I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.
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Michael Shannon of THE MISSING PERSON – Interview
It’s not every day when you are lucky enough to talk to an actor who was not only nominated for an Academy Award for his work in a film like REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, getting edged out by Heath Ledger for his role in THE DARK KNIGHT, but who was also in GROUNDHOG DAY. Honestly, between the former and the latter I am not sure what warrants more kudos but I do know that his work in the new film THE MISSING PERSON is one of the brightest spots in films for 2009.
To talk with Michael is to really love the guy. He speaks with the kind of thoughtfulness and consideration you wish people in your everyday life would use and seems to exude the sense that he’s always observing, always taking in his surroundings. Being an Academy Award nominee ought to have put him in rarefied air but as he expresses below, he does look forward to the day when he can play a role where people aren’t instinctively afraid of him. I floated the idea of a romantic comedy but I think we both agree that project might be a wee premature. Regardless of the personas he puts on like a finely tailored suit, Michael Shannon still is one to watch and in THE MISSING PERSON he is effortless in the way he navigates a film that showcases his best talents as an actor.
THE MISSING PERSON is now showing.
MICHAEL SHANNON: Hey Chris.
CHRISTOPHER STIPP:Â Hey Michael.
SHANNON: How are you?
CS: I’m doing fine. How is your press day going?
SHANNON: Good. We are having fun.
CS:Â Is this really a fun part of making a movie that you get to answer the same questions over and over again?
SHANNON: You know, I don’t mind it. It’s been a while since I made the movie so it’s fun to go back and think about it.
CS: How is that? That it takes a while for a movie to get made and takes a little while for it to get out there ““ do you ever get anxious for people to see what you’ve done or are you kind of off doing your next thing once you’re done with a film?
SHANNON: For me it’s like pushing a little boat onto the lake or something. It sails away and you’re not sure if you are going to see it again. You just move on and go onto the next thing. A lot of actors won’t even watch their own movies. I’m not of that school. I actually try to enjoy watching the movie if, and when, it comes out because you work really hard on a movie and I like to see the end result. But I certainly don’t wait around waiting for it to happen. You have to go on and do the next thing.
CS: Getting the part seemed ““ just to read it on the surface seems like it was relatively easy. You had a friend in Amy Ryan and she just happened to pull you along where you got to meet Noah. Was the process just as smooth as the story makes it out to be?
SHANNON: Well, I did a reading of it and reading are always kind of weird. I don’t like doing a reading of a screenplay. It’s such a visual medium. We sat around and read it and it really read well. The dialogue was cryptic and it was just a really fun night. And I think Noah, for whatever reason after the reading, he just felt comfortable with me doing the part. Obviously, at least at that time, he could have hired profile names for that part and it would have made it easier to finance and distribute but Noah doesn’t really care about any of that. He goes with his gut. He’s a very instinctual person.
CS: Yes. I talked with him about the film and yes, he amazes me that someone like that can still survive in this business, where it’s not a commodity that can be packaged and bubble wrapped, it makes it a tough sell but it seemed like he still got on the film what he intended to have there with his script.
SHANNON: In his own quiet way, he’s a real warrior. He had to deal with a lot of uncertainty and doubt from a lot of people but he had a vision and held to it. That’s why I’m so happy that this film is going to get a life. If anyone deserves to have a film out there it’s him.
CS: It absolutely is and it was no hyperbole yesterday when I told him it was one of the better movies I’ve seen this year. It’s wholly original, wholly it’s own, and you just unfortunately don’t get to see a lot of these films that aren’t spawned by a sequel, or prequel or reboot or rehash.
SHANNON: Right.
CS:Â It must have been appealing to you as an actor to take something that was completely, start from scratch.
SHANNON: There are two instances for me when I have just been blown away by reading the screenplay without even going into production or anything. And this one, was one of them and the other was Shotgun Stories. Both of them, just on the page, were very substantial and original and about something meaningful. In a way, instead of Noah and Jeff Nichols from Shotgun Stories, there are some similarities. They are both very quiet, very thoughtful and they are really two of my favorites. I hope to work with Noah a lot more. It’s hard to tell what his next move will be. It’s hard for him in this business because he has some standards that he’s not going to let go of. He’s also not a showy person by nature.
CS: Right. I don’t see him directing the next installment of X-Men anytime soon.
(Laughs)
SHANNON: Exactly.
CS: The character for you was obviously on the page but you had to interpret it in your own way. What did you see in this character? What humanity did you bring to it off the page? What did you see in it?
SHANNON: To me it starts with 9/11. It’s starts with a man who’s life was ruined on 9/11 and was not able to carry on, which is something that all identify with, at least in our imaginations, if we have not experienced it personally. A huge sense of loss and a huge sense of giving up and at the beginning of the film he’s in this pit of darkness and despair and living in a haze of booze and cigarette smoke. And Miss Charley comes to begin to pull him out of his funk because at the end of the day that’s the bottom line that 9/11 happened. The world didn’t stop and we all had to figure out a way to deal with it and move on. Noah is from New York, born and raised and 9/11 was a huge deal for him and I think in a lot of ways this is his way of trying to deal with it.
CS: In my notes I have that it doesn’t feel like a statement about 9/11 but just happens to be like a fact. It’s not something that needs to have a spotlight shown on it. It seems like it’s important to the character because that’s how he starts out. That’s how we get to know him. But it feels like something that has happened but nothing that needs any more context other than that.
SHANNON: There certainly isn’t any moralizing going on. It’s not like lessons being taught. It’s just about the people. It’s about John and the other missing person. The person I’m trying to find. It’s about the decisions that they make. It’s not, will I be able to love again or feel again.
CS: It almost feels like, and not to be cliché about it, but he literally has nothing else to loose. If any number of things could have been put in front of him to do that might have been slightly dangerous or some kind of thrill, he’s got to feel like there is nothing else there ““ just kind of numb to everything around him. It’s interesting that he choose to couch this film sort of with a noir tinge and I can’t think of any recent films that want to try and marry the modern experience with noir but it fits right in. How did he explain it to you?
SHANNON: Noah didn’t explain much of anything to me. I think a lot of times the contract between an actor and director is basically if you are able to mesh them and give them the confidence that you will show up at a reasonable facsimile in their imagination, which I think I did at the meeting, they don’t really get in your face too much when you’re working. For me, a film noir is dark, black. I can’t think of an even that would make more sense to marry film noir than 9/11. It seems almost a childlike simplistic marriage. So I wasn’t very conscious of trying to act in any particular style. But, I’m sure a lot of it comes from the subconscious. We all like to play and pretend and this detective is an art type in our collective consciousness. I can’t name any person that I’m trying to copy or emulate but I know it’s all in there and when I put that suit on and stumble around I’m just playing at the same icon that other people have played before me.
CS: But it’s not one we’ve seen in a long time. At least if you were to open up the paper and look at the movie listings it’s not something that’s really in vogue to do.
SHANNON: I guess there’s a risk of it seeming dated ““ if people can see something coming I guess they are more likely to find it distasteful. It’s a hard thing to pull off without seeming like you are weeping about it. So I guess that’s why I didn’t want to go back and watch any of the classic movies because I didn’t want to go back and then show up imitating someone. I wanted to show up and be there and react.
CS: Was it a fluid process on the set? This isn’t a Pearl Harbor, it wasn’t a mega production. Is there an intimacy, to put it like that, when you are on a set this size that you don’t get on a major film set?
SHANNON: Oh yes. It was very intimate. What I enjoyed about it was that it was hard. There were long days. We shot the movie very quickly. We typically would do a couple, maybe three, scenes a day. I was always working. I wasn’t sitting around much which I enjoy. I think it helps the film. It’s a better atmosphere. More conducive to good acting than sitting around for hours and hours doing nothing.
CS: I know that this question seems sort of far off field but looking to see how you got your start with Ground Hog Day and I lived in Illinois and actually visited the set when I was still in high school. Just as an idea or a thought, Amy has been in the office and your roles as of late has been quite heavy and dramatic, any romantic comedies coming out of you any time soon?
SHANNON: I don’t know. It’s a hard time in the business in general. There’s not a lot of people making big risks right now. I got real close on a James Brooks film actually. I was in a callback and it went through my mind while l was auditioning that this would really surprise people. This would be the thing that would dispel all these lines of thoughts that I’m some crazy guy.
(Laughs)
And I think because I had that thought consciously, it made me very nervous and wasn’t able to audition well enough to get the part. So, it’s kind of like, I don’t know, maybe I need to go to a sport psychologist or something to fix the pitcher that can’t throw his curve ball anymore because he’s so worried about it getting knocked out of the park.
But, I don’t want to spend my whole life playing people that other people are scared of. The thing is, John is a funny guy and a sweet guy. He certainly ends up being sweet and funny with Miss Charley and he gets his stuff together in the end and stops drinking so I think it’s kind of uplifting in a way, this film.
CS:Â It absolutely is and I know my time is done but it is a great film that showcases what you are really capable of doing and your whole body of work does that and I really do hope that it opens the eyes to some people who might see you now in a more kind light.
SHANNON: Thank you Chris, I really appreciate that.
Oh no! Just when you thought it was safe to hang out at the Quick Stop…
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I suppose I am what you could call a “Multi-Instrumentalist”. That is a nice way of saying “Jack-of-all-trades, Master-of-none”. I began playing drums as a teenager and spent a great deal of energy during my 20’s trying to “make it” in the music biz. As a drummer, I have had the opportunity to play with some pretty incredible musicians, garnering literally DOZENS of fans over the years. In 2004 I joined the band Celestial Static, and spent several years melting some face with good friends Jeremy and Julie Elzerman. Once that ran its course, I decided to spend more time locked away in my studio, writing my own songs and learning to play guitar, bass and sing. It doesn’t pay the bills, but I have a good time doing it.
Edric is a returning veteran of the Masters of Song Fu competition. He has been writing music (off and on) since the early nineties. He wrote and directed a musical, The Pushcart War, based on Jean Merrill’s wonderful novel. He has written and/or arranged a number of songs for various friends – some commissioned, some as surprises. He loves acting in community theatre, and is inspired by the music of Stephen Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown, Adam Guettel, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Also – feel free to check out (and add to!) the “Happiness Board” on his web pages!
I’m “BucketHat” Bobby Matheson. I used to make cartoons for the internet, and sometimes still do, but mostly focus on my music right now. I write and record my songs solo, in my little make-shift studio, and when I play live, I often get some help from friends. Some of my music is funny, and some isn’t. More often than not, the humour is unintentional. My Influences range from Klezmer to folk, to punk and back again, which ends up sounding more like Zydeco than anything else (who’d have guessed?). I’ve been described as a “Cajun Buddy Holly” and an “Optimistic Elvis Costello”. It’s been said that I sound like “That guy from the Barenaked Ladies” and a “Nasaly Bob Dylan”. One of these days, I hope to have a description that is accurate.
Legends foretell of a mighty duo, born in the frozen North. Two neighbors and friends will unite to form “Godz Poodlz” and battle the Mazters or Song Fu for glory and bragging rights! Godz Poodlz are Rüss Rogers and Rod Durre. Russ Rogers was once a member of “Kit and Kaboodle” (still available on iTunes) and currently performs in “Rusty’s Rocking Jamboree!” Rhod Durre was in the Goth Rock Band, “Sear!” Beware the Godz Poodlz Ear Worm! Godz Poodlz songs are bright, funny and tenaciously catchy. Come join Godz Poodlz Legionz of Fanz!
Bram Tant is a Belgian coputer science student with a distinct love for music. Ever since going to music school as a kid, he’s enjoyed singing and playing the guitar, and has been writing songs for some years now. While he’s still learning to play the guitar, sing and write songs better, he improves with each attempt, and he makes up for it (and the lack of proper recording equipment) with his passion and enthusiasm. He would like to become a professional musician someday, but for now he’s satisfied with writing and performing for friends, family, and strangers on the internet.
Manitcess are Susanne Wolff (Lupa) on vocals and Johannes Schult (Jutze) on guitar. The duo plays melodic song somewhere between pop, folk and rock. Melodies are more important than trends. The band has already played various gigs in Germany and Switzerland and is eager to entertain – or better to enchant their audience with their musical tales.
In the far off land of Chandler, Arizona, where the rivers flow with sand and cacti, our leader and master, the Lord of Our Lady Gwynyth, guitar and microphone in hand, called for the greatest musicians in the land to assemble a rock and roll group like none other. Unfortunately, they were cut off on the road, and the Jalapeño Habañeros made it there first. With The Rogue Bohemian on saxophone and The Boxcar Bassist on bass and keyboards, the Lord was pleased. Now, they roam the streets of Chandler, playing epic songs and rocking faces, much like Bon Jovi. Unfortunately they are paid in change, and often get thrown into the street, also like Bon Jovi. Their lives have intertwined, and the era of the Jalapeño Habañeros has begun. Be prepared.
Hi, my name is Timothy. I like me. I like my school, I like my friends. I like to play the music. I very much enjoy the peoples. Thank you.
They are not some traveling country hillbilly act. They are celebrating the year of Jubilee in the form of ukulele based indie pop. They are Akiva Misto and Eliana Bartimeus and they are prepared to rock your yarmulkes!
Peter is a person of sorts. Since his birth he has consistently occupied himself with a variety of time consuming and completely un-noteworthy activities. Despite this breadth of experience he remains untalented in the ways of writing all encompassing 600 word essays. He does, however, greatly enjoy the rare treat that is writing about oneself in the third person, especially when such a gift should be presented to him at the wonderful time of 4AM. Peter now supposes that since this a musical competition he is entering, he might want to include something about that in his bio. At the way too old age of 18, Peter first attempted to play music. His guitar teacher warned him that he was much to old to begin training, and that he would probably be an emotionally unstable musician that would eventually turn to the dark side. Peter took no heed to this warning, and indeed dropped out of guitar lessons fairly quickly, realizing that he enjoyed learning much more when done alone. In the year and a half since then, Peter has been on a steady rise and will no doubt be taking the musical world by storm in the coming year. Perhaps his greatest musical moment came in December of 2008, when his Christmas caroling band, The Sizzle, took his small hick town by storm with a door to door tour through the suburbs, melting the figurative face of listeners with a funk/rap cover of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. In 2009 Peter has become active in the youtube community, known not for his music but for his notorious use of stop-motion eating scenes and a DIY laugh track. Hoping to hone his barely existing musical skills through the pressure of competition, Peter joins Round 5 of Song Fu. He sincerely hopes that rewriting this bio at a later date will be an option. The Peter Is Competing.
Josh was born in Canada, which probably explains more about him than anything else he could put in a bio. He plays the accordion, is self-taught on the piano, and highly enjoys playing and writing for both – though he rarely finishes anything without a deadline. With this grueling contest, he hopes to push himself to unleash the best Fu he possibly can… and hell, maybe even some he impossibly can. YARRR!
Many folks say that Aaron Z is a pretty cool guy. He plays too many instruments, but mostly piano & guitar. He wastes too much of his free time writing and performing music, which has been known to make people laugh, tough men cry, and ladies melt in his arms. His current projects include Orange Box: The Musical! and A Tribute to the Letter E. He likes food cooked with mushrooms and his favorite ice-creams are vanilla-based, not chocolate-based. Check out his music, including his previously-weekly but now faux-weekly music project on his website, plus his other cool music.
I’m Joe Covenant. I’m Scottish. And never have enough time to do everything I wanna! Been singing and perfoming for over 40 years… (yes, I am 46.)… and I’ve nearly learned a 6th chord! Everything I do. I do for Song Fu. (If not for this ‘contest’ I would have never met and collaborated with so many talented people.)
Lex Vader was born to a single mother who worked as silicon tycoon’s personal assistant. When she died of poor hygiene, Lex was sent to an orphanage where he showed interest in organizing races and laser fencing. After being recruited into a religious order, he spent the next few years between several of their private schools. In his final year, Lex lost his hand in an argument with a professor over Kryptochlorians. Despite this, Lex was able to achieve a successful business career and even a knighthood. Tragedy struck, however, when a former classmate’s arctic home caught fire during a business lunch, scarring half of Lex’s face. At this point, Lex’s behavior became erratic. When he managed to buy SithCo, the cult that schooled him, he was shunned by the corporate world. No longer taken seriously, Lex started an evil empire and now moonlights with his evil emotronic alternapop band.
Caleb became a software engineer instead of a musician because the type of music he likes best went out of style at the end of the 18th century. Self-taught in music theory, he is more comfortable writing a four-part instrumental fugue than he is writing a verse-chorus-bridge song. After discovering the likes of Weird Al, Dr. Horrible, and especially Jonathan Coulton, he realized that “modern music” can be fun too. Now he is on a quest to update, expand, and diversify his musical knowledge and experience. In addition to singing, he plays a whole family of recorders, baroque flute, ukulele, melodica, pretends to play keyboard, and most recently, guitar. He also uses virtual MIDI instruments because a real orchestra costs too much.
Sometimes two people get together who are destined to make history. Sometimes they are born into the same family. zer0guy is the musical/life-partnership of Jon and Dan Kelly, long time musicians looking forward to placing notes in your head.
My current project is writing A Song a Day (Rock Cookie Bottom), and my former projects include The Last Nympho Leprechaun, a rock opera, The Mario Opera, a rock opera, GameJew, a web show, and The Mushroom Singdom, singing old school video game reviews. 
Sara Parsons is a twenty-year-old music composition student from northern California. She participated in Masters of Song Fu #4 and had a blast and met a ton of great people. She hopes she’s better at writing songs than she is at writing her own biography.
Chas Lilly is a man that needs introduction. He is geeky but hopefully without being boring. He has been known to write songs about Pluto, Tim Allen, funerals, and everything in between. People often describe his music as “music”.
My name is Kylie, and I’m your everyday 17-year-old girl with a passion for music. I’ve been writing my own songs since I was ten years old, and nothing is more fun for me than to sit down with my guitar and unwind. I’d like to use Masters of Song Fu to really challenge myself, and hopefully grow as a musical artist.
I am a young musician who plays trombone, guitar, ukulele, piano, melodica, and a little bit of harmonica. I play everything from rock songs with distortion pedals on ukulele, to rap medleys on piano, to sappy love songs and songs about the internet crashing on guitar. This is my first time in Song Fu.
I’m just a kid with a guitar. Sometimes I even play it.
Simmbiosis – three part band. Defies the usual type or brand. A combo bred, in this strange head. The obscene voice the unseen hand. Terpsichore and muse imbued. Perverse perhaps a little rude. Music composed, a life exposed. Giving you all I can exude. Studio C where I compose. Club Bed where I take my repose. Iniquity, safe haven for me. The rest you’ll just have to suppose. To be among this crowd, auspicious. An honor bordering on delicious. Thanks to View Askew, I’ll whip out my Song Fu. And work not to be repetitious, repetitious, repetitious.
Denise Hudson is doing Song Fu again because last time the contest gave her a rush that she’d never had before. She is thinking this contest will help her further her career in the frightening world, the scary internet (ack!), and in Austin – a city in which there are many Live Music Capitalists of the World. She’s hoping to avoid mixdown mixups, to master her mastering, and hopefully… not become a twittasaurus rex. She’d like to thank her friends – local, national, international, intergalactic, and those from the beyond. Peace, Love, and Grapenuts.
Richard Kelly does not make “normal” movies, that is, films in the style or manner of the day, and especially not the cookie cutter style of storytelling found in most studio pictures or CBS police procedurals. The better art films, on the other hand, follow either the style of, say, Terence Mallick’s Badlands, which is also the new “international” style, somewhat distanced from the action and often visually beautiful and about “real” people, or they follow the juiced up musical Scorsese style of Mean Streets. 