Rex Sikes' Movie Beat

Nick Mancuso Pt 6 Critic Walter Kerr of the New York Times called Mancuso’s performance in Merchant of Venice at Stratford Ontario one of the best interpretations of the role of Bassanio in 250 years. In the late 80’s the Los Angeles Times referred to Mancuso as "A Renaissance Man" and Kevin Thomas called his performance in "Ticket To Heaven" one of the best performances of the decade. He has garnered acting awards in Canada, the U.S.A. and in Europe. He has starred opposite legendary performers such as Sophia Loren, Catherine De Neuve and Charlton Heston. In Hollywood he has been called "an actors actor" and "one of the best" by icon producer Robert Evans, producer of "Chinatown" and "Love Story". In 1983 he was invited to become an associate of the Actors Studio by co-chairman, actor, Martin Landau. During that period he was submitted for a Golden Globe and Oscar consideration. He starred in Tri-Star’s first motion picture "Blame it On the Night" executive producer, Sydney Pollock and in the late 80's worked for Oliver Stone in the miniseries "Wild Palms" opposite Jim Belushi, Angie Dickinson and Robert Loggia. In 1985, after working with Kim Bassinger in the film "Motherlode" he was invited by then president Charlton Heston to become a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, which he refused on philosophic grounds. In the early 90’s his series "Matrix", shot in Toronto and with Carrie Anne Moss was the first television series to be produced by the U.S.A Network.Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at http://www.rexsikes.com

Ken Mora, producer/animator, is best known for creating the computer-animated short films Magnum Farce: A Shot in the Park (2009) and Magnum Farce: Along Came a Sniper (2011). His company, Bella Fe Films, is currently producing the feature film Magnum Farce with an expected release date of 2013. Ken is executive producer of Adventures In Plymptoons the biographical documentary of animator Bill Plympton by produced and directed by Alexia Anastasio in 2009. He is a relative newcomer to film, having established a career in Art Direction, then E-Commerce. In 2003 he completed his first feature-length screenplay won several script competition awards, and gained him representation and an option. The following year, Ken left his career and established Bella Fe Films. Ken completed two more scripts by the time his first option expired. Magnum Farce, his second script, won multiple awards so Ken then proceeded to adapt a short from his script, and by degrees built the infrastructure for self-production using the example of his idol, independent animator Bill Plympton.. Ken first got the opportunity to meet Bill at the 2009 Annie Awards, and has since benefited by Bill's mentorship. For Ken’s feature-film production Bill came on board as advising producer.  Currently, Ken is putting together the nose-to-tail animatic, having just wrapped voice recordings for all characters with talent including Larry Hankin, Lisa K. Wyatt, Kyle Hebert, and fellow animators Bill Plympton and Jim Lujan. He is finishing the soundtrack which will ultimately be edited and mixed by Rick Partlow, whose sound work airs on the shows Fringe, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Eureka, and has garnered him both Prime-Time Emmy and Golden Reel Awards. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at rexsikes.com

Peter Marshall Pt 18 The Director's Series - The nuts & bolts of directing film and television with Peter Marshall. Peter has had a 35-year career and has worked as a PA, dolly grip, electrician, assistant cameraman, commercial production manager, first assistant director, TV series creative consultant, television producer and director. He has worked on industrial films, documentaries; television commercials, music videos; Emmy Award nominated TV series and features. Peter has directed over 30 TV episodes and written, directed or produced over 50 hours of documentary educational programs. His works have won, or been nominated for 14 International awards. He's worked for directors such as Zack Snyder, John Woo, Ed Wick, Phillip Noyce, John Balham, Roger Adam, Anne Wheeler, Bobby Roth & Kim Manners. He has worked with actors including Michelle Pfeiffer, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, John Travolta, Mel Gibson, Kathy Bates, Adam Sandler and Peter O'Toole. Other credits inclurde scores of television series as 1st Ad & as a director. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at rexsikes.com

Frank Hannah, screenwriter, - his  first produced film was The Cooler, a gritty crime drama inspired by his years of gambling in the rundown casino halls of Las Vegas’ Fremont Street. He is credited with coining the phrase “cooler” as a person with infectious bad luck. The film starred William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Maria Bello and was directed by Wayne Kramer.  Since then, he has written for film and television including two films for ex-wrestler Steve Austin – Damage starring Stev Austin and Walton Goggins and Hunt to Kill  staring Austin and Eric Roberts, and another TV movie Crash and Burn starring Michael Madsen.  Currently, he is working on several film and tv projects.  He is also writing a seven-issue comic book mini-series about a nefarious Cult Deprogrammer trying to save the daughter of a wealthy family from the clutches of a dangerous religious cult in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  He also writes a daily blog called Ironiclast.com, a satirical look at the ironically iconic.  Frank lives and works in the Little Russia area of Los Angeles. He was born to the cold grey skies of Clydebank, Scotland, but grew up in Southern California under the shadow on Hollywood’s long swaying palm trees.  He came to love storytelling from a very young age and absorbed the Scottish tradition of spinning the mundane events of everyday life into a funny, entertaining anecdotes.  A fan of seventies cinema and popular culture, the marriage of writing and film became an obvious path for him. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at rexsikes.com

Sam Christensen, Image Expert, began his 35-year career as a concert promoter then worked as the company manager of the longest running musical of all time, THE FANTASTICKS. Later Sam served as a executive assistant to renowned playwright/screenwriter/director Arthur Laurents. CBS and MTM Productions brought Sam to Hollywood as an independent casting director. Among his many TV and feature film casting credits was the most popular small screen series of all time, MAS*H. Sam was the first person to ever be accorded front title billing on a major Hollywood release for his casting work on the MGM film, "Coma".  Pictures like "The Champ" and "The Clash Of The Titans" followed.  Sam continued to cast Broadway tours, television series and pilots and acclaimed mini-series, like the Emmy-winning "Jonestown, The Guyana Tragedy".  He retired from active casting in 1982 to become a personal manager and guided the careers of many important actors, including Rita Wilson, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Patricia Elliott and Jean-Claude Van Damme. For two decades Sam Christensen has thrived as a teacher and personal consultant, advising working actors and movie stars, community leaders and political candidates, entrepreneurs and CEOs.  His original process, developed first for artists has been expanded to the corporate market and is the subject of his upcoming book Charisma: the art of authenticity.  Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at http://www.rexsikes.com