Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia/Music World Music
Director: Jake Nava
Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce
Vida Guerra Victoria Beckham Sophia Rosado Summer Walker Kelly Rowland
Monday, January 31, 2011
Beyoncé - If I Were A Boy
If I Were A Boy
Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia/Music World Music
Director: Jake Nava
Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce
Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia/Music World Music
Director: Jake Nava
Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce
SAG Awards Seating Chart: Where 'Glee' Sits Next To 'True Grit'
For Sunday's awards show, producer explains science behind celebrity seating.By Kelly Marino
SAG Awards producer Kathy Connell
Photo: MTV News
LOS ANGELES — The Screen Actors Guild Awards are coming up on Sunday, and preparations are already well under way at the Shrine Auditorium. The stage is coming together, the list of presenters is close to being finalized and, most importantly, the seating arrangements are being mapped out.
"It depends on the size of the cast," SAG Awards producer Kathy Connell explained when MTV News asked how the seating chart is determined. "It also depends on if they were here the year before. If the TV cast was down front, we are probably going to put them further back this year. We also try to be democratic between film and TV."
The ceremony will take place in an intimate dinner setting where both film and TV actors will be seated next to their peers. Throughout the show, the celebrities can nosh on food provided by Lucques Catering and sip on Dry Creek wine and Taittinger Champagne while they celebrate one another's work.
The Guild seats the film casts next to the TV casts in order to allow everyone to visit and mingle in between acts. For example, the first few tables located in the front of the venue have place cards for the cast of "True Grit" seated next to the cast of "Glee." Moving more toward the center of the room reveals the actors of "The Kids Are All Right" seated next to the guys from "30 Rock." And a quick look around the rest of the room shows the ensemble from "The Closer" seated next to "Modern Family," who are across from the cast of "The Fighter" and "Hot in Cleveland."
"Actors are actors. They don't care that they are on TV. In fact, you know, film actors are very, very fond of watching actors on TV and vice versa," Connell said.
The 17th annual SAG Awards will air live on TNT and TBS this Sunday at 8p.m. ET from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Photos
17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Presenters
SAG Awards producer Kathy Connell
Photo: MTV News
LOS ANGELES — The Screen Actors Guild Awards are coming up on Sunday, and preparations are already well under way at the Shrine Auditorium. The stage is coming together, the list of presenters is close to being finalized and, most importantly, the seating arrangements are being mapped out.
"It depends on the size of the cast," SAG Awards producer Kathy Connell explained when MTV News asked how the seating chart is determined. "It also depends on if they were here the year before. If the TV cast was down front, we are probably going to put them further back this year. We also try to be democratic between film and TV."
The ceremony will take place in an intimate dinner setting where both film and TV actors will be seated next to their peers. Throughout the show, the celebrities can nosh on food provided by Lucques Catering and sip on Dry Creek wine and Taittinger Champagne while they celebrate one another's work.
The Guild seats the film casts next to the TV casts in order to allow everyone to visit and mingle in between acts. For example, the first few tables located in the front of the venue have place cards for the cast of "True Grit" seated next to the cast of "Glee." Moving more toward the center of the room reveals the actors of "The Kids Are All Right" seated next to the guys from "30 Rock." And a quick look around the rest of the room shows the ensemble from "The Closer" seated next to "Modern Family," who are across from the cast of "The Fighter" and "Hot in Cleveland."
"Actors are actors. They don't care that they are on TV. In fact, you know, film actors are very, very fond of watching actors on TV and vice versa," Connell said.
The 17th annual SAG Awards will air live on TNT and TBS this Sunday at 8p.m. ET from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Photos
17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Presenters
Scarlett Johansson Kim Sharma Serena Williams Kylie Minogue Shakira
Britney Spears Sets March 15 Release Date For New LP
Deluxe edition will feature three or four additional tracks.By James Dinh
Britney Spears
Photo: Courtesy of Zomba Records
As the wait for the dance-heavy video for "Hold It Against Me" continues, details regarding Britney Spears' new album have surfaced. Based on a sales-solicitation sheet, which was confirmed as accurate by a label rep to MTV News, the pop superstar's still-untitled LP is set to drop March 15.
With the rocket success of the album's lead single, it's no surprise that the singer's seventh studio album will feature "multiple songs" from pop masterminds Max Martin and Dr. Luke. Additional production credits include Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, Fraser T. Smith, Bloodshy & Avant and more. Fans can choose between a standard (soft pack/wallet packaging) version of the album and the deluxe (expanded soft pack with additional booklet pages), which will feature three or four additional tracks.
Spears has been hitting the dance studio hard, as the notice describes the forthcoming "Hold It Against Me" video as "a sexy, edgy dance piece directed by Jonas Åkerlund and showing Britney at peak form and ability." Earlier this week, MTV News took the liberty of mashing together some of the singer's most-iconic music-video dance scenes to give fans an idea of what Brit's new clip might look like.
In terms of Spears' press plans, the follow-up to 2008's Circus will be met with "a major TV event to launch the album" and a TV campaign, which will feature a variation of spots before the LP hits stores. The promotional rollout will extend to advertisements on everything from the Internet to the side of taxicabs. Other marketing schemes include a "LGBT/Lifestyle campaign," worldwide online fan contests and routine tweets from Brit.
Adam Leber, the singer's manager, took to Twitter to dish details on Brit's latest photo shoot and to remind them to keep their patience.
"Britney Spears did a photoshoot for her album package yesterday," he wrote. "Photos are nothing less than spectacular. We'll share some soon." He later tweeted: "So many good things coming down the pipeline. Britney fans should be excited. Album is incredible, video is fire, photoshoot is pure glam. Patience isn't just a great song by Guns N' Roses. All good things to those who wait."
Are you excited about Britney's new album? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Related Videos
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Britney Spears
Photo: Courtesy of Zomba Records
As the wait for the dance-heavy video for "Hold It Against Me" continues, details regarding Britney Spears' new album have surfaced. Based on a sales-solicitation sheet, which was confirmed as accurate by a label rep to MTV News, the pop superstar's still-untitled LP is set to drop March 15.
With the rocket success of the album's lead single, it's no surprise that the singer's seventh studio album will feature "multiple songs" from pop masterminds Max Martin and Dr. Luke. Additional production credits include Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, Fraser T. Smith, Bloodshy & Avant and more. Fans can choose between a standard (soft pack/wallet packaging) version of the album and the deluxe (expanded soft pack with additional booklet pages), which will feature three or four additional tracks.
Spears has been hitting the dance studio hard, as the notice describes the forthcoming "Hold It Against Me" video as "a sexy, edgy dance piece directed by Jonas Åkerlund and showing Britney at peak form and ability." Earlier this week, MTV News took the liberty of mashing together some of the singer's most-iconic music-video dance scenes to give fans an idea of what Brit's new clip might look like.
In terms of Spears' press plans, the follow-up to 2008's Circus will be met with "a major TV event to launch the album" and a TV campaign, which will feature a variation of spots before the LP hits stores. The promotional rollout will extend to advertisements on everything from the Internet to the side of taxicabs. Other marketing schemes include a "LGBT/Lifestyle campaign," worldwide online fan contests and routine tweets from Brit.
Adam Leber, the singer's manager, took to Twitter to dish details on Brit's latest photo shoot and to remind them to keep their patience.
"Britney Spears did a photoshoot for her album package yesterday," he wrote. "Photos are nothing less than spectacular. We'll share some soon." He later tweeted: "So many good things coming down the pipeline. Britney fans should be excited. Album is incredible, video is fire, photoshoot is pure glam. Patience isn't just a great song by Guns N' Roses. All good things to those who wait."
Are you excited about Britney's new album? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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Britney Spears - Piece of Me
Piece of Me
Artist: Britney Spears
Label: Jive/Zomba Label Group
Director: Wayne Isham
Album: Blackout
Artist: Britney Spears
Label: Jive/Zomba Label Group
Director: Wayne Isham
Album: Blackout
Paris Hilton Accepts Plea Deal
Paris Hilton does it again. E! News reports that the celebutante has accepted a plea deal that includes pleading guilty to misdemeanor drug possession and obstructing an officer.
In return, she avoids being charged with felony cocaine possession and gets two consecutive six-month jail sentences suspended. Translation: Paris won't have to spend a night in jail.
"We fashioned a resolution which would give us complete control over her future," Clark County District Attorney David Roger told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "If she does not toe the line and stay out of trouble, she will do one year in the Clark County Detention Center."
Paris reportedly will enter her plea on Monday. She will be on probation for one year, have to complete a drug abuse program, pay a fine of $2000, and complete 200 hours of community service (brace yourself for those pictures- LOL).
Does this sound fair to you or do you want to see Paris serve some time? Honestly, I think you could stick Paris in jail for five years, and it wouldn't change a thing.
Photos by FAME
In return, she avoids being charged with felony cocaine possession and gets two consecutive six-month jail sentences suspended. Translation: Paris won't have to spend a night in jail.
"We fashioned a resolution which would give us complete control over her future," Clark County District Attorney David Roger told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "If she does not toe the line and stay out of trouble, she will do one year in the Clark County Detention Center."
Paris reportedly will enter her plea on Monday. She will be on probation for one year, have to complete a drug abuse program, pay a fine of $2000, and complete 200 hours of community service (brace yourself for those pictures- LOL).
Does this sound fair to you or do you want to see Paris serve some time? Honestly, I think you could stick Paris in jail for five years, and it wouldn't change a thing.
Photos by FAME
Victoria Beckham Sophia Rosado Summer Walker Kelly Rowland Salma Hayek
Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror
Man In The Mirror
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic Records
Director: n/a
Album: Moonwalker
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic Records
Director: n/a
Album: Moonwalker
Mariah Carey Ashlee Simpson Mary Castro Avril Lavigne Gabrielle Reece
Michael Jackson's Home Contained A Dozen Bottles Of Propofol
An L.A. County Coroner's Office investigator testifies during Dr. Conrad Murray's preliminary hearing that a litany of drugs were found at the residence.By Mawuse Ziegbe
Michael Jackson
Photo: Sony/ AEG
The role of propofol has loomed large in Michael Jackson's sudden 2009 death, and according to an investigator, copious amounts of the surgical anesthetic were found in the superstar's home.
During the latest round of testimony at the preliminary manslaughter hearing for Jackson's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, on Friday (January 7), an investigator for the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office testified that a dozen bottles of propofol were discovered in Jackson's home, according to TMZ. One of the two bottles found in the singer's bedroom was empty, and investigators also found a slew of at least 10 other types of medication, including lorazepam, hydrocodone and lidocaine.
The mother of one of Murray's children, Nicole Alvarez, also testified and said the doctor sent several packages to her home from April to June 2009. While the packages' contents were not revealed in court, TMZ has reported that the parcels contained propofol and were sent from Murray's Las Vegas pharmacy.
Another one of Murray's girlfriends, Sade Anding, gave notable testimony. Anding said she received a five-minute phone call from Murray around 12:30 p.m., during which he abruptly stopped talking after exchanging brief small talk. Anding said she heard "coughing and voices," and the line sounded as if he had placed the phone in his pocket. However, according to phone records, the only time Murray called Anding that day was at 11:51 a.m., which would have meant that Murray waited about 25 minutes to call 911 once he recognized Jackson needed emergency assistance.
Murray has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of involuntary manslaughter, and his lawyers are reportedly planning to claim Jackson killed himself by self-administering a lethal dose of propofol.
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Michael Jackson
Photo: Sony/ AEG
The role of propofol has loomed large in Michael Jackson's sudden 2009 death, and according to an investigator, copious amounts of the surgical anesthetic were found in the superstar's home.
During the latest round of testimony at the preliminary manslaughter hearing for Jackson's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, on Friday (January 7), an investigator for the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office testified that a dozen bottles of propofol were discovered in Jackson's home, according to TMZ. One of the two bottles found in the singer's bedroom was empty, and investigators also found a slew of at least 10 other types of medication, including lorazepam, hydrocodone and lidocaine.
The mother of one of Murray's children, Nicole Alvarez, also testified and said the doctor sent several packages to her home from April to June 2009. While the packages' contents were not revealed in court, TMZ has reported that the parcels contained propofol and were sent from Murray's Las Vegas pharmacy.
Another one of Murray's girlfriends, Sade Anding, gave notable testimony. Anding said she received a five-minute phone call from Murray around 12:30 p.m., during which he abruptly stopped talking after exchanging brief small talk. Anding said she heard "coughing and voices," and the line sounded as if he had placed the phone in his pocket. However, according to phone records, the only time Murray called Anding that day was at 11:51 a.m., which would have meant that Murray waited about 25 minutes to call 911 once he recognized Jackson needed emergency assistance.
Murray has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of involuntary manslaughter, and his lawyers are reportedly planning to claim Jackson killed himself by self-administering a lethal dose of propofol.
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SAG Awards Seating Chart: Where 'Glee' Sits Next To 'True Grit'
For Sunday's awards show, producer explains science behind celebrity seating.By Kelly Marino
SAG Awards producer Kathy Connell
Photo: MTV News
LOS ANGELES — The Screen Actors Guild Awards are coming up on Sunday, and preparations are already well under way at the Shrine Auditorium. The stage is coming together, the list of presenters is close to being finalized and, most importantly, the seating arrangements are being mapped out.
"It depends on the size of the cast," SAG Awards producer Kathy Connell explained when MTV News asked how the seating chart is determined. "It also depends on if they were here the year before. If the TV cast was down front, we are probably going to put them further back this year. We also try to be democratic between film and TV."
The ceremony will take place in an intimate dinner setting where both film and TV actors will be seated next to their peers. Throughout the show, the celebrities can nosh on food provided by Lucques Catering and sip on Dry Creek wine and Taittinger Champagne while they celebrate one another's work.
The Guild seats the film casts next to the TV casts in order to allow everyone to visit and mingle in between acts. For example, the first few tables located in the front of the venue have place cards for the cast of "True Grit" seated next to the cast of "Glee." Moving more toward the center of the room reveals the actors of "The Kids Are All Right" seated next to the guys from "30 Rock." And a quick look around the rest of the room shows the ensemble from "The Closer" seated next to "Modern Family," who are across from the cast of "The Fighter" and "Hot in Cleveland."
"Actors are actors. They don't care that they are on TV. In fact, you know, film actors are very, very fond of watching actors on TV and vice versa," Connell said.
The 17th annual SAG Awards will air live on TNT and TBS this Sunday at 8p.m. ET from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Photos
17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Presenters
SAG Awards producer Kathy Connell
Photo: MTV News
LOS ANGELES — The Screen Actors Guild Awards are coming up on Sunday, and preparations are already well under way at the Shrine Auditorium. The stage is coming together, the list of presenters is close to being finalized and, most importantly, the seating arrangements are being mapped out.
"It depends on the size of the cast," SAG Awards producer Kathy Connell explained when MTV News asked how the seating chart is determined. "It also depends on if they were here the year before. If the TV cast was down front, we are probably going to put them further back this year. We also try to be democratic between film and TV."
The ceremony will take place in an intimate dinner setting where both film and TV actors will be seated next to their peers. Throughout the show, the celebrities can nosh on food provided by Lucques Catering and sip on Dry Creek wine and Taittinger Champagne while they celebrate one another's work.
The Guild seats the film casts next to the TV casts in order to allow everyone to visit and mingle in between acts. For example, the first few tables located in the front of the venue have place cards for the cast of "True Grit" seated next to the cast of "Glee." Moving more toward the center of the room reveals the actors of "The Kids Are All Right" seated next to the guys from "30 Rock." And a quick look around the rest of the room shows the ensemble from "The Closer" seated next to "Modern Family," who are across from the cast of "The Fighter" and "Hot in Cleveland."
"Actors are actors. They don't care that they are on TV. In fact, you know, film actors are very, very fond of watching actors on TV and vice versa," Connell said.
The 17th annual SAG Awards will air live on TNT and TBS this Sunday at 8p.m. ET from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Stone Temple Pilots Reunited In Hopes Of Opening For Led Zeppelin, Bassist Says
'If time allows, there will definitely be new music,' Robert DeLeo adds of STP's future.By Chris Harris
Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo and Scott Weiland
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images
There are a number of reasons why Stone Temple Pilots decided to reunite after nearly five years apart — some are obvious, and others, not so much.
Of course, the financial windfall of reviving the grunge stalwarts for an extensive U.S. tour was too good to pass up, and bassist Robert DeLeo readily admits as much. And then there are the fans, the ones who had been with STP since the very beginning as well as those who discovered the band only after it first split back in 2003 and who, woefully, have yet to catch the Pilots live.
On a more personal level, though, Stone Temple Pilots' resurrection was purely selfish, and very much an anticipatory (not to mention optimistic) move on the band's part: If, after the months and months of rumors and denials, there ever is a full-on Led Zeppelin reunion tour, STP wanted to be ready to offer their services as an opening act.
"Believe me, that was one of the reasons," laughed DeLeo. "We thought, 'We should get together now, in case Zeppelin does tour.' I'm serious, man. That would be one hell of a bill: STP and Led Zeppelin. I mean, we could play a doghouse, out in the middle of the ocean, and if I got to play with Zeppelin, that would be a highlight of my life."
Yes, DeLeo — and the rest of the band — had several reservations about raising STP from the dead — a feat DeLeo jokingly referred to as "Mission Impossible." For the band's members, the idea of regrouping was terrifying at first, but with time, the boys settled their differences and tried to think positive.
"For me, it was about putting down some of the things that I was used to getting bitten by," explained the bassist — who, with guitar-playing brother Dean DeLeo, has been collaborating with Peter Frampton on material for his next LP. "After you get bitten, it's hard to go back. I wanted to go into this with an open frame of mind and a positive attitude and just have fun with it. We should have fun with it, which God knows we didn't always have with our career when we were younger. If that's all I can say, and that's what I can get out of this reunion, great.
"I think I speak for all of us when I say there's a lot of unfinished business that we didn't get around to the first go," he continued. "Enough time has gone by, and it feels really good to be back. I don't really want to put too much thought into how it feels — I'm just kind of going with it and keeping a good positive attitude about it. I just needed to get over the things that we all needed to get over, and that's been working so far. If everyone shows up and does this thing, I think it's going to be really amazing."
DeLeo claims that during recent rehearsals, STP were "sounding as good as ever," and he credits sobriety as part of the reason the band's in tip-top shape.
"My brother's going on four years of sobriety," he said. "We have a lot more clarity in the band now, and I think with clarity comes appreciation. I saw that the other night, when we played [a secret gig in Los Angeles]. I saw it in my eyes, and in the eyes of the rest of the band. There's a lot more rock in this band now."
As for an STP record, DeLeo is not 100 percent sure that's going to happen. The goal for STP over the next few weeks, he said, is to reacquaint themselves with their songbook and prepare for their return to the road. Once the band is back in that mindset, the bassist said new STP material is very possible.
"I've always got stuff written, and there's always a long list of songs that are always there — it's a matter of timing," DeLeo said. "If time allows, there will definitely be new music. I think it would be silly not to release new music. I'd like to believe we still have a writing relationship, but the first step is getting reacquainted with what we know."
While STP were on hiatus, frontman Scott Weiland teamed up with Velvet Revolver, and the DeLeo brothers joined forces with Filter's Richard Patrick for Army of Anyone — who are now on hiatus after releasing a poorly received self-titled LP. Does DeLeo foresee an AOA reunion somewhere down the line?
"You never know," he said. "It's just like STP — I didn't know if I was going to return. Whether we get back together and do anything, I think we made a great record, bottom line. That's all that matters to me. If we make another one, I want to make sure it's great, and that applies to STP and anything I do. But I was pretty heartbroken over [the feeble response to AOA's album]."
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Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo and Scott Weiland
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images
There are a number of reasons why Stone Temple Pilots decided to reunite after nearly five years apart — some are obvious, and others, not so much.
Of course, the financial windfall of reviving the grunge stalwarts for an extensive U.S. tour was too good to pass up, and bassist Robert DeLeo readily admits as much. And then there are the fans, the ones who had been with STP since the very beginning as well as those who discovered the band only after it first split back in 2003 and who, woefully, have yet to catch the Pilots live.
On a more personal level, though, Stone Temple Pilots' resurrection was purely selfish, and very much an anticipatory (not to mention optimistic) move on the band's part: If, after the months and months of rumors and denials, there ever is a full-on Led Zeppelin reunion tour, STP wanted to be ready to offer their services as an opening act.
"Believe me, that was one of the reasons," laughed DeLeo. "We thought, 'We should get together now, in case Zeppelin does tour.' I'm serious, man. That would be one hell of a bill: STP and Led Zeppelin. I mean, we could play a doghouse, out in the middle of the ocean, and if I got to play with Zeppelin, that would be a highlight of my life."
Yes, DeLeo — and the rest of the band — had several reservations about raising STP from the dead — a feat DeLeo jokingly referred to as "Mission Impossible." For the band's members, the idea of regrouping was terrifying at first, but with time, the boys settled their differences and tried to think positive.
"For me, it was about putting down some of the things that I was used to getting bitten by," explained the bassist — who, with guitar-playing brother Dean DeLeo, has been collaborating with Peter Frampton on material for his next LP. "After you get bitten, it's hard to go back. I wanted to go into this with an open frame of mind and a positive attitude and just have fun with it. We should have fun with it, which God knows we didn't always have with our career when we were younger. If that's all I can say, and that's what I can get out of this reunion, great.
"I think I speak for all of us when I say there's a lot of unfinished business that we didn't get around to the first go," he continued. "Enough time has gone by, and it feels really good to be back. I don't really want to put too much thought into how it feels — I'm just kind of going with it and keeping a good positive attitude about it. I just needed to get over the things that we all needed to get over, and that's been working so far. If everyone shows up and does this thing, I think it's going to be really amazing."
DeLeo claims that during recent rehearsals, STP were "sounding as good as ever," and he credits sobriety as part of the reason the band's in tip-top shape.
"My brother's going on four years of sobriety," he said. "We have a lot more clarity in the band now, and I think with clarity comes appreciation. I saw that the other night, when we played [a secret gig in Los Angeles]. I saw it in my eyes, and in the eyes of the rest of the band. There's a lot more rock in this band now."
As for an STP record, DeLeo is not 100 percent sure that's going to happen. The goal for STP over the next few weeks, he said, is to reacquaint themselves with their songbook and prepare for their return to the road. Once the band is back in that mindset, the bassist said new STP material is very possible.
"I've always got stuff written, and there's always a long list of songs that are always there — it's a matter of timing," DeLeo said. "If time allows, there will definitely be new music. I think it would be silly not to release new music. I'd like to believe we still have a writing relationship, but the first step is getting reacquainted with what we know."
While STP were on hiatus, frontman Scott Weiland teamed up with Velvet Revolver, and the DeLeo brothers joined forces with Filter's Richard Patrick for Army of Anyone — who are now on hiatus after releasing a poorly received self-titled LP. Does DeLeo foresee an AOA reunion somewhere down the line?
"You never know," he said. "It's just like STP — I didn't know if I was going to return. Whether we get back together and do anything, I think we made a great record, bottom line. That's all that matters to me. If we make another one, I want to make sure it's great, and that applies to STP and anything I do. But I was pretty heartbroken over [the feeble response to AOA's album]."
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Listen To This: Our New Anthem!
THIS is soooo hot!
Kat Graham has released her new single, called I Want It All, which is an uptempo power pop song she wrote and is produced by hitmaker J.R. Rotem (Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj).
We LOVE it!!!!
So inspiring!!!
Such a catchy chorus!!!
You will be singing along before the song is over!
CLICK HERE to listen to Kat [...]
Kat Graham has released her new single, called I Want It All, which is an uptempo power pop song she wrote and is produced by hitmaker J.R. Rotem (Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj).
We LOVE it!!!!
So inspiring!!!
Such a catchy chorus!!!
You will be singing along before the song is over!
CLICK HERE to listen to Kat [...]
Darlene Crawford Kate Moss Rihanna Darlene Silva Kathy Ireland
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Natalie Portman Says She's 'Grateful' For SAG As She Wins Best Actress
'Black Swan' star praises Screen Actors Guild in acceptance speech.By Ryan J. Downey
Natalie Portman wins Best Actress
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
Natalie Portman managed to work both an expletive and a "Professional" comment into her speech as she accepted her latest award for "Black Swan."
"I've been working since I was 11 years old, and SAG has taken care of me," Portman said Sunday (January 30) as she accepted the statue for best female lead at the 17th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Shrine Auditorium. The Israeli-born Portman's first major role was opposite Jean Reno in director Luc Besson's "The Professional."
"They made sure that I wasn't working too long and made sure that I got my education while I was working. I'm so grateful to have this union protecting me every day," she said.
Portman thanked her castmates, director Darren Aronofsky ("who I love so much"), her ballet trainer and her parents, "who always taught me to work my hardest and never be an a--hole."
Before exiting the stage, the radiantly pregnant actress gave a shout-out to her fiancé, "Black Swan" choreographer Benjamin Millepied, with a demure smile.
Portman's win for the psycho-sexual drama follows her victory at the Golden Globes earlier this month. Portman is also nominated for best actress at the Academy Awards, set for February 27.
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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2011 SAG Award Winners
Natalie Portman wins Best Actress
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
Natalie Portman managed to work both an expletive and a "Professional" comment into her speech as she accepted her latest award for "Black Swan."
"I've been working since I was 11 years old, and SAG has taken care of me," Portman said Sunday (January 30) as she accepted the statue for best female lead at the 17th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Shrine Auditorium. The Israeli-born Portman's first major role was opposite Jean Reno in director Luc Besson's "The Professional."
"They made sure that I wasn't working too long and made sure that I got my education while I was working. I'm so grateful to have this union protecting me every day," she said.
Portman thanked her castmates, director Darren Aronofsky ("who I love so much"), her ballet trainer and her parents, "who always taught me to work my hardest and never be an a--hole."
Before exiting the stage, the radiantly pregnant actress gave a shout-out to her fiancé, "Black Swan" choreographer Benjamin Millepied, with a demure smile.
Portman's win for the psycho-sexual drama follows her victory at the Golden Globes earlier this month. Portman is also nominated for best actress at the Academy Awards, set for February 27.
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Hid Evidence, Guard Testifies
Testimony has Conrad Murray removing IV stand and two bags of medication.By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Kara Warner
Alberto Alvarez, Michael Jackson's bodyguard, leaves court after testifying at the preliminary hearing for Dr. Conrad Murray on January 5
Photo: Toby Canham/Getty Images
The second day of testimony in the preliminary hearing of Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, featured damning testimony from one of the late King of Pop's bodyguards about Murray's actions in the critical minutes after the singer was found unresponsive.
After a former Jackson staffer testified Tuesday that Murray appeared to not know how to perform CPR properly, security guard Alberto Alvarez said on Wednesday (January 5) that the cardiologist frantically grabbed medical evidence from the star's bedroom before instructing Alvarez to call 911.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Alvarez said he was the first person to walk into Jackson's bedroom after Murray realized his patient was not breathing, where he found the cardiologist administering chest compressions with one hand while Jackson lay on his bed, which goes against the recommended procedure for the life-saving method.
"I said, 'Dr. Murray, what happened?' " Alvarez told the court. " 'He had a bad reaction, he had a bad reaction,' that's all he said." Alvarez choked up as he described how Jackson's daughter, Paris, followed him into the room and screamed when she saw her father sprawled out and unresponsive on the bed.
He said Murray then instructed him to get the children out of the room, noticing as he left that Jackson's penis was out of his underwear and that medical tubing was attached to it. When Deputy District Attorney David Walgren asked Alvarez if he knew what a condom catheter was, the security guard said he did not.
Alvarez said he then witnessed Murray grabbing a handful of bottles, which he instructed the security guard to put in a bag. He told the court that he held open the bag as the doctor dropped the bottles of medicine inside and then put it in a brown canvas bag on the floor, per Murray's instructions. Murray also allegedly told Alvarez to grab one of the two bags hanging on an IV stand next to Jackson's bed and put it in another bag. Alvarez said he noticed a "milk-like substance" in the bottom of the IV bag.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined that Jackson died of an acute intoxication of propofol, a powerful surgical anesthetic sometimes referred to as "milk of amnesia" thanks to its milky white appearance. Only after the medical materials had been put away did Murray tell Alvarez to call 911.
"After you had collected the bottles per Dr. Murray's instructions, and after you had collected the bags per Dr. Murray's instructions, did Dr. Murray instruct you to call 911?" Walgren asked. "Yes, sir," Alvarez responded.
TMZ reported that during cross-examination, defense attorney Ed Chernoff got Alvarez to admit that he never told police about Murray ordering him to remove the bottles and Alvarez later admitted that he may try to sell his story.
Later in the day, EMT Richard Senniff testified that he arrived at the Jackson home, just four minutes after the 911 call was placed. According to TMZ, Senniff said that, based on the condition of Jackson's body, it appeared that Murray waited at least 20 minutes to call 911. Senniff also stated that when he asked Murray what meds Jackson had been administered, he only listed lorazepam (Ativan).
Jackson cook Kai Chase also testified, revealing the food she prepared for Jackson prior to his death (seared ahi tuna and salad, white bean Tuscan soup) and that she knew something was wrong when Murray came downstairs in a panic and summoned Jackson's son, Prince.
The preliminary hearing is aimed at determining whether there is enough evidence to try Murray on a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the King of Pop. It is expected to last two to three weeks.
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Alberto Alvarez, Michael Jackson's bodyguard, leaves court after testifying at the preliminary hearing for Dr. Conrad Murray on January 5
Photo: Toby Canham/Getty Images
The second day of testimony in the preliminary hearing of Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, featured damning testimony from one of the late King of Pop's bodyguards about Murray's actions in the critical minutes after the singer was found unresponsive.
After a former Jackson staffer testified Tuesday that Murray appeared to not know how to perform CPR properly, security guard Alberto Alvarez said on Wednesday (January 5) that the cardiologist frantically grabbed medical evidence from the star's bedroom before instructing Alvarez to call 911.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Alvarez said he was the first person to walk into Jackson's bedroom after Murray realized his patient was not breathing, where he found the cardiologist administering chest compressions with one hand while Jackson lay on his bed, which goes against the recommended procedure for the life-saving method.
"I said, 'Dr. Murray, what happened?' " Alvarez told the court. " 'He had a bad reaction, he had a bad reaction,' that's all he said." Alvarez choked up as he described how Jackson's daughter, Paris, followed him into the room and screamed when she saw her father sprawled out and unresponsive on the bed.
He said Murray then instructed him to get the children out of the room, noticing as he left that Jackson's penis was out of his underwear and that medical tubing was attached to it. When Deputy District Attorney David Walgren asked Alvarez if he knew what a condom catheter was, the security guard said he did not.
Alvarez said he then witnessed Murray grabbing a handful of bottles, which he instructed the security guard to put in a bag. He told the court that he held open the bag as the doctor dropped the bottles of medicine inside and then put it in a brown canvas bag on the floor, per Murray's instructions. Murray also allegedly told Alvarez to grab one of the two bags hanging on an IV stand next to Jackson's bed and put it in another bag. Alvarez said he noticed a "milk-like substance" in the bottom of the IV bag.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined that Jackson died of an acute intoxication of propofol, a powerful surgical anesthetic sometimes referred to as "milk of amnesia" thanks to its milky white appearance. Only after the medical materials had been put away did Murray tell Alvarez to call 911.
"After you had collected the bottles per Dr. Murray's instructions, and after you had collected the bags per Dr. Murray's instructions, did Dr. Murray instruct you to call 911?" Walgren asked. "Yes, sir," Alvarez responded.
TMZ reported that during cross-examination, defense attorney Ed Chernoff got Alvarez to admit that he never told police about Murray ordering him to remove the bottles and Alvarez later admitted that he may try to sell his story.
Later in the day, EMT Richard Senniff testified that he arrived at the Jackson home, just four minutes after the 911 call was placed. According to TMZ, Senniff said that, based on the condition of Jackson's body, it appeared that Murray waited at least 20 minutes to call 911. Senniff also stated that when he asked Murray what meds Jackson had been administered, he only listed lorazepam (Ativan).
Jackson cook Kai Chase also testified, revealing the food she prepared for Jackson prior to his death (seared ahi tuna and salad, white bean Tuscan soup) and that she knew something was wrong when Murray came downstairs in a panic and summoned Jackson's son, Prince.
The preliminary hearing is aimed at determining whether there is enough evidence to try Murray on a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the King of Pop. It is expected to last two to three weeks.
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3
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Label: Jive, Jive Label Group
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Britney Spears' 'Hold It Against Me' Video To Be Directed By Jonas Akerlund
Director has worked with Madonna and Lady Gaga in the past.By Jocelyn Vena
Britney Spears
Photo: Getty Images
The Lady Gaga vs. Britney Spears battle continues now that Gaga's "Telephone" video director, Jonas Åkerlund, has been tapped to direct Brit's "Hold It Against Me" clip.
"Dance, dance, and more dance," she tweeted Monday about working with the veteran music-video director. "Getting ready to shoot the video for HIAM this week with Jonas Akerlund. Super excited!"
Åkerlund has directed a number of controversial videos over the course of his two-decade career. The Swedish auteur achieved mainstream success when he joined forces with Madonna to direct her video for "Ray of Light" in 1998. The duo reunited in 2000 for "Music," starring then up-and-coming comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, and they courted controversy in 2003 with Madonna's dark "American Life" clip.
He later worked with Madge on "Jump" in 2006 and "Celebration" in 2009. He also directed Madonna in the 2006 documentary "I'm Going to Tell You a Secret," which chronicled Madonna's experiences during her Re-Invention World Tour.
Åkerlund hooked up with Gaga in 2009 for her cinematic "Paparazzi" clip, which starred "True Blood" star Alexander Skarsgård, but the duo stepped up their game in 2010 with Gaga's over-the-top "Telephone" video, which featured a prison break, a mass murder and "Thelma & Louise" undertones.
Prior to working with pop queens like Spears, Gaga and Madonna, Åkerlund made headlines and gained quite a reputation as a provocateur making videos for Moby's "James Bond Theme" and the Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up." Åkerlund's other big videos include Metallica's "Turn the Page," U2's "Walk On," Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" and Pink's "Sober."
While details are scant as to what the "Hold It Against Me" video will look like, it's being reported that the costuming will be done by Falguni & Shane Peacock, who have worked with Katy Perry, Fergie and Cheryl Cole. They will be working on Indian-inspired costumes, according to Brit fan site BreatheHeavy.com.
"Britney's manager contacted us and we exchanged some e-mails with her about style and fashion. We sent sketches of our models to Britney and she chose the ones she liked the most," Falguni told the site. "Britney wanted to experiment with our style. She will be seen wearing a long black dress with pink and red detailing."
In other Spears news, not only should fans be excited for the video, but "Hold It Against Me" producer Dr. Luke also teased fans about the singer's second single. "Britney's 2nd single gonna be fire!!!!!!" he tweeted. "Watch out!!!!!!"
What are you expecting from Britney's new video? Let us know in the comments!
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Photo: Getty Images
The Lady Gaga vs. Britney Spears battle continues now that Gaga's "Telephone" video director, Jonas Åkerlund, has been tapped to direct Brit's "Hold It Against Me" clip.
"Dance, dance, and more dance," she tweeted Monday about working with the veteran music-video director. "Getting ready to shoot the video for HIAM this week with Jonas Akerlund. Super excited!"
Åkerlund has directed a number of controversial videos over the course of his two-decade career. The Swedish auteur achieved mainstream success when he joined forces with Madonna to direct her video for "Ray of Light" in 1998. The duo reunited in 2000 for "Music," starring then up-and-coming comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, and they courted controversy in 2003 with Madonna's dark "American Life" clip.
He later worked with Madge on "Jump" in 2006 and "Celebration" in 2009. He also directed Madonna in the 2006 documentary "I'm Going to Tell You a Secret," which chronicled Madonna's experiences during her Re-Invention World Tour.
Åkerlund hooked up with Gaga in 2009 for her cinematic "Paparazzi" clip, which starred "True Blood" star Alexander Skarsgård, but the duo stepped up their game in 2010 with Gaga's over-the-top "Telephone" video, which featured a prison break, a mass murder and "Thelma & Louise" undertones.
Prior to working with pop queens like Spears, Gaga and Madonna, Åkerlund made headlines and gained quite a reputation as a provocateur making videos for Moby's "James Bond Theme" and the Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up." Åkerlund's other big videos include Metallica's "Turn the Page," U2's "Walk On," Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" and Pink's "Sober."
While details are scant as to what the "Hold It Against Me" video will look like, it's being reported that the costuming will be done by Falguni & Shane Peacock, who have worked with Katy Perry, Fergie and Cheryl Cole. They will be working on Indian-inspired costumes, according to Brit fan site BreatheHeavy.com.
"Britney's manager contacted us and we exchanged some e-mails with her about style and fashion. We sent sketches of our models to Britney and she chose the ones she liked the most," Falguni told the site. "Britney wanted to experiment with our style. She will be seen wearing a long black dress with pink and red detailing."
In other Spears news, not only should fans be excited for the video, but "Hold It Against Me" producer Dr. Luke also teased fans about the singer's second single. "Britney's 2nd single gonna be fire!!!!!!" he tweeted. "Watch out!!!!!!"
What are you expecting from Britney's new video? Let us know in the comments!
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Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' Lyrics Revealed
Perez Hilton posts lyrics from singer's upcoming single and says album of the same name will 'change culture.'By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
For fans looking for details on Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" single, out in two weeks, pal Perez Hilton gave the world a sneak peek of the tune's opening lyrics on Thursday (January 27).
Hilton posted these lyrics on his website: "Don't be a drag/ Just be a queen."
"I just posted a big surprise on my website!!!! " the gossip blogger tweeted after posting the line. "Oh, and if you're a @ladygaga fan, you REALLY wanna go to [my website] RIGHT NOW! #Leaking"
Later in the day, in another post, Hilton revealed more lyrics: "No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian, transgendered life/ I'm on the right track, baby, I was born to survive."
His post comes hours after Gaga herself teased that she was planning to gift her fans with some of the single's lyrics, tweeting, "#thankgod4gaga is trending!? More like #thankgod4monsters! Maybe I should leak the lyrics to Born This Way today, whatdya say #leakitgaga?"
She belted out a bit of the song at the VMAs back in September. Donning her now-infamous meat dress, she sang, "I'm beautiful in my way/ 'Cause God makes no mistakes/ I'm on the right track/ Baby, I was born this way."
In his post, Hilton also revealed that he's heard the song and the album and that all of Gaga's Little Monsters won't be disappointed. "Get ready world!!!! Here she comes!!!! We've heard the song and - it MORE than lives up to the hype!!!" he wrote. "We've been holding a big secret from you all, which is we've heard the whole album. We've been there every step of the way and.... This album is going to change culture! When we can say more, we will! For now.... Don't be a drag, just be a queen!!!"
Gaga got fans hyped for the May album release of the same name on Wednesday, when she thanked them for making the song title "Edge of Glory" a Twitter trend. "Ok. Firstly, yes I love Nutella (with Banana+Wonderbread) who doesn't?" she wrote. "Secondly, I can't believe Edge of Glory was trending, sneakymonsters! Thirdly, I need a beer with my name on it cause the last 72hrs gave me a creative hangover."
Are you excited for "Born This Way"? Let us know in the comments!
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Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
For fans looking for details on Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" single, out in two weeks, pal Perez Hilton gave the world a sneak peek of the tune's opening lyrics on Thursday (January 27).
Hilton posted these lyrics on his website: "Don't be a drag/ Just be a queen."
"I just posted a big surprise on my website!!!! " the gossip blogger tweeted after posting the line. "Oh, and if you're a @ladygaga fan, you REALLY wanna go to [my website] RIGHT NOW! #Leaking"
Later in the day, in another post, Hilton revealed more lyrics: "No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian, transgendered life/ I'm on the right track, baby, I was born to survive."
His post comes hours after Gaga herself teased that she was planning to gift her fans with some of the single's lyrics, tweeting, "#thankgod4gaga is trending!? More like #thankgod4monsters! Maybe I should leak the lyrics to Born This Way today, whatdya say #leakitgaga?"
She belted out a bit of the song at the VMAs back in September. Donning her now-infamous meat dress, she sang, "I'm beautiful in my way/ 'Cause God makes no mistakes/ I'm on the right track/ Baby, I was born this way."
In his post, Hilton also revealed that he's heard the song and the album and that all of Gaga's Little Monsters won't be disappointed. "Get ready world!!!! Here she comes!!!! We've heard the song and - it MORE than lives up to the hype!!!" he wrote. "We've been holding a big secret from you all, which is we've heard the whole album. We've been there every step of the way and.... This album is going to change culture! When we can say more, we will! For now.... Don't be a drag, just be a queen!!!"
Gaga got fans hyped for the May album release of the same name on Wednesday, when she thanked them for making the song title "Edge of Glory" a Twitter trend. "Ok. Firstly, yes I love Nutella (with Banana+Wonderbread) who doesn't?" she wrote. "Secondly, I can't believe Edge of Glory was trending, sneakymonsters! Thirdly, I need a beer with my name on it cause the last 72hrs gave me a creative hangover."
Are you excited for "Born This Way"? Let us know in the comments!
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'American Idol' Experts Pick Lauren Alaina, Chris Medina As Early Favorites
Naima Adedapo, Brett Loewenstern and Adrienne Beasley also among early favorites.By Gil Kaufman
"American Idol" auditioner Lauren Alaina
Photo: FOX
Yes, it's a bit early to start picking favorites on the two-week-old "American Idol" season. If history is any indication the producers have probably not even shown us footage of some of the most promising candidates, smartly saving the big reveal for Hollywood Week.
But just four episodes in, some promising stars-in-the-making have already emerged, and the decision to drop the age minimum to 15 seems to be a brilliant idea, with a number of ninth- and 10th-graders wowing the judges.
We asked a few of our "Idol" experts to pick their favorites so far, and the list was surprising, eclectic and definitely all over the map.
Entertainment Weekly's Annie Barrett singled out Nashville auditioner Adrienne Beasley, a black farm girl with white adoptive parents, as her favorite so far in season 10, but she name-checked a few more standouts as well.
"Those parents are PERFECT for the front row at the live shows, and she seems to have a genuine spirit to go along with excellent vocal range," Barrett said via e-mail. "It seems crazy to me that deep-voiced country singer Scotty McCreery is only 16, but he could go pretty far. The White House intern (Molly DeWolf Swenson) has a unique and surprising voice, but people might hate her because she went to Harvard and has two last names. I liked the really tall accountant/ gentle giant Steve Beghun because his vocal was huge and because he'd look even huger next to Seacrest."
Top Idol Blog's Melinda Green had one name on her mind when it came to the best so far: Naima Adedapo. "Her voice is fantastic and there seems to be something very real, something genuinely likable about her," Green said of the colorful Milwaukee singer who killed it with a gospel-tinged, slow-and-easy version of Donny Hathaway's "For All We Know."
Like Green, judge Jennifer Lopez was really impressed. "I like you a lot," said Lopez, who called Adedapo "the whole package."
With so many faces popping up every week, Green said it's sometimes hard to remember all the good ones, and she's not convinced that one of the young'uns can do it this year. "There's a lot of talk about Lauren Alaina and Thia Megia," she said. "But they just do nothing for me."
MTV's own "Idol in 60 Seconds" honcho, Jim Cantiello, has also seen only a few promising singers over the first six hours of "Idol" programming. His favorite so far? "Brett Loewenstern, the bullied redhead from Boca Raton who impressed the judges with his baby-oiled curly mane and soulful 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' " Cantiello wrote. "He's a quirky dude with an interesting voice, and I think his likable personality will connect with younger viewers."
The show's producers definitely hyped preternaturally poised 15-year-old Alaina on Thursday night, and Cantiello said he gets it. "After last night's audition, I can totally understand why," he said of the high-schooler who got judge Steven Tyler to duet with her on an Aerosmith song. "She has great stage presence without being a creepy pageant-bot. She has a mature voice even though she's not old enough to drive. And she has the potential to be molded a million different ways. She could go country, she could go pop vocal, she could go lite-FM. I'm curious to see what ['Idol' mentor and Interscope boss] Jimmy Iovine suggests."
His other pick to click was a contestant who didn't get quite the same amount of screen time and buzz, but who clearly impressed him: food blogger Sarah Sellers. She tried out last week in New Orleans with "To Make You Feel My Love," which Jim said had "a little white-girl R&B flavor, and her voice really soared once she belted. Plus, the 28-year old is a nice alternative to the teenage takeover that seems to be happening this season. Go Grandma Sellers!"
Only Barrett was rooting for one of the emotional highlights of the week: Chris Medina, whose tragic tale about his fiancée's car crash elicited a strong response from the judges.
"Chris Medina obviously won me over by being the greatest, most selfless man in the world," Barrett said. "But what we should really be remembering is that his voice was pretty sweet as well."
Green felt it was a bit of typical "Idol" manipulation, a heartstring-tugging ploy used often in the early rounds. "I don't consider Medina to be an extraordinary singer or anything that we've not seen before, but I do believe he'll likely go far on the show because of the fact you have the 'cougar contingency' driving the votes on 'American Idol,' " she said of the group of older women voters who've allegedly helped push young male contenders through in recent years. "There are already fan groups starting for this guy. He's a white male in his mid-20s who is just so devoted to his might-not-get-better fiancée. Chris Medina is going far, trust me."
Who is your favorite so far in season 10? Let us know in the comments below!
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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Yes, it's a bit early to start picking favorites on the two-week-old "American Idol" season. If history is any indication the producers have probably not even shown us footage of some of the most promising candidates, smartly saving the big reveal for Hollywood Week.
But just four episodes in, some promising stars-in-the-making have already emerged, and the decision to drop the age minimum to 15 seems to be a brilliant idea, with a number of ninth- and 10th-graders wowing the judges.
We asked a few of our "Idol" experts to pick their favorites so far, and the list was surprising, eclectic and definitely all over the map.
Entertainment Weekly's Annie Barrett singled out Nashville auditioner Adrienne Beasley, a black farm girl with white adoptive parents, as her favorite so far in season 10, but she name-checked a few more standouts as well.
"Those parents are PERFECT for the front row at the live shows, and she seems to have a genuine spirit to go along with excellent vocal range," Barrett said via e-mail. "It seems crazy to me that deep-voiced country singer Scotty McCreery is only 16, but he could go pretty far. The White House intern (Molly DeWolf Swenson) has a unique and surprising voice, but people might hate her because she went to Harvard and has two last names. I liked the really tall accountant/ gentle giant Steve Beghun because his vocal was huge and because he'd look even huger next to Seacrest."
Top Idol Blog's Melinda Green had one name on her mind when it came to the best so far: Naima Adedapo. "Her voice is fantastic and there seems to be something very real, something genuinely likable about her," Green said of the colorful Milwaukee singer who killed it with a gospel-tinged, slow-and-easy version of Donny Hathaway's "For All We Know."
Like Green, judge Jennifer Lopez was really impressed. "I like you a lot," said Lopez, who called Adedapo "the whole package."
With so many faces popping up every week, Green said it's sometimes hard to remember all the good ones, and she's not convinced that one of the young'uns can do it this year. "There's a lot of talk about Lauren Alaina and Thia Megia," she said. "But they just do nothing for me."
MTV's own "Idol in 60 Seconds" honcho, Jim Cantiello, has also seen only a few promising singers over the first six hours of "Idol" programming. His favorite so far? "Brett Loewenstern, the bullied redhead from Boca Raton who impressed the judges with his baby-oiled curly mane and soulful 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' " Cantiello wrote. "He's a quirky dude with an interesting voice, and I think his likable personality will connect with younger viewers."
The show's producers definitely hyped preternaturally poised 15-year-old Alaina on Thursday night, and Cantiello said he gets it. "After last night's audition, I can totally understand why," he said of the high-schooler who got judge Steven Tyler to duet with her on an Aerosmith song. "She has great stage presence without being a creepy pageant-bot. She has a mature voice even though she's not old enough to drive. And she has the potential to be molded a million different ways. She could go country, she could go pop vocal, she could go lite-FM. I'm curious to see what ['Idol' mentor and Interscope boss] Jimmy Iovine suggests."
His other pick to click was a contestant who didn't get quite the same amount of screen time and buzz, but who clearly impressed him: food blogger Sarah Sellers. She tried out last week in New Orleans with "To Make You Feel My Love," which Jim said had "a little white-girl R&B flavor, and her voice really soared once she belted. Plus, the 28-year old is a nice alternative to the teenage takeover that seems to be happening this season. Go Grandma Sellers!"
Only Barrett was rooting for one of the emotional highlights of the week: Chris Medina, whose tragic tale about his fiancée's car crash elicited a strong response from the judges.
"Chris Medina obviously won me over by being the greatest, most selfless man in the world," Barrett said. "But what we should really be remembering is that his voice was pretty sweet as well."
Green felt it was a bit of typical "Idol" manipulation, a heartstring-tugging ploy used often in the early rounds. "I don't consider Medina to be an extraordinary singer or anything that we've not seen before, but I do believe he'll likely go far on the show because of the fact you have the 'cougar contingency' driving the votes on 'American Idol,' " she said of the group of older women voters who've allegedly helped push young male contenders through in recent years. "There are already fan groups starting for this guy. He's a white male in his mid-20s who is just so devoted to his might-not-get-better fiancée. Chris Medina is going far, trust me."
Who is your favorite so far in season 10? Let us know in the comments below!
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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Saturday, January 29, 2011
Extreme Musicians Tell Child Where Babies Come From
You can spit raw pig organs out into the crowd, play blast beats at deafening volume or wear enough corpse paint to clog your pores until next Halloween, but the real test of whether a musician has balls of steel can b tested most effectively by an eight year old kid asking them where babies [...]
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Anthony Hopkins On 'The Rite': 'I Know How To Scare People'
In new film, Oscar-winner plays unorthodox exorcist Father Lucas.By Kara Warner
Anthony Hopkins
Photo: MTV News
If Anthony Hopkins fans know anything, it's the fact that the Oscar-winner knows how to scare the pants off of moviegoers. The obvious, most-famous example is his award-winning turn as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in "Silence of the Lambs" and the subsequent sequels. It's been awhile since we've seen Sir Hopkins play dark and devious, but with the release of exorcism thriller "The Rite" on Friday (January 28), fans can reacquaint themselves with a bit of Hopkins' tricks and treats.
In the film, which is based on real-life events, Hopkins plays unorthodox exorcist Father Lucas. Without delving into spoiler territory — no more than what the creepy promotional posters give away — when MTV News caught up with the actor recently, we asked him to take us through his process of playing possessed.
Hopkins explained that most of his performances come from extensive preparation. For "The Rite," he learned Latin and Italian for certain scenes, and spent a lot of time alone in his hotel room going over the script.
"I would be there in my den, my man's cave, going over and over [the] script," Hopkins said. "Gradually, as you go through it over and over, all these voices and interpretations come to you," he explained, adding that by the time he was ready to film the key possession sequences, he knew the material so well he was open to improvisation.
"I put all kinds of very suggestive sexual stuff into it which they cut out, but stuff that would provoke people. I knew that the response was good because [director] Mikael Håfström's said, 'You're crazy.' "
Hopkins went on to say, with a smile, that he just knows how to "get people."
"I know how to do those parts," he said. "Not because I'm scary, but because I know how to scare people. ... It's a question of being quiet and not overplaying it," he explained. "You let the script and the audiences do the work for you. You don't have to play evil."
Check out everything we've got on "The Rite."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Anthony Hopkins
Photo: MTV News
If Anthony Hopkins fans know anything, it's the fact that the Oscar-winner knows how to scare the pants off of moviegoers. The obvious, most-famous example is his award-winning turn as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in "Silence of the Lambs" and the subsequent sequels. It's been awhile since we've seen Sir Hopkins play dark and devious, but with the release of exorcism thriller "The Rite" on Friday (January 28), fans can reacquaint themselves with a bit of Hopkins' tricks and treats.
In the film, which is based on real-life events, Hopkins plays unorthodox exorcist Father Lucas. Without delving into spoiler territory — no more than what the creepy promotional posters give away — when MTV News caught up with the actor recently, we asked him to take us through his process of playing possessed.
Hopkins explained that most of his performances come from extensive preparation. For "The Rite," he learned Latin and Italian for certain scenes, and spent a lot of time alone in his hotel room going over the script.
"I would be there in my den, my man's cave, going over and over [the] script," Hopkins said. "Gradually, as you go through it over and over, all these voices and interpretations come to you," he explained, adding that by the time he was ready to film the key possession sequences, he knew the material so well he was open to improvisation.
"I put all kinds of very suggestive sexual stuff into it which they cut out, but stuff that would provoke people. I knew that the response was good because [director] Mikael Håfström's said, 'You're crazy.' "
Hopkins went on to say, with a smile, that he just knows how to "get people."
"I know how to do those parts," he said. "Not because I'm scary, but because I know how to scare people. ... It's a question of being quiet and not overplaying it," he explained. "You let the script and the audiences do the work for you. You don't have to play evil."
Check out everything we've got on "The Rite."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Lady Gaga Launches 'Born This Way' Countdown Clock
Single is set to premiere on February 13, same night Gaga will perform at Grammys.By James Montgomery
Lady Gaga
Photo: David Wolff-Patrick/ Getty Images
The countdown is officially under way. On Sunday, having already teased fans with fashion-show promos and borderline terrifying short films, Lady Gaga took the next step in the march toward her Born This Way album, when she posted a rapidly descending countdown clock on her website.
What that clock is counting down to, of course, is the release of BTW's first single (which just so happens to be the album's title track), currently scheduled for Sunday, February 13 — the same night Gaga will perform at the Grammy Awards. So far, more than 43,000 Gaga fans have RSVP'd for the event through Facebook.
That countdown clock isn't the only bit of Born This Way-related news to sprout up in recent days. On Monday (January 24), Gaga fans were treated to a new promo image and some news about the "Born This Way" video.
Monday morning, Gaga fansites began posting a new image, supposedly taken from a promo shoot, either for the album or the single. In the photo, a nude Gaga — or someone who looks very much like her — is looking skyward, black liquid pouring from her mouth, hair enveloping her body.
Both of her fists are clenched, and on each finger she wears a ring with a different precious stone in the setting. A similar stone-covered piece appears to be stuck to her chest. But is the new image actually legit? When contacted by MTV News, a spokesperson for Lady Gaga's management would only say it's "not from [the] BTW shoot," though again, it's not clear whether the spokesperson was referring to the album or the single.
As for the video, Gaga's fashion director (and Thierry Mugler creative
director) Nicola Formichetti took to his Twitter account to hype the clip, writing, "Ok kids, get ready for BTW. We've just created the most amazing thing ever."
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Lady Gaga
Photo: David Wolff-Patrick/ Getty Images
The countdown is officially under way. On Sunday, having already teased fans with fashion-show promos and borderline terrifying short films, Lady Gaga took the next step in the march toward her Born This Way album, when she posted a rapidly descending countdown clock on her website.
What that clock is counting down to, of course, is the release of BTW's first single (which just so happens to be the album's title track), currently scheduled for Sunday, February 13 — the same night Gaga will perform at the Grammy Awards. So far, more than 43,000 Gaga fans have RSVP'd for the event through Facebook.
That countdown clock isn't the only bit of Born This Way-related news to sprout up in recent days. On Monday (January 24), Gaga fans were treated to a new promo image and some news about the "Born This Way" video.
Monday morning, Gaga fansites began posting a new image, supposedly taken from a promo shoot, either for the album or the single. In the photo, a nude Gaga — or someone who looks very much like her — is looking skyward, black liquid pouring from her mouth, hair enveloping her body.
Both of her fists are clenched, and on each finger she wears a ring with a different precious stone in the setting. A similar stone-covered piece appears to be stuck to her chest. But is the new image actually legit? When contacted by MTV News, a spokesperson for Lady Gaga's management would only say it's "not from [the] BTW shoot," though again, it's not clear whether the spokesperson was referring to the album or the single.
As for the video, Gaga's fashion director (and Thierry Mugler creative
director) Nicola Formichetti took to his Twitter account to hype the clip, writing, "Ok kids, get ready for BTW. We've just created the most amazing thing ever."
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Lady Gaga Premieres Born This Way Short Film
Film, starring 'Zombie Boy,' features remixed song and footage from Thierry Mugler fashion show.By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga (file)
Photo: Kevork Djansezian/ Getty Images
The world may at last have a first glimpse of what Gaga has up her sleeve for Born This Way, thanks to a short film made for designer Thierry Mugler. The film, directed by fashion photographer Mariano Vivanco, is set to the remixed song that Gaga debuted at the Mugler menswear show in Paris on Wednesday.
The black-and-white video, which premiered on Stylist.com and Mugler.com on Thursday (January 20), features Canadian model Rick Genest, also known as Zombie Boy, whose body and face are tattooed to look like a skeleton. It opens with voiceover of Gaga saying, "I don't speak German, but I can if you like," as the camera focuses on Zombie Boy, rocking a studded helmet. Footage of Zombie Boy is edited together with models walking the catwalk in Mugler designs.
Zombie Boy mugs for the camera wearing a leather jacket and pearls while Gaga sings in German, "I'm absolutely clear/ As long as I'm a monster/ I wish we all could be blind/ It would be easier out there." She repeats the phrase and the beat plays low under her anthem.
There is very little pop in the dark, subversive club jam, reminiscent of a '90s club track. The vibe of the video is an extension of her equally fashionable clip for "Alejandro," which was styled by Nicola Formichetti, who happens to be the creative director of Thierry Mugler.
Zombie Boy is later seen walking in a city, wearing street clothes, as Gaga sings in English, "I'll take you out tonight/ Say whatever you like," accompanied by a pulsing beat. The video closes with a model walking down the runway as the song fades out.
Gaga remixed the song herself for the show. "I love him, my friend the genius, my collaborator, more more than any piece of clothing or closet I possess," she said of Formichetti in a statement about the show. "But don't tell him I said that, he'll die. He picked them all out."
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Lady Gaga (file)
Photo: Kevork Djansezian/ Getty Images
The world may at last have a first glimpse of what Gaga has up her sleeve for Born This Way, thanks to a short film made for designer Thierry Mugler. The film, directed by fashion photographer Mariano Vivanco, is set to the remixed song that Gaga debuted at the Mugler menswear show in Paris on Wednesday.
The black-and-white video, which premiered on Stylist.com and Mugler.com on Thursday (January 20), features Canadian model Rick Genest, also known as Zombie Boy, whose body and face are tattooed to look like a skeleton. It opens with voiceover of Gaga saying, "I don't speak German, but I can if you like," as the camera focuses on Zombie Boy, rocking a studded helmet. Footage of Zombie Boy is edited together with models walking the catwalk in Mugler designs.
Zombie Boy mugs for the camera wearing a leather jacket and pearls while Gaga sings in German, "I'm absolutely clear/ As long as I'm a monster/ I wish we all could be blind/ It would be easier out there." She repeats the phrase and the beat plays low under her anthem.
There is very little pop in the dark, subversive club jam, reminiscent of a '90s club track. The vibe of the video is an extension of her equally fashionable clip for "Alejandro," which was styled by Nicola Formichetti, who happens to be the creative director of Thierry Mugler.
Zombie Boy is later seen walking in a city, wearing street clothes, as Gaga sings in English, "I'll take you out tonight/ Say whatever you like," accompanied by a pulsing beat. The video closes with a model walking down the runway as the song fades out.
Gaga remixed the song herself for the show. "I love him, my friend the genius, my collaborator, more more than any piece of clothing or closet I possess," she said of Formichetti in a statement about the show. "But don't tell him I said that, he'll die. He picked them all out."
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Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' Lyrics Revealed
Perez Hilton posts lyrics from singer's upcoming single and says album of the same name will 'change culture.'By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
For fans looking for details on Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" single, out in two weeks, pal Perez Hilton gave the world a sneak peek of the tune's opening lyrics on Thursday (January 27).
Hilton posted these lyrics on his website: "Don't be a drag/ Just be a queen."
"I just posted a big surprise on my website!!!! " the gossip blogger tweeted after posting the line. "Oh, and if you're a @ladygaga fan, you REALLY wanna go to [my website] RIGHT NOW! #Leaking"
Later in the day, in another post, Hilton revealed more lyrics: "No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian, transgendered life/ I'm on the right track, baby, I was born to survive."
His post comes hours after Gaga herself teased that she was planning to gift her fans with some of the single's lyrics, tweeting, "#thankgod4gaga is trending!? More like #thankgod4monsters! Maybe I should leak the lyrics to Born This Way today, whatdya say #leakitgaga?"
She belted out a bit of the song at the VMAs back in September. Donning her now-infamous meat dress, she sang, "I'm beautiful in my way/ 'Cause God makes no mistakes/ I'm on the right track/ Baby, I was born this way."
In his post, Hilton also revealed that he's heard the song and the album and that all of Gaga's Little Monsters won't be disappointed. "Get ready world!!!! Here she comes!!!! We've heard the song and - it MORE than lives up to the hype!!!" he wrote. "We've been holding a big secret from you all, which is we've heard the whole album. We've been there every step of the way and.... This album is going to change culture! When we can say more, we will! For now.... Don't be a drag, just be a queen!!!"
Gaga got fans hyped for the May album release of the same name on Wednesday, when she thanked them for making the song title "Edge of Glory" a Twitter trend. "Ok. Firstly, yes I love Nutella (with Banana+Wonderbread) who doesn't?" she wrote. "Secondly, I can't believe Edge of Glory was trending, sneakymonsters! Thirdly, I need a beer with my name on it cause the last 72hrs gave me a creative hangover."
Are you excited for "Born This Way"? Let us know in the comments!
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Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
For fans looking for details on Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" single, out in two weeks, pal Perez Hilton gave the world a sneak peek of the tune's opening lyrics on Thursday (January 27).
Hilton posted these lyrics on his website: "Don't be a drag/ Just be a queen."
"I just posted a big surprise on my website!!!! " the gossip blogger tweeted after posting the line. "Oh, and if you're a @ladygaga fan, you REALLY wanna go to [my website] RIGHT NOW! #Leaking"
Later in the day, in another post, Hilton revealed more lyrics: "No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian, transgendered life/ I'm on the right track, baby, I was born to survive."
His post comes hours after Gaga herself teased that she was planning to gift her fans with some of the single's lyrics, tweeting, "#thankgod4gaga is trending!? More like #thankgod4monsters! Maybe I should leak the lyrics to Born This Way today, whatdya say #leakitgaga?"
She belted out a bit of the song at the VMAs back in September. Donning her now-infamous meat dress, she sang, "I'm beautiful in my way/ 'Cause God makes no mistakes/ I'm on the right track/ Baby, I was born this way."
In his post, Hilton also revealed that he's heard the song and the album and that all of Gaga's Little Monsters won't be disappointed. "Get ready world!!!! Here she comes!!!! We've heard the song and - it MORE than lives up to the hype!!!" he wrote. "We've been holding a big secret from you all, which is we've heard the whole album. We've been there every step of the way and.... This album is going to change culture! When we can say more, we will! For now.... Don't be a drag, just be a queen!!!"
Gaga got fans hyped for the May album release of the same name on Wednesday, when she thanked them for making the song title "Edge of Glory" a Twitter trend. "Ok. Firstly, yes I love Nutella (with Banana+Wonderbread) who doesn't?" she wrote. "Secondly, I can't believe Edge of Glory was trending, sneakymonsters! Thirdly, I need a beer with my name on it cause the last 72hrs gave me a creative hangover."
Are you excited for "Born This Way"? Let us know in the comments!
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Dimmu Borgir Release Live DVD; Plus Led Zeppelin, Brujeria, & More News That Rules, In Metal File
'It shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums,' guitarist says.By Chris Harris
Dimmu Borgir's Silenoz
Photo: Nuclear Blast
On October 14, Dimmu Borgir — who just happen to be Demi Lovato's favorite black-metal band — will release a a three-disc DVD/CD set called "The Invaluable Darkness," the band's first visual offering since 2002's "World Misanthropy." Boasting live footage shot last year, during gigs in Norway, Germany and England, "The Invaluable Darkness" demonstrates the unbridled furor of seeing Dimmu live, guitarist Silenoz said.
"It shows the honest rawness and atmospheric darkness of our concerts," the Norwegian told Metal File last week, after dismissing recent online rumors that his band's next LP would be coming out through Roadrunner Records. "Basically, it shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums. It's just a different side to the band, basically."
Dimmu Borgir began thinking about "The Invaluable Darkness" two years ago, but didn't start capturing footage until last summer, Silenoz explained, adding that the band will use its current stint on the Blackest of the Black Tour — which got underway Thursday night in Miami Beach, Florida, and also features the tour's founder, Danzig, along with
Moonspell, Winds of Plague and Skeletonwitch — to promote the DVD. Dimmu Borgir will not, however, use the tour to write material for their next LP.
"It's our first time on Blackest, but Glenn [Danzig] had wanted to bring us out before [on the tour], but we weren't available until now," Silenoz said. "We've done Ozzfest before, but we're looking forward to this tour more. We did the main stage on Ozzfest, playing in f--_ing broad daylight. This tour will let us play in bigger places, but at the same time showcase more of what the band's about, visually. We are going to concentrate on the tour for now. Some years ago, we tried putting [material] together on the road, but once we got home, we listened back to it, and were like, 'What the f--- is this?' So, we just scrapped it all. We find it's so much better to totally focus on one thing at a time, and then, when that's over, you move on to the next [thing]. We don't really feel like we need to rush things, anyway, so we'll just take our time, and it's going to be what it's going to be."
Dimmu Borgir hope to reconvene in late December to begin writing the follow-up to 2007's diabolically titled In Sorte Diaboli. "We have some ideas floating around already, but we haven't arranged any material yet," he said. "We'll start doing that once the touring for this DVD is over." The band's frontman, Shagrath, is also due to marry soon — he's engaged to actor Nicolas Cage's ex-girlfriend, Christina Fulton, so that may have an effect on when Dimmu finish their next album, which Silenoz said could be out this coming spring.
"I'm sure [Shagrath] won't let anything get in the way [of] the band — I think, I hope," the guitarist said. "We don't need a Yoko [Ono] situation."
While Dimmu have been at it going on 15 years now, Silenoz said he doesn't think their forthcoming material will be much of a departure from their previous black-metal offerings.
"And we have always been about more than just that term, 'black metal,' " he said. "Luckily for us, the older you get, the less concerned you get with the categorization and putting labels on your music. Things start getting more and more limitless with us, and we know that we operate within certain frames. But we try not to analyze things too much, because it's just going to be working against you in the end. When we write new stuff, we don't think about what we should write — we just get together, and put material together, and if we like it, we keep it. That's the formula, if we even have a formula."
Dimmu Borgir are definitely getting older — guitarist Galder will be missing Blackest because of a recent addition to his family, and Susperia's Cyrus will be filling in for him; while former Vader drummer Dariusz Brzozowski takes over for Hellhammer, who had to leave the band in 2007 after sustaining a neck injury that's now limited the use of his right arm. As Dimmu has gotten on in years, Silenoz admits they have failed to keep pace with some of the more extreme black-metal acts that have followed in their wake.
"We helped open doors for the more extreme bands out there," Silenoz said. "I'm sure we helped open doors for bands like Watain, [insomuch as] people that had maybe started listening to us first then went on to the more extreme stuff. Let's face it — we're not as extreme as Watain and other bands like that, but we're fine with that."
The Blackest of the Black Tour continues through November 10 in San Francisco.
The rest of the week's metal news:
Dimmu's tourmates on Blackest, Winds of Plague, have announced ex-Azusa drummer Art Cruz has joined their ranks — he replaced Jeff Tenney. According to the band's blog, "Art has already added a new spark to the band and has provided us with a solid backbone that will allow us to continue our rampage stronger than ever." ...
What the world really needs is another
Led Zeppelin box set, so, on November 4, Rhino Records will issue the Led Zeppelin Definitive Collection Mini LP Replica CD box set. For just $200, you'll get 1969's Led Zeppelin, 1969's Led Zeppelin II, 1970's Led Zeppelin III, 1971's Led Zeppelin IV, 1973's Houses of the Holy, 1975's Physical Graffiti, 1976's Presence, 1976's The Song Remains the Same, 1979's In Through the Out Door and 1982's Coda, as mini-LP replicas, with artwork from the original U.K. LP sleeves. Now, you know what you can get your dad for Christmas. ...
Former Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach and current Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz have teamed up for a new project they're calling Times of Grace, and they've already started working on material for their debut album. According to Leach, "We have two songs to go and we will be finished with all of the vocals. Adam has taken lead vocals in three songs as of yet and he is doing a great job. We also worked on a track yesterday that is so epic — we trade vocals and do two different melodies at the same time. This album went from a melodic metal album to an epic mix of metal/rock/pop/shoegaze and punk. So all of your metal expectations will be incorrect — we are pushing genre boundaries." To quote "Meet the Parents," we'll look forward to that, Greg. ...
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According to Blabbermouth, Verrot, bassist for Swedish black-metal outfit Elimi, committed suicide on October 3. In a statement, the band said, "Verrot was a very good friend, brother, an excellent bass player/musician and an important part of Elimi; we respect his decision and hope he'll find his way with the dark gods of Chaos. Let your black flame be a part of what brings forth the day of wrath."
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Photo: Nuclear Blast
On October 14, Dimmu Borgir — who just happen to be Demi Lovato's favorite black-metal band — will release a a three-disc DVD/CD set called "The Invaluable Darkness," the band's first visual offering since 2002's "World Misanthropy." Boasting live footage shot last year, during gigs in Norway, Germany and England, "The Invaluable Darkness" demonstrates the unbridled furor of seeing Dimmu live, guitarist Silenoz said.
"It shows the honest rawness and atmospheric darkness of our concerts," the Norwegian told Metal File last week, after dismissing recent online rumors that his band's next LP would be coming out through Roadrunner Records. "Basically, it shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums. It's just a different side to the band, basically."
Dimmu Borgir began thinking about "The Invaluable Darkness" two years ago, but didn't start capturing footage until last summer, Silenoz explained, adding that the band will use its current stint on the Blackest of the Black Tour — which got underway Thursday night in Miami Beach, Florida, and also features the tour's founder, Danzig, along with
Moonspell, Winds of Plague and Skeletonwitch — to promote the DVD. Dimmu Borgir will not, however, use the tour to write material for their next LP.
"It's our first time on Blackest, but Glenn [Danzig] had wanted to bring us out before [on the tour], but we weren't available until now," Silenoz said. "We've done Ozzfest before, but we're looking forward to this tour more. We did the main stage on Ozzfest, playing in f--_ing broad daylight. This tour will let us play in bigger places, but at the same time showcase more of what the band's about, visually. We are going to concentrate on the tour for now. Some years ago, we tried putting [material] together on the road, but once we got home, we listened back to it, and were like, 'What the f--- is this?' So, we just scrapped it all. We find it's so much better to totally focus on one thing at a time, and then, when that's over, you move on to the next [thing]. We don't really feel like we need to rush things, anyway, so we'll just take our time, and it's going to be what it's going to be."
Dimmu Borgir hope to reconvene in late December to begin writing the follow-up to 2007's diabolically titled In Sorte Diaboli. "We have some ideas floating around already, but we haven't arranged any material yet," he said. "We'll start doing that once the touring for this DVD is over." The band's frontman, Shagrath, is also due to marry soon — he's engaged to actor Nicolas Cage's ex-girlfriend, Christina Fulton, so that may have an effect on when Dimmu finish their next album, which Silenoz said could be out this coming spring.
"I'm sure [Shagrath] won't let anything get in the way [of] the band — I think, I hope," the guitarist said. "We don't need a Yoko [Ono] situation."
While Dimmu have been at it going on 15 years now, Silenoz said he doesn't think their forthcoming material will be much of a departure from their previous black-metal offerings.
"And we have always been about more than just that term, 'black metal,' " he said. "Luckily for us, the older you get, the less concerned you get with the categorization and putting labels on your music. Things start getting more and more limitless with us, and we know that we operate within certain frames. But we try not to analyze things too much, because it's just going to be working against you in the end. When we write new stuff, we don't think about what we should write — we just get together, and put material together, and if we like it, we keep it. That's the formula, if we even have a formula."
Dimmu Borgir are definitely getting older — guitarist Galder will be missing Blackest because of a recent addition to his family, and Susperia's Cyrus will be filling in for him; while former Vader drummer Dariusz Brzozowski takes over for Hellhammer, who had to leave the band in 2007 after sustaining a neck injury that's now limited the use of his right arm. As Dimmu has gotten on in years, Silenoz admits they have failed to keep pace with some of the more extreme black-metal acts that have followed in their wake.
"We helped open doors for the more extreme bands out there," Silenoz said. "I'm sure we helped open doors for bands like Watain, [insomuch as] people that had maybe started listening to us first then went on to the more extreme stuff. Let's face it — we're not as extreme as Watain and other bands like that, but we're fine with that."
The Blackest of the Black Tour continues through November 10 in San Francisco.
The rest of the week's metal news:
Dimmu's tourmates on Blackest, Winds of Plague, have announced ex-Azusa drummer Art Cruz has joined their ranks — he replaced Jeff Tenney. According to the band's blog, "Art has already added a new spark to the band and has provided us with a solid backbone that will allow us to continue our rampage stronger than ever." ...
What the world really needs is another
Led Zeppelin box set, so, on November 4, Rhino Records will issue the Led Zeppelin Definitive Collection Mini LP Replica CD box set. For just $200, you'll get 1969's Led Zeppelin, 1969's Led Zeppelin II, 1970's Led Zeppelin III, 1971's Led Zeppelin IV, 1973's Houses of the Holy, 1975's Physical Graffiti, 1976's Presence, 1976's The Song Remains the Same, 1979's In Through the Out Door and 1982's Coda, as mini-LP replicas, with artwork from the original U.K. LP sleeves. Now, you know what you can get your dad for Christmas. ...
Former Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach and current Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz have teamed up for a new project they're calling Times of Grace, and they've already started working on material for their debut album. According to Leach, "We have two songs to go and we will be finished with all of the vocals. Adam has taken lead vocals in three songs as of yet and he is doing a great job. We also worked on a track yesterday that is so epic — we trade vocals and do two different melodies at the same time. This album went from a melodic metal album to an epic mix of metal/rock/pop/shoegaze and punk. So all of your metal expectations will be incorrect — we are pushing genre boundaries." To quote "Meet the Parents," we'll look forward to that, Greg. ...
The Funeral Pyre and Early Graves will be hitting the road together next month, starting November 7 in South Lake Tahoe, California. Dates are booked through November 21 in Hollywood. ...
The latest incarnation of Brujeria, which features Carcass frontman Jeff Walker and Napalm Death's Shane Embury, have lined up several U.S. dates for this winter. The band will begin its brief trek November 28 in Denver, and wrap things up in Dallas on December 7. ...
Demiricous will be touring with the Gates of Slumber starting November 9 in Denver, for a jaunt that's scheduled to run through December 6 in Indianapolis. ...
Nearly three years after Roadrunner Records' Roadrunner United concert, which took over the Nokia Theater in New York's Times Square, the label is now releasing footage from that special night as "Roadrunner United: The Concert." The DVD, which hits stores December 9, will boast two discs and 24 live tracks, including Life of Agony's "River Runs Red," King Diamond's "Abigail," Killswitch's "My Last Serenade," Type O Negative's "Black No. 1" and Sepultura's "Refuse/Resist." ...
According to Blabbermouth, Verrot, bassist for Swedish black-metal outfit Elimi, committed suicide on October 3. In a statement, the band said, "Verrot was a very good friend, brother, an excellent bass player/musician and an important part of Elimi; we respect his decision and hope he'll find his way with the dark gods of Chaos. Let your black flame be a part of what brings forth the day of wrath."
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Friday, January 28, 2011
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Usher's 'OMG' Is MTV News' #1 Song Of 2010!
Club smash, featuring will.i.am, tops our list of the Top 25 Songs of the year.By James Montgomery
Usher
Photo: Getty Images
MTV News' Top 25 Songs of 2010 has reached an end. We've already counted down the rest, and now it's time to get to the best: Usher's "OMG," the song that perfectly sums up the past 12 months of popular music — and makes you wanna move until you can't move no more.
If 2010 proved anything, it's that a DJ really can save your life ... or at least get you to #1 on the Hot 100. After years of staring at each other from across the room, hip-hop, pop and R&B all decided to finally get in bed with dance music, and the results weren't always pretty, but they were certainly successful. To date, only 17 songs have made it to the top spot of Billboard's singles chart in 2010, and nearly two-thirds of them — from Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" to Far East Movement's "Like a G6" — were, in some way, dance songs.
In that regard, no song better sums up 2010 pop music quite like Usher's "OMG," the dance song to end all dance songs. Sure, it may not have matched the swagger of Kanye West's "Power," the snarl of Rick Ross' "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" or the inbox-clogging spread of Cee Lo's "F--- You," but it didn't have to. None of those songs went to #1, after all. "OMG" did. Twice.
Even among songs that managed to snag that top spot — Eminem and Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie," Katy Perry's "California Gurls," B.o.B and Bruno Mars' "Nothin' on You" — "OMG" stood out from the pack, mostly because of its pedigree. It's not a stretch to say that any of those tracks could've (and probably would've) been #1 in any other year; "OMG" could only have done it in 2010, because it was crafted to do nothing else. No other song this year was as of the moment, as singular and shiny and downright undeniable. There's a reason it was named on more ballots than any other song on our countdown and justly takes the title of MTV News' #1 Song of 2010.
And while all that is important, it's largely beside the point. "OMG" is the kind of song that truly defies deep inspection, because it's not exactly headphone music. Rather, it was made for the clubs, designed to envelop you on the dance floor and not let go until the final "oh-ohh-oh-ooh-oh." And in that regard, it succeeds in spades. It is a masterful melding of R&B, and Euro dance, all icy synths and handclaps, starbursts and stutters and sing-along chants. It ebbs and flows, stops and starts, pumps and preens. Simply put, you cannot listen to it without moving in some way. (MTV's Dee Caligiuri, who voted on our countdown, probably put it best one night when she declared: "There are so many dances you can do to it!") And if that's not the definition of a success, well, then I don't know what is.
A large portion of the credit for "OMG" has to go to will.i.am, who not only produced the track (I know!), but was smart enough to see this whole dance thing coming when he teamed up with producer David Guetta last year. Those songs — "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling" — were, of course, massive, but neither of them are as good as this. Given full control, Will goes off the deep end, cramming the song with every dance trick in the book — and probably some new ones he just invented on the spot. And Usher, whose career, truth be told, was sort of in need of a shot in the arm, is the beneficiary. He floats and gloats above the mix, suave and cocksure, knowing that he is exactly the right man at the right time. That time, of course, had to be 2010.
Because in a year when so many big-name acts embraced the DJ, he flat-out did it better than any of them. "OMG" represents the peak of the dance-pop era in which we live, a song as undeniable as it is of the moment. We can only speculate as to what next year will bring, but there's really no denying that, as 2010 comes to a close, Usher stands above all else, reinvigorated and ready for more. It's enough to make you say "Oh My God," really.
How does Usher's "OMG" rank among the year's best songs? Let us know in the comments!
MTV News' Top 25 Songs of 2010 have all been counted down. But the fun isn't over yet: We still want to see your picks in the comments below!
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Photo: Getty Images
MTV News' Top 25 Songs of 2010 has reached an end. We've already counted down the rest, and now it's time to get to the best: Usher's "OMG," the song that perfectly sums up the past 12 months of popular music — and makes you wanna move until you can't move no more.
If 2010 proved anything, it's that a DJ really can save your life ... or at least get you to #1 on the Hot 100. After years of staring at each other from across the room, hip-hop, pop and R&B all decided to finally get in bed with dance music, and the results weren't always pretty, but they were certainly successful. To date, only 17 songs have made it to the top spot of Billboard's singles chart in 2010, and nearly two-thirds of them — from Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" to Far East Movement's "Like a G6" — were, in some way, dance songs.
In that regard, no song better sums up 2010 pop music quite like Usher's "OMG," the dance song to end all dance songs. Sure, it may not have matched the swagger of Kanye West's "Power," the snarl of Rick Ross' "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" or the inbox-clogging spread of Cee Lo's "F--- You," but it didn't have to. None of those songs went to #1, after all. "OMG" did. Twice.
Even among songs that managed to snag that top spot — Eminem and Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie," Katy Perry's "California Gurls," B.o.B and Bruno Mars' "Nothin' on You" — "OMG" stood out from the pack, mostly because of its pedigree. It's not a stretch to say that any of those tracks could've (and probably would've) been #1 in any other year; "OMG" could only have done it in 2010, because it was crafted to do nothing else. No other song this year was as of the moment, as singular and shiny and downright undeniable. There's a reason it was named on more ballots than any other song on our countdown and justly takes the title of MTV News' #1 Song of 2010.
And while all that is important, it's largely beside the point. "OMG" is the kind of song that truly defies deep inspection, because it's not exactly headphone music. Rather, it was made for the clubs, designed to envelop you on the dance floor and not let go until the final "oh-ohh-oh-ooh-oh." And in that regard, it succeeds in spades. It is a masterful melding of R&B, and Euro dance, all icy synths and handclaps, starbursts and stutters and sing-along chants. It ebbs and flows, stops and starts, pumps and preens. Simply put, you cannot listen to it without moving in some way. (MTV's Dee Caligiuri, who voted on our countdown, probably put it best one night when she declared: "There are so many dances you can do to it!") And if that's not the definition of a success, well, then I don't know what is.
A large portion of the credit for "OMG" has to go to will.i.am, who not only produced the track (I know!), but was smart enough to see this whole dance thing coming when he teamed up with producer David Guetta last year. Those songs — "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling" — were, of course, massive, but neither of them are as good as this. Given full control, Will goes off the deep end, cramming the song with every dance trick in the book — and probably some new ones he just invented on the spot. And Usher, whose career, truth be told, was sort of in need of a shot in the arm, is the beneficiary. He floats and gloats above the mix, suave and cocksure, knowing that he is exactly the right man at the right time. That time, of course, had to be 2010.
Because in a year when so many big-name acts embraced the DJ, he flat-out did it better than any of them. "OMG" represents the peak of the dance-pop era in which we live, a song as undeniable as it is of the moment. We can only speculate as to what next year will bring, but there's really no denying that, as 2010 comes to a close, Usher stands above all else, reinvigorated and ready for more. It's enough to make you say "Oh My God," really.
How does Usher's "OMG" rank among the year's best songs? Let us know in the comments!
MTV News' Top 25 Songs of 2010 have all been counted down. But the fun isn't over yet: We still want to see your picks in the comments below!
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Mark Wahlberg Oscar Snub: Why Was His 'Fighter' Performance Ignored?
We examine some theories about why Wahlberg is being largely overlooked this awards season.By Ryan J. Downey
Mark Wahlberg
Photo: Mike Coppola/ Getty Images
There will be no Oscar for Mark Wahlberg's performance in "The Fighter." Despite the constant reminder in the film's television spots that Mark's character was the one fighting ("Nawt you, nawt you and nawt you!"), the guy playing the role referenced in the film's very title has been largely overlooked this awards season.
A nomination in the Best Actor category at the Golden Globes and inclusion in the movie's numerous ensemble nods notwithstanding, the guy who passionately worked to bring the true story of "Irish" Mickey Ward to the screen as producer and star remains empty-handed for his own performance. "The Fighter" was gritty, visceral, funny, heartbreaking and heartwarming, and a lot of that has to do with Wahlberg's lead role, so what went wrong? Here are a few theories:
He's Already Been Rewarded
As producer and star of "The Fighter" and champion of the real-life boxers portrayed by him and Bale, Wahlberg has gotten to sit back and enjoy the numerous noms lavished on the rest of the cast and the movie in general. It's possible that Academy voters figure that since "The Fighter" is such a personal movie for Wahlberg, he's been rewarded enough through the recognition the flick has gotten in all these other ways. Perhaps folks think a Best Picture nomination for "The Fighter" doubles as love for Wahlberg, as it's very much his movie in the end.
In its analysis, the "Today" show supported this theory, chalking up Wahlberg's absence to "dilution" from the expanded Best Picture category. "Christian Bale got nominated for playing Mark Wahlberg's brother, Amy Adams got nominated for playing his girlfriend, Melissa Leo got nominated for playing his mom, and Wahlberg himself got nominated for... Nothing. As an actor, that is," Joal Ryan wrote, pointing out, "Wahlberg is up for Best Picture for producing."
But Movieline's Alonso Duralde cautioned against the notion that the Oscars set out to shortchange any particular person. "If there's anything I've learned in my years of voting with the L.A. Film Critics Association, [it's that] it's all random and chaotic," he told MTV News. "We often attribute things to 'the Academy likes this, or the Academy likes that'— but it's all about individuals. It may just be that there were five performances that people liked better. For all we know, [Wahlberg] came in sixth by two votes."
Christian Bale Got the Juicier Role "Wahlberg turned in a wicked pissah performance as boxer 'Irish' Mickey Ward in 'The Fighter' and figured to be a shoo-in for Best Actah, but failed to get an Oscah nawd," Mark Marino joked over at NextMovie.com. "Meanwhile, as in the film, co-star Christian Bale continues to get all the attention as Dicky Eklund."
As Mickey's trainer brother, Bale sinks his teeth into crack addiction, familial strife, greed, despair, empathy and even a few prison scenes in "The Fighter."
As Bale said so eloquently at the Golden Globes as he accepted the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama prize: "I really gotta give a shout-out to Mark, because he drove this whole movie. And you can only give a loud performance like the one I gave when you have a quiet anchor and a stoic character. I've played that one many times, and it never gets any notice."
FilmDrunk editor in chief/ co-founder Vince Mancini agreed with Bale. "Everybody else has a very showy sort of role," Mancini told MTV News. "I just don't think Academy voters necessarily recognize subtlety in acting. Traditionally, they recognize stuff that is big and very obvious. I don't think Wahlberg's [performance] was that."
"I have always said that the Academy likes acting that it can quantify," Duralde reasoned. "They like to be able to put it on a scale and say, 'Look at this nose, look at this accent, look at all this weight you lost. You're pretty, but you did this role without makeup.' They can put a finger on that. The subtler stuff doesn't get noticed as much because it's not as showy."
How Much Acting Is He Really Doing?
Undeniably, the actor and producer has a strong personal connection with these people and this story. But does that mean he wasn't acting his ass off? Does everything need to be some big stretch?
"I would say this is closely related to [what Bale said]," Mancini pointed out. "The part that's acting [for Wahlberg] might not be blatantly obvious to people."
Duralde likened this theory to some of the talk back in 1997. "You had this great comic performance by Rupert Everett in 'My Best Friend's Wedding,' but I think people were like, 'He's playing a gay guy and he's gay, so how much work could that be?' " he lamented, pointing out that Marsha Mason was nominated for 1979's "Chapter Two" where she played a character based on her own life.
And So ...
Whatever the reason, or reasons, for Wahlberg's notable absence from the acting category at most of the major awards, it's a safe bet that the reception to the film overall offers some satisfaction.
"It has been such an incredible journey with 'The Fighter' and one that I am grateful to share with David O. Russell, Christian, Melissa, Amy, my fellow producers and the Ward and Eklund families, who are the heart and soul of the film," Wahlberg said in a statement after the Oscar nominations were announced. "Thank you to the Academy for this tremendous honor."
Check out everything we've got on "The Fighter."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos
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Mark Wahlberg
Photo: Mike Coppola/ Getty Images
There will be no Oscar for Mark Wahlberg's performance in "The Fighter." Despite the constant reminder in the film's television spots that Mark's character was the one fighting ("Nawt you, nawt you and nawt you!"), the guy playing the role referenced in the film's very title has been largely overlooked this awards season.
A nomination in the Best Actor category at the Golden Globes and inclusion in the movie's numerous ensemble nods notwithstanding, the guy who passionately worked to bring the true story of "Irish" Mickey Ward to the screen as producer and star remains empty-handed for his own performance. "The Fighter" was gritty, visceral, funny, heartbreaking and heartwarming, and a lot of that has to do with Wahlberg's lead role, so what went wrong? Here are a few theories:
He's Already Been Rewarded
As producer and star of "The Fighter" and champion of the real-life boxers portrayed by him and Bale, Wahlberg has gotten to sit back and enjoy the numerous noms lavished on the rest of the cast and the movie in general. It's possible that Academy voters figure that since "The Fighter" is such a personal movie for Wahlberg, he's been rewarded enough through the recognition the flick has gotten in all these other ways. Perhaps folks think a Best Picture nomination for "The Fighter" doubles as love for Wahlberg, as it's very much his movie in the end.
In its analysis, the "Today" show supported this theory, chalking up Wahlberg's absence to "dilution" from the expanded Best Picture category. "Christian Bale got nominated for playing Mark Wahlberg's brother, Amy Adams got nominated for playing his girlfriend, Melissa Leo got nominated for playing his mom, and Wahlberg himself got nominated for... Nothing. As an actor, that is," Joal Ryan wrote, pointing out, "Wahlberg is up for Best Picture for producing."
But Movieline's Alonso Duralde cautioned against the notion that the Oscars set out to shortchange any particular person. "If there's anything I've learned in my years of voting with the L.A. Film Critics Association, [it's that] it's all random and chaotic," he told MTV News. "We often attribute things to 'the Academy likes this, or the Academy likes that'— but it's all about individuals. It may just be that there were five performances that people liked better. For all we know, [Wahlberg] came in sixth by two votes."
Christian Bale Got the Juicier Role "Wahlberg turned in a wicked pissah performance as boxer 'Irish' Mickey Ward in 'The Fighter' and figured to be a shoo-in for Best Actah, but failed to get an Oscah nawd," Mark Marino joked over at NextMovie.com. "Meanwhile, as in the film, co-star Christian Bale continues to get all the attention as Dicky Eklund."
As Mickey's trainer brother, Bale sinks his teeth into crack addiction, familial strife, greed, despair, empathy and even a few prison scenes in "The Fighter."
As Bale said so eloquently at the Golden Globes as he accepted the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama prize: "I really gotta give a shout-out to Mark, because he drove this whole movie. And you can only give a loud performance like the one I gave when you have a quiet anchor and a stoic character. I've played that one many times, and it never gets any notice."
FilmDrunk editor in chief/ co-founder Vince Mancini agreed with Bale. "Everybody else has a very showy sort of role," Mancini told MTV News. "I just don't think Academy voters necessarily recognize subtlety in acting. Traditionally, they recognize stuff that is big and very obvious. I don't think Wahlberg's [performance] was that."
"I have always said that the Academy likes acting that it can quantify," Duralde reasoned. "They like to be able to put it on a scale and say, 'Look at this nose, look at this accent, look at all this weight you lost. You're pretty, but you did this role without makeup.' They can put a finger on that. The subtler stuff doesn't get noticed as much because it's not as showy."
How Much Acting Is He Really Doing?
Undeniably, the actor and producer has a strong personal connection with these people and this story. But does that mean he wasn't acting his ass off? Does everything need to be some big stretch?
"I would say this is closely related to [what Bale said]," Mancini pointed out. "The part that's acting [for Wahlberg] might not be blatantly obvious to people."
Duralde likened this theory to some of the talk back in 1997. "You had this great comic performance by Rupert Everett in 'My Best Friend's Wedding,' but I think people were like, 'He's playing a gay guy and he's gay, so how much work could that be?' " he lamented, pointing out that Marsha Mason was nominated for 1979's "Chapter Two" where she played a character based on her own life.
And So ...
Whatever the reason, or reasons, for Wahlberg's notable absence from the acting category at most of the major awards, it's a safe bet that the reception to the film overall offers some satisfaction.
"It has been such an incredible journey with 'The Fighter' and one that I am grateful to share with David O. Russell, Christian, Melissa, Amy, my fellow producers and the Ward and Eklund families, who are the heart and soul of the film," Wahlberg said in a statement after the Oscar nominations were announced. "Thank you to the Academy for this tremendous honor."
Check out everything we've got on "The Fighter."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos
And The Nominees Are ...
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Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Other Stars Make Forbes' Top-Earning Of 2010 List
Taylor Swift, Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus also made the magazine's top 20 list of Hollywood moneymakers.By Jayson Rodriguez
Beyoncé
Photo: Columbia/Music World
On the East Coast, revenue streams are slowly rising as banks are still cratering and trying to recover from the recession. But out West, money ain't a thing, as Jermaine Dupri and Jay-Z once rapped.
Forbes has released their list of Hollywood's 20 Highest Earners of 2010, with Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus among those rubbing elbows with the likes of power players like Oprah Winfrey.
The venerable talk-show host topped the list with a whopping $315 million haul. Winfrey's earnings were generated for the most part by her multimedia deals, which include a syndication deal for her TV show, a magazine and her soon-to-be-launched network.
"Avatar" creator James Cameron came in second, more than $100 million behind Winfrey, with a tally of $210 million. Director and playwright Tyler Perry ($125 million), blockbuster movie producer Michael Bay ($120 million) and golfer Tiger Woods ($105 million) rounded out the top five.
Beyoncé was the only pop star to break the top 10. The "Single Ladies" superstar landed at #9, sandwiched between George Lucas and Dr. Phil. Mrs. Carter, whose hubby, Jay-Z, was named Hip-Hop's Cash King by Forbes in August with a tally of $63 million, pulled down $87 million over the past 12 months.
The blond-haired trio of Britney Spears ($64 million), Lady Gaga ($62 million) and Madonna ($58 million) made their mark on the list at numbers 13, 14 and 15, respectively.
Pop tarts Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift capped the list. The young stars placed at 18 and 19 on the list, with Disney star Cyrus pocketing $48 million, and country singer Swift depositing $45 million into her bank account.
Hollywood's 20 highest-earning men and women of 2010, according to Forbes:
1. Oprah Winfrey, $315 million
2. James Cameron, $210 million
3. Tyler Perry, $125 million
4. Michael Bay, $120 million
5. Tiger Woods, $105 million
6. Jerry Bruckheimer, $100 million
7. Steven Spielberg, $100 million
8. George Lucas, $95 million
9. Beyoncé, $87 million
10. Dr. Phil, $80 million
11. Simon Cowell, $80 million
12. Jerry Seinfeld, $75 million
13. Britney Spears, $64 million
14. Lady Gaga, $62 million
15. Madonna, $58 million
16. Sandra Bullock, $56 million
17. Ellen DeGeneres, $55 million
18. Miley Cyrus, $48 million
19. Taylor Swift, $45 million
20. Judge Judy Sheindlin, $45 million
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Photo: Columbia/Music World
On the East Coast, revenue streams are slowly rising as banks are still cratering and trying to recover from the recession. But out West, money ain't a thing, as Jermaine Dupri and Jay-Z once rapped.
Forbes has released their list of Hollywood's 20 Highest Earners of 2010, with Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus among those rubbing elbows with the likes of power players like Oprah Winfrey.
The venerable talk-show host topped the list with a whopping $315 million haul. Winfrey's earnings were generated for the most part by her multimedia deals, which include a syndication deal for her TV show, a magazine and her soon-to-be-launched network.
"Avatar" creator James Cameron came in second, more than $100 million behind Winfrey, with a tally of $210 million. Director and playwright Tyler Perry ($125 million), blockbuster movie producer Michael Bay ($120 million) and golfer Tiger Woods ($105 million) rounded out the top five.
Beyoncé was the only pop star to break the top 10. The "Single Ladies" superstar landed at #9, sandwiched between George Lucas and Dr. Phil. Mrs. Carter, whose hubby, Jay-Z, was named Hip-Hop's Cash King by Forbes in August with a tally of $63 million, pulled down $87 million over the past 12 months.
The blond-haired trio of Britney Spears ($64 million), Lady Gaga ($62 million) and Madonna ($58 million) made their mark on the list at numbers 13, 14 and 15, respectively.
Pop tarts Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift capped the list. The young stars placed at 18 and 19 on the list, with Disney star Cyrus pocketing $48 million, and country singer Swift depositing $45 million into her bank account.
Hollywood's 20 highest-earning men and women of 2010, according to Forbes:
1. Oprah Winfrey, $315 million
2. James Cameron, $210 million
3. Tyler Perry, $125 million
4. Michael Bay, $120 million
5. Tiger Woods, $105 million
6. Jerry Bruckheimer, $100 million
7. Steven Spielberg, $100 million
8. George Lucas, $95 million
9. Beyoncé, $87 million
10. Dr. Phil, $80 million
11. Simon Cowell, $80 million
12. Jerry Seinfeld, $75 million
13. Britney Spears, $64 million
14. Lady Gaga, $62 million
15. Madonna, $58 million
16. Sandra Bullock, $56 million
17. Ellen DeGeneres, $55 million
18. Miley Cyrus, $48 million
19. Taylor Swift, $45 million
20. Judge Judy Sheindlin, $45 million
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Ben Affleck And Jennifer Garner Grab Coffee Together
As all of you married couples out there know, once kids come along, you have to grab couple time together whenever you can! Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were spotted having coffee together yesterday morning.
I hope they make some time to go out and celebrate this evening: Ben's new movie, 'The Town,' is projected to be the #1 movie this weekend! It was expected to come in #2 behind the teen movie 'Easy A,' but unless the teens turn out in force tonight, 'The Town' is expected to win the weekend.
After all his ups and downs, I'm sure Ben is a happy guy today :)
Photos by FAME
I hope they make some time to go out and celebrate this evening: Ben's new movie, 'The Town,' is projected to be the #1 movie this weekend! It was expected to come in #2 behind the teen movie 'Easy A,' but unless the teens turn out in force tonight, 'The Town' is expected to win the weekend.
After all his ups and downs, I'm sure Ben is a happy guy today :)
Photos by FAME
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?Glee? Releases New Promo Videos For Season 2, Part 2
Let’s forget for a second that Glee creator Ryan Murphy embarrassed himself publicly by lookin’ like a spoiled brat crybaby when he issued an outrageous F*ck You! to the Kings of Leon merely because they wouldn’t let him use one of their songs on his TV show and focus on the fact that Glee will [...]
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First Look: The NEW Thundercats
Back in June we learned that Warner Bros. was planning to make a whole new animated series based on the classic 80s cartoon Thundercats. Last summer, we got our first look at the concept art for the new show … today, we get our first official look at how the characters will look in this [...]
Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, John Paul Jones Unveil Supergroup
Them Crooked Vultures make their debut with a post-Lollapalooza set.By James Montgomery
Dave Grohl (file)
Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images
Officially, Lollapalooza ended Sunday night in Chicago's Grant Park, with dueling sets from the Killers and Jane's Addiction. Unofficially, it ended very early Monday morning, across town at venerable rock club the Metro, with a surprise show by Them Crooked Vultures.
To the unfamiliar, the Vultures might seem like an odd choice to close out Lolla weekend ... until you realize that they're made up of Foo Fighters frontman/ former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age mastermind Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones. And their gig at the Metro was their world premiere.
According to some reports, the Vultures actually turned down Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell's request to replace the Beastie Boys as headliners at the festival, opting to debut in front of some 1,100 super-psyched fans at the Metro, rather than 75,000 in Grant Park (tickets for the gig were announced via Foo Fighter/ QOTSA fan clubs). Meaning that, in a lot of ways, this was the most sought-after ticket in town.
Taking the stage just after midnight, the Vultures — Grohl on drums (of course), Homme on guitar and vocals, Jones on bass and keys and frequent QOTSA contributor Alain Johannes on guitar — ripped through 12 songs in 80 minutes, all taken from their upcoming debut, which may or may not be called Never Deserved the Future, and may or may not be hitting stores on October 23 (early "promo" videos touting both those facts were revealed over the weekend to be hoaxes perpetrated by QOTSA fans).
The songs, with appropriately Homme-ian titles like "Scumbag Blues," "Mind Eraser (No Chaser)," "Caligulove" and "Interlude w/Ludes," sounded pretty much how you'd expect, given the band's pedigree. They rocked, hard — Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot described them as "fresh, invigorating and just plain nasty" — delving off into psychedelic, reverb-filled excursions and exploring proggy territory, "both of the old-school Yes variety, and the more modern Tool flavor," according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Jim DeRogatis.
It's not known if Monday's Metro performance was a one-off event for the Vultures — there have been whispers of a full-blown tour, but a spokesperson for Homme had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time. Nor was it clear whether or not they'll have an album out in October.
Early Monday, a Crooked Vultures Twitter account, which had previously posted links to the band's official-looking Web site and the Metro's online ticketing site — posted a link to what appears to be the group's first bit of official merchandise: a Deserve the Future T-shirt. Cost: $30.
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Vampire Weekend, Jane's Addiction, More At Lollapalooza 2009
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Foo Fighters
Queens of the Stone Age
Led Zeppelin
Dave Grohl (file)
Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images
Officially, Lollapalooza ended Sunday night in Chicago's Grant Park, with dueling sets from the Killers and Jane's Addiction. Unofficially, it ended very early Monday morning, across town at venerable rock club the Metro, with a surprise show by Them Crooked Vultures.
To the unfamiliar, the Vultures might seem like an odd choice to close out Lolla weekend ... until you realize that they're made up of Foo Fighters frontman/ former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age mastermind Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones. And their gig at the Metro was their world premiere.
According to some reports, the Vultures actually turned down Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell's request to replace the Beastie Boys as headliners at the festival, opting to debut in front of some 1,100 super-psyched fans at the Metro, rather than 75,000 in Grant Park (tickets for the gig were announced via Foo Fighter/ QOTSA fan clubs). Meaning that, in a lot of ways, this was the most sought-after ticket in town.
Taking the stage just after midnight, the Vultures — Grohl on drums (of course), Homme on guitar and vocals, Jones on bass and keys and frequent QOTSA contributor Alain Johannes on guitar — ripped through 12 songs in 80 minutes, all taken from their upcoming debut, which may or may not be called Never Deserved the Future, and may or may not be hitting stores on October 23 (early "promo" videos touting both those facts were revealed over the weekend to be hoaxes perpetrated by QOTSA fans).
The songs, with appropriately Homme-ian titles like "Scumbag Blues," "Mind Eraser (No Chaser)," "Caligulove" and "Interlude w/Ludes," sounded pretty much how you'd expect, given the band's pedigree. They rocked, hard — Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot described them as "fresh, invigorating and just plain nasty" — delving off into psychedelic, reverb-filled excursions and exploring proggy territory, "both of the old-school Yes variety, and the more modern Tool flavor," according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Jim DeRogatis.
It's not known if Monday's Metro performance was a one-off event for the Vultures — there have been whispers of a full-blown tour, but a spokesperson for Homme had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time. Nor was it clear whether or not they'll have an album out in October.
Early Monday, a Crooked Vultures Twitter account, which had previously posted links to the band's official-looking Web site and the Metro's online ticketing site — posted a link to what appears to be the group's first bit of official merchandise: a Deserve the Future T-shirt. Cost: $30.
Related Videos
The Lollapalooza 2009 Experience
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Vampire Weekend, Jane's Addiction, More At Lollapalooza 2009
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Foo Fighters
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Led Zeppelin
Thursday, January 27, 2011
'Social Network' Director David Fincher 'Humbled' By Oscar Nods
'We knew the movie was about basic human emotions and the need for acceptance,' producer Michael De Luca tells MTV News.By Aly Semigran, with additional reporting by Kara Warner
Andrew Garfield and Jesse Eisenberg in "The Social Network"
Photo: Columbia Pictures
Having gone from "that Facebook movie" to Oscar-nominated masterpiece, "The Social Network" has run the gamut since its release last October.
Continuing an awards-season streak, the film picked up eight Oscar nominations on Tuesday morning (January 25) — the third most-nominated of the Oscar contenders, behind "The King's Speech" with 12, "True Grit" with 10, and (in a tie) "Inception" with eight — including Best Picture, Best Director (David Fincher), Best Actor (Jesse Eisenberg), Best Adapted Screenplay (Aaron Sorkin) and Best Score (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross).
Fincher, earning his second career nomination, released a statement that read, "I'm very grateful and humbled by the nominations for 'The Social Network.' I'm incredibly proud of the work of my wildly talented collaborators in front of and behind the camera — all of whom gave the best of themselves and their talents in service to a film about a groundbreaking American innovation. This directing nomination represents the sum of the work of all of us, and I want to acknowledge the vast contributions to this film of all of my good friends and creative partners. The success of our movie belongs to many people, and this nomination is theirs to share."
Sorkin, who penned the dialogue-heavy movie, spoke to "Good Morning America" about the good news, calling the Oscar nods "a triumph," and adding, "I think it was the people I got to sit in the room with. I love the way audiences responded to this movie. They came out and saw it and they loved it. It's a special cherry on top."
In a statement to MTV News, Sorkin reiterated how much he felt teamwork led to his nomination. "My recommendation to anyone who wants to be nominated for an Academy Award is work with David Fincher," he said. "I'm thrilled to be nominated by the Academy, and I'm especially pleased for everyone who worked so hard on the film — it is a triumph of teamwork. I'm honored to have our film nominated in such an incredible year for movies."
Meanwhile, MTV News caught up with Michael De Luca, one of the film's producers, shortly after the nominations were announced. Unlike many likely nominees, De Luca didn't play coy about his expectations. "I set my little iPhone alarm to wake me up at 5:15 a.m.," he told us about Tuesday morning's announcements. "For me, personally, I've always done this as a fan of movies, as a bystander over the years in my career as a producer. But this is the first time I've had a horse in the race, so I was very excited to wake up and it was a real blast."
De Luca, who echoed Fincher and Sorkin's sentiments about the entire cast and crew being "incredibly happy and grateful," went on to say, "We knew what the movie was about. We knew the movie was about basic human emotions and the need for acceptance, the longing for love and friendship and how trying to find those things at 19 is hard enough, but when you're a genius and you're revolutionizing communication and you're creating things that will go on to maintain billion-dollar evaluations, how do you maintain your relationships? How do you change relationships?"
The Oscar nominee also talked about how the modern-day tale featured classic themes.
"Whether you're Copernicus, Galileo or Mark Zuckerberg, no matter what you're doing in your career or professional life, there are basic basic human needs the heart must have to have a happy life," De Luca said. "We knew that that was what the movie was about and we knew that Aaron Sorkin's script seized on that and wrote a story of friendship and what you lose when you win, and we knew that nobody was going to know that until they saw the movie. It was like having the best secret in the world."
Still, while there was mostly celebration for "The Social Network" team this morning, one name was notably left off of the list: Andrew Garfield. Widely regarded as a shoo-in for a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance as Facebook CFO Eduardo Saverin, Garfield has earned nods at the Critics' Choice, Golden Globes, and the upcoming Screen Actors Guild Awards; he was ultimately snubbed by the Academy.
"He's an incredible actor," De Luca said of Garfield. "And the ensemble we had in the film was incredible and they're all going off to star in [films] on their own and we're going to hear from Andrew for years to come. I can't tell you enough about his performance. He's a consummate actor.
Check out everything we've got on "The Social Network."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Andrew Garfield and Jesse Eisenberg in "The Social Network"
Photo: Columbia Pictures
Having gone from "that Facebook movie" to Oscar-nominated masterpiece, "The Social Network" has run the gamut since its release last October.
Continuing an awards-season streak, the film picked up eight Oscar nominations on Tuesday morning (January 25) — the third most-nominated of the Oscar contenders, behind "The King's Speech" with 12, "True Grit" with 10, and (in a tie) "Inception" with eight — including Best Picture, Best Director (David Fincher), Best Actor (Jesse Eisenberg), Best Adapted Screenplay (Aaron Sorkin) and Best Score (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross).
Fincher, earning his second career nomination, released a statement that read, "I'm very grateful and humbled by the nominations for 'The Social Network.' I'm incredibly proud of the work of my wildly talented collaborators in front of and behind the camera — all of whom gave the best of themselves and their talents in service to a film about a groundbreaking American innovation. This directing nomination represents the sum of the work of all of us, and I want to acknowledge the vast contributions to this film of all of my good friends and creative partners. The success of our movie belongs to many people, and this nomination is theirs to share."
Sorkin, who penned the dialogue-heavy movie, spoke to "Good Morning America" about the good news, calling the Oscar nods "a triumph," and adding, "I think it was the people I got to sit in the room with. I love the way audiences responded to this movie. They came out and saw it and they loved it. It's a special cherry on top."
In a statement to MTV News, Sorkin reiterated how much he felt teamwork led to his nomination. "My recommendation to anyone who wants to be nominated for an Academy Award is work with David Fincher," he said. "I'm thrilled to be nominated by the Academy, and I'm especially pleased for everyone who worked so hard on the film — it is a triumph of teamwork. I'm honored to have our film nominated in such an incredible year for movies."
Meanwhile, MTV News caught up with Michael De Luca, one of the film's producers, shortly after the nominations were announced. Unlike many likely nominees, De Luca didn't play coy about his expectations. "I set my little iPhone alarm to wake me up at 5:15 a.m.," he told us about Tuesday morning's announcements. "For me, personally, I've always done this as a fan of movies, as a bystander over the years in my career as a producer. But this is the first time I've had a horse in the race, so I was very excited to wake up and it was a real blast."
De Luca, who echoed Fincher and Sorkin's sentiments about the entire cast and crew being "incredibly happy and grateful," went on to say, "We knew what the movie was about. We knew the movie was about basic human emotions and the need for acceptance, the longing for love and friendship and how trying to find those things at 19 is hard enough, but when you're a genius and you're revolutionizing communication and you're creating things that will go on to maintain billion-dollar evaluations, how do you maintain your relationships? How do you change relationships?"
The Oscar nominee also talked about how the modern-day tale featured classic themes.
"Whether you're Copernicus, Galileo or Mark Zuckerberg, no matter what you're doing in your career or professional life, there are basic basic human needs the heart must have to have a happy life," De Luca said. "We knew that that was what the movie was about and we knew that Aaron Sorkin's script seized on that and wrote a story of friendship and what you lose when you win, and we knew that nobody was going to know that until they saw the movie. It was like having the best secret in the world."
Still, while there was mostly celebration for "The Social Network" team this morning, one name was notably left off of the list: Andrew Garfield. Widely regarded as a shoo-in for a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance as Facebook CFO Eduardo Saverin, Garfield has earned nods at the Critics' Choice, Golden Globes, and the upcoming Screen Actors Guild Awards; he was ultimately snubbed by the Academy.
"He's an incredible actor," De Luca said of Garfield. "And the ensemble we had in the film was incredible and they're all going off to star in [films] on their own and we're going to hear from Andrew for years to come. I can't tell you enough about his performance. He's a consummate actor.
Check out everything we've got on "The Social Network."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos
And The Nominees Are ...
Related Photos
2011 Academy Award Nominees
Alicia Keys Esther Baxter Lisa Raye Amanda Beard Eva Herzigova
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