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MOVIE FEATURE

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STACK chats with Sniper star Chad Michael Collins about his new action-horror flick, Dead Zone , and working alongside two of his heroes. Words Glenn Cochrane C had Michael Collins is a bona fide all rounder. Best known for his starring role as Brandon Beckett in the ever-enduring that they used. It was that Iron Man from Avengers sort of plot device that allowed us to do so much of the dialogue, and that face work, I guess you’d call it.” ZONE TROOPER

Quick Qs Have you been to Australia? No, not yet. Have passport, will travel. How do you find video game fans as opposed to movie fans? Video game fans are rabid. They play games like Modern Warfare for ten to 12 hours at a time. So there's a different type of attachment. Are you a gamer? Yeah, I actually stream with players and fans on Twitch. What would your final meal be? I would break all protocol and go with a big fat stinking chicken parmigiana. Pineapple on pizza? Yeah, why not? Pineapple's delicious and so is pizza. I don't see the problem.

Sniper franchise, he also has a handful of Hallmark movies under his belt, a long string of TV shows, and the video game role of former Delta Force operator Alex Keller in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare . His latest movie is Dead Zone , a unique spin on the popular zombie genre, which casts him as part of an elite team of soldiers tasked with infiltrating a radiation-poisoned town to extract a potentially life-saving medical device. Speaking with STACK over Zoom, Collins talks about creating an immersive experience on what was a reasonably low budget. “The costumes they put together were really great. They were like a combination of motocross outfits and a kind of plated armour get-up. It was really unique and took a small team to get suited up, but at the same time it didn’t hinder any movement.” Much of the movie’s tactical and action sequences are shot in extreme

What's your favourite instalment of your own Sniper movies?

Collins shares top billing with Michael Jai White in Dead Zone , with additional support from Jeff Fahey – two veteran actors he admires greatly. “When it comes to Michael Jai White, I gladly yield to his true alpha status,” he laughs. “It’s one thing to play pretend tough guys on screen, but it’s another thing to actually be a real tough guy. And Michael Jai White, as we all know, looks the part and can certainly deliver the roundhouse kicks. “This was the first time I got a chance

Oh, that’s rough. I'll just have to go with the default – it's always the last one that I made.

one of my heroes, to making three movies in a row with him. I’ve been a fan of his going back to Lawnmower Man and Lost , and everything in between. He’s a nice guy and a heck of a lot of fun.” Before we wrap up the conversation, Collins pays credit where it’s due. “Actors like us are nothing without amazing stunt performers, and I just want to give a shout-out to Eric Linden. He’s got credits at the highest level, like Black Adam and Avengers: Endgame , and he and his team suited up and made us look amazing. I know that kind of ruins my tough guy street cred a little, but Eric and his team really made the action pop.”

to work with Michael Jai,” he continues. “I had been a fan for so long, obviously being a huge comic book nerd, and him playing Spawn was very cool. So it’s nice when you get to work

close-up, as the soldiers are operating from inside their helmets. It’s a claustrophobic space full of digital schematics, which Collins got a kick out of. “It was such a great device

with a legend that you had been a fan of for so long. He’s a total professional.” As for Jeff Fahey,

CMC describes his motion-capture performance in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare as the highlight of his career to date. DYK?

he adds, “Again, I went from having never met

• Dead Zone is out on Mar 8

32 MARCH 2023

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