Maks arguing with Carrie Ann on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘It’s not a grudge thing’

Image Credit: Adam Larkey/ABCMaksim Chmerkovskiy told reporters on Tuesday that he may have verbally sparred with judge Carrie Ann Inaba during Monday’s installment of Dancing with the Stars but  he “doesn’t have anything against Carrie Ann and she doesn’t have anything against me.”

At the end of Tuesday’s telecast, Inaba took a moment to announce how she respected all the pros – an obvious attempt to mend fences after she and Chmerkovskiy argued about how it took “four 8s” for him to begin his cha cha cha on Monday with Brandy. Chmerkovskiy tried to dismiss the comment by saying “relax, don’t worry about it”  but Inaba quickly replied that ”Kurt did more dancing” so the two began to talk over one another. Brandy just stood there silent while patting her heart.

“I wasn’t looking for Carrie Ann’s apology,” Chmerkovskiy said after Tuesday’s show. “I think we all do our jobs. We are very passionate. We actually spoke when the credits rolled [Tuesday] so it was very pleasant, a very polite conversation. We are good. It’s not a grudge thing. I don’t have anything against Carrie Ann, she doesn’t have anything against me. She said what she said at the moment, and I responded like someone who has put in two and a half months in trying to make someone the best they can be. Whatever I thought, I thought, and we’re past it.

“My concern is that fans think I’m crazy and that I’m some kind of like attention hogging…whatever,” Chmerkovskiy added. “It’s not about me wanting to be in the spotlight. I want to be in the dark. I want Brandy to be in the spotlight. That was the whole point of yesterday.”

Brandy said she really didn’t know what to think of the argument. “I just wanted to stand by Maks and understand where he was coming from, which was from a good place of passion and defending me,” the actress told reporters. ”I want to win this for Maks because Maks has been to the finals so many times and he deserved to win. And he says, `baby, don’t win for me. Win for you!’ I’m like, ‘But I want to win for you, too, dude!”

“It’s actually funny,” Chmerkovskiy continued. “ Brandy says to me 10 times today, ‘I got your back!’ And I feel bad. That’s not supposed to be her job. It’s supposed to be my job to have her back. We’re actually a partnership. I don’t feel like I’m dancing with a student, I feel like I’m dancing with an equal partner.”

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CMAs 2010: Best/worst moments

Image Credit: Katherine Bomboy/ABCThe real winners were announced last night at the 44th Annual Country Music Association Awards. But here are a few more honors from the telecast that you should feel free to weigh in on:

Best Entrance: I’m going to give this to Alan Jackson, who got applause after he walked through a curtain just in time to sing his part on the Zac Brown Band tune “As She’s Walking Away” — even though (or maybe because?) we were all expecting him to walk through the curtain. He looked a bit awkward not holding his guitar, which could be why George Strait had his strapped on for his performance of “The Breath You Take” even though he didn’t actually need it.

Worst Entrance: I love Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, but the optical-illusion tutu and music-box figure motions during their performance of “Stuck Like Glue” came off kinda… well, crazy. The woman is fearless — see those white leggings she was rockin’ when she stepped out from behind said tutu — but every now and then, she needs to be reined in.

Best confused face: The cut to Gwyneth Paltrow, politely clapping after cohost Brad Paisley brought out Little Jimmy Dickens to inform us that Nashville’s new flood warning system is Dickens yelling when the water reaches his neck.

Worst confused face: At the end of Taylor Swift’s mesmerizing piano-set performance of “Back to December” (some gorgeous snow effects, plus a lower setting on the smoke machine than Dierks Bentley and a great shade of red lipstick), she was shown mouthing “What?” before the curtain came down. It ruined the mood, even if it shouldn’t have: Her rep tells EW she was just excited about the standing ovation (so it was a “What?!”).

Best cover: During their opening, Paisley and cohost Carrie Underwood rewrote the lyrics to The Beverly Hillbillies theme song to reflect the events of 2010. Of course, they kept the line about bubblin’ crude (oil, that is). “Thanks, BP,” Underwood said. “You’re welcome,” Paisley answered. (Honorable mention: Paisley’s brief excerpts of “Paparazzi” and “Alejandro” when telling Lady Gaga they are his favorite band. He was looking at Lady Antebellum.)

Worst cover: Reba McEntire still has attitude, this no one can deny. But I’m not feeling her take on Beyoncé’s “If I Were a Boy.” They lyrics are just too young for her, and when it comes to the chorus, I want someone to belt it. I kept wishing it was Underwood or Kelly Clarkson singing it. I didn’t think it deserved a standing ovation. Then again, I also didn’t think Gwyneth Paltrow deserved one for performing the title song of her upcoming movie “Country Song” with background vocalist Vince Gill competently. Being competent isn’t extraordinary, and she’s brave, yes, but she’s bravely promoting a film.

Best way to prove country stars are just like us and not “Hollywood”: You let Blake Shelton perform “All About Tonight” in the middle of the audience. (Though next time, stop the douche in the crowd behind him from doing a Gator chomp.)

Worst way to prove country stars are just like us and not “Hollywood”: ABC could’ve exploited Nicole Kidman (wife of Keith Urban) and Katherine Heigl (wife of Josh Kelley, brother of Lady A’s Charles Kelley) more than they did, so we’ll go with Rascal Flatts’ Gary LeVox wearing what looked to be a diamond-banded watch with his cowboy boots for their performance of “Why Wait.”

Best surprise: Loretta Lynn came out to join Miranda Lambert and Sheryl Crow as they sang “Coal Miner’s Daughter” to honor her 50 years in the business.

Worst surprise: It’s a tie between the director not showing Carrie Underwood trying to exit the stage in the dramatically large gown she chose to wear for her performance of “Mama’s Song” (I wanted to see that), and The Band Perry not getting to perform all of “If I Die Young.” (That song is always on the radio, and yet, I’ll still happily listen to it.)

Best use of fringe: Easy, it’s the layer over the bottom of Miranda Lambert’s dress when she performed “That’s the Way the World goes ‘Round.” (Watch.) It looked cool when she spun.

Worst use of fringe: Kid Rock’s jacket during his performance of “Born Free.” There should be a maximum length on fringe.

Best sleeves: To perform “Hello World,” Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott wore a brown leather jacket with forearm zippers that when open, fanned out to reveal sequined material underneath. Sparkly for the stage, but still something you could wear on the street — well done.

Worst sleeves: Kelly Clarkson joined Jason Aldean to sing their power-ballad duet “Don’t You Want to Stay” off of his new album. She sounded amazing (watch), but her sheer black Stevie Nicks sleeves were so long that one actually got caught on her mic while she was singing. I want to focus on her voice, not her fashion, honest. But she makes it difficult.

Best reasons to have Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood return as cohosts (again): The man loves a dirty joke. He said after the kind of night Miranda Lambert (four wins) and fiancé Blake Shelton (two wins) were having, we should expect a baby in nine months. He and Underwood sang a ditty about 2010 being the year of infidelity that had a hook about Tiger catching some tail. After he and Underwood joked about the small size of Lambert’s diamond, and Underwood clarified that she’d actually been sent a picture of it after the proposal and it was big, beautiful, and perfect, he added, “That’s what she said.” Also, we’d be fine watching Paisley and pal Keith Urban open every country music awards ceremony playing guitar on a Carrie Underwood song.

Worst reasons to have Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood return as cohosts (again): He’s so nice, he won’t mind if you try playing him off during his emotional Entertainer of the Year acceptance speech. Not all of her costume changes are hits (see: that yellow dress).

Your turn.

More CMA coverage:
Full winners list
Ken Tucker’s take on Gwyneth Paltrow’s country music debut
Leah Greenblatt on Taylor Swift’s performance: Strong showing, odd ending

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AMC cancels 'Rubicon' - Entertainment Weekly

Image Credit: AMCBad news for Rubicon fans (however many — or few – there may be out there): AMC announced today that it will not be renewing the original series for a second season. The drama first premiered on the cable network on Aug. 1 and was from Warner Horizon TV.

“Rubicon gave us an opportunity to tell a rich and compelling story, and we’re proud of the series,” the network said in a statement. “This was not an easy decision, but we are grateful  to have had the opportunity to work with such a phenomenally talented and dedicated team.”

The drama starred James Badge Dale, Arliss Howard and Miranda Richardson.

For more on Rubicon:
Rubicon season finale: The conspiracy will be revealed, but will you be watching?

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Kanye West on 'Today' show: Watch the interview he called 'brutal' - Entertainment Weekly

Image Credit: NBCThe Today show interview that Kanye West called “VERY BRUTAL” on Twitter yesterday aired in part today, letting the world see the exchange that made West tweet, “I feel very alone very used very tortured very forced very misunderstood very hollow very very misused.”

After introducing the segment this morning, Today host Matt Lauer played West’s remarks about accusing George W. Bush of racism after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “As far as it being the worst moment of his presidency, you know, I can’t really speak to that,” the rapper said. “But his take, his explanation, I completely agree with and I empathize with totally.”

The trouble in their interview began a moment later, when the Today show cued footage of Lauer’s recent interview with Bush. “I didn’t need you guys to show me the tape in order to prompt my emotions or whatever,” West said in an annoyed tone. “I don’t need all the jazz…Can we be quiet for a second?”

Pressed by Lauer to further explain his thoughts on the Bush incident, West went back on message. “I want to give it the exact perfect wording, because everything I say gets taken and drawn into headlines,” he noted. “I’m here to man up to different mistakes that I made, and speak to the moment when I pegged George Bush as a racist. I came here to say that I made mistakes and I’ve grown as a person.”

But when Today cued another clip of West interrupting Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs, he complained again. “Yo, how am I supposed to talk if you’re going to run the thing in the middle while I’m talking?…Please don’t let that happen again. It’s ridiculous.”

In this morning’s segment, Lauer defended the practice of showing old footage during interviews as standard. Watch the interview after the jump and let us know what you think: Was West right to be bothered by Lauer’s interviewing technique?

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

More from EW.com:
Kanye West responds to George W. Bush about Katrina controversy: “I definitely can understand the way he feels”
George Bush really does not “appreciate” Kanye West’s Katrina criticism: “The worst moment of my presidency”

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‘Fringe’: Insight and intel about tonight’s Peter/Olivia/BOlivia love triangle episode

As you might expect, romance on Fringe can be a very odd thing. In this peculiar sci-fi world, when you can’t get a hunky guy out of your head because you dig his cheese so much, you really can’t get him out of your head, because he is literally in your head. This was the perplexing plight of FBI agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) in season 1; after the death of her FBI agent boyfriend/fiancé John Scott (Mark Valley of The Human Target), Olivia realized that her dearly departed’s consciousness had somehow lodged inside her brain. (Or something like that. It was a cool idea, but kinda confusing, too.) She had to spend an epic session inside what’s become her private “Me time” place — Walter Bishop’s sensory deprivation (think) tank — to evict her not-necessarily-unwelcome psychic squatter. Basically, it was Fantastic Voyage meets Love Story meets The Exorcist, without the barfing and the crucifix and the priest and the Satan and actually pretty much all of The Exorcist except the exorcising part. Again: I think.

Of course, the defining romance of Fringe has become the relationship between Olivia and Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson), the genius, sardonic son of the even more genius-ish and extravagantly quirky Walter (John Noble), whose envelope-pushing experiments from long ago have been the cause of so much strangeness in the Fringe world. Olivia and Peter started becoming close early last season as the trio began to gel as more than just a sci-fi crime-fighting unit, but as something of a family. After Olivia returned from a life-threatening jaunt “over there,” i.e. into Fringe’s parallel world, Peter realized he had stronger feelings for her than he had been allowing himself to feel. Over the course of the second season, Olivia realized: Ditto. To be honest, I was among the many Fringe fans who, at the beginning of the series and even into the second season, hoped the show would resist having Peter and Olivia pull a hooking-up Mulder and Scully, only because it seemed so cliché. And yet, two seasons later, I’ve been converted: I find their relationship to be winning and I’m rooting for it to succeed. Via email, I asked exec producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman if it was always their intention to bring Peter and Olivia together. “Yes, we were thinking so,” they say, “but we never wanted to force the issue. We wanted the relationship to evolve over time, organically. These are two characters who, for many reasons, needed to FIND each other. Forcing them together quickly would have rung false.” The take-it-slow approach has made the difference — as well as the performances by Torv and Jackson.

But this is Fringe, and so this season has thrown a patently freaky complication into the budding Olivia-Peter relationship in the form of another a woman — specifically, the “Over There” Olivia, dubbed “BOlivia” by fans. Olivia and BOlivia have swapped places this season, with BOlivia serving as an undercover agent helping to advance Walternate’s cause to save the deteriorating “Over There” world” via mysterious, possibly catastrophic means. As part of her subterfuge, BOlivia — who is happily married in her “Over There” life — has had no choice but to play out the evolving Peter-Olivia romance, which went to a new level of intimacy the last time we visited this storyline wayyy back in the days when the San Francisco Giants were still a bunch of scrappy ballplayers that had never won a World Series as a franchise in more than 50 years. (Or: Not since Oct. 14. Nearly a month ago!) Yep: Peter and BOlivia knocked boots. How will Peter realize that the woman he thinks is Olivia is actually her nicknamed-after-a-country doppelgänger? And as for BOlivia, will this Vertigo-meets-Casino Royale loony love affair spark a change of loyalty within her secret agent’s cloaked heart? And can I ever write a sentence without pop culture allusions that I will never really explain? All questions, TBD.

Tonight’s episode is entitled “695 kHz.” Here’s the Fox synopsis:

“Back ‘Over Here,’ the Fringe Division investigates a bizarre phenomenon when 15 people up and down the Eastern Seaboard all suffer retrograde amnesia from listening to their shortwave radios on the same frequency. Much to Walter’s dismay, Peter presses on with piecing together the mass destruction device. Just as alternate Olivia and Peter’s chemistry deepens, the anticipation of Olivia’s return escalates.”

I asked Pinkner and Wyman for a little more intel. They told me that the mind-wiping strangeness “may hold important clues” to the future of our heroes, and that BOlivia’s relationship with Peter does begin to cast this world in a new light: “As BOlivia gets to know our team better (and Peter), she starts to wonder whether they are quite the “monsters” that she was led to believe.” All of this is leading up to the show’s winter finale in early December, which I’m hearing is going to be a Must Watch Fringe event. What’s at stake here during the build-up? “BOlivia’s subterfuge is putting our team in jeopardy — and, possibly our entire world… while Over There Olivia, who now knows exactly WHO she really is, has to figure out a way to get home.”

OUR “WHAT’S WALTER READING?” CONTEST: THE RESULTS SHOW!
Yesterday, we posted a sneak peek image of tonight’s episode that had Walter and Nina Sharpe (Blaire Brown) sitting on a bench and reading a note that couldn’t be seen from our angle. I asked you to guess what was on the note and offered six options. We polled you (and we know how painful that can be) (a little David Letterman for you), you voted, and here’s how it broke down:

A. It’s a love letter between Olivia and Peter: 2.1%
B. A disconcerting note from William Bell’s will: 49.37%
C. It’s a drawing, from the Observer: 39.72%
D. It’s Walter’s favorite cake recipe: 4.34%
E. It’s a prescription for medical marijuana: 4.48%

As you can see, our guessing game wound up being a close race between the most plausible of choices — but the biggest vote-getter is actually INCORRECT! The correct answer is indeed C — but (surprise twist and SPOILER alert!) I have it on good authority that you just may see elements and shades of all the incorrect answers throughout the episode.

I also asked you guys to humor me with some Fringe comedy by writing a caption for the photo that finished the sentence: “The note says… [Fill in the blank.]” Reader “Mike” posted a killer response that hit me in the sweet spot — which is to say, he made a Lost reference. “The note says, ‘Not Olivia’s boat.’” How can I NOT declare that entry the winner! And so I shall…

But I must also applaud this more on-the-nose Fringe quip from “Jeff,” who, for the record, is neither me nor my “Over There” alternate: “It’s a note from Bell saying, ‘Walter, if you’re ever in need of any assistance, Nina will give you a hand. Oops, sorry, my apologies, that came out wrong.’”

I also like this Star Trek-inspired line from “Leithen”: “The note says, ‘Dear Walter, I am, and ever shall be, your friend. In that regard, I must protest your preference for Twizzlers over Red Vines. In any universe, that is wrong. — Belly’”

And finally, “Tracy Bluth” thought she could take the competition by flooding me with multiple entries — an ambitious ploy that strikes me more of a Tracy Flick move than a Tracy Bluth maneuver. (Maybe if it came with a bottle of booze…) Still: I was amused enough — and appreciated the effort enough — to post my favorite of the three entries: “The note says, ‘I wish you had believed me. –JL’” Ah, it feels good to be known…

We’ll finally get to reader mail/theories next week. Ken Tucker’s recap of tonight’s episode posts tomorrow morning. And are you watching The Walking Dead? If so, make sure you join Dan Snierson and me for our recap of Sunday’s (awesome) episode (yep we’ve seen it) on Monday.

Twitter: @ewdocjensen
Email: docjensenew@gmail.com

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Glam Slam: Country's Night Out - Access Hollywood

By Ryan Patterson

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

“This is Versace,” Gwyneth Paltrow told us on the black carpet at the 44th Annual Country Music Association Awards in Nashville last night, rocking her va va voom, high slit, one shouldered gown with sexy side cut-outs. We asked the actress about performing on the show and if she looked to anyone for advice.

“I asked Faith (Hill) a lot of questions and Beyonce actually too and I studied Beyonce a lot and her concerts for her kind of confidence and I’m lucky that I know some singers in real life.”

Gwyneth got a standing ovation for her performance of the title track from her upcoming film “Country Strong” where she plays a fallen country singer. Faith came up again when we asked Gwyneth about her inspiration.

“I sort of looked to Faith. You know, Faith is another tall kind of blonde woman and we have sort of physical similarities, so I thought she would be a good person when I was preparing the role and researching the role to kind of, you know, not exactly base my character on her but there were some things that I borrowed from her.”

“This is a custom Sherri Hill dress,” the night’s big winner Miranda Lambert said of her chic pink gown. “I’m nervous and excited and just glad to be here. It’s a huge night for me and it’s a good way to spend your birthday.”

And what a way to celebrate her 27th birthday! Miranda took home Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year honors!

Taylor Swift dazzled in a strapless red gown with high slit by Monique Lhuillier. She won Access Hollywood’s Best Dressed Poll with 45 percent of the votes. Host Carrie Underwood, who came in second in the poll, didn’t disappoint changing eight times, wearing such designers as Ina Soltani, Pamella Roland and Georges Chakra Couture. (LeAnn Rimes came in dead last in the poll. Her grey Ports 1961 dress didn’t even get enough points to score 1 percent).

Nicole Kidman didn’t want to talk to take the spotlight away from her husband, Keith Urban, but gave us a fashion spin in her white lace cocktail dress by Dolce & Gabbana, which she paired with red strappy heels.

Julianne Hough went for high drama in a black, one shouldered organza gown with crystal embroidery by Georges Chakra Couture from the Spring/Summer 2010 collection.

CLICK HERE for a photo gallery of all the stars from the CMA Awards!

Copyright 2010 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Keep your Access to everything in Hollywood! Breaking news and personal commentary from Billy, Tony, Shaun, Maria & all of our producers! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter now!

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'NCIS': Bob Newhart meets Ducky!

Image Credit: Kevin Parry/WireImage.comVeteran small-screen actor Bob Newhart is coming to TV’s No. 1 program! EW has learned exclusively that Newhart — who last played Morty on ABC’s Desperate Housewives — will guest star in a January episode of CBS’ addictive series NCIS. He’ll play Dr. Walter Magnus, a character who’s described as a “shrewd, eccentric nostalgic” with a whole lot of charm.

Want more? He’s also a former medical examiner who comes out of retirement to relive the magic — but something unexpected happens that catches Ducky (David McCallum) and the others by surprise.

Newhart comes at a particularly good time for NCIS, which at 21.4 million, is TV’s most-watched drama.

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‘Unstoppable’ director Tony Scott talks speeding trains, planes and automobiles

Image Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage.com; Robert ZuckermanTony Scott is clearly a speed freak. That is, his movies usually operate at somewhere between 90 and 120 miles-per-hour, from the control tower-buzzing fighter jets of Top Gun, to the zooming cars of Days of Thunder, to the hyperkinetic, whirlwind editing of every movie he’s made in the last decade. Now there’s Unstoppable — out tomorrow — about a massive freight train loaded down with dangerous chemicals that … just … can’t … slow … down, and it’s quite possibly his most high-velocity film yet. We spoke with Scott about his latest project, as well as just what it is that gives him the need for speed.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: After The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, this is your second movie in a row about trains starring Denzel Washington. Coincidence?
TONY SCOTT: If you think about Pelham, that was a hostage situation in the bowels of New York, and there’s very little in terms of train movement. This here, the Beast is the third character in the movie, which is a train that starts at 50 m.p.h. and ends at 150. It’s basically a character. It’s obviously still a train, but it’s very different conceptually from my last movie. I’m trying to think what you’d parallel it with: Well, it’s Speed on speed. When I read the script, I couldn’t put it down. Usually I’m a terribly slow reader, but I just flashed through it and I said, “F—!” So I did my homework, I went to Pennsylvania and met the people, learned the world, met role models for my cast members, and then I said, “I’m in.”

Was it difficult to maintain the breakneck pace?
I find difficulty a challenge. I’m perverse. I always look for things that challenge me, so I said, “Damn, there’s only one static part in this whole movie, so 90% of this movie, I’m on a train that’s going 70 m.p.h.” But I wasn’t going to be inhibited by the fact that I’m shooting on a train. I’ve got my two principals, Denzel Washington and Chris Pine, in a confined space. For me it’s interesting creatively because you’re balancing these two characters, unfolding their differences head-to-head through the course of this insane journey for 90 minutes. It’s like a piece of theater.

You’re one of the very few modern directors who’s really developed a unique visual style. How would you describe your aesthetic?
My style is always inspired by my characters and my world. For instance, in Man on Fire, I said as a rule of thumb that if Denzel feels it, smells it, or sees it, I will articulate it in terms of style, in terms of the camera. With this one here, it was not being intimidated by my stage being at 70 m.p.h. and trying to shoot it as if it were in a controlled environment. Each movie has a different style that’s dictated by the world that I’m showing.

So you don’t think you have a specific personal look that carries over from film to film?
I think I have a very distinctive style, but you look at all of my movies and you’ll see that I never like to repeat myself. I hate repeating myself. My movies do have a distinctive style, but each time, as with painting, you move from one painting to the next and the next and the next. I think I always do that, so if you look at my body of work, there’s something that carries over, but you’ll also see there’s a shift and a move and a difference.

You’ve worked with Denzel a number of times now. Do you guys have some sort of telepathy or shorthand at this point?
It’s what’s called in Hollywood “trust” or “respect.” I think we trust and respect each other: It’s never easy with Denzel, and I’m never easy with him. He’s always chasing difference and I always applaud it, and I’m always chasing difference and he’ll applaud it. But we trust in those chases, that we’ll get it there. In the five movies I’ve done with him, there’s always a different aspect of his personality that we want to hone. I’ll never ask an actor to be someone he’s not; I tell them to reach inside and then find a real-life role model for him to reference.

You don’t seem to use a lot of CGI in this. Was that a conscious decision?
When I started work on this movie, I thought of doing a bunch of it with CGI, but then I thought, “It’s real characters, a real world, a real story, so I should probably shoot it in a real way.” This is a movie about feeling you’re inside this train: the weight, the power. Audiences are so sophisticated now that, while they won’t be able to articulate what’s wrong with the CGI, or why it’s not working, they’ll feel it’s off. Even my mom when she was 95, she’d say [old woman’s voice] “You know what? This sequence feels funny to me!” And it was always because it was CGI.

How fast was the train actually going as you were filming? How did you achieve the illusion of it going 150 mph?
I sometimes did little speed-ups in post, but I also selected locations where I’d be tracking alongside with trees. The train would be doing 40-50 mph, but when you’re tracking through foreground trees, it looks like it’s doing 100. Also, I’d just use my cameras. The world in the background looks like it’s going crazy but it’s actually just the camera moving. It’s all smokes and mirrors.

Were there any close calls while shooting on a speeding train?
It was dangerous. It’s the most dangerous movie I’ve done. There weren’t really major stunts, but you’ve got a camera crew on a train that’s sometimes going 70 m.p.h., and then somebody’s not paying attention and there’s a telegraph pole a foot away from you, so it was very worrying everyday. Those trains are unforgiving.

So if something goes wrong in the shot, do you then have to back the train all the way up and start again?
Yeah, like if Denzel’s like, “What’s my line?” Or Chris goes, “Aah, I haven’t got my props!”

“Roll it back!”
Forty minute reset! What I did was select locations where I’d have a ten-mile run, and I’d strap sections of dialogue together and just roll my camera until I’d run out of film.

Now that there’s a resurgence of a vampire craze, would you be interested in revisiting your first film, The Hunger?
Definitely. We’re actually in the process right now with a major studio, not necessarily a remake or a reinvention, but shooting The Hunger in Brazil, in Rio. The Hunger was a horror movie, but it was psychological. Now it’s going to be City of God meets The Hunger. And it’s going to be all about the nightlife where the feeding is easy and people go missing undetected.

At what point in that process are you?
We’re in development with a writer from City of God. Man, I loved that movie, and I ripped it off mercilessly with Man on Fire.

Well, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
I think people are all lying when they say they’re all original. I’m the best plagiarist in the world. Actually, The Hunger was a total rip-off of Performance, Nicolas Roeg’s movie.

With David Bowie instead of Mick Jagger.
Exactly!

So you’ve done fighter jets, stock cars, submarines, and now trains. What do you think will be the next mode of conveyance you tackle?
Motorcycles? I’ve been working on Hell’s Angels, the Hunter S. Thompson book, for 12 years. I’ve got a script and I’m getting close.

Last question and it’s a stupid one: In Top Gun, Maverick had the need for speed. But in this movie, your characters need to slow it down. Is this a metaphor for how you’ve changed in the past 24 years?
Maybe. [Laughs.] Actually, I think the need for speed is still in Unstoppable, for most of it, at least on my part as a movie-maker. I think I actually took a leaf out of Top Gun’s book and drove it into Unstoppable. Just kept the momentum going.

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‘Country Music Awards’ rock ABC, while NBC hobbles along with low-rated cop dramas

Image Credit: Bob D'Amico/ABCABC came out on top Wednesday for doling out trophies on the 44th Annual Country Music Association Awards. The network finished the night with a 4.7 rating/13 share among adults 18-49 and averaged 16.4 million viewers, with the three-hour kudofest attracting its largest audience during the 9 p.m. hour (17.1 million). The show hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood was still down 11% in the demo from last season, however, and represents the show’s lowest-rated telecast ever, according to early returns.

Fox and CBS were tied for second place among 18-49 (2.7/7 versus 2.7/8). Hell’s Kitchen returned after a three-week hiatus because of baseball and earned a 2.7/7 and 5.6 million viewers. Survivor: Nicaragua earned a  3.2/9 and 11.2 million, followed by Criminal Minds (3.0/8, 12.4 million) and The Defenders (1.8/5, 8.3 million).

NBC was third for the night with a 1.6/5 (yikes). Undercovers earned a 1.2/4 (hate to hit a canceled show when it’s already down but that’s its lowest-rated telecast ever) and averaged 5.0 million, followed by Law & Order: SVU (2.0/5, 7.1 million), and Law & Order: LA (1.7/5, 6.7 million). The L&O franchise needs a decent lead-in, stat.

In the total viewer race, CBS came in second for the night behind ABC with 10.6 million, followed by NBC (6.3 million), Fox (5.7 million), Univision (3.9 million) and the CW (2. million).

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‘NCIS’ scoop: Bob Newhart to play a medical examiner!

Image Credit: Kevin Parry/WireImage.comVeteran small-screen actor Bob Newhart is coming to TV’s No. 1 program! EW has learned exclusively that Newhart — who last played Morty on ABC’s Desperate Housewives — will guest star in a January episode of CBS’ addictive series NCIS. He’ll play Dr. Walter Magnus, a character who’s described as a “shrewd, eccentric nostalgic” with a whole lot of charm.

Want more? He’s also a former medical examiner who comes out of retirement to relive the magic — but something unexpected happens that catches Ducky (David McCallum) and the others by surprise.

Newhart comes at a particularly good time for NCIS, which at 21.4 million, is TV’s most-watched drama.

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‘Conan’ night three: Jon Hamm, Charlyne Yi, and few more TBS jokes

Image Credit: Meghan Sinclair/Team CocoConan O’Brien’s third night on TBS was … fine? While his new show is nearly a carbon copy of his old gig, there were still a couple growing pains on display last night. The most notable, and self-referential: more of the “I’m on TBS” gags that he’s been working this week. “I am of course Conan O’Brien,” he told the audience by way of introduction. “Or, as I’m now contractually obligated to call myself since joining TBS, Tyler Perry’s Conan O’Brien.” Har har. He also shared some clever working titles for his show, including Plan B with Conan O’Brien, One Hour to Lopez, S— a Tall Irish Attention Whore Says, and Taller and Gayer Ellen. (Check out this bit in the clip below.) Then he jumped into standard talk show fare — Bush jokes, Obama jokes, lions, tigers and ligers, oh my! — before bringing out guests, which we’ll tackle one by one:

TBS founder Ted Turner (okay, it was Will Forte) riding high on a buffalo (okay, it was stuffed), cursing out the crowd for being a bunch of “marijuana smokin’ Fig Newton eatin’ beatniks.” Cute, but we couldn’t help thinking how cool it would’ve been to have the real Ted on the couch.

Mad Men star Jon Hamm. Has anyone else noticed that this man is oddly attractive? Ah yes, you have. It seemed like Conan was awfully profuse in his thanks to Hamm for coming on the show, but handsome Hamm is probably used to such treatment — he lives in a beautiful-person bubble, after all.

Comedian-performer-don’t-call-me-an-actress Charlyne Yi, who told a not-particularly ingratiating story about refusing to learn her lines on a TV show, before singing a song called “Coyote,” which consisted largely of howling noises. Huh.

But the most memorable moment might’ve been when Yi noted that someone’s phone was ringing in the audience. Conan shot the crowd a genuinely peeved, daddy-mad look and scolded everyone to turn their phones off. “People just bring phones into our show,” he said. “They’re like aw, it’s TBS, whatever.” Funny thing there, Conan: I’m not sure most people really have such a low opinion of TBS. But you certainly seem to.

What did you think, PopWatchers? Is Conan (and the unitalicized actual person, Conan) getting more comfortable as the week goes on? And who was your favorite guest of the night? Let us know in the comments.

Read more:
Second night of ‘Conan’
How did Conan fare on opening night?

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‘Vampire Diaries’ scoop: Katherine’s diabolical master plan, her history with Klaus, and Damon’s chest all revealed tonight

Every episode of The Vampire Diaries on The CW is a big episode thanks to the pace set forth by executive producers Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec. But tonight’s promises to be extra revealing: We finally learn about Katherine’s diabolical master plan. “After nine episodes of that question — ‘What are you doing back in town? What is it that you want? Why are you here?’ — finally, she explains herself,” Plec says. “We are incredibly proud of this episode, mostly because the work Nina Dobrev does is unbelievable. She plays Katherine as a human in Bulgaria with a Bulgarian accent, she plays human Katherine pretending to be English in the English countryside, she plays Katherine as a vampire in present day, she plays Elena. And a good portion of the episode is Elena and Katherine having a conversation, so she’s essentially acting opposite nothing, a stand-in or air. This is her episode to shine.” We chatted more with Plec, a master teaser, to find out what’s going down tonight (including who will be shirtless — you’re welcome!) and what’s to come. Check it out below. 

• We won’t be meeting Klaus, but we will be hearing all about him: “This episode gives us a lot more information: Who he is, how desperately afraid people are of him and have been since the beginning of time, how Katherine crossed his path and drew his ire, and how her experience with Klaus shaped who she is today,” Plec says. “We get to learn that all through some pretty amazing flashbacks that take us from Bulgaria, to the English countryside, back to Bulgaria — all set against the stuff that’s happening in the present day. The mystery of Klaus and when we’ll see Klaus is going to be the same question of ‘When will we see Katherine?’ from last season. We’re gonna learn a lot about him and be hopefully very afraid of him before we ever lay eyes on him. That’s gonna be a nice, big, long healthy tease. It’s so funny, the way we dropped the bomb of his name last episode [Rose said The Originals, the oldest vampires, will be coming for Elena, and they'll be doing it for him, Klaus], Kevin and I were laughing. We’re like, the book fans are gonna lose their freakin’ minds in this moment, and the rest of America is gonna go, ‘Huh… Alright. Who’s that?’ [Laughs] But it’s one of those moments that you’re like, I don’t care because I know the million book fans are gonna be so excited that it’s worth it.” We found out in last week’s episode that Katherine was the first Petrova doppelgänger. Does that mean we could, conceivably, see Dobrev playing three roles in an episode at some point? “I think there’s always a chance — not this year. We have our little Charlotte Petrova character in our heads that we laugh and joke about in the writers room,” Plec says. “Whether we decide to go back to year 1200 and meet her, or maybe she was trollin’ around World War II Germany or Woodstock in the ’60s, who knows. It’s something that we have fun with, but it’s not in our canon as of yet.”

• Another slow tease: The story of The Originals and what powers they have will be a good portion of the rest of the season, Plec says. “It’s gonna be a big surprise for all of them [Damon, Stefan, Elena, Rose] when they come face-to-face with Elijah again, and then the question of ‘Well, how do you kill an Original?” is a big one that they’ll have to seek out answers to, and that’s gonna give us a lot story for upcoming episodes.” Tonight, we learn of one power that an Original vampire has that is unexpected.

• We’ll see how Damon’s decision to walk away from his love for Elena influences his next move. Plec loved that scene — and Damon’s single tear — as much as fans did. “We did that for the first time, compel somebody through tears, when Caroline compelled her mom. We all thought it was so beautiful, and so simple and sweet — this vampire ability that is occurring during a very real human moment. Being able to have Damon express his humanity in that moment was really wonderful,” she says. “I think that Damon compelling Elena to forget [that he said 'I love you'] was actually the true hero moment. It wasn’t saying, ‘I don’t deserve you, my brother does.’ It was saying, I don’t even want you to know this because I don’t even want you to think about it. I don’t want it to even be out on the table as an option or a possibility. I just need to get it off my chest. I need to have said it once, and then we’ll both go on like it never happened.” We know that Rose likes bad boys and will be an unlikely ally to the Salvatore Brothers now that Elijah has killed her best friend, Trevor. Could Damon’s next move involve sex with Rose? (Pretty please!) Plec wouldn’t say, but we have hope for two reasons. 1) She says Rose and Damon go off on a little adventure to track down more information on Klaus and his whereabouts. “As much as she talks a big game, she’s actually missing her best friend and is really a scared, frightened, sad, sweet person who, much like Damon, covers up her own vulnerabilities with a tough exterior. So she and Damon connect on that level of realizing that caring can often be painful, so why bother. They have a nice kindred spirit connection.” 2) Later in the conversation, when asked when we’ll see more skin on the show, she said, “I can tell you that there is some bare chest action courtesy of one Mr. Damon Salvatore that happens in this episode.” [Did I actually cheer hearing that? Yes, I did. Professional!]

• Someone comes between Bonnie and Jeremy. “We’ve got some good story brewing with the arrival of this new kid in town, Luka, and what he has to offer her and how they connect, and how it disrupts the sweet, growing romantic chemistry between Bonnie and Jeremy,” Plec says. “I’ve said it before, this season is about watching Jeremy grow from a boy into a man. One of the best ways to show that is to show someone who always looked past him because he was her friend’s little brother starting to maybe, possibly, slightly, the tiniest bit consider him as a peer. He’s, of course, been through hell and back and tends to fall pretty hard and love pretty intensely, so watching him pursue her and her fight that will be some good stuff. And Luka drops right in the center of it. Poor Jeremy’s gonna have to figure out how to change his game a little.” Tonight, we meet Luka and his dad, Jonas. “We meet Jonas very quickly, but they’ll become more present in the episodes that follow. As is true with pretty much anybody who enters Mystic Falls, they have a secret. What that secret is and how it connects to Bonnie will be part of the mystery,” Plec says.

Think that was good stuff? Come back to tomorrow when we have scoop on Tyler and Caroline.

Follow: @EWMandiBierly

More Vampire Diaries:
Recaps of all Season 2 episodes
Vote for Paul Wesley in the first round of EW.com’s Under-appreciated Entertainer of the Year Bracket Game
Michael Trevino talks Tyler (and his first badass leather jacket)

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