9/29/2010

Red Canyon about, review &interview**

PLOT:

The movie begins with Devon kneeling by his sister Regina's bedside. 
She's beaten and bandaged. She tells him that she sees things - horrible things when she closes her eyes. 
She begs Devon to tell her what happened. Devon tells her the story...and we move into his tale about how they went to the cave (which was obviously a meth lab) to find her boyfriend Harley - how they were attacked - how he hit his head... 
Years later they return back to the desert town to sale their mother's house with three friends: Tom, Samir, and Terra. When they get back to the small town they run into old friends and stir up old rivalries. 
Being back seems to punch holes in Regina's memory. She begins to see flashes of her attacker everywhere. After a pretty damn cool dog attack Regina decides to go back to the cave and face her fears. 
But the cave has been reactivated - it's pot now - instead of meth, but it's still a bad place for Regina to be. 
Going back to the cave leads to an arrest - and more importantly being there makes Regina remember. 
She remembers far more than the "story" Devon told her at the beginning of the film. 
She remembers what they did to her - and that they forced to watch. It becomes clear that the drug dealer isn't going to let a small town sheriff and a bunch of outsiders get in the way of his business. 
As he said, he needed his "product" back - he was a "business man" he had to be a man of his "word." 
And he didn't mind cleaning up whatever "loose ends" Devon and Regina had created by coming home. 


The character of Mac (exceptionally performed by Norman Reedus) is so realistic.
You know(or you can imagine so) someone who could be Mac.
The more background information you get the more you feel ambivalent about this druggie Psycho
He's not such a braindead slayer as Jason or so..

The most frightening thing about this Film is that it could definitely happen in real life.

Another thing i really like is that there's no unrealistic sudden surprise, no hero saving the 'Maid'
its absolutely logical (that is rare-and that makes the difference to call it a good movie)








whish my psychos would b so nice'n'hot as Norman**gg**

WKDU part 3

9/22/2010

Brokenhearted Vampire - Fudd




video from Fudd directed by Norman Reedus

WTF Dance Party NY




Dance Party WTF 

four hours of live audio / video mixing and drunken dancing

Eclectic Method, The American Dream Team, Faux Mex, and Norman Reedus

9/19/2010

3 D'Urban Commercial (Cobert&Shinohara)






Icon vs Icon Talk

Where did you grow up?

Wow, let’s see. I grew up in a million places. [laughs] 
I was born in Florida, lived there for a couple of months. Then I lived in Northern California for a bit. 
Then we moved to Japan, right at the very end of high school. We lived in Kosovo and then London for a bit and then onto Spain. Finally, I made it to Los Angeles. It was there were I got a job at a place called Dr Carl’s Hog Hospital fixing motorcycles. The girl that I had followed to LA left with her ex-boyfriend and got married in Hawaii, so I was kinda stuck there by myself working at the Harley place and went to a party in The Hills and started yelling at a bunch of people and someone asked me to be in a play. The first night of that play, they were hip pocketing me and then I started pulling movies. That is how it all started.
 


When you were starting out, who were some of your influences?

One of my influences was Willem Dafoe, and I’m not just saying that. Harvey Keitel and Jim Jarmusch were influences as well. One of my favorite movies at the time and it still is one of my favorites is “Midnight Cowboy”. 
That role, that type of movie, that editing job and it’s cinematography, I really saw that as “art” and something that I could inspire to be part of.

You have played a variety of diverse roles in your career but you are best known for your role in “Boondock Saints.” How did you first get involved with Troy Duffy and his film?

I remember the script going around when I was living in LA. I read it and thought it was amazing. I went out and met Troy at a bar and we started talking about the storyline and the part. I really wanted to do it. Back then, there was another film that I was up for that was a Miramax film. They flew me up to New York for a meeting. I met up with Bob Weinstein and he asked me what I thought and if I wanted to do the film. I told him, “I’ll do this one if you give me Boondock Saints!” So I kept talking to Troy and was trying to get the part. I know there was a big casting war going on for it at that time, I think everyone wanted that part! I remember that Mark Walberg was in there, Ewan Mcgregor was there. A lot of people wanted it. Troy had to fight for me to get the part, because I hadn’t really done anything before that. I was very excited to be a part of it.

What was it like for you to step back into the role of Murphy McManus a decade later?


Ya know, the first day was a little weird, putting on those peacoats and revisiting that. It was fun though! It was like visiting an old friend and once we were in them, we were right back in. It was like riding a bike, everything just switched back on. The script is better than the first one, the scenes are better, the action is better, everything is better! Bigger and better! It was a blast to jump back in!

Once again, Troy Duffy assembled quite an ensemble cast for the sequel. Was there anyone that you were really looking forward to working with?


I was really excited to work with Julie Benz and Clifton Collins Jr., I have known Clifton for years, since way before we did the first film. It was really nice to be working with friends and it was nice to see Sean Patrick Flannery again. It was a blast and a really cool experience.

You mentioned the buzz about the original script, so I have to ask, did you have any idea that the film would develop into the cult phenomenon that it has?


normanreedus-2

No. I was really green back then. It was one of my first things. I had no idea. I was just happy to be on a movie set! [laughs] I was just taking it all in. I was like “What do I do? How’s this all work!” It was kind of overwhelming going from a motorcycle shop to a movie, instantly!

Definitely.


I knew we were doing something cool but I didn’t think it would be as huge as it has become!
I know that over the years, Troy Duffy has gotten a bad rap in a lot of circles, which isn’t necessarily fair.  Having worked with him, twice now, I wanted to see what you think the biggest misconception about him is?


That whole thing with “Overnight” and all that shit — if you had enough footage of Santa Claus, you could edit it to make him look like an asshole. I have said this before but in the first film, where we are doing the courtroom scene, instead of yelling “Action!” Troy was slamming his fist on the table yelling “You deliver these people!” That is Troy’s attitude, but Sean and I couldn’t help but be like “Fuck Yeah!” You can’t help it! That is Troy’s personality and he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He truly is one of the nicest guys that I have ever met. He totally works with you, listens to you and is a sweetheart of a guy. Ya know, those two guys who made that film came to him. The deal was that they would film it and do something with the footage afterwards. Then they started asking Troy for money. Troy said “That’s not our deal. I don’t have any money. All of my money is going into this movie.” They got into an argument and said “Fuck You!” Then they went on to take the worst parts of the footage and assemble it in the most dynamic, evil way that they possibly could to make him look like an asshole.

The truth is that he is the nicest guy on the planet. I think that after the first one, he toned down a little bit and realized that when there is a camera in front of your face that you might need to not say some stuff and to hold back some stuff. That was a whirlwind ride, that first film.

Yeah, that is very true and why I asked. I think it was a raw deal and it is interesting to hear from people who were there as it all unfolded and clear the air.


Yeah. You can edit anyone to make them look like a jerk. You really can.

normanreedus-3 

Obviously, it is an amazing feat you all have pulled off with making this sequel. It is really exciting to see the studio get behind the film. Are you guys doing anything special to celebrate the return of The Saints?

I know they have a really big press junket that we are going to do but I don’t know the details just yet. I am leaving to do a film soon, so I am hoping to find out those details before I leave. I think that we will be doing a premiere in Boston. I think they are doing that to give back to the fans.

You mentioned that you will be starting work on a new film soon. What can you tell us about that?


It’s a biker movie. It’s about a biker gang. I recently went out to LA and took my motorcycle class so that they can insure me and so forth. Basically, it is a tough Harley film. Which is really cool. I also just finished another film called “Meskada,” which is sort of a suspense, action, drama. That one was really fun to make as well. So, I am jumping back in with that. There is a film that I want to direct that I also want to start working on. Lots of cool stuff going on!

You mentioned directing and I know you have been behind the camera in the past, so it sounds like we will see you in a directorial setting in the future?


I have shot some short films and I have a production company called Big Bald Head. If you go to www.bigbaldhead.com or www.normanreedusonline.com, you can order them. They are three very strange short films, which are all completely different. It is something that I really enjoy doing. I directed them, shot and edited them myself. I had done some shows as a photographer and I have done some video installation shows in the past. My friends here in New York are all artists and they do art and shows together and I always liked doing that. So, I just sorta jumped in and I really enjoyed it. I don’t know if that is what I want to end up doing for the rest of my life but I certainly want to give it a try, especially since it is something that I am very passionate about.
Well we definitely look forward to seeing all of you work.


Thank you.
You have played such a wide variety of roles in your career. Is there a part or a specific genre that you would like to tackle in the years to come?


Yeah! I want to do a comedy! I think I am really funny! No one really thinks that I am funny but me, but I think I want to do a comedy. My Mom would love it if I did a movie where I didn’t kill everybody! [laughs] She is always saying “Why don’t you do a nice little romantic comedy with Jennifer Love-Hewitt or somebody?” I tell her “I don’t think they see me as that person.” But, I would love to do a comedy. There is an old one that I love called “Neighbors” with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. I would love to do a dark, dark comedy like that.

That would be cool.


Yeah, or a western. That would be cool. I’d like it.

normanreedus-4 

A few year’s back you worked with legendary director John Carpenter on the series “Masters of Horror.” I think “Cigarette Burns” was a really great performance. Just curious on what you might have learned for working alongside one of the horror genre’s greats.

John Carpenter is one of the coolest motherfuckers that I have ever met. He has this laid back, sarcastic attitude that is so infectious that it makes you want to hang out with him all day long. He is really fun in this very dry kind of a way and his mind works visually in this super fascinating way. You are doing something and you are wondering where he is going with it and then you will realize “Holy shit! Here’s going there?” Ya know? It always works. He has done some of my favorite films and he is such a dynamic character. Him and I became friends making that film and we talked quite a few times on the phone afterwards. He is one of those people who I like as a director, as a person and he is a remarkable guy.

One of the film’s that you recently worked on is ‘Night of the Templar’ which was one of David Carradine’s final performances. Did you get to interact with him during the filming?

No, not really. I have heard stories about him and the director [Paul Sampson] of that film is an old friend of mine. I did that movie because he asked me to and if you can’t help your friends out with their movies, then what’s the point? Ya know? He told me stories about David Carradine and I remember him calling me after we heard the news and he was like “That was not a suicide. I know that dude and it was not a suicide.” I don’t know how the story ended up but he [Paul Sampson] told me that he was such a great guy. It is a real shame that he is not around. There have been so many deaths lately, it is crazy to me how many people have been dropping.

Yeah, it has not been a good year for for that type of thing.


Yeah, it is nuts! Every week there is a new story that someone else has died. Actually, DJ AM lived right around the corner from me. Heath [Ledger] lived right around the corner from me. It is just really weird.

What is the best piece of advice that someone has given you along the way in your career and what advice do you have for anyone who would like to get involved in the film industry?

normanreedus-5

I think that you really just have to want it and keep going after it. Ya know, it is really weird how people get to where they get. These days, you can have a sex tape and become a huge star. You can date somebody and become a huge star. It’s weird, but if you really like acting and you like that process, you just go act. If you are into it, people can see that you are into it and if you are passionate about it, you will get jobs. If you are an actor in a small town, do theater. Think about doing theater there for a few years and then moving to a bigger town. Pursue it. It is weird because there are actors and then there are celebrities. that line gets crossed all of the time, ya know?

It gets a little blurrier every day.


It’s true. You can be on a reality TV show and become an actor, ya know what I mean. Those lines are blurred all the time. I have had some of the nicest things said to me by some of my heroes, like Sean Penn and Gary Oldman, two really cool people, basically stating that there is a difference between this person and that person. “We’re happy you are this person and not that person.” I see that all of the time. I see someone who is really good at what they do and no one knows who there are.  Then I see people who are considered “huge” and they just blow. It’s like if you want to be a photographer, carry a camera around and shoot all of the time. It is kinda the same thing. At the end of the day it is a job like any other job. You go to work, try to put in a good day, you may fight and it effects your whole day, you go home and hope that you did a good job and gear up for tomorrow. It is just like any other job when you strip it down to the bones, ya know.
You mentioned photography. I know that you did some modeling in the past and you are an accomplished photographer. I was curious about what attracted you to photography?


Photography is something that I have always done. I just had a big show in Berlin a couple of weeks ago. I have had a few shows there and a few shows here in New York. I was part of a show in LA last week. It is something that I have always enjoyed doing. I like to take really ugly things and make them pretty. That’s my thing. You can do that in acting or in whatever you do, you just kinda find a niche.

What other projects do you have coming up that we should be on the look out for in the near future?

Well, “Pandorum” is coming out soon and the film that I mentioned, “Meskada.” There is a script based on a book that I am going to direct which is called “I Was A White Slave In Harlem.” I am excited for that. It is about Margot Howard-Howard who was a transexual living in New York City in the late ’70s, early ’80s, who was kept as a sex slave in sort of an ivory tower by a herion dealer.

Sounds very interesting.


Yeah, Like I said, it is based on a book and it is really cool. Like I said before, I have this production company and if anyone wants to check out my short films, they can go to www.bigbaldhead.com or www.normanreedusonline.com and order them. They are pretty interesting and some of my photographs are there as well. I am always doing stuff!

That’s great. We will help spread the word! I thank you for your time and best of luck with everything you have going on.


Thanks, man! That’s so cool of you. It was great to meet you and thank you so much.

9/18/2010

Cinema Blend Interview

How’d you get involved with the original Boondock Saints?

I was living in L.A. at the time and there’s scripts going around, different agents, managers and so forth and I read it and just really, really liked it. I went in and I met with Troy at the bar he was working at and it was just like a revolving door of actors going in and out of there and he and I hit it off. We liked each other and at one point it was these two actors and those two actors, me and another actor and Stephen Dorff and another actor and Sean Patrick Flannery and two other actors and he just sort of fought for me to get the part. At that point I hadn’t really done a lot of movies so he definitely did me a favor.

Were you surprised it wound up with such an enormous fan base?


Yeah, totally! I mean, I knew we were doing something cool but I had no idea it would hit like that.

It took some time for the sequel to get off the ground. What was it like when you found out Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day officially got the green light?


Well, we were all excited. It was an on and off process forever and we’re all just really excited that it was really happening. I was especially excited for Troy because, you know, it’s his baby and he wrote it, it’s his characters and he caught the short end of the stick on a lot of topics but I’m just happy he got to do the second one and just getting the chance for people to see it. It’s a big deal.

It’s great that all of the key players returned for the second film. Would you have done it without Sean or Troy?


No. Not at all. It wouldn’t have been the same movie. You can’t really do that. Troy is the movie, you know what I mean, and Sean and I are the characters in Troy’s movie so it wouldn’t make sense to do it without any of those guys.

Did Clifton Collins Jr. and Julie Benz fit right in?


They fit in really well. Cliff was a friend of Sean, Troy’s and I since way back when; I think around the time we did the first one. We knew that that role was written for Cliff all along and Julie, she stepped into sort of the same – it’s not the same role as Willem played – but she stepped in with a huge set full of guys and she totally held her own and everyone loved her. She was great.

Is there any relation between her character and Willem Dafoe’s?


I can’t tell you that! That’s giving away too much!

The credit sequence in the original film is accompanied by interviews during which people say whether they think the saints are good or evil. What would you say?


I’d say they were good! I’d want to join up. I can say that right? I can’t say anything bad about me. Those were funny; I loved those. I actually ran into one of those guys on the street the other day. You know the guy that was like ‘Let’s get busy!’ Wait, what’d he say? Something like ‘Yeah, sign me up. Let’s get busy!’ I saw him on the street the other day and it was pretty funny.

I’m hoping to see something like that in the next film!


Yeah, we might; I don’t know. I don’t know if I can tell you stuff; I don’t know how badly Troy would punch me out.

In that case I’ll let you off the hook with Boondock Saints. Can you tell me about your role in Pandorum?


People lose their mind out in deep space. You can’t tell how long you’ve been out there, what’s going on and you’re being chased by these creatures that have sort of – like with evolution through all of these years they’ve adapted to the inner workings of the ship. So, I play one of the people that are running from those people who have woken up out of a sleep chamber and he’s running for his life basically. They run into me on the ship and I’m sort of trying to explain why the – I just saw the trailer on TV, I’m the one being dragged across the floor screaming ‘No!’ That movie is rough though because I was covered in oil the whole time and I was hanging from different things and it was totally painful and I was doing Boondocks at the same time so I was flying from Toronto to Berlin, back and forth, back and fourth. I thought I was going to die but the movie came out really good.

What’s it like working with Ben Foster?


Ben’s cool. I liked Ben a lot. He’s a serious young man. He’s a lot of fun to work with though; like between takes he’s cool. He was nice. Everyone on that film was cool and Christian [Alvart], I had done a film with him ages ago and he and I were going to do another movie and we ended up not doing it and he’s a friend of mine. I was in a car crash in Berlin ages ago and he sort of stood by me and translated the German doctors back and forth. He and I became friends through that. He’s a cool guy.

What’s Meskada about?




It’s kind of another thriller, like a dramatic thriller we shot upstate. Kellan Lutz is in it and there’s a whole bunch of really good young actors in it. Nick Stahl is in it; he’s really good in it. It was a dark sort of long drama. It’s a drama with these thrilling aspects to it.

Did you have any of the crazy Twilight fans on the set chasing Kellan?


No, but it’s funny because I’ve never seen Twilight. I know vampires are a big deals but he’s a really cool guy. He walked up to me and goes ‘Fuckin’ Boondock Saints! Oh my god, that’s my favorite movie!’ I gave him a sweatshirt and I gave his girlfriend a tank top. I know he’s a big deal; I know that movie’s a big deal but he’s a cool guy. There were some town scenes where there were a few mob scenes going around.

What about The Lost Girl?


I’m not sure what that is to be honest with you. That’s a film in pre-production and I’m not quite sure what going on. You got that off IMDB I think. I think sometimes people put stuff up there to get funding, to get financing. I got an e-mail the other day ‘Your popularity on the starmeter went up 390% in one day!’ I’m like ‘ What do I get? Did I win a toaster? What happens?’

I hear acting isn’t the only form of art you have a knack for. Can you tell me about your other interests?


I just had a show in Berlin of 50 of my photographs in this giant gallery, it looked like the Taj Mahal, it was rally cool. Then I have three short films I directed and I took the train from Berlin to Frankfurt and they premiered there in front of a large German Q & A panel, which was a lot of ‘Excuse me, Mr. Reedus, I don’t understand it.’ I’d explain it and they’d go ‘Excuse me, I still don’t understand it.’ So, that was fun. There’s another film I’m hoping to direct and get going by the end of this year called I Was a White Slave in Harlem, based on book about Margo Howard-Howard who was real character here in New York in the late 70s, early 80s that was kept as a sex slave in Harlem in sort of an ivory tower hidden away from everybody. She’s a transsexual and all this crazy stuff. It’s such an interesting heartfelt story. I really want to make this movie. So, I’m sort of in the pre stages of that right now.

Scene-B-Seen Interview

Scenebseen talked withNorman during the Tribeca Film Festival



SBS: You have quite an expansive filmography, but I have found that it is very character driven, meaning a lot of the roles you play are pretty intense with a lot of inner turmoil on various levels. Sometimes this struggle is resolved in some way and is pertinent to the character and the story, and sometimes they remain dark, agree/disagree?


NR:  Yeah I guess I seem to do those dark roles . But I'm not really that dark . 
At least I try not to be. I'm actually pretty funny and find most people funny or things quite funny.
Im so tired of everyone thinking I'm so dark. I just try and pay attention... and I get upset easily and understand being upset and it all comes from a place of unhappiness.
But I don't practice that in my life. I try to be happy. 
That's the big fight I think, right?

SBS: Absolutely, at least for myself. What about your character in Deadline?




 
NR: It's a good role 'cause it's well written,  it wasn't hard to just stay in those lines. 
'Cause those lines are set up and handed to you.  
Sometimes its better just to do it then create it I think .  
Actor schmacter stuff sometimes takes you on a loopty loop I think.

SBS: Maybe this is my idealistic view of you as an artist, but it seems that you are sort of a renaissance type of artist, actor, photography, director, and that you choose a large body of your film work because of the project itself, is this the case? Or some you do for Hollywood sake and some because you like the work?

NR: I'm not sure totally how I choose anything. 
It may be cause of the script, may be because of the people involved or whatever. 
Might just be 'cause I'm bored really. I'm not really opposed to anything. 
Maybe some people but not really an idea you know?  
I just wanna have fun and not be bored.

SBS: How does this play into the short, Deadline, how did this come about and why did you get involved?

NR: Kim Callahan at ROAR found that and I trust her so I said yes. 
It was a fun little movie and I was happy to do 

SBS: What are your feelings about art scene in NYC, or as I like to call it, Millenism?

NR: I'm not sure about the art scene in New York. 
I know a lot of artists here and a lot of people claiming to be part of an art scene here. 
I really haven't been here since the eighties, so I cant compare it to that boom but I do know its my favorite city and I love the people here. 
Its funny how many people claim to be so part of a scene and cling to it forever. 
In my opinion people make scenes and scenes move, and that's the point. 
Not the other way around.  I'm kind of over places being the scene
Berlin or New York.  
People make important things and groups of people make scenes. 
The problem, I would think, is that if someones relevant and smart enough they don't want to be held up by other people claiming them and there friends a scene, that would just make a smart person run away.

SBS: That's truly amazing.
I love large format photo (speaking of gallery exhibits), it completely fascinates me, as well as those "Panda" (referring to the live NYC WTF? show) photos, that just looks... sick (in a good way). Can you tell me a little bit about that? and how did NYC receive it?

NR: Faux Mex are two friends of mine that are DJs and I'm Pandita. 
I've never mixed live video footage before and was asked to. 
So I just jumped in, it was actually a lot of fun. It's a good vibe and just about fun. 
Not a scene, just fun.



SBS: I get what you're saying and above all, respect it. Thank you for being so open with me.

NR: Hey, its my pleasure.

9/17/2010

Bonn, Frankfurt, Hamburg















The Bless-Ed Event



 “Save Tara” is going bicoastal. Friends of Tara Subkoff, the former Imitation of Christ designer who was recently diagnosed with a benign brain tumor, are reprising in Los Angeles the benefit held in her honor last month at Manhattan’s Deitch Projects. E-mail invitations, which featured an illustrated image of what looked like Jesus Christ, to “The Bless-Ed Event” art exhibit, arrived in inboxes Thursday.
Among those hosting the event, scheduled for Aug. 13, are Norman Reedus, Mark Maggiori and Shahla Kareen.

9/15/2010

The Film Stage Interview

The Film Stage: Norman, I want to thank you for taking the time to talk to me.

Norman Reedus: Yeah of course how are you?

TFS: I’m good, let me just start right off. It’s been 10 years since the last movie so what changed in that gap?

NR: You mean as far as the brothers?

TFS: Well, you as an actor, the brothers, your relationship with Troy [Duffy]. Speaking of which did you keep in contact with him?

NR: Yeah of course we did. I mean Sean’s in L.A. and I’m in N.Y. so we didn’t see each other that much but every once in a while, but the first Boondock was one of my first films ever, so I’ve probably done 35 films since that movie came out. So I was super-uber-nervous for the first one and I know Troy fought for me to have that part and it was just a lot of fun during the first one. The second one we all went in a little more professional, I mean Sean had done some stuff before the first one but I hadn’t, and Troy went in with a certain attitude in the first one and he learned a lot of lessons I think. Yah know he got a bad rap from a lot of different angles.

TFS: Yeah

NR: Ya know he approached it very professional and there was a chance we could get the second one to theaters and were gonna get a legitimate shot at actually showing the film. But the first one we didn’t get that shot and it became such a big deal and I think he put a lot of time and effort into making the second one what he really wanted it to be, ya know we al did.

TFS: Yeah I saw the Overnight documentary and felt it was very one-sided for sure.

NR: Well, even with footage of Santa Clause you can edit it to make him look like a dick ya know.

TFS: Yeah absolutely, I actually disagree with a lot of what I saw in that, I could tell there was a lot of trick editing involved. Like a lot of the conversations where he is yelling at you are missing a lot of the other end of that conversation.

NR: Right, basically you could have taken the same footage and made him look really good.

TFS: Was it hard to get the persona of Murphy back? Like, it’s been so long were you looking back at the first film?

NR: Yeah, ya know I watched it a few times, the first one and ya know playing it in the beginning was a little weird but then I just sort of jumped back in yah know. I mean once you play a part in a movie as an actor it doesn’t really leave your brain. The location and the people and the time might be different but you remember that dude you played.

TFS: Was there a lot of feeding of you and Sean during production? Were you trying to help each other out so you could get that connection back?

NR: Yeah totally, Sean and I are friends already and we already clicked before we did the movie so ya know you help each other, you watch each other, because you act like brothers ya know what I mean.

TFS: Right, well going along those lines was there any films or just anything that influenced you and became something you wanted to bring into the character during the first one?

NR: No, I just wanted to do certain things with conviction and still have a light heated attitude in between. With the first one you kind of walk with each other you move with each other but still the brothers do these things but they’re still normal dudes ya know. I think that’s why so many people like the film and relate to it because yah know they’re not like your normal heroes or vigilantes, yah know they’re just normal guys like…

TFS: There like normal guys put into an extraordinary situation type deal.

NR: Exactly

TFS: You know in that 10 years, you’ve done a lot of growing, Sean’s done a lot of growing, Troy’s done a lot of growing so in the characters did you try to portray them as a little more mature and like they’ve just grown up a little bit since then? Because, they were I want to say very young adultish in the first one.

NR: Yeah you’re exactly right, we’re a little bit more mature, I mean we’re 10 years older so ya know that plays a factor just being 10 years older and you can tell, not just physically like your face or anything like that, but you approach things differently, Murphy’s still the hot head he always was and Connor’s the one who lays out the plans.

TFS: Was it hard to get the accent back?

NR: No actually I think I did a better job on the accent. Like the first one was one of my first films so I hadn’t really done an accent before, yah know and we were so rushed to get the first one done because we had a smaller budget and a lot less time so yah know we had dialect coaches with us and we just kind of threw um out the door because the thing is that we were from Boston and we were Irish so its like you couldn’t go full Irish in one direction and you couldn’t go fill Boston in one direction, ya kind of had to like weave in between the two. I mean with the second one because it starts off where we are in hiding in Ireland, the accent is just a little bit thicker because we’re hanging out with pop again.

TFS: Yeah I watched a lot of those videos that Troy put up on YouTube. I was following it since day one and it looked like you guys had a lot more resources this time around.

NR: We did and we had 10 years to think about it, we had more time on this one; there are more characters in this one so Sean and I aren’t in every single scene like in the first one. I was exhausted especially in the first couple weeks of shooting.

TFS: When it came to the script in the first one and maybe you can correct me if I’m wrong but it looked like there was a lot of improvising, so in the case of All Saints Day is it there again? Like, was there just a bare bones script that Troy wrote and then you were adding to it?

NR: Yeah we actually wrote new scenes as we were on set and they made it to the final cut. There were certain things that we clarified story-wise, like why we were there and what’s driven us for 10 years. There’s actually a great scene in there, ill just say it involves and ice skating rink

TFS: [laughs]

NR: We improvised quite a bit ya know, we all sat down and we wrote new scenes together. The thing about that film as opposed to their films I’ve done is that it’s like a big family. So it’s easy to communicate with each other. Ya know, Troy’s ego is just the same as everyone else’s, he’s not a maniac so he really listens to people and we listen to each other and the chemistry is just there already.

TFS: On the first one I felt was really just about the brothers and Rocco. But this one you had a lot of other cast including two other saints with Billy Connolly and Clifton Collins Jr. What was it like having two more saints in the mix?

NR: Well the saints are still the saints. I don’t know if we had more saints in it, rather we had the saints working with other people. Ya know the brothers definitely have their brother stuff, and they have their stuff with Cliff, and the brothers have their stuff with Julie Benz’s character. So it’s still a saint’s movie but there are just more of us now, we’ve just grown in number.

TFS: What was it like to work with Billy Connolly again?

NR: Billy’s fun, [laughs]

TFS: [laughs]

NR: The guy’s a blast; in this one we just have a lot more scenes with him.

TFS: That is great I am really looking forward to seeing it. Was it fun to work with Julie Benz?

NR: Well, Julie had to walk on a set full of testosterone ya know what I mean, and Julie’s got big elephant balls, she just walked right into it and took over, she is just a great actress and a great personality and a sweet lady. She totally held her own and brought a whole new vibe to it. She did a great job.

TFS: That is awesome. When I heard that she was cast I was a little taken back at first that the really big name was someone like her.

NR: Yeah she’s got like a sex appeal to her and she’s tough and the same time and likeable at the same time. She added a really nice piece to it
.
TFS: In the YouTube videos it looked like there was a lot more physicality this time around. Did that take a toll on you?

NR: I pulled my shoulder before we even started the film just doing the training and I had to deal with that going to Pandorum and in Boondock at the same time. So it was just Toronto, Berlin, Toronto, Berlin, Toronto, Berlin and it really started to hurt after a while. At one point we almost stopped and had surgery on my shoulder. Like the ligaments that connect your shoulder to your skull had snapped and like a rubber band coiled up in my back. So they wanted to do a quick surgery and attach that but that would have meant being in a sling for 6 weeks that I would be coming out of and swinging guns so I just chewed on my tongue and went through it. But it definitely hurt.

TFS: I noticed in the trailer you guys were rocking .50 cals now. So was there just a lot of upgrade in the Saints arsenal?

NR: The guns are sick let me tell you, they are hand cannons.

TFS: [laughs] …were like heavy, 1:1 ratio prop guns?

NR: With a bad shoulder they were heavy as fuck.

TFS: I saw it in the trailer and I know it has been talked about. Is there anything you can tell me about Rocco’s cameo in this one, since he dies in Boondock 1?

NR: I can’t tell you [laughs]

TFS: [laughs]

NR: If I tell you I’ll give away a lot. But Rocco’s kind of like the voice between the saints and the people. He explains what it means to take that point of view and move with that. So he’s defiantly a pivotal part of the story line. His character explains what we’re doing in a way if that make any sense.

TFS: Yeah that makes complete sense.






NR: Like he explains out psyche a little bit.

TFS: I was really happy when I heard he was coming back but I was afraid of how it was going to be done. Because I didn’t want to see a cheesy Rocco ghost pop up in the middle of nowhere.

NR: No, he’s done in a really hardcore, nice way. He’s introduced and brought in, in a way that’s not funny and everyone sitting around and has opinions but I don’t think anyone would let him get away with coming in corny.

TFS: Absolutely.

NR: Sony is in on this, Troy is on this, all the actors are in on this, and nobody wants to be part of a corny film.

TFS: Is this story maybe a little darker, like the last one was pretty dark but is this one just a bit more mature?

NR: Yeah, I’d say that. It’s heavier for sure.

TFS: That’s the word I’m looking for. I was also a fan of a lot of the stuff you did outside of Boondock. Blade 2, I remember seeing you on a Law and Order SVU episode, so what can you tell me about Pandorum because I saw the trailer and it looks interesting.

NR: It’s really cool, Christian Alvart is a really good director. He and I were supposed to do a movie called Anti-bodies together and ended up doing different things but became good friends. He and I became friends when I got in a car crash in Berlin, I went to the Berlin Film Festival and got hit by a truck and he sort of stood by my bed the whole time and spoke to the doctors and translated their German. I was kind of like the Elephant Man lying in bed for a couple months. He sort of talked me though it. So when Pandorum came up I joined up. I saw the final version of it and was just blown away, the cinematography is just ridiculous and it’s just awesome.

TFS: Yeah it looks like an excellent fall/horror/action/sci-fi film, just a perfect blend of a lot of genres.

NR: Yeah, that’s exactly what it is.

TFS: You said you were working on both Pandorum and Boondock at the same time, were you jumping in between sets?

NR: Yeah, they were actually shooting around me during the first part of Boondock and the producers on bother films knew each other so they were working on my schedule, but I was just beat during that first 2 weeks of shooting. But I was getting my sleep on the plane going from set to set.

TFS: What was your favorite part of Boondock and Pandorum?

NR: Well, Pandorum was a lot of non-English speaking people around me so Ben [Foster] was constantly working everyday and he spoke English and Cam [Gigandet] and I didn’t work on the same day so I didn’t get to see him, but I was coming to set just dead tired and the work was very emotionally draining and my scenes are packed in Pandorum. I was just constantly screaming and fighting for my life and running all over the fucking place. I would sleep and the plane and go back to Boondock and it was just sort of like going back to my family. I think getting back into Boondock, it was such a fun movie to make, and I could do Boondock 7 it was just great.

TFS: Well going along with that, I am certainly hoping, like everyone else, that Boondocks 2 is a huge success. But if it is are we looking at a possible trilogy?

NR: Dude, never say never, I’m hoping it’s a big success too, it seems like it’s going to be.

TFS: Based on the Comic-Con footage where you couldn’t hear you guys over the mic because the crowd was so loud.

NR: It was insane. They said that the line to get in was over a mile and a half long. It was crazy.

TFS: I notice that you, Sean, and Troy took advantage of Twitter to keep in contact with the fans, you actually responded to me once when you put up the link to the fake Boondock trailer, I was the one who replied NOT COOL!!

NR: [laughs] It’s funny because the person who set all this up has been running all of Sean’s Myspaces and Facebooks and Twitters and all that stuff, and I just don’t do the Facebook and Myspace thing really, and she’s just like, do the Twitter thing, promote it promote it, cause it’s like we’re promoting our own little family here. It’s been great to get such great feedback from the first one for so many years. It seems like the fanbase just grows and grows and grows on that. It feels good when people appreciate what you’re doing.

TFS: Did you do anything in terms of DVD commentary yet?

NR: Yes, Troy has done it with Billy so far and I think the next one is us.

TFS: Awesome, thank you so much for your time

NR: And I apologize for the Rick Astley video

TFS: [laughs] It’s cool.