October 2018

This October we’re focused on one thing and one thing only… watching as much horror-related programming as possible to prime the pop culture pump in celebration of Halloween. Our consuming will be taking place nightly, and while there’s no rhyme or reason to how we’re going about choosing our scary screenings, we’ll do our best to tell you how we did it so that you can watch them as well.

Title: Cargo

Directed By: Ben Howling/Yolanda Ramke

Starring: Martin Freeman, Simone Landers, Anthony Hayes, Susie Porter, Caren Pistorius

We Watched On: Netflix

Trunktober Approved Because: We were leery of this film at first. We didn’t want to dig it, even though we love Martin Freeman in almost everything he’s in. Like bread left in the toaster too long, we are thoroughly burnt… when it comes to anything zombie-related. But then something incredible happened. Howling and Ramke make a zombie movie that isn’t about zombies. Sure, they’re there, heads in the sand, but really this is a film about family, desperation, and the most nerve-racking ticking clock we’ve experienced for some time.

Biggest Scare: For parents, especially those with little ones, the biggest scare is the premise itself because it makes you wonder what you would do if placed in the same exact situation. If you were in a zombie apocalypse, and you had been bitten, how far would you go to make sure your child was safe before you turned into the living dead and tried to eat them? Seriously, it’s scarring!

From the Florida-based punk band Thick As Blood to trading punches with Jennifer Garner, musician-turned-actor Randy Gonzalez is riding an incredible wave, a wave that is expected to surge even higher heading into 2019. His latest project, the revenge thriller “Peppermint,” arrives on Digital HD from Amazon Video and iTunes on November 23. (Blu-ray and DVD will follow in December.)

We recently sat down with Gonzalez to discuss the parallels between music and acting, the reason he was paying close attention to how certain scenes were shot during production of “Peppermint,” and why he never gets bored working in such a creative medium.

TrunkSpace: Chicken or the egg question. Which creative love came first, music or acting?
Gonzalez: Music came first. I started playing music when I was a teenager. I picked up the guitar and just fell in love with it. Watching punk rock videos on MTV2 and then eventually, with just a bunch of friends, we started a band and then somehow we got legitimate and we ended up getting signed and going on tour and went around the world, which is crazy to think.

TrunkSpace: Have you discovered any parallels between creating in a band and creating in front of the camera?
Gonzalez: Yeah, they’re pretty similar. It’s really the creative freedom of just going for it. Just having no fear, not holding back and just going for whatever it is. And I’ve also noticed a lot of parallels in the industry side of it – not being afraid to reach out to people or to email people.

TrunkSpace: Are you somebody who, in terms of your film and television career, sees yourself taking on more of a content creator role and controlling your own destiny, like you have in music?
Gonzalez: Yeah, definitely. That’s already starting to pan out. I actually wrote and directed a short film and it just got accepted into its first film festival, which is the Official Latino Short Film Festival at Coachella. There will be a lot more projects. I’m excited for that.

TrunkSpace: Between your recent film “Peppermint,” the short you directed, and all of the various projects you have due up next year – it has to be a crazy exciting time right now.
Gonzalez: Yeah, totally, which is cool. It comes in waves. I feel like, what I’ve learned, whenever you get a wave, you just run with it. Just ride it until it dies down.

TrunkSpace: Are you somebody who tries not to attach any kind of expectations to a particular project?
Gonzalez: Yeah, I try not to because you never know how a job is really going to pan out. Sometimes you work on something and you think it’s going to be huge and then once it’s released it ends up going a different direction. You just try to do your best when you’re on the set – give your best work.

TrunkSpace: And when it comes to the most recent work, in “Peppermint” you play a hitman, correct?
Gonzalez: Yeah. He’s an evil character without a doubt. One of those dudes that has no remorse – a young hitman for a gang. There’s no remorse on the page, it’s just very violent and brutal and that’s definitely what transferred over onto the screen. I looked even way crazier than I normally do ’cause they covered me in tattoos – like full on face tattoos, chest, arm, everything. My hands! It was a cool little transformation.

TrunkSpace: Being a director and content creator yourself, what did you take from the experience of shooting “Peppermint” that you’ll apply to the rest of your career moving forward?
Gonzalez: There’s definitely a lot. I learned a lot about shooting fight scenes ’cause I have a pretty intense fight scene with Jennifer Garner in it, her character, Riley North. I had never really been in that intense of a fight scene, so you learn the different set ups you have to do in a fight. A fight scene could only be one minute on screen, but literally, it will be a 10 hour shoot just for that little fight scene. So just how many camera set ups, how, if you’re shooting in a car they have to remove doors, they have to remove windows just to be able to get certain shots – little insert shots of the punch landing. So I was learning all of that.

And then I did learn a good amount of things from the director, Pierre Morel. He does some cool things. He mixes film format with digital formats, so he’ll do a few shots with a really old camera – a film camera, and I’m talking really old. He literally had to hand crank it. He was like, “This will add a different effect where it makes it look like she’s kind of losing her mind and that transfers over with the flickering of the film.” I definitely did learn a few interesting things that I think I’ll pick up and be able to use throughout my career.

TrunkSpace: You mentioned the fight scene aspect, and really, action is one of the more technical film genres to shoot. Like you said, it takes so much to sometimes get so little.
Gonzalez: Yeah. It’s insane because there has to be so many departments coordinating. That fight scene was being worked on before I was even hired. The stunt coordinators were already doing previews of it, where they shoot it, they rehearse it with just stunt performers and then they send that to the director, and then he sends it to the studio and then once they approve that, then it moves on to choreographing with the actual people involved… Jen, myself, or the stunt doubles and what not. Something that is a minute could have been worked on months ahead of time, just a little chase scene or a shoot out scene, things like that.

TrunkSpace: You’re working on a new television series that’s due out next year. I’m curious what you can tell us about that and what your experience has been like thus far with television as it compares to film. Is it more fun as an actor to do the long play with a character?
Gonzalez: Yeah, it’s cool. It’s definitely cool to be able to visit a character throughout a few years. On “Bloodline” I was able to do three seasons, so that spanned over three years, so it’s cool to be able to come back with the same character every once in a while. The new series I’m in, it’s called “David Makes Man.” It’s created by Tarell Alvin McCraney, who was one of the writers on “Moonlight” and he also won an Oscar for that. He’s an extremely talented writer. It’s kind of a coming of age story with this character named David, the central character, and I play a math teacher, which is very cool. It’s very different from my character in “Peppermint.”

TrunkSpace: That’s the beauty of the industry, right? Each job – each day – is different.
Gonzalez: Exactly, yeah, it’s beautiful. You don’t really ever get bored of it. That’s when you fall out of love, when you become bored of whatever job you’re in.

TrunkSpace: Is music still something you love? Does it remain a part of your life?
Gonzalez: It kind of fell out for a little bit, but just earlier this year, I bought a little home studio so I’ve started messing around with that aspect of my life again. It’s cool. It’s rekindling an old love. I’ve got a little bit of keyboard set up, set up my guitars and everything, so who knows… I might be releasing stuff in the future.

“Peppermint” arrives on Digital HD November 23.

This October we’re focused on one thing and one thing only… watching as much horror-related programming as possible to prime the pop culture pump in celebration of Halloween. Our consuming will be taking place nightly, and while there’s no rhyme or reason to how we’re going about choosing our scary screenings, we’ll do our best to tell you how we did it so that you can watch them as well.

Title: The Witch

Directed By: Robert Eggers

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw

We Watched On: Netflix

Trunktober Approved Because: Filled with visuals that are both beautiful and disturbing, this period piece tells the tale of a family from the 1600s, ousted from their settlement and forced to make due on their own in the New England wilderness. If the elements they’re facing weren’t bad enough, there’s also something lurking in those woods, and as these things tend to do in horror movies, it has set its sights on the settlers.

Biggest Scare: There’s a lot to make you squirm, but Black Phillip’s voice… delivering commands off-camera… it’s enough to make you swear off petting zoos forever. GOAT GO IN THERE!

With “Pre Strike Sweep,” members of the Los Angeles-based GØGGS, which includes Chris Shaw (vocals), Ty Segall (guitars), Charles Moothart (drums, guitar) and Michael Anderson (bass), are leaving very little to the imagination. While there was plenty of sharp edge to cut your brain on with their 2016 self-titled debut, the follow up has gotten “nastier” according to the frontman, which he feels is reflective of how much the world has changed since the group first began writing together.

We recently sat down with Shaw to discuss the growth of GØGGS, why you shouldn’t buy the album if you’re “cool,” and the fan who helps bring it all full circle.

TrunkSpace: The members of GØGGS all stay pretty busy outside of the band. How do you guys prioritize time for this particular project and ultimately decide what aspects of your individual writings become GØGGS tracks?
Shaw: All the songs for “Pre Strike Sweep” were written together as a band, although Ty (Segall) probably had some riffs he was saving for this particular project. I also had started saving lyrics, but nothing really comes together until we all put our stamp on a song. It’s true we are all pretty busy, but in a way that makes it easier to get things done with this project. There’s no time to waste.

TrunkSpace: “Pre Strike Sweep” is your second album. Creatively what changed between the debut and where you were at when conceiving the tracks that are the follow up?
Shaw: We grew as a band. Played live shows, went and took our music to the East Coast. A band really doesn’t evolve until you play live. You also get more comfortable creatively the longer you work with someone. I’ve been working with Ty in the studio for the past six years now. We trust each other. The world got shittier, so our music got nastier. “Pre Strike Sweep” isn’t an album that leaves much for interpretation. It tells you what it wants from you.

TrunkSpace: Focusing on the songwriting itself, is there an overall theme to this album, a particular headspace that is reflected in the tone and messaging of the songs themselves?
Shaw: I suppose the theme would be GØGGS is back and they’re pissed. I don’t want to shroud the album in some cloak of dumbass philosophy to make me sound more intelligent. It’s a lean, mean, fucked up album. Don’t buy it if you’re “cool.”

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the album?
Shaw: I think this album has some of the best lyrics I’ve ever written, specifically the song “Burned Entrance.” The second verse is probably some of my finest work. I wanted to connect with the listener and tell them exactly how I feel about love, society, death and rebirth on this album and be direct as possible. I think I accomplished that.

TrunkSpace: Again, we know you all have different projects happening, so what is your personal journey like when you call wrap on a GØGGS album? Do you feel the need to step away from the band atmosphere and wrap your creative brain around a different focus?
Shaw: I am always on to the next thing, but I don’t really ever step away from music because it’s always around me. I also don’t do well without a schedule. I had to realize that about myself because sometimes I expect others to be that way and that approach doesn’t work for most people. It works for me. I’m not a method actor, so I don’t turn on my GØGGS brain, so to speak. All the shit I do creatively bleeds into each other. At the end of the day, I’m the same person no matter what I’m doing. That being said, I don’t define myself by anything I’ve done creatively. I feel like that would be an incredibly boring way to live.

TrunkSpace: What do you get writing and performing within a band, and this band in particular, that you can’t access from a solo mindset? What are the benefits for you personally in having a group of people fighting the fight alongside of you?
Shaw: It’s personally rewarding for me to work with other people in creative relationships. I have always seen the importance of community and creating something with like-minded individuals. All of my most meaningful relationships have come from music. But then again, me “solo” would probably mean you reading a book or article I’ve written. Being in a band is fun, but self-actualization is also important.

TrunkSpace: There are number of songs on the album that clock in at under three minutes, and two that come in at under two. We hear filmmakers talk all of the time about how there is a different approach to storytelling with short form content in the digital age. Can it be the same with music? Is there a different approach in writing a song like “CTA,” which is just over a minute and a half?
Shaw: Punk songs are supposed to be short. “CTA” wouldn’t work if it was longer, and why should it have to be? If I can inflict as much aural damage in 30 seconds as someone else can in three minutes, why would I be the one who needs to change something?

TrunkSpace: We love great music, but we also love great lines – lyrical snippets that stick with you beyond the macro of a song or album. What is your favorite line from “Pre Strike Sweep” and why?
Shaw: “Young dumb writer burning out on the road, never knows which way his story goes, personality crisis for a home, chewing down his boredom to the bone, everywhere that he goes.”

Self-deprecation is a fun way to pass the time.

TrunkSpace: Are albums a bit like chapters in your life? Do periods of your life become defined by the music you were making at any given moment?
Shaw: Yeah, for sure. Not all chapters have happy endings either. (Laughter)

TrunkSpace: What is the single greatest music-related moment of your career/life thus far and why?
Shaw: Henry Rollins being a fan of Ex-Cult and GØGGS is probably the coolest thing that’s happened to me. Black Flag changed my life. They will always be my favorite band.

TrunkSpace: Beyond the release, what’s next for the band and its members as we finish out 2018 and look forward to the new year?
Shaw: We will come back when it’s time, but don’t expect us to be on your schedule.

“Pre Strike Sweep” is available now on In The Red.

Future tour dates can be found here.

This October we’re focused on one thing and one thing only… watching as much horror-related programming as possible to prime the pop culture pump in celebration of Halloween. Our consuming will be taking place nightly, and while there’s no rhyme or reason to how we’re going about choosing our scary screenings, we’ll do our best to tell you how we did it so that you can watch them as well.

Title: Community

Episode: “Epidemiology”

Directed By: Anthony Hemingway

Starring: Joel McHale, Alison Brie, Donald Glover, Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Pudi, Gillian Jacobs, Chevy Chase, Ken Jeong, Jim Rash

We Watched On: Hulu

Trunktober Approved Because: One of the best ensemble casts in television history, “Community” started off as a much different show than how it ended. Originally more of a “traditional” sitcom, the writers began to hit their irreverent stride by Season 2, which is where this Halloween-themed episode first appeared. The premise: tainted food at the community college leads to a zombie-like outbreak, complete with all of the genre cliches that we horror fans are all-too familiar with.

Biggest Scare Laugh: A giant flesh-eating banana. Can you peel that!

The eerie new series “Light as a Feather,” which premieres Friday on Hulu, has more going for it than your average, run-of-the-mill episodic horror story. According to star Harley Graham, who plays little sister Lena, the 10-episode first season has struck the perfect balance between jump scares and that squirm-in-your-seat uneasiness that makes a thriller so thrilling.

“It is refreshing to see a production that falls into the thriller genre not fall into the trap of relying totally on jump scares because there can be so much more to a show/movie,” she says, eager for audiences of all ages to discover the series.

We recently sat down with Graham to discuss her own love for the genre, why her character is going to put viewers on edge, and the reason she is living the spookiest of all seasons right now.

TrunkSpace: Your new project “Light as a Feather” centers on some mysterious happenings that occur after a group of teenagers play a seemingly innocent game of Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board. That’s a great concept because it’s a game kids have been playing for generations at parties and sleepovers, so it’s relatable to multiple audiences. Based on what you know of the project having been involved in it, is the series one that teens and older generations will both enjoy, and if so, why?
Graham: Obviously, the show is centered more towards a younger audience, but I think it is something that adults can enjoy as well. There are so many factors that go into making a show great. Teens and young adults are going to gravitate towards the characters and the plot more so than their parents while adults are going to be able to appreciate the cinematography and the natural, professional acting that is a center-point in the creation of this production.

TrunkSpace: People will turn out for horror because they’re fans of the genre itself, and because of that, it seems like audiences are more willing to try something new from that world than say comedy or drama. Do you feel a series like “Light as a Feather” has a bit of a built-in audience, especially in the month of October where people are looking for seasonal scares?
Graham: I think that this is going to be a great show all year round, but I think that premiering around this spooky season does add to the experience of watching. People are just naturally more inclined to seek out a good scare this time of year. There is so much more to the horror genre than the scares. Our show in particular has so many other elements and we cover so many topics in this show that anyone can find something that they like.

TrunkSpace: Are you personally a fan of the horror genre, and if so, what are some of your favorites?
Graham: Oh I am the absolute BIGGEST fan of thriller/horror movies. My mom and I love watching the newest spooky shows and movies really late at night so it’s extra scary. My personal favorites are old, cheesy horror films like “The Blob,” “Mars Attacks!,” and “The Birds.” When it comes to shows, there are so many great ones out right now like “American Horror Story” and “Castle Rock,” which was also created by Hulu, but I tend to gravitate towards the old ’90s shows. “The X-files” is one of my all-time favorites. Spooky Mulder and Agent Scully are I C O N I C. I could go on forever.

TrunkSpace: Circling back to “Light as a Feather,” what can you tell us about your character Lena and where she falls into the overall story?
Graham: Lena is a character much younger than her counterparts. She is the typical, eavesdropping little sister, which I have totally mastered being a younger sister myself. She joins the series fairly late and is the sort of “messenger” that brings information that is helpful to the protagonists. The creep factor that comes with her really adds something to the character that isn’t seen with the others. The way that she presents herself gives the viewer an uneasy feeling, maybe that she knows something we do not.

TrunkSpace: Having shot the series and been involved in the process of seeing it all come into fruition, what are you most looking forward to for audiences to see and experience when they sit down and watch it October 12? Is it filled with jump scares or more uneasy scares?
Graham: I think that “Light as a Feather” has struck a perfect balance between your basic jump scares and the creep factor of the whole show. It is refreshing to see a production that falls into the thriller genre not fall into the trap of relying totally on jump scares because there can be so much more to a show/movie. The editors really utilized all that they had to create an environment in the show where you are immersed in the experience of it all so the spook is really genuine. (Personally, I jumped a few times during the premiere and I am not one who is easily scared.) What I am most excited for people to find watching this show is the relationship between the viewer and the characters. We have such diversity among the characters it is easy to fall in love with one, if not all of them.

TrunkSpace: The series will stream on Hulu. As an actress, how exciting of a time is it given the current television landscape and not only the quality of content being produced, but the quantity as well? Are there more jobs available now than when you started your career?
Graham: The “new media” world has really expanded what an actor can do as well as the experience of shows to viewers. I often fall victim to the “binge watch and eat everything in my house” shenanigans when a new show drops. I think that this new form of enjoying television allows viewers to connect with characters and form relationships with the shows that they may not have been able to watching a show from week to week, maybe missing some episodes here and there. I think that this change makes an actor’s job a little more important because now their purpose is not just to be a character, but be a character that other people find themselves in.

TrunkSpace: We know you spent some time working on soap operas in the early days of your career, including “Days of Our Lives” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Given the breakneck pace at which those series shoot, did those early jobs serve as a boot camp for what to expect on set?
Graham: Being on a large, multifaceted, professional set for the first years of my career really gave me the experience that I am able to take onto any set I go on. Being a part of such a large production while I was just starting out as a young child gave me professional tools that it takes other actors years to develop. Learning how filming works at such a young age gives me an advantage because I now have a better understanding of how to be a fundamental part of a set dynamic.

TrunkSpace: What job have you learned the most from, the one that you find yourself still applying the lessons from, even with the jobs you tackle today?
Graham: Working with amazing directors is one of the best learning experiences an actor can have. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with not one, but two directors whose reputations precede them. On the set of “Chasing Mavericks” I worked with both Curtis Hanson and Michael Apted. Working with Curtis was so wonderful because he is a director that works very closely with the actors and knows what he wants. Working with him specifically taught me about how creating relationships between a director and actor can bring a film to the next level. After Curtis suffered from medical issues during filming, Michael had to take over. What I remember most about him is that he had a strong presence on set and knew what he wanted which made for a seamless transition from director to director. It is so easy for things to get hung up when there is a big change like that, but he was very professional coming into the middle of all the madness.

TrunkSpace: You also do voice over work, giving life to Princess Clio on the series “Sofia the First.” Was voice work always in the plan or did it come about more as a happy accident?
Graham: Voice over was not something I anticipated of my career, but I was never opposed. Voice over is really an awesome job to have because what you look like does not limit your opportunities, it is just how you sound and, how you guys so wonderfully put, “give life” to a character. Sometimes, voice over can be even more challenging than on-screen acting because you cannot rely on your facial expressions to help convey emotion, all the nuance and feeling must come from your voice. “Sofia the First” has become an especially meaningful project recently as we were just awarded a Sentinel Award for diversity in our cast. I was asked to present the award to our writer and story editor Matt Hoverman and Michael Stern. They made an amazing speech about how our work can have an impact on our viewers and the world around us. I hope that I will continue working with people who understand the importance of our work. “Sofia the First” was not my first job with voice over work and definitely will not be my last.

TrunkSpace: You’re still at such an early stage in your career and have already accomplished so much. Where do you hope to see your career go in the next five years? What would you like to accomplish next?
Graham: Currently, we are in the spookiest season of all… college app season. The goal I am focusing on most is getting into a college with a good drama program. I would love to utilize the experience of a college campus to further my education in my profession. Of course, I would love to work through my semesters and I am applying to colleges that will work with me so that I can continue my career while I am studying. When it comes to professional goals, I just want to continue to work with casts and crews that love what they do, because one of the best parts of the business is the people you connect with on set and off.

“Light as a Feather” premieres Friday on Hulu.

This October we’re focused on one thing and one thing only… watching as much horror-related programming as possible to prime the pop culture pump in celebration of Halloween. Our consuming will be taking place nightly, and while there’s no rhyme or reason to how we’re going about choosing our scary screenings, we’ll do our best to tell you how we did it so that you can watch them as well.

Title: The Monster Squad

Directed By: Fred Dekker

Starring: Andre Gower, Ryan Lambert, Stephen Macht, Duncan Regehr, Tom Noonan, Ashley Bank

We Watched On: Hulu

Trunktober Approved Because: In our neighborhood, you were either a “The Goonies” fan or a “The Monster Squad” fan. You couldn’t be both. (Technically you could, but that would ruin the point we’re trying to make!) Obviously, “The Goonies” is a classic, but for us horror-loving, Universal monster-adoring weirdos who spent the better part of our summer vacations searching local lakes for Loch Ness-like serpents, this coming-of-age story with a creature feature twist was everything we ever wanted and more. Thank goodness that we had HBO and it played in regular rotation for nearly all of our adolescence!

Biggest Scare: Not so much a scare as it is a scar. (Emotional scar!) There’s all this talk in the film about wolfman nards, but in the end, it’s Dracula’s “dork” that is revealed in half man/half bat form. Blink and you’ll miss it. Seriously… blink!

Bonus: Check out our interview with Ryan Lambert, aka Rudy, here!

While his first dream was to play professional hockey, Evan Roderick, who portrays Nick Anastas on the superhero series “Arrow,” found himself being drawn to a more creative career. As an actor, the Vancouver native relished the expressiveness that the medium offered, and while he ultimately hung up the skates, he credits hockey for preparing him mentally for a life of performing.

We recently sat down with Roderick to discuss where “Arrow” has impacted his life the most, front flips off two-story buildings, and what he thinks about sandals with jeans.

TrunkSpace: “Arrow” is a fan favorite show with a loyal following. How much has the series changed your life since you stepped into the role of Nick Anastas?
Roderick: Well, I think more than anything this role has given me an eye into the industry. I finally feel like I’m inside this machine that IS “Arrow.” And to have people reach out through social media and tell me how much the show means to them has been incredibly meaningful.

TrunkSpace: Beyond the work itself, what has been the most rewarding part of this journey for you thus far?
Roderick: Other than the work, I’ve really treasured the lessons I have learned from the other actors on the show. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by a cast that has so much experience, and they have shared a lot of stories and advice about the industry. They have taught me so much.

TrunkSpace: Right and wrong is pretty black and white to Officer Anastas, at least when we first meet him. As his own views and positioning on things like vigilantism changed, what was that character adjustment like for you? It definitely feels like he’s in a place now that is much different from when you started your journey with him.
Roderick: For sure. I think a lot of the progression you see is a combination of me (the actor) growing more comfortable on the show, as well as the writers giving me more responsibility and featuring my character more.

TrunkSpace: Being on a series with cowls and capes must offer some surreal run-ins behind the scenes. What has been the most “pinch me” moment for you throughout your time on “Arrow” thus far?
Roderick: The stunt guys. They are incredible. I’ve watched them do full front flips off two-story buildings, get hit by cars… it’s hard to believe they are all trained to do this stuff!

TrunkSpace: What would 10-year-old Evan think about his future self getting to step into the DC universe and play alongside of super heroes in Star City?
Roderick: He’d be proud. I always really wanted to play a cop, plus the opportunity to play one in the DC Universe is a huge bonus.

TrunkSpace: Prior to acting you were pursuing hockey. Was that your first dream and what lead you away from the sport and into acting?
Roderick: It was my first dream. But the truth is, in the end I just wasn’t satisfied with playing hockey. At one point I was scheduled to play in the NCAA for UMASS-LOWELL, but the feeling wasn’t going away. I knew for a long time deep down that I was going to pursue acting instead. There is just something creative and expressive about acting that hockey doesn’t offer. Ultimately, that’s why I made the decision.

TrunkSpace: Are there any parallels between hockey and acting? Is the focus and training similar? The pursuit of an end goal? Where do the two intersect?
Roderick: Totally. Funnily enough, I approach acting in a very similar way as I did hockey. For example, when I am preparing for an audition or a scene, I have to psyche myself up and talk myself through my preparation. I envy actors that can just dive into their character with the snap of a finger – I’m just not like that. I’m grateful I had a sport like hockey to help me find a process to perform.

TrunkSpace: You’re also a songwriter. Do you hope to expand your love for music into a separate career avenue or is writing and recording more of a hobby?
Roderick: I absolutely want to have some kind of a career in music as well. I think I work and stress too much over my music to call it a hobby! To play a musician in a film and/or write songs for a project would be an ideal situation in my mind.

TrunkSpace: We read that you have no problem wearing boots with shorts, BUT, what about sandals with jeans?
Roderick: You’ve just described by quintessential summer wardrobe. (Laughter)

TrunkSpace: Finally, Evan, you’re still at such an early point in your career with so many future roles still ahead of you. Are you someone who wonders what lies ahead or is important for you stay focused on the present. When it comes to your career, do you plan for the future or is it too difficult in an industry where so much is out of your control?
Roderick: I do think about the future, a lot. Hopefully not to the extent that it pulls me out of the present, but I think it’s important to work towards something. It’s true, sometimes the future of an actor is unpredictable, but you can still control how you want to brand yourself and what parts you decide to go out for.

“Arrow” returns October 15 on The CW.

This October we’re focused on one thing and one thing only… watching as much horror-related programming as possible to prime the pop culture pump in celebration of Halloween. Our consuming will be taking place nightly, and while there’s no rhyme or reason to how we’re going about choosing our scary screenings, we’ll do our best to tell you how we did it so that you can watch them as well.

Title: In The Mouth of Madness

Directed By: John Carpenter

Starring: Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jurgen Prochnow, John Glover

We Watched On: Amazon Prime (Rented for $2.99)

Trunktober Approved Because: “Do you read Sutter Cane?” It’s a simple question that requires a simple answer, but when you peel back the layers of said simple question, what you find at the core is not very simple at all. Simple enough, right? Yeah, it’s that kind of psychological somersault that is at the core of “In The Mouth of Madness,” a film filled with freaky imagery that takes a look at sanity, what it means within society, and the loss of it. As a whole, it’s a film that deserves more attention.

Biggest Scare: A dark road. A kid on a bike. A freaky old man on a bike. Yup, it still haunts us to this day nearly 25 years later!

Marty Friedman never expected to be a rock ‘n’ roll icon, an international television star, or an Ambassador of Japan Heritage. As a kid he was interested in sports, but it was music that proved to be an inescapable love. Now with “One Bad M.F. Live!!” due October 19 on Prosthetic Records, the guitar god has amassed an impressive 14 solo albums, and with the studio continuing to woo him after decades in the business, he’s showing no signs of slowing his songwriting roll.

We recently sat down with Friedman to discuss the biggest surprises of his career, how outside influences help him to create, and why his albums are like visiting yearbooks filled with old friends.

TrunkSpace: You’ve had such a vast career spanning all of these different avenues, many we would imagine were never expected. With that said, what has been the biggest surprise for you, that thing that 16-year-old Marty would be all wide-eyed about?
Friedman: Lots of things in Japan are like that. Of course playing music was what I was probably originally intended to do and that was a natural and even that kind of blew my mind to how much I would wind up playing music. But coming to Japan and first doing a lot of television, but then actually just last year being appointed to be an Ambassador of Japan Heritage is just absolutely beyond the realm of my comprehension. There’s a lot of surprises and I’m just very, very lucky with a lot of things along the way.

TrunkSpace: And that’s probably the kind of stuff that you couldn’t have even conceived as a teenager.
Friedman: Yeah, definitely. I mean, at the time I probably barely knew anything at all about Japan and then had much less interest in it. I was really more interested in sports than anything else. And things move along and you just become a new person every six months or so, and next thing you know, you’re doing things that were very unexpected things and it’s all good. It’s all worked out for me. Mainly whatever I do, as long as it benefits my music to some extent, then I’m happy with. I don’t see me doing anything that’s so weird that it takes energy away from making music. I probably wouldn’t wind up doing it.

TrunkSpace: Has your various ventures into television, as well as other aspects of your career, enabled you to have the freedom to make the music that you’ve wanted to make?
Friedman: Actually, that’s a good point. It’s weird. It’s kind of a very fine line sometimes. If I get too many responsibilities doing things other than music, like television and things like that, I start to naturally start to… not resent it, but get a little bit frustrated that I’m not making music. And at the time it doesn’t feel too good. But then when I return to making music, if it’s like, “Oh, this is what I’m supposed to do,” and it seems so easy and so fun at that point. I remember the first time I really felt that was when I was doing a record called “Loudspeaker.” That was when I really first started getting into television and it was all new and very overwhelming and very time consuming and energy consuming. And it was quite difficult actually, doing it in not my native language and just… there’s a lot of learning curves as you go, kind of thing. And I was like, “Why am I doing this?” Sometimes I knew everything was going great, but I was still like, “This isn’t music. This is like somebody else’s life here.” Then when I got into the studio to record “Loudspeaker,” it just flowed out so easily and fun and things started to come out really good. And then I was like, “These outside influences really tend to help the music.”

I think if I was constantly doing only music I might get a little bit bored of that, so it’s good to have something else that takes energy.

TrunkSpace: What’s the longest period of time you’ve ever spent away from creating new music?
Friedman: If I’m touring or if I’m doing anything after the record is done, I’m usually not writing and I’m completely not even thinking about it. But ever since I got an iPhone with a recorder in it, even if I’m not supposed to be writing, I’ll just keep ideas in it. So I’m still constantly writing, just knowing that it’s so easy to store ideas. I’ll just store everything in it, so I’ve got a whole bucket load of stuff that I normally wouldn’t have had if I had not been carrying around this recording with me all the time. So I guess that’s good. But if I’m on tour, I like to concentrate, enjoying the shows and making the shows better and not really think about the next album so much.

TrunkSpace: Technology must be playing a big hand in musicians not losing those little gems that come to them… a riff or lyric that would otherwise disappear if they weren’t able to record it in real time?
Friedman: Oh God, you’re so right! I mean, that whole getting it down… sometimes you just have an idea that you know you’re going to make something out of and if you can’t get it down, at least on paper or something better to have it down on tape or a recording… man, if you lose that moment, you just kick yourself because you knew you could make a song out of it. I love it the way it is now.

TrunkSpace: Your 14th solo album, “One Bad M.F. Live!!” is due out on October 19. Do you have a different connection with a live album than you do with a studio record because of the experience of playing that particular show, which in this case was Mexico City?
Friedman: Yeah, absolutely. I play so differently live than in the studio and usually I’m way, way more satisfied with what I do in the studio because I can sit there and nitpick and do layering of guitars and just all kinds of perfections, just making sure that there’s nothing that I would ever want to change and just kind of put it down for posterity on the record. But live, you’ve only got that one moment and it’s a completely different energy and sometimes it’s better than the studio environment and sometimes it’s worse because you didn’t play it as well as you’d like to or whatever. But it just feels so different. And it got to the point where I was just really enjoying working with my band and touring with my band and seeing the excitement that was happening. I just wanted to document it on a live record and get that completely different sound, get it down and get it out there just for posterity.

TrunkSpace: Do you experience excitement in sort of putting together an album beyond the music itself? The cover art, the roll out of it… does that still excite you?
Friedman: That’s always been the hardest part of it. The easiest part of everything is performing it and everything else is just so much harder. And I can’t remember a single project in my career that hasn’t been a royal pain in the ass and it’s always been everything but the playing. The playing has just been a joy and even if I’m getting anal about stuff and taking a long time to do things, which definitely does sometimes happen, it’s still a joy. With the other things, sometimes they come together quick and sometimes not. And the graphic art especially, when it’s my record… it’s not a band it’s mine, so I have to have the final say. Sometimes having the final say is a pain in the ass, so that’s always hard. But luckily I’ve had great people to work with and it’s just a matter of dealing with the fine details and trying to explain art and a few things. But at the end, when it’s tough, you forget about how much of a drag it was.

I never was ever excited about that. That’s always been a chore, but I’ve always been very excited when I finally approve everything and it’s all a package and it’s done. That’s very, very exciting and I love that. But the process of everything but the playing is just it’s like pulling teeth and I can’t wait to get it done.

TrunkSpace: With such a big body of work, do you view albums as chapters in your life?
Friedman: Absolutely. It’s really like a yearbook every single time I do it because it’s such an intense undertaking and for some reason it’s gotten more intense over the years. You’d think that you’d get lax and you just let it go, but it becomes more of this kind of… not an evil genius type of thing because I’m neither of those things, but that kind of intensity. I’m stricter on myself and it becomes more of an undertaking each time. And so when it’s done, it’s a big relief. And then when I look back on an album or two to three albums ago, I see the names of the people involved and it always brings back really great memories of people who’ve really worked so hard on making this what it was. And so it’s very much like a yearbook and chapter of my life and it brings back specific memories of what was going on in my life at that time, and then the tour that accompanied the record. Definite yearbook feeling.

TrunkSpace: Finally Marty, we started the conversation talking about the surprises of your career. There are kids out there in the world today who are being inspired to pick up a guitar because of you. Is it difficult to wrap your brain around that aspect of your career… the part that has your music touching others?
Friedman: It’s not necessarily hard to wrap my brain around it because I think I’m doing something of some value to someone. I don’t think I would have done it this long if nobody got anything out of it. If I was the only one enjoying it, then I don’t think I would continue. But I think it’s of some value. I’m very flattered. I can totally wrap my brain around people picking up things from it and hopefully getting inspired because I get inspired by so many things that I’ve listened to from my entire career, when I was a kid through now. I’ll hear something that I never heard and be influenced by it and be somehow affected by that tomorrow, so it’s an ongoing thing. It never ends that circle of influence. So I’m flattered more than anything else when people choose to take parts of my music and they want to make it their own and do their own variations of it. It’s flattering more than anything else.

“One Bad M.F. Live!!” is due October 19 on Prosthetic Records.

Featured image by: Maria Debiassi