John C. McGinley is a veteran actor of the silver screen and the small screen. From Platoon to Scrubs to his current series on IFC, Stan Against Evil, he has been a presence for several different generations. In real life, he is a force of nature. Passionate, outspoken and enthusiastic, it was a pleasure to sit down and chat with him about the season finale of Stan for That’s My Entertainment.
Delicious Finale
TME: In Stan Against Evil season two, everyone’s performances were terrific. I don’t think fans will be prepared for the finale.
JCM: I am so overwhelmed by the way episodes seven and eight came together. It took Dana and I 14 episodes and two years to yield the most stunning hour of programming that IFC has ever produced. This is epic! Obviously, I am really proud of it.
The Dynamic Duo
Photo Credit Kim Simms/IFC
TME: Stan and Evie have grown very fond of each other. I know when Janet spoke to us she compared the relationship to a father and daughter-type situation.
JCM: I agree. Dana has always said that Evie is the daughter Stan never had. Now, that’s not to disparage Deborah’s character at all. She’s the Jonathan Winters of a generation. She’s a genius improvisational actor. We have tailored her role to accentuate those strengths.
Janet…at first, you…almost want to say she is the son he never had but that’s not it at all. She’s the daughter he never had. That’s so great! It’s not like he has an ax to grind or there is something inadequate about Denise. It’s just that Evie is such a bad ass. She’s the female Harrison Ford.
I am so overwhelmingly fond of both of these actors as we’ve tailored their arcs to their strengths. Both of them have just exploded.
TME: What is it about Evie that Stan has grown attached to and how do you think her character feels about Stan?
JCM: I don’t know the answer to the second question. But I will tell you this, I think when Dana constructed Stan to make him such an interesting anti-hero, that what compels Stan to do the right thing at the last second is ass backwards. It’s beyond delicious!
He’ll have to be dragged kicking and screaming into doing the right thing because he doesn’t want to hear about it if he doesn’t do it! Which is the best thing ever!
That is what compels you? Because you don’t want to hear people whining and complaining that you didn’t do the right thing? That’s great! It’s the opposite of Lancelot. It’s the opposite of any hero scenario, ever!
He just doesn’t want to hear about it. So, okay. We’ll go do the right thing and that’s what compels him. It’s great. It’s so subversive and fantastic.
TME: It is a very human response because not everyone wants to be a hero.
JCM: Stan has no interest! He lost his wife! That’s all he ever talks about. He lost his job. All he wants to do is watch the History Channel and he can’t even do that because Hitler comes on. Just no one will leave him alone and when he’s left alone there is a couple hundred witches that want to kill him! Everything has gone completely sideways. It’s fantastic. It’s chaos.
TME: Were you aware that the fans are calling both you and Janet the Dynamic Duo because of your wonderful chemistry?
JMC: No, it makes me happy! I hero worship Janet. She knows that. We wove a kind of screwball comedy tone into season two and Janet can do it in her sleep. Janet does a one woman show in episode eight. She should be nominated for an Emmy. She is just unbelievable!
Getting “Whole”
TME: How do you think the fans are going to respond to the finale?
Courtesy of IFC
JCM: Dana wrote this amazing arc for Stan this year. I’m always about finding the uber verb. Stan’s verb this year was to “get whole.” The only way he could “get whole” was to get Claire, his wife.
And she’s dead! That is the most ridiculous uber-objective but he’s undeterred. He does the right thing. He gets Evie back and then armed with that technology and a little bit of knowledge for Stan can be dangerous, he thinks if I can get Evie, I can get Claire.
It proved to be this overwhelmingly emotional arc for Stan. Whether it’s begging on his knees in front of Eccles’ daughter in the second episode of the year, which is absolutely the first time he’s ever been on his knees in his life, begging this child to take that note and send it back, and that kind of set us off.
Shooting it that night, it felt like we were playing the real stakes. If you, Stan are going to “get whole” and if the way you are going to do this is if you get Claire then okay, have at it!
TME: You have some very emotional moments this season. How do you as an actor prepare for those taxing scenes? They can be very draining.
JCM: Most everything for me goes back to my son, Max. I borrow from Max’s sensibilities and my relationship with him. I kind of tentacle out from there. When I talk to other special needs parents and caregivers and when I also advocate for our community, everything is fed by that love.
It’s this rich, rich deposit that I can draw from. Emotionally it is immediately available to me. I don’t have to dig very far. It’s right below the surface. All of my Max love is immediately available to me. I guess I triangulate it to serve moments like in Stan.
Spread the Word to End the Word
TME: We know you are a steadfast advocate for those with intellectual disabilities, especially Down Syndrome. You are also a board member of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. Over the years, you have written a few wonderful articles about the Spread the Word to end the R word campaign. Can you take a minute to talk to us about why the R word is so hurtful to those who may not understand?
JCM: The only way to do it in a work environment is to ask somebody if there is not a better way to put that. That’s the socially acceptable way and people will say but what?
And you say you just used the word “retard” to describe the party over the weekend. Then they say oh and you say, my cousin Steve was born with Down Syndrome and that’s really offensive to me. Then all of a sudden, you’re having a conversation. I wish I could do that more often.
Stan Has Something to Say
John C. McGinley – Photo Credit: Kim Simms/IFC
TME: Do you have a message for the Stan Against Evil Fans out there? They are a passionate group that really believes in the show and are
doing all they can for a season three. If you could do it in Stan’s voice, that would be really sweet!
JCM: Well, I know what he would say. “It’s in the bag!”
Catch the season finale of Stan Against Evil on IFC, Wednesday, November 22 at 10 p.m. Eastern 7 p.m. Pacific.
If you love the show tweet #KeepStanKilling #ShovelsUpForSeason3 to @IFC and @stanagainstevil on twitter.
Follow Stan Against Evil on
Twitter @StanAgainstEvil
Facebook @IFCStanAgainstEvil
website www.ifc.com
Directed by: Kishore Kumar Pardasani
Written by: Siva
Studio: North Star Entertainment
Runtime: 149 minutes
Genre: Action, Drama
Cast:
Pawan Kalyan as Katamarayudu
Shruti Haasan as Avanthika
Siva Balaji as Katamarayudu’s younger brother
Ajay, Kamal Kamaraju, Chaitanya Krishna in supporting roles
Katamarayudu is a Telugu-language remake of the Tamil film Veeram. This movie blends family drama with high-octane action sequences, delivering a narrative that is quintessentially rooted in southern Indian cinema’s flair for heroism and larger-than-life characters.
The story revolves around Katamarayudu, a righteous and fiercely protective elder brother who has dedicated his life to looking after his younger siblings. Known for his aversion to marriage, his life takes a turn when Avanthika, a poised and graceful woman, enters his life. The movie skillfully combines lighthearted romance, brotherly camaraderie, and intense action sequences, creating an engaging watch for the masses.
Kishore Kumar Pardasani delivers a visually grand spectacle while staying true to the essence of its Tamil original. While the screenplay lacks novelty, it compensates with fast-paced action and emotional beats. The dialogues, although simple, hit the right chords when it comes to showcasing family bonds and love.
Pawan Kalyan is the heart of the film. His screen presence and charismatic portrayal of Katamarayudu dominate every frame. Shruti Haasan offers a refreshing on-screen presence, and her chemistry with Pawan Kalyan adds charm to the narrative. The supporting cast, especially the actors playing the brothers, do justice to their roles, adding depth to the storyline.
The film boasts meticulously choreographed fight scenes, which are a visual treat for action lovers. Anup Rubens’ background score and songs elevate the emotional and action-packed moments. His mass appeal and command over action and emotion anchor the movie effectively.
The film adheres to a conventional template, leaving little room for surprises. At 149 minutes, the film feels stretched, especially in the second half.
Katamarayudu is a feast for fans of Pawan Kalyan and action-packed family dramas. It carries the essence of mass entertainment but doesn’t break new ground. While it caters to the sensibilities of Telugu cinema audiences, others might find its predictability a drawback.
Rating: 8/10 Fans of Pawan Kalyan and high-energy action films will undoubtedly enjoy this one, but those looking for a novel story might find it wanting.
“Do you want to watch a film with me? It’s called Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”
“What?”
“It’s about a little shell named Marcel who wears shoes.”
“…”
And that about sums it up! It’s the blob of a week between Christmas and New Year so it was the optimum time to watch a very surreal film recently added to UK Netflix.
Released in 2021 (a blob of a year) Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is about a one-inch-tall shell called Marcel who lives with his grandmother, Connie, in an Airbnb. Marcel usually stays out the way of the house’s various guests as he utilizes his only means of fast transportation (a tennis ball) and walks his pet lint on a string (Alan). This is until a documentary filmmaker named Dean, who is staying at the Airbnb, discovers Marcel and his unique lifestyle.
As filmmakers are wont to do Dean begins to film interviews with Marcel, consequently we get an insight into Marcel’s world both inside and out. Yes, Marcel is a stop-motion hermit crab shell with surprisingly expressive googly eyes but he feels very human. I was unsure about Marcel’s age and gender because he sounds a lot like Lisa Simpson, I did even check that Marcel wasn’t voiced by Yeardly Smith. But Marcel is voiced superbly by Jenny Slate. Marcel comes off as quite childlike with his wide-eyed optimism and naivety (he is a shell I suppose). Yet, like many children, Marcel will utter something so profound he will seem more of a fossil than a shell. When Dean uploads Marcel’s interviews onto YouTube Marcel of course becomes a viral sensation. Marcel reads the comments on his videos, using his tiny shoes to activate the laptop touchpad, which is just adorable! Despite his obvious popularity, Marcel remarks; “It’s an audience. It’s not a community.” Which just drives a stake into the heart of social media.
No, Marcel does not become a teeny-tiny-TikToker, he in fact uses the internet to find his lost community. The house used to be full of anthropomorphic objects including Marcel’s own shell family. They had been living in the house for generations, Connie herself came from the garage travelling by coat pocket to the main house; it’s why she has an accent. Among the community there are anthropomorphic pieces of cereal and because the internet notices this stuff; a tampon! An unfortunate event occurred and the community were accidentally removed from their home one tragic night, leaving Marcel and Connie on their own.
Being an A24 film I knew it would get deep. Marcel’s journey gives the audience a unique perspective of life, death, and community. In a modern world where we are more connected than ever but loneliness has been recognized as a universal health crisis. We could all learn something from this talented little shell and his grandmother. Be like Marcel and don’t get sanded down by life, stay connected to your community and know you are not just rattling around on your own!
It’s a beautifully poignant and quirky film. Despite its metaphysical and existential content, the film doesn’t take itself too seriously. Whether it’s Marcel making rope by winding together the pubic hairs he finds in the drain (he calls them ‘hardy hairs’) or sleeping on slices of bread referring to them as his ‘breadroom’. The film is painstakingly detailed and you can see its roots in a short film. It’s a delightful adventure that has something far bigger to say than its minuscule protagonist.
Five stars.
As an anime enthusiast and entertainment journalist, I’ve curated a list of the top five must-see anime series of 2024. These selections showcase the diversity and creativity that define the medium, offering compelling narratives and stunning animation.
Delicious in Dungeon
This series combines culinary arts with fantasy adventure, following a group of dungeon explorers who cook and eat the monsters they defeat. The unique premise and mouth-watering depictions of fantasy cuisine make it a standout this year. Kaiju No. 8
Set in a world plagued by kaiju attacks, the story centers on a protagonist who gains the ability to transform into a kaiju himself. The series offers a fresh take on the kaiju genre, blending action with deep character development.
Kaiju No. 8
Set in a world plagued by kaiju attacks, the story centers on a protagonist who gains the ability to transform into a kaiju himself. The series offers a fresh take on the kaiju genre, blending action with deep character development. Solo Leveling
Adapted from the popular web novel, this anime follows a weak hunter who becomes the world’s strongest after a mysterious system grants him unique abilities. Its dynamic animation and gripping storyline have captivated audiences worldwide.
Solo Leveling
Adapted from the popular web novel, this anime follows a weak hunter who becomes the world’s strongest after a mysterious system grants him unique abilities. Its dynamic animation and gripping storyline have captivated audiences worldwide. The Elusive Samurai
Set in feudal Japan, this historical series follows a young samurai who uses his agility and wit to survive in a turbulent era. The anime’s blend of historical context and engaging action sequences has garnered critical acclaim.
The Elusive Samurai
Set in feudal Japan, this historical series follows a young samurai who uses his agility and wit to survive in a turbulent era. The anime’s blend of historical context and engaging action sequences has garnered critical acclaim. Dragon Ball Daima
The latest installment in the iconic Dragon Ball franchise, this series introduces new transformations and challenges for Goku and his friends. Its high-octane battles and nostalgic elements appeal to both longtime fans and newcomers.
Dragon Ball Daima
The latest installment in the iconic Dragon Ball franchise, this series introduces new transformations and challenges for Goku and his friends. Its high-octane battles and nostalgic elements appeal to both longtime fans and newcomers. These anime series exemplify the innovation and storytelling prowess that continue to drive the medium’s global popularity. Whether you’re a seasoned otaku or new to anime, these titles are essential viewing for 2024.
Movie Review: Katamarayudu
You Are Not Ready for ‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On’
Top Five anime in 2024
Mechanic Rocky
Nosferatu
Did JD from Scrubs Have a Dark Past?
You Are Not Ready for ‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On’
‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Will Leave You Breathless
A Brief Review and History of A Year Without a Santa Claus
Is ‘Kraven the Hunter’ a Total Letdown?
Comic-Con 2024: Arthur C Clarke’s Venus Prime TV series
Comic-Con 2024: Max Collins’s TRUE NOIR
Comic-Con 2024: Will Wight’s Cradle
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