Elizabeth Olsen and Sean Durkin (Part 1)

Elizabeth Olsen and Sean Durkin (Part 2)

Taryn Manning (Part 1)

Taryn Manning (Part 2)

Morgan Spurlock

Ryan Reynolds

Anna Kendrick

Taylor Lautner

Shiloh Fernandez

Christopher Nolan (Page 1)

Christopher Nolan (Page 2)

Danny Boyle - New York Resident (Page 1)

Danny Boyle - New York Resident (Page 2)

Danny Boyle - New York Resident (Page 3)

Robert Pattinson

Robert Englund

Seann William Scott

Will Smith

Ellen Page and Michael Cera

Kevin Bacon and James Wan

Eva Longoria Parker (Page 1)

Eva Longoria Parker (Page 2)

Eva Longoria Parker (Page 3)

Eva Longoria Parker (Page 4)

Josh Brolin

Kevin Costner and Dane Cook

Steve Carell

Seth Rogen

Nicolas Cage

Diane Lane

Angelina Jolie

Rob Zombie

Dwayne Johnson (The Rock)

Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly

Kiefer Sutherland

George Lopez

Tracy Morgan

Funny Man
Tracy Morgan's Rise To King Of Comedy
By Paul Salfen
When Tracy Morgan enters a room, the free-flowing spontaneity and downright crazy nature of his conversation is enough to make even the most stoic crack up — and he knows it. In fact, when the moment comes, he’ll even call his target out, saying, “I got you. I broke you.” It’s hard not to smile when he opens with, “If you gonna ask me any questions about Tiger Woods, I had nothing to do with it, OK? All I did was drop them girls off and say, ‘Call this number when you’re done!’”
The same goes with Morgan on the set or on the stage. Whether it’s TV, film or standup, the Emmy-nominated star of 30 Rock just wants to “deliver the funny.” Currently, he can be seen on the big screen opposite Bruce Willis in Cop Out and will keep the streak going next month with Death At A Funeral with fellow funnymen Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence. Here, he gives 944 a taste of why fans can’t get enough of him.

944: You’ve been talking a lot about how excited you were to work with Bruce Willis. Was that a dream come true?
TRACY MORGAN: Just going to work every day and telling my friends and family that I was working with Bruce Willis — they didn’t believe me. Now there are billboards everywhere. I’m not saying I won an Academy Award or anything, but it makes your career authentic. We got a black dude on a poster holding a gun all around New York and no one’s complaining. Ain’t that cool?

944: Has seeing your face on billboards with him been one of the highlights for you lately?
TM: This is a dream come true for me. When I ride around the city and see … by the way, we gotta tell the head of marketing they missed a city bus. Well, the other one was short and yellow, so …

944: Were you able to spend a lot of time with Bruce before filming?
TM: Well, we grew up in the same neighborhood. [Smiles] Naw, that’s my dude. Before we started this, Bruce and I had some conversations, and we created history that brought our characters closer together. And by the time Kevin Smith said, “Roll. Action!” he was calling me Paul and I was calling him Jimmy.

944: So you clicked right away?
TM: It was on like hot butter on popcorn. We just jumped headfirst into it. It was just comedy free-fallin’!

944: Did you have fun working with Kevin Smith again?
TM: He’s the coolest — down like four flat tires. I only got to work with him for four days the first time, and this time I got to work with him for 60 days.

944: Did you try to do anything to make this buddy cop movie different from what we’ve seen before?
TM: We never worried about who we were going to be compared to. We transcended all of that and just wanted to make you laugh. We didn’t shoot for the black cop/white cop thing. We never mentioned that. I don’t have to drive nobody around and call them Miss Daisy, I didn’t have to lift no heavy boxes, so I was down.

944: Bruce said cops need to laugh more than anyone …
TM: Strippers need to laugh more than anyone. They been walking around on high heels all night! People be putting dirty dollar bills in their panties all night. I’d be like, “They ain’t even playing my song. How do you expect me to strip if they ain’t even playing my song?”

944: What else do you want to achieve in TV, film and comedy?
TM: I want to do it all, man! If God gives me time, I want to produce, I want to direct, but right now, I’m embracing this. I love this. I love the whole process — people laughing, people going to the movies with their family, getting Goobers and popcorn and walkin’ out feeling good. That’s why we just went straight for the funny. The whole objective was to get you to laugh and then go back and get some more.

George Romero (Page 1)

George Romero (Page 2)

If there’s a name synonymous with zombies, it’s George A. Romero. The legendary
writer-director of the classic “…of the Dead” zombie trilogy Night of the Living Dead,
Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead revisited the series in 2005 after 20 years away
from it with Land of the Dead, then followed two years later with the indie cult hit
Diary of the Dead. Just in time for Halloween, he has completed the second trilogy
with Survival of the Dead, his most acclaimed work in years, which was recently
featured at both the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals. Romero’s zombie movies have
always had a sense of social
relevance that has set them
apart from his long list of genre
copycats. The plot always has a reflection
of what’s going on in the
world with commentary on current
events, be it racism, consumerism,
media and technology—but with enough gore
to keep horror fans happy at the same time. Survival is
no exception, as it takes a look at what happens when
warring sides of survivors fight over the same thing,
proving once again that the zombies aren’t actually the
real problem. As a guest of honor at this year’s Fantastic
Fest in Austin, Romero took the time to look at the past,
present and future of his legacy.
ENVY: People are very interested in this film, but
there’s not a lot of information out there. Can you
explain what we’re getting into this time around?
George A. Romero: It takes place during an epidemic
where the dead are coming back to life and these National
Guardsmen go AWOL and are looking for a safer
place. So they go to this island, and, as it often happens
in my films, the problem is not the dead; it’s the humans
that create these terrible, impossible situations. I
put a little Western flavor on it, too. [Pauses] When you
have creative control, sometimes you run amuck a little
bit. Sometimes I might go too far maybe, but I had a lot
of fun making this movie.
Your fans are lined up around the corner again for
this new film. Does the appeal of these films after
so many decades still amaze you?
Yeah, can you explain that? [Laughs]
You’ve said that you’re not a big fan of most horror
movies, though.
I love the genre and always have since I was a kid, but
I don’t love everything that comes along with it. I’ve
always thought of my work as my work. I have this
niche “…of the Dead,” but I consider my films to be
more social satire.
Is this one more of a social satire on the current
war and the feelings towards it here?
It is, although when I started this film, it was more in
general about war and how people couldn’t get along
and now it’s incredible, particularly in North America,
the anger. People even forget what started the conflict
in the first place. This movie is about whatever you
want it to be about, but it’s generally about people not
getting along and being disagreeable.
You moved from Pittsburgh to Toronto a few years
ago. Is your outlook any different living outside the
United States now?
Not really. Toronto is basically a suburb of Buffalo.
[Laughs] I don’t mean that in a negative way. It’s very
American with a little more of an ethnic mix. It’s a
little more social, a little more polite—but the same
kind of rage is happening everywhere. With economics,
conflicts in the Middle East.
Despite the social commentary, why is the zombie
element so important?
I don’t know. It’s my ticket to ride, I guess, and that’s all
it is. It provides me with a fan base so that the films go
out and make a certain amount of money. Then there’s
the whole other side of it, where the film is invited
into competition in Venice based on its social context.
In fact, it’s the very first genre film in competition at
Venice, and it’s been going since 1932. So I have the
best of both worlds.
You appear at genre conventions and are constantly
face to face with fans. They’re a pretty rabid
group themselves, aren’t they?
They are. It’s really fun for me. Night of the Living Dead
was 40-plus years ago, so I have 65-year-old fans and
17-year-old fans thanks to the video. It’s fascinating to
me to get these different perspectives from the different
age groups. It’s a great gig.
People know quite a bit about your films, but what
might they be surprised to know about you?
I have a simple sort of lifestyle. I listen to classical music,
play Scrabble, I read a lot and like to keep up with
current events. I’m much more interested in the world
than the fantasy genre per se. All of my favorite films
are oldies. I’m so in love with the craftsmanship that
you just don’t see these days. I love Guillermo del Toro’s
work. I have eclectic taste—I loved Julie & Julia and The
Hurt Locker this year.
Will you make another “…of the Dead” film?
It’s a formula I’ll stick with as long as people keep
buying it. It’s all economics. If this movie goes out and
makes a lot of money—Diary of the Dead was a huge
seller on video, so they wanted another one, so maybe
it’ll happen again. I have another one in the hopper,
but it’ll completely depend on if the goose keeps laying
them golden eggs. [Laughs]
Can you give us a hint to what we might
expect then?
No. [Smiles] It depends on what happens. If they nuke
Philadelphia, I might have something different to
write about.

Drew Barrymore (Page 1)

Drew Barrymore (Page 2)

Drew Barrymore (Page 3)

Ben Foster

Juliette Lewis

Bruce Willis (Page 1)

Bruce Willis (Page 2)

Alice Eve & Krysten Ritter (Page 1)

Alice Eve & Krysten Ritter (Page 2)

Alicja Bachleda

Will Ferrell & Tina Fey

Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway (Part 1)

Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway (Part 2)

Reese Witherspoon

Chris Tucker

Milla Jovovich

Daniel Radcliffe

Kate Bosworth

Jason Statham

Ben Affleck

Joaquin Phoenix and Eva Mendes

Danny Boyle

Director journeys to the sun

Danny Boyle knows he’s
on to something. His new
film, Sunshine, seems to unsettle
people in every advance
screening he’s attended.
“It’s intense,” the director
(right) says from a promotional
tour in Boston.
The film follows a group
of scientists 50 years in the
future who have to plant a
bomb of sorts into our dying
sun to save the Earth.
Here’s more from Boyle:
Paul Salfen

Q: This film seems very timely.
Do you feel we’re headed toward
a global apocalypse?
A: Well, sort of. Although the film
doesn’t deal with global warming, it
deals with global dimming. It’s
amazing how fragile everything is.
We are vulnerable without a doubt.
It’s really interesting — people
forget this, but there was a
mini-ice age about 300 years ago,
so it’s there and it’s a possibility.
One of the things the film is about
is if that happens, it really will be
science that we turn to.
Q: This film has been described
as sci-fi, action/adventure,
thriller and even horror. How
would you classify it?
A: For me, it’s what I’d call “hardcore
sci-fi.” I mean, it’s a space
movie, but it’s not like fantasy
sci-fi where you create the future
like, “Oh, in 300 years the cars will
be flying around in the sky.” I love
this kind of sci-fi because it’s what
NASA is working on now for us in
50 years.
Q: Do you feel like we’re headed
toward imminent danger?
A: I think we are. I think these
kinds of stories are really relevant.
I think why 28 Days Later took off is
because we all felt very vulnerable
in cities for all sorts of reasons. We
felt impregnable to disease and
attacks and things outside of
crime, and I think the films reflect
that in some way.
Q: Sci-fi is obviously a genre
that’s become limited in
originality. How did you keep
this film fresh?
A: Cinema has never depicted the
sun, which was amazing because
it’s such a big thing. So we were
actually able to make a journey
that people hadn’t been on before
and I’m very proud of that.

Casey Affleck

Leonardo DiCaprio

Zach Galifianakis

Megan Fox

Tom Cruise (Part 1)

Tom Cruise (Part 2)

Edward Norton

Dennis Quaid

ENVY: What can you tell us about Smart People? Smart People is a human comedy, basically. I play this English professor who teaches Victorian literature
and who’s a widower and has lost all passion for what he does. He’s very intelligent with zero emotional intelligence. I’m bringing Ellen [Page] up in my stead... As far as the plot? You see these people make about this much [holds up his index finger and thumb about an inch apart] progress in themselves, which is probably more than we make in life anyway.
Ellen Page’s career really blew up before the release. Did you see the star quality in working with her? Oh yeah. She did our movie before Juno, by the way. She’s seamless. It’s so much fun to work with her. It’s almost like there’s no acting involved because you don’t see the work.That’s what so amazing about her... Thomas Church predicted she was going to win the Academy Award before she was 25. She’s already got the name going—Ellen Page.
How do you know if a movie is going to work before you sign on? When I read a script, that’s the only time I get to be an audience member with a first-time experience. If it reads well, you think it could go on screen and work.
Everyone is very concerned about your kids. How are they doing? They’re doing fantastic, and something good is really going to come out of it. We really appreciate peoples’ thoughts and prayers while all of this was going on.
You’re in Vantage Point now, where you got to take an “action star” turn with a car chase and everything. Was that cool?
Yeah, that was “the car chase” of my career. I did all of the driving, too, except for the 40-mile-an-hour crash. I didn’t want to submit myself to the G-force that day.
How do you handle the pressure of the paparazzi and everything else that goes along with fame? Oh, it’s just part of the job. I’m not Britney Spears—I don’t go through it every day. When you’re out selling a movie, it’s just the job. It’s what we do. You eventually become immune to it.
So can you spot a gawker from a mile away? Oh yeah. I’m usually hyper-aware of what’s going on around me with stuff like that.
What was the first experience of that like for you? The first time was daunting and intimidating. I had no friggin’ idea. They didn’t teach you in acting class how to walk the red carpet or deal with the paparazzi. I really sucked.
What’s going on with your band, The Sharks? I haven’t played with the band since July. I’m going to, but I just had to take a break. I’ve been working for a year straight, and with having the babies and stuff like that, I just wanted to take a little time off...
What are you allowed to tell us about G.I. Joe? I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. I remember “G.I. Joe” when I was a kid. General Hawk is the leader of the Joes, and I think he’s a cross between Chuck Yeager, Sergeant Rock and a nai?ve Hugh Hefner. My aide-de-camp is a Victoria’s Secret supermodel, Karolina Kurkova—so how serious can it be? The tone is like Transformers or Spider-Man—a tent-pole popcorn action film.Yeah, and I get my own action figure.
What kind of prep work or “research” goes into that? [Laughs] Watch cartoons and get buff. That’s about as deep as it gets.