Interview articles from August 2003

Interview archives from August 2003

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... WHEN ONE MIND CHANGES ANOTHER Dear Interview, It should have come as no surprise given her stealth-like advance on the upper reaches of Hollywood, but Renee Zellweger [June 2003] is not only an astonishingly fine actress, but also a...

Natalie Imbruglia: she has already conquered the airwaves. Now she's going for the multiplexes with a film that's been spoofing all the way to the bank. (View Woman).(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... Natalie Imbruglia may have cost herself momentum by taking nearly four years to follow up her multiplatinum debut album, Left of the Middle, with the more thoughtful White Lilies island (both RCA), but it sure endowed the Australian-born,...

Chris Cooper: in film after film, he's been the guy you go home talking about--but never the one promoted by the studios. Now he's finally getting his due and having his day. (View Man).(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... A chameleon. A shape-shifter. A great character actor. Call Chris Cooper what you will, but as the man who dissolves into each role and leaves nothing behind but an unforgettable performance, he's one of the movies' finest talents. Some...

Sean Paul: it may seem like he came from nowhere, but he sure is going places now. (Music Explosion).(Brief Article)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... With his infectious breakthrough hit, "Gimme the Light," Sean Paul rocketed from urban radio to MTV. The 29-year-old Jamaican MO's follow-up, "Get Busy," did even better, lingering for weeks in the upper reaches of the pop charts, and his...

Charlotte Martin: introducing an impressive newcomer and her unforgettable display of emotions. (Music Scoop).(Brief Article)(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... "I'm a partial goth," claims Charlotte Martin, but the description doesn't quite ring true. Sans makeup or pretense, this 26-year-old singer-songwriter doesn't look the part, but does have the right influences-brooding bands like Joy Division...

Songs for loving, songs for leaving, and a spectacular relapse of epic proportions. (Sound Advice).(Sound Recording Review)
August 1, 2003... JANE'S ADDICTION Strays (Capitol) Given singer Perry Farrell's meandering Eastern excursions and guitarist Dave Navarro's less-than-stellar solo side trips in the 13 years since the group's last record, this full-throttle pyschrock...

Days between stations: guess who's unveiled in masked and anonymous? (Music Column).(Movie Review)
August 1, 2003... As I write, KFOG of San Francisco is broadcasting from the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, hosting "San Jose Idol," in which members of the studio audience sing Bob Dylan songs in hopes of winning tickets to his upcoming show at Konocti...

Novel: his name says it all. (Music Tip).(Brief Article)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... His grandfather is soul legend Solomon Burke, his father is the Motown executive who signed Stevie Wonder, his mother was a backing vocalist for Chaka Khan, and his honorary godfather is Smokey Robinson. But despite his pedigree, Novel had to...

The scot in each of us: a new slant on an old favorite. (Fashion Gem).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... As summer gives way to fall, argyle is the kind of classic that makes a welcome return, with almost the same reliability as geese flying south for winter. But this season the age-old pattern debuted a new look on fall runways from Paris to...

Geometry's new blackboard: how now, new brow! (Style Checklist).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... It's a busy time for eyebrows. Somewhere between Frida's monolithic big-screen monobrow of last year and John Galliano's recent over-the-top runway brow wowers--one of the few sights capable of upstaging his clothes--the brow has become an...

Looks like a pump, made like a sneaker: a new line of shoes serves up sports technology to fashion (high heels and all). (Fashion Flash).(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... JOANNA JACOVINI: Gordon. I know your background is unconventional for the shoe world, which is probably why your work has been standing out. But to begin, tell us how you landed here. GORDON THOMPSON: I have a degree in architecture from...

Rory Kennedy: silence still equals death. Here's a director who's making a lot of noise. (Action).(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... Currently airing on HBO, Pandemic: Facing AiDS, a five-part documentary series directed by Rory Kennedy, tells the story of five people from five countries infected with HIV and AIDS. Using an honest style of filmmaking (also on display in her...

Nora-Jane Noone: her first film--and the church doesn't like it. (Movie Spotlight).(Brief Article)(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... When first sighted in The Magdalene Sisters, Nora-Jane Noone burns up the screen: Cheeks flushed, eyes ablaze, finger in her half-smiling mouth, she is sexual catnip to the boys ogling her. "Actually, that was my first day on the set," the...

Chiwetel Ejiofor: tired of special effects and steroid action figures? Introducing the antidote. (Movie Breakout).(Brief Article)(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... "I think I've been acting since I was sentient, and it's still the most vital thing in my life," explains Chiwetel Ejiofor--"Chiwe" (pronounced "Chewy") to his mates. It's this enthusiasm and commitment that have made this 26-year-old one of...

Justin Bartha: from an NYU dorm to the middle of a gossip storm. (Movie Heat).(Brief Article)(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... Please don't ask Justin Bartha about Ben and J. Lo. Though he is making his big-screen debut in the new Gigli--on the set of which the famous couple first, well... coupled--he says he 'wasn't sitting around, watching them date." In the...

Nikki Reed: the kid who made teens come alive on the screen. (Movie Buzz).(Thirteen)(Movie Review)
August 1, 2003... Thirteen, a searing new film about two teenage girls, is the antithesis of typical teen fluff, but the relationship between its debut writer-director, Catherine Hardwicke, and debut writer-actor Nikki Reed plays like a movie of the week. ...

Shots in the dark: if you think breaking up is hard to do, try making a movie about it. (Movie Column).(The Secret Lives of Dentists)(Once Upon a Time in the Midlands)(Le Divorce)(Movie Review)
August 1, 2003... "Hurts, doesn't it?" Tom Waits growls in One From the Heart (1982), mocking the despair of the potbellied mechanic played by Fredric Forrest as he contemplates the decision of his girlfriend (TerGarr) to run off with a waiter. When they leave,...

Big waves, big guns, big stars and big issues. (Movies: Reviews, Previews, our Views).(Movie Review)
August 1, 2003... PREVIEW: SEABISCUIT (Universal) Directed by Gary Ross A stumpy-legged horse with heart, a half-blind ex-prizefighting jockey (Tobey Maguire), a sage trainer (Chris Cooper), and a marketing genius (Jeff Bridges) are the principal figures in...

All the dish: summertime living in the Island of Manhattan. (Food Column).(Restaurant Review)
August 1, 2003... Even in the concrete jungle of New York City, step into the right setting and it's possible to believe that you've just rinsed the sand off your feet. The following Manhattan restaurants specialize in the kind of simple, summery,...

View.(Editorial)
August 1, 2003... LETTER FROM THE EDITOR AUGUST 2003 Sometimes we work on an issue that I can't wait to get into your hands. This special, in which we devote our entire feature section to contemporary music, is one of those. It's not that it's perfect--...

Nina Simone: remembering a fiery trailblazer of song and freedom.(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... ELTON JOHN TALKS TO INGRID SISCHY ABOUT THE LEGEND INGRID SISCHY: As you know, Nina Simone died this spring at the age of 70. In addition to being a powerful voice in the civil rights movement, she was one of the 20th century's all-time...

Grandaddy: experimental California dreamers.(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... BY MATT DIEHL Grandaddy may have titled their new album Sumday, but their day may have already arrived. With artful songwriting, ambitious arrangements, and swirling electronics, the group's space-rock opuses brilliantly evoke a strange...

Christina Aguilera: keep watching, she's a work in progress.(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... BY CYNDI LAUPER CYNDI LAUPER: How ya feelin'? CHRISTINA AGUILERA: Ahhh! Good. How are you? CL: ALright. I'm trying to do some things these days I never had time for when I was chasing the brass ring. I just recorded some French...

Seal: the metaphysical wonderer returns.(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... BY MINNIE DRIVER MINNIE DRIVER: Hello, darling. Are you in L.A.? SEAL: Yes. I rented a lovely house here. So what are you doing in London? MD: I'm doing a play. Sexual Perversity in Chica go, by David Mamet--would I be in a play...

Coldplay: the band that owns the moment.(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... CHRIS MARTIN BY ELTON JOHN ELTON JOHN: You just played Madison Square Garden last night, right? How was it? CHRIS MARTIN: It was amazing. EJ: The Garden is my favorite venue in the world to play. The floor bounces-you must've...

Matt Diehl talks to the rest of the band.(Coldplay members speak out.)(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... JON BUCKLAND THE HOOK MASTER MATT DIEHL: Would you call A Rush of Blood to the Head a darker album than Parachutes? JON BUCKLAND: It's a little darker, I suppose. But we tried to be uplifting with both records--we don't want to...

Pharrell Williams: music's hottest hitmaker talks to the thriller.(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... BY MICHAEL JACKSON If a song is currently burning up the charts, chances are that Pharrell Williams' fingerprints are all over it. Whether he's crafting beats for Britney, singing alongside Snoop, or remaking rock with his band N.E.R.D.,...

Mandy moore: pop's anti-bitch goes back in time.(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... BY CAROLE KING CAROLE KING: Hi. MANDY MOORE: Hi. How are you? CK: I'm good. You're in Prague? MM: I'm actually in a small town called Pisek [in the Czech Republic], which is an hour and a half outside Prague. CK: So what...

Ozzy Osbourne: prescription for the perfect dad-drugs, heavy metal, rehab, sharon, and mountains of humanity.(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... BY MARIANNE FAITHFULL MARIANNE FAITHFULL: Hi. OZZY OSBOURNE: Hello, Marianne. How are you? MF: I'm very well, Ozzy. How lovely to talk to you again. OO: It's been a long time since we've spoken. You're now in England? ...

Jewel: she dares the doubting thomases again.(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... BY BERNIE TAUPIN Albert Watson BERNIE TAUPIN: Hey, darling, how are ya? JEWEL: Good, nice to talk to you. BT: How're you doing? J: I've been really well. BT: Congratulations on your new record. You should be proud....

Sting: what happened when the bard questioned the importance of music.(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... BY INGRID SISCHY INGRID SISCHY: [On the phone in New York CityJ Good morning, Sting, how are you? STING: [Speaking from Britain] I'm very well. It must be very early for you. IS: It is, but it's good to talk to you. You have a lot...

Thalia: she's major in Mexico, she's big in Brazil, she's a Phenomenon in the Phillipines ... America, get ready.(Interview)(Biography)
August 1, 2003... BY STEPHEN MOOALLEM STEPHEN MOOALLEM: Hey, Thalia. How are you? THALIA: I'm very happy to be relaxing. This week has been crazy--I just got back from Mexico, promoting my album [Thalia, Virgin]. SM: You're such a massive celebrity...

A whole lotta led Zeppelin.
August 1, 2003... HOW ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST LIVE BANDS BECAME ONE OF THE YEAR'S BIGGEST ZEITGEIST INFLUENCES MORE THAN 30 YEARS AFTER THEIR PEAK Led Zeppelin changed my life. I was a screwed-up-tight schoolboy when I saw them in Auckland, New Zealand,...