Name: David Chairez
Hometown: California originally, now Pacific Northwest
Age: 28
Profession: Private Chef

Dave the Samurai may construct the perfect plate for his paycheck, but one of his other passions is monsters. In fact, he builds models of them whenever possible, which isn't surprising considering what he has to say about his favorite films: "I like the '50s B-rated monsters because they were simple," he says. "I am always impressed considering the time it took for the painstaking puppet and model animation. I remember Saturday afternoons when I was kid watching monsters destroy cities... it was just amazing to see." That's one of the reasons Dave now tunes in to AMC, especially when late nights turn to Fear Fridays -- King Kong, Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster, Motel Hell. "I love watching the great classic movies that I grew up with... when they used to put a good creepy old horror on, and you would end up going to sleep with a crucifix and a garlic necklace."

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Sure, you probably know that Tom Hanks' character in Big has been magically transformed overnight from a child into an adult. And that Hanks and Robert Loggia played a giant piano together in Penny Marshall's Oscar-nominated film. But to see if you're a real expert on all things Big, take our quiz. (Or if you want to study up first, click here for a full schedule of the movie on AMC.)

Jeff Garlin is best known for his role on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm as the faithful manager of sarcastic and cranky millionaire Larry David. Expect to hear more from him this summer -- he's the voice behind the Captain in Wall-E and will appear in the comedy, The Rocker, out this August.

Q: How did you get involved with Wall-E?

A: Pixar called me up and had me over to the offices to give me a big pitch with storyboards and everything. They didn't need to do that -- I mean, it's a Pixar movie! I play the Captain, one of the only speaking roles. It's like an old Buster Keaton movie. To have done what they've done, a love story between robots without almost any traditional dialog, is a feat.

Q: You're known for your improv skills. Did you go off script in Wall-E?

Continue reading "Q & A - An Interview With Wall-E's Jeff Garlin" »