FIVE QUESTIONS FOR ACTRESS MANUELA THIESS GARCIA ABOUT FASCINATING ACADEMIC TOPICS

I am very happy today to welcome actress Manuela Thiess Garcia back to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. Manuela has been on the blog previously speaking about her role in CHANGES, and many other topics; the interview can be found here. In this post, we will be taking things in an entirely academic, but nevertheless, absorbing direction. Manuela will be discussing a number of fascinating topics close to her heart such as politics, existential philosophy, science, psychology, and biology.

Welcome back to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Manuela!

Athan: Politics is a subject of interest the world over, and a matter of contention in many an instance. What is it that you find most interesting about politics?

Manuela: To not be concerned about what is going on in the world politically is to not be engaged in what controls your life. I think it essential to inform ourselves about the politics around us, so that if need be, we can find a way to make our little voices count. And, if we are fortunate enough to have a public platform of one kind or another, I think it is almost criminal not to use it to influence the larger good as we see it.  For example, we live on an endangered planet. We know this, and yet, all too often, we ignore the implications of global warming to our own peril.  

Even if we have no political voice for change, we can inform ourselves about what we can do at home to lessen our impact on the planet, and we can make our voices heard on social media, to people we talk to, in the grocery store where they try to hand out plastic bags, or wherever we encounter violations against the earth. I believe we must never be silent where we can see we might affect even a tiny change.

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Athan: Existential Philosophy is always very fascinating. I remember reading the works of Friedrich Nietzsche years ago, and how transfixing these were. His work was graceful and easy to read, but filled with meaning, and pertinent at the time he wrote, and now. What is it about existential philosophy that is so compelling for you?

Manuela: What I find most compelling with regard to how I live my own life influenced by existentialism, is the notion that we are our own makers and thus, we bear responsibility for our own choices. This also acknowledges that life is absurd.  It has no meaning other than what we give it, so we must choose what is important without letting anyone dictate to us what that importance should be. 

I am not a determinist. I believe in freedom of choice and that what you choose determines who you are. Hence, while I find religion serves people well who have no idea of how to live their own lives and want some sort of guidance, I also feel that it is sad that those people willingly give their freedom over to some dogma or other because they do not understand that they can make their own choices.  

People who let others make their choices for them are fair game for politicians who exploit this weakness by praying upon their beliefs and subverting them to their own ends. Look at the MAGA evangelicals in the U.S. for an example.

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Athan: Countless books have been written on science, with many television shows and movies also rooted in this topic. Is there a specific field of science that most intrigues you, and why?

Manuela: All of science intrigues and fascinates me, but if I had it to do over, I would become a physicist.  I enjoy learning about particle physics and quantum mechanics in particular. Unfortunately, I do not have a mathematical background and scientific formulas are indecipherable to me, so of course, my understanding is only miniscule. But the very idea - the wonder of it - that we are still just beginning to understand what lies at the subatomic level or that we are able to manipulate it, is fascinating.  And the very idea that we even know the subatomic level exists at all, is an astounding validation of what the human mind is capable of. You-tube abounds with videos on science, and to me, they are like attending free university lectures, and I am grateful for them. I have to admit, I also find them more digestible than some of the books which tend to be harder to decipher.

Perhaps it is better that we had never figured out how to split the atom and invented the atomic bomb, and very probably, we will destroy ourselves with our nuclear capabilities, and yet, if our ethics, our good sense, and our morals manage to catch up to our scientific discoveries before we do destroy ourselves, the possibilities are boundless. As I understand it, the new generation of computers, for example, will utilize the discovery of particle entanglement to operate quantum computers.

I also love cosmology but I can barely wrap my head around the notion of the Big Bang. I eagerly await more news from the Webb telescope discoveries and perhaps it will lead to a unifying field theory which will finally merge relativity with quantum mechanics. 

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Athan: Psychology is another riveting subject, something that is indispensable in everyday life, relating to fellow human beings but also, for example, what set films in motion, specifically the characters, and their motivations. For you, what is the allure of psychology?

Manuela: As a young person, I had many emotional problems which manifested themselves, among other things, in alcohol and drug addiction.  That is not to say that I am emotionally sound at this stage, but I have learned to cope with my defects by getting various types of therapies over the years and by studying psychology. My undergraduate studies are in that field.  

As in any scientific area, there is always more to be discovered and psychology is an area that has many different approaches. However, scientific discovery depends on empirical observations, and it is not so easy to peer inside of the brain, but we get closer all the time thanks to high resonance imaging and the like. Still, much of psychology is speculative, and that also makes it interesting as there is still so much to be learned.    

We live in an age where many people, especially the young ones, are getting more comfortable with virtual reality than real flesh and blood relations. What that does to the human brain is just being observed. Psychology will be essential in helping people transition into real life social situations. We live in a brave new world, indeed.

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Athan: Biology is yet another engrossing field of study. Do you find the study of human biology the most interesting, or the study of living organisms such as plants and animals, or both?

Manuela: All of the sciences tie together and augment one another, do they not? Biology and chemistry are responsible for many of the life-saving medications we have come to rely on. Without the study of biology, be it plant or animal, we would not begin to understand the inter-connections of the millions of lifeforms on the planet, nor would we be able to comprehend the toll that our ignorance of these interconnections has taken. But we are beginning to understand, and now it is up to us to convince the big corporations via the politicians to save our little pale blue dot and all the people on it, from the doom that many scientists predict.

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It has been a pleasure having you again on the blog Manuela, and I thank you for elaborating on the topics of politics, existential philosophy, science, psychology, and biology. It has been a fruitful, enlightening discussion with you in every way. You are always welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Thank you so much, Athan, for allowing me to expound on my views a little in your forum, here. We all like to have our ideas heard and you give me a chance to do that. I appreciate it greatly.

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR ACTOR SEAN SCULLY ABOUT ACTING, MOVIES, FILMMAKING, AND WALT DISNEY

Today I am immensely happy to welcome a very special guest, actor Sean Scully, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. Sean has acted in many movies over the years including ALMOST ANGELS, A CITY’S CHILD, SUNDAY TOO FAR AWAY, CACTUS, HIGH ROLLING, PHOBIA, and ELIZA FRASER, to name just a few examples. In this five questions post, Sean will be discussing his entry into acting from a young age, the art of acting, film, and television production. 

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Sean!

Athan: You made your acting debut as a teenager in British movie HUNTED IN HOLLAND in 1961. Your next three pictures, THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, ALMOST ANGELS, and DR. SYN, ALIAS THE SCARECROW were produced by Walt Disney. What was the experience of making a movie for the Walt Disney Company, and did you personally meet the famous animator?

Sean: Yes, I did meet Walt Disney once on the final day of the showing, the final day, of the gathering of the people at Shepperton Studios to watch either the rough cut or the fine cut, I can’t remember which one, of THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER. He was there of course and there was a party afterwards in the restaurant. I suppose I had about five minutes with him. People seemed to be a little bit nervous of him. At one stage he was standing by himself in the middle of the room with everybody sort of surrounding him with drinks and chatting. So I just went up to him and made a comment about a film he made that I enjoyed very much, he seemed very happy with that, he seemed a fairly jolly fellow.

And I met him a second time in Vienna when we were making ALMOST ANGELS, he came to the Rosenhugel Studios. Everybody there was queuing up to get his autograph, I jumped into the queue and got his autograph. But I must admit that I just got my payslip and that was the only piece of paper I had on me, and of course there’s printing on one side, and it is blank on the other. I gave him the blank space and he was signing it on a book, and he noticed the figures and the numbers through the paper, and turned it over and had a quick look at what he was signing which I thought was pretty sharp. Signing a blank cheque in other words.

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Athan: After acting in movies from childhood, how did you find the later transition to adult roles? Was it something you found difficult, or did it occur in an organic nature for you?

Sean: Going from acting from childhood to adulthood, no I didn’t find it difficult. I mean movies don’t come along very often, you know, particularly as you’re whizzing through the years from 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, not necessarily films with that age group in it. I was doing stage work and I worked at Birmingham Rep [Birmingham Repertory Theatre], and came back to Australia at the age of seventeen. I came back to Australia because the Taxation Office called me in and said that I’d been double-taxed on my money in America. I’d done a Broadway show there called the The Girl Who Came To Supper. We had checked it out with the accountant before we left for America and he said ‘oh no you won’t be double-taxed’, well that was the worst advice ever. Mum had come back to Australia and I was there by myself and they called me in one day and said we are double-taxing you, and bring your passport in about three days’ time. So I went straight home and phoned home and said, ‘can you, you know, get me out of here’. So I came back to Australia at seventeen with that bill. Finally it wasn’t very much but it was a lot of money in those days. And the Statute of Limitations finally eased my burden some years later. 

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Athan: After a hiatus lasting several years in the 1960s you returned to movie acting in Australia with A CITY’S CHILD in 1971, followed by other films such as SUNDAY TOO FAR AWAY, ELIZA FRASER, and HIGH ROLLING. It was a time when many influential, and daring films were released by Australian directors, with many fine Australian performers showcased. What was it like being part of the renaissance of Australian cinema in the 1970s?

Sean: Look getting into the business in Australia, it just seemed, I mean it was easier to get an agent, you know I had a bit of experience and so forth. I got an agent and just went on. I never thought of it the way you put your question… it was just something that I did…if it came along great, if it didn’t, you know, I’d do something else.

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Athan: You have acted in many television series over the years, including classic shows such as Bellbird, Matlock Police, Division 4, Homicide, The Sullivans, Sons and Daughters, Neighbours, Blue Heelers, and Stingers, which are just some of the shows in your extensive filmography. What for you are the differences which stand out between filmmaking, and television production?

Sean: So the standout differences between filmmaking and television production. Television production, in my experience, is usually in a studio, and there are lots of people and lots of actors and lots of cameras, so it’s a bit fuzzy; film is very focused. There’s a two shot, there’s a one shot, there’s a wide shot, and the lighting is done to every particular shot; the lighting cameraman. It’s just a much more concentrated way of working. So that really kind of really covers that.

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Athan: In 1991 you were the recipient of the Film Critics Circle of Australia award for Best Actor for the movie PHOBIA. What was the feeling at the time at being recognized for your acting work in this manner?

Sean: And you asked about the 1991 film Critics Circle of Australia award. What was the feeling at the time at being recognized for your acting work in this manner? Oh yeah, good. I was working at the time in a play at the Ensemble Theatre in Milsons Point [Sydney], and so I was very late getting there. You know, the party had been going on all night. A number of awards had been given out to various people. I got there just in time to sort of have one drink, and say hello to a couple of actors that I knew. And having it, I guess, yeah was good, but I don’t think that you would necessarily, you know, it’s not winning an Oscar, put it that way. 

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It has been a pleasure having you on the blog Sean, and I thank you for giving readers a great insight into acting as a child performer, the art of acting, Walt Disney, the Australian cinema of the 1970s, and film and television. You are always welcome to return to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS whenever you wish.

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Sean Scully links

*Sean Scully IMDB page

*Sean Scully official website

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR SCREENWRITER DAVID SALE ABOUT HIS NOVEL'S ADAPTATION INTO A TELEMOVIE

I am very happy today to welcome back screenwriter David Sale to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. David has been on the blog previously elaborating about his screenwriting for the NUMBER 96 movie, and many other topics; the interview can be found here. In this post David will be discussing his experiences with Hollywood, documented in his book Number 96, Mavis Bramston and Me, specifically writing his first novel, Come to Mother, which was picked up by Universal Studios for the movie rights after its publication. 

Welcome back to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS David!

Athan: Before the immense success of NUMBER 96 on television, you wrote your first novel, Come to Mother, the book being quickly optioned by Universal Studios after its publication. What circumstances led you to write your first book?

David: We were just into the ’70’s. My stage revue “Lie Back and Enjoy It” was in a successful run at the Richbroke Theatre in Sydney. I had been a journalist, an actor, a satirical writer, and now a producer/director for both Television and the stage. I needed to try something different. “What should I do now?” I asked my literary agent, Peter Grose of Curtis Brown. “Write a book,” he replied. “Write a book that has nothing to do with Australia and make it a sure-fire movie property.”

I had recently read “Rosemary’s Baby” by Ira Levin and was knocked out by its thrilling originality. I knew that I wanted to equal its originality, not write some hackneyed plot about a serial killer on the loose, beautiful women being stalked and menaced, or a cliche ‘who-dunnit’. Even in those days these themes had been exploited endlessly.

Instead, I looked towards recent scientific developments - not science fiction, but the world of science fact and actual developments that prompted the question “I wonder what would happen if…..”

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Athan: Your novel had the topic of cryogenics, something which was not talked about much in the early 1970s, as its basis. How much research into the subject did you undertake in order to write about this very sensitive subject?

David: I have to confess research isn’t one of my strong points, but in the case of cryogenics it took just a couple of articles to background me in the theory. The idea of freezing someone who’d died from a fatal disease, keeping the body from deteriorating with zero temperatures and then ‘thawing it’ when a cure for the fatal disease is found and restoring the patient to healthy life, totally intrigued me. I thought: “I wonder what would happen if…the body was kept frozen for years, then restored to life looking exactly the same as when it died to find the world it knew had moved on. In other words, like “Rip Van Winkle.” In my plot, a beautiful young wife and mother with two toddler daughters is afflicted with a fatal disease. Her already-wealthy young husband has her cryogenically frozen. Sixty years later, yes, sixty! , she is returned to life, still young and beautiful, to be confronted by two elderly daughters and a senile millionaire husband. In screen casting of the era, I imagined, say, a young and beautiful Mia Farrow as the mother of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (in their “Baby Jane” images.). A bizarre situation to say the least!

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Athan: The book cover of Come to Mother featured a model barely concealing her chest, which is indeed a provocative image. How much creative input did you have into the type of cover that would be produced for your novel?

David: I had absolutely no say in what went on the cover of this or any of the other novels I wrote. In my experience, that was entirely the domain of the publisher. Athan, you obviously saw the paperback cover of “Come to Mother” which featured a naked girl (her breasts discreetly covered) encased in a block of ice, which at least was a nod to the theme of cryogenics. The hard-back cover, which of course came out first, featured - for no reason - an actual picture of a naked adult girl (again with private parts cleverly hidden) sitting cross-legged like a naughty child and ripping a doll to pieces! Don’t ask me why.

Strangely, neither of these covers raised a murmur, although they may have influenced the excellent sales.

The only controversy associated with “Come to Mother” came from one of its sub-plots which had a black guy, George, having an affair with a white woman. The publishers insisted that I turn George white, to “ensure the book’s successful distribution in South Africa.” Not being a racist, I said “To hell with that” and refused to make the change.

The dispute made the newspapers, with one memorable headline: “George turned White, David saw Red!”

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Athan: Your novel was made into an American TV movie, LIVE AGAIN, DIE AGAIN (1974) with many changes that altered the course of the story considerably. How did it feel to see your novel in such a different form from your original vision?

David: Universal’s Story Executive, Michael Ludmer, who’d been responsible for the studio buying the screen rights to “Come to Mother” invited me to visit them in Hollywood. On my next trip to London (for the publication of my second novel “The Love Bite” - I was on a roll!!), I did exactly that and did a stopover in Los Angeles. To my astonishment, I was given the full celebrity treatment - limousines to the hotel, a private escorted tour of working sets at the Universal Studios, etc. etc. I suspected this special treatment was NOT just because they’d bought my book, but by then “Number 96” had been launched and become immensely popular in Australia, its fame had spread far and wide, and there’s nothing that impresses Americans more than success. And at Universal, they’d all heard about it.

There was a negative side. Michael Ludmer confided that the great Alfred Hitchcock. then in his declining years, had shown a brief interest in my book, but that came to nothing. The property had been passed from producer to producer but all had ‘script problems.’ So, I was prepared for the worst when it eventually emerged as a “Movie of the Week” titled “Live Again, Die Again” (which to me sounded more like a James Bond movie!). It bore little resemblance to my book. Not only had they changed the title, they’d changed the plot, the characters, the location, the lot. The bizarre plot was gone. They’d shot it mainly on location at the ‘luxurious’ Harold Lloyd Estate with a cast that included Donna Mills, Vera Miles, Geraldine Paige and Walter Pigeon.

The ‘Variety’ crit summed it up: “A good, original idea turns sour in the hands of director Joseph Stefano…..” and ended: “a shocking waste of talent and a good original idea.” This, at least, gave me some justification for the disappointment I felt.

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Athan: What did you take away from this experience in hindsight?

David: It prepared me for future encounters with the fickle world of screen adaptations. When my second novel “The Love Bite” was optioned by British producer/director Douglas Hickox (“Theatre of Blood”) he also hired me to do the first draft screenplay. At least I could keep this movie faithful to my book, I thought. The option contract included a flight to London to collaborate with Douglas Hickox on this first draft screenplay, which was a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, he then went broke, sold off his option, and now the screen rights to “The Love Bite” reside with an untouchable shelf company in Switzerland! The basis for yet another interview?

At least these projects brought me sizeable amounts of money to make up for the dissatisfaction at the results. As veteran Hollywood screenwriter Casey Robinson once told me: “It’s the amount on the cheque that matters. Take that and then walk away!"

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It has been a pleasure having you again on the blog David, and I thank you for giving readers a great insight into your first novel, and the process by which it was made into a television movie. It has been a revealing, and very interesting discussion. You are always welcome to return whenever you wish.

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David Sale links

*David Sale IMDB page

*Number 96, Mavis Bramston and Me on Amazon US

*Number 96, Mavis Bramston and Me on Amazon AUSTRALIA

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR ACTOR DAVID ZOOEY HALL ABOUT I DISMEMBER MAMA

I am very happy today to welcome back actor David Zooey Hall to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for a new feature on the blog, ‘Five Questions’. David has been on the blog previously elaborating about his part as Rocky in FORTUNE AND MEN’S EYES and many other topics; the interview is here. In this post David here will be discussing his role as Albert Robertson in I DISMEMBER MAMA [my review of the film can be found here] which was an excellent interpretation of a troubled, psychopathic young man with many layers. 

Welcome back to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS David!

Athan: Your acting in I DISMEMBER MAMA, as with all your performances, was infused with a reality, and depth, that made Albert utterly compelling to watch. Despite his heinous actions, one still felt a sympathy for Albert, which is a mark of thoughtful acting. What was it that drew you to taking on this part?

David: According to Paul Leder (Director) he saw my photo in the Players Directory, contacted me and offered me the part when we met in person & I said “Ok.”

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Athan: Albert was a character involved in many heavy sequences throughout the movie which provided a thorough insight into his shattered state of mind. Which were the scenes that, for you, were the most challenging emotionally to film in I DISMEMBER MAMA?

David: There were a couple. One was having to kiss Geri Reischl, who played Annie in the film. Geri was very sweet, kind & talented. And about to receive her very first kiss in reel life as well as in real life. And was apprehensive about it. I never asked her how old she was. But I guessed she hadn’t reached the double digits yet. And all I could think of was: “Don’t screw this up for her – it’s her first kiss & all.” I have a sister I adore in real life. And have always felt protective of. That’s what the kiss was: not the character I was portraying, but me, as a person, extending a protective gesture to Geri, my sweet partner in the scene we were playing – in the form of a kiss.

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Athan: Paul Leder was the director of many feature films, ranging from comedy in MARIGOLD MAN, adventure epic APE, murder suspense in THE BABY DOLL MURDERS, and the comedic zaniness of THE WACKY ADVENTURES OF DR. BORIS AND NURSE SHIRLEY. What was it like working with Mr Leder on I DISMEMBER MAMA?

David: He was wonderful. The first day of shooting Paul was explaining to me the first shot that was about to take place. Cigarette in his right hand. All of a sudden in mid sentence he begins to tilt to the left and then his long frame suddenly hurtles across the room …  hits the wall in front of him – and crumples to the floor. He hits the wall with such force that his glasses fly from his face, and the cigarette he’s smoking flies out of his hand to the right. Then he starts groping on the floor to the right for the cigarette, which he somehow puts his right hand on. Then, with his left hand he locates his glasses. Then he somehow gathers himself up, crosses back to me on the other side of the room – and picks up the conversation we were having exactly & precisely where he left it. Then, after taking a big drag on the cigarette still smoking, he says to me: “Don’t worry about what just happened. Its just a little Vertigo that comes on from time to time. Nothin’ to worry about.” I remember thinking at this exact moment: “This is going to be interesting.”

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Athan: Have you kept in contact with any cast members or crew from I DISMEMBER MAMA?

David: Actually, I kept in touch with Paul’s wife, Etyl. She worked at a Drug store in Hollywood. And whenever I was in the area, I’d stop in & visit Etyl.

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Athan: While I DISMEMBER MAMA was serious in tone, glitches and fun moments can abound on movie sets. Was there a humorous time during filming that you remember with fondness? 

David: That would have to be my answer to question #1. Whenever I’ve thought about that first exchange with Paul Leder, the first day of shooting - it makes me smile. Glad I had the chance to work with him.

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It has been a pleasure having you again on the blog David, and I thank you for giving readers a further understanding of the complex, charismatic Albert Robertson, and, in turn, I DISMEMBER MAMA. You are always welcome to return whenever you wish.

David Zooey Hall links

*David Zooey Hall IMDB page

*I DISMEMBER MAMA IMDb movie page

*The Actor’s Sanctuary homepage