Hosts
TONY DENMAN
Tony Denman has worked in the entertainment industry for over 20 years. Starting his career at the age of 10 as a child actor in Community Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There he worked his way up through TV & Film all the way to Los Angeles, California where he lived until 2004 and worked with the likes of the Coen Brothers, Doug Liman, and Ted Demme. Tony has spent the last 6 years acting, writing and producing short and long feature films. In his spare time he enjoys photography, playing music, and re-enacting scenes from the latest Ben 10 or Sponge Bob Square pants episodes with his 6 year old son Buster.
We asked Tony a few questions...
What is your favorite film:
The Jerk 1979, staring Steve Martin. "You mean I'm gonna stay this colour?!?" When I was 14 I rented it from our local movie store, 'Video Update' and ended up forgetting to return it. We got a letter from them stating that we'd racked up a massive late fee. My mom marched down there and refused to pay it and bartered them down to the price of the film and we ended up buying the film from them. She made me watch it over and over just to get the value. Best money ever spent.
Who is your favorite film director:
P.T.A, Paul Thomas Anderson
What is your favorite TV show:
Arrested Development, Short Notice
Who is your favorite cartoon character:
The Hulk, Spongebob Squarepants
What is your favorite food:
Pizza, Tacos, and Sandwiches
What is your worst habit:
Biting my nails. Not listening to what my wife says when she tells me things the first time.
What was your first job:
At about 11 or 12 I had to dress up as the Minnesota state bird, The Loon, in this really stupid giant padded bird suit for a shopping mall in Minnesota. I was meant to walk around and entertain people in the shopping mall. I'd have to shout at the top of my lungs in the middle of the mall, this specific Loon call. I would have been embarrassed if I had been older, but I was too young then.
Who is your favorite actor/actress:
Buster Keaton & Robert Downey Jr.
What is your favourite TV channel:
Shorts HD (obviously)
DAVID MENKIN
David has worked as an actor and voiceover artist in the US, UK and Europe for over ten years. Highlights include being a part of The Reduced Shakespeare Company, fronting a campaign for a very well known Irish stout and working with acclaimed directors like Kathryn Bigelow and Mike Nichols. He plays loveable characters in cartoons like Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank Engine and bloodthirsty (yet misunderstood) soldiers in games like Battlefield: Bad Company and Killzone. He also speaks Norwegian and Swedish, which can be useful when his friends want to chat up good looking Scandinavians.
We asked David a few questions...
What is your favorite film?:
There’s no way I can pick a favorite. But a perfect movie weekend would include: Bueller, Empire Strikes Back, Wall-E, Shawshank, Dune (weird, I know) and Spirited Away.
Who is your favorite director?:
Do I have to pick one?? Almodovar, Anderson, Fincher, Lynch, The Coens, Soderbergh…it all depends on my mood.
What is your favorite tv show:
The West Wing (up until the end of season 4). I’m also a Browncoat.
What is your favorite cartoon character?:
It has to be Scoop in Bob the Builder; he’s a digger AND an artist.
What is the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to you?:
I was once “severely reprimanded” by the police for holding up traffic on a major London road while trying to save a swan from getting run over. I’d heard, since swans were under The Queen’s protection, that it was my duty to save its’ life. Clearly I was mistaken.
What is your favorite food?:
Pho! Vietnamese noodle soup. Just plug it into my veins!
What is your worst habit?:
Sometimes David inexplicably starts talking about himself in the third person. He has no idea how this started and is working hard to get rid of the affliction.
What was your first job?:
Installing and repairing water coolers. Pro tip: if you want hot water in your cooler, make sure they install the metal element rather than the plastic one, which’ll give your coffee a strange aftertaste.
Who is your favorite actor/actress?:
Are you trying to kill me here? I can’t say just one! Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Chaplin, Marion Cotillard, John Malkovich, Audrey Hepburn, Gary Oldman, Emma Thompson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton…the list keeps changing based on what films I see.
What is your favorite tv channel?:
Other than Shorts HD? HBO.
What is your favorite short film?:
Animated: Who doesn’t love Dony Permedi’s Kiwi?
Live Action: Tom Van Avermaet’s Oscar nominated Death of a Shadow made a huge impression on me.
NELL MOONEY
Nell was a working actor in New York before she met a handsome man in a kilt. Now she is a working actor in London, but don’t worry, her husband still wears the kilt. Nell recently worked with Roger Mitchell, Bill Murray and Laura Linney on the movie Hyde Park on Hudson. She is a worker bee with a range of credits in Film, daytime and primetime TV and theater. She has done some stand-up and Improv in London and New York, and currently works with the team, Showstopper! The Improvised Musical. Nell spends her free time like most other 10 year old boys; playing Zelda, darts by herself while listening to alternative rock on her Ipod, and reading Tolkein. The rest of her time is spent with her husband Iain…as an adult.
We asked Nell a few questions...
Hometown:
Washington D.C. and most recently New York.
What is your favorite film:
City Lights, Leon, Withnail and I, Empire Strikes Back, Est Oest, The Wrath of Kahn. Kahhhhn!, The Misfits
Who is your favorite film director:
me too for P.T.A, Wes Anderson, Fellini, Kurosawa, David Lynch. (Although, I still fear Bob), and Armando Iannucci.
What is your favorite TV show:
Battlestar Galactica!!! (both), Curb Your Enthusiasm, and cringe- Star Trek: Next Generation. I know. I’m sorry. It was the one that was on when I grew up. One more point for Nurture.
Who is your favorite cartoon character:
Roz
What is your worst habit:
I have never developed an inside voice. Maybe that’s not necessarily a habit, but it is a failing. Also, wigs.
What was your first job:
Watching TV, eating other people’s food and hogging Metroid on the Nintendo. Aka: babysitting.
Who is your favorite actor/actress:
I admire so many. Charlie Chaplin, Eli Wallach, Ralph Fiennes, Richard E. Grant, Brando, F Murray Abraham, Steve Coogan, Mark Rylance, Simon Russell Beale, Will Ferrell, Meryl Streep, Bette Davis(!!!), Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Shelly Winters, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench, Frances McDormand, Holly Hunter, Sandrine Bonnair, Matt Smith, Marilyn Monroe… and 100s more.
What is your favorite Short movie:
The Landlord
KIM TAYLOR BENNETT
I was born in San Francisco and after a few years in Holland I landed in the UK aged 12. Once I realized my teenage rock band wasn’t going to make it big and the thundering applause which accompanied being pulled up onstage to play guitar with Green Day at 18 would never be topped, I turned to music journalism. This eventually broadened to writing about film, fashion and pop culture, interviewing everyone from Rihanna to Russell Brand, Sarah Jessica Parker to Spike Jonze, Bjork to Kings of Leon, Tom Cruise to Courtney Love, Steven Spielberg to Take That.
Over the years I’ve written for publications including The Observer, The Telegraph, The Fader, Kerrang!, Nylon, NME, GQ, Interview, offering my opinion on a range of UK TV channels such as Channel 4, BBC3, Sky, Channel 5 and ITV, and hosting shows for MTV, VBS and The Brit Awards. When I’m not busy presenting for Shorts HD, I work on the music desk at Time Out Magazine or I’m out covering the hottest premieres as the host for From The Red Carpet.
We asked Kim a few questions...
Hometown:
San Francisco
What is your favorite film?
The Graduate
Who is your favorite film director?
Too tough! Michel Gondry or the Coen Brothers.
What is your favorite TV show?
Arrested Development
Who is your favorite cartoon character?
Pepe La Pew because he tries so hard to be suave but he’s utterly hopeless or Cartman for his foul mouth.
What is your worst habit?
Procrastination.
What was your first job?
Handing out flyers for the local record fair while wearing a sandwich board advertising said record fair. Dark days.
Who is your favorite actor/actress?
Dustin Hoffman / Meryl Streep
What is your favorite Short movie?
The Black Hole
Who is the best film star you have interviewed?
Bruce Willis because he let me poke fun at him and he took it on the chin. He was also scarily good at maintaining eye contact. You can always tell a Hollywood pro by their ability to stay focused amidst the mayhem.
