MTV News |
- 9/11 Doc Examines 'Dread And Hope' In Aftermath Of Attacks
- Lady Gaga Describes Her Love For New York On 9/11 Anniversary
- Wiz Khalifa Already 'Working On' <i>Rolling Papers</i> Follow-Up
- Big Sean Thrilled With 'Cool As Hell' 'Marvin & Chardonnay' Video
- Andrew Jenks Reflects On Young Americans' 9/11 Lessons
- Gym Class Heroes Announce 'Solid' <i>Papercut Chronicles II</i> Release Date
- 'Like Crazy' Director Says Stars Were '100 Percent Game'
- 'Contagion': The Reviews Are In!
- Freddie Gibbs Wants 'Your Mom To Be Scared' Of Him
- Lady Gaga's <i>Harper's Bazaar</i> Cover Is 'A Big Deal'
- Chris Klein Becomes A Trendsetter On 'When I Was 17'
- Justin Timberlake Claims Music Is His 'Bread And Butter'
- Miss USA Rima Fakih Reflects On 9/11, Muslim Identity
- Theophilus London Was So Fresh, So Clean, On 'When I Was 17'
- Black Moon To Reunite For Beatminerz-Produced LP
- Odd Future Land 'Jackass'-Inspired TV Show
- 'Back To The Future' Writer Takes Us Inside Nike Air McFlys
- 'Anonymous' Director Believes Shakespeare Was 'A Fraud'
- 'Three Musketeers' Director Promises 'Goosed Up' Action
| 9/11 Doc Examines 'Dread And Hope' In Aftermath Of Attacks Posted: 10 Sep 2011 03:53 AM PDT 'Rebirth' filmmaker James Whitaker talks to MTV News about documenting Ground Zero devastation and rebuilding for the past decade.
A month after the attacks of September 11, producer and filmmaker James Whitaker visited Ground Zero, where he found, in the midst of the devastation, a tiny glimmer of hope: the hole would eventually be filled; someday, somehow we would rebuild what had been lost and we would experience something of a collective rebirth ourselves.
Thus was born a 10-year documentary effort called "Rebirth," which premieres on Showtime on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT, marking the 10th anniversary of the attacks. "The film is a combination of the physical and emotional healing of the site over time," Whitaker told MTV News. "It just dawned on me that it would be great to give an audience the sense of going from the dread and anxiety to the sense of hope I felt when I imagined what it would be like." The doc takes two approaches to capturing that mixture of dread and hope. Whitaker began by setting up three cameras around Ground Zero to take one frame of film every five minutes, 24 hours a day, documenting the evolution of the site and the eventual and ongoing construction of the new One World Trade Center. At the same time, he selected five people deeply affected by the tragedy and followed their stories for a decade. "I started with the idea of Ground Zero itself and types of people, if you will," he explained. "I was interested in a fireman, for example. I was interested in someone who was on the impact floor and may have survived. A young person who would grow up over the course of the film." As the effort gathered momentum, officials at the site took notice and gave the filmmaker their support. "Once we got the cameras going, the Port Authority just said, 'Look, we understand the goal here is to record the history of the evolution of the site and we applaud and appreciate it,' " Whitaker recalled. "So we started out with three cameras triangulating the site. Now there are 14 that are in and around and down low in the site in different positions." As time passed and the site and his subjects began to heal, he found an organic end point for his film. "I think that the people who ended up in the film and were part of the whole process were really special," he said. "In about the fourth or fifth year, I started to notice that the subjects were making a change. They were moving toward a place that felt like ... a place of healing, a different place. It made me come to an understanding, which I said to myself, which was, 'Listen to the film itself, and it will announce its own ending.' And I realized at that point the film was really saying it's ending." Whitaker added of Sunday's 10-year anniversary, "On September 11, I'll be thinking of the journeys of the wonderful people who participated in my film and how they got to a more healthy and hopeful place." What will you do to remember 9/11? Share your thoughts below, and visit 911day.org to upload your video response. Related Videos |
| Lady Gaga Describes Her Love For New York On 9/11 Anniversary Posted: 09 Sep 2011 09:52 AM PDT Recalling the day she watched the towers fall, Gaga calls NYC 'the husband I never married.'
Lady Gaga is one of the many New Yorkers who were affected personally by the terror attacks on September 11. The pop star was in high school in Manhattan the day it happened, and 10 years later, she still tears up when remembering the intense emotions she felt as she watched the Twin Towers fall.
"I mean, there's so many stories that people don't know," she told MTV during her intimate chat for her special "Inside the Outside," which was taped the day after Osama bin Laden was killed and 9/11 was on everyone's mind. "I watched the towers fall from the roof of my school, holding all my best friends. I don't know ... just, my affinity and my love and the relationship I have with New York City — it's like the husband I never married." MTV parent company Viacom has teamed up with MyGoodDeed and HandsOn Network, organizers of this year's September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, and with artists including Lady Gaga, Nas, DJ Pauly D, Julianne Hough and Drake Bell to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the attacks by asking, "What will you do to remember?" In her documentary interview, Gaga spoke often about her love for her hometown, sharing that she has one very personal way of connecting with the Big Apple. Gesturing the jacket she wore, she said, "Well, this is how I get home; my leather jacket's like my Dorothy slippers. ... That's why I changed when we sat down. You said, 'I want to ask you about New York,' and I said, 'You'd better get my leather.' I wrote so many songs on this new album [Born This Way] about New York City. I mean, every song on all my albums has some relationship to New York City, but one in particular 'Marry the Night,' that record is about my husband, New York." Through Sunday, Viacom's networks will air specially produced "I Will" public service announcements featuring artists and actors, along with Viacom employees. The multiplatform public service campaign is designed to inspire Americans to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the attacks by committing to good deeds, charity or volunteer service. What will you do to remember 9/11? Share your thoughts below, and visit 911day.org to upload your video response. Related Artists |
| Wiz Khalifa Already 'Working On' <i>Rolling Papers</i> Follow-Up Posted: 09 Sep 2011 03:11 AM PDT Wiz also tells MTV News he looks forward to appearing on Taylor Gang fam Chevy Woods' Cookout mixtape.
Wiz Khalifa refuses to rest on his laurels. Just six months after the release of his gold major-label debut, Rolling Papers, the "Black and Yellow" MC revealed to MTV News that he has already started work on his follow-up.
"Yeah, I've started working on a next album just to get a feel for where I'm going with it," Wiz told us on the BMI Urban Awards red carpet last month. " 'No Sleep' is gonna do what it's gonna do," Khalifa said of the fourth and latest single from Rolling Papers. "Hopefully, it takes off; it's been getting a lot of love so far." As of now, there is still no date or title for the next Wiz album, but fans of the Pittsburgh rap star will get to hear some new music from him later this month when his pal Chevy Woods drops his mixtape The Cookout. "You know me, I'm always working, doing new stuff," Khalifa said. "I got artists that I'm working on and stuff like that; Chevy is doin' his thing." The next artist to emerge from the smoked-out spitter's Taylor Gang crew is Chevy Woods. During the past few months, Wiz and Woods have been actively promoting Cookout, the soon-to-be-released Chevy tape that will prominently feature Khalifa as well. "[Wiz's] gonna be on at least half or more [of the songs]," Chevy told Mixtape Daily in July. "It's my tape, featuring him." "It's gonna be coming out in early September, so anybody who wants to hear some new raps from me, they can go get that," Wiz confirmed."And, of course, Chevy is gonna kill it and do his thing. It's gonna be real fun." Are you looking forward to what Chevy and Wiz cook up? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists |
| Big Sean Thrilled With 'Cool As Hell' 'Marvin & Chardonnay' Video Posted: 09 Sep 2011 01:29 AM PDT Sean says it was 'tight' to work with Hype Williams on the clip, even though some of his favorite scenes were cut.
Vibrant colors, crisp, clean angles and beautiful models are just some of the ingredients that mark a music video as the work of director Hype Williams. From Missy Elliott's "The Rain" and Busta Rhymes' "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" to Kanye West's "Stronger" to Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'," Hype has produced some of hip-hop's most memorable clips, and now he'd added Big Sean's "Marvin & Chardonnay" to his videography.
"I feel like Hype Williams, he's a legend. So it's tight to have the legendary Hype with the colors and the beautiful girls," Big Sean told MTV News of his video which debuted online on Wednesday. "Marvin & Chardonnay" co-stars Kanye West, Roscoe Dash and a handful of curvaceous models. Bright shades of red, yellow and blue pop on and off the screen in time with the song's schizophrenic drum pattern, while Sean and his G.O.O.D. Music mentor, Kanye, trade verses. The video was shot in July in New York City, and though Sean says that it took a little longer than he expected to get done, he was happy with the end result. "I like how it was classy but still cool as hell at the same time," the Finally Famous MC said, clearly excited by the wardrobe he, West and Roscoe donned in the vid. "It was fun doing them suits, man. We kept it playa on set, so it was good. I'm glad everybody likes it." As happy as he is with the final cut, the Detroit rookie rapper admits that there were some things that didn't make it in the end. "Yeah, it was a lot that didn't make it on set, man. It was a lot of stuntation goin' on, a lot of playa sh-- that didn't get to make the final cut of it," he said. "I was really mad about it, actually. I really made a couple of calls like, 'Yo why this not in here, man? That was playa.' I was keepin' it G, but you know, it doesn't matter, though. We got all that footage anyway." Related Artists |
| Andrew Jenks Reflects On Young Americans' 9/11 Lessons Posted: 09 Sep 2011 03:37 AM PDT 'World of Jenks' star releases 'Millennials Will Never Forget' short film.
After its debut season, America has come to know the fearlessly inquisitive Andrew Jenks — the NYU film school grad at the center of MTV's "World of Jenks." Over the course of his show's 12 episodes, on a quest to better understand what it's like to live the life of everyday human beings, Jenks shadowed rapper Maino, a homeless street dweller, an NFL cheerleader, mixed martial arts fighter Anthony "Showtime" Pettis and a young man living with autism.
As Sunday brings the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Jenks has taken it upon himself to better understand just how Millennials remember that historic day in American history by creating a roughly 5-minute online film titled "Millennials Will Never Forget" that, among other things, touches on how young Americans can harness the lessons learned from the ordeal. "9/11 is a day that is stamped into all of our lives, and something that none of us will forget," Jenks told MTV News on Friday (September 9). "I was trying to think of a concept that would really bring us back to that day and give us time to reflect, and then from there, see what we can do to change. "Something that we really learned from that day was that Americans have an uncanny ability to do anything that it takes to help a neighbor out, and I feel like that's something that we have started to lose a little bit in the last 10 years," he added. "I was really curious to hear what young people my age would say." The film, inspired by the motifs and structures of Academy Award-winning filmmaker Errol Morris, is a thought-provoking short film of human discovery and is comprised of back-to-back testimonials of 12 Generation Yers, young Americans who witnessed the events of 9/11 and the uniting spirit that brought, and still can bring, the country together. "When I talked to people about 9/11, there's a sense that, 'We're all neighbors. We're all friends. We're all civil.' And it doesn't take a lot of looking around to see that now, 10 years later, that doesn't exist," Jenks said. "Just look at what's going on in Washington: the bickering and the disrespect. It's really discouraging. And that's what I hope this video does: I hope that it gets around to a lot of young people so that they can see and remember that day when we were so passionate about helping each other, and using that day almost as an advantage to what we can do every day to change the world, as cheesy as that may sound," he added. Over the course of the effort, Jenks concluded that, as Millennials, this young generation of Americans has an added advantage over their parents: Social media has documented virtually all of their lives. To learn from the past has never been easier than it is today. "We have archived our lives through Facebook and Twitter, blogs, email, text," he said. "We can literally go back five years and look at what we were doing on a daily basis, and I think there's a lot that can come from that. We have the chance to really look back and reflect in an accurate way. In turn, we can really make sense of it and see what we can do to make the world a better place." "Millennials Will Never Forget" can be seen on YouTube. For a personal note from Andrew Jenks on the project and to find out how you can pay tribute to 9/11 by taking action, head over to MTV Act. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Gym Class Heroes Announce 'Solid' <i>Papercut Chronicles II</i> Release Date Posted: 08 Sep 2011 10:56 PM PDT Frontman Travie McCoy tells MTV News delays leading up to October 25 release 'made the record better.'
Way back in March, Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy told MTV News that it was "definitely time" for a new album from the group. Of course, at the time, he probably needed to check his watch: In May, McCoy promised the new GCH album — the sequel to 2005's The Papercut Chronicles — would be in stores "by late summer," and, well, summer's just about over, and there's still not been a release.
But finally, the Heroes' time has come. On October 25, they'll release Papercut Chronicles II, and while it's not exactly summer, McCoy's not about to complain — in fact, he's just relieved that it'll finally be in stores. "Like I said on the last record, [2008's The Quilt,] ' '08 is gonna be great/ Imagine 2011.' October 25, you will be able to purchase and enjoy The Papercut Chronicles II," McCoy told MTV News. "We finally have a solid release date, so ... right now, we're actually circling third and about to slide into home, and then it's off to be mixed and mastered, and then it's out for public consumption." A spokesperson for Gym Class Heroes' label could not be reached to confirm the release date, and while McCoy played it, well, coy when asked about just what lead to the PCC II delay, he did say everything the group has been through has only made them — and their album — stronger. Mostly, though, he's just thankful he's not going to have to backtrack on his earlier claims. "There were a couple setbacks that were kind of out of our hands, but we just took 'em in stride, and, in a sense, I think they just made the record better," he said. "And I'm super excited, finally, because I was going to have to bite my lip ... because I had all these people stoked about 2011 and about this record. ... So I'm excited we finally have a release date and that this album has definitely shaped up to be everything and more." Though fans have already gotten a preview of PCC II with its first single, "Stereo Hearts," McCoy said they're going to be surprised with the musical direction on the new album. Sure, it's a continuation of the original Chronicles, but it's also a whole lot more. And it's definitely worth the wait. "It's always hard to listen to a song off a Gym Class Heroes record and kind of get a vibe for what the rest of the record is gonna sound like, but ... to sum it all up, it's definitely a well-rounded album: It's not just a few singles here or there and some filler," he said. "It's got some reoccurring themes from the first Papercut Chronicles, musically and lyrically, and people who were in love with the Papercut Chronicles are gonna pick up on that. But to quote Jay-Z, 'If you want out old sh--, buy our old album.' Every album we put out, we try to push that envelope further, and this case is no different." How do you expect the new Gym Class Heroes album to sound? Share your thoughts below! Related Artists |
| 'Like Crazy' Director Says Stars Were '100 Percent Game' Posted: 09 Sep 2011 12:43 AM PDT In our Fall Movie Preview, Drake Doremus says he 'was shocked' over chemistry between Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones.
For his romantic weeper "Like Crazy" — the 2011 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner about two college sweethearts torn apart due to deportation — director Drake Doremus tapped a veritable who's who of Hollywood's young, up-and-coming talent, including Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence. But he took a real gamble on 27-year-old Felicity Jones, casting the actress after having only seen an audition tape filmed in her London flat. He said it was a risk well worth the return. As part of our Fall Movie Preview, Doremus spoke with MTV News about the autobiographical nature of his tender drama, taking a chance on Jones and all those comparisons to "Blue Valentine." Click for photos from fall's biggest flicks! MTV: This is such a heart-wrenching love story. Is it autobiographical in any way? What was your inspiration? Drake Doremus: I think, trying to make a genuine love story, it would be silly not to try to dig deep and find pieces of yourself and put them in the film. So there's a lot of emotional truth in the film that I've gone through and relationship elements, for sure. It's a very personal love story.
MTV: Felicity Jones is already gaining a lot of buzz for her performance. It seems like she kind of came out of nowhere. How did you cast her? Doremus: Felicity sent me a tape from London. I had seen about 50 girls in Los Angeles. I'd brought a few of them in with Anton and did the chemistry read, and I was not quite feeling it yet. She sent a tape of herself in her flat in London. She just embodied everything that was this character. I immediately called her and told her to come. It was a total gut call. I had never even seen her with Anton, and I didn't even know if they'd have chemistry, but something in my gut told me we had to cast Felicity Jones and that she was the right person for this. And man, oh man, that's probably one of the best decisions I've ever made in my career. MTV: Were you surprised by the actors' intense chemistry given that they hadn't tested together? Doremus: Yeah, I was shocked. I mean, it's a tribute to how game they were to go down this path and go down this journey. At the first rehearsal session, I asked them very specifically, "You have to understand what kind of a journey we're going on here. We're going to live this thing. We're going to breathe it, and it's going to come from the inside out. You're going to have a four-week love affair. Are you guys game to do this?" They were 100 percent game. MTV: You improvised a lot of scenes in this film. Is that a process that was specific to this project, or a method you prefer? Doremus: It's a formula I've been developing for the last couple of years that I'm continuing to fine-tune and use. It's essentially just a form of writing the characters, the backstory and the emotional arc and where we're going. The actors are always encouraged to do and say whatever they feel and let things happen sort of organically. MTV: Does this approach leave you with a lot more footage to work with than if you'd strictly stuck to a script? Doremus: Absolutely. It's crazy, actually. We could have cut four, five completely different versions of this movie. It would have been the same story but how we got to the end point would have been very different. You give yourself options, and the editing process becomes the third leg of the writing stool. MTV: Many critics have been calling "Like Crazy" this year's "Blue Valentine." What do you make of those comparisons? Doremus: Well, first of all, it's an honor. I think that's a very beautiful film. But I think they're very different. You know, I think this film is a much more romantic, innocent and hopeful and optimistic look at love. Check out everything we've got on "Like Crazy." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos Related Photos |
| 'Contagion': The Reviews Are In! Posted: 09 Sep 2011 03:03 AM PDT 'You may never again be able to touch your face without asking yourself where those hands have been,' one critic says of germ thriller.
Perhaps the most terrifying film opening in theaters this weekend is not one full of high-pitched screams, blood and guts, but rather the discomfort and cringing that accompanies the spread of killer germs. "Contagion" — featuring an all-star cast that includes Matt Damon, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, Gwyneth Paltrow and Marion Cotillard — demonstrates how quickly a cough can turn into a worldwide epidemic, as the characters reel from the rapid progress of an airborne virus that kills within days. Ordinary citizens are forced to come to terms with disease and death, while the medical community scrambles to find a cure and control the hysteria that spreads along with the virus. With a certified fresh rating of more than 80 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Contagion" seems to be creeping out moviegoers in the best and most realistic way possible. The Story The Direction The Cringe Factor The Final Word: Pro/Con/Pro Style "Juggling multiple plotlines proved successful in Mr. [Soderbergh]'s 'Traffic' (and even more so in Alejandro González Iñárritu's vastly superior Babel). Here, the conceit just seems jagged and annoying, without achieving the desired synchronicity. The film often looks like a lengthy public health announcement on the requirements for travel vaccinations. A lot of the medical technology in the dialogue is too technical for the lay mind to grasp. Who knows from 'viral protein cells'? Do stick around for the epilogue — a clever re-enactment of how the virus started, and an explanation of Day 1. The ensemble cast is excellent, if underused. And some of it is downright gasp-inducing, especially when the characters see Gwyneth Paltrow's lovely head open and the scalp pulled down over her eyes on the operating table. I found 'Contagion' both flawed and fascinating, but it's not an entertainment." — Rex Reed, The New York Observer " 'Contagion' doesn't transcend itself. It's an action thriller, a good one, but it doesn't take on any additional importance or meaning as it wears on — it's just a smart, entertaining experience, which is enough. But it might change your life. You may never again be able to touch your face without asking yourself where those hands have been. In fact, yesterday might have been a good day to buy stock in Purell." — Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle Check out everything we've got on "Contagion." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Photos |
| Freddie Gibbs Wants 'Your Mom To Be Scared' Of Him Posted: 09 Sep 2011 12:57 AM PDT 'I want your parents to not want my music in your iPod,' Gangsta Gibbs says on 'RapFix Live.'
If you ask Freddie Gibbs, rap just isn't what it used to be. With a style influenced by acts like the Geto Boys, N.W.A. and 50 Cent, Gangsta Gibbs paints vivid street tales, but these days, that brand of rap seems to have taken a back seat to a softer, less menacing sound.
"Rap lost its edge man. I don't wanna be a part of what's been goin' on in the past five years," Gibbs told Sway when he appeared as a guest on this week's "RapFix Live." "I wanna be taboo. I want your parents to not want my music in your iPod. I want your mom to be scared of what I'm talking about because it's so real," he said. Originally signed by Interscope in 2005, Gibbs struggled to get the label to see his vision and was eventually released from his deal in October 2007. But in '09, Freddie proved that there was room for his brand of music. With the release of his The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs and midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik mixtapes, Gibbs made fans take notice. His grind paid off. By 2010, Freddie had earned himself a spot on XXL magazine's Freshmen cover. He went on to drop the independent release, Str8 Killa No Filla on Decon Records. In April, the Midwest MC made his biggest move yet when he inked with Young Jeezy's CTE (Corporate Thugz Entertainment). Since the signing, Jeezy and Gibbs have released quite a few songs together, including their hustle ode "Run DMC," "Do It for You" and "Rough," a song off of the Snowman's latest mixtape, The Real Is Back 2. These days — maybe more than ever before — hip-hop is diverse with a broad pop appeal. But rough-around-the-edges Gibbs finds inspiration in groups like Houston's Geto Boys, who rapped unabashedly about street life in the '90s. "That's how it was when I was getting my first Geto Boys tape, my mom ain't want that in my tape deck. So I want your parents to be afraid of what I'm doing." Are you a Freddie Gibbs fan? Tell us why in the comments below! Related Videos Related Artists |
| Lady Gaga's <i>Harper's Bazaar</i> Cover Is 'A Big Deal' Posted: 09 Sep 2011 01:40 AM PDT Fashion photographers Inez & Vinoodh say stripped-down photo shows 'the old soul that she is.'
Lady Gaga appears barefaced on the latest cover of Harper's Bazaar. The cover is simply a close-up of her face: no makeup, wigs, masks or high-end couture. For a star who's frequently adorned elaborately, the simplicity of the look was so drastic that it made headlines.
Fans might be surprised to learn the cover shot was taken during a hectic video shoot in Nebraska, where Gaga was not only shooting her official "You and I" clip, but also several Inez & Vinoodh-directed fashion films. The pair, who shot the Harper's cover, told MTV News the photo truly exposes Gaga as the person she is. "She's so beautiful in it. It's her emotion and her expression, and you can just see the old soul that she is, the pure happiness," Inez explained. "She's a very special human being that is all about giving. I think that's what's great with that cover: It's so out; it's so talking to the people. That's her most incredible quality: radiating that happiness that she has, and you really see it." Over the course of her career, Gaga has had many extreme looks on the cover of countless magazines, and it seems that this stripped-down look was the only natural progression for her. The duo, who also shot her three-headed V Magazine cover, explained that this cover is "her purely; seeing her how she is inside." So, how did the cover come to be? Inez explained, "I think it was Stephen Gan, the art director of Harper's Bazaar, that came to us and said, 'I would love to have a shoot with Gaga where she's really bare, where it's really her,' because he knows her very well; they're great friends. He feels the same way that we do: She is so beautiful, but because of all the stuff around, you don't get the chance to see really the gorgeousness and the person inside in that part of her. For Harper's Bazaar, I think it's a big deal to have a black-and-white cover to begin with, and it's great." It was an idea that Gaga jumped on quite enthusiastically. "She's at a point in life too where she's very confident and ... everything's going so well and enjoying so much, it's really the right timing too to bare herself like that," the pair added. Share your thoughts on Gaga's Harper's Bazaar cover in the comments below! Related Artists |
| Chris Klein Becomes A Trendsetter On 'When I Was 17' Posted: 09 Sep 2011 01:46 AM PDT The 'American Pie' star recalls a prank played on him in this Saturday's episode.
Chris Klein was already 20 when he played all-American lacrosse-player Oz, one of four friends trying to get laid by prom night in "American Pie." But the movie's hijinks and pranks weren't far from his real-life experience in high school. In the latest episode of "When I Was 17," airing Saturday at 11 a.m., Chris reminisces about a prank that was played at his expense in high school.
"I went to public school, but I myself had a uniform, which was a white T-shirt, loose blue jeans and Airwalk shoes," says the actor, who is reprising his Oz role for next year's "American Reunion." "Oh, and then there were the necklaces," he adds, recalling the beaded necklaces in school colors that were made by the cheerleaders. "I was a huge fan of the necklaces." Because the actor wore the same outfit without fail every single day, his fashion sense was something of notice for his fellow classmates. "One day, I walked into school and all of a sudden there is a bit of an uproar and everyone is clapping and laughing and having a good time. I look around and nearly everyone in my class was dressed exactly how I dressed every day," he says. "It was dress like Chris Klein day." His whole class showed up to school wearing white T-shirts and blue jeans, making sure not to forget the key element: the beaded necklaces. His classmates punked him for sure, which probably made acting in "American Pie" a piece of cake. For more stories from Chris' youth, don't miss the new episode of "When I Was 17," also featuring Amy Lee and Theophilus London, airing Saturday at 11 a.m. ET on MTV. Related Videos |
| Justin Timberlake Claims Music Is His 'Bread And Butter' Posted: 08 Sep 2011 11:20 PM PDT 'I don't ever want to stop doing music,' JT tells U.K. magazine.
If he had his way, Justin Timberlake would probably be doing promo for the follow-up to 2006's FutureSex/LoveSounds right about now; it's just that these pesky movie roles keep getting in the way. That's the takeaway from a new interview Timberlake gave to British magazine ShortList (to hype the U.K. release of one of those films, "Friends With Benefits,") in which he spoke openly about his desire to return to music, and the public's perception that he's purposely ignoring his career as a recording artist. "To be honest, my plan would have probably been to do another record, probably right about now. I never stop considering myself a musician. To me, it's my bread and butter," he said. "And I mean that in a personal way, I don't mean that it finances my 'acting hobbies.' I joke with my friends that I should have a business card saying 'David Fincher put me in a movie,' because 'Bad Teacher' got a blessing due to 'The Social Network,' and then 'Friends With Benefits' came out of that. "All the movies I've done were just opportunities that came up, but now that they're all coming out back-to-back, people think, 'Oh, he's trying to make a statement by having an acting career,' " he continued. "But it's not like that for me. I don't ever want to stop doing music." Of course, in recent months, Timberlake's musical output has been limited to a cameo in a video for "Hoodies On, Hats Low," a song by his Tennman Records' artist FreeSol, and an impromptu performance with the group at a restaurant he co-owns in New York City. But he maintains that he never really decided to put his solo career on the shelf. It just sort of shook out that way, much to the dismay of his fans, who have begun making impassioned (and slightly profane) pleas for his return. "The only conscious decision I made was that I didn't want to do a movie about a musician, because I felt like that was presumptuous," he told the magazine. "If 'Bad Teacher' had come out before 'The Social Network,' it may have curbed it a bit because people got used to seeing me on 'Saturday Night Live' and thought, 'Well, he's kind of funny.' I never cared about being taken seriously as a musician." So, when can fans expect to hear new music from Timberlake? Well, from the sound of things, it may be a while. For the immediate future, he's focused on just disappearing for a while. "I have nothing on my plate for the rest of the year. I'm getting sick of me," Timberlake said. "I realize that I'm in a really lucky place because, to be honest, I don't think I'm that good. I just want to make the right choices. You get to a certain age where you don't feel the need to be validated by your choices in your career. I want to be validated more by choices in my personal life." Related Photos Related Artists |
| Miss USA Rima Fakih Reflects On 9/11, Muslim Identity Posted: 08 Sep 2011 10:17 PM PDT 'I think our generation has grown,' the 25-year-old Arab-American tells MTV News of the decade since terrorist attacks.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Rima Fakih was a student at St. John's Prep High School in Astoria, Queens. She was in a social studies class when a student behind her said that the World Trade Center had been hit, and from the window of the school, she could see that he was right.
"All you could see was just some big black smoke," she said, noting that her teacher's husband worked in the buildings at the time and that the students had to bring their instructor water to try to calm her down. It was a defining moment in the life of Fakih, a Lebanese immigrant who last year became the first Muslim and first Arab-American to win the Miss USA crown. "It was kind of a nightmare, to be honest with you, because the principal came on the speakers and was saying, 'Attention, students: Please everyone report down to the basement. We need you all in shelters.' I just couldn't move because my older brother Rabih worked across the street from the World Trade Center, he worked with Goldman Sachs." In addition, her older sister worked in tower seven of the WTC and her father was on his way to work at the time. When Fakih got home, her mother was on the ground in tears, barely able to breathe because the attacks evoked vivid memories of the 15-year Lebanese civil war that had forced the family to flee their homeland. "I was born in South Lebanon during the war and I remember vivid memories [of] hiding in shelters during the shelling," Fakih told MTV News. "At that moment, it felt just like that." With her father stuck on the Queensboro Bridge and her mother unable to reach Fakih's siblings, the tension mounted during the day. Her father eventually made it to safety at an uncle's house, while, luckily, her newlywed brother, just back from his honeymoon, had taken a few extra days off at his new wife's request. Unfortunately, nobody could reach her sister. "It was very terrifying. I remember my little brother was a baby and he was asking my mom to change the channel because he couldn't watch the scary movie anymore," she recalled. The images of the planes hitting the buildings kept playing all day, with the building Fakih's sister worked in clearly visible in the footage. Finally, though, they got word that her sister had spent 12 hours in a shelter, wearing a gas mask, a scenario so haunting that she ended up in therapy for more than a year. "She saw people jumping out of the buildings ... on fire, from the top," Fakih said of her sister Rana. "She was in a meeting when the first plane hit and the windows shattered." A veteran observer of the war in Lebanon, Rana counseled her co-workers to take shelter and stay away from the windows. Some, however, didn't take her advice and ended up dying that day. "I remember how hard it was for my family and I at the time to not only live around the atmosphere of New York City, but to receive a lot of stereotypes," Fakih said of her family, which owned a Middle Eastern restaurant on New York's Upper East Side for 20 years. Bricks were thrown through the restaurant window and business tanked in the wake of the attacks as a result of the some of the post-9/11 anti-Muslim sentiment, with Fakih remembering how she was bullied at a her Catholic high school by some students who made rude comments. "Every time something would happen, I would be scared. I'd watch TV and ... [think], 'Please God don't let this be a terrorist act; don't let this be Arabs or Muslims." The family moved to Dearborn, Michigan, in 2003, a city that boasts the highest concentration of Middle Eastern immigrants in the U.S., and they felt much more at ease. Rima began attending the University of Michigan, but unlike some of her Arab-American peers, she did not change her name in order to fit in and escape greater scrutiny. She held fast to her identity, even when some fellow Muslims warned her not to enter the Miss USA pageant because they believed she could never win. Ten years later, though, she thinks things have gotten better. "I think I'm a great example to that," she said. "Winning the crown of Miss USA, being the first Arab American, the first Muslim-American and possibly the first immigrant to win the title of Miss USA just testifies to the fact that there is freedom in this country and there is justice and there is freedom of religion and freedom of choice and this is what America is based on." Fakih said the 9/11 attacks planted fear in a lot of people in her generation, including her. "I might be an Arab and a Muslim, and I might get on a train sometimes and see a man leave a bag and I just don't want to touch it, I want to get off at the next stop," she admitted. "Now, I think our generation has grown. My generation especially has seen so much fear and then so much change and growth in the [last] 10 years that it planted this fearlessness inside us and this ability to feel like we live in a country where you can do anything and we can overcome." And when people asked whether she could win the Miss USA title, she'd say, "If Barack Hussein Obama is in office, then Rima Hussein Fakih can win Miss USA." As part of the "I Will" campaign to commemorate the 9/11 attacks as a national day of service and remembrance, we asked Fakih how she'll mark the anniversary on Sunday. "On September 11, I will call to check on my sister and my older brother, who worked at the World Trade Center, to make sure that they still love and trust this county as much as everyone else." What will you do to remember 9/11? Share your thoughts below, and visit 911day.org to upload your video response. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Theophilus London Was So Fresh, So Clean, On 'When I Was 17' Posted: 08 Sep 2011 11:52 PM PDT 'Last Name London' MC recalls raiding his dad's closet for the 'freshest Jordans' on Saturday's brand-new episode.
Theophilus London really should have titled his "Last Name London" single "Last Name Swag." On this week's episode of MTV's "When I Was 17," the hip-hop artist reveals that style runs in the family. "Shout-out to my dad, he influenced my style when I was 17," Theophilus says in the episode airing Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT.
"I was introducing him to be swag," his father, Moses, says. "You have to be crisp, you got to be clean. You got to be ready for school," the man behind Theophilus' exceptional style recalls advising his son. While Theophilus didn't have a big spending budget, he found creative ways to get the looks he wanted, and that included hitting up his dad's very hip closet. "I didn't have that much money, so I'd wake up in the morning and raid my dad's closet," he explains. "He had all the freshest Jordans, and he never wore his Jordans, so I was like, 'Man, somebody needs to wear them.' " Of course, he made sure not to nick the kicks. Fans got to see firsthand just how the rapper uses his eye for fashion to make the ladies swoon when MTV News' Rya Backer took Theophilus on a First Date to a vintage thrift store. But even back in the day, the NYC rapper was trying to make the girls' heads turn. "My clothes [on] Sunday would be picked out for the week: This is Monday, this is Tuesday; this girl is gonna like my outfit on Friday." "When I Was 17" — this week featuring Amy Lee, Chris Klein and Theophilus London — airs on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV. Related Artists |
| Black Moon To Reunite For Beatminerz-Produced LP Posted: 08 Sep 2011 10:56 PM PDT 'We wouldn't do a Black Moon album without that,' Buckshot tells Mixtape Daily of Da Beatminerz touch.
Behind the Beats: Da Beatminerz In 1993, Brooklyn rap trio Black Moon made their debut and stood right alongside New York rap titans like Nas, Method Man and the Notorious B.I.G. With boom-bap singles like "Who Got Da Props?" and "I Got Cha Opin (Remix)," Buckshot, 5ft. and DJ Evil Dee were torchbearers for East Coast hip-hop. After a six-year hiatus, the group would go on to release their second album, 1999's War Zone, and their third LP, Total Eclipse, in 2003.
Now that the group has once again joined together for the 2011 Rock the Bells tour, many fans are wondering if there will be another reunion album in the works. The answer is yes, but things may take a while. "There's only one thing holding up the album: me," admitted Evil Dee, who pulls double duty as the group's DJ and producer. "I'm trying to make the perfect beat, but we finally got some joints. Other than that, Buck and 5, they're constantly like, 'E, wassup? E, wassup?' you know? And I'm a man and I'mma admit that, but I'll say it like this — in two weeks we start recording." DJ Evil Dee along with Mr. Walt make up Da Beatminerz, and together they cooked up all of the music for Black Moon's first two albums. For the next reunion album, titled Dark Side of the Moon, Da Beatminerz plan to handle production again. "We wouldn't do a Black Moon album without that," Buckshot told Mixtape Daily before their Rock the Bells set in New York City. "[It will be] me and Mr. Walt, and I might have to introduce some new Beatminerz to the scene," Dee confirmed of his participation on the production end. "But it's gonna be a Beatminerz-produced album, fully produced by Beatminerz." For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Artists |
| Odd Future Land 'Jackass'-Inspired TV Show Posted: 09 Sep 2011 09:17 AM PDT 'Loiter Squad,' produced by 'Jackass' creators Dickhouse, is set to air on Adult Swim next year.
As anyone who's seen the video for Earl Sweatshirt's "Earl" or Tyler, the Creator's VMA-winning "Yonkers" can attest, Odd Future totally deserve their own "Jackass"-style TV show. And now, they've got one ... thanks to the guys behind "Jackass." Called "Loiter Squad," the live-action series is set to air on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim next year and, according to a press release, will feature "sketches, man-on-the-street segments, pranks and music from Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All" (and, presumably, lots of loitering, too). Each episode will be 15 minutes long, and the show will be produced by Dickhouse Entertainment, the Johnny Knoxville, Jeff Tremaine and Spike Jonze partnership behind such fare as "Jackass," "Rob & Big," "Wildboyz" and "Nitro Circus." "The Dickhouse sensibility provides a perfect match for the unique viewpoints, masterful pranking and artistic inclinations of the Odd Future crew," the press release rather dutifully adds. Totally. "Loiter Squad" is just the latest addition to Odd Future's eternally expanding empire. Tyler, the Creator has his Best New Artist Moonman (he's also been collaborating with Pusha T as of late), and Frank Ocean's production work can be heard on both Beyoncé's 4 and the Jay-Z/Kanye West team-up Watch the Throne. The crew is gearing up for their first national tour, and they've chronicled their rather meteoric rise to fame with a prerequisite photo book — called "Golf Wang" — which will hit stores this November. Related Artists |
| 'Back To The Future' Writer Takes Us Inside Nike Air McFlys Posted: 09 Sep 2011 07:40 AM PDT It was important to 'create a shoe that would absolutely, 100 percent look like the shoe from the movie,' Bob Gale says.
The news is 88 mph of awesome: The neon-lit Nikes that Marty McFly rocked in "Back to the Future Part II" are no longer part of a fictional 2015 but will soon be available for anyone willing to plunk down a hefty chunk of change. After a daylong buildup of viral videos and a Los Angeles announcement event lighting up the Web like a lightning-struck clock tower, Michael J. Fox himself appeared on "Late Show With David Letterman" on Thursday to show off the limited-edition Air McFlys (formally known as the Nike Air Mag). The proceeds from the 1,500 pairs of shoes, which will be auctioned off on eBay, will go to the actor's Parkinson's disease research foundation. "It's kind of cool because it brings together three populations of people with major joneses," Fox told Letterman. "The sneaker-heads who love sneakers, the 'Back to the Future' guys who, believe me, are out of their minds, in a good way, thank God for them. And people in the Parkinson's community." Shortly before Fox's TV appearance and after a day of hanging out with Universal and Nike execs for the rollout, "Back to the Future" writer Bob Gale called up MTV News to talk about the development. Gale has geeked out with us before about "BTTF" memorabilia, including the Mr. Fusion he turned into a desk lamp, so we figured he'd be the perfect guy to lend insight into the new shoe's development and how it connects back to their first appearance in 1989. He did just that, as well as assuage our concerns that the Air Mags don't come with auto laces as Marty's did in the film. Be patient, Gale counseled us ... all in good time. MTV: How did this whole thing come together? Bob Gale: Nike has been thinking about this for quite some time. They came out with those other shoes a couple years ago that were sort of like these, and at that time, [producers] Bob Zemeckis, Frank Marshall and I were approached by Nike saying what they wanted to do was see if they could develop the actual shoe from "Back to the Future Part II." They expected to do various versions building up to 2015. They would make sure it was all to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation. They had me at hello. When we made the movie back in 1989, we had the shoe designed by Nike. Tinker [Hatfield], the designer over there, went back into his old notebooks saying, "What did I do back then? What did I draw?" MTV: So Nike went back to the original concept art for inspiration? Gale: Well, they basically used the movies. There are drawings, which they unveiled during the Universal event. Some of those drawings are Tinker's original drawings. The one thing they wanted to make sure they got absolutely right was to create a shoe that would absolutely, 100 percent look like the shoe from the movie. Of course, back in 1989, there was no technology to make them light up or be power laced. There are behind-the-scenes pictures showing Michael J. Fox with all these wires coming out of his jacket and shoes to make those effects works. We had a guy off camera who pulled wires and tightened the shoes. Nike figured they better figure out how to do that for real rather than have some guy follow you around all day when you want to lace 'em. MTV: What was the announcement event like today? What was going through your head as you watched everyone go nuts for these sneakers? Gale: What's cool about these movies is they inspire people in different ways. John Mayer said he saw the "Johnny B. Goode" scene, and that made him want to be a rock star. I meet so many screenwriters who say, "The movie that made me want to be a screenwriter was 'Back to the Future.' " There are people out there trying to figure out how to make a working hoverboard. The fact that art inspires people is the greatest compliment you can have. This crazy idea about sneakers that light up and lace themselves is one step closer to being a reality. MTV: Why now? Why not five years ago or 2015? Gale: Nike wanted to do this in tiers. This is the beginning. MTV: So if this year's shoes don't have the auto laces, future years' might? Gale: Yes! It's not 2015 yet. It's only 2011! MTV: I can't wait that long! I can't be patient. Gale: No one ever can. MTV: What's your sense of what this all means to Michael J. Fox? Gale: It's nothing but positive. He's thrilled out it. He's going to be on "Letterman" and you'll hear it straight from the horse's mouth. MTV: What's your recollection of creating and using the shoes in the film? Gale: We were associated with Nike on the first movie because Marty McFly is wearing Nikes on that. We said, "OK, he's wearing Nike shoes in 1985, what will the shoes of the future do?" One of the things we wanted to do was keep all the elements we had established in the first movie and bring them forward to the future. We had the Texaco station in 1985 and then 2015. We show the movie theater, from a Ronald Reagan movie to a porno movie to "Jaws 19" in 3-D. The Nikes were a continuing element to distinguish between the past, present and future. We thought it was cool at the time. The fact that people still think it's cool is really cool. MTV: Who has the original power-lacing Nikes? Gale: I think Nike has the original pair. They're all rotted. They weren't built to be anything other than movie props. And for the other pairs that didn't need to self-lace that he used as part of his wardrobe, they must have made a dozen pairs of them. Where those are, I have no idea. Whether they got ditched, stolen, sold, I have no idea. MTV: Now that the Nikes are a reality, is that a load off? No one will be coming up to you on the street and asking why they're not available? Gale: No! They'll stop asking me that, but then they'll want to know when we're getting the hoverboards. Check out everything we've got on "Back to the Future Part II." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. |
| 'Anonymous' Director Believes Shakespeare Was 'A Fraud' Posted: 08 Sep 2011 10:22 PM PDT As part of our Fall Movie Preview, '2012' director Roland Emmerich explains why he's traded action for historical drama.
For his next trick, Roland Emmerich — the man who brought you such blockbusters as "Independence Day," "The Day After Tomorrow" and "2012" — will be taking you all the way back to the times of ... Shakespeare? It's perhaps not a conventional choice for a filmmaker who is best known for his over-the-top alien invasions and natural disasters, but make no mistake, "Anonymous" is a movie that is very near and dear to Emmerich's heart. The project — which takes place during Elizabethan England and centers on Edward de Vere (Rhys Ifans), the Earl of Oxford and a man who some believe to be the true author of Shakespeare's works — has been in development for nearly a decade. Now, Emmerich's ready to tell his story, with his take on the Man from Stratford's real identity arriving in theaters on October 28. Click for photos from fall's biggest flicks! MTV News' Fall Movie Preview continues today with a conversation with Emmerich, who spoke with us about his interest in Shakespeare, the themes of succession and identity crises, how visual effects are actually working to keep budgets down, and whether or not he truly believes that Shakespeare was a fraud. MTV: "Anonymous" deals with conspiracies centering on Shakespeare and conflicts during Elizabethan England, but for you, at its core, what is this movie about? Roland Emmerich: In the foreground for people, it's probably the whole issue of did [Shakespeare] write [his works] or did he not? But for me, it was also always about this time and succession. The most important thing in these days was, "Who will be the next king?" Especially Elizabeth's [succession], being the virgin queen, there was a lot of insecurity. When you want to come up with a story to explain to people why it could have been that the wrong guy got credited, it has to have a really big reason. I kind of thought everything in Shakespeare is about the prince, it's about succession. Half of his plays are pretty much about that. I kind of said, "This has to be the reason why he can't put his name on it." MTV: It's also interesting when you consider a lot of his work focuses on doubles and dual identities. Emmerich: Exactly. It's a lot about bastard children, the identity crisis of the young prince, you know? The court, the court intrigue, and about how power gets distributed by the king. I knew that the movie had to be about that. MTV: On the surface, "Anonymous" doesn't seem like the kind of movie that fans of your films like "Independence Day" or "2012" would necessarily expect from you. What drew you to this? What made this story something you wanted to tell as a filmmaker? Emmerich: Well, first of all, you get older. [Laughs] I always was super interested in reading about history. I think history is kind of something that isn't explored enough in movies, honest to god. I know this is kind of a relatively adult movie, but I said to myself, if I'm interested in something, I assume other people are too. This time around, it's probably another crowd and another audience. But the movie also doesn't have to perform that well to make money, so I'm kind of hopeful that Sony won't be [left] there with empty pockets. MTV: You've been attached to this project and working on it for several years before the movie got made. How did "Anonymous" finally come together for you? Emmerich: I've been on this project for nine years. Around five years ago, Sony greenlit it, and we'd headed to England. We had a lot of money, and [we got] more and more, and it became too expensive of a movie. We also couldn't quite get the cast. So we stopped it. But then I realized that this movie had to be done for a certain price. When I did "2012," I realized that now with digital cameras and blue screens, you can do quite amazing things and you can cheapen a movie without making it look smaller. This movie, even if it costs very little, when people come out they're asking, "How much did this thing cost?" And I'll say, "Much less than you think!" [Laughs] Some people ask, "What was it, $70 [million]? $90?" And I say, "No, it was $30." And they're super surprised. I tell them, "Look, everyone keeps talking about this, the fact that one day, visual effects can help us to make movies cheaper." And this was actually the first movie where visual effects helped to make a really, really big look, but it actually saved us tons of money. MTV: What was the research process like on "Anonymous"? What did you do to brush up your Shakespeare, so to speak? Emmerich: I never claimed to be a big Shakespeare scholar or anything. I've watched every movie that was made about his plays, which is a good way to get into William Shakespeare's plays, because most of the time, the plays themselves — you get the highest grade of talent and I did that. I said to myself, "I'm not a theater director." What we did was we looked for a theater director, and found one in Tamara Harvey, who's very young but has worked under Mark Rylance at [Shakespeare's Globe in London]. We had long discussions with Mark and some Shakespeare actors in London, and we tried to approach it like that. For me, it was very important to get the plays right and the work right. I wanted to glorify William Shakespeare; I didn't want to destroy him. MTV: But at the core of this movie's marketing campaign, there's been that tantalizing four-word question: "Was Shakespeare a fraud?" Based on what you discovered in the process of making this movie, do you have your answer to that question? Emmerich: He was a fraud. I'm totally convinced. MTV: What makes you so convinced? Emmerich: I read pretty much everything on the Freudian side and the Oxford side and made my own opinion, you know? I'm not alone with this opinion. There are very famous people throughout history, a lot of writers and a lot of artists like Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, Emerson, Walt Whitman, Henry James, Sigmund Freud. ... There are so many people who were absolutely convinced of what I'm convinced about. And when you talk to Shakespeare scholars, they're kind of totally biased, because they've lived their whole lives and written books about the Man from Stratford. Sure, they have to scream and yell and say this is all nonsense, but I think these guys over the next 20 or 30 years will not be able to uphold this. I think it's not good to tell kids lies in school, and I'm saying, why not openly discuss that there's a problem? I think to get access to William Shakespeare, the Man from Stratford, for kids today is totally boring. You cannot get this guy together with the plays. The plays are super complex and tell a lot about court life and themes that represent his time incredibly well, and then there's this Bard from Stratford and Avon, a guy who, when you look at him, was probably a businessman. From "Abduction" to "Muppets, "Moneyball" to "Breaking Dawn," the MTV Movies team is delving into the hottest upcoming flicks in our 2011 Fall Movie Preview. Check back daily for exclusive clips, photos and interviews with the films' biggest stars. Check out everything we've got on "Anonymous." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos Related Photos |
| 'Three Musketeers' Director Promises 'Goosed Up' Action Posted: 09 Sep 2011 06:05 AM PDT 'We're making a 21st-century 'Three Musketeers,' ' Paul W.S. Anderson tells MTV News in our Fall Movie Preview.
Paul W.S. Anderson fans know his films to be intense, action-packed and not exactly family friendly (see: "Death Race" or any films in the "Resident Evil" franchise). All that changes October 21, when his retelling of Alexandre Dumas' "The Three Musketeers" hits theaters. Based on the beloved and familiar tale of adventure, intrigue and that famous "All for one and one for all" motto, the film features an ensemble cast: Logan Lerman, Christoph Waltz, Milla Jovovich, Orlando Bloom, Ray Stevenson, Matthew Macfadyen, Luke Evans, Juno Temple, James Corden and Mads Mikkelsen. Click for photos from fall's biggest flicks! But don't let the PG-13 rating fool you: Anderson told MTV News that what his film lacks in bloodletting, it makes up for with airships and swashbuckling. And everyone knows that anytime the word swashbuckling is involved, you're in for a good time. MTV News: What made you want to retell this story, and how is your version different? Paul W.S. Anderson : I'm a huge fan of "The Three Musketeers," the book I read at school. I grew up watching the Richard Lester adaptation of the novel, and I love the core story of the book, and that's pretty much what we've stayed true to: the basic story of D'Artagnan leaving Gascony, coming to Paris to seek his fortune and wanting to be a Musketeer and meeting the Musketeers. All that has stayed entirely true to the book in terms of character and narrative. The only thing we've goosed up is the action part of the movie to up the ante, considering we're making a 21st-century "Three Musketeers." MTV: What can you tell us about those intriguing airships in the trailer? Anderson: One of the things I found a little repetitive in the book is when the Musketeers returned from London with the diamonds, because they had to fight their way out of France to get the diamonds back and then they had to ride back, it kind of felt like a part of the book that had very little incidents because they're covering the same grounds, only less happens. I always thought that was something maybe we could add some action to, and that's where the idea for the airships came from. It's based upon the theory ... Da Vinci drew these fantastic designs of war machines. Some of these got built, a lot of which didn't, his flying machine, his tank. In addition to being a great artist, he was a great military thinker and designer of military hardware. We have this idea that in the movie one of his great inventions is kind of brought to life, that's where the airships come from. They're probably in reality, a hundred years too early, but Da Vinci was so far ahead of time we're using that to justify the intro of the airships. What that allowed me to do as a filmmaker was have some fresh, spectacular action at the tail end of the movie. MTV: We've seen your lovely wife, Milla Jovovich, in a lot of your movies. What new sides of Milla will we see in this film? Anderson: It was one of my attractions for making the movie. I'd always wanted to see Milla in a period film. I always felt that she would look awesome in the dresses, and she's got a kind of period face as well. I always knew that she would fit well into the 17th century. One of the big attractions to making and seeing the movie is seeing these opulent costumes and also the fact that it features M'lady De Winter, who's one of the original really bad girls in literature and bad girls in movies. Milla does quite a lot of action, but in real 17th-century dress, in the corsets and skirts flying. It's pretty exciting and unique. I've never seen anything done like that before. MTV: We've seen that she can handle big action scenes. Anderson: She can, but I have to say: Having to do a swordfight in a corset and a huge heavy skirt was incredibly demanding. She had to train wearing the corset while she was doing the stunt training for the film, because it altered your body weight completely. Also, the corsets are designed to look attractive rather than allow you to do action scenes. They're quite restrictive on your breathing, so some things she had to train very, very hard for, but she was insistent that she wanted to do a big action scene wearing the period costume. She was already a good martial artist, but she became an excellent swordswoman. She trained very hard to do the sword fighting. In the movie, in the trailer, even when the swords hit, there are all these sparks that come off them, and I'm sure people are going to think that was computer-generated, but the fact is those were real metal blades. ... The actors got their bruises and rapped knuckles and black eyes and bloody fingers, so I hope everyone appreciates the sword fighting, knowing that it's them doing it. MTV: With all the fight sequences you've filmed, have you picked up any skills yourself? Anderson: I'm not a world-class martial artist, but whenever we block a scene with the actors, I always put myself in the scene. Obviously, I'm not as flexible as Milla and my high kicks aren't as high, and I don't have as much stamina, but I'll block through the whole fight being her to show her what I want. I'll do that with every actor. I get in there whether its 17th-century pistols or machine guns if we're doing a "Resident Evil" movie. In that regard I'm kind of a method director. I would never ask an actor to do anything that I wouldn't be willing to do, whether it's walk on a really high building or fall off something. Anything I'm asking an actor to do, I would be prepared to do as well. I would do it badly, of course. That's why they're actors and getting paid all that money. It's a good thing I'm stuck behind the camera. From "Abduction" to "Muppets, "Moneyball" to "Breaking Dawn," the MTV Movies team is delving into the hottest upcoming flicks in our 2011 Fall Movie Preview. Check back daily for exclusive clips, photos and interviews with the films' biggest stars. Check out everything we've got on "The Three Musketeers." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos Related Photos |
| You are subscribed to email updates from MTV News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar