Hot Picks

- Ready for My Close Up 2019

- Talk of the Dead 2016

- Tower Rats 2020

- Script of the Dead 2024

- The Bell Affair 2023

- Easter Bloody Easter 2024

- Velma 2022

- Everwinter Night 2023

- Main Character Energy 2023

- Stupid Games 2024

- Bittertooth 2023

- 4 Minutes of Terror: Night Slasher 2024

- Apart 2024

- The Abandoned 2006

- Becky 2024

- The Evil Fairy Queen 2024

- The Black Guelph 2022

- Followers 2024

- Silence of the Prey 2024

- Battle for the Western Front 2024

- Beware the Boogeyman 2024

- Subject 101 2022

- Driftwood 2023

- The Legend of Lake Hollow 2024

- Black Mass 2023

- Skinwalkers: American Werewolves 2 2023

- The Manifestation 2024

- Spirit Riser 2024

- Garden of Souls 2019

- It's a Wonderful Slice 2024

- Caleb & Sarah 2024

- The Thousand Steps 2020

- The Desiring 2021

- When a Stranger Knocks 2024

- Quint-essentially Irish 2024

- Son of Gacy 2024

- Saltville 2024

- The True Story of the Christ's Return 2024

- Whenever I'm Alone with You 2023

- Jurassic Triangle 2024

- Midnight Peepshow 2022

- Offworld: Alien Planet 2024

- The Swiss Conspiracy 1976

- Sex-Positive 2024

- Here for Blood 2022

- All Over Again 2024

- The Color Yellow 2023

- Des Töchterleins Leid 2024

- I Am a Channel 2024

- The Hermits 2023

- Murdaritaville 2024

- Inheritance 2024

- The Devil's Partner 1960

- First Impressions Can Kill 2017

- A Killer Conversation 2014

- Star Crash 1979

- Strangler of the Swamp 1946

An Interview with Michael Klug, Star of Blood Covered Chocolate

by Mike Haberfelner

September 2022

Films starring Michael Klug on (re)Search my Trash

 

Quick Links

Abbott & Costello

The Addams Family

Alice in Wonderland

Arsène Lupin

Batman

Bigfoot

Black Emanuelle

Bomba the Jungle Boy

Bowery Boys

Bulldog Drummond

Captain America

Charlie Chan

Cinderella

Deerslayer

Dick Tracy

Dr. Mabuse

Dr. Orloff

Doctor Who

Dracula

Edgar Wallace made in Germany

Elizabeth Bathory

Emmanuelle

Fantomas

Flash Gordon

Frankenstein

Frankie & Annette Beach Party movies

Freddy Krueger

Fu Manchu

Fuzzy

Gamera

Godzilla

Hercules

El Hombre Lobo

Incredible Hulk

Jack the Ripper

James Bond

Jekyll and Hyde

Jerry Cotton

Jungle Jim

Justine

Kekko Kamen

King Kong

Laurel and Hardy

Lemmy Caution

Lobo

Lone Wolf and Cub

Lupin III

Maciste

Marx Brothers

Miss Marple

Mr. Moto

Mister Wong

Mothra

The Munsters

Nick Carter

OSS 117

Phantom of the Opera

Philip Marlowe

Philo Vance

Quatermass

Robin Hood

The Saint

Santa Claus

El Santo

Schoolgirl Report

The Shadow

Sherlock Holmes

Spider-Man

Star Trek

Sukeban Deka

Superman

Tarzan

Three Mesquiteers

Three Musketeers

Three Stooges

Three Supermen

Winnetou

Wizard of Oz

Wolf Man

Wonder Woman

Yojimbo

Zatoichi

Zorro

Your new movie Blood Covered Chocolate - in a few words, what is it about, and what can you tell us about your character in it?

 

It's a character drama, mixed up in a vampire horror flick. And for good measure, some family dysfunction, addiction and mental illness. Massimo is a very damaged person, really trying to get his life and love into order, so he can have a normal existence. But there are so many demons pulling him in different directions, and let's just say that he's very open to suggestion.

 

What did you draw upon to bring your character to life, and how much Michael Klug can we find in Massimo?

 

Fortunately, I've not had any addiction issues in my own life, to fully understand that side of Massimo. But in his quieter moments with Tien, that's when you'll see a little bit of the real me. I'm a softee at heart, so those more intimate moments were reasonably easy to access. On the other hand, in real life, I'm a tightly-wound ball of anxiety, so tapping into that for Massimo -- and to give him the oomph of stress and anxiety he's up against -- that was also an easy path to find.

 

How did you get involved with the project in the first place?

 

I offered feedback on an early draft of the script, then joined in a virtual table read of the piece several months later. There was no plan for me to be in the film, but at the last minute, an actor had to drop out of the project and I came on... with six days to prepare. The timing for my arrival on the project is nothing short of kismet. We shot in early 2021, and when I got the call, I was only two days past full vaccination status. Had it been a week or two before, I would have had to turn it down. Now that's timing!

 

To what extent can you identify with Blood Covered Chocolate's approach to the horror genre?

 

I appreciate character-driven horror overall. In my own screenwriting, I've always found it more interesting to stick characters with rough histories and overwhelming problems into these surreal situations. The scares are great and the horror is important, but making those things almost incidental to the plight of the characters, makes the experience more engaging. I think with Massimo, he's just so messed-up in so many ways. Putting him into this insane situation only heightens the problems he has as a person. And isn't that depth and difficult character journey what draws in and keeps an audience's attention?

 

What can you tell us about Blood Covered Chocolate's director Monte Light [Monte Light interview - click here], and what was your collaboration like?

 

Monte's a dear friend and a gifted collaborator. We've worked on multiple projects as actor/director and we've also helped out one another with honest feedback on countless script swaps. I have a small group of folks who get first dibs on any of my new scripts (to offer notes), and Monte is one of them. He's incredibly intelligent in life, and also in his film knowledge, so it's rare that I've not taken his insights, or in the case of being on set, his instructions as a director, to heart. He knows his stuff and he knows what he wants, so I trust him implicitly. And that's not to say that he doesn't make way for other opinions. I think if you're confident enough in what you want, and have a solid vision, there's no weirdness or resentment when someone offers other options which might be counter to your own ideas. Ultimately, he's down for whatever is going to make the project better.

 

A few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?

 

It was pretty quick pace. As I mentioned, I had about a week to prepare, so for me, it was simply about finding fast focus. It was a good environment overall, but I feel like I was somewhat detached from "the fun", since I just needed to be "on" for the entire shoot. Massimo's on virtually ever page.

 

Any future projects you'd like to share?

 

Nothing on the acting front, but I am working on my first novel (What the House Saw) which I hope to complete by the end of 2022. It's a semi-autobiographical, supernatural horror story. Once done, then the real work begins, as I start the search for publishers. And as is the norm, I've got multiple scripts in various stages of development/completion.

 

What got you into acting in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the subject?

 

I started acting when I was eight years old, in a stage production of Pinocchio (as a candlestick). And it's been a part of my life ever since. I was trained as a stage actor in college, receiving a BA in Theatre Arts as both an actor and a director. It's a cliché, but getting outside of my own problems, anxieties and triggers to deal with someone else's, is certainly freeing. While different, of course -- writing offers that same escape. Acting and writing are forms of therapy for me.

 

Every now and again, you can also be found on the other side of the camera - so what can you tell us about your behind-the-camera work, and which side do you actually prefer?

 

I love being on the other side of the camera, mostly as a writer. I picked up writing when I was ten (just a short time after my first acting gig), and that's now taken center stage in my creative work. I'm still relatively inexperienced in the director and producer positions, but those are definitely skills I'd like to continue to refine. At the moment, I would say I prefer to be an actor. It's an important piece of the filmmaking puzzle, but you're not juggling eight hundred other things (wardrobe, shot lists, makeup). You can focus on doing your character proper justice and that's basically it.

 

What can you tell us about your filmwork prior to Blood Covered Chocolate, in whatever position?

 

I've produced three of my own short films, which was challenging, but that's ultimately where I'd like to head. As an actor I've done four features and countless shorts. I also did one of those "real" courtroom television shows, which most scoff at, but it was a very fun experience, and it was ALL improv -- which for me, is quite daunting -- but I feel I pulled it off.   

 

How would you describe yourself as an actor, and some of your techniques to bring your character to life?

 

I think I benefit from being a writer. I understand dialogue from both sides, so I feel it makes it easier to interpret the writer's intentions, because I am a writer.  I also try to be a good listener, since -- as you know, acting is reacting, so you gotta keep your ears open and accept what the other actors are offering and respond appropriately.

 

Actors (and indeed actresses) who inspire you?

 

I'm a big fan of the GOAT, Meryl Streep. The way she inhabits any and all of her characters with seeming ease. I've never once seen her phone it in and to be that consistently good is just mind-blowing and inspiring. I've also had a lifelong love affair with all things Sigourney Weaver. I am also a devoted fan of the late, great John Candy. His ability to make you laugh and then a moment later, make you cry, is a rare gift. He is so sorely missed. Oh and anything with Lily Tomlin is an automatic win!

 

Your favourite movies?

 

I'm a horror fan through and through!  That being said, about a decade ago, I sat down and hashed out my Top 40 favorite films. Top Five: 5) Aliens 4) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) 3) Poltergeist (1982) 2) Murphy's Romance 1) Day of the Dead (1985). I'm a die-hard Romero fan. You'll also notice the oddball small town romantic comedy in spot #2. What can I say, I love all things grotesque and horrific, but still find time in my movie-obsessed life to enjoy a Sally Field/James Garner character romance.

 

... and of course, films you really deplore?

 

Anything that doesn't give the audience respect. I don't like to be spoonfed. And torture porn horror -- you really, really gotta earn the use of that particular brand of insanity for me to accept or tolerate it. If the story couldn't be told without it, then you're good. If you're doing it for a cheap thrill, that's a firm "no".

 

Your website, social media, whatever else?

 

Feeling lucky?
Want to
search
any of my partnershops yourself
for more, better results?
(commissions earned)

The links below
will take you
just there!!!

Find Michael Klug
at the amazons ...

USA  amazon.com

Great Britain (a.k.a. the United Kingdom)  amazon.co.uk

Germany (East AND West)  amazon.de

Looking for imports?
Find Michael Klug here ...

Thailand  eThaiCD.com
Your shop for all things Thai

My personal website is www.notmymess.com. And I have a screenplay consulting business called Klugula Screenplay Consulting (www.klugulascreenplayconsulting.com). My Twitter and IG handle is klugula. Facebook: Michael Klug

 

Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?

 

I'm so proud of what Monte and his team have accomplished with Blood Covered Chocolate. A character piece mixed in with a little romance, a little crime drama, a little family dysfunction and a good deal of horror. It looks fantastic, and I'm so happy that it fell into my lap!  And thanks for your time!

 

Thanks for the interview!

 

© by Mike Haberfelner


Legal note: (re)Search my Trash cannot
and shall not be held responsible for
content of sites from a third party.




Thanks for watching !!!



 

 

In times of uncertainty of a possible zombie outbreak, a woman has to decide between two men - only one of them's one of the undead.

 

There's No Such Thing as Zombies
starring
Luana Ribeira, Rudy Barrow and Rami Hilmi
special appearances by
Debra Lamb and Lynn Lowry

 

directed by
Eddie Bammeke

written by
Michael Haberfelner

produced by
Michael Haberfelner, Luana Ribeira and Eddie Bammeke

 

now streaming at

Amazon

Amazon UK

Vimeo

 

 

 

Robots and rats,
demons and potholes,
cuddly toys and
shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill
Your Bones to

is all of that.

 

Tales to Chill
Your Bones to
-
a collection of short stories and mini-plays
ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic
to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle, all thought up by
the twisted mind of
screenwriter and film reviewer
Michael Haberfelner.

 

Tales to Chill
Your Bones to

the new anthology by
Michael Haberfelner

 

Out now from
Amazon!!!