2020s

September 23, 2022

The Flashback Interview: Adrienne Barbeau

Johnny Caps 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s, Adrienne Barbeau, Argo, convention, Conventions, Creepshow, Grease, Maude, Murder She Wrote, Pippin 5

Hello, everybody. It’s been a while since I last put up an article on here, but I wanted to share a new interview with all of you. I recently had the great pleasure of doing a brief e-mail interview with Adrienne Barbeau. It’s a brief one because Ms. Barbeau is in the middle of several new projects, but she did take the time to answer a few of my questions about her work from the 70s to today. I hope you all enjoy reading this interview. Say hello to Adrienne Barbeau! Johnny: You played Rizzo in the original Broadway production of Grease, and have co-written a book about that production. Whether as a stage show or a movie, Grease has had a tremendous amount of staying power. Why do you think that is? Adrienne: I think Grease continues to entertain audiences because it’s universal in its appeal. Every one of us recognizes our high school self in one of those characters onstage. And we laugh and cry right along

June 15, 2022

Chiller Theatre April 2022: Johnny Caps Recaps

Johnny Caps 2020s, Amy Steel, Apache Ramos, Chiller, Chiller Theatre, Claudia Wells, convention, Conventions, Debbie D, Deborah Dutch, Deborah Foreman, Deborah Goodrich, Diane Salinger, Geri Reischl, Heather Thomas, Kelly Packard, Lea Thompson, Lisa Whelchel, Maia Brewton, Melissa Gilbert, Michael Nouri, Mindy Cohn, Patty Mullen, Russ Tamblyn, Scott Schwartz, Tim Blaney, Timothy Busfield, Zandor Vorkov 4

The most recent installment of the Chiller Theatre convention happened this past April of 2022, and I was lucky enough to attend the show for two days. I always enjoy attending Chiller, and of the three April Chillers I’ve attended so far, the 2022 show has been my best so far. All the stars I met were friendly, and as I’ve been very active as a participant and moderator on the Chiller Theatre Fans Facebook group, a lot of people recognized me. Join me now as I recap Chiller of April 2022. The first star I met was Claudia Wells, the original Jennifer Parker in the first Back To The Future. Claudia was so incredibly friendly when I met her. Ms. Wells was actually one of the first people I made friends with on Facebook, and I had the chance to thank her for that friendship in person. I hope to be able to land an interview with her someday. I actually did reach out to her back in the

May 16, 2022

The Flashback Interview: Michele Burke

Johnny Caps 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s, Academy Awards, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Carslan, Glossip, Interview With The Vampire, Michele Burke, Oscars, Quest For Fire, Terror Train, The Cell, There Be Dragons 2

The interview you’re about to read will mark my 200th article for Pop Geeks, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the occasion. Michele Burke is an acclaimed and accomplished makeup artist who has won multiple awards for her work, including two Academy Awards for, respectively, Quest For Fire and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. With a career spanning decades and continents, I knew Ms. Burke would be a fascinating interview subject, so I reached out to her via her website and she agreed to speak to me. This is the end result, and I hope you all enjoy reading it. Say hello to Michele Burke! Johnny: You were born in Ireland, and grew up there in a family of 10. As one can often draw inspiration for their future from their family, did you have any family members with connections to the entertainment industry? Michele: No, absolutely not. I was the only one. Johnny: Alright. To go to my next question, after some time working on

May 13, 2022

Pop Geeks Interviews Valerie Perrine And Stacey Souther

Johnny Caps 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s, Can't Stop The Music, convention, Conventions, Lenny, Slaughterhouse-Five, Stacey Souther, Steambath, superman, Superman II, The Border, Valerie, Valerie Perrine, water 2

I was an early crowdfunder for the documentary Valerie, a film about Oscar-nominated actress Valerie Perrine that was directed by her good friend, Stacey Souther. The film is a touching piece about Valerie’s journey from Vegas showgirl to acclaimed actress, as well as her current health issues. I recently reached out to Mr. Souther about the possibility of having him and Valerie answer some questions about the documentary, and through e-mail, the both of them did. Before you purchase Valerie, here are some stories from both Mr. Souther and Ms. Perrine about what went into the documentary, as well as memorable stories from the both of them. We start off with my questions for Stacey. ————- Johnny: How did you decide that Valerie’s story could be a documentary? Stacey: Valerie has lead the most fascinating life. It reads like a novel. She was raised in Japan after WWII, She was a showgirl in Vegas during it’s golden era and a movie star in 1970’s Hollywood during the last decade of

April 14, 2022

The Flashback Interview: Katharine Kramer, Take 2

Johnny Caps 1990s, 2010s, 2020s, Fate's Shadow, Films That Change The World, Kat Kramer, Kat Kramer Comedy, Katharine Kramer, Mother's Day Memories, Turnover 1

I first interviewed Katharine “Kat” Kramer back in 2016. The interview was a big success, and she liked my lines of questioning. A few months back, she contacted me to compliment me on my 2021 interview with Ve Neill. Katharine also mentioned that she was venturing into stand-up comedy, and was interested in possibly doing a second interview. It took me a few months to get back to her, but I had the pleasure of interviewing Katharine for the second time recently, and I hope you’ll all enjoy hearing of her more recent projects and advocacies. Say hello again to Katharine Kramer! Katharine: Hello. Johnny: Hi, Kat. Johnny Caps here. Katharine: Hi, Johnny. How are you? We haven’t talked in ages. It’s great to hear from you. Johnny: It’s good to hear you as well. I hope you’re doing well. Katharine: Well, I’m glad we were able to do this today. It worked out perfectly at this time. Johnny: Well, let’s start. What led you to give stand-up comedy

March 30, 2022

The Flashback Interview: Barney Burman

Johnny Caps 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s, Academy Awards, Barney Burman, Body Snatchers, Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dawn Of The Dead, Fright Night Part II, From A Whisper To A Scream, galaxy quest, grimm, House, In Search Of Dr. Seuss, Mission: Impossible 3, Oscars, Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl, Star Trek 2009, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, The Cannibals', the ring, Wild Boar, zombieland 4

The gentleman in the beret in this article’s cover photo is my newest interview subject, Barney Burman. Barney has been active as a makeup artist for almost four decades now. Coming from a family of makeup artists, Barney started as a teenager, and isn’t showing any signs of stopping. That’s fantastic as he’s a versatile designer who has worked on all sorts of amazing projects, most notably 2009’s Star Trek, which won him a Best Makeup And Hairstyling Oscar, which he shared with Mindy Hall, who’s next to him in the cover photo, and Joel Harlow. A few weeks back, Barney was kind enough to agree to an interview with me. I hope you all enjoy getting to know more about this talented creator and his work. Say hello to Barney Burman! Johnny: Was working in film something you’d always wanted to do, or did you initially have a different career goal in mind growing up? Barney: I always imagined myself working in films in one capacity or another. I

March 29, 2022

The Flashback Interview: Charlotte Helmkamp-Kemp

Johnny Caps 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s, Centerfolds, Charlotte Helmkamp-Kemp, convention, Conventions, Fashion, For My Eyes Only, Frankenhooker, Glamourcon, model, Modeling, Playboy, Posed For Murder, Repossessed, The Hollywood Show, The Mansion: Playmate's Hell, The Playboy Running Team 2

Over the course of my time so far at Pop Geeks, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing quite a few talents with connections to Playboy. From Playmates like Carrie Stevens and Jeana Keough to celebrity models like Shari Shattuck and Darcy DeMoss, I’ve loved hearing their stories. However, there was a former interview subject of mine with a Playboy connection I’d been hoping to do a second interview with for a long time, and that’s Charlotte Helmkamp-Kemp. Charlotte was Playboy’s Miss December 1982, the month and year I was born. She was one of the first talents I interviewed for my previous writing base, RetroJunk, after my mom passed away in 2010. My mom was a prude who viewed Playboy to be as bad as hardcore porn, and refused to let me enjoy it. I couldn’t do so until after her passing, and so I reached out to Charlotte about an interview in late Fall/early Winter of that year for an e-mail interview. I connected with Charlotte

March 21, 2022

The Flashback Interview: Brooke Bundy

Johnny Caps 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s, A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Bonanza, Brooke Bundy, convention, Conventions, Days Of Our LIves, Explorers, Firecreek, General Hospital, Gunsmoke, Night Visitor, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Donna Reed Show, The Young Runaways 5

Last year, I interviewed Tiffany Helm about her life and career. The interview went well, and I’ve kept in touch with Tiffany since then. One day, I asked if she could put in a good word for me with her mother. Who is Tiffany’s mother? She’s actress Brooke Bundy, who 80s horror fans will remember from her role as Elaine Parker in A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, but who also has a career going back to the 1960s. Tiffany connected us, and earlier this month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brooke about her long and diverse career. I hope you all enjoy getting to know her. Say hello to Brooke Bundy! Brooke: Hi, Johnny. Johnny: Hello, Brooke. How are you? Brooke: I’m fine. How are you? Johnny: I’m doing good. I have my questions ready to go. Before anything, I want to thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to speak to me.

February 18, 2022

The Flashback Interview: Lisa London

Johnny Caps 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s, Attack Of The 50 Foot Cam Girl, Bigfoot Or Bust, Cinema Epoch, Cineridge, convention, Conventions, David DeCoteau, Dragnet, Ed Sheeran, Gregory Hatanaka, guns, H.O.T.S, I Don't Care, Inside Out II, Justin Bieber, Lisa London, Love Crime, Morris Day, Prince, Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance, Savage Beach, Sudden Impact, The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood, The Naked Cage 1

I first interviewed my friend, actress Lisa London, via e-mail for the website RetroJunk about a decade or so ago. Although I’d been doing interviews for several years by that point, I was still a little rusty. I remained friends with Lisa, though, and a decade or so later, I reached out to her about doing a second interview, this time on the phone for Pop Geeks. She agreed, and we spoke recently about some of her credits from the past decade, while also approaching some of her older credits from new angles. I hope you all enjoy this follow-up interview. Say hello to Lisa London! ———- Johnny: It’s a pleasure to talk to you again, this time on the phone. Lisa London: Cool! Johnny: Alright. I have my questions ready to go. Lisa London: Fabulous. Shoot. Johnny: Let’s start with this: You’ll soon be seen in Jim Wynorski’s Bigfoot Or Bust, a movie featuring quite a few former interview subjects of mine besides yourself, including Rocky DeMarco, Tane

February 9, 2022

94th Academy Awards’ Best Original Song: Thoughts

Johnny Caps 2020s, 94th Academy Awards, Academy Award, Academy Awards, Be Alive, Belfast, Beyonce Knowles, Billie Eilish, Diane Warren, Dos Oruguitas, Down To Joy, Encanto, Four Good Days, King Richard, Lin-Manuel Miranda, No Time to die, Oscars, Reba McEntire, Somehow You Do, Van Morrison 0

The nominations for the 94th Academy Awards are out, and as I’ve done on-and-off during my time writing for Pop Geeks so far, I want to write about this year’s nominees for Best Original Song. Last year, I wrote that I hoped Io Si (Seen) from The Life Ahead would win Best Original Song, but predicted that Fight For You from Judas And The Black Messiah would win the prize. I predicted correctly, but will that be the case this year? Let’s find out as we examine the five nominees for Best Original Song at the 94th Academy Awards. To start us off, we have Be Alive, written by Beyonce Knowles and DIXSON for the Williams family biopic King Richard. I’ll admit that I’ve never been a very athletic man, and while I’ve had my struggles, they haven’t been anything compared to what Richard Williams and his family went through to become the tennis titans they are. Roger Ebert once said that the movies are a machine that generates empathy,

January 14, 2022

The Flashback Interview: Gabe Jarret

Johnny Caps 13 Minutes, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s, Apollo 13, Ask Me To Dance, Bring On The Dancing Horses, Children Of A Lesser God, Gabe Jarret, Real Genius, The American President, The Karate Kid Part 3, The West Wing, Theatre 3

I was first introduced to my newest interview subject, Gabe Jarret, when I saw The Karate Kid, Part III on The Disney Channel in the 90s. In that movie, he played Rudy, the club kid who who gets paid to be beaten by Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso. Many years later, Charles Sherman, who set up my 2020 interviews with Amy Stoch and Rich Manley, connected me to Gabe, and we had the pleasure of talking to each other earlier this month. I hope you all enjoy getting to know him. Say hello to Gabe Jarret! ——– Johnny: First of all, thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to speak to me. Gabe: Of course. Johnny: I have my questions ready to go. Gabe: Oh, fire away! (Laughing) Johnny: Let’s start off with your most recent credit, the action-drama 13 Minutes. How did you get involved in that project, and what was your favorite part of working on it? Gabe: Well, getting involved in it is just part

January 5, 2022

The Flashback Interview: Mark A. Mangini

Johnny Caps 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s, Academy Awards, Aladdin, Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy, Beauty and the Beast, Che, disney, Dune, Escape From Tomorrow, gremlins, hanna-barbera, Innerspace, Looney Tunes: Back In Action, Mad Mad: Fury Road, Mark A. Mangini, Metallica Through The Never, Metro Goldwyn Mayer, MGM, Oscars, poltergeist, Star Trek, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Fifth Element, The Green Mile, The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood, The Rum Diary, Unreal II 0

My newest interview subject, Mark A. Mangini, is an accomplished sound designer and editor. He’s helped create the soundscapes for films of all sorts. Ranging from multiple films in the Star Trek franchise to a frequent collaboration with Joe Dante, from Disney Renaissance classics like Beauty And The Beast and Aladdin to Mad Max: Fury Road, which would win him his first Oscar, Mark A. Mangini has created memorable soundscapes for almost half-a-century, with no signs of stopping any time soon. Mark took some time to speak with me this past December, and today I share my epic conversation with this great talent. Say hello to Mark A. Mangini! Mark: Hello? Johnny: Hello, Mark. Johnny Caps from Pop Geeks here. Mark: Hey, Johnny. How ya doin’? Johnny: I’m doing good. First of all, before anything, thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to speak to me. Mark: My pleasure. Johnny: Alright. I have my questions ready to go. Mark: Yeah! Good. Johnny: To start off with, as

The Flashback Interview: Adrienne Barbeau

Chiller Theatre April 2022: Johnny Caps Recaps

The Flashback Interview: Michele Burke

Pop Geeks Interviews Valerie Perrine And Stacey Souther

The Flashback Interview: Katharine Kramer, Take 2

The Flashback Interview: Barney Burman

The Flashback Interview: Charlotte Helmkamp-Kemp

The Flashback Interview: Brooke Bundy

The Flashback Interview: Lisa London

94th Academy Awards’ Best Original Song: Thoughts

The Flashback Interview: Gabe Jarret

The Flashback Interview: Mark A. Mangini

Comic Book Solicitations

Oni Press Solicitations April 2024

DC Comics Solicitations April 2024

Oni Press Solicitations March 2024

Podcasts

Couch Command Podcast – INDIANA JONES and the Dial of Destiny

Couch Command Podcast – GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3

Couch Command Podcast: D&D Movie, Star Trek Picard, MASHLE, Million TAG, Puss and Boots: The Last Wish

dcanimated.com

filmcombatsyndicate.com