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Entertainment
Watch: Kate Walsh - "He Is A Bird"
For her forth coming fourth album of original songs – The Real Thing ( November 21) – Brit songwriter Kate Walsh has been offering up one new song per month since last March . “ He is a Bird”, One of the more recent entries from the step-by-step building process, is a fine example of why we think walsh is one of the most gifted writers of our time . With a crystalline voice and writing style that draw comparisons to early Joni Mitchell, Walsh again turns in a stunning performance with a melody that instinctively knows exactly where to go and which notes to hit.
Britney Spears To Shoot 'Criminal' Video In England
Singer also graces the cover of U.K. Glamour before European leg ofFemme Fatale Tour kicks off.
"So excited to stop over in the UK before I start my European tour in a few weeks," she tweeted. "Can't wait! I LOVE London, it's like my second home. Decided to shoot the 'Criminal' video in the streets of merry old England when I get there..."
The news of the video shoot comes a week or so after the singer revealed to MTV News that her next single would bethe Femme Fatale slow jam. She also teased that she had some interesting ideas for the video.
"The song, when I first heard it, it's really different and it's not anything I've heard like this before," she told us backstage at the VMAs. "So I really wanted to deliver this song. I was thinking of a really cool concept for the video just to make it interesting. You'll have to see."
Vote for Britney Spears' "I Wanna Go" in our Song of the Summer poll over on the Newsroom blog!
Just in time for her Euro trip, Spears also graces the cover of Glamour's U.K. edition. In the magazine, the singer opens up about her next personal milestone: turning the big 3-0.
"I think the older you get, the wiser you get," she said. "I can't wait. I'm really excited and definitely gonna celebrate and do something spectacular. I'm gonna be in South America so I'll have to do something pretty fun. A carnival of Britney?"
Spears wears a dress with sequins and feathers on the cover, and in the article, she says she'd love to have William and Kate stop by one of her shows in London. "That would be amazing. That would be really crazy and cool. I think they're a beautiful couple," she said. "Unfortunately I didn't get to watch the [royal] wedding, but I heard it was beautiful."
The Chef got his start as a member of Wu-Tang Clan in 1993, but after dropping the much-celebrated Cuban Linx..., Raekwon was held as one of New York's biggest rap draws, right along with the Notorious B.I.G., Nas and Method Man. Since then, Rae dropped Immobilarity in 1999 and The Lex Diamond Story four years after that. In 2009, the Staten Island MC returned with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx ... Pt. II, and last year he released his fifth solo album, Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang. Still, having such highly regarded debut can be a lot to deal with at times.
"Of course I get tired of people dwelling on that, but at the same time, that's me, that made me a Martin Luther King rap n---a, that put me in a certain box. So if that's what you know me by, as long as you know me from the get-down side," he said. "Other than that, all I can do is keep climbing and keep growing and that's all I been doing."
In true Chef fashion, Raekwon used food to draw his perfect analogy, comparing his albums to prime cuts of meat. "Every now and then, it do feel like, 'Yo, check this out, leave that steak alone, that sirloin, and f--- with New York steak or this rib eye or somethin'."
On August 1, Rae celebrated the 16-year anniversary of the Purple Tape and spoke with RapFix about its impact. "I knew I had a classic when I formulated with these nine members in this group," he said of his camaraderie with the Wu. "Everything at that time that we was making, we was so sharp, it was supervisual already."
Last summer, MTV News got a very special, very twisted look at "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas," the third installment of Kal Penn and John Cho's herbaceous buddy-comedy franchise, when we popped by the Detroit set.
We can't yet show you much of what we saw that day, but as part of our Fall Movie Preview, we're rolling out a tasty nugget of our interview with Penn and Cho. In between cracking jokes about '80s comedies, MTV programming and potential celebrity cameos, the duo let us know what we can expect when the new film, which focuses on the two estranged friends reuniting during the holidays, hits theaters November 4.
Kal Penn: The movie is in 3-D because the "Jersey Shore" is in 3-D.
John Cho: "Avatar" was in 3-D. I'm not in competition with "Avatar." I'm not in competition with James Cameron. He does his thing. We do our thing. He makes cartoons. I understand he had a good year. I'm just saying, the technology isn't his.
Penn: I'm just psyched because "Goonies" was in 3-D and that's why this is in 3-D. You've never seen "Goonies."
Cho: I've never seen "Goonies."
Penn: That is so crazy to me! That's so nuts to me, dude. It's egregious that you haven't watched "Goonies."
MTV: Can we expect 3-D nakedness?
Penn: Listen, you're going to see some 3-Deeez nuts. [Sings to the tune of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg's "Deez Nuuuts"]
Cho: There's enhanced nudity.
Penn: Very mature, the way you're saying that. Enhanced nudity. This is not the NPR interview; this is MTV. They just got done watching Snooki get arrested. You do not have to say anything other than "3-D nuts."
MTV: Have you had time to enjoy Detroit?
Cho: I've been buying cars. I've got a lot of cash, and I'm spending it on automobiles. Lots of '97 Pontiac Firebirds. Lot of Ford Tauruses.
Penn: I like shooting in Detroit. If you have not been to Detroit, you should come. People are super friendly. There are a lot of beautiful buildings, and sadly many of them are abandoned. Hopefully the city bounces back. Look at our first film: I loved shooting in Toronto, but it was still a bummer that we had to leave the United States to shoot a quintessential American road-trip comedy.
Cho: Also, Toronto had so many foreigners.
Penn: We were the foreigners. Toronto is in a different country.
Cho: No, we're Americans.
MTV: Why have Harold and Kumar grown apart?
Cho: They're at different times in their lives. Kumar is looking for a way to stay in his younger existence, and Harold is artificially trying to be more mature and is choosing an excessively old mature friend.
MTV: What can we expect in terms of romance?
Penn: When the last film left off, Kumar and Vanessa were obviously very much together. Over the next six years, Vanessa moved into Kumar's apartment. They continued their relationship. It was moving down the road toward marriage. And then Kumar lost his job. He couldn't stop smoking weed. It wasn't as much the weed as him completely latching on to still being frivolous and still being down for whatever and not taking Vanessa seriously and taking her for granted. So slowly after he lost Harold to Maria, he kind of grew resentful of the notion that if his best friend could go off and choose this woman over him, then maybe everyone was just out to get him. He drifted further apart from Vanessa. That's where we pick up now.
MTV: Besides Neil Patrick Harris, what celebrity cameos are in the works?
Penn: Patton Oswalt, Tom Lennon, Paula Abdul, Snooki and Mayor Koch.
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.
MTV: What's the bigger threat for you on set in Canada? Is it losing your voice from screaming all the time or losing your fingers from frostbite?
Mary Elizabeth Winstead: I think it was fainting from nearly hyperventilating. That was the biggest thing. Also, by the end of it, we were shooting in the summer and we were acting like it was freezing cold and we were all in parkas and layers and layers of gloves and hats, and it was humid and hot outside. There was a lot of heat exhaustion setting in. It was kind of crazy — we had to act cold. I didn't have to do a lot of screaming in this, which was good. It was just a lot of that kind of heavy breathing, where you're trying to keep your composure and trying not to fall apart. It's that really small, fast breathing and take, after take, after take of that kind of thing, you start to get lightheaded and start to get a little woozy.
MTV: There are a lot of remakes and new takes on cult classics, and I think a lot of people feel, "I'm OK with it, if they get it right." For you guys on set, was that sort of pressure on your minds? And do you think you didget it right?
Winstead: There was definitely a lot of pressure, because everyone involved is a fan of the John Carpenter version. None of us wanted to mess it up and none of us wanted to sully the legend of the John Carpenter film. We wanted to add to it in a positive way, a fun way, and make something that could go hand in hand with that film. And that's what we did. I think we made a film that's a really great standalone film, but also something that's really cool if you're a fan of the John Carpenter version, just to get a little insight into what may have occurred before. I think it's just a good movie regardless of how you feel about remakes and prequels and all of that. At least you can go see a good film and hopefully put that aside and just be there and go along for the ride.
MTV: Since this is a prequel, we presumably know what's going to happen at the end. How did you keep the suspense going?
Winstead: I think that it's exciting to wonder who is a Thing and who isn't, and that's really where the suspense lies. A lot of films in the genre, you kind of know it's not gonna end up well. I don't think anyone is really expecting a happy ending. But that kind of going along for the ride and being in the suspense of the moment is what's really exciting. Our story is so great and it's one that could be played out in so many scenarios, and I think with bringing in completely different characters from completely different backgrounds and countries brings a whole other level of paranoia. It takes it into a different direction, having this language barrier between the characters and having a lot of "us" vs. "them" between the Norwegians and the Americans and things like that was an interesting take on it, made it a not straight-up remake. And it was exciting to me to put a girl in the mix, which people have different opinions on it. But for me, that's what differentiates it from the John Carpenter version in a big way and makes it a different film, makes it a unique film and one that stands on its own.
MTV: What do you mean by different opinions? Do you think people are skeptical of a woman battling aliens?
Winstead: I read a lot of comments, which kind of surprised me, to be honest, of people who were really upset that we would dare put a female in "The Thing" when the John Carpenter version was all men. I do think it was an interesting dynamic to see men, grown men, all living together and dealing with this paranoia and isolation. But I also think it's interesting having a young woman thrown into the mix trying to take control of the situation where nobody trusts her opinion. It's a very different and interesting dynamic and it's not gonna be the same as the original version, but that's what's great about it to me.
MTV: Anyone who's seen Ellen Ripley [Sigourney Weaver in "Alien"] do her thing knows that a woman can take on an alien.
Winstead: What's cool about it, for this character, a lot of her strength lies in her intellect rather than her muscles. It's not like one of those characters where I come in and act like I can kick everybody's ass. It's not realistic. All these guys are bigger than me, stronger than me. But my character has a really strong intellect, which gets her far in this film.
MTV: So you didn't have to hit the gym?
Winstead: No, none of that, which was nice.
MTV: How does this one build? How long before, you know, sh-- gets bad?
Winstead: It's a definite slow burn, which is great. It makes it feel like a classic horror film. You really set up the characters and you really build the fear slowly, and once sh-- hits the fan, it gets crazy and it doesn't stop. It's super-intense, the last half of the film. You just hold your breath and you don't breathe again till the credits roll. That's really great. The first part of the movie is really slow and foreboding, and you feel this slow dread building because you do know what's coming. You know that something crazy and horrible is gonna happen to these people, but they don't know it yet and kind of having that feeling as the audience is one that's exciting and creepy and terrifying.
MTV: Carpenter's movie really was horrifying and just gross. Really gross. Are you guys taking the same angle?
Winstead: The "assimilation scenes" are definitely terrifying and disgusting and just creepy as hell. There's one in particular that stands out to me that's just horrific. I can't really describe it in too much detail because I don't wanna give anything away. It just blows your mind. Just seeing it being filmed, because we have a lot of practical effects stuff there, which is great and kind of seeing the beginning of it on set was terrifying in itself and disgusting. They just took it to a whole new level, the stuff they added in postproduction.
MTV: We get a glimpse of the creature in the trailer. Because it's a prequel, do you guys have to stay very true to the first one or do you have room to play?
Winstead: I think they definitely kept the John Carpenter version in mind when it came to the creature design. Definitely it is still that same world, but there is a somewhat new look to it and somewhat different take on it. It's sort of the 2011 version, but still with that spirit of practical effects. It certainly doesn't look exactly like the John Carpenter version. As awesome as those effects are, they are out of a certain period. And when you see that, you can kind of tell like, "Oh, those are really awesome '80s effects." So you can't really go exactly for that. You have to bring a little of the modern element in to it too, but hopefully keeping that real tangible quality the '80s effects had as well.
The news of the video shoot comes a week or so after the singer revealed to MTV News that her next single would bethe Femme Fatale slow jam. She also teased that she had some interesting ideas for the video.
"The song, when I first heard it, it's really different and it's not anything I've heard like this before," she told us backstage at the VMAs. "So I really wanted to deliver this song. I was thinking of a really cool concept for the video just to make it interesting. You'll have to see."
Vote for Britney Spears' "I Wanna Go" in our Song of the Summer poll over on the Newsroom blog!
Just in time for her Euro trip, Spears also graces the cover of Glamour's U.K. edition. In the magazine, the singer opens up about her next personal milestone: turning the big 3-0.
"I think the older you get, the wiser you get," she said. "I can't wait. I'm really excited and definitely gonna celebrate and do something spectacular. I'm gonna be in South America so I'll have to do something pretty fun. A carnival of Britney?"
Spears wears a dress with sequins and feathers on the cover, and in the article, she says she'd love to have William and Kate stop by one of her shows in London. "That would be amazing. That would be really crazy and cool. I think they're a beautiful couple," she said. "Unfortunately I didn't get to watch the [royal] wedding, but I heard it was beautiful."
Raekwon Classic Debut Cuban Linx A 'Gift And A Curse'
'Sometimes people get stuck off of one style I got,' Raekwon tells MTV News about 1995's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx....
"It is a gift and a curse, because sometimes people get stuck off of one style I got, and that's cool if that's what you love," Rae said backstage at Rock the Bells before he and Ghostface performedCuban Linx ... for thousands of fans. "I mean, I wanna be loved regardless by the fans because they help me pay my bills and allow me to still be here, but as long as you know what I'm capable of."
The Chef got his start as a member of Wu-Tang Clan in 1993, but after dropping the much-celebrated Cuban Linx..., Raekwon was held as one of New York's biggest rap draws, right along with the Notorious B.I.G., Nas and Method Man. Since then, Rae dropped Immobilarity in 1999 and The Lex Diamond Story four years after that. In 2009, the Staten Island MC returned with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx ... Pt. II, and last year he released his fifth solo album, Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang. Still, having such highly regarded debut can be a lot to deal with at times."Of course I get tired of people dwelling on that, but at the same time, that's me, that made me a Martin Luther King rap n---a, that put me in a certain box. So if that's what you know me by, as long as you know me from the get-down side," he said. "Other than that, all I can do is keep climbing and keep growing and that's all I been doing."
In true Chef fashion, Raekwon used food to draw his perfect analogy, comparing his albums to prime cuts of meat. "Every now and then, it do feel like, 'Yo, check this out, leave that steak alone, that sirloin, and f--- with New York steak or this rib eye or somethin'."
On August 1, Rae celebrated the 16-year anniversary of the Purple Tape and spoke with RapFix about its impact. "I knew I had a classic when I formulated with these nine members in this group," he said of his camaraderie with the Wu. "Everything at that time that we was making, we was so sharp, it was supervisual already."
'Harold & Kumar' Stars Promise 'Enhanced Nudity' In '3D Christmas'
'The movie is in 3-D because the 'Jersey Shore' is in 3-D,' Kal
Penn jokes to MTV News in our Fall Movie Preview.
Last summer, MTV News got a very special, very twisted look at "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas," the third installment of Kal Penn and John Cho's herbaceous buddy-comedy franchise, when we popped by the Detroit set.We can't yet show you much of what we saw that day, but as part of our Fall Movie Preview, we're rolling out a tasty nugget of our interview with Penn and Cho. In between cracking jokes about '80s comedies, MTV programming and potential celebrity cameos, the duo let us know what we can expect when the new film, which focuses on the two estranged friends reuniting during the holidays, hits theaters November 4.
Kal Penn: The movie is in 3-D because the "Jersey Shore" is in 3-D.
John Cho: "Avatar" was in 3-D. I'm not in competition with "Avatar." I'm not in competition with James Cameron. He does his thing. We do our thing. He makes cartoons. I understand he had a good year. I'm just saying, the technology isn't his.
Penn: I'm just psyched because "Goonies" was in 3-D and that's why this is in 3-D. You've never seen "Goonies."
Cho: I've never seen "Goonies."
Penn: That is so crazy to me! That's so nuts to me, dude. It's egregious that you haven't watched "Goonies."
MTV: Can we expect 3-D nakedness?
Penn: Listen, you're going to see some 3-Deeez nuts. [Sings to the tune of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg's "Deez Nuuuts"]
Cho: There's enhanced nudity.
Penn: Very mature, the way you're saying that. Enhanced nudity. This is not the NPR interview; this is MTV. They just got done watching Snooki get arrested. You do not have to say anything other than "3-D nuts."
MTV: Have you had time to enjoy Detroit?
Cho: I've been buying cars. I've got a lot of cash, and I'm spending it on automobiles. Lots of '97 Pontiac Firebirds. Lot of Ford Tauruses.
Penn: I like shooting in Detroit. If you have not been to Detroit, you should come. People are super friendly. There are a lot of beautiful buildings, and sadly many of them are abandoned. Hopefully the city bounces back. Look at our first film: I loved shooting in Toronto, but it was still a bummer that we had to leave the United States to shoot a quintessential American road-trip comedy.
Cho: Also, Toronto had so many foreigners.
Penn: We were the foreigners. Toronto is in a different country.
Cho: No, we're Americans.
MTV: Why have Harold and Kumar grown apart?
Cho: They're at different times in their lives. Kumar is looking for a way to stay in his younger existence, and Harold is artificially trying to be more mature and is choosing an excessively old mature friend.
MTV: What can we expect in terms of romance?
Penn: When the last film left off, Kumar and Vanessa were obviously very much together. Over the next six years, Vanessa moved into Kumar's apartment. They continued their relationship. It was moving down the road toward marriage. And then Kumar lost his job. He couldn't stop smoking weed. It wasn't as much the weed as him completely latching on to still being frivolous and still being down for whatever and not taking Vanessa seriously and taking her for granted. So slowly after he lost Harold to Maria, he kind of grew resentful of the notion that if his best friend could go off and choose this woman over him, then maybe everyone was just out to get him. He drifted further apart from Vanessa. That's where we pick up now.
MTV: Besides Neil Patrick Harris, what celebrity cameos are in the works?
Penn: Patton Oswalt, Tom Lennon, Paula Abdul, Snooki and Mayor Koch.
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.
'The Thing' Star Previews 'Terrifying And Disgusting' Prequel
'There's one [scene] in particular that stands out to me that's just horrific,' actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead says in our Fall Movie Preview.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead: I think it was fainting from nearly hyperventilating. That was the biggest thing. Also, by the end of it, we were shooting in the summer and we were acting like it was freezing cold and we were all in parkas and layers and layers of gloves and hats, and it was humid and hot outside. There was a lot of heat exhaustion setting in. It was kind of crazy — we had to act cold. I didn't have to do a lot of screaming in this, which was good. It was just a lot of that kind of heavy breathing, where you're trying to keep your composure and trying not to fall apart. It's that really small, fast breathing and take, after take, after take of that kind of thing, you start to get lightheaded and start to get a little woozy.
MTV: There are a lot of remakes and new takes on cult classics, and I think a lot of people feel, "I'm OK with it, if they get it right." For you guys on set, was that sort of pressure on your minds? And do you think you didget it right?
Winstead: There was definitely a lot of pressure, because everyone involved is a fan of the John Carpenter version. None of us wanted to mess it up and none of us wanted to sully the legend of the John Carpenter film. We wanted to add to it in a positive way, a fun way, and make something that could go hand in hand with that film. And that's what we did. I think we made a film that's a really great standalone film, but also something that's really cool if you're a fan of the John Carpenter version, just to get a little insight into what may have occurred before. I think it's just a good movie regardless of how you feel about remakes and prequels and all of that. At least you can go see a good film and hopefully put that aside and just be there and go along for the ride.
MTV: Since this is a prequel, we presumably know what's going to happen at the end. How did you keep the suspense going?
Winstead: I think that it's exciting to wonder who is a Thing and who isn't, and that's really where the suspense lies. A lot of films in the genre, you kind of know it's not gonna end up well. I don't think anyone is really expecting a happy ending. But that kind of going along for the ride and being in the suspense of the moment is what's really exciting. Our story is so great and it's one that could be played out in so many scenarios, and I think with bringing in completely different characters from completely different backgrounds and countries brings a whole other level of paranoia. It takes it into a different direction, having this language barrier between the characters and having a lot of "us" vs. "them" between the Norwegians and the Americans and things like that was an interesting take on it, made it a not straight-up remake. And it was exciting to me to put a girl in the mix, which people have different opinions on it. But for me, that's what differentiates it from the John Carpenter version in a big way and makes it a different film, makes it a unique film and one that stands on its own.
MTV: What do you mean by different opinions? Do you think people are skeptical of a woman battling aliens?
Winstead: I read a lot of comments, which kind of surprised me, to be honest, of people who were really upset that we would dare put a female in "The Thing" when the John Carpenter version was all men. I do think it was an interesting dynamic to see men, grown men, all living together and dealing with this paranoia and isolation. But I also think it's interesting having a young woman thrown into the mix trying to take control of the situation where nobody trusts her opinion. It's a very different and interesting dynamic and it's not gonna be the same as the original version, but that's what's great about it to me.
MTV: Anyone who's seen Ellen Ripley [Sigourney Weaver in "Alien"] do her thing knows that a woman can take on an alien.
Winstead: What's cool about it, for this character, a lot of her strength lies in her intellect rather than her muscles. It's not like one of those characters where I come in and act like I can kick everybody's ass. It's not realistic. All these guys are bigger than me, stronger than me. But my character has a really strong intellect, which gets her far in this film.
MTV: So you didn't have to hit the gym?
Winstead: No, none of that, which was nice.
MTV: How does this one build? How long before, you know, sh-- gets bad?
Winstead: It's a definite slow burn, which is great. It makes it feel like a classic horror film. You really set up the characters and you really build the fear slowly, and once sh-- hits the fan, it gets crazy and it doesn't stop. It's super-intense, the last half of the film. You just hold your breath and you don't breathe again till the credits roll. That's really great. The first part of the movie is really slow and foreboding, and you feel this slow dread building because you do know what's coming. You know that something crazy and horrible is gonna happen to these people, but they don't know it yet and kind of having that feeling as the audience is one that's exciting and creepy and terrifying.
MTV: Carpenter's movie really was horrifying and just gross. Really gross. Are you guys taking the same angle?
Winstead: The "assimilation scenes" are definitely terrifying and disgusting and just creepy as hell. There's one in particular that stands out to me that's just horrific. I can't really describe it in too much detail because I don't wanna give anything away. It just blows your mind. Just seeing it being filmed, because we have a lot of practical effects stuff there, which is great and kind of seeing the beginning of it on set was terrifying in itself and disgusting. They just took it to a whole new level, the stuff they added in postproduction.
MTV: We get a glimpse of the creature in the trailer. Because it's a prequel, do you guys have to stay very true to the first one or do you have room to play?
Winstead: I think they definitely kept the John Carpenter version in mind when it came to the creature design. Definitely it is still that same world, but there is a somewhat new look to it and somewhat different take on it. It's sort of the 2011 version, but still with that spirit of practical effects. It certainly doesn't look exactly like the John Carpenter version. As awesome as those effects are, they are out of a certain period. And when you see that, you can kind of tell like, "Oh, those are really awesome '80s effects." So you can't really go exactly for that. You have to bring a little of the modern element in to it too, but hopefully keeping that real tangible quality the '80s effects had as well.
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