With the upcoming release of Jack Black’s latest family comedy, Goosebumps, A few MHS students and I were able to see an early showing of the film, along with the opportunity to participate in a Q&A with the cast of the film. Initially we only planned on reviewing the movie, but after meeting Jack Black, I discovered a character far more cinematic then any of the monsters or ghouls depicted in Goosebumps.

After waiting for about 15 minutes in a quiet and emotionless Radisson Blue conference room, Jack Black suddenly entered, carrying the poise of Julius Caesar and the swagger of Frank Sinatra. From the first second that he entered the room, to the last syllable that he spoke, Jack had complete comedic control of the room. If there was a laugh in room, he caused it, and if there was joke to find, he found it. It was truly the Jack Black show from the moment he walked in. He was improvising bits about random Minnesota and Midwestern concepts, commenting on everything from canoe trips in the boundary waters to our bitter winters, making the whole event seem personal. Everything that he said came off as hilarious and natural. There was purity to his comedic persona that made me feel like he was always on and never off. I asked the cast to comment on a quote depicting Jack Black as a living personification of the classic 80’s bands, Styx and Black Sabbath. This question is far from the normal production related anecdotes that a star would have typically grown accustomed too, during a press tour. Only a man like Jack Black would spend over 2 minutes answering this, analyzing how he is more like Styx and less like the metal heavy Sabbath. This debate resulted in him bursting out bars of Styx’s “Come Sail Away.” The importance of his dedication to answering my question in a fulfilling and comedic way was only appreciated after I had realized how much press Jack Black had done on that very day. He had done multiple radio show and televisions appearances before our Q&A, and had several after. He was bouncing in-between MOA and Minneapolis like a ball in a ball pit. Yet he was not tired or annoyed during our interview, he was the quite the opposite. Many people label actors as lazy people who carelessly perform on sets for laughs, but after meeting a man like Jack Black, for only 20 minutes, I learned that jack black was far from this stereotype. He is a true a showman, whose effort and dedication altered my perception of Hollywood and actors forever. The work it takes to be a showman of this caliber seems backbreaking. To be comically on like this, for basically 24 hours a day, is a mentality that few could ever imagine. He reminded me of a great athlete, who is able to make an incredibly difficult process seem excessively easy. I would recommend seeing Goosebumps just because of this man’s work ethic and dedication to his craft.