Thursday, November 5, 2015

Mike Lanier at Motor City Comic Con 2015

As we walked into the press area at the Motor City Comic Con 2015, we encountered a very tall man.  (I later learned, "very tall" translated to 7'6" inches, which is extremely tall.)  We were introduced to Mike Lanier.
I later learned Lanier actually has an identical twin Jim.  They played college basketball at the University of Denver (Jim) and UCLA (Mike).  You know you wanted to know that!
Lanier was at the MCCC to meet fans, other stars and to promote It Follows.  In It Follows, the main character of Jay (female) is followed by a shape-shifter, which brings about all sorts of terror.  Lanier is one of the shapes of the shape-shifter.
It follows is a horror flick, which does a slow burn of terror.  These are the scariest, most unsettling and most enjoyable for me.  Cheap, quick thrills and chills don't stay with you, like this type of terror.
Lanier seemed completely the opposite of terror, however.  He seemed genuinely happy to be noticed and mingling with fans and press.  Despite a slight bit of difficulty which seemed in his walk, he appeared to be in pretty solid shape.  None of this is easy for guys his size.
Lanier played some college basketball, eventually transferring to UCLA, which he called a mistake.  He was basically reduced to a practice player.  That's unfortunate.  I'd love to see what a player his size could do if properly coached.
He indicated he would like to do more acting, but for now he is happy working his regular job in the Detroit area.  If he wants to revisit his fame, all he needs to do is attend the MCCC every year and he is a guaranteed attraction.
Mike Lanier and me in Novi, MI-May 2015.

2 comments:

Jean Parker said...

Wow, Johngy, you look short in this picture. Can't believe I guy that tall didn't make the NBA.

Johngy said...

I've never been around anyone quite that tall.