When we heard that we were going to have the opportunity to interview a budding cinema starlet, we were intrigued.

When we heard that she played the damsel in a popular film franchise with horror themes, we were ecstatic.

Then we found out it wasn’t Kristen Stewart.

Meet Rebecca Marshall, star of the movie “Saw 3D.”

Yes, they are making another “Saw” film. With that…

BLAST: You work alongside Tobin Bell and other notables for the upcoming latest installment of SAW movies: SAW 3-D. What did you previously know about the SAW movie “franchise”, and its preceding films?

Rebecca Marshall: I knew that SAW had a very respectful track record and is one of the all time great horror franchises. Tobin Bell and the entire cast have continued to entertain and keep the audience on the edge of their seats. There is a huge following for horror films and I know there are loyal fans of Saw movies from the 1st one to the last.

 BLAST: “Saw 3D” is the 7th installment in the series. What does this release offer that will help it stand out from the earlier films?

RM: 3D film making has really taken off.  I was terrified watching the previous Saw films in theaters. Now you can really have that personal effect and feel like you are in every scene.  It is the final installment of this franchise and the creators don’t disappoint.

BLAST: You’re joining an ensemble cast which includes Tobin Bell (SAW), Sean Patrick Flanery (Boondock Saints saga, Powder) and others. What do you feel you’ll bring to the table?

RM: “Saw” has had a very talented cast throughout the years.  I think that I bring a new fresh face to the franchise and a lot of energy and creative talent.  I am very grateful to be apart of this film.

BLAST: Making the jump from television to movies is a common, albeit difficult move – Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, etc. Do you see your career, once a steady, safe grind in network prime time, emerging on the silver screen?

RM: Absolutely.  As actors we all need to take risks and step outside of our comfort zone.  We have the best of both worlds and are able to do both film and network prime time.   I would love to make a transition similar to the actors you have mentioned.  I am ready and willing to put in the time and effort in to be great.

BLAST:  With the recent awakening of 3D technology in home entertainment, the demand for 3D movies will be at an all-time high. If the numbers on opening day at the box office are less than expected, do you think it will be made up for in the Blue-Ray/DVD sales?

RM: I truly believe the box office sales won’t disappoint and fans will be supportive.  This is one movie they will want to experience in 3D on the big screen.  It’s an event people will want to be a part of. 

BLAST: When you look back on your performance in this film, will you have considered it your “break-out” role?

-With that answer in mind, do you fear being typecast as a “scream-queen”, as many young Hollywood actresses who star in horror films are?

RM: I definitely think this is a great start for me in film.  I am not worrying about being typecast either. The term “Scream Queen” has opened a lot of doors for a lot of actresses that I admire.

BLAST: How was working with new editor-turned new director Kevin Greutert on the film?

RM: Kevin is a true professional. It was a joy to work with him and he will continue to make great movies that people will enjoy.  He made me feel very comfortable and I hope I have the pleasure of working with him again one day. 

BLAST: What other projects do you have on the horizon?

RM: I have two indie projects that I am starring in.  One is called “The Actress" I am really excited about it because it is a totally different character then I usually play.  She is very strong and dangerous.  I am also working on an upcoming comedy that I get the chance to be a producer on.  It’s  a first for me.

So, if you don’t have trick or treating to do, you’re friends are saying they aren’t partying this year, and the power goes out everywhere except the local Regal Cinema, “Saw 3D” opens October 29.

As an Internet maven, Wendy Shepherd spends the bulk of her day online.

Shepherd is the creator of Officallypluggedin.com, a site that gives celebrities a chance to make their own “official” place in cyberspace. She was introduced to the net in the mid-1990s by her father-in-law, and from there was hooked. Blast recently caught up with this full-time mother and entrepreneur, chatting about everything from Twitter to Twilight.

BLAST: In 2001 you created studio matrix, a website design, banner creation, online promotion company that also provides an outlet for business press releases and articles as well. How were you inspired to create this website? What kinds of business/projects do you promote? Are there any businesses/projects you refuse to be involved with?

WENDY SHEPHERD: Studio Matrix evolved out of requests for help by others who needed their own website put up and/or promoting it. I first started helping moms by making them graphic banners to use for advertising their small home businesses online. It all started on a small scale, and then grew, so I became more serious about it. I went through a couple of website names, but finally settled on Studio Matrix.

My focus was on moms in the beginning, because I was a mother myself. Over time, I have taken on all types of projects from real estate to movies. Now I seem to be in the entertainment business mostly.

I would definitely not get involved in gambling or ‘adult material’ projects. I need to make sure I present a business I can be proud to share with my children and family members.

BLAST: Have you started to teach your children the importance and dangers of the Internet?

WS: Yes, ever since my three boys have had access to the Internet, I have been teaching them about Internet safety. New things are always coming up and we communicate constantly about those topics.

BLAST: Where do you see social media growing as part of our culture? Say, 10 years from now?

WS: Right now, social media is a speedy way to move news along the grape vine. It’s instant, so it’s faster than offline word of mouth, because the Internet is accessible 24 hours a day by anyone in the world! Post one thing on a social media network and a lot of activity happens within a few moments. New people hop on board social networks each day.

It’s known that some companies need to get their act together when it comes to customer service. The social networks are making it too easy for people to spread their love and/or discontent about a company’s service or products. Instant mobs can form online against a company. Therefore, it’s best all businesses get out there and converse with people where customers hang out with their family and friends … and that’s on the social networks.

People who are used to the offline marketing world now will have to learn the ins and outs and advantages of social media or they will lose business. Fans are tapping into companies who know how to associate through social media and actually help these companies to grow.

In 10 years, social media will be faster and more refined. You may find that if a person doesn’t have an online profile of some kind, they will be faced with a look of shocked disbelief.

BLAST: What are your thoughts on today’s society’s obsession with celebrity?

WS: Did you just ask me a loaded question?! Haha! I think everyone is obsessed by someone or something at different times in his or her life. It can be a person or even a product. It can be a healthy or unhealthy obsession… but it is a focal point for a person for whatever reason.

With celebrities, I think it can be many things; glitz and glamour that a person doesn’t have in their every day life, inspiration to follow their dreams like a celebrity did by following their own dreams, fascination with how someone looks, uncovering the mystery of who the person is behind a character, and so much more.

The Internet feeds that passion or obsession. Fans don’t have to wait for a monthly magazine to find out the latest news about their favorite celebrity. Fans can now hope to be tapped into a source where the actual celebrity is talking to the world themselves, not just through their marketing/publicity team, but directly. Having a publicist may be more important now than ever, since consulting a celebrity is needed about what would be appropriate to share and not share with fans. A celebrity is a person, but they are also a brand.

BLAST: You have several other websites. Which is the most popular and why?

My most popular website is a little free printables website called ChartJungle.com. The website gets over 100,000 visits a month and has over 30,000 newsletter subscribers. I create printables whenever I have an idea or receive a request for a chart that would be useful.

Officallypluggedin.com showcases actors, producers, writers etc. with mini videos. How do you acquire these videos?

The person, or a friend of theirs creates the videos, and then the raw file is sent over to me. Many people have gotten creative with their videos and made them fun for people to watch.

BLAST: How do you get these people to sign up?

WS: I’ve been able to get people to sign up by inviting them to be showcased. Friends of mine as well as people who have been showcased have also invited other people to sign up. So many people believe in the idea behind the site and want to keep their family, friends, and fans safe online. One person who cheers me on most often is my actor friend, Paul J Alessi (Knuckle Draggers, Desire, The Amazing Race).

BLAST: Who is the most well known person you’ve had sign up for officiallypluggedin.com?

WS: I would say it depends on whom you talk to that visits the website. In general, the most well known people on the website I would say are Sean Patrick Flanery (The Boondock Saints I & II, Powder (as Powder), Young Indiana Jones) and Clifton Collins Jr. (Capote, Star Trek, Extract, Boondock Saints II). The website was started with Sean Patrick Flanery as the first video showcase, due to the experience I had with some of his fans not believing his social profiles were really his until I had him create the video.

BLAST: What kinds of people visit your site?

Fans aren’t the only ones who visit the website. Many different people do, including the showcased people.

BLAST: What have been the biggest challenges in the development of the site?

The biggest challenge has been getting people to send in their videos. I realized a long time ago that people were trying to prove they were real by putting up a photo of themselves holding a sign. Those pictures could be photo shopped, and have been, so now fans don’t believe photos anymore. There has to be a video of the person stating it on television or on a video that they create.

It’s an effort to make a video, but once it’s done, it is a valuable tool. I’ve used Sean and Clifton’s video to verify them with MySpace and other places, including media sources that do interviews with them.

People come to find a video verified and showcased person, where links to their official site and social networks are posted on the page. People come to also network with each other, to meet, hire, interview, or whatever they need, as they can see and hear the people on the video.

BLAST: Who is the ultimate celebrity you dream of signing up?

WS: Must I choose just one? Haha. Well, I’d be happy with any talented person who is in the public eye that signs up to be showcased. It would be cool to have say Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt on the website. They are a few of the celebrities that have the biggest amount of fake/poser accounts on social networks. Actually, let me add that I would love to sign up Peter Facinelli, Dr. Carlisle Cullen from Twilight. He seems to care a lot about his fans.

BLAST: Facebook or Twitter?

WS: I don’t think I can choose. I like them both for different reasons.

BLAST: How do you feel about Barack Obama having a Twitter account?

WS: I think it’s a signal that verifies the importance of social media and its impact on the world when our own president is involved.

Cult films are a dangerous thing. Sometimes great, sometimes not, they create a fervor and devotion usually saved for fringe religious groups and third party candidates. And the films make their way into the canon of filmic classics, whether or not they deserve to be there.

There is only one thing more dangerous than a cult film. A cult sequel.

I was once an acolyte who worshiped at the altar of "The Boondock Saints," the 1999 comedic thriller about two Irish brothers in Boston who decide to become vigilantes. I saw the film when I was 16, right before I was about to move to Boston. Perhaps it was the gritty Southie cache that resonated with me, or the idea of two good-looking Irish boys saving Boston from danger, but I was in love. I’d lost touch with the movie until last week, when I saw the sequel.

It didn’t matter that I hadn’t seen it in a couple years. It was the exact same movie.

The plot’s a bit different: our anti-heroes Connor and Murphy (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus, respectively) are on the lam in Ireland by their father (Billy Connolly) after killing numerous mobsters in Boston. After a mysterious villain starts mimicking the Saints reverent killing style, they return to Beantown to take up their savage quest. They’re pursued by another FBI agent, this time a woman- Julie Benz, who does a truly spectacular job stepping into Willem Dafoe’s airy shoes, even with half of her scenes being slow camera shots up her gamine profile. We also get a protracted back story about the boys’ father, a righteous murderer in his own right.

But the cult sequel is a very big problem because it’s made for the fans, and the fans alone. Outsiders are not just ignored, they are actively discouraged. This would not be so terrible, if not for the fact that Troy Duffy, the mastermind behind the “Saints,” decided that the only way to appease his fans would be to simply make the movie again. So we have the two boys who plot to kill bad guys based around action flicks they’ve seen. We have the hilarious, vaguely ethnic sidekick (the last one got offed in the first film). We have the religious imagery, the filthy dialogue, the stylized shoot-outs and a wily Southern FBI agent with a feminine drawl. There’s even a reference to rope- one of the first film’s best gags.

All-in-all, it’s less a movie and more of an inside joke. And as we all know, boys and girls, inside jokes are only funny to the ones who know what you’re talking about. For those who are fans of the first film, this will be a welcome diversion. Duffy is a truly wonderful screenwriter, and his dialogue clips along at a good pace. Reedus and Flanery are excellent; it’s as if they’d just stepped off the set of the first film last week. And I really did enjoy watching Benz take a luscious bite out of the scenery around her. There are surprises too- and if I spoiled any of them I’m sure I would have gold coins on my eyes by the end of the week, so let’s move on.

But if you don’t know what I mean when I talk about gold coins, or rope or that wicked funny scene with the cat, then chances are “Saints II” will only leave you slightly dizzy, and more than slightly confused. As for me, a die-hard fan of yore, I suddenly realized that somewhere between 16 years old and today, this movie had lost its cult status in my heart. It was still a good movie, sure. So is the sequel. But in terms of my devotion, I guess I’ve been deprogrammed.

Here’s everything you could ask about “Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day.”

Information provided by the studio.

Apparition and Stage 6 Films
present
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day
Screenplay by and Directed by Troy Duffy

Main Cast

Sean Patrick Flanery: Connor MacManus

Norman Reedus: Murphy MacManus

Billy Connolly: Poppa M

Clifton Collins, Jr.: Romeo

Julie Benz: Special Agent Eunice Bloom

Peter Fonda: The Roman

Judd Nelson: Concezio Yakavetta

David Della Rocco: Rocco

Bob Marley: Detective Greenly

Brian Mahoney: Detective Duffy

David Ferry: Detective Dolly

Official Synopsis

“Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day” is the much-anticipated action sequel from Apparition and Stage 6 Films that picks up ten years after writer/director Troy Duffy’s THE BOONDOCK SAINTS, the tough, stylized, vigilante-justice saga that captured a massive cult following.

“Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day.” opens with fraternal twins Connor and Murphy MacManus deep in hiding in Ireland with their father, the enigmatic and notorious Il Duce from the first film (now known as “Poppa M”). The MacManus family has been living on an isolated sheep farm, as fugitives due to the slayings they religiously and notoriously perpetrated on Boston’s criminal underworld a decade before, including the very public execution of the city’s biggest crime lord. But the brothers have never forgotten the city they left behind, and when word that a beloved Boston priest has been slain and the killing made to look as though the Saints are responsible, Connor and Murphy cut their hair, dig up their rosaries and guns, suit up in their signature pea-coats armed with their .9MM and bid goodbye to their ailing father and smuggle themselves back to Boston to hunt down the real killers. Once again, they mount a violent and bloody crusade to bring justice to those responsible. This time they are aided by a Latino named Romeo, whose connections with the powerful “underground” Hispanic mob will help the brothers wreak revenge on the real killers.

The screen is filled with kick-ass gunplay and stunts throughout as the brothers take us on a roller coaster ride through the streets of Boston. Working the case are Boston detectives Greenly, Duffy and Dolly from the first film, who are sympathetic to the Saints (and complicit). They are joined in the investigation by the street smart and sexy FBI Special Agent Eunice Bloom, a protĩgĩ of FBI Special Agent Paul Smecker from the first movie.

As the central action unfolds, the film reveals a deeper mystery that gives insight into the MacManus family’s legacy of violence, with twists, turns and flashbacks to characters from the first film that help deepen the audience’s understanding of the complexities behind the vigilantes’ motives.

The film has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America and has a runtime of 117 minutes. The film will be released in select theaters on October 30.

There will be some spoilers in the podcast. Click at your own risk.

Now that the movie has been shown to fans, we can finally sit down and talk about it.

I saw “Boondock Saints II” last week. I liked it.

I didn’t like it in the way that I’m a news editor and occasional film critic. I didn’t love it in the way that I’m an artist and I can appreciate a classic piece of film.

Let’s face it, there’s two kinds of people in the world: The ones that love “The Boondock Saints” and the ones who hate “The Boondock Saints.”

And I love “The Boondock Saints.”

Shit, I put it on the cover. But I’m not a damn fanboy. I’m not a fanboy about anything. In fact, the more I like something, the harder I tend to be on the people in charge. You can ask the people at Sony when PlayStation 3 first came out, and you can ask Boondock writer/director Troy Duffy, because I changed the pace on Monday and asked him some pointed questions.

What you’re going to hear in the podcast on the top of this article is my session on one of a series of roundtable interviews that Duffy and actors Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, and Billy Connolly put on at The Black Rose bar in downtown Boston. We had a good time and we laughed throughout most of the 20-minute session, but I was on a mission to bring home some data for this piece of our month-long coverage on the sequel, “All Saints Day.” But, besides that, the podcast is mostly hilariousness and gay jokes.

“It was just like riding a bicycle,” Duffy said about his return to directing.

“He sucked equally on this one as he did in the first one,” Flanery added after a pause, laughing.

But return it is. Duffy made Boondock in 1999 and hasn’t made a film since. He was a young director coming out to Hollywood, and he made some mistakes — and I’m probably being nice here. But he still managed to make a good movie amidst it all.

“They talk about Troy as a new director, but from day one it looks as if he was doing it his whole life,” Connolly said.

Just as people either love or hate Boondock, they either love or hate Duffy. (The Documentary “Overnight” really hurt him too)

The people in the original movie seem to be loyalists. Nearly everybody — including someone you don’t expect (it’s in the podcast) — is back for the sequel.

“Everything just happened,” Connolly said. “Everybody seemed to be there for the love of the piece, not just to be in a movie or earn some money.”

It showed. When you listen to the podcast and check out our other interviews, you’ll hear how good of a time they all had making both movies.

Boondock is an organic cult success, and the cast and crew know it.

“Half of Boondock was one guy sitting another guy down going ‘you’re watching this movie,’” Duffy said.

Will there be a third movie?

“Lets just ride this one into the shore and see what happens,” Duffy said. “I got some ideas.”

It’s also up to the studio and the fans. If the sequel makes money in theaters, I say bet on a trilogy.

At the end, I asked Duffy what we could expect from him going forward.

“During that 10-year period, I have written a bunch of scripts,” he said, “and I intend to knock them down like dominoes one by one. They’re in ascending budgets, all different stories. One is a period piece, a buddy comedy, a black comedy, one is about serial killers, one is called “The Peregrines” which would take me an hour to describe what the’s about, one is about a historical figure, which will take a lot of money to do that last one.”

The four guys also toured Boston College and Emerson College before premiering the movie for fans on Monday night. Here’s a vid from their day:

“Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day” is in theaters October 30.

Shepherds we shall be. To our local video store. For Boondock Saints on Blu-ray. February 10.

Set for $34.99, the Boondock Saints Blu-ray features deleted scenes and outakes with commentary from cast and crew and a special director’s cut.

We would like to see a “Saints” documentary or featurette — something NEW that you couldn’t find on the DVD and Special Edition DVD of the movie.

Boondock Saints is one of the great cult classics of all time, but moreso if you live in Boston.

Just in case you aren’t familiar:

Irish brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus live and work in South Boston. After killing a Russian mobster in self-defense, the brothers believe they have found their calling from God ridding the earth of human evil. So they set out to complete their divine deed by ridding the streets of gangsters, criminals and lowlifes; and as the body count rises, the brothers become local heroes (deemed the “Boondock Saints”) even as the police are on their trail. By risking their lives for their beliefs of Veritas (truth) and Aequitas (justice), the vigilante brothers take the law into their own hands”¦until they are pursued by unorthodox FBI agent Paul Smecker who follows their trail of bloodshed, but admits that the boys are doing exactly what he has always secretly wished to happen.