Interview articles from March 2002

Interview archives from March 2002

Letters.
March 1, 2002... HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, KID Dear Interview, What a rare treat your February cover story on Nicole Kidman was--one of today's most interesting, indelible actresses photographed by Karl Lagerfeld and interviewed with such grace and...

Wave theory: Flags aren't the only things waving these days. (Look of the Month).(hairstyle)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... We know. Like all trends, these things happen in waves. But still, it was with some astonishment when we realized that the shape of things to come had already arrived, and that the new wave is waves. First, there was the news that Madonna and...

Tom Friedman: Obsession, Fixation, Transformation. Isn't that what art's about? (Showtime).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... In a succession of works from the 1990s artist Tom Friedman carved his head in an aspirin tablet, copied every entry in The American Heritage Dictionary onto a single piece of paper, and inset strands of pubic hair to form a delicate spiral in...

Seann William Scott: a comic actor comes out swinging. (This Month's One to Watch).(Brief Article)(Interview)
March 1, 2002... SEANN WILLIAM SCOTT: Kevin! KEVIN SMITH: Hey, man! Where are you? SWS: I'm in L.A., at a gym training for this movie called Bulletproof Monk. KS: Right, I read that you got that. Congrats. You are not the monk-- SWS: No, no,...

No Doubt: They married punk and reggae, and that's not all. (This Month's Tunes to Rock).(Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal)(Brief Article)(Interview)
March 1, 2002... Ska-pop pioneers No Doubt, who launch a U.S. tour next month, did plenty of traveling last year, bouncing from their native L.A. to balmy Jamaica, and on to the hustle-bustle of London, taking the good times with them wherever they went, and...

Josh Lucas: from the deep end to weight of water, he's making a splash. (Movie News).(Brief Article)(Interview)
March 1, 2002... Arkansas native Josh Lucas has paid his rent through acting ever since he started 14 years ago. 2001, though, was the year in which he made his first big splash, as the doomed sexual predator of The Deep End, as a blue-collar Joe in Session 9...

Vasundhara Das: Her upbringing? Eclectic. Her acting? Electric. (Movie Tip).(Brief Article)(Interview)
March 1, 2002... A pop singer in her native India, Vasundhara Das, 24, has a big following among that country's youth. And now, playing the pivotal role of an unblushing Punjabi bride-to-be in director Mira Nair's exuberant ensemble comedy Monsoon Wedding,...

Paul Nicholls: the Hollywood bull's-eye awaits. Will this Brit hit it? (Actor Scoop).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Paul Nicholls, 22, might be a new name to most Americans, but he's been well-known in Britain since bursting out on the hit BBC TV soap EastEnders six years ago. Cast as a schizophrenic, Nicholls' brooding looks made him an instant heartthrob...

David Fincher: Making audiences wish they could buy anti-anxiety insurance with their popcorn. (Director Profile).(Brief Article)(Interview)
March 1, 2002... David Fincher's cinematic world is one where evil lurks around every rain-driven, sepia-toned corner, and within everyone. To Fincher, like Hitchcock and Rod Serling before him, darkness is not merely the absence of light, but a place within...

Kelly Reilly: a slow-burner who's just starting to sizzle. (Movie Spotlight).(Brief Article)(Interview)
March 1, 2002... Austerity and gloom characterized England during and after the Second World War, but Kelly Reilly makes it seem like an age of abundance in this month's Last Orders. Reilly plays sexy, bare-legged Amy, who claims her Cockney blond...

Review: We Were Soldiers. (A Purple Rhino, the "Red Menace" and a Green Light).
March 1, 2002... Directed by Randall Wallace This story of the first encounter between the North Vietnamese army and the U.S. Air Cavalry stands as a testimony to what happens when a movie's heart and head are in the right place at the right time. Star Mel...

Review: Trouble Every Day. (A Purple Rhino, the "Red Menace" and a Green Light).
March 1, 2002... Directed by Claire Denis Denis follows her most lyrical film, Beau Travail (1999), with her most lurid--a contemporary vampire shocker with a spurious scientific backdrop and intellectual pretensions. Beatrice Dalle plays a woman who...

Review: Borstal Boy. (A Purple Rhino, the "Red Menace" and a Green Light).
March 1, 2002... Directed by Peter Sheridan Based on the memoirs of Irish activist and playwright Brendan Behan, this drama marks the directorial debut of Jim Sheridan's brother, Peter. Shawn Hatosy plays Behan as a teen, when he was imprisoned at a...

Preview: Death to Smoochy. (A Purple Rhino, the "Red Menace" and a Green Light).
March 1, 2002... Directed by Danny DeVito PBS' purple dinosaur Barney has inspired homicidal thoughts in many parents, and screenwriter Adam Resnick is likely among them, given his comedy about fictional children's TV icon Smoochy, an obnoxious purple...

Preview: Full Frontal. (A Purple Rhino, the "Red Menace" and a Green Light).
March 1, 2002... Directed by Steven Soderbergh Contrary to rumors that have circulated on the Web and in the trades, this film is not a sequel to Soderbergh's 1989 sex, lies & videotape. It's a contemporary comedy, shot on video in 18 days, in which stars...

Preview: Panic Room. (A Purple Rhino, the "Red Menace" and a Green Light).
March 1, 2002... Directed by David Fincher Jodie Foster stars in this claustrophobic horror film from Fincher, the director whose every work examines anxiety--sexual, physical, racial or economic. Here, single mom Meg (Foster) retreats with daughter Sarah...

Winning the Contest was the Easy Part. (A Purple Rhino, the "Red Menace" and a Green Light).(Stolen Summer)
March 1, 2002... On paper, the backstory on Pete Jones film Stolen Summer has, the perfect arc: Former Chicago insurance salesman wins an aspiring filmmakers' contest organized by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, bagging a million dollar movie budget and theatrical...

Glenn Lewis: Down-home soul from way up North. (Breakout Music).(World Outside My Window)
March 1, 2002... With two-step burning up the charts and neo-soul drawing headlines, it's a tall order to make a splash in regular R&B now. But with a hit single, "Don't You Forget It," and the coveted opening slot on Alicia Keys' winter tour, Glenn Lewis is...

W.I.T.; Yellow Ties: Gone. Reagan: Out. The '80s sound? Coming back big-time. (Music News).(Just What I Needed)
March 1, 2002... "We're not going to let integrity get in the way of our careers,' says Melissa Burns, front woman of electro girl group W.I.T. (Whatever It Takes), and it's easy to imagine her flipping her feathered blond hair to add emphasis. A pop art...

Phantom Planet: New Rock that's sincerely ironic and serious fun. (Out-of-this-World Music).(The Guest)
March 1, 2002... Phantom Planet is a sincere band. Well, sort of. "Everything we do is sincere, even if it's ironic," insists guitarist Jacques Brautbar. On The Guest (Epic), Phantom Planet treat artists like Elvis Costello, Weezer and Guided by Voices like pop...

Norah Jones: at last, a torch singer for the electronic age. (Music Spotligh).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Her hands move languidly across the white keys and black ones, a spotlight refracting the various shades of inky darkness in her hair. She opens her mouth and it seems as if she's singing in slow-motion. Welcome to Norah Jones' world, where...

Rayvon: His music biz education began the first day he skipped class. (Dancehall Music).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Talk about paying your dues. While the likes of Shabba Ranks, Lil' Vicious and Mad Lion became poster children for the 1990s' burgeoning dancehall reggae scene, Rayvon toiled in the wings, an unsung hero lending his rich chants to such seminal...

Joey Ramone: with a new album, and plans for a New York Street in his name, he may be gone--but he sure won't be forgotten. (Punk on Punk).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The first big impression Joey Ramone made on me was as a lyricist, with early Ramones songs like "Beat on the Brat" and "Blitzkrieg Bop"--the lyrics were really fresh and well cut. It reminded me of the way a diamond cutter shapes a stone just...

Brendan Benson. (Turntables Spin, Bass Booms, Singers Sneer--Spring's Here!).
March 1, 2002... Lapalco (Startime International) Detroit doesn't have a Britpop scene, but if it did, Brendan Benson would be at the top, nervously smoking a cigarette. As with his first album (One Mississippi, Virgin), Benson has teamed up with fellow...

Alanis Morissette. (Turntables Spin, Bass Booms, Singers Sneer--Spring's Here!).
March 1, 2002... Under Rug Swept (Maverick) The world as presented in Under Rug Swept is one filled with diatribes aimed at past lovers balanced against lavish promises to potential partners. Morissette's heart has always been pinned securely to her sleeve...

Angelique Kidjo. (Turntables Spin, Bass Booms, Singers Sneer--Spring's Here!).
March 1, 2002... Black Ivory Soul (Columbia) Benin-born, Paris- and Brooklyn-based Kidjo mingles her sinuous vocals with the percolating rhythms and coolly sensual guitars of Brazil on her first studio release in four years. It's a seamless blend of...

Billy Bragg and the Blokes. (Turntables Spin, Bass Booms, Singers Sneer--Spring's Here!).
March 1, 2002... England, Half-English (Elektra) On his 12th album, Bragg continues to mix music-hall pop, fresh verse, country style and lively beats. A lovelorn memory rolls off the tongue, a track on Anglo socioeconomics leaves something for the teeth....

Ben Kweller. (Turntables Spin, Bass Booms, Singers Sneer--Spring's Here!).(Sha Sha)
March 1, 2002... Sha Sha (ATO) Attention! Genius at work. This tousle-headed singer-songwriter brings a charmingly damaged toy-piano aesthetic to the job, but don't be fooled. He wields melodies the way Siegfried & Roy handle bullwhips: with masterful,...

The Executioners. (Turntables Spin, Bass Booms, Singers Sneer--Spring's Here!).
March 1, 2002... Built From Scratch (Loud) Old school is the rule on this showcase from the New York DJ crew. Though augmented by guest raps from Tom Tom Club, Everlast, Big Pun and others, Built From Scratch is almost entirely the sound of needles on...

Kylie Minogue. (Turntables Spin, Bass Booms, Singers Sneer--Spring's Here!).(Fever)
March 1, 2002... Fever (Capitol) Wow. After September 11, people said frivolity was ill and irony was dead. But, honey, in Kylie's world, they're alive and kicking, in a sparkling mix of glitter, sex and pouty-lipped meowing. Even if clubbing isn't your...

Indigo Girls. (Turntables Spin, Bass Booms, Singers Sneer--Spring's Here!).
March 1, 2002... Become You (Epic) True, these songs sound like slightly revamped versions of old, reliable favorites. But you don't buy an Indigo Girls album looking for innovation. Fans of their gentle ribbons of harmony and jangly acoustic guitar...

Natalie Imbruglia. (Turntables Spin, Bass Booms, Singers Sneer--Spring's Here!).(White Lilies Island)
March 1, 2002... White Lilies Island (RCA) It's best when Natalie Imbruglia's little-girl voice is backed by a nasty guitar or savage beat to keep her songs from stumbling into flimsiness. Moments of contrasting ferocity and melodiousness give this...

Cash Money Millionaires. (Turntables Spin, Bass Booms, Singers Sneer--Spring's Here!).(Undisputed Soundtrack)
March 1, 2002... Undisputed Soundtrack (Cash Money/Universal) With the Hot Boys fading fast, Cash Money Records is struggling to keep its flash in the pan alive. Unfortunately, the Undisputed soundtrack is unlikely to restore the Nawlins boys' shine....

Buffalo Daughter. (Turntables Spin, Bass Booms, Singers Sneer--Spring's Here!).(I)
March 1, 2002... I (Emperor Norton) If you like your music atmospheric but not soggy, this hipster's paradise is the joint. Things whiz, beep and whir. The music's mood shifts and so does yours. Weirdly funky and rich with odd sonic textures and a sense of...

Lauren Ambrose: Playing the brooding heart of a dark-horse hit. (TV's Diggable Star).(Brief Article)(Interview)
March 1, 2002... MICHAEL C. HALL: What's up, Lauren? LAUREN AMBROSE: Hello, Michael Hall. MCH: Are you on the East Coast? LA: I am. I'm in Needham, Massachusetts. MCH: How's that treating you? LA: It's treating me all right. Yesterday was...

Iris Murdoch: A tribute to the late greate writer plus new conversations with Kate Winslet and Judi Dench, the women who play her so brilliantly in the recently released film Iris. (The Writing Life).(Interview)
March 1, 2002... Iris is about the heartbreaking love story the great writer shared with her husband and soulmate, John Bayley, at the end of her life when words and thoughts failed her. Here, from this magazine's archives, is a rare interview with Murdoch,...

Edward Albee: Who's afraid of controversy? Not this playwright. (The Writing Life).(Interview)
March 1, 2002... Edward Albee is famous for, among other things, writing the most notorious non-winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama in history: the 1962 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woof? (Pulitzer judge W.D. Maxwell considered the play "filthy," causing several...

Broken Lizard: The only thing that will stop this comedy troupe? Success. (Comedy Corner).
March 1, 2002... Since their formation at Colgate University in 1989, the live-man comedy troupe Broken Lizard has gained recognition with a brand of humor that straddles the line between smart and stupid. Now enjoying the greatest success of their...

When the going gets ruffled. (Fashion Scoop).(ruffled fashions)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... According to the Buddha, it's important to remain calm. But, on the other hand, if nothing ever ruffles you, think of all the fun you'll miss out on. Ruffles are a sign of being textured and layered, and if that makes you flappable, so be it....

This ain't no beauty myth: From Aphrodite to Zeus, a guide to the latest heavenly skin ambrosias and soothing scents. (Instant Spa).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... 1 AVEDA INDIGENOUS COLLECTION This April Aveda launches their Indigenous Collection, a new line of hair, body and lifestyle products focusing on essences central to Native American spiritual life. And, in a heavenly move, Aveda will be...

Days between stations: Fast and furious, the All Girl Summer Fun Band really packs a punch. (Music Column).(Review)
March 1, 2002... With 13 songs in 27 minutes, the All Girl Summer Fun Band--"four best friends" on drums, bass and guitars from Portland, Oregon--sound like they know at least as much about fun as anyone else in the country. Almost every tune on their recently...

Shots in the Dark: There's always been violence in the movies. But now, it's all-out War. (Movie Column).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... There's always been violence in the movies. But now, it's all-out war War may be hell, but it's also a growth industry in the cinema: Last summer yielded Pearl Harbor and Apocalypse Now Redux; Black Hawk Down, Charlotte Gray, Behind Enemy...

Letter from the editor March. (View).(Editorial)
March 1, 2002... INGRID SISCHY One of the first pieces that I set up on a writer when I became the editor of Interview was a conversation with Iris Murdoch. Although I'd never been much of a reader of novels, I'd always loved those that I'd read by...

Jena Malone: Emancipated at 15, can she do the same for the movies?(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Two films from last fall and one to come this spring make Jena Malone the movies' current go-to girl for teen angst. In last year's Donnie Darko and Life as a House, and in the upcoming The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys-a charming '70s period...

The Strokes: They've got people yelling about rock 'n' roll all over again.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... DEBBIE HARRY: When I read your press kit, I came away thinking, I wonder what it feels like to be looked at as "the next big thing"? JULIAN CASABLANCAS: It's exciting. It's like what you always hoped for but never really thought you could...

Halle Berry: After ten years, a new kind of breakthrough.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... SAMUEL L. JACKSON: What's up, baby! So where are you? New York? HALLE BERRY: Yeah. I just love it here. SLJ: You're there doing publicity for Monster's Ball? HB: Yeah. We're still in a limited release, so we've got a lot of work...

Jared Leto: His recent roles have been dark, but his future is bright.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Jared Leto is lying down, relaxing after a hard day of shooting an Uzi at his local gun range. Or so he says. There is no way to verify this since: a) he is calling from his home in Los Angeles (so he says); b) stories about his life are so...

Face Off: It's grammy time, and the two hottest debuts of the year are neck and neck.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... RUBEN TOLEDO One year ago, the only people who recognized India.Arie and Alicia Keys on the street were family or friends. Today, each young singer is rivaled only by the other in terms of the speed with which the public has embraced them....

Simple Gifts.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... After Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, Russell Lee, Ben Shahn, Marion Post Wolcott and other photographers were recruited by the federal government's Farm Security Administration (FSA) and took to the barren fields and roads of America to document...

Thora Birch: She's been stealing scenes for years. Now she's stolen our hearts.
March 1, 2002... With her portrayal of Enid, our disillusioned tour guide through Terry Zwigoff's darkly comic Ghost World, Thora Birch has managed to revolutionize the concept of teen angst, while simultaneously revealing her ability to move well beyond high...

Mark Webber: A star of storytelling with quite a story to tell.(Interview)
March 1, 2002... At 21, Mark Webber already seems on his way--just consider the following: Playing a vulnerable high-school senior, he stands out among an impressive group of performers working at high velocity in Todd Solondz's recently released Storytelling....