Results tagged “Scott Mantz” from Access Hollywood

Access Hollywood movie critic Scott Mantz is in Rome, Italy, to cover the junket for "Angels & Demons." Read his first blog on his foreign adventures here.

Today was supposed to be the easy day.  Just three interviews with "Angels & Demons" director Ron Howard and supporting actors Ayelet Zurer and Pierfrancesco Favino.  Get to the Sony Hospitality Suite at 3 PM, start
interviews at 3:30 PM, be done by 4:30 PM.  Piece of cake.  Or so we thought.

The interviews were supposed to take place on the roof, which makes
sense -- if you're gonna be in Rome, make it look like Rome.  Otherwise,
what's the point of flying thousands of miles when you can just drive a
few miles to to get to the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills?

I'll never forget when I was asked the question...

"Mantz, did you read 'Angels & Demons?'"

Little did I realize where this was leading: to Rome, where the junket for the film version of "A&D" was going to take place.  Makes perfect sense, since most of it was filmed there.  But since I was never there before, I was both excited and nervous about the prospect of traveling halfway around there world to a country where they literally didn't speak my language.

Turns out that getting there was the hardest part.  Catch a flight to
Chicago, then run down three gates to catch my connection to Rome (with
just 20 minutes to spare -- fun!).  Between the length of both flights
and the time change, I was gonna hit some serious jet lag.  And as for
sleeping on the plane...well, fuggedaboudit.

By the time I landed, grabbed my bags and got to my hotel -- the Boscolo
Exedra in the heart of Rome -- I was way too excited to to take a nap (I
mean, really?).  I also had just a couple hours to check in, get my
computer up and running and, of course, see the movie.

I've been working for Access Hollywood for almost 9 years. In that time, I've interviewed a lot of celebrities, and I learned very early on not to get star-struck. That would have been the kiss of death to my career as a producer and, later, as a film critic.

But then there was the new "Star Trek." And with that came Leonard Nimoy, who has been one of my lifelong heroes after playing Spock for 43 years. When I knew I was going to interview him, I got really excited. Then I got nervous, which is -- dare I say it -- logical, given how much "Star Trek" has meant to me for, well, all my life. (Without giving my age away, let's just say it rhymes with "shmorty!")

When I sat down for the interview, I showed Nimoy that I was wearing a "Star Trek" tee shirt, and I explained that I cannot remember a time in my life when I wasn't a huge "Star Trek" fan. I also explained that "Star Trek" changed my life, and if it wasn't for "Star Trek," I wouldn't be where I am now -- living in LA and reviewing movies for Access Hollywood. He then proceeded to call security, and I was dragged kicking and screaming from the Four Seasons.

Seriously, I told him that although I was really excited, I was also really nervous to see new actors playing the characters that I've loved all my life. But then I saw the movie, and I loved it -- it's a "Star Trek" movie for everyone. He's very happy that the new movie is appealing to so many people outside the fan base, but "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (which he directed, as I pointed out!) also appealed to non-Trekkers. I explained how important it was for "Star Trek" to appeal to everyone, and when I started to quote "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" by saying, "The needs of the many outweigh..." he finished the quote with "...the needs of the few or the one!" We had a moment.

I was watching last Friday's episode of "Battlestar Galactica," and it finally hit me: Only 3 more episodes to go before this landmark series comes to a close after 4 spectacular seasons on the Sci-Fi Channel. It may not have been a huge ratings hit (like, say, "American Idol" or "Dancing with the Stars"), but "Galactica" - or "BSG," as it has come to be known - was thought-provoking TV at its finest, thanks to great stories and complex characters.

Of course, I still have the DVDs, which I plan watching again from the beginning. Then there's "Caprica," the prequel series that will turn back the clock to depict how the 12 colonies of humanity sealed their fate by creating the dreaded Cylons in the first place.

But the process of having brand-new episodes of "BSG" to look forward to will be gone, which means my Friday nights will be free again. At least there's solace to not being able to see "Galactica's" finest in uniform, since I'll be able to see their work on other shows.

Comeback star Mickey Rourke won Best Actor at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday for his role in "The Wrestler" -- his speech was funny, moving and outrageous as usual (filled with profanity and sex jokes)!

He dedicated his award to his late dog Loki (almost cried), and he went on about how Eric Roberts should be given the second chance that he got!

And he gave a shout-out to Marisa Tomei, who played a stripper in "The Wrestler."

"Not many girls can climb the pole," he said of his co-star. "She climbed the pole, and she did it well."

If he wins Best Actor tonight, those sensors at ABC better be on 5-second delay!