Eminem Reveals Title Of New LP: Relapse

MC reveals title at book-release party in New York.

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Guess who's back?

Some four years after the release of his last full studio album, 2004's Encore, Eminem confirmed Wednesday night that his new LP will be called Relapse. Em made the announcement during a launch party for his new autobiography, "The Way I Am," and previewed a track from the effort, titled "I'm Having a Relapse," which kicks off with the familiar lyric "Guess who's back?," before he launches into his trademark flow.

While rumors have suggested the disc would be dubbed King Mathers, among other titles, the reclusive Eminem put those rumors to rest Wednesday in an interview with Angea Yee from the rapper's Sirius Satellite channel, Shade 45.

"There are a lot of fake album titles floating out there — a lot of bullsh-- titles," he told Yee. "The real title of my album that's coming out is called Relapse."

Various media reports suggest the title may actually be R3LAPSE, but Eminem has not yet confirmed the spelling of the disc's name. Some reports suggest that the album will be released after 50 Cent's Before I Self Destruct hits stores December 9; Eminem, recently chosen by the readers of Vibe as the best rapper alive, will be making a guest appearance on that effort.

While no release date for the album has been announced, 50 Cent and members of G-Unit have said it's coming soon. 50, who was on hand for the event, referred to the release of his forthcoming album, Before I Self Destruct, then Relapse; and then, presumably in 2009, Dr. Dre's oft-delayed Detox as a "three-headed monster," and said, "It's a story actually ...Before I Self Destruct, I'll Relapse, then Detox."

G-Unit member Tony Yayo and DJ Whoo Kid told MTV News similar info recently, and provided some details on the albums. Early last month, 50 Cent hinted that Em's sixth was on the way.

"You'll be seeing him shortly," the rapper told the BBC. "He's working. I spent the weekend at his house. Even though he tries to relax and stay home, it's impossible for him to stay in. A lot of material he wrote prior to this is being scrapped. He's got to feel like it's just happened, it's new and it's current. That's just how he is creatively as an artist."

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Top 10 Spooky Rap Songs of All Time

By Henry Adaso

Intricate conversations with otherworldly beings. Trippy tales. Hair-raising accounts of demonic encounters. No Halloween party is complete without these 10 spooky rap songs.

10. DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince - "A Nightmare on My Street"

After seeing Nightmare on Elm Street, Fresh Prince finds he can't go to sleep because he's been visited by Freddy Krueger. Freddy asks to be his partner-in-rhyme, but Prince ridicules him and sends him home instead. "Yo Fred, I think you got me all wrong/I ain't partners with nobody with nails that long. Look, I'll be honest this team won't work." Reality only sets in the end when Freddy decides to kill Jazzy Jeff. This one gave me shivers when I was a kid.

Listen/Download

9. Snoop Dogg - "Murder was the Case"

Video
No need for ghosts and goblins here, the mere thought of dying is terrifying enough for Snoop. Hear him testify: "I'm shaking and they breaking, tryin' to save the Dogg, pumping on my chest and I'm screamin'. I stop breathing, damn I see demons. Dear God, I wonder can you save me? I can't die, my Boo-Boo's bout to have my baby." Snoop's plea for mercy gets an even eerier thump from Dr. Dre's cinematic production.

Listen/Download

8. Ras Kass - "Interview with a Vampire"

© EMI

Backed by a gnarly soundtrack, Ras Kass strikes up an intricate conversation with supernatural beings. Otherworldly sound effects come alive as the dialogue shifts from creationism to Armageddon.

Listen/Download

7. Bone Thugs - "Hell Sent"

© Enterprise Music

There are at least 10 references to Lucifer in "Hell Sent," which finds Bone Thugs bragging about "taking demons hostages" and starting a riot in hell. Wish Bone unleashes the fiercest assault towards the end, "A demon told me that Lucifer said meet him at the black hole. I told him "I'm a be there; ain't no b*tch in my soul!"

Listen/Download

6. Big L - "Devil's Son"

Big L had a dream (more like a nightmare) in which he pictured himself as the devil's son and decided to write a song about it. Backed by dramatic horns and pounding drums, L rhymes about running into a church strapped. This horrorcore treat from Big L's 1993 demo tape is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Audio

5. The Notorious B.I.G. - "Suicidal Thoughts"

© Bad Boy

Fed up with his personal failures, Biggie gives himself a death sentence on "Suicidal Thoughts." His friend (Diddy, in this case) attempts to dissuade him, but Biggie is too far down the windpipe to reconsider. We'll never know if B.I.G. was really as depressed as the song indicates, but "Suicidal Thoghts" is still one hell of a spooky song 11 years after his real death. For a more dramatic version, check out this E&L remix.

Listen/Download

4. Eminem - "Stan"

© Interscope

You only need to listen to "Stan" once before realizing that this ill-fated account of a psychotic Eminem worshipper is simply unforgettable. "Stan" unmasks a vulnerable Eminem, one that turns up the pathos several notches while barely raising his voice. Dido's ethereal crooning adds more soot to the tale.

Audio

3. Gravediggaz - "6 Feet Deep"

© Island/Polygram

No Hip-Hop Halloween playlist is complete without at least one song from Gravediggaz, who specialized in blood-thirsty throwdowns. "6 Feet Deep," the title track from their controversial debut, spots unsettling vocals and a decidedly moody beat. "Your world is black. You drop into a hole."

Listen/Download

2. Immortal Technique - "Dance with the Devil"

Darkness permeates "Dance with the Devil" from start to finish, as Immortal Technique tells an elaborate tale of a man named Billy. Billy's hunger for social acceptance drove him to commit all sorts of atrocities, including one that involves a close relative. The song's hazed-out jazzy vibe, coupled with Tech's psychopathic recital, is incredibly chilling.

Watch the Video

1. Geto Boys - "Mind Playing Tricks on Me"

Paranoia gets the best of Scarface as he stands alone in his four-corner room staring at candles, seeing images. "He owns a black hat like I own. A black suit and a cane like my own," 'Face rhymes. "It's f***ed up when your mind's playing tricks on you." Turns out he was staring at his own reflection. The vertically challenged Buswhick Bill then teams up with 'Face and Willie D to fight off a 7-ft tall enemy. The giant disappears only for Bill to realize he'd been ferociously pummeling the concrete all along.

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Blip.fm, The “Twitter for Music”, Gets Its Own API

by Mark Hendrickson

When Fuzz launched a microblogging service for music aficionados called Blip.fm last May, no one in the company expected it to rise above the status of an experiment. But before long, Blip.fm’s traffic began to eclipse that of Fuzz’s main site, which provides an altogether different service for bands that want to cultivate their fan base.

Fuzz’s attention has now turned primarily to Blip.fm as a result of its popularity, although it will continue to maintain its other service as well. Since May, its developers have added several distinguishing features, such as badges for members who accumulate a horde of followers. The idea behind these badges is to recognize the most popular DJs and identify them for new members. In the same vein, members can also give each other “props” points whenever they like the songs that others have shared.

And now, like any serious microblogging tool, Fuzz is releasing an API that lets developers integrate most of Blip.fm’s on-site functionality into their own web apps. The API can be used, among other things, to create playlists, post blips, see favorite DJs, and retrieve member information. It comes with three libraries for ActionScript, JavaScript and PHP, with Java on the way.

If you’d like to gain access to the API (still in private beta), email api@blip.fm and make sure to tell them we sent you and give a brief description of what you intend to use it for. Fuzz will let about 30 developers into the beta and perhaps more if demand is unexpectedly high.

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10 Musicians-Turned-Filmmakers

By Christopher Campbell

It hasn’t been terribly uncommon since the late ’60s for musicians to get behind the camera, whether for a straight concert film, a tour documentary or some kind of silly narrative focused on themselves and their bands. Jerry Garcia co-directed The Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa co-directed 200 Motels, The Beatles collectively co-directed The Magical Mystery Tour and separately John, Paul and Ringo has each taken the helm on a film project, some more artsy (John and Yoko’s cinematic collaborations, like Up Your Legs Forever) or less self-focused (Ringo’s Marc Bolan doc, Born to Boogie) than others.

Now it’s a little more common for musicians to become directors of fictional films that aren’t so reflexive. Many don’t even have anything to do with music at all. And many are so awful that it’s safe to say the filmmaker should stick to music making. This week, IFC releases the directorial debut of Madonna (Filth and Wisdom), and Beastie Boy Adam Yauch has a new basketball documentary (Gunnin’ for That #1 Spot) hitting stores, so we’d like to celebrate by looking at some other musicians who turned filmmaker, for better or worse.

Musician: Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for The Doors

Debut Narrative Feature: Love Her Madly (2000)

He and Jim Morrison met in film school, so it isn’t too surprising that Manzarek shot a lot of the tour footage that you find on Doors home videos, nor is it too surprising that he’d have greater aspirations as a director. But he really blew it with his first narrative feature, named for one of his band’s songs, which came with the Skinamax-ready tagline, “At the crossroads of art and obsession…waits murder.”

Musician: Prince

Debut Narrative Feature: Under the Cherry Moon (1986)

Following the success of his acting debut in Purple Rain, Prince became attached to star in this black and white period musical and then ended up replacing Mary Lambert as its director. Unfortunately, the Fellini-influenced musician-turned-filmmaker disappointed, and Under the Cherry Moon bombed at the box office. Yet Prince would still go on to helm the concert film Sign o’ the Times and the even less popular Purple Rain sequel, Graffiti Bridge.

Musician: Master P

Debut Narrative Feature: I’m Bout It (1997)

Rapper Master P is probably the most prolific filmmaker on this list, but he’s possibly also the least deserving of directorial work. Most of his movies have been ranked extremely low by IMDb users, yet they must be somewhat popular, as he’s been able to release nine straight-to-video titles since he first shared the director’s chair with Moon Jones for the semi-autobiographical I’m Bout It. His tenth movie, Internet Dating, hits stores December 30.

Musician: Bob Dylan

Debut Narrative Feature: Renaldo and Clara (1978)

Dylan got his directorial feet wet working with D.A. Pennebaker on the doc Eat the Document, and then with this nearly four-hour surreal pic he pretty much drowned himself as a filmmaker. Not only was it poorly reviewed, it also played to mostly empty theaters, resulting in a recut two-hour version that focused primarily on the film’s musical performances. Currently, there is no cut of the film available to fans, though excerpts can be found on a bonus DVD released with a live CD a few years ago.

Musician: Neil Young

Debut Narrative Feature: Human Highway (1982)

Young’s filmmaking alter-ego, “Bernard Shakey”, started off with the CSNY doc Journey Through the Past and has since also continued making films about his old supergroup, most recently with CSNY Deja Vu. But he’s also let a few narrative films slip through, including this weird edge-of-apocalypse tale co-directed by actor Dean Stockwell and featuring the members of Devo. Considering how easily it could be a cult classic today, it’s a shame the film isn’t available on DVD. Young’s more serious fans, though, at least have his so-so rock opera Greendale to enjoy for now.

Musician: Rob Zombie, singer of White Zombie

Debut Narrative Feature: House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

Exactly what you’d expect from a heavy metal star, Rob Zombie entered filmmaking with a violent exploitation horror film. He followed it with the more accessible and more successful sequel The Devil’s Rejects and the more mainstream Halloween remake. It’s still up in the air if he’s better suited for the concert stage or the director’s chair.

Musician: Fred Durst, singer for Limp Bizkit

Debut Narrative Feature: The Education of Charlie Banks (2007)

Many people would have expected something akin to Zombie’s filmmaking style to also come from rap-rocker Durst, but the former Limp Bizkit frontman surprised audiences at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival when he premiered this 1970s-set coming-of-age drama. Even more shocking than its genre and tone, though, was that it isn’t actually completely terrible. However, Durst’s sophomore effort, The Longshots, which opened to poor reviews and poor box office, may be evidence that Durst’s future as a filmmaker isn’t as bright as originally thought.

Musician: Ice Cube

Debut Narrative Feature: The Players Club (1998)

He’s a much better actor than some might have expected or may still give him credit for — even if he sometimes appears in crap like Durst’s The Longshots — but Ice Cube’s filmmaking ability leaves much to be desired, as evidenced with this debut and only feature from the former member of rap group N.W.A. It’s not so awful, though, that he shouldn’t keep trying. He’s certainly not the worst rapper-turned-filmmaker (that might be Master P).

Musician: David Byrne, singer/guitarist for Talking Heads

Debut Narrative Feature: True Stories (1986)

When Byrne’s quirky Warner Bros.-distributed film was released to theaters, it somehow failed to connect with either moviegoers or critics. Since then, it has fortunately become a cult hit, possibly because every film featuring John Goodman eventually catches on with cult audiences (Speed Racer may eventually have its day!). Following this fictional effort, Byrne went on to direct a couple of documentaries, including the arty Ile Aiye (The House of Life) about a Brazilian spirit cult.

Musician: Frank Sinatra

Debut Narrative Feature: None But the Brave (1965)

This might be considered more along the lines of an actor-turned-filmmaker effort, but even during the peak of his movie career, even after he won an Oscar, the “Chairman of the Board” was first and foremost a singer. Sinatra had already produced a number of films, including Ocean’s Eleven, but Warner Bros. was still reluctant to give him his first directing gig. And perhaps the studio should have kept him out of the role, since he apparently didn’t even have the decency and respect to call his Japanese actors by their real names (he reportedly called them all “Freddy”). Though the WWII film was a modest hit, ol’ blue eyes never sat in the director’s chair again, but it’s speculated this has more to do with Sinatra’s wanting less responsibility than the studios’ wanting less racism from their filmmakers.

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Why Frank Miller's Spirit Can Only Fail

I've noticed a trend: We do a post about the upcoming movie version of The Spirit, and commenters complain that we're too negative about it. Is it a ploy to bury Frank Miller's directing career, you ask? Why are we hating so much on a movie that we've not seen, and judging it on solely on the trailers and interviews and pre-release hype that we're supposed to be excited about? Well, speaking solely for myself, the reason that I'm afraid of the Spirit movie is because of why I love the Spirit comics.

At its best, The Spirit newspaper strip was about so much more than crime fighters in masks and smart suits and femme fatales: It was all about groundbreaking look and storytelling that slowly but surely turned away from the genre stereotypes towards something that was both larger in scope and smaller in execution. It's not just that the strips were good in and of themselves - although they are, or else they wouldn't be worth reading more than half a century after they were created - but that there was an added thrill that came from watching Eisner and his studio creators stretching the boundaries and expectations of the entire medium on a weekly basis. As Alex has already mentioned, the splash pages brought influences from outside of comics to bear, redefining not only the way that comics could look, but the way that creators thought about the way that comics could look... but just as importantly as the visuals, the writing of the series evolved throughout the strip's initial 12-year run, outgrowing its pulp origins to become something more Runyonesque and humanist; as the series went on, stories would center on characters as more than just stereotypes or plot devices but as individuals in their own right (This focus on the little guy continued in Eisner's later work on books like The Dreamer, The Building and Invisible People).
As the series transcended its roots and invented new tools of the trade, it became known as a masterpiece because of the skill of its creators (Eisner wasn't the sole writer or artist for the strip, and during World War II, wasn't involved in the strip's creation at all - other creators involved during its original run included Jules Feiffer and Wally Wood), and because of the subtlety of its execution. What made The Spirit special was the work itself, not the character - It wasn't another Spider-Man or Batman that could endure no matter who was writing or drawing it that month; The Spirit belonged to the Eisner studio, because The Spirit was, at its core, a coherent body of work, instead of a franchise.

(This would be why there was no real attempt to revamp the character by other creators until 2007's series from DC Comics by Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone - Yes, I'm ignoring the failed The Spirit: The New Adventures anthology series from the mid-90s, because that was as much a series of love letters by various creators to Eisner as it was an attempt to deal with this Spirit as a character or series with any life left in it - and even Cooke took his lead from Eisner, offering up a series of stories about individuals that hopped genre and influence with each issue; he realized that there is arguably no way to do the Spirit justice without trying to match Eisner's heart, ambition and, yes, spirit.)
Now, compare and contrast this with what we've seen of the Spirit movie. The trailers and posters have been eye-catching in their own way, yes... but they've also lost almost everything that actually mattered about the original strip. Everything seems fake, whether it be visually with CGI-created backgrounds and manipulated actors, or in terms of story with cliched femme fatales, cackling villains and dialogue that replaces the nonchalant wit of Eisner's original hero with either slapstick base humor or tough guy cliche. It's unmistakably the work of Frank Miller - even the tagline, "My city screams," sounds like a line that his bitter Batman or Sin City's Marv would utter more than anything Denny Colt would say - but the problem with that is that everything that made The Spirit important as a series or as a character is a million miles away from Frank Miller's aesthetic.

Miller's take on the world is tougher - and, as anyone who's been following his work for any length of time could recognize - more mean-spirited than Eisner's; it has a streak (I'll leave it up to you to decide how big a streak) of misogyny that Eisner lacked (Whatever sexism Eisner had in his head - or racism, as "fans" of Ebony White would point out - were more from his being a product of his era than any true bigotry or hatred, I'd argue), and perhaps most disappointingly for fans of The Spirit, Miller's work is a large blunt instrument smashed against whatever story he's trying to tell, instead of the scalpel that Eisner, or his studio creators, would have used.

Ultimately, Miller's movie Spirit could, on its own terms, be wonderful. Despite the unpromising trailers and teases that we've seen, it may be the stylish, sexy, exciting action movie that it so clearly wants to be. That would be great. But there is nothing that I've seen, either in the pre-release material for the movie or in any of Miller's earlier work that shows that he has it in him to translate what was so special about the newspaper strip - the real The Spirit - onto the screen, or even that he has any real inclination to try. And as someone who loves that version of the character, that's why I'm continually disappointed by everything we learn about the movie - and why I'm so negative about it.

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What Movie Will Be The Next Dark Knight?

Even if The Dark Knight hadn't broken sales records — and proved a superhero movie could make you think — there would still be a spandex avalanche coming our way in the next few years. But now, it's inevitable that every one of those films will be compared to Dark Knight. Will any of them measure up? Is this even a fair standard to apply to capes-and-CGI pictures? Here's our forecast of upcoming superhero films — and our verdict on which one has the best chance of being the next Knight.

Obviously, Christopher Nolan's third Bat-film, if it actually happens, stands a pretty great chance of being up there with his second. But since there's officially no word on that project right now, here are the superhero films that are actually in the pipeline:

The movie: The Spirit, Frank Miller's adaptation of Will Eisner's classic comic, coming this Xmas.
Why it could be Knight-ed: It's another off-kilter look at an old-school superhero. And the focus is very much on the dark, dystopian city. (Hence the ad campaign, "My City Screams!" Aaaa!) Frank Miller pretty much invented the Christian Bale/Chris Nolan version of Batman, with The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One. and now he's finally getting to make his own superhero movie.
Why it could fall short: The trailers look campy as hell. The Spirit is not really your "dark knight" kind of hero, and he lends himself more to a certain amount of goofiness. Instead of Heath Ledger's unnerving Joker, the Spirit will give us Samuel L. Jackson in eyeliner and a fur coat, chewing the scenery like never before.

The movie: Watchmen, directed by Zack Snyder based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
Why it could be Knighted: It's another dark, twisted look at superheroes where the good guys are less than pure. In fact, there's a lot of ethical tangles that could remind people of Bruce Wayne's mass wiretapping in Dark Knight. The psychopathic vigilante Rorschach could be a bit like Heath Ledger's Joker. Nite Owl is like a Batman who can't get it up, according to director Zack Snyder. It'll be visually arresting, judging from the footage I've seen.
Why it could fail:Watchmen is trying really hard to capture the original graphic novel, keeping the 1985 setting and the Cold War themes. So it's more like an alternate historical epic. It's also more of a geek wet dream and less of a mainstream look at crime and retribution in a precarious society. Nothing in the movie will be that shocking or startling, because anyone who cares already knows what happens. I imagine most people's experience of watching Watchmen as being more like ticking stuff from the graphic novel off a mental checklist. One of the great things about Knight was that, even with all the spoilers I'd read, I still had no clue where the sequence with two boats and two detonators was going.

The movie: Wolverine.
Why it could be Knight-ed: It's another dark superhero-ish story that has connections to real-life issues like the War On Terror, thanks to a storyline about young Wolverine joining the military. Plus it includes creepy experiments and stuff, and Wolverine has to face Sabretooth, who's like his dark reflection. And it sounds as though Wolverine's girlfriend probably dies toward the end, if they're following the comics.
Why it could fall short: It's going to be as dumb as X-Men 3. We're already hearing whispers that Fox, the studio that messed up I, Robot, X-Men 3 and so many other movies, has been meddling with Wolverine as well, trying to make it less dark. Plus any actual character development or story has to make room for 1,000 cameos of X-favorites.

The movie: Green Hornet, directed by Stephen Chow and starring Chow and Seth Rogen.
Why it could be Knight-ed: Well, it's another movie that deconstructs the superhero mythos, using a hero who's sort of like Batman: a rich guy who fights crime in a mask. It'll feature a superhero (the Hornet) who's less famous than his sidekick (Kato, played by Bruce Lee in the 1960s).
Why it could fall short: Well, it's a comedy, so it probably won't be that dark. Rogen's co-writing the script, which means it could have some self-conscious superhero humor but it could also be a bit painful.

The movie: Green Lantern
Why it could be Knight-ed: Every DC Comics movie from now on is going to try and be like The Dark Knight. This one sounds like it'll be home run, in any case: a test pilot, struggling with his pain over the death of his father, gets a magic ring from space and gets thrust head-first into the battle against a superbeing named Legion, who's already killed several ring-wearers.
Why it could fall short: It's Green Lantern. It's supposed to be about the wish fulfillment of getting a ring that can do anything, wearing bright green spandex without looking like a doofus, and becoming the galaxy's greatest hero. And co-writer Marc Guggenheim already said it won't be a "dark" superhero movie.

The movies: A whole slate of Marvel comics vehicles, including Captain America, Iron Man II and The Avengers.
Why they could be Knight-ed: With Iron Man, Marvel proved it could make its second-tier characters fun and relatable, by giving them conflicts that connected them to the real world, like Tony Stark's weapons being used by the bad guys in Afghanistan.
Why it could fall short: None of these characters is really that dark, nihilistic or urban. If Marvel tries to make Captain America or the Avengers too much like Dark Knight, they'll just end up with a mess. Want a Marvel version of TDK? Make a new Daredevil movie. He's the other urban vigilante character that Frank Miller revitalized in the 1980s, and his best storylines are very Nolan-esque.

The movie: Superman: The Man Of Steel
Why it could be Knight-ed: See above, with Green Lantern. Warners wants all the DC Comics projects to be like its biggest hit. Warners execs have already suggested the next Super-film will be as dark as the character can get.
Why it could fall short: Come on, it's Superman. He wears bright colors because he's the most optimistic superhero. And the last Superman film, Superman Returns, was underwhelming in large measure because it was kinda dark.

The movie: Kick-Ass, based on the comic by Mark "Wanted" Millar
Why it could be Knight-ed: Wanted brought a kinetic, trippy action movie sensibility to the story of a super-assassin. More importantly, it was crammed with morally gray, self-centered characters and had a stark will-to-power sort of message. Kick-Ass, the saga of a wannabe superhero and a little girl who goes around hacking people to bits, looks like it'll be even more violent and nihilistic.
Why it could fall short: It's gritty, violent and amoral — but will it actually make you think, after you're done watching people get splattered? I'm not convinced there's a point to Kick-Ass, any more than there was to Wanted. (Other than, "People suck, and it's cool to be the baddest.")

The movie: Super-Max, aka Green Arrow
Why it could be Knight-ed: The pet project of David S. Goyer, who cowrote the two Nolan Bat-films. This is the story of a superhero, Green Arrow, who gets accused of a crime he didn't commit. And he gets locked into a super-prison that's chock full of supervillains who want him dead. He doesn't have his gear, and he has no special abilities without it. And he has to break out of this high-tech super-prison, teaming up with criminals along the way.
Why it could fall short: It could fail to get made for some reason. They could cast Hayden Christensen as Green Arrow. There could be an invasion of space monkeys that enslave us and force us to pick their nits.
Ding ding ding! I think we have a winner. If you're judging upcoming superhero films by the Dark Knight yardstick, the most promising of the bunch (apart from the hypothetical third Bat-Nolan outing) is Super-Max.

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Ten Star Wars Interview Clips, Past and Present

by Larson Hill

Now that the Star Wars galaxy is alive, well, and reborn on the Cartoon Network with the animated Clone Wars, a whole new generation of Star Wars geeks will grow up with the franchise. Although it’ll be far, far away in the future when we see another live action Star Wars movie hit big screen, with a planned live action TV series on the way, fans will never forget the legacy left behind by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, James Earl Jones, Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels, Samuel L. Jackson, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen.

In the past three decades since Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope hit theaters, the original cast and prequel actors have given hundreds, if not thousands of interviews. As we cruised the net in search of nostalgic goodness from the galaxy, here are "Ten Star Wars Interview Clips, Past and Present" that we came across.

Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) - 2005

17 days prior to the release of Revenge of the Sith, Hayden Christensen sat down with ABC’s Charles Gibson a day after he finally saw the film. Gibson grills Hayden on the fact that he wasn’t born when the first Star Wars film hit theaters in 1977 and then delves into the first time Christensen put on the Darth Vader suit on the set. After a commercial break, choreographer Nick Gillard joins Christensen for an impromptu lightsaber duel before grabbing a fan out of the crowd.

Ewan McGregor (Young Obi Wan Kenobi) - 2007

In 2007 Ewan McGregor sat down at the UK’s Top Gear for an interview where he shared his thoughts on filming and which Star Wars film he likes best. To some fans, McGregor’s thoughts on the franchise will be shocking. What might be even more shocking is McGregor’s lack of recollection of a famous planet. It’s clear that after making the three prequels, McGregor doesn’t want to be defined by his role of Obi Wan Kenobi. What Star Wars films does Ewan McGregor hold dear to his heart? Click below to find out.

Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu) - 2002

When Samuel L. Jackson made an appearance on Inside the Actor’s Studio with James Lipton to talk about his time on Attack of the Clones, all well and good with the head of the Jedi Council until a fan took to the mic. After talking about working with George Lucas and stepping into the shoes of Mace Windu, Jackson was on the receiving end of a Mace Windu action figure from a fan who threw it to him from the audience. If you haven’t seen it, check out the hilarious exchange at the end when the box gets signed.

James Earl Jones (Voice of Darth Vader) - 2004

For the documentary Empire of Dreams, James Earl Jones filmed a segment surrounding the voice of Darth Vader and what George Lucas was looking for since David Prowse was already cast as the physical representation of Vader. Although much of this clip focuses on the gap between casting David Prowse and James Earl and what was needed for the role, Jones revealed who George Lucas had in mind for Darth Vader prior to his signing and what the director ended up with in the end.

Anthony Daniels (C3PO) - 197?

After the success of Star Wars, Anthony Daniels was thrust into the limelight given the popularity of his character C3PO and the droid’s relationship with R2-D2. Off screen it’s no secret that Daniels didn’t get along with R2 actor Kenny Baker despite creating one of the best on-screen buddy duos in the history of cinema. This interview clip by Bob Wilkins is obviously post-Star Wars release where Anthony Daniels talks about meeting George Lucas in London, landing the role of C3PO, and how he fit into the golden suit while filming. Check out what Daniels looked like back in the day.

Kenny Baker (R2-D2) - 2005

Here’s an offbeat interview at a convention somewhere that Kenny Baker, the man inside R2-D2 for all six Star Wars films, did with the gang at StupidSciFi.com where the guys hit him up about continuity, a love interest for R2-D2, and his favorite Star Wars memory. In case you don’t know, as Kenny points out, he’s the silver one in all of the Star Wars movies.

Frank Oz (Yoda) - 197?

Ever wonder what voice actor Frank Oz sounds like off-screen? Well, almost the same as Yoda sounds like on screen. It’s amazing how many popular film and television characters Frank Oz has voiced over the years but arguably the most popular of all is Yoda. Although Oz doesn’t talk about Star Wars specifically, he does share thoughts on why it’s nice not to be recognized on the street and why it’s depressing at the same time. Close your eyes when you listen to the clip.

Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) - 2008

In 2008, British TV gatecrasher Justin Lee Collins devised a plan to reunite the original cast of Star Wars in the same way that VH-1 tried to reunite New Kids on the Block and former all-girl metal band Vixen. Did it work out? Sort of, as Collins managed to sneak attack his way into interviews with a lot of the original cast. One interview that Collins amazingly managed to get was with Carrie Fisher, who dished the dirt on a ton of Star Wars secrets, including the competition between Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill plus she gives him a guided tour of her house and a look at a lot of her own Star Wars memorabilia. Be sure to check out Princess Leia’s top... or lack thereof.

Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford (Luke Skywalker and Han Solo) - 1980

During one of their stops on the press tour for Empire Strikes back, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford turned up at NBC studios to talk to then today Show host Jane Pauley about the upcoming release. Surprisingly, Hamill and Ford mention plans for the prequel films while trying to explain to Pauley that their roles take place in the latter trilogy, with one more Star Wars left to go. The word "prequel" wasn’t quite as common in 1980 as it is today and you can see that Jane Pauley is completely confused how all of the Star Wars films fit together.

Seth MacFarlane Interviews George Lucas - 2007

When Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane created the episode "Blue Harvest", based on the original security code name for the Return of the Jedi, it became one of the most hilarious Star Wars spoofs in recent memory. After getting an official endorsement from LucasFilm, Seth MacFarlane sat down with George Lucas to talk about the Star Wars universe where he learned that the creator of the Empire was actually a fan of Family Guy. What does Lucas do for fun? What’s his favorite movie? Is there a connection between THX 1138 and Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope? Check out the interview that also appears on the Family Guy: Blue Harvest DVD.

-- Larson Hill

Original here