Yet another Nicholas Sparks’ novel is getting the big screen treatment. Safe Haven, the author’s 8th literary work (guy penned The Notebook and Dear John to name a few), comes out appropriately, and obviously, on Valentine’s Day. Yours truly yapped with Sparks, who for the first time serves as producer on a flick, and the two leads Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough. We discussed all the usual things you have to do on these press/promo tours, but when dissecting what some may describe as a few trivial items, the trio candidly elaborated on how much effort goes into preparing for the rigors of getting on the set. And in keeping  [ Read More ]

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of the hardest working actors out there, and has been for some time, despite being just 31 years-old. From doing a plethora of lauded indie work to frequently showing up in critically acclaimed “mainstream” flicks such as Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, the introspective guy’s focused efforts to his craft are leading him into a rarified spotlight. The upcoming release, Looper, has JGL starring side-by-side with one of Hollywood’s elite in Bruce Willis. Without giving too much away, Gordon-Levitt is cast as a younger version of Willis’ character. So the natural question to ask is what angle he took to accurately portray the veteran performer?  [ Read More ]

Although he comes across very relaxed when talking about his upcoming release, Looper, you could say that writer/director Rian Johnson was quite calculated in crafting this science-fiction piece. And to his surprise, a few of the stereotypical challenging items – when shooting a major cinematic production – fell into place rather easily. Johnson admitted in a telephone interview with yours truly that he took some bold chances with Looper. Specifically stating that the script goes to places in the middle and the end that had everyone involved a little nervous. But as mentioned just a few sentences ago, things went relatively smooth when I asked about if there were any  [ Read More ]

When he was unleashed to the world via HBO’s True Blood just two years ago, Joe Manganiello began to fully realize his dream. And even though he was more than welcomed by the show’s rabid fans all over the world, this Friday, he may attract a million more by unleashing something else in the steamy Magic Mike. Why? Well, with the character name, Big Dick Richie, let’s just say if the Oscars gave an award for best on-screen name, this guy would have it wrapped up. “Thank you very much. I also have my Oscar footage that they’re going to play for me in memoriam when I die,” he says  [ Read More ]

At first glance, the Booth Brothers look like they would be the life of the party. And in many cases, they are. The rock star looking duo has made an impression during the 6th Annual Gasparilla International Film Festival, currently running on all-cylinders in Tampa, Florida. Christopher Saint Booth and Philip Adrian Booth are simply documentary filmmakers…who just happen to specialize in chronicling stories of the supernatural by entering some of the most haunted, and disturbing places on Earth. They’re not your typical sell-out ghost hunters though, and essentially, they’re just curious about that stage of life (my opinion). In fact, their only true goal is to present the facts  [ Read More ]

After a lauded world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, writer-director, and star, Ryan O’Nan has seemingly announced his presence on his own terms. His “passion” project, Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best, is screening this weekend at the 6th Annual Gasparilla International Film Festival, currently underway in Tampa, Florida. The talented performer is pulling double-duty at the fest, for he’s not only making the rounds promoting the film and partaking in Q&A sessions, he’s also showcasing his musical attributes, as seen in the film, for the festival patrons on an outdoor stage as well. O’Nan met up with yours truly at the historic Tampa Theatre and the guy allowed us  [ Read More ]

You might have recently read a post on ShockYa about a big opportunity to be able to ask questions to Angelina Jolie about her directorial debut in “In the Land of Blood and Honey.” Well, today is the day! At 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST tonight, Jan. 12, Jolie will be on hand to answer questions from fans about what it was like to direct the film, which, according to the official synopsis, tells the story of the relationship of two people involved in the Bosnian War: “Set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War that tore the Balkan region apart in the 1990s, In the Land of Blood and  [ Read More ]

In honor of Angelina Jolie’s writing and directing debut, the über famous actress is holding a live Q&A session. See the application below? It’s got a countdown to the January 12th Q&A for In the Land of Blood and Honey, Jolie’s film about a Bosnian Serb at the helm of a prison camp and a Muslim artist taken prisoner during the Bosnian War. Come January 12th, Jolie will be right here to answer your questions live. Now the question is, how do you get Angelina to answer one of your questions? It’s actually pretty easy and also offers you the opportunity to get an In the Land of Blood and  [ Read More ]

ShockYa’s Joe Belcastro was on the scene in Orlando, Florida for the press event held at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, celebrating the newly released “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ on Warner Bros. home video platform (DVD, Blu-Ray, Digital Download, Ultraviolet Digital Download). About twenty members from the cast & crew – including director David Yates, Rupert Grint, producers David Barron and David Heyman along with an assortment of other cast members – all descended upon the red carpeted spectacle this past weekend. Below are red carpet snippets along with photos from the festive three-day event. And you’ll even notice a blooper or two as you’ll  [ Read More ]

Dolphin Tale has been floating well above water the last three weeks since its release in theaters all across the U.S. The inspiring true story has been touching audiences from all walks of life, and next up for the film – which showcases the real-life story of Winter the dolphin’s amazing recovery – is to invade the overseas’ markets starting this Friday. Knowing that, here’s an exclusive glimpse of what has been taking place at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium where “Dolphin Tale” finished production nearly a year ago. The little hospital/aquarium that could, is now ready to take its mission (Rescue, Rehabilitation, & Release) to the next level. Take a  [ Read More ]

Dolphin Tale is all prepared to swim into theaters on September 23rd. The cast and crew have been making their rounds doing the usual press/promo stops. The big presser was held earlier this week where the real-life star of the flick resides in Clearwater, Florida. Much like Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Nathan Gamble along with a few other members of the cast & crew who met with an assortment of journalists; Winter the dolphin also made time at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium – where a good portion of Dolphin Tale was shot – to meet & greet the cinematic pundits. Below are video clips of CMA’s CEO – and  [ Read More ]

“Good morning, good morning, good morning, good morning.” That’s Academy Award Winner – and multiple time nominee – Morgan Freeman getting ready to start a full-day of interviews at the Dolphin Tale press machine. And somehow, I was first on the list. Usually these studio promotional staples are done in Los Angeles, but since Freeman’s co-star, Winter – a dolphin that resides in Clearwater, Florida – Warner Bros. decided to have the cast & crew trek back over to where they wrapped filming just over a year ago; which then allowed Winter to also field questions from reporters from all over the world. The inspiring true story floats into theaters  [ Read More ]

Literally, playing. Backstage. On a make-shift basketball court. And it’s a good thing we found a sturdy stick to replace part of the hoop that was busted or none of what you’re about to read would have been published. Usually post-coverage for a major event such as the 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival will encompass a little bit of everything from the show. But in Tampa, Florida, coverage was left up to how many times a ball went through a hoop. While doing an interview with Black Tide drummer Steven Spence, my research prior to yapping with the 23 year-old revealed the guys out of Miami, Florida bring a  [ Read More ]

Now at this point in the WT journey, my professional-self was turning off for a bit and my personal interests started to take control of where I wanted to go next. Although journalism isn’t the most financially rewarding industry these days, it does come equipped with a ton of perks. It was nearly 4 p.m. and the one band that really caught my attention that I was going to see no matter who asked to do an interview – my sincere apologies to “Shut Up & Deal” – was “Black Veil Brides”. The benefits of having a press pass is that Warped Tour allows one to go right up to  [ Read More ]

The band from Hawaii was garnering attention on the Kia/Kevin Says Stage, thanks to their sound that resembles the old-school flavor of what this tour was founded upon… “We’re glad to represent that earlier era of the Warped Tour that was a blend of Ska and punk. It’s great with all the rock bands and stuff, but it’s a good idea to have other stuff mixed in.” The eclectic mix that is on 2011′s docket is also capturing the attention of other bands as both guys echoed what the majority of fans think of this year’s line-up… “We’ve been seeing so many bands, that we weren’t even aware and seeing  [ Read More ]