“Thou Shall Not Fall…” The Legend G Tom Mac
When I found out I was going to get to interview G Tom Mac, I almost fell over. The man behind “Cry Little Sister” was going to be able to talk to me for a bit and I was going to get to pick his brain right back. This is just such on honor for me, and I wish I could have had it out before his show tonight at Contamination Weekend. I’m sure the show went well though. He’s to great of a musician not to. There is absolutely nothing I can tell you in this forward that is not explained in great detail in the interview. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I liked doing it. Let’s crank the volume all the way to 11…because here come’s….
“Thou Shall Not Fall…” The Legend G Tom Mac
Malice: Wow! Where do you start with the legendary G Tom Mac? So many questions to ask, and not enough time in the world! Let’s open with talking about your music. How would you describe your style of music? What genre do you think it fit’s into?
G Tom Mac: Well, I think that…it’s always a hard question to answer and I get asked it alot…I think it’s certainly in the eclectic mode of rock. It has elements of pop. I like to think I’m writing about things that are interesting to me. As far as lyrically, I like to write about things I think people can relate to. sometime’s I end up writing about things people don’t relate to, but later do relate to. It’s kind of interesting how that works out sometimes. So I guess its eclectic rock with certain pop elements to it. It’s always a very difficult question to answer…
Somebody once said to me, I can’t remember when this was, but I think it was in Germany…he said “Your music has the elements of Depeche Mode…but not really…and the lyrical sense of Elvis Costello or Neil Young.” At the time I thought it was a bit of a mad statement at the time…it wasn’t an insult, Ha Ha! I do like Depeche Mode and all that stuff so…Interesting someone’s opinion, but I think that is the closest anyone has gotten as far as comparing it to something.
Malice: I’ve read that you have been into music since you were 13 with your first band at 16. What got you into music?
G Tom Mac: I think it was just in me soul. I’ve loved music since I was a kid…as far back as I remember really. Come around the time I was breaking into teen-hood, I was learning the guitar…I fiddeled around with the bass a bit…and around the age of 13 or 14 I found I could sing a bit. I was just inspired by so many different things. In my house my Dad liked opera, and that wasn’t my kind of thing, but I listened to it. He used to play Jazz and other things…There was always a wide array of music around the house. But then on my I own there was a discovery of many different kinds of musical forms. From Jimmy Hendricks all the way up to Depeche Mode and stuff like that. I was very inspired by things that had a bit of an edge to it. Certainly things like Led Zeppelin were things I was attracted to….The Beatels…you can’t go wrong with that stuff…It’s really hard to nail it down as to what inspiration got me down my road. That’s why my songs in a way…I mean I’m certainly not a country guy…I just like things that are soulful.
Malice: You’ve done a lot of work as far as doing songs for television shows and feature-length films. What got you into that?
G Tom Mac: I started off into films with a guy named Jerry Bruckheimer, you probably know him. He’s done everything from Top Gun all the way up to Pirates of the Caribbean. Anyway, he discovered me early on, and liked me a lot. Well there was this movie of his in the 80’s called Defiance that he produced, and he asked me if I would write a song…the main song…I ended up writing four or five songs for it. I quite liked the idea of making music to put against the screen. It just felt like a real passionate thing to do, for me. And you had to really write for a visual right?So I just got into that…and having done that film other directors like Cameron Crowe, who had just done Fast Times At Ridgemont High after that last one I did for Jerry Bruckheimer, he asked me to do a song for that movie. One thing just lead to another…it’s not like I ran out and said “Oh, I have to find another movie to do.” It was just kind of people came to me, and I just fell into the mix, as the say. I just went on the road and came back. The TV stuff happened a bit later on in the 90’s when I took an interest in certain TV shows. It was before the vogue of having songs in TV shows. I was a bit ahead of it. I kind of remember some of the shows. I’ve been used in everything from Vampire Diaries to… Ha Ha, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show!” I don’t even keep track of it anymore. Now, Witchblade, was something that happened around 2000…2001. The guy, I think his name was Ralph Hemecker…He was a big fan of mine because of “Cry Little Sister.” So I started pitting songs of mine in the show and he picked out some. It was really interesting. It was a different kind of show, but it was in my world if you will. It was a somewhat of a super hero girl against vampires and any other source of evil. It was kind of cool show.
Malice: Have you ever done any shows or movies people would be surprised to see you attached to?
G Tom Mac: It’s kind of all out there. I did Chasing Amy. I don’t think anything has been a departure…There’s this television show every night called “Extra”…the news magazine show, they play a lot of my stuff. It’s interesting really. I don’t watch that show much, but I have watched it and heard my songs on there. Quite a few times actually…I see them in my royalty statements. It’s funny, because there are a lot of times I see my royalty statements and I’ve never even heard of that show. Oh! “The Bonny Hunt Show”…I don’t even know what that show is! And they air a lot of my stuff on there as well. “Big Bang Theory” this year had one of my songs. That was kind of a stretch I guess..I don’t know. The music producers of these shows just pick things they like, and if it fits in the show then well…But to answer your question, I’m never really surprised anymore…
Malice: What allows you to be more expressive? The work you do for yourself or the work you do on a T.V show or movie? Which do you prefer?
G Tom Mac: It’s always more expressive when I’m working on my own stuff, because it’s really just me isn’t it. So basically it’s just me working towards a…You know I’m not surrounding myself with someone elses story, like in a film or a T.V show. It’s always easier when your asked or given permissions to write a song for a movie. Not that I go and write the song about the movie. It just gives me instant inspiration. When your writing for your own album of songs, it’s really on you. Your really want to connect what albums mean. I like the idea of connecting a group of songs so that the fans can have a period of my life to listen to. Or just give them things that they can relate too.
Malice: I have always been a big Kiss fan, so you can imagine when I had read that you wrote the song “IsTthat You” I decided I had to ask you about it. How did they get ahold of the song? Whats the story behind it?
G Tom Mac: I wrote it when I was on the road. It was somewhere in Minnesota I remember…I thought maybe it would work. I was writing my first or second album…I can’t remember really…But I thought maybe it would work for me. But later, I just didn’t feel it was fitting in with the rest of the songs. This guy, Vinnie Poncia who was producing Kiss at the time, had asked me if he could play it for Kiss, because I wasn’t going to use it on my album. So I said sure, I didn’t really think anything of it. He called me like three days later and told me he played it for Paul and Gene and they freaked out…they loved it, and they said they want to do it. So I said “Really?” So he asked if I was sure I didn’t want to use it on my album? I told it him it wasn’t really working for me, so let me go and make some money else where. So they did it, and I thought they did a great job! They really made it their own.
It was a pretty cool demo I did…I haven’t heard it in a long time. I’m actually going to release it on an album I’m going to put out this year on a sort of greatest movie/things that other people have done kind of thing. I’m still trying to figure out how to put this compilation together properly. But the actually Demo of that still stands out.
Malice: Now comes the question I have always wanted to ask! In high school I was a bit of a Goth Kid. (still am really) So “Cry Little Sister” was a a little bit of an anthem for all of us outcasts. What inspired you for the lyrics to that song? What are the lyrics about and how do they relate to that period in your life?
G Tom Mac: Well, I had gotten a copy of the script by the Director, Joel Schumacher. I had always had the pleasure of looking at a piece of the film to get a sort of vibe for it before. But they said they were still shooting the movie, and they wanted to see if they could send me the script and get a good idea. Maybe write a theme song for the movie. So I read the script, and i was really quite taken by it. I thought it was really good. I was living in New York at the time, and there were a lot of really sort of demonic things going on in New York at the time. It was a very dark town at the time, and there were a lot of dark people in my life at the time too. There were just a lot of things going on. It seemed between what was going on in that script and what was going on in my life at the time. Something paralleled itself. I just started to write…and I’ve never been the type to write a song about whats going on in the movie…I’ve always thought that was kind of lame! I always like writing the peripheral of the film…something that gives the vibe but doesn’t reference it in a direct way. You know what I mean? So basically I thought that vampires were typically all a family. And they are a very lonely family and I felt in my world the same way. You know some sense of alienation. And I also felt there were a lot of people who felt that way, like vampires in my world. Like they were just trying to find a way to live, a way to fit in. To answer that question, and a lot of people have asked me what the lyrics are about…It’s about finding a family and being accepted. It’s the best way I can put it really. To answer what the some is about and every little lyric…I thought when I wrote the chorus, I started to here a bit of a choir in my head. The whole “Thou shall not fall” thing…it was redemption in a way for the vampire. That’s the best way to explain it really. Did I do OK?
Malice: I think you summed it up pretty good. It really explains why it would be a sort of “Goth Anthem.” At its heart it really is about despair and yearning for acceptance…you really feel that when you hear it.
G Tom Mac: It has gotten to such a different level, I had no idea! Like huge Eminem fans are now buying my music and discovering all my older stuff because he sampled me on his new album. It was really unbelievable, I had no idea he was a big fan of mine. I got a phone call one day by one of those guys at the recording studio who I had worked with. And he said they were working on the new album today and he wants to sample your song; he’s a big fan. It was interesting you know? You never know where that stuff goes. A band called Season After did a cover of it…It continues to find its way into many different forms of music.
Malice: Well it certainly does get around, doesn’t it? That being said, let’s lead into my next question: Did you ever think in the beginning that song would be as huge as it is? Like were you ever thinking to yourself “God that’s epic!”?
G Tom Mac: I did not think that. In fact, I didn’t even think it would make it in the movie. I thought “Well I love it.” About a week later when I sent the demo to Joel…they were filming the movie in Santa Cruz. He called me at like 10 in the morning on a Saturday, I remember that clearly. He said “This song is unbelievable! It’s the theme to my movie! I can’t belive you have not seen a piece to this movie. If you could only see the footage I’m shooting right now.” I thought “Well that’s cool!” I have not even seen this movie, and had no idea howe it was going to turn out as brilliant as it did. So I went back and did the final recording of it. e wanted me to play some pieces for throughout the film. We had the choir in the one spot. It was quite fun really. I had no idea it would work how it worked in the film. It was just one of those things you never know. It just taught me I should rea more scripts and not look at the film! Ha Ha!
What was interesting is, when it came down to who was going to record the song for the movie. The record company, that being Atlantic, they wanted to have Phil Collins do it or…Oh God Steve Perry from Journey…They had all these ideas of these Mega-Rock…Not even Mega-Rock, more like Mega-Pop bands really.They just wanted a really big name to do it, so with all due respect Joel let them audition these people. And he just said, “No, No, No, No…the only one to do this is G.” And that’s what it came down to. That’s how I became not just the song writer but also the artist too. Joel just said, “You are the voice of the movie. Everything I do from here on out is based on your song. Your voice is Keifer’s part, Jason’s part, Everyone’s part. I thought to myself, “O.K.” and then I watched the movie and I kind of got what he was talking about. Anyway, I’m proud to be part of it. What can I say?
Malice: When the studios did the second one, did they bring you in on it? What kind of part did you have in it?
G Tom Mac: I didn’t want to do anything. They had talked to me about it, and I read the script. I just thought they were going straight to DVD with this thing…My deal with Warner Brothers said they could license the song from me for anytime for The Lost Boys. So they licensed it through me. Then they came back to me after the film was done and said, “Listen, we really need to have some validation here. We want to know if you would do a music video for “Cry Little Sister” for the DVD.” I said, “Yeah, as long as I can have full creative control. I wanna do “Cry Little Sister” with a little more industrial feel to it. So after it came out I had fans saying how the only thing that was worth it was the bonus video of “Cry Little Sister.” It’s one of those things that if it would have been a really good film, I would have done my version in the film. I just wasn’t keen one where it was going. It wasn’t bad but…
I’m actually in the process of doing a thing with Joel Schumacher, and turning “Cry Little Sister” into a movie. I’ve already written a graphic novel, that is actually going to become a real novel. It will also be a game. We’ve begun a deal with Electronic Arts. I’ll be singing in the game, I think it will be really cool. I mean we are ways away from this being real, but there is still enough to talk about.
Malice: Wow! That really sounds like an interesting concept for a game. I do hope you keep me in the loop as it progresses. Is there anything else you can tell us about it?
G Tom Mac: It’s kind of a bit on the girl power thing. It sort of a….Well I don’t want to give to much of it away…I mean it does touch on vampires obviously. But it also deals with a bit of…Adam and Eve meets Cleopatra meets the future. The world is a bit destitute. The sister of Shangri-la is our hero. It’s interesting how when I wrote the song, there are almost these type of characters in it. Like Blue Masquerade, he’s an image but I’ve made him into a character. I can’t really get into the story with you, but there is an interesting way that I’ve taken the song for the graphic novel and the game. The graphic novel should hopefully be out next year.
Malice: Well, I look forward to it all! It sounds really cool, and I can only imagine how truly epic it will be. Next I would like to talk to you about Emerging Past and your song “Soul I Bare.” How did you get attached to this project?
G Tom Mac: Well Tom came across me. Basically he was a fan of Lost Boys and also a fan of my work. He had asked Brooke McCarter, who is in the movie and also in The Lost Boys, he had him put in a call to me. He asked me if I would be interested in scoring it as well as doing a theme song. So I took a look at the film, and it looked like it had a cool vibe to it. It was still unedited at the time, and I thought “Well, I have some time.” I had this song “Soul I Bare” that I was kicking around. I basically finished it up, I just thought it would work well for the film. Then one thing lead to another and I ended up writing 5 or 6 more songs for the film, besides scoring the entire film. Which I enjoyed doing! I brought in some other artists to finish the soundtrack and we put the rest of the soundtrack together. I hope it does well out there.
Malice: It really does look like it’s going to be a fantastic movie, I can’t wait for my copy of it. Let’s talk about your new album. You sent me two songs off of the album, and they sound REALLY GOOD!! You said earlier your albums describe periods of your life, what period is this new album about? What message or mood do you hope to convey?
G Tom Mac: I think it’s really about now. When I speak about the period, it’s more about the period I’m in. I don’t really like delving into the past much. I’m not much of a retrospective kind of writer or artist. I think it’s about dealing with so many exploding things in the world right now. I just like to have fun with music. There’s just times you get introspective, and there’s a few songs like that on the album. Like the song “Groove at the End of the World” is sort of a last resort. Like if it all blows up, then we still have this music..the few of us that are left can connect to each other and we are all going down and rockin’. I’m going to look at. Groove at the end of the World” you know? It’s just a crazy time were in right now. But I think the outcome will be cool. I think this time it’s just a many slaps to the face so we can wake up and quit doing things the way we’ve been doing things. To change things, to improve the way we can relate to one another. It’s like the dark before the light.
Getting back to this album though, there’s a song on the album called “Slave That You Are.” It’s really about all of us and how we are a slave to money and the economy, your family, your girlfriend. Mainly we are a slave to the things we have created. So I think it’s a bit tongue in cheek that song. The other song I sent “Say It’s OK,” It’s sort of like picking up somebody your really close to and getting away from all this stuff and finding a new place to be. I think we need those kinds of inspirational songs. When I wrote that song it was kind of like you had to inspire people to belive there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You have to have a song like that on the album.
It’s interesting because I’ve always been a big fan of Trent Reznor and always have. He can go dark, very dark, and most of the time he does. And I got there too, in fact I have a tendancy to go down that road more often. But I also have a light side, a sort of optimism that says everything’s gonna be alright.” So somewhere between Trent and Bono I live…
G Tom and Cory Haim working on "Mend Me" for Emerging Past.
Malice:Well the time has come…It’s time for some “Out-of-Hat” questions! Most people dread them…but a lot of us love them…are you interested?
G Tom Mac: Yeah sure!
Malice: First question: You’re epic masterpiece “Cry Little Sister” was on The Lost Boys, and you also did a version of the song for True Blood. How do you think the two shows stack up? Which do you prefer between the two?
G Tom Mac: Well Lost Boys being a film and not a series. I think True Blood is a brilliant series. My friend Scott Reiner directs a lot of those episodes. So I can’t say too much bad about True Blood…I do like True Blood! It’s gotten better, I don’t watch it all the time. It’s kind of a tough one to say. I’ll always love the original Lost Boys. So I’m going to say I love The Lost Boys more. It’s something that has stood the test of time. And I think True Blood will be looked back on as innovative.
Malice: Do you prefer paranormal movies or realistic movies?
G Tom Mac: I like a little of both. I don’t really have a preference, I’m really not stuck on one thing. I like Iron Man, the first one anyway. I like super hero stuff as well. Super 8 was a good movie. I just like a mix…I’m all about the quality of things.
Malice: Last one…If Vampire’s and werewolves were alive…which one would you be?
G Tom Mac: Vampire…no questions about it. I don’t like the idea of getting hairy. Vampires have less shaving to do. Come on Vampires are damn sexy sensual…it’s just fucking sexy!
Malice: Is there anything you want to add to your fans before you leave?
G Tom Mac: Without them, it wouldn’t be possible!
Wasn’t he great guys!? I hope to see more of G Tom as some of his projects come to fruition. That’s all for the interviews for Contamination Weekend. I hope everyone they are having a safe and spooky-fun time. G Tom I bet that concert was the highlight of the show! Now, I’m going to go get some much-needed sleep! I hope you all enjoyed the interview…GOODNIGHT!!!
Until Next Time, My Freaky Darlings,
Malice Psychotik
Unmasked with Brad Loree
It was a couple of days ago that I told all of you that I had some rather cool interviews coming up. This is the first one. My first interview was with a very talented stunt actor by the name of Brad Loree. Brad, as some of you may know, was Michael Myers in Halloween: Resurrection. He’s known all around the horror/sci-fi con circuit as a very personable guy who loves what he does and enjoys his fans even more. Talking to him on the phone did nothing but prove this. Mr. Loree was very informative, and I can tell he really liked to share his stories and life experiences so that all of his fans could see. At this point there is nothing I can tell you that the interview won’t explain two times better. So without any delay…Grab your butcher knives and pull up a seat because this is…
Unmasked with Brad Loree
Malice Psychotik: What got you into acting and doing stunts?
Brad Loree: Well…As a young Kid, I Just fell in love with movies. Movies were an escape. When I was a little kid I remember thinking the greatest thing you could possibly be wasn’t being an astronaut or the president, It was being an actor. It was like the greatest thing would to be in a movie with lines. I got into stunts when I was 13. I fell in love with Bruce Lee and Martial arts, and joined local karate school and was taught by a guy named Tony Morelli. My Karate instructor went on to be a world cruiser weight kick boxing champion, and he sort of dragged me along into that. Then he got into the film industry in their early 80’s, when it first started coming to Vancouver. Tony introduced me to ever body, and because I could fight somewhat and was a big guy, I was the big guy that the little guy could kick the crap out of and throw down a flight of stairs. He opened a door and I followed in his footsteps. As a young teenager, I developed a case of really bad acne, so it really derailed my confidence. So being a stunt guy kind of worked for me. It was the closest I could get to being an actor without actually being an actor. Stunt is more the physical aspect of acting. I studied drama in school, took some classes off and on, but stunting was the perfect thing for me. I got to appear on camera, and I got to rub elbows with the actors. Occasionally I would get a part what they called Stunt Acting. Instead of getting an actor to say one line and get thrown down a flight of stairs, they hire a stunt guy to say one line and get thrown down a flight of stairs. Basicly…that’s how I got into it.
Malice: In the realm of horror movies, you are known more for your role as Michael Myers in Halloween: Resurrection. We’ll get to that in a minute! Really I want to ask you about your experiences from some of the other films you have stunted in. To look at your imDB page, you have quite the list of Blockbuster movies (X2: X-Men United, X-Men: Last Stand, The Watchmen, Tron: Legacy etc…) What was it like to be on those huge Hollywood sets?
Brad: You know, Malice, being on those big Blockbuster sets is a lot like being a minot in a really big pond! The sets are so huge and it’s so obvious money is being spent. Working with all of those big guys, like Jeff Bridges, Hugh Jackman, and all those guys. It’s always a huge treat because I’m such a movie fan. I still get star struck when I see people or meet people. Being on those sets is like walking through a dream, because when I was kid I always wanted to work in movies. It’s kind of like a dream come true. Some of the guys I work with never get star struck. They’re not big movie fans, they’re like star fighters or world-class athletes and that’s how they got into the business. So it was never a big deal for them, but I’ve always been like a kid in a candy store!!!
Like Tron for instance, I was only there to double Jeff Bridges, and it was like two days. The first day I didn’t even leave the trailer. The second day though, we did the work. I got to meet Jeff…and I even got to do some off camera dialogue with him. It was scene where he was his older self and they computerized his younger face on to the other body. I did about a half a dozen takes with him, all just a few lines each. But it was really a lot of fun. I just wish I could have gotten a picture with him. I’m a huge Jeff Bridges fan! It’s just a real treat and a real honor and I will have those memories forever.
Malice: What are some of the coolest stunts you have ever done?
Brad: Coolest stunt? Wow…boy…huh…One of my favorite stunt actor jobs, I was on the set of a movie of the week called “The Long Way Home.” I think of all the days I was on set I was never as Star Struck as I was when I was on with Jack Lemmon. I got to do this little stunt actor scene with him. This other guy and myself play these two rednecks. My buddy tries to pick the girl up and Jack comes. We get into a fight with him and she ends up maceing us both….
As far as big stunts though…the biggest stunt I’ve ever done…in my opinion…one where I was the most concerned for my safety, was a TV show I was on where I had to jump through an 8 foot by 8 foot window from the third story of an abandoned mental hospital. It was called Rearview Hospital, they closed it down…Normally jumping from the 3rd story wouldn’t bother me at all, because jumping from high places into an air bag can be a lot of fun…BUT!! The floor below jutted out about 14 feet, and it kind of had like a cement patio downstairs with a cement railing. So it was a long jump as far as it was a high jump. The danger was if I didn’t clear that, I would fall 18 feet onto a cement railing, and that would have probably really, really messed me up. They told me “Brad if you land short I don’t know if it will kill you, but it will definitely mess you up.” It was just really scary to shoot. When we did this scene I had this run way built up. They have this big heavy sheet of glass, of course they blow it for you before you hit but it’s still basically a big sheet of glass! I had the wardrobe on, and I had these boots. There was another guy supposed to do the stunt, so all of the clothes were bought to his size. He decided he couldn’t do it because of his knees. So when they brought the boots up to me, they were these brand new motor cycle boots. Stiff, Stiff, Stiff leather that was two sizes to small. So you can imagine trying to run in these boots that are as hard as concrete, with your toes all curled up in them, trying to make this jump…I tell ya, it was one of those nights where you sure wish you didn’t have to do it, but your already committed to it…you already said you would do it and there’s no backing out. But I did it, and the director loved it. They shot it from like four different angles, and played it back like Boom…Boom…Boom…Boom! Four shots of me coming through this window. I was just so tickled. When we finished the shot, a guy named Ken Mathers said “Thank you Brad that was the most amazing thing I have ever had the privilege of shooting! Thanks so much!” It was a real treat!
The list just goes on and on. I’ve got to do a fight scene with Jean Claude Van Damme, I’ve got to do a fight scene with Jackie Chan, I’ve gotten chased out of a house by Sylvester Stalone, I’ve gotten shot by Arnold Schwarzenegger…I didn’t get to be in a scene with Jet Li, but I was in Romeo Must Die, I’ve had fight scenes with Steven Segal, Lorenzo Lamas…I’ve gotten to work with a lot of the big action guys.
Malice: You’ve also done some movies that were far out of the scope of what you normally do, (Freddy Got Fingered, Twilight Saga: New Moon, Josie and the Pussycats) can you tell us a little about them?
Brad: New Moon I doubled Graham Greene. It was a scene where he gets tackled by I think a Werewolf. Freddy Got Fingered I just slid a car out into the intersection as Tom Green was driving through. Josie and the Pussycats, there’s this scene where a van comes racing down the ally and these guys jump out and grab this girl, I was one of the guys that grabbed her. There are a lot of movies I’ve done where I was on-screen for about 2.5 seconds. But you still get paid for the day, so it’s always been fun that way. About 95% of my work is as a stunt man…If I hadn’t had the good fortune of falling into the role of Michael Myers, me and you wouldn’t be talking right now. Brad Loree probably wouldn’t even be on the imDB. The fame that Michael Myers has brought me, has brought a lot of my other work to the floor. It catapulted me into the spotlight for a time. I’m very fortunate and I get to do these Horror conventions, and I hope I always do. I hope I’ll always be available to come to them. Horror fans are just the most loyal I’ve met out of any genre.
Malice: What do you find more fulfilling Acting or Stunt work?
Brad: Well if I answer honestly I would have to say I’ve always enjoyed acting more. You know Malice, thats where my heart has always been. Unfortunately I didn’t grow up with a ton of confidence. I don’t want to say I never appreciated the stunt work, it’s just to me it was always a job. Also because I was a fairly athletic guy growing up, I don’t want to say it was easy. By and by I always sort of took for granted if I could do it then anybody could do it. I’ve met a lot of people though that can’t. To answer your question though, I’ve always loved the acting, that’s where my love has always been.
Malice: Now let’s talk about Mr. Hush. I have been chomping at the bit to see this movie, and it looks awesome! Is there anything you can tell us about the movie? Maybe a little about your character?
Brad: Well, I met Dave Madison at a convention a few years back. Most conventions you meet a few upcoming directors or writers that want you for their movie. But God Bless him, David sent me this script, and we ended up shooting the film in Pennsylvania last year. It’s essentially the story of this middle-aged guy that’s married with a kid, and he get’s haunted by a demon from his family’s past. I really don’t want to say too much at this point, because the movie hasn’t been released yet and I don’t want to give the story away. But basically the character is tormented for ten years by this demon, I can tell you that much. The movie has not been released yet, but I believe David told me that it was going to release in October in a theater in Pennsylvania. I’m hoping to come down for that. I guess that will be like our premiere. It was just a really great experience. I hope it does well and we can do Mr. Hush 2. It’s supposed to actually be a trilogy, so I really hope that happens.
You know when you haven’t acted in a while, you start to get kind of rusty. You have to keep your chops up. So when Dave called me I hadn’t done any acting or classes in a while. So actually I turned him down at first. But then I told myself “Brad, the only reason you’re not doing this is because you don’t believe in yourself. Why don’t you believe in yourself for once, and go and do the best you can and just put it all out there.” I called him and said “Alright David I’m coming out.” We shot it in three weeks last fall. It was great! I hope to work with Dave and Thom for the rest of my life!
Malice: Well there are thousands of Halloween Fans out there that are wondering when the hell am I going to get to Halloween: Resurrection, so let’s dive in head first! How did you come across the role?
Brad: I was working on this show “Los Luchadors.” We did 13 episodes and broke for hiatus. Even though there was a lot of talking about “oh, yeah we are going to come back for another 13.” Most veterans don’t wait around, they all go out and look for work. Our first AV guy Brian Knight went and interviewed with the Halloween people, because Halloween: Resurrection had already set up shop. And during the interview they mentioned that they didn’t know who their Canadian Stunt coordinator was going to be and they didn’t have a Michael Myers yet. So he said you know who you should talk to is Brad Loree. He’s a pretty big guy and he has done some really good stunt coordinating with me lately. So I’m driving my car one day, and I get this phone call “Hey Brad, this is Tracey Long with Halloween: Resurrection. We are looking for a Michael Myers, I just wanna know how tall are you?” I said I’m 6’2″ and a half and she said “Oh Perfect! You want to come meet the Executives?” I was like sure! I went there the next day and everyone was there. All the producers, the director…I hadn’t seen the movie in like 17 years, but the director got me to go up against the wall and walk toward him as Michael Myers. He gave me a few tips and direction…And he said I did just fine. They then told me it was nothing definite, but if they did pick me they would fly me out to L.A to get my head cast. I looked at them and said, “You mean I have to fly all the way out to L.A. just to double the guy?” They said “No you’re not going to double him, you will be the guy.” That’s when I went OHHHH I REALLLLLY WANT THIS JOB!! And so the director gave me the thumbs up from there, I went down to L.A. to get my head cast. We started camera tests a couple of weeks later, we shot for six weeks, then came back and did reshoots for two weeks.
Malice: How do you think Halloween: Resurrection stacks up against the others?
Brad: I don’t really know…I really like how they brought it into this day with all the technology and the kids texting and the cameras. I like it for that because it really kept with the times. It didn’t try to stay in the 70’s for example. It was sort of the modern time film for the Halloween franchise. I can’t really tell you how scary it is because I was in all the scenes so they don’t really shock me. I’ve had some tell me that they didn’t really like the direction, but they thought I was great. But then I’ve had people tell me it was their favorite one.I love the first one head, shoulders, and torso above all of them. Resurrection will always be the highlight of my life, even though I wore a mask and didn’t have any dialogue I was one of the stars of the movie. I’ve got a group of friends and me that always get a chuckle out of seeing the movie on cable and it says starring Jaime Lee Curtis and Brad Loree…we always get a laugh when we see that! It sure is an honor to have played Michael Myers because I’m a big Halloween fan. Everyone was great, we had a lot of fun, and made a buck!
Malice: Now I know most of the other “Men Behind the Mask” if you will, say they all brought a certain trademark to their version of the character. Whether it be a way they turn their head, or a way they walk. Did you do anything like that to make your Michael stand out from other incarnations?
Brad: Well when I was researching the role, I noticed some of the newer guys had really gotten away from the way Michael walked. His gait to me was one of the scariest things about him in the first one. I just remember it being so creepy! He’s not in a hurry, he’s just so methodical and calm. A lot of the guys got away from that. I just watched the first one over and over, and a lot of people have credited me for bringing that back, that Michael Myers walk. So I can’t take it as my own. But I like to say that I kind of resurrected it. ((No Pun Intended)) There was also another scene where I killed a girl and tilted my head. I asked the director if I could do that because I hadn’t seen that in a while. I remember that was just kind of creepy in the first one. It kind of reminded me of a cat playing with a mouse. I’ve always related Michael to a child. How like he doesn’t realize he is hurting these people, but more he is just playing with them. Kind of like a cat with a mouse, and how they end up getting too rough and the mouse ends up dying. So that’s what I like to think I brought back to the character.
Malice: Well this last section of the interview is what I like to call “Out-of Hat” questions. More or less a small set of questions that are either off the wall or just don’t particularly fit, are you game for some?
Brad: Oh absolutely!
Malice: Well, let’s do this then!!! If you got to pick a character in a Zombie flick which would it be…The Noble Hero, The Kick Ass Take no trash Zombie Killing Machine, The awkward Science Nerd that figures everything out, or the Stoner screw-up that dies a hilarious death and reanimates only to bring crap right to the main casts door?
Brad: I would have to say the nobel character…the first one. That’s who I’d like to be. That’s the one the chicks would go for!!
Malice: As far as cryptozoological animals (Big Foot, Lochness, Yeti, Chupacabra…etc…) What are your feelings on them? Real or fake?
Brad: Well I believe that when there is a lake or a planet that are deeper or vaster than we can register on a radar…You know I think there are a lot of areas that are still uncharted.So I believe these creatures are out there. I don’t like to think that there is no mystery left in the world. I hope one day they do reveal themselves, just like I hope one day aliens come down from outer space. I don’t want to be ridiculed for these things. I want them to show themselves and prove the nay sayers wrong.
Malice: Since you were in two of the original three X-Men films, if you could be any of the X-Men, which character would it be?
Brad: I would really love to be Wolverine. When I saw the first one, I really like Wolverine in that scene where he is fighting for money in the cage. He Kicks Ass!
Malice: So do you have anything else you would like to add?
Brad: Well I’m going to be at Contamination Weekend this weekend. Next week I will be at Days of the Dead in Indy. Dave and Thom’s stars are rising and they are wanting to keep me in their rolladex of actors, so I hope to see a lot more appearances and roles from them. I look forward to seeing everyone at the shows!
Well My Freaky Darlings, that about wraps it up for tonight. Brad is a really great guy, I wish him all the best, and I hope to have him back on here soon. If any of you are at Contamination Weekend right now and are reading this, be sure to stop by and say hey from your dear Uncle Malice. Stay tuned for my next candid interview I’m sure your Sister will Cry to see….
Until Next Time, My Freaky Darlings,
Malice Psychotik
Contamination 2011: The Sequal June 24th-26th St.Louis, Mo
Hello, My Freaky Darlings…As I told you previously, I have two interviews for you that I’m sure you will all love. Before I get into those though, I would like to spread the word on a fantastic little show coming to St. Louis. This show is called Contamination 2011: The Sequel. By the title I’m sure you have all guessed this will be the second year running. You might be saying to yourself now, “Malice, why should I go to this particular show?” It’s very simple really…
CELEBRITY GUESTS: Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, The Expendables), “The Boondock Saints” Sean Patrik Flannery–Norman Reedus–David Dela Rocca, A first time ever reunion for 1994 Fantastic Four movie (Alex Hyde-White, Rebecca Staab, Jay Underwood, Michael Baily Smith, Carl Ciarfalio, and Joseph Culp), Tony Todd (Candyman. The Crow) Kane Hodder (Jason in Friday the 13th 7, 8, 9 and Jason X, Hatchet), Brad Loree (Michael Myers Halloween Resurrection, Mr. Hush), Dan Shor (Ram from the original Tron, and Billy the Kid from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure to name a few..), Sandahl Bergman (Conan the Barbarian), Ben Davidson (Conan the Barbarian, and Football Player for the Oakland Raiders), Cody Deal (SyFy’s New Show “Almighty Thor”), Bill Johnson (Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Part 2), and a Mini- Day of the Dead Reunion (Gary Klar, Mark Tierno, and for the first time ever Terry Alexander) plus more…
EVENTS: 24-hour Movie Room, Outdoor Drive-in Movie experience, A Concert by the one and only- Grammy Award winning G Tom Mac, Showing of the Award Winning Emerging Past, dealers room, Q&A’s, Contaminated Party Galore…and this is just the tip of the iceberg…
Taking everything I have seen into account, I vote this show a winner. There is a great guest list and a pretty tight event line-up. If you need further merits why don’t we take a peek at what the first Contamination had…
LAST YEAR: “The successful event that began this new tradition in St. Louis – Contamination 2010 -was held April 30 through May 2, 2010 at the Holiday Inn Viking and featured film legends from popular horror classics like “The Howling” and George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead,” pop culture icon Larry Thomas “The Soup Nazi” from “Seinfeld,” sports legend Ken Norton, the 70s Godfather of Soul Cinema Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, “The Lost Boys” Brooke McCarter and Billy Wirth and showcased one of the most recognized cars in the world – The Batmobile”
Soooooooo, if your going to be in the St. Louis area this weekend you really, really, REALLY should go check out this show. There is a lot going for this show, and I give it a seal of apporoval….now with this said ON TO THE INTERVIEWS!!!
*For more information on the show and ticket info head over to www.con-tamination.com
Until Next Time, My Freaky Darlings,
Malice Psychotik
Encyclopedia Psychotika 