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During my recent trip to L.A. I had a surprise interview opportunity fall in my lap, courtesy of my good buddy Brian McQuery.  Turns out Brian had been working on a movie with Michael Biehn and Jennifer Blanc-Biehn called THE VICTIM (which Michael also directed), and asked me if I’d be interested in talking to them while I was in town.  Needless to say, I was, and I did, and it was awesome.  Not knowing much about THE VICTIM, other than seeing the photos that had popped up online, I started doing a little research which led me to a video Brian posted up of Michael getting choked on camera for a scene in the movie… and passing out.  It’s a rather hard video to watch, especially because it looks like it’s not ending well, but it also shows how Michael was dedicated to capturing the realism of the moment, even at the expense of his own safety.  Check out the video below.

Synopsis of THE VICTIM: Good time girls ANNIE (Jennifer Blanc) and MARY (Danielle Harris) find themselves in a life and death situation. Annie’s life is put in jeopardy when she is witness to a violent act at the hands of two Sheriff’s Deputies. Fleeing from ATTACKERS (Ryan Honey, Denny Kirkwood) she stumbles across KYLE (Michael Biehn), a recluse living in the middle of the woods. The ruggedly handsome loner stays far from civilization – that is – until a single knock on his door throws his solitary life into chaos.Two worlds collide in this psychological thriller that will make you question your trust in mankind. WHO IS THE VICTIM?

A name like Michael Biehn carries a lot of cinematic history with it.  Fans know him best for some of his big sci-fi roles, including “Kyle Reese” in THE TERMINATOR, “Corporal Hicks” in ALIENS, and “Lt. Hiram Coffey” in THE ABYSS, plus his unforgettable western baddie “Johnny Ringo” in TOMBSTONE.  But his many memorable roles don’t stop there – keeping in mind solid performances in films like NAVY SEALS, K2, and THE ROCK, and his honorable TV efforts like THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN series.  Jennifer Blanc also has a number of impressive credits on her resume as well, including shows like PARTY OF FIVE and James Cameron’s DARK ANGEL.  Both stars will soon be seen in HITMAN director Xavier Gens’ highly-anticipated movie THE DIVIDE.  Our interview ended up going on for an hour or so, starting with talk about THE VICTIM, and moving into a quite thorough discussion of Michael’s big screen work, particularly his collaborations with James Cameron, and his work in TOMBSTONE, even getting into some of the historical inaccuracies with the “Johnny Ringo” character in that film.  Could you call this the ‘definitive’ interview?  Probably.  Regardless, it was an honor and absolute pleasure to talk to them both, and we’ll be keeping you posted on THE VICTIM and other upcoming projects for both stars.  Check out the 7-part video interview below (I break it down in a paragraph before each vid to tell you what is covered), and tell us your thoughts in the comments at the bottom of the page – also be sure to click the links at the bottom of this article.

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We start off by talking about the choking scene in THE VICTIM, and the reality of what happened when it was shot. We also discuss what the concept behind THE VICTIM is, and what fans can expect from it. There’s also a very fun story about how Jennifer met and became friends with her co-star Danielle Harris.

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Michael discusses the different directors he’s worked with, and how he himself is behind the camera with his work on THE VICTIM. We then move into talking about another movie the two worked on together, Xavier Gens’ THE DIVIDE.

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Michael continues talking about THE DIVIDE, and then moves into discussing what it was like getting to know and working with a young James Cameron on THE TERMINATOR, and his early perceptions of Arnold Schwarzenegger as well.

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We talk about the legalization of marijuana… what?! Then move into Michael’s role of Corporal Hicks in ALIENS, how he almost didn’t get that role, and his choice in how to play it. Michael also talks about the enduing aspects of James Cameron’s films and their special effect, particularly the CGI used in THE ABYSS.

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We talk about Michael’s role as the bad guy in THE ABYSS and the problems that film encountered, and move into his role as the villainous Johnny Ringo in TOMBSTONE… where we also learn what Michael’s favorite western film is, and the fate of his TV series THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.

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Michael talks about the logistics of shooting westerns, working with Val Kilmer and how meticulous they both are with their acting process, and some of the historical inaccuracies of the Johnny Ringo character and overall story presentation in TOMBSTONE.

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And finally, we talk about what lies ahead for both Michael and Jennifer, and how close they are to finishing up THE VICTIM.

For more info on THE VICTIM, check out the official website.

You should also follow Jennifer Blanc-Biehn on Twitter.

Huge thanks to both Jennifer and Michael for doing this, and to Brian McQuery for setting it up and filming it. Brian, I own you a cheesecake… I expect you to eat it whole in front of me.

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