Michael Hopkins

I was surfing You Tube today and found this old ET interview I did with Kate Beckinsale at the Van Helsing film junket in 2004. If you’ve never been on a junket it’s basically a movie quiz for stars and journalists. You go to see the movie the night before and cram on the way home to try to come up with interesting questions to ask for your allotted five to ten minutes. The stars in turn try to come up with interesting answers (or not) for those same questions that they are asked repeatedly throughout the day. When it comes right down to it, there is a formula for us and for them. The role, the co-star, the costumes, the kids (if they have any, or better yet are on their way to having any.) Finally, you throw out your one crazy question you’ve thought of, or that was given to you by your “news desk.” This interview with Kate is pretty much by the book. We talk chemistry, corsets, kids and stunt work. I think the reason this one lives on You Tube is that Kate seems genuinely engaged and she has such amazing hair.

eBay’s Grandma Grandma Gadget Makeover is another spot I wrote and directed for Guggenheim Productions and eBay. It was a treat to work with the Grandma we cast and Cat’s enthusiasm really helped sell the cheezy premise. Look for my Star Wars homage when Grandma walks to the door.

Plasti Dip is a webspot that I wrote and directed for Guggenheim Productions and eBay. Shawn Henderson was a total pro and I thank him for trusting me when I kept saying, “It’s gotta be cheesier!” If he had not been willing to make it so over the top it would have fallen flat.