SEX AND THE SYMPHONY with Tenor Mario Frangoulis

By Slavica Monczka,  Courtesy of Seductively French (www.SeductivelyFrench.com)One look at operatic tenor Mario Frangoulis and it will be made perfectly clear to you why he has been referred to as the Sex and the Symphony of concert halls. However, there is so much more to Frangoulis than what meets the eye. First and foremost is his divine voice that has brought him to international stardom. With all this global fame, Frangoulis has also been...

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Billy Bob Thornton: The Hollywood Interview

Actor/Filmmaker/Musician Billy Bob Thornton. BILLY BOB'S TRIPLE THREAT By Alex SimonEditor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the November 2001 issue of Venice Magazine. Few Hollywood insiders have lived the real-life Cinderella stories they often portray on-screen like Billy Bob Thornton has. Born in Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1955, Thornton's years of struggle on the fringes of Hollywood were finally rewarded when his writing/directing/starring...

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From Coast to Coast: Ryan O'Nan Brings THE BROOKLYN BROTHERS to the Santa Barbara Film Festival

by Terry KeefeAs Sundance draws to a close this week, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival revs up its annual star-studded event, which includes the U.S. premiere of The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best, one of the surprise hits of the most recent Toronto Film Festival. Brooklyn Brothers was written and directed by Ryan O’Nan, who also stars in the film and who has been having what could be modestly described as a “breakout year.” O’Nan composed...

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Best Actor Nominee Demian Bichir: The Hollywood Flashback Interview

I sat down with actor Demian Bichir during the final months of 2008, when he was appearing in “The Waters of Babylon” at the Geffen Playhouse. Since then, Bichir has become a recognizable face north of the U.S.-Mexico border following his lauded turn in last year’s indie hit “A Better Life,” for which he was tapped with a Best Actor Oscar nomination yesterday. DEMIAN BICHIR DRINKS FROM THE WATERS OF BABYLON, FIGHTS A REVOLUTION WITH CHE AND...

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SLAMDANCE TURNS 18: Talking with Festival Co-Founder Dan Mirvish on the State of the Indie

David Mirvish, filmmaker and Slamdance Co-Founder By Terry KeefeAs the Sundance Film Festival gets underway this week, the neighboring  Slamdance Film Festival also kicks off its 18thedition in Park City as well. This writer was there for the first Slamdance Film Festival in 1995, where a small group of the festival’s founding filmmakers were screening their films in whatever venues were available, including restaurants, and soliciting...

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