transgender woman named Mousey. Mousey is by turns sweet and vicious, conniving and vulnerable, at some moments the villain, at others the victim.
"You feel sorry for her,” says Del Castillo. “And on the other hand, she’s a bitch."
Mousey rules the dorm with an iron, manicured fist, physically striking down anyone who challenges her authority. She and Raymond forge an unexpectedly tender, symbiotic relationship in the film, which was shot inside a jail destined for demolition — a location Del Castillo calls “scary as hell.”
The film is not for the faint of heart, nor those easily upset by portrayals of sexual violence. While the 88-minute film does provide some sense of closure and vengeance, it depicts several instances of rape, though the scenes are not physically graphic. While director Stewart contends that, ultimately, the film is a “feel-good movie,” Del Castillo admits that it can be tough to watch.
“It’s a harsh film,” says Del Castillo. “It’s not an easy movie.”
K-11 is the directorial debut for Stewart, who’s worked as a script supervisor on more than 80 films. After three separate attempts at financing the film failed, the director says she ultimately “didn’t pay any attention whatsoever to politics.”
Stewart acknowledges the conflict inherent in hiring nontrans actresses to play Mousey and the two other trans women in the ward. Ultimately, those roles went to nontrans actresses Portia Doubleday as Butterfly and Tara Buck as Crystal.
“I needed actresses,” says Stewart. “I needed the real deal. I couldn’t go, ‘Just because you’re transgender, [you get the role].’ That would be like doing a hospital film and hiring a real surgeon. I needed an actor. And there just aren’t very many [transgender performers] that I found that are actors of that caliber to play these roles.”
Del Castillo says she was nervous and excited about the role, calling it “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Mousey is dramatic, but Del Castillo says she tried to avoid turning her into a caricature.
“There was this very fine line to not cross and [become] a cartoon,” says Del Castillo. “I don’t want to insult anybody. It’s very delicate.”
In researching the role, Del Castillo sought training from actress Calpernia Addams and her business partner, filmmaker Andrea James, two trans women who advise Hollywood on transgender portrayals through their production company, Deep Stealth. (Addams and James also counseled Felicity Huffman when she portrayed a transgender woman in Transamerica.)
And though Stewart didn’t cast any transgender actors in roles portraying trans characters, she says there are trans-identified people in her film.
“A lot of them, actually,” says Stewart. “And they did a great job, and they were wonderful.… I was going for depth of character, and realism, and believability.”
Source Advocate
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