There is only one word that can accurately describe actor/producer Bruce Campbell … groovy!

Campbell has appeared in numerous film projects including Crimewave, Maniac Cop, Mindwarp, The Hudsucker Proxy, Congo, Fargo, Escape from L.A., McHale’s Navy, The Love Bug, The Majestic, the Spider-Man series, Bubba Ho-tep, Serving Sara, The Ladykillers, Sky High, My Name is Bruce, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Cars 2, and most recently Oz the Great and Powerful. Not to mention the actor has also starred on several popular TV series including The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., Xena: Warrior Princess, and the long running USA spy series Burn Notice, which is now going into its seventh season. 

But without a doubt, Campbell is best known by fans for his film first role as Ashley J. “Ash” Williams in director Sam Raimi’s groundbreaking horror classic The Evil Dead, as well as its two sequels Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn, and Army of Darkness, which he also produced along with Raimi and Robert Tapert. Now, with rumors of a possible sequel to Army of Darkness on the horizon, the trio has returned to produce Evil Dead, which is a remake of the classic film and opens in theaters on April 5th. 

The new movie is a straight horror remake of the original and does not include any of the comedic or fantasy elements of the later series. It was directed by Fede Alvarez and based on a script by himself, Rodo Sayagues, and Oscar-winner Diablo Cody (Juno). The new film centers on five friends that head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods. The evil presence possesses them until only one is left to fight for survival. The cast includes Jane Levy (Nobody Walks), Shiloh Fernandez (Skateland), Lou Taylor Pucci (Beginners), Jessica Lucas (Cloverfield), and newcomer Elizabeth Blackmore. 

Last weekend at WonderCon in Anaheim, California, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with actor/producer and all-around groovy guy Bruce Campbell to talk about his role as a producer on Evil Dead, as well as the rumored sequel to Army of Darkness. The fan-favorite actor discussed the new movie, why they wanted to produce a remake, the decision to make it a straight horror film and not include any comedic or fantasy elements, Campbell, Raimi and Tapert’s role as producers on the film, if it should be considered a continuation of the original franchise or it’s own stand-alone series, Campbell’s possible end credit cameo, Diablo Cody’s contributions to the script, as well as Army of Darkness 2, why he’s skeptical that it will ever get made, whether or not the film will be a continuation of the director’s cut or the theatrical ending, if he is excited to reprise his role as Ash, and if he’s pleased in the renewed interest in The Evil Dead franchise. 

Dylan McDermott has a career that most actors would kill for having appeared on several successful television series and films over the better part of the last twenty-five years.

The actor first gained notoriety for appearing in such popular movies as In the Line of Fire with Clint Eastwood, Steel Magnolias opposite Julia Roberts, and Home for the Holidays directed by Jodi Foster. But it was his role as Bobby Donnell on the long-running series The Practice that made him a household name. Recently he has appeared in a string of successful films including The Campaign, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, not to mention the hit television series American Horror Story: Murder House, and it’s follow up season American Horror Story: Asylum. Now, McDermott can be seen once again on the big screen playing a pivotal role in the new action film Olympus Has Fallen, which is currently playing in theaters. 

The new movie, which was directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), can best be described as “Die Hard in the White House.” The film centers on disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning (Gerrard Butler) who finds himself trapped inside the White House in the wake of a terrorist attack. Using his inside knowledge, Banning works with the head of the secret service (Angela Bassett) and the Speaker of the House (Morgan Freeman) to rescue the President (Aaron Eckhart) from his kidnappers. McDermott plays Dave Forbes, a former Secret Service agent now working in the private sector guarding the prime minister of South Korea who may not be as patriotic as he seems. 

ATTENTION: SPOILERS AHEAD!!! So if you haven’t seen the film yet and you plan to, you may want to be careful reading the rest of this article.

I recently had a chance to sit down with Dylan McDermott to talk about his work on Olympus Has Fallen, as well as his overall career.  The veteran actor discussed the new movie; it’s similarities to Die Hard, why he wanted to be in the film, its amazing cast of actors, the incredible set, training with the Secret Service for In the Line of Fire, working with Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart, why America likes their President to be a hero, collaborating with director Antoine Fuqua, his character’s ambiguity, how the film touches on real life issues, and which projects in his impressive career he is personally proud of the most. 

This Friday, March 29th, another Stephenie Meyer novel is coming to the screen, but this one involves no sparkly vampires or shirtless werewolves.  An adaptation of Meyer's 2008 bestseller, The Host leaves behind the supernatural trappings of the Twilight franchise, capturing instead the author's first science fiction tale.

The Host takes place in the future, after an invasion by incorporeal body-snatching extraterrestrials known as "Souls."  These parasitic creatures have taken over the minds of almost every person on Earth, creating a homogenized worldwide culture. But small pockets of humanity remain uninfected, acting as a resistance force against the invaders. 

When Melanie Stryder, one of the few humans left, is captured by the Souls, she's infected with an all-star Soul in order to locate and snuff out the resistance.  This Soul, known alternately as The Wanderer and Wanda, is overwhelmed by the will and emotions of Melanie, however, and soon finds itself empathizing with its host, seeking out Stryder's loved ones in order to connect with them rather than destroy them.

Saoirse Ronan (Hanna, The Lovely Bones, Atonement) stars as Melanie Stryder, with Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds, National Treasure) as the villain, a determined, authoritarian Soul known only as The Seeker.  Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, Lord of War, In Time), meanwhile, serves as both writer and director of this new adaptation.

At the Los Angeles press day for The Host, IAR was on hand to sit down with the trio for a series of roundtable interviews.  Andrew Niccol, Saorise Ronan, and Diane Kruger all enthusiastically discussed adapting the source material, collaborating with Meyer, casting, the difficulties of a hero with such internal conflict, bringing the novel's characters to the screen, and the possibility returning for a sequel.

Can you smell what The Rock is cooking? Hollywood sure can!

Over the last few years, the WWE wrestler-turned-actor and major box office draw, now known simply as Dwayne Johnson, has made a career of joining sequels that need a little help invigorating their franchises. It began with Fast Five, the fifth installment of The Fast and the Furious series, which went on to be the most successful film in the franchise so far. He also breathed life into Journey 2: Mystery Island, which was the sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth. The actor will soon be seen in Fast & Furious 6, the follow up to Fast Five that opens in theaters on May 24th, as well as Journey 3: From the Earth to the Moon, which will be in theaters next year. But first, Johnson is saving yet another franchise with his turn as the beloved G.I. Joe character Roadblock in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which is the sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and will open in theaters on March 28th.

While the first film, which is of course based on the popular Hasbro line of toys, comic books and cartoon series, was a box office hit earning over $300 million world wide, it failed to score with critics and longtime fans of the property. Now with Johnson on board as well as action legend Bruce Willis (A Good Day to Die Hard), the Joes are back with a more action orientated film than its predecessor, which was criticized for having too many comedic elements. G.I. Joe: Retaliation is directed by Jon M. Chu (Justin Bieber: Never Say Never), and revolves around the Joes being framed as traitors by Zartan (Arnold Vosloo), who is still posing as the President of the United States (Jonathan Pryce) in the aftermath of the first film. Cobra Commander eventually escapes from prison and takes all the world leaders under control, aiming their advanced warheads at innocent countries around the world. It is now up to the few Joes left, which include Roadblock, Snake-Eyes (Ray Park), Flint (D.J. Cotrona), Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), Jinx (Elodie Yung), and General Joseph Colton (Willis) – the man the team is named after – to stop Cobra Commander and Zartan, who are being aided by Storm Shadow (Lee Byung-Hun) and Firefly (Ray Stevenson), before it is too late.

I recently had a chance to sit down with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, along with a few other members of the press, at a roundtable discussion to talk about his work on G.I. Joe: Retaliation, as well as his April 7th match with John Cena at WrestleMania 29, Fast & Furious 6, and possibly appearing in The Expendables 3. The extremely popular actor discussed his new film, how he has become the film franchise savior, preparing physically for his role, being a fan of G.I. Joe as a kid, what he wanted to incorporate and also not use from Roadblock’s mythology, working with the cast, teaming up with fellow action superstar Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum’s resemblance to his wrestling archenemy John Cena, returning to the WWE for WrestleMania 29, how he is preparing for his fight with Cena, Fast & Furious 6, whether or not Eva Mendes will appear in the film, if the rumors are true that Jason Statham will have a cameo in the end credit scene, and if he is open to joining the cast of The Expendables 3.

There is no doubt about it, we are definitely in the modern age of the comic book movie, and we really have one man to thank for that … David S. Goyer.

In my opinion, 1998’s Blade is the film that really ushered in the modern era of the comic book movie and made super hero films a viable commodity in Hollywood for the last fifteen years. In fact, Goyer’s script is still to this day used as the template for most super hero and comic book adapted movies, and the film also proved to the world that there is an audience for movies based on even the most obscure comic book character. Since penning Blade, Goyer has gone on to write such comic book based films as Blade II, Blade: Trinity (which he also directed), and Batman Begins. Not only did he help director Christopher Nolan reinvent one of the most beloved super heroes of all time, but he also developed the stories for The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, and even Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. 

Now the screenwriter has taken on one of his greatest challenges yet, rebooting the holy grail of comic book super heroes with this summer’s Man of Steel, which will reintroduce the modern world to Superman and opens in theaters on June 14th. The highly anticipated new film was produced by Christopher Nolan, and based on a story he developed with Goyer, who wrote the screenplay. Visionary director Zack Snyder (Watchmen) helmed the movie, which features an all-star cast including Henry Cavill (Immortals) as Clark Kent/Superman, Academy Award-nominees Amy Adams (The Fighter) as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne (What’s Love Got to Do With It) as Perry White, Diane Lane (Unfaithful) as Martha Kent, and Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) as General Zod, as well as Emmy Award-winner Richard Schiff (TV’s The West Wing) as Dr. Emil Hamilton, and Academy Award-winners Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves) as Jonathan Kent, and Russell Crowe (Gladiator) as Jor-El.

I recently had a chance to sit down with screenwriter David S. Goyer, who is also known for penning the Justice Society of America based comic JSA for DC comics, to talk about his new Starz series Da Vinci’s Demons. While we will run my video interview with Goyer about the new series closer to its April 12th premiere date, I wanted to let you know now what he had to say about Man of Steel, as well as his work on Godzilla, and The Invisible Man. The busy screenwriter discussed the upcoming reboot, his concept for Man of Steel, how his previous comic book work helped prepare him for writing the film, collaborating with director Zack Snyder, his first reaction to seeing Henry Cavill on set in the iconic Superman costume, whether or not Lex Luthor appears in the film, if the rumors are true that the Jimmy Olsen character is now female, casting Laurence Fishburne as the first African American Perry White, not planning a trilogy, which DC Comics characters he would like to see in the sequel, as well as exactly what his contributions were to the Godzilla script, the current status of The Invisible Man, and a look back at the legacy of Blade.

Scheduled to open in theaters on May 24th is the new 3D computer animated fantasy-adventure Epic from director Chris Wedge (Ice Age). The film is loosely based on author William Joyce’s (Rise of the Guardians) children’s novel The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, and features the voice talents of Colin Farrell (Total Recall), Amanda Seyfried (Les Miserables), Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games), Beyonce Knowles (Dreams Girls) and two-time Oscar-winner Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained) among others. 

The film follows the story of a teenage girl named Mary Katherine (Seyfried) who is miniaturized and transported to a deep forest where a battle between the Leafmen and the Boggans is taking place. The Leafmen are a group of tiny heroes who are led by Ronin (Farrell), along with his sidekick Nod (Hutcherson), and serve Queen Tara (Knowles), the Queen of the forest. The leader of the Boggans, Mandrake (Waltz), will stop at nothing to take away the Queen’s power and destroy the forest and their way of life. In addition to Seyfried, Farrell, Hutcherson, Knowles, and Waltz, the film also features the voice talents of Jason Sudeikis (Horrible Bosses), Aziz Ansari (30 Minutes or Less), Chris O’Dowd (This Is 40), Judah Friedlander (TV’s 30 Rock), and musicians Steven Tyler, and Pitbull. 

I was recently invited to the 20th Century Fox lot in Los Angeles to have an advanced look at scenes from the film, as well as the new 3D trailer, which is currently available online, and speak with filmmaker Chris Wedge. 

Opening in theaters on March 22nd is the new comedy Admission starring Tina Fey (Date Night) and Paul Rudd (This Is 40). The film, which is based on the book of the same name by Jean Hanff Korelitz, was directed by Paul Weitz (About A Boy), and written by Karen Croner (One True Thing).

In the movie, Fey plays Portia Nathan, a Princeton admissions officer up for a major promotion who takes a professional risk after she meets a college-bound alternative school kid named Jeremiah (Nat Wolff), who just might be the son she gave up years ago in a secret adoption. Rudd plays John Pressman, the Jeremiah’s high school teacher who ends up falling for Portia and encourages her to help Jeremiah get into Princeton despite his low grades. Admission also boasts an excellent supporting cast of actors including Michael Sheen (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2), Gloria Reuben (Lincoln), Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride), and comedy legend Lily Tomlin (I Heart Huckabees) as Portia’s estranged mother. 

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with screenwriter Karen Croner about her work on Admission. The talented scribe discussed her new film, adapting the novel into a screenplay, why she wanted to write a comedy, wanting the actors to improvise on set, writing for Tina Fey, collaborating with director Paul Weitz, and working with comedy legends Lily Tomlin and Wallace Shawn. 

Olympus Has Fallen remedies a longstanding action movie omission. 

In the decades since Die Hard, audiences have been treated to seemingly every possible "Die Hard in a novel setting" film, from hockey rinks to Air Force One.  While the President's airborne ride has been hijacked onscreen before, somehow the White House has managed to evade cinematic siege.

That changes this Friday, March 22nd, when Olympus Has Fallen bringing thunderous action to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  Gerard Butler (300) stars in the film as Mike Banning, a Secret Service agent who has resigned himself to a desk job after disappointing President Benjamin Asher, played by Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight).  When a highly coordinated attack by a team of North Korean terrorists places the White House under their control and results in the President, Vice President, and Secretary of State being taken hostage, Banning is the only man who can save the day from the inside.

While Banning beats his way through bad guys, Speaker of the House Trumbull, played by Morgan Freeman (Driving Miss Daisy), must take the reins of the nation and lead it through a struggle that brings the entire world to edge of annihilation.

Butler and Freeman – who lead an all-star cast that also boasts Eckhart, Angela Bassett (Malcolm X), Rick Yune (Die Another Day), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Robert Forster (Jackie Brown), Dylan McDermott (The Campaign), Cole Hauser (Good Will Hunting), and Radha Mitchell  (Pitch Black) – were on hand for the Los Angeles press day promoting Olympus Has Fallen, as was IAR Managing Editor Jami Philbrick, along with several other members of the press. The two actors enthusiastically discussed explosions, presidential acting, humidity, researching roles, the ensemble cast, and expressing character through action.

Winning an Oscar can afford an actor or actress the opportunity to take on roles and work in projects that they would never have been offered otherwise. That is certainly the case with Academy Award-winner Melissa Leo. 

The actress, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in The Fighter, had previously only appeared in dramatic and independent films such as 21 Grams, Frozen River (which also earned her an Academy Award-nomination), Don McKay, Welcome to the Rileys, and The Space Between, as well as the HBO series Treme. But since winning an Academy Award she has appeared in higher profile movies like the Kevin Smith directed horror film Red State, as well as director Robert Zemeckis’ Flight with Denzel Washington. She now has not one but two big genre films releasing just a few weeks apart from each other, including the sci-fi film Oblivion starring Tom Cruise, which opens on April 12th and was directed by Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy). But first, Leo can be seen in the new action movie Olympus Has Fallen, which features an all-star cast that includes Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Angela Bassett, Morgan Freeman, and Ashley Judd, and opens in theaters on March 22nd. 

The new movie, which was directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), can best be described as “Die Hard in the White House.” The film centers on disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning (Butler) who finds himself trapped inside the White House in the wake of a terrorist attack. Using his inside knowledge, Banning works with the head of the secret service (Bassett) and the Speaker of the House (Freeman) to rescue the President (Eckhart) from his kidnappers. Leo plays Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan who is also being held hostage along with the President. 

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Melissa Leo about her work on Olympus Has Fallen, as well as Oblivion. The Oscar-winning actress discussed her new movie, why she wanted to be a part of it, audiences’ attraction to “Die Hard-type” films, whether or not she actually got to meet Gerard Butler while making the movie, if she modeled her role after former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, why Aaron Eckhart makes such a good cinematic President, working with Antonie Fuqua on set, and what sci-fi fans can from the upcoming Oblivion.