A Taste:

The Beatles, Janis Joplin, David Bowie

For Whiteout, Kate Beckinsale got cold—really cold.

Delving into her icy heroine Marshall Carrie Stetko, Kate smiles and says, “The ice is a metaphor for Carrie’s emotional wall. I thought she made a really interesting journey in the movie. There was a lot going on—snow, ice, etc—but I wanted to make sure her situation was really rooted and that she didn’t come across as someone who could definitely handle that situation that came up. I needed to make sure she was vulnerable.”

Kate definitely gives the character a sense of vulnerability as she attempts to solve a grisly murder at the South Pole. Even though the actress had to go to some deep and dark places to make Carrie so complex, it was all worth it.

Whiteout is one of the most faithful and intriguing graphic novel adaptations to come out in the past decade, and it’s because Kate and Co. preserve the darkness inherent in the original work.

“I really did like the fact that she started the movie fairly depressed and bored,” says Kate. “She’s really in retreat, and she’s not a typical hero. She’s more interesting. Having to solve a murder is an awful way to fix your life situation, but I think it makes her get herself together. She’s taken a timeout in her life, and she’s about to get back in it.”

In order to get into characters, Kate typically listens to music. She continues, “I’m extremely sensitive to music. The more I work, the less I listen to certain things recreationally because I know that they can zip me into a certain mood.”

Kate shared her current playlist with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature, and she’s got quite classy tastes!

Check out Kate’s playlist below and in the video and be sure to see Whiteout on September 11 when it hits theaters everywhere!

Kate Beckinsale’s Playlist:

1. The Beatles

2. James Taylor

3. Janis Joplin

4. David Bowie

“What’s on my playlist? [Laughs] I’m really kind of an old fart about this. Basically, I like anything that happened around Woodstock. I have got a daughter who’s nine now, so I know who Lady GaGa is and I know who Kanye West is [Laughs]. I can identify them. I’m all retro though. I love The Beatles, James Taylor and Janis Joplin. I’m really an old lady like that. David Bowie is another big one for me.”

—Rick Florino
09.08.09

A Taste:

David Bowie, Damien Rice, Arcade Fire, Britney Spears

“There are so many emotions in Inglourious Basterds,” says Melanie Laurent. “[It’s] so funny, violent, cruel and dramatic!”

There’s also a lot of great music in the film, and it definitely helped set the mood for the actors. In addition to being one of the most action-packed WWII films in recent memory, Basterds is an emotional rollercoaster. The character that undergoes the biggest personal evolution is Laurent’s Shosanna Dreyfus. After losing her family at the hands of Nazi Col. Hans Landa, she gets an unexpected opportunity for revenge against the Third Reich in one of the most ways possible. You’ll have to see it though…

Certain tunes prepared Laurent for her character’s violent apotheosis—some of those selections are quite surprising.

Check out Melanie Laurent’s playlist in the video below and don’t miss her in Inglourious Basterds in theaters this Friday August 21.

Melanie Laurent’s Playlist:

1. David Bowie — “Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)”

The music in the movie, like this Bowie song, is amazing. It was just really cool!

2. Arcade Fire

3. Damien Rice

4. Craig Armstrong

5. Jack Bell

6. Britney Spears

I listened to her in Cannes when I had to motivate myself [Laughs].

—Rick Florino
08.17.09

A Taste:

David Bowie, Nina Simone, Coldplay, Bach

Diane Kruger gives one of the most intriguing screen performances of this year. In Inglourious Basterds, she breathes life into actress-turned-double-agent Bridget Von Hammersmark. In a character turn that’d make Hitchcock’s head spin, Kruger is playing an actress playing a spy. The stunning Kruger manages to pull it all off flawlessly too—giving every aspect of Bridget equal attention.

“It’s fun to play that kind of actress,” she explains. “The ’40s were such a fabulous time for women. When you watch movies from the ’40s, acting was different back then. Bridget’s a commanding presence. The most fun part was getting down and dirty with the boys. You get to see the real Bridget and you get to see her unravel.”

Kruger’s got quite an eclectic musical palette too.

She gave ARTISTdirect.com an exclusive look at her playlist in this feature. Check out Diane’s playlist in the video below and don’t miss her in Inglourious Basterds this Friday August 21st.

Diane Kruger’s Playlist:

1. David Bowie — “Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)”

That David Bowie song from Basterds is on my playlist. It’s fantastic. It stays with you.

2. Nina Simone

I love Nina Simone.

3. Coldplay

I really like Coldplay. I’m a big music fan. Other than heavy metal, I can deal with everything [Laughs].

4. Bach

I use classical music every time I have to do an emotional scene. There’s a sonata by Bach that I really like. It always makes me cry.

—Rick Florino
08.16.09

A Taste:

David Bowie, Grindhouse Soundtrack, LCD Soundsystem

“Hunting Nazis is a good job if you can get it,” says B.J. Novak with a big smile.

Novak had the pleasure of popping off rounds at those Nazi scumbags in Quentin Tarantino’s WWII epic Inglourious Basterds. In the film, he’s a member of the eponymous unit charged with scalping the enemy and going right for the head honcho himself, Hitler. As PFC Utivich, The Office star definitely got the rhythm of scalping and murdering Nazis down to a science.

However, he had a solid selection of music on his iPod to help him get in to the “scalpin’ mood.”

“I actually have stolen a lot of songs from Quentin Tarantino,” he says. “I got into the Grindhouse soundtrack a lot when we were filming this movie. I also really listened to some of the songs that I knew were going to be in this movie like the David Bowie song ‘Cat People (Putting Out the Fire.’ I put that on my iPod.”

Novak opened up his playlist for ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature. It’s definitely influenced by Mr. Tarantino! Check out Novak’s playlist in the video below and don’t miss him in Inglourious Basterds, Friday August 21.

B.J. Novak’s Playlist:

1. Soundtrack — Grindhouse

2. David Bowie — “Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)”

3. LCD Soundsystem

I’ve been really into LCD Soundsytem recently!

—Rick Florino
08.16.09

A Taste:

David Bowie, Lou Reed, The Smiths

“For some reason, I’m always attracted to these girls that have been in mental hospitals,” laughs Emily Browning, while discussing her character Anna Rydell in The Uninvited. “It sounds wacky, but I tried to find Anna within myself and bring her out from a more natural place than from watching other performances. It was a dream character to play. There’s a great range of emotions that I got to explore. Anna’s got a lot going on, and she’s truly diverse.”

Equally diverse is Emily’s taste in music, which she was extremely excited to share with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature. She had solid recommendations to pass on because she’s always surrounded by music at home in Melbourne. “My boyfriend still collects CDs insanely,” she exclaims with a laugh. “He refuses to download music so we have a ridiculous CD library at our house. I listen to lots of music.”

She opened up her iTunes playlist and gave us a look inside. Check it out below.

Emily Browning’s Music Favorites

Antony and the Johnsons — The Crying Light

TV On the Radio — Dear Science

The Arcade Fire — Neon Bible

David Bowie

Bob Dylan

Lou Reed

The Smiths

Bright Eyes

The Shins

Patti Smith

—Rick Florino
01.30.09