ED- The Eerie Digest is very pleased to introduce producer/writer Jeff Bonilla to all of our readers. Jeff, you originally started as a police officer. Can you tell us how you transitioned into the entertainment industry?

JB- I’d always had an interest in the entertainment industry even as a kid. I remember watching commercials and thinking that guy or girl was really good etc., and then a year later seeing the guy from the commercial on a TV show or movie and thinking “wow I was right”. This happened a couple of times. Kind of silly that a little kid would be checking out actors on commercials. Guess I should have been an agent or casting director now that I think about it.

ED – That is funny. Are any of those actors anyone we would know?

JB – Actually yeah. JoBeth Williams and Ted Danson are two that I remember. Also Kate Vernon.

ED – You co-authored a critically acclaimed book about your days as a police officer called “So You Want To Be A Cop.” Was that the impetus for your writing career in Hollywood?

JB- Well the book was really born out of necessity and frustration. Frank Pickens (co-author) and I were parked side by side in our patrol cars one night having a discussion on the craziness of police work and how it would have been great if we had prior knowledge of what were really getting ourselves into by becoming cops. That was how we hit upon the idea for the book since there really wasn’t anything like it out there. There was information on taking the tests to become a cop but nothing that really revealed the inner workings of becoming a cop, and what to expect from a career standpoint. Anyway, Frank was a closet writer and journalism major and I was somewhat of a writer. Mostly songwriting at that point, but I knew the book was something that had to be done. It really lit a fire under us creatively. It received great reviews from the law enforcement community across the country and to this day is still viable for anyone interested in entering the law enforcement field.

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ED- The Eerie Digest is extremely excited to present one of the most exciting European actors of our time, Branko Tomovic. Branko, you have appeared in some of today’s most popular movies. How did you originally get started in films?

BT- It all started with David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” – I remember seeing this film as a child and was absolutely amazed by it. I was probably way too young to be seeing such a disturbing film but that is a different story. I was stunned by the actors’ performances and Lynch’s vision, and ever since I knew that I wanted to work in film. It was some sort of powerful and overwhelming feeling cause I had never seen anything like it.

When I finished school I read an article about the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in a film magazine. I applied for it and got accepted. But first I had to earn some money before I could go to New York. After a little while I arrived in NYC with my two suitcases, having never been on an airplane before. I had two weeks time before the school started to find a housing, so I spent the first three weeks in a rundown hotel in the meatpacking district with a mix of other students, hookers and Japanese tourists. The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute is still located in the same building where Marilyn Monroe and James Dean went to in the 50’s and later Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in the 70’s. All my teachers were still personally taught by Lee Strasberg himself. Lee Strasberg is known for “The Method” which basically means that you have to take everything from your own personal life, your thoughts and your emotions, to create a certain character, only then can you achieve a lifelike and truthful performance. At the end of the day every actor has to choose for himself what technique he wants to use or how he wants to approach a character but I like The Method very much cause I want the character to come alive and feel real and authentic, that is the most important thing in a performance.

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ED- The Eerie Digest is always happy to get behind the scenes in one of our reader’s favorite film genre- Zombies. We like to introduce someone that has made that all possible, Writer/ Director/ and Producer Gary Ugarek. Gary you have your hands in every part of your films, including composing the music for them. Tell us about this aspect of your work and what got you started in your musical compositions.

GU- Wow… Ummm, My father is a musician, not by trade, but by hobby, and I found a huge fondness for music during my very formative years. I was so enthralled by the disco music scene, funk, and rock, that I hounded my parents to let me take piano lessons. Now not being one for patience that didn’t last too long because I wanted to move faster than the teacher wanted to move so I just picked it up on my own after learning the basics and began buying sheet music to songs I liked and kept practicing them until I had them down cold. However, it was and will always be the disco craze of the 70’s that really got me pumped into music, and of course who can deny the 80’s synth music movement… a lot of which I reference quite a bit in the musical scores I piece together and write for the film. Composing for the films is probably my third favorite part of the process. I enjoy directing, editing, then composing… writing is dead last. Anyway, once I have the footage shot I actually write temp tracks to cut the scenes too. In Hollywood most films are scored after the fact, but I actually write a lot of the music first, cut the footage to the music, then co-composer Brian Wright and I get together to finish it off. 90% of the time the music written is just polished and mixed and finalized to the movie, but a few times we have replaced tracks altogether. Sometimes what originally worked in post doesn’t work in a screening atmosphere.

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ED- The Eerie Digest is pleased to present actress Courtney Zito to all of our readers. Courtney, you originally had your roots in music. Can you tell our readers about this aspect of your life and where you trained?

CZ- Let me start by saying my birth announcement was “A Star is born” which I always thought was very funny. I literally came out of the womb singing and dancing. I used to walk around at age 2 singing “Tomorrow” from Annie, and by age 3, I was in my first pair of tap shoes. Music was the foundation for everything I am today as a performer. I started studying Opera in High School, and all of my time from then on was spent on stage singing in musicals, dancing and taking vocal lessons. After High School, I went to college at The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam in Potsdam, NY. I must admit that what I wanted to do after high school, was pack my bags and head to New York City to make it on Broadway, but my parents had other plans for me. While at Crane, I studied with amazing vocal coaches such as Carleen Graham, Carl Johengen and Robert Loewen, but as I went through my studies I realized that Opera was not for me. I enjoyed it greatly, but I always had dreams of stardom on Broadway, and in Film & Television. I am grateful to have had opportunity to learn about the greatest composers of our time and sing the likes of Mozart, and Puccini. Music has and will always play a very important role in my life. I like to think that my life has a soundtrack. Whether I am singing it or listening to it. I simply cannot function without a daily dose of music!

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ED- The Eerie Digest believes that every career starts by making the first serious steps towards it. This is true of actress Julie Manriquez who we would like to present to our readers. Julie, tell us about your hopes and dreams for this career.

JM- My dreams is to have the opportunity to achieve personal success.

I would like to be able to work with some of the most creative and talented people in the entertainment industry and to contribute my talents and abilities to that end. To make my mark on the industry and to be a part of productions that will be memorable and viewed as innovative and high quality bodies of work.

ED- What enticed you to start down this road?

JM- As a young child I dreamed of one day becoming an actor but I never pursued it because my parents did not like the idea of Hollywood and the acting scene. When I reached my early 20’s I still considered pursuing my dream of one day becoming an actor but felt like I had no connections and knew nothing about the business. But this changed in 2008 when actor coach/producer/writer/director and friend Steven G. Lowe asked me if I would ever consider being an actor. I felt like this was a sign; like this was exactly what I needed, a good friend who I trust (Steven), who could give me sound advise, confirmation that I have the ability and coaching to help me develop my skills. I felt like it was time to pursue my childhood dream. (more…)

Photo credit: Neerav "Adam" Verma http://ishoot.us

ED- The Eerie Digest is proud to present actress Karina Colón to all our readers. What was your inspiration in making your career in the entertainment industry and how did you get started?

KC- My inspiration was other people! I was a middle child born right with my brother. My parents always wanted a boy so once he was born, haha, I was pretty much flung to the side. I learned that when I acted a little “out there” I would get laughs and attention, so I did! I also grew up in a highly stressed, highly tense house hold and I quickly learned how to diffuse anger and tension with comedy! So I started getting good at cracking jokes or making people laugh at my expense. It’s a habit I still haven’t shaken off! In fact, just about everyone I know closely calls me “loca.” A name I wear it proudly…My first acting role model was Charlie Chaplin! When I did a play in Kindergarten (I was clown number three), I surprised the teacher and crowd by throwing in a prat fall at the last minute! They were in stitches…and I was bit! Unfortunately, the arts were not something my father approved of at all and our household was a very strict, very traditional, and very patriarchal (did I mention strict?) house hold so there was no questioning or refuting. I studied sciences and math like was expected of me but I wasn’t fulfilled. In college, I was premed and I began to sneak off to auditions. I had no clue what I was doing and I probably spun around and walked out on at least five or so open-calls. I went in with a fake resume and photo when I got hip to the fact that that I needed one! When I told my parents I didn’t want to go to medical school- uhm, a lot of that conversation is blocked out. Thank God. But I do remember the phrases “disappointment to us all,” and “what am I gonna tell my friends.” Needless to say, that didn’t go over so smoothly. Haha! I left to LA alone so that I can be in a more supportive environment (by that I mean, to myself)and I got the opportunity to work with a lot of wonderful and creative people such as Doug Hutchison of The Green Mile! I enrolled at many great studios and many crappy ones. It was all trial and error for me. No one in my family or friends was in the entertainment industry so it was something like how a Martian must feel trying to learn how to live on Earth. 🙂

ED- We learned that you were in several productions of the daytime soap opera ‘Days of Our Lives’. Please tell us about the show and the role that you played.

KC- There’s really nothing much to say since it was a common case of art imitating life. I was a bartender in NYC. For a couple of uneasy but necessary years.

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ED- The Eerie Digest is very pleased to introduce filmmaker James Sharpe to our readers. James, please tell us how you first started in cinema and what inspired you to do so.

JS- when i was 8 my father bought me a bolex 8mm camera and projector so i got into it then when i went to the ABC cinema to watch the first superman movie.

ED- Tell us about your earliest experiences with film.

JS- I was trying to make films with the neighbours but they wouldnt because they were too embarassed so i used my spiderman and superman figures and pretended they were going to fight, in my swimming pool

ED- Please describe the films that you have been involved in.

JS- I have made several shorts about 10 of my own and helped on about 10 others and am now making my latest feature film called Temporary Spirits. My films ‘Halfway to Heaven’ and ‘Saving James’ are being released on dvd and i tunes very soon (more…)

ED- The Eerie Digest would like to present a young actor and bodybuilder, who is starting out in films. His name is Dewet Du Toit, and he is taking a shot at Stephen Sommers’ new flick, ‘Tarzan’. Dewet, Tell us about you aspirations for this new film.

DDT- Well I’ve read the Tarzan comics since childhood and watched the numerous movies starring Johnny Weissmuller, which was good back then, as well as the more recent Tarzan presentations, but always wondered whether there could be someone who could portray a more serious side of Tarzan in a better way while still staying true to the character, and then after a while, I think it was during my high school years, I thought…why not myself as the new Tarzan!

ED- Dewet, you are from South Africa and have trained as a bodybuilder for a long time. Tell us about your training and how you got in shape for this film role.

DDT- I am a highly self motivated bodybuilder and I like to change and try new styles of training, not only hardcore gym training, but also outside training like axing, canoeing, swimming in rivers, mountain climbing, boxing bag and swinging on ropes through trees out in the jungle! For the tough stuff I’m taking ice cold showers in the bush, for the past year, during winter and summer, come hell or high water. As far as my diet is concerned, I’m cooking my food and meat over an open fire on our farm deep in the mountains. For everything else, my food intake consists out of high proteins and low fat. To look like Tarzan you gotta live like Tarzan! (more…)

ED- The Eerie Digest is pleased to present Norwegian film producer Reinert Kiil to our readers. Reinert, You recently produced the Comedy-Horror film ‘Hora’. Please tell our readers the theme behind this production.

RK- the Main ide that many people haven’t understand with Hora was that I wanted to make a slow sleazy 70 flick in the same way they did it back in the 70. Not to pump it up for our generation. Just that you feel it kud be made in the 70… I feel that the only persons who actually see that are the once that have gaven me feedback on the film that I like in bout a good ore a bad way.

ED- Tell us about the cast, and the characters that they play.

RK- Isabel Vibe is the main star. She plays Rikke in the first part of the film that we called the rape part. Rikke is in the beginning of 30. Shes a city girl with attitude and openes. Shes a writer and comes from grunnerløkka in Oslo. A place where people in Norway are more open to everything. She visit here dead mothers house in the country side. A redneck city called Dokka. Here two sisters have already gone to Dokka and what Rikke doesent know is that they already got raped and is dead somewhere in the woods. Then we have the 3 locals. The retardet man (Gaute Næsheim), American psycho kind of guy (Kenneth Falkenberg) and the bully (Eik Ommedal). They all have fun with Rikke in a way she never expected. And then we are of to the next chapter. The Revenge part. Rikke is becoming the whore after the gruesome rape. And is seeking revenge on the 3 guyes.

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ED- We are very happy today to Introduce British Writer/Filmmaker Stuart Dorrance. Stuart, Please tell our readers how you got your start in Filmmaking.

SD- Well I have written lots of comedy over the years, but was finding it quite difficult to get my ideas across to the right people so I took the decision to start filming my projects independently. This was great because it allowed me to film exactly what I wanted and it also gave me the opportunity to bring my characters and ideas to life.

ED- Stuart, You have a number of productions in the works at the present. Please tell us all about ‘Alison & Me’.

SD- Alison & Me is a comedy documentary about a man called Tony who falls in love with a coat hanger. He is also a member of The National Federation of Plastic Yogurt Top Collectors, but when they get to hear about his newfound love it leaves them in complete turmoil… sorry Joseph but you did ask.

ED- You also have the comedy/documentary ‘Frank Ledbetter’. What is this about?

SD- Frank Ledbetter is about the greatest rock star the world has ever known, well that’s what Frank thinks anyway. He lives at home with his mum and gigs every Sunday at his local bingo hall (the blue rinse brigade love him). It is filmed as a real life fly on the wall documentary and gives people an insight into his life as it follows him on his amazing journey (who knows where he will end up).

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