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The Motown
Soundtrack; why does it work so well?
JS: It’s cool and soulful. I
pick the music that would come between
1970 and 1974 during the Vietnam War.
That’s kind of when the Motown sound
changes. It gets darker and more
introspective. The grooves where really
hard hitting and sometimes psychedelic.
A lot of times they have instrumentation
for about a minute in a half before
everybody starts singing.
That was for
everybody. The Temptations, etc…
JS: Well, yeah, that’s
because the country was changing. That
was the music that I figured that the
guys probably heard as little kids. And
that’s why I chose the record player
with the vinyl. This generation doesn’t
know about that.
Why’d you pick
Andre for a lead role?
JS: Andre; I’ve known him for
many years and he always just would tell
me that he’s interested in acting and I
would blow him off like yeah right. And
I started seeing him in these movies and
I was like wow, you got something here.
I saw Andre on The Shield. And he was
real good on The Shield. And I was like
ok we’ve got to do something.
You always talk about filmmakers
having a social responsibility. Do you
feel you have that because you help
music artists that have potential into
acting?
JS: It just works out that
way. People that I know that are good
artists that want to do different
things. It just ended up like that.
How was it
working with Mark? He says that he’s not
coming into a film that he doesn’t think
the audience wants to see or if he
doesn’t have a say in his role?
JS: Me and Mark partied
together for like 10 years and always
talked about doing a movie together. So
once Lorenzo called me up and he had
this script and Mark was interested and
then they called Mark up and say John is
interested and Mark said yeah lets’ go.
We really wanted to make a film
together. And the cool thing about Mark
is, the early films that he has done, he
had such a boyish look and a boyish
face; he came across as a boyish kind of
man. This is the first movie where I’ve
seen him as a man. The kid is gone.
Mark, for many years, never gave himself
over to doing the stuff guy roles. He’s
played the nice guy, the vulnerable
dude. He’s from this so he’d steer
himself away from that. And so you see
him in these other pictures and he’s
nothing like that. And Now he’s just
like you know what…he tells me if I’m
gonna do a street movie I’m gonna do it
with you and that’s why he came home and
did this. I think its one of his better
performances actually.
Has Tyrese grown as an actor?
JS: Yeah. I think he’s grown
as an actor but he’s still got a lot of
growing to do. Personally, he’s like a
big kid. Tyrese is only like 26 years
old; you got to remember he’s still a
baby.
Do you think a
lot of it is still trying to balance
both careers?
JS: Yeah, I think so. He’s
got one foot in the door…music is his
passion. And acting is a different kind
of passion for him. With acting he can
explore different things and different
characters. Cause basically he’s a goof
ball. I keep him around for that at all
times.
What are you
doing next?
JS: Well, I’m producing Black
Snake Moan which is Craig Brewer’ follow
up to Hustle & Flow. Its cast is Justin
Timberlake, Christina Ricci and Sam’
playing the blues. Justin’ gone back to
Tennessee. He’s really learning. He’s
really picking it up.
What do you see in Justin Timberlake
as an actor?
JS: I went to talk to Justin
last summer. I wanted him to hook up
with Craig. Not just for Black Snake
Moan but just in general. And I gave him
the speel, you know, you guys are from
Memphis and I know you want to act. We
showed him Hustle & Flow and then we
gave him the script. And he said
anything you guys want to do. So, that’s
how we got him. I’ve been spin galling
this thing for a whole year.
Was there
supposed to be more sex between Tyrese
and Sofia?
JS: There was but we had to
cut it down for time.
The one thing
about 70s movie’s is that there is so
much casual nudity?
JS: Oh my god yes. While I
was shooting this picture I looked at
Dirty Harry. And Dirty Harry was like…aw
man, you couldn’t make Dirty Harry now.
It is so good thought. It’s like wow;
look at what they got away with. They
were very free and not uptight. You
can’t be uptight. I mean, I would never
have been involved with the 2 films that
we did over the summer if I had been
uptight. The stuff that we were doing
and my team I call my family...we’re
changing it. It’s a fun ride.
It’s good to be
John Singleton this year?
JS. Yeah, well, it is this
summer.
Do you get a
kick out of acting?
JS: A little but I don’t
wanna…
Usually you put yourself in a cameo?
JS: I am. I’m playing hockey.
I’m the goalie.
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