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John C. McGinley: Stan Miller, the Opposite of Lancelot

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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?

John C. McGinley - Stan Miller the Opposite of Lancelot - Courtesy of IFC

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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‘Abigail’: Bite Me Harder Tiny Dancer

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A gang of misfit kidnappers find their tiny target far more bloodthirsty than they bargained for! 

So, unfortunately, the trailers gave it away and let’s be real that’s why most of us are here, the knowledge that the kidnap victim Abigail (Alisha Weir), codenamed by the would-be kidnappers appropriately as ‘tiny dancer’, is in fact, a vampire. Not a spoiler, point of fact, one of the film’s actual great selling points. And the reactions from the misfit club when faced with a real actual f*cking vampire, range hilariously from the blunt “no such thing as vampires” all the way to, “Are we talking True Blood or Twilight rules or what?” all while covered in buckets and buckets of blood. 

Anyway, the gang manages to subdue and abscond with the aforementioned Abigail, in a pre-prepared duffle bag, like you do, and converge to a new location, a house oddly similar to the one she was just taken from. Welcomed and given codenames by a man who introduces himself as Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito), our misfit club is told to simply hold down the fort in this strange old house with the girl chained up in a room and one person to attend her, for twenty-four hours, and they’ll all get paid. 

As inevitable as the tides, the dopey druggie Dean (Angus Cloud) is the first to die, and we’re going to give that death-style points for inspiring terror right off the bat. The very controlling Frank (Dan Stevens, holy crap yes that is the guy from FXs Legion) is also of course the most suspicious – of everyone around him, sure, but also he himself is totes sus. We don’t learn terribly much about the musclebound tank who gets dubbed Peter (Kevin Durand), he’s your pretty typical little-brains-heart-of-gold muscle-for-hire any proper gang needs, right down to the bottle problem. Sammy (Kathryn Newton), well, even for being a purported hacker-type, she has, like, reality issues. Rickles (William Catlett), he’s arguably the most dangerous among them, ex-military and yet somehow here and involved in kidnapping for a few mills. Joey (Melissa Barrera) is our Final Girl, and though she has the inevitable problems in her recent past, she seems more capable of doing the hard thing and still somehow empathizing at the end of the day. Must be her burning desire to get back with her son. 

The fit hits the shan pretty quickly, and Abigail morphs from tiny dancer to tiny monster, though honestly, the way Abigail spoke the entire time in the film, if the ‘nappers had been paying close enough attention, would have been a solid clue. The performance from Alisha Weir as Abigail is incredible, as she literally dances a fine line between comedy, tragedy, and outright monstrosity. With a face full of makeup and the force of a tiny tornado to back it up, Weir brings to mind the great performances of the vampires in 30 Days of Night who saw the practicality in the need to trap their food, but also, play with it a bit first before feasting! Anything else would give away the absolute fun time that is Abigail, so you should go see it, out in theaters now!

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Scrubs Reunion: The Band Gets Back Together

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Fans of the beloved medical comedy series Scrubs were recently treated to a thrilling surprise when John C. McGinley, who portrayed the iconic Dr. Perry Cox, dropped a photo on Twitter hinting at a potential reunion project. The image, showing McGinley alongside his former co-stars, sparked a wave of excitement and speculation among fans who have been longing for more adventures with the beloved Sacred Heart Hospital staff.

While details about the reunion project are still scarce, the mere possibility of seeing the gang back together again has sent waves of nostalgia through fans who fondly remember the show’s original run from 2001 to 2010. Scrubs was not just a sitcom; it was a heartfelt exploration of friendship, love, and the chaotic world of medicine, all wrapped up in a quirky and often hilarious package.

At the heart of the show was the bromance between JD (played by Zach Braff) and Turk (played by Donald Faison), whose antics and deep bond served as the emotional anchor for the series. Their dynamic, along with the sage wisdom (and relentless sarcasm) of Dr. Cox, provided viewers with memorable moments that have stood the test of time.

As we eagerly await more news about the Scrubs reunion project, one thing is for sure: it’s time to dust off those old DVDs, rewatch our favorite episodes, and get ready to welcome back our favorite gang of doctors, nurses, and janitors for what promises to be a memorable reunion.

But Scrubs was more than just its main characters. The supporting cast, including the eccentric Janitor (played by Neil Flynn), the neurotic Elliot (played by Sarah Chalke), and the wise-cracking nurse Carla (played by Judy Reyes), each brought their own unique flavor to the show, creating a rich tapestry of characters that fans grew to love.

While the photo shared by McGinley has fueled speculation about what the reunion project might entail, whether it’s a one-off special, a new season, or something else entirely, one thing is certain: fans are eagerly awaiting any opportunity to dive back into the world of Sacred Heart Hospital.

In an age where reboots and revivals are commonplace, Scrubs stands out as a series that has the potential to recapture the magic that made it a fan favorite in the first place. With its blend of humor, heart, and unforgettable characters, a reunion project has the opportunity to not only satisfy longtime fans but also introduce a new generation to the joys of life at Sacred Heart.

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‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’: Rebellion with a cause

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The story of the rise of Coriolanus Snow, from teenage Capital City pawn to rising Dictator of the Hunger Games! 

Apparently no one out here in post-apocalyptic Panem has heard of irony and so they name their children things like Coriolanus (Tom Blyth), Tigress, and further off in Hunger Games lore, after swamp plants like Katniss. Corio’s father was a legendary general and that is pretty much the only reason young Snow and his meager family of grandmother called Grandma’am (Fionnula Flanagan) and sister Tigress (Hunter Schafer) are tolerated here in the Capital City at all. 

Most of the snotty youngsters at the academy won’t let Snow forget how far his family has fallen, but he’s generally not concerned with them. What is concerning is the strong disapproval of the drugged-up Dean Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage) and the creepy attention of Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis) as she lurks in the classroom sniffing out talent. The Dean feels very strongly the annual Hunger Games should end, while Gaul is violently adamant that not only do the Games continue, but that they get as much more attention as possible. And young Snow is stuck in the middle, when the yearly prize money normally awarded to the academy student with the best grades gets switched out for, you guessed it, the student that can make this years’ Hunger Games as entertaining as possible. 

Whilst the students are protesting this sudden change, the annual Reaping is about to commence, and big shock and surprise, Corio’s candidate from District 12 Lucy Grey Baird (Rachel Zegler) is chosen as a Tribute. This is where the film begins to really take off on musical wings, for as it turns out, Lucy Grey can sing. Boy, can that gal sing! She can sing, she can play guitar, she can work a crowd, she can calm things down, she can fire ‘em up too! And Corio, being no dummy himself, instantly plots ways to use his Tributes amazing voice to draw attention to her, and admittedly his own, plight! 

Though far too many people sneer at the idea, Corio takes his position as Mentor to his Tribute seriously enough to sneak onto the tram taking the Tributes to their habitat, which turns out to be a completely appropriate moniker, as this year the Tributes are held before the Hunger Games in a large zoo habitat so the weatherman ‘Lucky’ Flickerman (Jason Schwartzman), host of this years games, can MC the hell out of everything up close and personal! 

What happens at this years Hunger Games and the subsequent consequences to both Corio and Lucy Grey is actually only half the story, and the movie. Coriolanus has always had to be opportunistic, but learning to be absolutely ruthless when necessary under the tutelage of Dr. Gaul, who basically thinks it’s always best to be merciless, is an eye-opening education indeed.  Even after they’ve both been consigned to military service and his friend Sejanus Plinth (Josh Andres Rivera) decides to finally rebel, Corio and Sejanus continue to deceive each other and themselves, to accomplish their separate goals. Not even the love Corio swears he feels for Lucy Grey can save him, or them, from the adamant absolute necessity of the Hunger Games continuing. And after all that’s happened, Coriolanus Snow has gotten a terrific education in the best way to be the absolutely ruthless next Hunger Games advocate, and oh yeah, President of Panem. 

The movie does itself no favors by trying to stuff not one but two major storylines and a bunch of side storylines sadly introduced and then ignored, into the film. It would have been entirely possible to turn Ballads of Songbirds and Snakes into two different movies, separated between feathers and scales if you like, and do justice to the major storylines in both. Blyth gives a fine  performance as a young Coriolanus Snow, but the fact that President Snow is played by Donald Sutherland in all three of the Hunger Games films means Blyth has incredibly large shoes to fill. Rachel Zegler as Lucy Grey is absolute fire, and yes the actress did sing the songs in the film herself, including the Hunger Games franchise epic song, ‘The Hanging Tree’. Every time Lucy Grey opens her mouth and sheer soul-searing music comes out, it provides a distinct counterpoint to the soul-crushing ambition of Coriolanus Snow and further demonstrates the District and Caste separation Hunger Games is known for. And if, by the end of the film, Coriolanus Snow has come to agree that the Hunger Games must continue but perhaps under his own auspices, he has no one but himself to blame when another younger but still rebellious female blows it all up in his face! 

Choose rebellion or conformity for yourself in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

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