Tag Archives: interview

Comic Con: ‘Hannibal’ gag reel is LOL, obviously

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Now here’s something you wouldn’t expect to come out of Bryan Fuller’s NBC serial killer thriller Hannibal: A GAG REEL! And a fine one, at that. Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen and the rest of the Hannibal cast do not disappoint this absolutely hysterical peek behind-the-scenes of the darkly violent and gruesome show. In my opinion, Mads steals the show at the dinner table when he calls Freddie Lounds…well, you’ll see!

To find out what’s in store for season 2, watch Fuller, Dancy, and exec producers David Slade and Martha de Laurentiis spill the beans in an informative and entertaining video interview conducted by TVLine that’s embedded after the break. Continue reading Comic Con: ‘Hannibal’ gag reel is LOL, obviously →

Kanye West drops ‘Yeezus’ on Tuesday, exalts his achievements in NYT interview

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This Tuesday Kanye West releases his sixth studio album Yeezus. Pictured above is what the physical album will look like in stores. Its minimalist design features no album album artwork, only a transparent jewel case with some red tape. There is no link from iTunes or Amazon to preorder the album. It drops June 18 and that’s the day you can snag it. ‘Ye hasn’t done much in terms of promoting the album in the traditional sense. He performed on SNL and after that he projected images and sound on buildings around the world for fans to flock to and discover his new sound.

The most hype is emitting from a recent interview he conducted with The New York Times. In it ‘Ye opens up about his past mistakes, his problem with the Grammys, the inspiration behind previous albums 808s & Heartbreak and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, parenthood (his girlfriend Kim Kardashian gave birth to their daughter days after the interview posted), fashion, and more. Expectedly, Kanye stroked his ego more than once throughout the back-and-forth describing himself as “the Michael Jordan of music” and saying about his career “I knew I was going to make it this far; I knew that this was going to happen.” He also calls himself the “Steve [Jobs] of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture.” And he concluded the interview with this:

I think that’s a responsibility that I have, to push possibilities, to show people: “This is the level that things could be at.” So when you get something that has the name Kanye West on it, it’s supposed to be pushing the furthest possibilities. I will be the leader of a company that ends up being worth billions of dollars, because I got the answers. I understand culture. I am the nucleus.

It’s a must-read for fans of the undoubtedly talented artist who has certainly evolved in many ways since his 2004 debut The College Dropout. Read the interview in full here.

Now what can you expect from Yeezus? The Times‘ Jon Caramanica describes it as “a turn away from [Kanye’s] reliable maximalism to something more urgent and visceral.” He describes the songs as “becoming more skeletal and ferocious.” He goes on to say, “The music of Yeezus — spare, direct and throbbing — is, effectively, a palate cleanser after years of overexertion, backing up lyrics that are among the most serrated and provocative of his career.”

And even Mr. West, who thinks of himself as a “black new wave artist,” shared some of his influences: “It’s like trap and drill and house. I knew that I wanted to have a deep Chicago influence on this album, and I would listen to like, old Chicago house. I think that even “Black Skinhead” could border on house, “On Sight” sounds like acid house, and then “I Am a God” obviously sounds, like, super house.”

After the break, a brief clip of Kanye rapping new track “I Am A God” on headphones with an appearance by collaborator Rick Rubin. Under that, a short film inspired by the movie American Psycho starring Kourtney Kardashian’s boyfriend Scott Disick (who actually really does resemble the movie’s star Christian Bale) and Kim’s friend Jonathan Cheban in the role orignially made famous by Jared Leto.

Update (6/17): Yeezus is now available for digital download at kanyewest.com & iTunes, and you can purchase a physical copy at Amazon.

Update 2 (6/25): Yeezus debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 327,000 copies in its first week. For more stats surrounding Kanye’s latest release, head over to Billboard.com. Continue reading Kanye West drops ‘Yeezus’ on Tuesday, exalts his achievements in NYT interview →

Vince Gilligan anticipates a polarizing finale for ‘Breaking Bad’

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This summer the critically acclaimed AMC drama Breaking Bad returns for its final stretch of eight episodes. Series creator Vince Gilligan, a master of his craft, is currently wrapping up the third-to-last episode and work on the penultimate hour is nearly underway. Denise Martin of Vulture sat down with Gilligan and just yesterday posted an informative interview that delves into the mind of the showrunner as he cautiously sprints toward the highly anticipated series finale.

When asked about the evolution of Walt’s fate: “I had this strange confidence in the beginning that I had an idea [for the ending] that was sound. But I look back at the life of the series and realize I cycled through so many possible endings, it would be disingenuous to say I had always had it figured out. It has evolved in the last five years and probably has some evolving left to do.” He added, “We try to have a surprise around every corner but inevitability as well. The opposite of surprise. It’s something that I feel should and will be an important component to the end of the series. To me, that is an interesting thing and a thing to be embraced, that feeling of ‘I think I know where this is going.'”

Will Walt be brought to justice? Gilligan won’t say for sure, but here’s what’s going on in his head right now: “I’m very cornball in my own view of the world. It just makes sense to me that bad people should get punished and good people should be rewarded. I know it doesn’t work like that in real life, but there’s always that yearning. Oddly enough, I don’t feel any real pressure to pay off the characters, morally speaking.” Continue reading Vince Gilligan anticipates a polarizing finale for ‘Breaking Bad’ →

Exclusive interview with G.O.O.D. Music’s Malik Yusef

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Tomorrow (9/18) the highly anticipated G.O.O.D. Music album Cruel Summer drops. Earlier this week the album became available to preorder, and if you eyed the official tracklist you surely noticed a featured artist’s name you might not have seen before. On the eighth track “Sin City” G.O.O.D. Music signees John Legend and Cyhi the Prynce headline with Malik Yusef.

A five-time Grammy award winner, forty one year old Yusef is a longtime collaborator of Kanye West’s, having co-wrote a whopping seven songs from West’s impressive 2010 release My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. He also dipped his creative hand in helping produce West’s Runaway short film, and he went on to co-write two tracks off West and Jay-Z’s collab album Watch The Throne (2011). With a youth literacy foundation under his belt and an eye for high fashion, Yusef is a philanthropic member of West’s G.O.O.D. Music team, and his sense of style, word choice, and ear for a solid beat make him a vital member of the formidable team ‘Ye built in the rap community.

Jump after the break to read experience-it-all‘s exclusive interview with Malik Yusef. In it the spoken word artist discusses what it is like working with Kanye West in the studio, what G.O.O.D. Music stands for, he’s asked about the Chicago rap scene, and hypes a new, up-and-coming artist by the name of Tyran Brown. Continue reading Exclusive interview with G.O.O.D. Music’s Malik Yusef →

G.O.O.D. Music covers Complex Magazine

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We’ve seen Kid Cudi cover don the cover multiple times, but now nearly every member of Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label has the time to shine in this month’s issue of Complex Magazine. In a four-page interview (available online and in print), Complex’s  Noah Callahan-Bever talks with G.O.O.D. Music members Big Sean, Pusha T, Kid Cudi, Common, John Legend, Q-Tip, and 2 Chainz about what it’s like working with Kanye West inside the studio and how he helped jumpstart and innovate their careers. Since ‘Ye advocates a “no press” policy, this makes for an interesting read for all fans of ‘Ye and his labelmates because it dives into material that otherwise would never make it out in the open.

The interview starts off with the artists talking about what G.O.O.D. Music means to them. John Legend sums it up nicely when he says, “We want to be known for quality. We want to be known for stuff that we all can be proud of. That creativity, that attention to detail, that quality control—that’s what distinguishes us from other folks who might just be chasing a hit. Kanye picks artists who care about making great art. We all want to make money and do well, but we also want to make great art that’s important and interesting.” From there they discuss how Kanye carries the torch and gets involved in their respective music making processes. In the end, these hip-hop musicians are a family, and under Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Music umbrella they help each other push out quality music that pushes the boundaries of the genre to new heights.

Read the interview in full right here. Look in the gallery below to browse pictures from the zine’s photoshoot. Jump after the break to watch a behind-the-scenes video from said photoshoot; in it you’ll hear the various G.O.O.D. artists expound their statements put forth in the interview.

And, for those of you wondering, the G.O.O.D. Music album Cruel Summer is now set to release September 4.

Update: During the photoshoot, Complex pulled Kid Cudi aside to ask him a few questions regarding his relationship to ‘Ye and Cud explained how his mentor will always remain an integral part of his music making process. He also comments on his upcoming solo album dubbed Indicud saying, “I’ve been writing some really serious raps. I’ve been writing some sh*t that’s going to fu*k people up. And it’s about that time that I let n****s know.” Read the mini interview here.

[Via Complex]
Continue reading G.O.O.D. Music covers Complex Magazine →

‘Community’ creator Dan Harmon opens up about his ousting

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Dan Harmon was fired from his show Community this past spring just as the third season of the cult NBC sitcom came to a close. This week he sat down with G4’s Attack of the Show guest host Marc Maron and opened up about his recent ousting. Is he bitter? Maybe a little. But he was actually anticipating the show getting cancelled due to low ratings and so the firing didn’t make him sink into a deep depression after all. Watch the 11-minute interview to hear what Harmon has to say about the situation (his feud with Community star Chevy Chase is not discussed, however) and what he has planned for the future (a multicam comedy, perhaps).

Two years later, showrunner Damon Lindelof addresses the polarizing ‘LOST’ finale

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The date is May 23, 2012. Exactly two years ago on this day the cult ABC drama LOST aired its series finale to much fanfare. In a word, it was polarizing–some accepted it and enjoyed it, while others were extremely disappointed by the lack of answers. In an interview with The Verge’s Josh Topolsky, LOST showrunner/executive producer/writer Damon Lindelof ends his radio silence and discusses the ending of his six year long tale of mystery and connectedness. Topolsky sides with those viewers that remain bitter about the ending, and Lindelof came prepared to admit faults and also defend what came to pass. There are way too many choice quotes to transcript here; so if you’re a fan of the addicting roller coaster that was LOST set aside half an hour to watch this educational video. (And it goes without saying…but…MAJOR SPOILERS here, so beware.)

No matter how you felt after the series wrapped on May 23 in 2010, there’s no denying that LOST kept you in a trance for six whole years and impacted you in some way, shape or form. Though I find myself in Topolsky’s camp (I wanted answers, dammit!), I must say that LOST will forever remain one of my favorite TV shows of all time.

‘Fringe’ showrunners discuss the return of Peter Bishop

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Take 2. Due to the World Series airing on FOX last Friday, the next pivotal episode of Fringe–you know, the one where Peter Bishop comes back into existence and reunites with his partner Olivia and father Walter–was pushed to the following week. Well, I am excited to report that a week’s time has indeed past and the episode titled “Novation” will air tonight! Before watching tonight’s installment, take a moment to hear what Fringe showrunners J.H. Wyman and Jeff Pinkner have to say about the return of the younger Bishop. “What are the consequences of Peter being back?” posits Pinkner. Tune in to find out.

Fringe airs Friday nights at 9PM on FOX. Bonus video after the break! Continue reading ‘Fringe’ showrunners discuss the return of Peter Bishop →

Howard Stern interviews Lady Gaga in her most intimate interview yet

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Whether or not you’re a little Monster you should do yourself a favor listen to this 88-minute interview featuring Lady Gaga. Radio host Howard Stern is known for his ability to pry open celebrities and dig into their personal lives, and surprisingly Gaga opens up to almost all of Stern’s questions. They talk about her rise to fame, her drug problems, her family, and so much more. Even if you’re not a fan of her music, the interview is really intriguing as it closely examines the life of a modern pop star. Towards the end of the interview Stern asks Gaga to play two songs; before she plays “The Edge of Glory” and “Hair” she explains to the listener how these songs originally came together. After listening to “The Edge of Glory” and almost on the verge of tears, Stern called it “one of the best performances we’ve ever had on the show.” Go on and take some time out of your day and listen to the candid interview in full below (complete with NSFW language):

Jump after the break to watch Gaga perform “The Edge of Glory” and “Hair” from inside Howard Stern’s Sirius Satellite Radio station. Continue reading Howard Stern interviews Lady Gaga in her most intimate interview yet →

Mortal Kombat web series set to debut April 12 [Update: Episode 1 out now!]

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Can you remember way back to June 2010 when a live action Mortal Kombat-themed video hit the ‘Net and instantly went viral? The nearly eight-minute short film garnered critical acclaim and its maker Kevin Tancharoen (Fame) quickly climbed the latter of popularity. Tancharoen’s intent was to pitch his vision for a reimagined Mortal Kombat movie to Warner Bros., the company that owns the rights to the video game and film franchise. Taking baby steps, the studio has granted the director/choreographer the rights to make a 10-part web series based in the MK universe. The web series–now officially titled Mortal Kombat: Legacy–will serve as a promotional crossover as it will debut April 12, one week prior to the release of the new Mortal Kombat video game. It has been confirmed that the following actors from the the 2010 viral hit will return in the upcoming web series: Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager) is Sonya Blade, Michael Jai White (The Dark Knight) is Major Jackson ‘Jax’ Briggs, and Darren Shahlavi (300) plays Kano. This week the production team unleashed this all-too-brief fight sequence from the series which stars Jax taking on Kano (update: and this trailer).

If this web series turns out to be anything like last year’s spectacular reboot, we are all in for a very big treat. Anticipate the 4/12 debut and on that day point your browser to Machinima’s YouTube channel at precisely midnight PST.

Update (4/12): Episode 1 is out now! I’ve replaced the embedded video above with the twelve minute ep, which happens to include the Jax/Kano fight sequence teased late last week. The production value is through the roof, something that shouldn’t come as a surprise if you watched the summer short. Episode 1 introduces many of the main characters and places them in a stylistically gritty MK universe I think you’re going to fall for. No more chit-chat, mash play and enjoy Mortal Kombat: Legacy, part 1 of 10. Keep tabs on this YouTube channel for upcoming eps.

Update 2: Character stills have been found and placed in the gallery below. Also, jump after the break to watch a video interview featuring director Kevin Tancharoen, stars Jeri Ryan and Michael Jai White, and MK co-creator Ed Boon. In it they discuss the making-of the web series and what’s in store for the future.

Continue reading Mortal Kombat web series set to debut April 12 [Update: Episode 1 out now!] →

‘Tron: Legacy’ director Joseph Kosinski talks Blu-ray tweaks and sequel squeaks

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In an interview with MTV News, Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski talked about the movie’s Blu-ray release, calling it the “definitive version” of the visually-splendid spectacle. Though he worked on the film for four years, Kosinski still held onto gripes concerning the soundtrack after sitting through the theatrical cut on premiere night.

“Around the release, it was really hard to watch it,” he admitted. “I couldn’t even sit through the premiere. I just saw all the things I wanted to fix. Luckily for the Blu-ray, I was able to go back to Skywalker in January and fix all those things in the mix that were bothering me. We have a whole re-mastered soundtrack for the Blu-ray.” He continued, “[The] visual effects I’m really happy with… But on the sound mix, I really felt like we needed another week and I finally got that time after release. It’s now the definitive version.”

When asked about sequel rumors he spilled that he’s on board and early conceptual stuff is being worked on as we speak. He goes so far as comparing the next Tron to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Check it:

“We’re working on the story right now. Now that we’ve got the backstory out of the way and we know this world and we know these characters, there’s a lot of freedom that comes with the next film. When you look at Empire Strikes Back or The Dark Knight, sequels that were able to take the stories and characters to whole new places because you’d done all the hard work ahead of time, that’s a really exciting thing. For now, I’ll just say it’s very exciting.” He continued, “For us, the storytelling will be easier because we won’t be saddled with 28 years of backstory. From a technical standpoint, in order for it to be a Tron movie, we’re going to have to push the envelope.”

This all sounds exciting to me. Pick up the definitive version of Tron: Legacy and head over to MTV News to read the complete interview; in it Kosinski also discusses the sheer amount of work that went into creating the demanding film and he also touches upon the decision to incorporate a young Jeff Bridges, calling digitized Clu “the most ambitious thing in our film.”

[Via MTV News]

‘Fringe’ produces tell fans to embrace the Friday move

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This week EW’s Jeff Jensen sat down with Fringe executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman to discuss the future of Fringe and thoughts about FOX’s decision to shift the sci-fi program to Friday nights.  Here are some choice quotes from the interview.

Wyman on the parallel universe episodes: “You definitely haven’t seen the last of the ‘over there’ world. We’ve established that both of these worlds are linked in a profound way. We are going to attend to that. We are going back ‘over there.’ It’s not going to be forgotten about, but we’re not going to be ‘one on, one off’ right now.”

Pinkner on FOX’s “initial resistance” to the parallel universe storyline: “They were really concerned that if the episodes didn’t have [‘over here’] Walter or Peter in them, it wouldn’t feel like our show anymore. We said that not unlike a show likeLost, Fringe has to constantly evolve, to move and grow and go forward, otherwise we’ll get bored, the cast will get bored, the audience will get bored.”  Adds Wyman: “The alternate world storyline really allowed us to explore the characters deeper via their doppelgängers, to illuminate characters we already know. It’s been a real gas for all of us involved in making the show.”  FOX eventually fell in love with the concept, along with the viewers.

Pinkner on the move to Fridays: “It doesn’t feel loaded to us. It’s not like Fox is saying to us: ‘We’re falling out of love with the show. We’re burning it off by moving it to Friday.” .. “For a year and half now, we’ve been asking and our fans have been asking — to take us off Thursday because the landscape is crowded.”  Adds Wyman: “The research shows that people love the show, but they don’t really want to watch it on Thursday night. Thursday is more of a romantic comedy kind of night, not a hard science fiction night,” says Wyman. “We hope our fans follow us to Friday night. It’s a much easier marketplace, and Fox is going to really support it; they think there’s a real opportunity to reinvent the night.”  Pinkner concludes: “If this felt like a vote of no confidence from Fox, I’d be concerned. But they’ve verbalized the opposite. They think we have a better chance at staying on the air for years to come, which, of course, is what we want, because by design, we have years of story left to tell.”

Yeah, I added the bold font there for effect.  Isn’t this wonderful news?  The Fringe execs just confirmed that there’s “years of story to tell” meaning the show will most likely live on past season 3 and potentially even a fourth season.  After reading the news about the Friday move I felt a bit weary of the situation, but all of their words of encouragement are really comforting.  In the interview the producers also hinted at what’s to come in the second half of the season.  The mystery of The First People will receive some attention, and the January 21 returning-from-hiatus episode is called “Firefly” (an ironic nod to the ill-fated 2002 FOX sci-fi series moved to Friday nights, ironic because the name was decided upon before the writers heard about the scheduling shift) and it will focus on The Observers with a special guest appearance by Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) as an old friend of Walter’s.

Fringe returns Friday, January 21 at 9PM on FOX.

[Via EW]