"I Saw a Bigfoot!"

The Spillway at Robbers Cave State Park in Oklahoma

   Late one night in the early 90's, bored teenagers Jason Collins and Andy Holdsclaw drove to a state park just north of Wilburton, Oklahoma. These boys had no idea what they were about to see. 
   Collins remembers pulling his 1986 Pontiac TransAm up near the spillway to take a look around. "We got out (of the car) at the same time," said Collins. "We walked over to the ledge near the spillway and Andy yelled, 'LOOK!' I looked down and saw a hairy, taller-than-human thing sitting in the middle of the creek next to the spillway.
   "It looked up at us as if it was startled and it started to run," said Collins. It ran upright, very quickly, over slippery, uneven rocks. "When have you ever seen a bear run on its hind legs over slippery rocks without falling?" asked Collins. It also looked more human than bear "because of the shoulders," explained Collins.
   The boys ran back to the car and tried to think logically about what they just saw. Since they were in a campground area, they thought maybe someone was camping nearby and decided to take a dip in the creek. "We went everywhere that we could think of inside the park and couldn't find a single camper. So we left for home," said Collins.
   At the time, Collins did not tell anyone about the incident. "My friend Andy was so scared when he told his mom." She called the rangers' office and asked if there had been any reports of a Bigfoot. The officer she spoke to said it might have been an escaped convict from the McAlester prison. "He said he would check into it and within a few hours he called her back and said there were no reports of anyone escaping," said Collins. 
   In preparation for this interview (January 2013), Collins called Robbers Cave Park Ranger William Hahn who has worked at the park for more than a year. Hahn said that no one has ever reported seeing a Bigfoot inside the park. He did not think it would have been an escaped prisoner, either. Hahn worked at the McAlester prison for nearly 10 years and said 90 percent of escaped prisoners "usually go home, not to a state park to hide." He also mentioned a rumor that a bear lives near the spillway, although he has never seen it. 
    "I cannot be more serious about what I am about to say, and to this day if you asked me, 'Did you see a Bigfoot?' - I would say 'Yes,'" said Collins. 

The creature was seen near these rocks at the bottom of the spillway, located a few miles north of Wilburton, Oklahoma.

  ------------------------------------------------------
      Blogger's Note:  I took an astronomy class with Jason Collins in 2012 when he originally told me this story. He was the first person I have ever met who believes he may have seen a sasquatch. I begged him to do this interview.  -J.L.
    

My Father's Trip to Israel

The City of Jerusalem

   When I was in high school, my Father traveled to Israel. His trip was not any sort of personal spiritual pilgrimage, though. He was a radio officer in the U.S. Merchant Marines, and he was simply on a cargo ship making a routine stop to drop off some grain. 
   I remember how impressed he was with the people and things he saw in Israel. I took note of this because my Father is not easily impressed by much of anything. Among his trinkets that he always brought back to Tennessee from his long voyages, he also came home with a handful of little silver crucifixes that he had dipped in the Jordan River. He gave one to each of us and to some of our neighbors, too.
   I asked him to share his personal log with me. Here are the highlights from his trip, starting on New Years' Day in 1992:

 

01-01-92 Wednesday

   Jim and I earned our pay today. We had to send the

ships payroll report to headquarters. What a pain. 4

pages of numbers. Also learned how to send telephone

telegrams (TEXTEL). We are about 1/3 of the way to

Israel.

   Supposed to get there late on the 14th. Ship feels

like a ship today,lots of pitch and roll. Not bad,

just different.

01-02-92 Thursday

   Sea fairly rough today. Ship rolls constantly. 

Tiresome, but tolerable.

   Stood normal watch, sent 5 telegrams. Clock 

advanced another hour. Now 4 hrs ahead of Tennessee.

01-03-92 Friday

   Smack in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Ship 

still flopping around like a fish out of water; 

really wears on you. Passed a sail boat this

afternoon. First thing except clouds and water I've

seen in three or four days. Weather still nice. Water

still pretty, but mean. Washed clothes.

01-04-92 Saturday

 
   Still rolling. Stood normal watch, sent 4

telegrams. Finally got about 2 hours sleep, extremely

weird dream.

01-05-92 Sunday

   Normal watch. Rolling seems a little less severe 

today. Maybe just getting used to it. Supposed to hit

rougher weather in another day or so when we get near

the coast of Africa. About 10 more days to Haifa.

   Clock up another hour, now 5 hrs ahead of

Tennessee.

01-06-92 Monday

   Normal watch, sent 5 telegrams. Still rolling 

along. Cloudy and beginning to rain a little this

evening. Pretty good case of homesickness today.

01-07-92 Tuesday

   Normal watch. Sea a little smoother today. Called

home after last watch.

   Worked on radio log program. Clock up again, now

6 hrs ahead of Tennessee.

01-08-92 Wednesday

   Normal watch. Weather foggy, can't see much of

anything. Supposed to reach the Strait of Gibraltar

tomorrow at midnight. Washed clothes again, must 

bring more socks next time.

01-09-92 Thursday

   Normal watch. Passed through Strait of Gibraltar

around 9:00pm this evening. Lots of lights on both

sides. Hope we pass in the daytime on the way back. 

We are now in the Mediterranean Sea. Weather has 

improved,smooth sailing for now.

01-10-92 Friday

   Normal watch. Advanced clock again, now 7 hrs

ahead of Tennessee. Weather is a little cool, but

nice. We are sailing about 6 miles off the African

coast. Passed the city of Algers around 11:pm. Should

arrive in Haifa around noon on Wednesday the 15th.

01-11-92 Saturday

   Normal watch except for the overtime pay, because 

its Saturday. Weather is still good. Thought I was 

dead when I woke this morning. Dreamed I started 

shaking and couldn't stop. It got worse and worse 

until I knew I would explode. Then I woke and

realized it was the vibrations from the engine.

Probably had something to do with the 4 english

muffins with grape jelly I ate at 3:00 am.

01-12-92 Sunday

   Passed the Island of Sicily around supper time 

today. It looks just like Santa Barbara, only much

larger. Thousands of stucco houses and churches with

red tile roofs. Real pretty from the sea. Heard my 

first real SOS during my late watch this evening. It 

supposedly came from a ship off the coast of Malta, 

here in the Mediterranean. We weren't close enough to

respond, but I listened on all the emergency channels

for 2 hours just in case. Don't know what finally

happened, there was a lot of conversation on the

radio, but none of it in English. (Heard the first 

call in Morse code.)

01-13-92 Monday

   Normal watch. 700 miles from Haifa at noon today.

Should arrive before noon Wednesday. Clock up again, 

now 8 hrs ahead of Tennessee. Weather is brisk, but 

still nice.

01-14-92 Tuesday

   Busy watch today, sent lots of messages.

01-15-92 Wednesday

   Up at 3:00 am this morning in order to send

special arrival message to Haifa Radio. Had to send

it CW (my first morse telegram). Managed to send it

without too many mistakes. Arrived at Haifa at 11:30

am. Tied up to warf around 6:30 pm. Raining off and

on. Will wait until tomorrow to go ashore.

   Exactly 4 weeks since leaving home. Seems like 4 

months.
   
01-16-92 Thursday

   Went ashore with Jim this morning. Walked around

Haifa for about 3 hrs. Place is old and crowded.

Hundreds of little hole-in-the-wall shops.

   Found post office and mailed letter. Hope it gets

home, no one there spoke English. Surprisingly,

hardly anyone speaks English, and practically all

the signs are in Hebrew. After supper, walked about

5 miles looking for a phone. Finally found one and

called home.(Naturally found it about 1/4 mile from

the ship on the way back). Captain says we will be

here until at least next Wednesday. May be able to

take a tour or two around Israel.

01-17-92 Friday

   Interesting day. Went on a tour of Northern

Israel with Jim and 4 other folks from the ship.

We went to Nazareth first and saw the family homes

of Mary and Joseph. Then we went to Cana where

Jesus performed his first miracle. I stood in the

same place where he changed the water into wine.

   Then we went to the Sea of Galilee and ate lunch

where he did his second miracle of feeding 5 thousand

people with 2 fish. Then we went to the place at the

River Jorden where he was baptized. We also visited a

local diamond factory. Northern Israel reminds you a

little of Tennessee. It has lots of hills. The ground

is even rockier. Everywhere you look, there are piles

of rock. All the houses seem to be made of concrete.

There are new houses being built all over the place.

 
01-18-92 Saturday

   Do-nothing day. Today is the Jewish Sabbath,

nobody does anything. I was a good little Jewish boy,

I didn't do a damn thing. Caught up on sleep.

01-19-92 Sunday

   Fascinating day. Went on another tour. This time

just me and two others.

   First we drove south down the West Bank of the

Jordan River valley. We saw Armageddon and Jerico.

As we continued south along the Jordanian border,

we saw lots of Israeli Army patrols. We drove on

into Bethlehem where we visited the Church of the

Nativity, which is built around the manger where

Christ was born. We saw the place where he was born

and the manger. Had lunch about 1/2 block from the

church.

   Then we drove on into Jerusalem. It has to be the

most incredible city I've ever seen. It's built on

the tops of several hills. (Mount Zion is the

highest I think.) Everything is made of brown rock.

Thousands of buildings, walls and churches all

interconnected. Every square inch of space is

occupied up and down steep hills for several miles

in all directions. It's really impossible to describe

and no photograph could do it justice.

   We stopped at most of the churches built around

the 14 stations of the cross. We saw where Jesus

was crucified (I put my hand in the hole of the

rock that held up the cross he was crucified on.)

We went to his tomb and Mary's tomb. We visited

the garden where Judas betrayed him. We saw the

rock he cried blood on and the one he ascended to

heaven from. We saw so much I can't remember it all.

My friend Scotty Jones took pictures, and will give

me copies. Maybe they will help me remember more

details of this incredible place.

   We left Jerusalem around dark and drove through

Tel Aviv on the way back to Haifa. Our guide's name

was Sami. [Blogger's Note: Dad mentioned later in his

log that Sami was a professional tour guide and a

former Israeli Army officer who weighed about 250

pounds and spoke 5 or 6 languages. Dad said Sami had

never been out of Israel.] He spoke English pretty

well and explained most of the history behind

everything we saw. A very long and very good day.

SAIL, the song by AWOLNATION, and my personal fantasy

 When I listen to this song, I picture a huge pirate ship made of wood with all those tall masts and black silk sails. It slips effortlessly across the ocean at night. In the breeze, you can see that some of the sails are ripped, and there's buck shot in the rails. The ship has seen some action in its day. It's not what it used to be. (Are any of us?) The crew on board is rowdy, electric, alive. They are not to be trifled with. There are small amounts of hot pink, neon blue, and electric green lights illuminating from the deck. Where are the lights coming from? I don't know and I don't care. All I want to do is jump on board and see where I end up in the morning.

The Importance of Having Breakfast and Good Female Friends

No one should shop for glasses alone!

   I texted my friends to see if they wanted breakfast today, but I got up too early. It is daylight savings and my body didn't know that. What a bunch of crap this is. I took an astronomy course in college - I know how the sun and the Earth work. Remembering to set your clock forward and back twice a year is pain in the rear and it is really unnecessary.
   I enjoy having breakfast with my friends on the weekend. We are generally too busy during the week to get together, and who wants to make their own breakfast on a Sunday? It is the perfect chance to roll out of bed, shuffle to the car, and get over to Cracker Barrel before the church crowd shows up. Good sausage and as much hot coffee as you can stand. And the conversation....our topics range from raising kids to shitty boyfriends, to money and careers, build-it-yourself hot tubs, the economy, murdered beauty queens, etc.  And sometimes I discreetly take pictures of old couples who dress fashionably. They inspire me to keep trying. Perhaps they have gone through as many trials and tribulations in life as we have, and yet they still manage to look snazzy at their age. If I am impressed, I take a picture. 

I hope I look this good when I'm her age.

   My friend Amy helped me pick out some new glasses yesterday. This is significant because I am not skilled at picking out glasses for myself. You can see what I mean if you see my 5th grade pictures. My mom let me pick out my own frames. Bad idea. Lessons learned smack harder when you have photographic evidence. 
    You can learn a lot from your female friends. I'm sure you can learn a lot from your male friends, too, but I don't usually hang out with them as much. Women tend to put more thought into things, and they generally seem more observant about human behavior. I recently read Kris Jenner's autobiography, and she painted a pretty clear image of OJ and Nicole Simpson's ill-fated relationship. I had not realized that OJ had been dating Nicole since she was a teenager. Nicole's parents apparently thought she was too young to date OJ, yet he persued the pretty young waitress. I imagine the lure of fame and fortune was hard to pass up. (I can say this easily since I was a waitress for years.) Nicole should've dumped his ass the first time he beat her up. If you stay with a man like that, then he learns it is okay to hit you. But if you leave him, then he knows that it isn't okay. So many women keep returning to their abusers. Every town I have lived in has a women's shelter. How horrible is this?! (Horrible that we need to have shelters.) Shouldn't we as a society have higher standards? Shouldn't women respect themselves enough to stand on their own if their man turns out to be a piece of crap?
   I get tired of seeing news stories about young girls being abducted. It happens frequently enough that I fear we have become somewhat tolerant of it. I do not have children of my own, but if I did, I swear I would have tracking devices implanted in them. If someone took one of my kids, I'd come after them. With a gun. You don't mess with little innocent people like that. They are the future. They are our legacy. They are everything, really.
   I feel very strongly that all girls should take self-defense classes. This is a minimal-effort precaution. There was a beautiful young local college student brutally murdered in her own apartment a few years ago.  One of her best friends from grade school told me what I am about to write. No one has been convicted for her murder. It is widely acknowledged that local investigators botched the evidence, and one of the suspects had a history of violence against women (including a rape and an attempted murder.) But this wasn't discussed in court. The jury had no clue that this suspect had just gotten out of jail three months prior to the college girl's murder. He lived in the same apartment complex as the girl, and investigators found a condom in her toilet pipes with his DNA in it. He lied about his alibi. His ex-wife even testified about how much he likes violent sex. THIS MAN IS CURRENTLY LIVING AND WALKING FREELY AMONGST US. Our justice system disappoints at times. In this case, it failed miserably. In Nicole Simpson's case, it failed pretty spectacularly as well. But Kris Jenner didn't forget about Nicole. She told her story in her book. The local college girl's friends didn't forget about her, either. In quiet avenues, like small get-togethers for craft night with other women, they tell her story. Sometimes they go to her grave and pour wine on it and reminisce about old times. 

Sergeant Payne's Johnny Cash Story

Vietnam Veteran Charles Payne/Photo by J. Lewter 

Junior-level journalism major Charles Payne probably isn’t the only non-traditional student at Arkansas Tech who served in the Vietnam War, but he is the only vet who fought alongside world-famous musicians Johnny and June Cash. 

Payne, who is originally from Belleville, AR, joined the U.S. Air Force in 1967. He served three tours in Vietnam that stretched from January of 1968 to January of 1971. It doesn’t bother Payne to talk about Vietnam, although he laments, “We did horrible things.” Details of Payne’s time spent abroad tend to blur together, but one day will stay forever crisp in his mind: the day Johnny and June Cash came to perform for the troops. “They were both wearing military green fatigues,” said Payne, explaining that this was “SOP” (Standard Operating Procedure) for visitors to the base. Anyone wearing civilian clothing marked their self as a target. 

 The base came under sapper attack by Viet Cong soldiers with assault rifles later that night. “It happened all the time,” said Payne, who mentioned that it was annoying. The attacks always came at night, so the American troops would run to bunkers scattered around the base and fire their weapons into the dark. “We never knew (if we hit anyone),” explained Payne. 

  That night, Johnny and June were rushed to the hospital bunker “because that was the safest place,” said Payne. That was also SOP for base visitors. Payne ran to a bunker close to the hospital to help fight off the attackers. “Then ten or fifteen minutes into (the fight), here comes Johnny with a M-16 he got from an injured [soldier] in the hospital,” said Payne. Payne had been alone in his bunker until Johnny showed up. “He didn’t feel right hiding while the rest of us were fighting,” said Payne. Then, about ten minutes later, “here comes June (with a M-16),” said Payne. Another injured soldier had been admitted to the hospital, so June borrowed his gun and ran to the bunker to join her husband and Sergeant Payne. He doesn’t remember everything Johnny and June said during the gun fight, but he does remember June asking, “Where is the safety on this damn thing?” 

Payne, Johnny and June fired through the gun ports in the bunker for the duration of the attack, which lasted about thirty or forty-five minutes. Being the only soldier fighting with the high-profile singers “put the pressure on,” said Payne. Thankfully none of the trio was injured.

==================================

  Since I rarely get the opportunity to interview Vietnam veterans, I asked Mr. Payne about a bumper sticker I once saw on an office door in the Nashville Capitol Building. It read “Jane Fonda: Commie. Traitor. Bitch.”  Payne’s response was, “They were being nice.” He explained that Fonda had toured a POW camp in Vietnam where Americans were being held. While Fonda was apparently overseas protesting the war, she was photographed smiling and clapping with Vietnamese soldiers while sitting on an anti-aircraft gun. Payne seemed quite disgusted. He said he knew that some troops returning home from the war were spit on by protestors, although he did not experience anything like that. “I was from a small town. They were supportive,” he said.

"No Easy Day" is a Must Read

  I have always been intrigued by the Navy SEALs. When I heard about the controversial new book written by a SEAL who was on the raid that killed Bin Laden, I knew I would buy it. And I did buy it as soon as I saw it for sale at my local book store. The book was nearly impossible to put down as soon as I started reading it.
   The writing is smooth and easy to understand. All of the military jargon terms are explained, and it almost feels like you are wearing 60 pounds of gear and $65,000 night-vision goggles while sitting next to Mark Owen (his pen name) on a cramped helicopter flight to the next mission. I have always appreciated military culture and customs, since so many people in my own family have been enlisted. It made me want to enlist just so I could have comrades like the ones Owen writes about.
   I was particularly interested in some of the details of the missions, like how an assault team might decide to attack from the roof of a building or why they might land on the ground and sneak up on foot instead. I enjoyed reading about the specific gear and tools that the SEALs sometimes take along with them during an assault: a sledgehammer, bolt cutters, $200 in cash in case they need to bribe someone for a ride. I also wanted to read about Bin Laden's final moments. Owen describes him as a coward, not wanting or willing to fight even though his family was home and he had access to guns. The story was believable and well-told. I was particularly touched with Owen's recollection of a CIA analyst he called "Jen." She had been tracking Bin Laden for five years, and she was quite emotional when the SEAL team brought his body back from Pakistan.
   It's easy to see what sorts of frustrations elite military teams like the SEALs have to deal with when bureaucrats get involved in their missions. Owen talks about having to eventually use a bullhorn during raids to ask alleged terrorists to "come out" of their houses, only to see the same people pop up again and again during other raids. Humanity and ethics certainly have an important role whenever the military is involved, but it is easy to have empathy for front-line commandos like Owen when their lives are so clearly dependent on them being able to enter, execute, and leave quickly. 
    This book gets my highest rating: it's a must-read!
   

Al Matthews - the Real Life Marine in "Aliens"

Sgt. Al Apone "Look into my eye." (Aliens -20th Century Fox)

Aliens is, and always will be, one of my very favorite movies. The scenes with the space marines chiding each other and suiting up for battle leave a lasting impression, especially on a 10-year-old. I actually couldn't watch the movie all the way through the first time I tried. It scared me so bad I was nauseated. But, like all great sci-fi/horror movies, I grew to adore it (and have watched it countless times since my first attempt in the sixth grade.)
   Sergeant Al Apone, played by Al Matthews, is perhaps the most convincing marine in the film. My father and I have commented that he must've had previous military experience to pull off such a genuine character. I recently searched the Internet to see if I could find out anything about Al Matthews' past, and I was pleased to find this interview where he discusses how proud he was to serve in Vietnam. I am cutting and pasting the entire interview below. The original web site is here: Al Matthews Interview

  
Al Matthews, Actor, Aliens

Written by Hicks Thursday, 26 October 2006 23:03 

 

Today we are talking with a man that I am sure really needs no introduction to anyone that calls themselves an Alien fan - Al Matthews. Al played the cigar-chewing, slogan-spewing, tough-as-nails, ground troop commander Sgt. Apone. Al, thank you for allowing us this opportunity to chat with you. Let’s get to it.

Alien Experience: Are you still living in the UK, because I thought I saw on the Internet you were living in Spain now?

Al Matthews: It's not my intention to be esoteric, however, we must remember John Lennon! One morning, I awoke to find 15 people standing outside my house, trying to get a glimpse of me, neither I nor my family need that! Plus, the Net told you that I was dead, and you (fans) bought it. Where I live is not important, how I live is.

AXP: What took you to Europe in the first place?

AM: I came to Europe because I no longer wanted to live in the country that I went to war for, by the way, I did not start that war. When I came home I was not a hero, I was still a black man trying to get a job. One day I was riding the bus on my way to work, just above my head was a bus hording, asking for donations to help build a memorial to my fallen comrades, I was grossly insulted. However, right next to that sign was another, which said 'If you don't like America, leave', which is what I did.

I have been in show business since the age of 4, Cab Calloway is my great uncle, Johnny Nash is my third cousin, my family also appeared in Our Gang comedies, the parts they played were 'Buckwheat' and a character, 'Stimey', it's more or less in the blood!

I arrived in Europe with 4 sea bags and a Gibson guitar, I first lived in Morocco, where I made myself learn to play the damn thing. I first became a Folk-blues singer, it worked! But let me tell you this, it worked because I now had the self-discipline that's necessary to do anything. I got that discipline in the United States Marine Corps, and that's gospel!

AXP: What made you want to leave the Marines?

AM: I have not left the Marine Corps, 'once a Marine, always a Marine'. Sadly, I still have bad days and nightmares, I try not to think about Nam, but I find it hard not to think about that period of my life, but it was also a very necessary thing for me, I got my act together.

AXP: Are you still singing/songwriting?

AM: Yes, indeed I still write music, if you visit my website almatthews.co.uk, you can hear a few of the 5,000 songs I've written over the years. I have a song in a film at the moment. These days, I only write for films. I coed in a film called Soul Survivors with Isaac Hayes, Antonio Fargas, (whom I grew up with in NYC) and Ian McShane, I mention this because I wrote the songs for the film, again they can be found on my website.

AXP: Are you still involved in broadcasting, and to what extent?

AM: After fifteen years of broadcasting, I'd more or less had enough. I have won 'Best Gospel Music Program in Europe' five times running, I might like to do some kind of program, but I don't exactly know what, my collection is 8,000 albums strong and over 400 cd's. Do you think I might get a gig somewhere? Just kidding!

AXP: And what have you been doing since 1997 after your last two films The Fifth Element and Tomorrow Never Dies? Are you still performing theatre?

AM: I have been writing cook books and other things, I am also a journalist which is another string to my bow. Theatre is my first love, a film is a walk in the park compared to the theatre. My agent once told me something which I now know to be true, unless you tread the boards, you are not an actor. I am very proud of my work in the theater. I took the James Baldwin play The Amen Corner, from fringe to London's west-end. The Amen Corner was and is the first all black cast, in the long history of British theatre to appear in London's West, and not be a musical! I was very lucky, James Baldwin was there, he was giving a standing ovation which lasted 15 minutes, we both cried, it was very moving. There, now you've glimpsed my soft side. I did another film, which I don't want to discuss, in all, I've made 62 pictures, the last we will not talk about.

AXP: How did you land your role in Aliens?

AM: I was shooting a film called (in Europe) The American Way, in the States it's called Riders of the Storm with Dennis Hopper, James Cameron ask to see me, he read my CV, and that was that. I asked James how long did it take him to make up his mind, he said "thirty seconds".

AXP: Did your time in the military help in your performance in Aliens?

AM: Yes, I was the only person in the movie not pretending to be a Marine, in fact I taught the other actors how to look and act. Mr. Cameron was pleased with my input, in fact he said to me, he had no idea I was that good, had he known, my part would have been bigger. (Oh yeah!) You see, when you live in Europe, it is assumed that you live here because you can't cut the mustard...tut, tut! There are many more films shot in the UK, because we have some of the best craftsman on the planet, Aliens was shot at Pinewood, just down the street from my home at that time.

AXP: And is there any part of Al Matthews in Sgt. Apone…or Sgt. Apone in Al Matthews?

AM: My five and a half years in the Corps as was the Marines are so believable, I did not have to act, I was just my normal self. Al Matthews and Sgt. Al Apone (bet you didn't know his first name was Al, we did that as a joke) are the same person.

AXP: What was it like working with James Cameron?

AM: James Cameron is one of the finest directors I have ever had the pleasure of working for. A good director casts actors to help them tell their story, a great director does the same thing, but with a slight difference, a great director bothers to ask his actors their opinions. James Cameron is a great director, he let me do my thing, he place his trust in me. I am very proud of that fact. What most folk don't know is, I made up most of my own line's, James let me do that! He's the MAN! I was asked to come to the States, but declined for business reasons, plus, I do not like being far away from my children.

AXP: What is your fondest memory from your time working on Aliens?

AM: My fondest memory on Aliens, was this: We were trying to get my whole squad into the 'APC', as quickly as possible. Man, we must have done ten takes, on the very last take, we got it right. Once we were all in, in a 'military manner', we had the take, in the can, suddenly the door opened and I shouted "What the fxxk is going on?" Yes, I was tired and I knew the opening of the door would screw the sound, and we would have to go again. I turned towards the door, with smoke coming from my nostrils. There was Miss Weaver holding the biggest birthday cake I had ever seen in my life, and wearing the warmest smile ever! The whole cast and crew knew it was my birthday, and they were all in on it. I was so embarrassed, I broke down and cried. There was Sgt. Apone, balling like a baby, at the best of times, I don't like surprises, you can call it a 'Nam thing.'

I forgot to tell you about the opening shot, which was us waking from deep space sleep. A little known and never seen again actress, (I'm calling her that to be kind) accused me of taking her light. I told her I could take her light without even leaving my dressing room, (it was her first film and last, I may add) I also told her that I could make the camera do anything I wanted it to do. She said 'BS'. I said, 'ok watch this', that's when I put the cigar into my mouth, the camera was shooting from the opposite direction, James saw me put the cigar in my chops, and made them move the camera for a single on me. I just looked at the actress and winked, she could not believe it. I told her,' not to try to get where I am, because she would be where I was, because I keep moving.'

AXP: Did those missed takes in the APC inspire your line later in the movie "I want a nice clean dispersal this time!"?

AM: Sorry, the line refers to the last op we were on (not really), or the last time we tried that move or tactic. By the way, that was not one of the lines I made up, I would have said, 'spread it and keep it flat.' It means the same thing.

AXP: Which version of the film do you prefer, the original theatrical release or Aliens: Special Edition?

AM: When I saw the finished cut, I was very surprised indeed. I watched, (because, that's how you learn your craft) James shoot all the stuff that ended on the floor, which became 'The Director's Cut'. The director's cut told the whole story, but, it slowed the film down. When I saw the 'D's cut, I knew why 'Fox', put it on the floor. For a very long time, I thought that I had made all that stuff up in my head, (as actors do) what I'm trying to say is, I thought I had dreamt all those shot's, they did happened, but I convinced myself, it was all in my head. To answer the question, I prefer the original cut. the 'D's' cut was all about riding that horse into town, just one more time. By the way, I only saw the 'D's' cut 3 months ago. What is really a good laugh, is to see the film in another language, like Spanish for example. I speak 7 languages, I like to see what the translators made of my lines.

AXP: Alien is a classic, but at the time did you realize Aliens was going to be as big as it became?

AM: You know something, a hit film is like a hit record, you just know! Plus, one day I asked James if I could see some 'rushes', which he doesn't like his actors to do. James said, 'sometimes actors go to rushes and see something that they are doing, and they keep doing it through out the whole film, just because they like one thing they did.' You see what I'm saying? Anyway, I loved what I saw, it was then that I knew, this film is going to be massive. I say, 'to hell with 'rushes', just carry on having fun. By the way, I have never been to 'rushes' since, if a director tells you something, you should listen, take his advise on board, after all, it is his film.

AXP: Moreover, did you think that your role as Sgt. Apone was going to be as popular as it became?

AM: I had no idea Sgt. Apone had gotten so large, it was not until my IMDb death, did I realize how the character had grown. Which brings me very nicely to this, if they publish any more crap, there will be hell to pay! The 'Internet Movie Database' people have a lot to answer for. I have friends all over the world, they all thought that I was dead because these people did not check or verify their facts, they just printed an unconfirmed rumor. Someone thought it would be funny! Sadly for him, I know who he is, I intend to deal with him. My children, didn't find it funny either! Sorry for that, but you can see where I'm coming from with that.

AXP: Aliens grossed over $130 million worldwide, when you first set out as an actor did you ever think you’d be involved in something that big and successful?

AM: All I knew was, it's not possible to have a cast and crew this strong and not have a hit. I never set out to be an actor, it just happened. Most of my life I had been a singer, I still am, acting is just something else that I do. All the gift's that I have been given seem to get used over and over again, and in different forms. Shit, man, I never know what tomorrows going to bring. Let me give you a little tip, never leave the floor until you are happy with your work, normally, if you ask the director 'can we go again', they say 'ok'. Never call a track finished if you are not happy, because you will have to live with that for the rest of your life. Every time you see yourself, you'll think 'damn I could have done better.' 'Pain goes away, but failure lives on forever.'

AXP: Have you seen/spoken to any of the other Aliens alumni recently? Anyone specific you keep in touch with?

AM: I am in touch with Rico Ross, but everybody is so busy, it's hard to keep track of people.

AXP: If Fox asked you to do a cameo in any upcoming Alien or Alien vs. Predator movies would you be willing?

AM: I am always ready to work, I love my craft.

AXP: Hot Toys (a toy company in Hong Kong) has just released a series of 12 inch figures from Aliens, one of them is Sgt. Apone, what does it feel like to be made into an action figure?

AM: I shall mention 'Hot Toys' to my lawyers, on the one hand, I am happy about having an action figure, if it looks like me, and I get paid!

AXP: We've seen 2 Alien films and an Alien vs. Predator film since Aliens was released, in your opinion, and taking those films into account, how do you feel the franchise evolved since then? For better? For worse?

AM: Pete, I liked Alien, it was a great film, but I loved Aliens, not just because I was in it, but because of the action. That movie scares the shit out of me, and I was in it! God! I could not wait to touch the little creep that popped out of that girls chest. I first saw it undressed, but when Stan and his boy's had dressed that damn thing, I was really ready to kick ass, film or not! Sorry, it still gives me the creeps to think about it. I think the Aliens ticket has been over worked, no more, its down hill from here.

AXP: And what is your opinion of the whole Alien vs. Predator crossover?

AM: I have not seen Alien vs. Predator, not sure I want to.

AXP: In your mind has the release of Alien vs. Predator killed any chance for another stand-alone Alien film? James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver seem to think so.

AM: I agree with James and Sigourney, it's done and dusted, we all gave our best, we have no more to give, the planet has been blown up, end of story.

I would like to take this moment to thank you all for your support over the years, you are why I can't stop acting. Now that I am back from the dead, let's kick some butt! You can contact me, it's almatthews.co.uk.