Dominic Santana, a STAR in making, on his BIG BREAK as Suge Knight in "All Eyez On Me"

Dominic Santana is one of those actors that have the talent, the brains and the heart to be great. A hard working actor, who started his journey doing background work 10 years ago, and then moved on to TV roles and independent films. He gets his first real BIG BREAK in "All Eyez On Me", playing the real life character of Suge Knight, Tupac's parter, producer and friend, who was the co-founder & CEO of Death Row records. And he brings it ON. He's charming, he's fierce, he's loyal, he's a gangster, he's a businessman, he's lil crazy, and he's cool. I'm talking about Dominic's Suge Knight, in the movie. Dominic gives a strong and wonderful performance in the movie, that calls for his own spin off for a Suge Knight/Death Row Records Movie.

We had an opportunity to talk to Dominic recently, before release of "All Eyez ON Me" (Releasing June 16th, 2017). And here it is...

Art SHrian, from MyNewYorkEye interviews Actor Dominic Santana (playing Suge Knight) from Tupac Biopic "All Eyez On Me "

Casting for "ALL EYEZ ON ME" & working with director Benny Boom

In conversation with Dominic Santana, co-starring in "All Eyez On Me" as Suge Knight, co-founder & CEO of Death Row Records. #AllEyezOnMe #Tupac #TupacBiopic #TupacMovie

Tupac & Suge were true partners, they were like family

In conversation with Dominic Santana, co-starring in "All Eyez On Me" as Suge Knight, co-founder & CEO of Death Row Records. #AllEyezOnMe #Tupac #TupacBiopic #TupacMovie

Suge Kinght couldn't have been behind Tupac's murder

In conversation with Dominic Santana, co-starring in "All Eyez On Me" as Suge Knight, co-founder & CEO of Death Row Records. #AllEyezOnMe #Tupac #TupacBiopic #TupacMovie

About Dominic Santana:  Dominic Santana was born in Fayetteville, NC to an Army Officer Father and popular singer/writer Mother, Tracey Santana.  Upon moving to Wilmington, NC he began to seek out information on the local film scene and met Sam-Art Williams (Producer, "Martin"). Dominic began working as an extra on films such as "Black Knight" starring Martin Lawrence and hit shows like the WB's "Dawson's Creek" where he landed his first speaking role on a major television show.

A last minute script change called for a tall actor on the spot.  After, a Fincannon & Associates casting staffer suggested Dominic; he auditioned right on set and was given the role. Dominic was called by longtime friend Micah Noble to audition at Screen Gems Studio for then newly started Swirl Films and within twenty minutes he was cast in their first production "20 Funerals”.  Although, it was a small role Santana delivered such a strong performance he was cast as the lead in "Dead Heist" in 2006.  Then again, opposite Tom Sizemore and Ja Rule in "Furnace" in 2007.

After, booking a role on several episodes of the CW hit series "One Tree Hill" he was again brought in to co-star in what would be a cult hit and most played movie ever on BET, "Love For Sale" which premiered to over ten million viewers and quickly became a fan favorite! 

Santana has also appeared in shows and films such as "Whitaker Bay", "Palmetto Pointe", "Little Britain USA", BET's "The Game", Bolden!, "The Dempsey Sisters" and more.

Currently, Dominic is co-starring in the Tupac biopic "All Eyez On Me" as Suge Knight.  The Morgan Creek film will be released nationwide through Lionsgate June 16th.  Worldwide release to be announced.

The life and death of Tupac Shakur. ★Subscribe Here and NOW ► http://bit.ly/Movietrailers ★ Join us on Google+ ►http://plus.google.com/+FilmsActuTrailers ALL EYEZ ON ME Trailer # 2 (Tupac Movie - 2016) Directed by Benny Boom Cast : Demetrius Shipp Jr., Danai Gurira, Kat Graham Release Date : 11 November 2016 ALL EYEZ ON ME New Trailer (2Pac Film) © 2016 - Open Road Films Subscribe now 2 our youtube channel get the latest official movie trailer, film clip, scene and promo video !

Synopsis: "ALL EYEZ ON ME tells the true and untold story of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur. The film follows Shakur from his early days in New York City to his evolution into being one of the world’s most recognized and influential voices before his untimely death at the age of 25. Against all odds, Shakur’s raw talent, powerful lyrics and revolutionary mind-set propelled him into becoming a cultural icon whose legacy continues to grow long after his passing.

A chat with Tim Smit, director of "KILL SWITCH", starring Dan Stevens.

Acclaimed writer-director Tim Smit explodes on to the scene with his futuristic, VFX-heavy feature debut!

KILL SWITCH releasing this June 16th, charts the story of a pilot battling to save his family and the planet, based on Smit’s short What’s In The Box? Set in a future version of the world, the video game style plot follows an experiment for unlimited energy, harnessing parallel universes, which goes wrong. Chased by drones and soldiers, pilot and physicist Will Porter must race through an imploding world to get the Redivider box to a tower, which will save humanity, including his family, in the real world.

We had an opportunity to chat with Tim, here are the excerpts:

- This was a wonderful short, and now a wonderful movie. What inspired you to come up with this amazing & "almost crazy" concept?

Thank you! The main inspiration came from the desire to make homage to the first person shooter game, wrapped in a sci-fi story. The goal was to make this sci-fi story take place in Amsterdam, to provide a not so common combination of elements, such as cool visuals against the typical Dutch streets. So based on these preliminary ideas, I began developing the short and started to figure out how I could do this with no budget and no professional actors. This caused me to delve into the wondrous world of digital effects, allowing me to create some form of production value without the costs that are usually associated with such a production. The feature was actually set up very similar to the short, meaning a low-budget approach with me doing the majority (if not all) of the VFX.

- The film is wonderfully cast. How was the casting for this project?

Casting was new for me, and actually the process is not that easy. There are so many talented actors and I wanted to make sure we assembled a cast that was comfortable working with a POV movie project, as well as a lot of VFX. I met Dan Stevens through my casting director in London. We hit it off talking about science and film. He is very intelligent and loves sci-fi. For the role of Abby I needed an actress that could portray the beautiful, yet darker role, alongside Dan. Berenice Marlohe was an interesting choice for this. Part of the cast is also Dutch, which was a gamble being an international project, but we really lucked out with Tygo Gernardt. An amazing actor, and wonderful human being.

- You have a strong background in VFX. How did that help in making this film?

My VFX background is primarily the result of my background in physics. My love for science sparked my creative brain to develop a sci-fi project, while also sparking my technical side to develop and learn VFX. Without the knowledge in science, I would have had a harder time figuring out how to create the VFX necessary for Kill Switch. I worked on other films as a VFX artist and supervisor in order to develop the skills I needed for Kill Switch. Without this prior knowledge, we could have never made the movie for the low-budget that we had.

- What do you think about future of storytelling in terms of VFX, VR, AR and interactive storytelling?

I believe we find ourselves on the brink of a new medium of storytelling. The advances that are currently being made in the fields of VR and AR are mind-blowing. Projects like the HTC VIVE, OCULUS, PSVR, Magic Leap etc. show the enormous potential of the things to come. I am certain movies will find a unique place in that new future. We will probably see a division between a passive experience like watching a movie in VR, or an active experience by bridging the gap between movies and video games. It depends on what the viewer is interested in at any given point. I would certainly want to be involved in creating content if there is a cool story to be told that lends itself for these new formats. Imagine watching a story on fold right within your own room, and suddenly the room transforms into a digital/virtual world placing you literally in the story...The possibilities are going to be endless. The thing that will determine this success though, is features of the (wearable) VR/AR device (size, capabilities, price etc.) and finding the right form to tell the story with (finding the right balance between whether something should be a game or a movie experience. Active vs. Passive).

- What was the most challenging part as a first time filmmaker? What's your message to other first time filmmakers?

The most challenging part for me was knowing when to compromise or stick to your guns. Making a film is a group effort, even if you end up doing most of the work. So make sure you know how to talk to your crew and where maintain your vision and where not. Also sometimes, especially while filming, it is very difficult to judge when something is correct or not. You can be under a lot of pressure, and things might seem different from that perspective. So you really need to plan everything you can in advance, particularly when you are a first time filmmaker. Another tip I would give; it is said that 50% of the directing job is casting. This is very true. Lastly, don't give up! You will get knocked down a couple of times, and will face difficult obstacles. But if you love your project, don't give up. You will get there!

KILL SWITCH

Directed by: Tim Smit

Written by: Omid Nooshin and C. Kindinger

Cast: Dan Stevens, Bérénice Marlohe, Tygo Gernandt, Charity Wakefield

Distributor: Saban Films, Lionsgate

Release Date: Available on Ultra VOD May 19th, in select theaters and On Demand June 16th

Running Time: 91 minutes

Rating: R

Tupac’s legacy, the Hip Hop Culture, & how it shaped the society today - "All Eyez On Me" panel discussion in Harlem NYC

Somewhere on the spiritual plane prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur was looking down and smiling at the assembled guests at Harlem’s Maysles Documentary Center last week.

The drinks flowed and the assorted guests of media influencers — African American, Latino and South Asian representing Indian brown — chowed down on delicious fried chicken and macaroni and cheese (as good as your Grandmother’s grandmother made). The tone was set.  We were amongst our tribe and feeling nostalgic marking the years using Tupac’s music as the measuring stick.

Tupac was born on June 16, 1971. He died on September 13, 1996. He was 25 years old.  

The panel discussion was moderated, Harlem style, by Hip Hop cultural experts Tuma and AJ from Spotify the topic of discussion was on Tupac’s legacy, the Hip Hop Culture, and how it shaped society today.   

On June 16th the bio pic about his life and legacy opens wide in the U.S..  Directed by Benny Boom and produced by the visionary LT Hutton, the film introduces Demetrius Shipp, Jr. in the role of Tupac and Dominic Santana as Suge Knight. The cast also includes Kat Graham, Lauren Cohan, Hill Harper, Jamal Woolard, and Danai Gurira.

L.T. Hutton, who worked with Tupac when he was living, made it crystal clear that as the producer of “All Eyez On Me” the film was going to do much more than just entertain—it’s true mission is to educate and illuminate the story of a man and his legacy.  

In that determination Shakur is telling his own story and Hutton drew on his personal relationship with the rapper as the foundation for a massive database he calls “The Tupac Bible.” “I created this system where you could ask any question about Tupac and you could find the answers directly from what Tupac said in multiple interviews,” Hutton explains. “Why was Tupac mad at Notorious B.I.G.? How did Tupac feel about his natural father? Anything you wanted to know, we were going to stick with what Tupac said and put his own words into the movie. That’s why it took such a long time to make. I needed people to understand the vision.”

It’s no secret that finding the right director required an extensive search and one that producer LT Hutton took very seriously.  A few weeks before filming was scheduled to start, in Atlanta, Hutton reached out to Benny Boom, a two-time winner of B.E.T.’s Video Director of the Year Award who had helmed videos for hip-hop superstars including Nicki Minaj, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Keyshia Cole, Akon and 50 Cent. 

Boom remembers getting the call on the Wednesday before the holiday.  “L.T. said, ‘Man, I’m at my wits’ end.’ At the end of the call he asked me if I wanted to direct the movie. I had not read the full draft of the script, so he sent it over. I printed it out, read it and told him, ‘I’m in.’ By Sunday I was in Atlanta.”

Here is a brief excerpt of the nights’ evening which begun and ended with the feeling—truly—that we were all a part of a cinematic history making moment.

On Casting:

In Hutton’s Los Angeles office in 2011. The producer recalls, “My assistant came into my office and said, ‘I don’t know how to tell you this but, Tupac is in the lobby.’ I said, ‘I don’t have time for your games today.’ She goes ‘I’m telling you, Tupac is in the lobby.’ I decide to see what this girl is talking about, so I walk out and see Demetrius Shipp sitting in the lobby. I’m like, ‘Lo and behold, this is crazy. It is Tupac!’ He was so shy, just like Pac was shy sometimes. I saw the innocence in his eyes; I saw the charm and personality that made all the women love Tupac. And when Demetrius smiled, I thought, ‘This guy even has the same dental work. Demetrius and Tupac have the same teeth!”

Actor Dominic Santana who plays Death Row Records mogul Suge Knight went through the casting process. “It never dawned on me that I could play Suge Knight,” Santana says. “Suge did things in the ’90s as a label owner that weren’t being done by anyone else. He had an ear for talent. He brought us iconic music legends. You can’t amass that kind of an empire and make that kind of impact on the music business if you’re just some Neanderthal. I felt the mediaprobably left out things about Suge Knight just to paint a certain picture. I came into All Eyez on Me with the attitude, ‘I want to know the other side of Suge Knight.’”

“All Eyez On Me” opens Friday, June 16th

The MUMMY - Rebooting the franchise, & starting the DARK UNIVERSE. But...

If THE MUMMY it's franchise-starter for UNIVERSAL's DARK UNIVERSE, it does a good job at that too. If it's a mindless summer entertainer, it does a decent job of that too. But if it's supposed to be a anything more, it doesn't do that well. And considering that it has a wonderful cast of Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Sofia Boutella and Annabelle Wallis amongst others, its almost a shame that it doesn't rise to more!

SPOILERS? Not sure...
It's a very cliche story of a lost artifact that turns our hero into a vessel for "pure evil" (of course you don't want that!). To defeat the pure evil, the hero has to sacrifice himself. In that process, there's a woman, who he really cares about (not sure why, how, and it's not convincing at all), so he has to save her as well. But eventually, he manages to destroy the "pure evil" and save the woman, without having to really sacrifice himself. 

GOOD:

• Russell Crowe - He plays the Dr Henry Jekyll (and Mr Hyde), and he's really good. When are we getting his own movie? I'm sure we are!
• Tom Cruise - The 54 year old, can play a convincing 30s soldier, who is intense like "Tom Cruise". It works for the movie.
• Sofia Boutella - She is rocking as princess Ahmanet. Another role with tattoos & markings on her body, and she's the tattooed girl of Hollywood. But regardless, she's good!
• CGI/VFX/Action - The usual HOLLYWOOD summer extravaganza, it's fun to watch.

Not-So-Good:

• There's no real story. Re-hash of everything we have seen, with almost nothing new to offer.
• Love story between Nick (Tom) and Jenny (Annabelle) doesn't play out. And it's a BIG bummer, since the climaxe kinda relies on it.
• Tom Cruise - He could bring so much more to the movie. The fiddling with dark-side. the romance. Ground breaking action (like Mission Impossible). But no, nothing!
• CGI/VFX/Action - It's nothing we haven't seen. Nothing!

So, you should go ahead and watch the film, if you like Tom Cruise, or THE MUMMY, or just want to have brainless fun. But if you are expecting anything more, it's on you!

On June 9, it takes a monster to defeat a monster. Watch the final trailer. #TheMummy. -- Follow: https://www.facebook.com/TheMummy/ https://twitter.com/themummy https://www.instagram.com/themummy/ -- Tom Cruise headlines a spectacular, all-new cinematic version of the legend that has fascinated cultures all over the world since the dawn of civilization: The Mummy.