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Author: Simon Vozick-Levinson (1-10 of 20)

Nov 9 2009 05:53 PM ET

Marlee Matlin on 'Family Guy' gag: 'Lighten up, people'

Marlee-Matlin_l Last night, Marlee Matlin appeared in a Family Guy Presents Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show sketch (see video after jump) that played her speaking voice for laughs. In an interview conducted via email with EW, the hearing-impaired actress explained why she participated in the skit — and how it ties in to a new cable series she’s developing.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How did you become involved with this special?
MARLEE MATLIN: I had been in touch with Seth MacFarlane’s office to ask him to let me use my own voice in the segments where they had a cartoon character based on me. After all, I have an Oscar and Alex [Borstein], who voiced me, doesn’t. God knows, I would have done a far better job of playing me than her.

Were you aware of being mocked on previous Family Guy episodes?
Mocked isn’t the right word. I was just part of the joke. I learned a long time ago from when I did Seinfeld never to take anything seriously and to be part of the joke is the best way to show what a good sport I was.

(Read full post)

Oct 27 2009 04:51 PM ET

Paul Haggis confirms Scientology letter; Church spokesperson responds

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: News

paul-haggis_l A spokesperson for Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis (Crash) confirms that he is the author of an incendiary letter announcing his resignation from the Church of Scientology. Haggis wrote the lengthy letter, which was addressed to Church of Scientology spokesperson Tommy Davis, back in August, according to his publicist, Ziggy Kozlowski. “Yes, it is his. It was meant to be private and it was leaked,” Kozlowski tells EW.com, adding that Haggis will not have any further comment on the controversial matter since he is currently in Pittsburgh directing his next film, The Next Three Days.

Former Scientologist Mark Rathbun originally published Haggis’ letter to Davis on his blog this week. Davis tells EW.com, “It was a private letter between me and Paul. I’ve known Paul since I was a kid. It’s unfortunate to see it be leaked like that.” EW spoke to Rathbun, who would not reveal how he got the letter.

The letter focused on reports that the Church supported California’s anti-gay ballot initiative Proposition 8 last year. “The Church doesn’t take an official political stance on any issue,” Davis says, adding that the Church opposes any infringement of civil rights for gays and lesbians. Davis declined to address the letter’s further allegations regarding the Church’s treatment of Haggis’ wife and her parents. “I would never comment on anything having to do with Mr. Haggis or his wife or his family. I don’t talk about other people’s private lives, ever.” (Additional reporting by Chris Nashawaty)

Feb 24 2009 11:31 PM ET

Beastie Boys finishing up 'weird' new album

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Music Biz

The Beastie Boys are putting the finishing touches on their eighth studio album. “It’s a pretty weird record,” rapper Adam Yauch (MCA) told EW at last weekend’s Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, Calif., where Wendy and Lucy, which Yauch’s company distributed, was nominated. And unlike 2007’s vocal-free The Mix-Up, he promises it will feature “a lot of rhyming and playing and sampling — all combined.” Beyond that, details are scarce, but Yauch hints that the venerable trio has been (no surprise here) experimenting with new sounds: “We still have a good time working together. It’s fun to be able to reinvent yourself every time.” They’re aiming for a summer or fall release, though no date has been set; tentative titles being batted around include Tad Lock’s Glasses, a reference to a former tour bus driver’s distinctive eyewear. (Additional reporting by Carrie Bell)

More on the Beastie Boys:
Lunch with the Beastie Boys in 2007
Ten essential tracks
Talking about 2004’s To the 5 Boroughs
On the scene at a 2007 concert

Feb 18 2009 10:19 PM ET

Diddy's new sound: Songwriter The-Dream is 'really surprised'

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Music Biz

Hit songwriter The-Dream (Rihanna’s "Umbrella," Beyonce’s "Single Ladies") is gearing up for the March 10 release of his own sophomore album, Love vs. Money — but in the meantime, he’s staying busy writing songs for Diddy’s upcoming Last Train to Paris. The-Dream tells EW he’s penned two potential cuts for Diddy’s album in recent weeks. And at least one of them, titled "Change," finds the many-named mogul leaving behind his familiar rap flow for a melodic croon. "It’s one of the biggest records I ever wrote," boasts The-Dream. "He sang the record gracefully. He really pulled it off, and he really surprised me. Because it’s Puff, nobody expects it. [But] he’s got the goods."

No date has been officially announced for Last Train to Paris, but The-Dream says Diddy is aiming for a late-spring/early-summer release. The-Dream also revealed that he’s planning to team up again with previous collaborators Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige on tunes for their respective upcoming projects.

UPDATE: Diddy’s label announced Feb. 19 that Last Train to Paris will hit stores on Sept. 22. "I’m ushering in a new movement called ‘train music’," Diddy said in a press release. "It’s a profound love story. It’s me with my shades off. It’s the truth."

Feb 12 2009 12:02 AM ET

Music Chart: The Fray win the week

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Charts, Music, Music Biz

We’re finally starting to see some motion in the Billboard 200 album sales chart after a fairly static month of January. The Fray take the top spot in this week’s chart, selling 179,000 copies of their self-titled album in its first week. That’s not a huge number by any means, but it’s the band’s best sales week to date nonetheless, and it was enough to knock last week’s champ, Bruce Springsteen’s Working on a Dream, down to No. 2 with 102,000 units moved.

Coming in at No. 3 was country star Dierks Bentley’s Feel That Fire, which debuted with 71,000 in sales. The once-invincible Taylor Swift, whose album Fearless recently spent eight weeks at the top of this chart, slid to No. 4 with 64,000, while Beyonce’s I Am…Sasha Fierce rounded out the top five with 51,000.

Other noteworthy chart debuts included Kidz Bop 15 at No. 7 with 38,000 and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus’ Lonely Road at No. 14 with 26,000.

Feb 10 2009 10:12 PM ET

Chris Brown and Rihanna: More fallout

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Music, News, Television

As more details emerge about Chris Brown’s alleged assault of Rihanna, aftermath from the incident continues to grow in scope. Two events have been affected: A concert Rihanna had scheduled in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for this Friday, Feb. 13, was indefinitely postponed today; and an NBA spokesperson tells EW that Brown has withdrawn from his scheduled appearance at pro basketball’s All-Star Game this weekend.

What’s more, a slew of companies and organizations have moved to distance themselves from Brown:

* The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, which had prominently featured Brown in a TV campaign for Doublemint Gum starting last year, took the ad off the air, saying, “Wrigley is concerned by the serious allegations made against Chris Brown. We believe Mr. Brown should be afforded the same due process as any citizen. However, we have made the decision to suspend the current advertising featuring Brown and any related marketing communications until the matter is resolved.”

* The Milk Mustache campaign tells EW that its “got milk?” print ad starring Brown was already scheduled to end its run this week, but adds in a statement, “The Milk Mustache campaign is taking the allegations against Chris Brown very seriously. We are very proud and protective of the image of the Milk Mustache campaign and the responsible message it sends to teens.”

* Sesame Street tells EW that a 2007 episode guest-starring Brown is being pulled from future airings.

Stay tuned for more news on the latest developments in this case.

Feb 3 2009 12:23 AM ET

Jennifer Hudson plans six-week U.S. tour this spring

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Music

As the rave reviews roll in for Jennifer Hudson’s national anthem rendition before Super Bowl XLIII last night — her first public performance since tragedy struck her family in October — the singer is already preparing to launch a full U.S. tour. Manager Damien Smith tells EW that the Dreamgirls Oscar winner will headline a roughly six-week run in theater-sized venues beginning in late March or early April. “Everybody stay tuned,” says Smith. “You’ll be seeing a lot more of her.”

More on Jennifer Hudson:
Jennifer Hudson’s Super Bowl National Anthem: Flawless! Effortless!
Did she lip-sync? Do we care?
Jennifer Hudson Talks Sex and the City

Jan 27 2009 06:33 PM ET

The Swell Season forge onward despite breakup

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Music

Swellseason_l Oscar-winning Once couple Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova’s romantic relationship has ended after nearly two years together. But the pair, who are currently touring together as The Swell Season, are keeping their musical partnership going on stage and in the studio.

“It can be confirmed that we are indeed moving forward on honoring those tour dates as well as completing the new record which they began working on last year,” North American manager Howard Greynolds tells EW via email, adding that their new album “is due to be completed in the next two months and is currently scheduled for an August release date.” The Swell Season begins a three-day stint at Australia’s Sydney Festival tonight; next week they are scheduled to play a date in Hansard’s native Dublin.

Hansard told the Sydney Morning Herald this week that he and Irglova remain “really good friends”: “[Dating] was a very necessary part of our friendship but I think we both concluded that that wasn’t what we really wanted to do. So we’re not together now.”

Dec 9 2008 05:35 PM ET

'J In My Pants' crew Lonely Island taps Norah Jones, T-Pain for CD

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Music, Music Biz, Television

Lonelyisland_l
There’s much more to come from the guys who brought “J— in My Pants” to last weekend’s Saturday Night Live. That raunchy jam is in fact the first single off of a full-length release from comedy troupe The Lonely Island, made up of SNL ham Andy Samberg and SNL writers Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer.

Taccone tells EW that the childhood pals’ debut, Incredibad (due Feb. 10 on Universal Republic), will include about 14 all-new tracks that they recorded while living together in Encino, Calif. this summer. Among them are collaborations with musicians like T-Pain, Jack Black, Bay Area rapper E-40, Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas, and smooth crooner Norah Jones. “It’s almost too star-studded,” Taccone laughs, adding, “it might be surprising what Norah’s singing about. For both her and Julian, it’s definitely not their regular content.” Though the Lonely Island guys produced much of the album themselves, underground hip-hoppers DJ Nu-Mark and J-Zone also contributed beats.

The songs the Lonely Island created for popular SNL Digital Shorts, including “D— in a Box” (featuring Justin Timberlake), “Lazy Sunday,” “A Day in the Life of Natalie Portman,” “Ras Trent,” and “Space Olympics,” are also slated to appear on Incredibad. “It’ll be the first time people get to hear everything without the audience laughter over it,” says Taccone. “We spend so much time getting stuff to sound good, and then it gets on the show, and we’re glad that it sounds good in the [live studio] audience, but nobody has ever really heard a clean version of those songs.”

Live shows supporting Incredibad are not out of the question, though the crew will have to find a way to juggle any promotion with their already time-consuming work on SNL. “This [CD] is something we’ve wanted to do forever,” says Taccone, who also has a supporting role in next summer’s Land of the Lost movie. “I would love for us to be able to tour, too. I just can’t imagine when the hell we’d ever have time!”

Dec 3 2008 11:30 AM ET

'Notorious' soundtrack details emerge: Rare Biggie demos and more

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Film, Music, Music Biz

The soundtrack for Fox Searchlight’s biopic of late rapper The Notorious B.I.G. is rapidly taking shape now that first single “Brooklyn Go Hard” — a Kanye West-produced collaboration between Biggie’s old friend Jay-Z and hip rocker Santogold — has leaked online.

Notorious producer Wayne Barrow tells EW that several legendary unheard demo tapes from early in Biggie’s career form the heart of the soundtrack: “We kept everything as is, in its raw form. This is what got him the [recording] deal, plain and simple. His fans have been asking for it for years.” Adds director George Tillman Jr.: “That’s what I’m excited for. It’s incredible stuff.”

Barrow says the disc, due Jan. 13 on Bad Boy, will also include a handful of catalog tracks and an emotional remix of 1995’s “One More Chance” featuring guest vocals from Biggie’s 12-year-old son, Christopher “CJ” Wallace.

More on Biggie and Notorious:
The timeless Ready to Die is one of EW’s New Music Classics
His mom shared some memories with EW in 1999
EW took a look back on the 10th anniversary of his murder in 1997
EW traced Notorious‘ road to the big screen in ‘05