Interview With Michael Gibney (2006)

In the (forever) upcoming Return To Sleepaway Camp, Michael Gibney plays the metaphorical role of Angela - that of a character central to the plot who is the basis of practical jokes that result in fatal "accidents" to the instigators. In the same way that Felissa Rose was a virtual nobody in the first film (she was billed as a supporting player only but is now remembered as the star), Gibney has so far not recieved any attention at all from the promotional powers that be - heck, he's not even mentioned in the official plot. But he is the plot. With that in mind, I went to the dude for the straight dope on RTSC.
 

Sleepaway Camp Films: How did you get the role of Alan, and what were they looking for from you?

Michael Gibney: I went into the audition not knwing what to expect. I had no idea it was even for a horror movie, all I was told was I should be prepared to do comedic improv. During the interview Robert kept staring at me as if he had light bulbs going off in his brain, and from time to time he would smirk and his eyes would light up.

SCF: When did you first see any of the Sleepaway Camps, and which ones? What'd you think honestly?

Gibney: When I saw the first Sleepaway Camp I thought to myself "there has got to be alot of weird people that are infatuated with this film" and it turned out that one of my best friends was one of those "weird people" and freaked out when I told him that I was cast.

SCF: You've always sounded like a fuckin' funny guy to me - were you able to slip any humor into the role of Alan or is he a kinda pent-up serious kinda dude?

Gibney: Unfortunately I wasn't able to put any humor into the role. But I did find the whole role humorous and there were times while filming I had to keep myself from laughing just from thinking "what the hell did I get myself into?" And I think I shared that same problem with a few other cast members.

SCF: I'm told Alan gets "tied up" at one point, what happens there?

Gibney: I'm bound and gagged as Vinny Pastore rides on my back like a horse screaming "I PUT QUARTER IN - YOU GO!!! FASTER FASTER! HEHEHE!!!"

SCF: So there's word of fart-lighting action going on in this flick. You get in
on that?

Gibney: Let's just say some of the shots involved alot more up close and personal Pyro than I was expecting.

SCF: Were you involved in the paintball game sequence?

Gibney: There's a certain member of the crew who will remain nameless (Pierre) that made that scene a pain in the ass.

SCF: Do you take most of the bullying in the film, or do you give it?

Gibney: Do I give in? This is Mike Gibney you're talking to.

SCF: Did you get to beat up the PeePee character? I... already want to myself.

Gibney: Pee Pee took his fare share of abuse from everyone.

SCF: Were you dunked in the lake similar to how Angela was in part one? (I heard you did on the net, so it must be true!)

Gibney: There are a few scenes at the lake, I don't want to give anything away.

SCF: Why does a fat girl grab your crotch at one point? And I hope you had a codpiece on.

Gibney: #1 - She's not fat, she's wonderful. #2 - ask Robert why he had her grab my crotch. #3 - I was fully secured and safe for that scene.

SCF: What was the typical day on set... and night?

Gibney: Day shots usually went pretty quickly, everyone had alot of energy and time went by quick. Night shots everyone was usually really tired and not always in the best of spirits. Most of the night shots were crucial so they took the most time.

SCF: What was the tone of the set. Was it relaxed, with its two month shoot
schedule?

Gibney: The set for the most part was always pretty relaxed.

SCF: Did the reported rewrites during the shoot affect your performance in any way?

Gibney: The rewrites were never that dramatic, it was usually just changing some lines, but none of us really took the script we got and memorized it hardcore so it didn't seem to bug anyone.

SCF: How much were the CGI tech guys part of the filming process?

Gibney: I got the hang out with the CGI guys a few times while they were there, which was pretty often. They were awesome guys.

SCF: Camps usualy have crap food. So how was the catering on set?

Gibney: No one really raved about how good the food was on set, but it was edible, so I loved it.

SCF: Who did you hang with on set? Who were the cool ones?

Gibney: Alot of the time I found myself hanging out with Erin, Sam, Mike, and Chris. They were awesome people, It was always alot of fun hanging out with them. Very different people who all seemed to mold really well. Jackie was Jackie and there's no other way to describe it. Miles was one of the coolest younger kids I had met in a long time, he was really layed back. Pee Pee was pretty badass himself. And Spaz... Spaz had alot of jokes no one heard that were hillarious. He was really good at making observations that could make you laugh. Brye Cooper was an acquired taste, but a good guy. I don't know if I'm missing anyone. It's been awhile.

SCF: Does Vincent Pastore spit when he screams his lines?

Gibney: Vinny Pastore is a Fountain.

SCF: Are CKY deserving of the hype, or should they commit suicide?

Gibney: Hahaha, The CKY guys were actually alot cooler than I expected them to be. I'm not a big fan of their music and I was expecting them to be a bunch of tools but they were alot of fun to hang around.

SCF: Best thing about the experience?

Gibney: The dozens and dozens of chicks we got while shooting... That's a lie.

SCF: When it comes out on DVD, will you show your friends and family?

Gibney: We'll see. I'll watch it first.

SCF: What do you do in your free time? Plug any stuff, too.

Gibney: I play in a band in my free time, like everyone else does. We're called The Radio Spirit and you can listen to us at http://myspace.com/theradiospirit and I'm also focusing on solo work while i'm at school in Boston (Berklee College Of Music) and you can listen to that at http://myspace.com/mikegibneymusic.