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'Thor' Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know
We catch you up on how the God of Thunder made his way to the big screen.By Eric Ditzian
A scene from "Thor"
Photo: Marvel
Is "Thor" the best Marvel Studios movie ever? Better than "Iron Man," which wowed crowds in 2008 on its way toward $585 million in worldwide box-office receipts? Better than "Iron Man 2" and "The Incredible Hulk"?
That's the word floating around the blogosphere and inside the MTV Newsroom, where everyone is marveling about what director Kenneth Branagh was able to accomplish with his comic book source material.
The movie could have easily become another "Masters of the Universe," a cheese-tastic example of how not to bring fantastical heroes to planet Earth. But Thor, no doubt, has avoided the fate of He-Man before him. To understand how Marvel and Branagh accomplished this impressive cinematic task, we must flash back into the recent past to see how the project came together. Luckily, that's exactly what we're able to do, since MTV News has been all over this project for years and can now present an indispensible cheat sheet: everything you need to know about "Thor":
Searching for the Gods
Marvel had been making plans for "Thor" since the '90s, but things started to come together in fall 2008, when Branagh entered into talks to helm the production. A few months later, he broke his silence and confirmed to us he'd be hopping into the director's chair, citing the appeal of working "on a story about one of the immortals, Gods, extraordinary beings, inter-dimensional creatures."
At that point, though, Branagh said it was too early to speculate about a potential cast. For Thor himself, we soon learned, Marvel was eyeing someone in his 20s who could be "physically powerful, very handsome, occasionally egotistical, petulant, and wild." Names like Daniel Craig and Kevin McKidd had been floated before for the hero from Asgard, but neither seemed to fit the bill, at least age-wise. Other actors like Alexander Skarsgård, Charlie Hunnam and Channing Tatum entered the conversation, but the job eventually went to Chris Hemsworth. Natalie Portman then signed on to play a scientist and Thor love interest, Tom Hiddleston became Thor's brother Loki, Anthony Hopkins became Thor's father Odin, and Stellan Skarsgård, Jaimie Alexander and Colm Feore joined in too.
Bringing Asgard to Earth
Filming kicked off in January of last year, and a week in, Branagh told us all was going well. "We have many miles to go and promises to keep, but so far, so good," he said. "Everybody's doing very good work and just a lot of it is so promising. Fingers crossed for everybody and everything. [Hemsworth] is a great guy."
Our first look at "Thor" came in April: Hemsworth in full Thor costume, his blond locks artfully falling in his face. "It's a pretty impressive costume, and I think anyone who put it on would look pretty cool," Hemsworth told us earlier. "I have a nice long, blond wig which they throw on every day."
Then came a pic of Hopkins as Odin. "It's a superhero movie, but with a bit of Shakespeare thrown in," he revealed to us. "It's a big, big, broad thing." More photos followed, until the first footage debuted at San Diego Comic-Con.
The public didn't get a chance to see official footage until December, when the first trailer popped up online, showing the God of Thunder as a skilled but arrogant warrior living in the faraway land of Asgard. But when Thor's reckless actions reawaken an ancient war, he's cast down to Earth and forced to live among mankind. As a threat from Asgard looms over our planet, Thor becomes the only one able to save both worlds from destruction.
Mighty Thor Arrives
A year after filming began, Hemsworth still hadn't seen a final cut. "I can't wait," he told us. "I've seen little bits and pieces through the process and little grabs. It looks amazing. I saw some special-effects stuff the other day that looks mind-blowing."
A Super Bowl commercial gave us a closer look at the action, followed by another full trailer in mid-February. Eventually, Hemsworth got to see the full film. "Being that close to something, it's often pretty hard to watch yourself, but the film in so many ways is so impressive that I was swept along with it like an audience member, and that's a pretty good sign," he told us.
He wasn't the only one impressed. Early reviews lauded the film for its faithful adaptation of the beloved comic books. Everything, it seems, is looking good both for a "Thor" sequel and "The Avengers," the superhero all-star flick that's already in production.
"It would be a lovely challenge and problem to have should we do a second one," Branagh said of directing "Thor 2." "We went through so many possibilities for how the story might go, that of course the prospect of that is very tantalizing and fascinating."
As for "Avengers," which will focus not only on Thor and Loki but characters like Hulk, Captain America and Hawkeye, everyone involved is ecstatic. "We've met sort of separately at various events and things, but yet to all sit down in the same room and do a read through...which I'm very excited about," Hemsworth told us before production began. "All of a sudden there's more people to sort of take some of the weight of it all, but also you want to do your bit and stand out, you know so it's a combination. But the excitement outweighs all of that. I'm a huge fan of these characters and these actors."
Check out everything we've got on "Thor."
For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.
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A scene from "Thor"
Photo: Marvel
Is "Thor" the best Marvel Studios movie ever? Better than "Iron Man," which wowed crowds in 2008 on its way toward $585 million in worldwide box-office receipts? Better than "Iron Man 2" and "The Incredible Hulk"?
That's the word floating around the blogosphere and inside the MTV Newsroom, where everyone is marveling about what director Kenneth Branagh was able to accomplish with his comic book source material.
The movie could have easily become another "Masters of the Universe," a cheese-tastic example of how not to bring fantastical heroes to planet Earth. But Thor, no doubt, has avoided the fate of He-Man before him. To understand how Marvel and Branagh accomplished this impressive cinematic task, we must flash back into the recent past to see how the project came together. Luckily, that's exactly what we're able to do, since MTV News has been all over this project for years and can now present an indispensible cheat sheet: everything you need to know about "Thor":
Searching for the Gods
Marvel had been making plans for "Thor" since the '90s, but things started to come together in fall 2008, when Branagh entered into talks to helm the production. A few months later, he broke his silence and confirmed to us he'd be hopping into the director's chair, citing the appeal of working "on a story about one of the immortals, Gods, extraordinary beings, inter-dimensional creatures."
At that point, though, Branagh said it was too early to speculate about a potential cast. For Thor himself, we soon learned, Marvel was eyeing someone in his 20s who could be "physically powerful, very handsome, occasionally egotistical, petulant, and wild." Names like Daniel Craig and Kevin McKidd had been floated before for the hero from Asgard, but neither seemed to fit the bill, at least age-wise. Other actors like Alexander Skarsgård, Charlie Hunnam and Channing Tatum entered the conversation, but the job eventually went to Chris Hemsworth. Natalie Portman then signed on to play a scientist and Thor love interest, Tom Hiddleston became Thor's brother Loki, Anthony Hopkins became Thor's father Odin, and Stellan Skarsgård, Jaimie Alexander and Colm Feore joined in too.
Bringing Asgard to Earth
Filming kicked off in January of last year, and a week in, Branagh told us all was going well. "We have many miles to go and promises to keep, but so far, so good," he said. "Everybody's doing very good work and just a lot of it is so promising. Fingers crossed for everybody and everything. [Hemsworth] is a great guy."
Our first look at "Thor" came in April: Hemsworth in full Thor costume, his blond locks artfully falling in his face. "It's a pretty impressive costume, and I think anyone who put it on would look pretty cool," Hemsworth told us earlier. "I have a nice long, blond wig which they throw on every day."
Then came a pic of Hopkins as Odin. "It's a superhero movie, but with a bit of Shakespeare thrown in," he revealed to us. "It's a big, big, broad thing." More photos followed, until the first footage debuted at San Diego Comic-Con.
The public didn't get a chance to see official footage until December, when the first trailer popped up online, showing the God of Thunder as a skilled but arrogant warrior living in the faraway land of Asgard. But when Thor's reckless actions reawaken an ancient war, he's cast down to Earth and forced to live among mankind. As a threat from Asgard looms over our planet, Thor becomes the only one able to save both worlds from destruction.
Mighty Thor Arrives
A year after filming began, Hemsworth still hadn't seen a final cut. "I can't wait," he told us. "I've seen little bits and pieces through the process and little grabs. It looks amazing. I saw some special-effects stuff the other day that looks mind-blowing."
A Super Bowl commercial gave us a closer look at the action, followed by another full trailer in mid-February. Eventually, Hemsworth got to see the full film. "Being that close to something, it's often pretty hard to watch yourself, but the film in so many ways is so impressive that I was swept along with it like an audience member, and that's a pretty good sign," he told us.
He wasn't the only one impressed. Early reviews lauded the film for its faithful adaptation of the beloved comic books. Everything, it seems, is looking good both for a "Thor" sequel and "The Avengers," the superhero all-star flick that's already in production.
"It would be a lovely challenge and problem to have should we do a second one," Branagh said of directing "Thor 2." "We went through so many possibilities for how the story might go, that of course the prospect of that is very tantalizing and fascinating."
As for "Avengers," which will focus not only on Thor and Loki but characters like Hulk, Captain America and Hawkeye, everyone involved is ecstatic. "We've met sort of separately at various events and things, but yet to all sit down in the same room and do a read through...which I'm very excited about," Hemsworth told us before production began. "All of a sudden there's more people to sort of take some of the weight of it all, but also you want to do your bit and stand out, you know so it's a combination. But the excitement outweighs all of that. I'm a huge fan of these characters and these actors."
Check out everything we've got on "Thor."
For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.
Related Videos
MTV Rough Cut: 'Thor'
Chandra West Charisma Carpenter Charli Baltimore Charlies Angels
Ke$ha - We R Who We R
We R Who We R
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Photos | 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Premiere After Party
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Mary J. Blige Dishes On Her 'Crazy' Led Zeppelin Covers
'I've listened to their music since I was a child,' says the R&B diva, who recorded 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love.'By James Montgomery, with reporting by Larry Carroll
Mary J. Blige
Photo: MTV News
You wouldn't peg Mary J Blige as the black-light-and-tapestry sort, but, as has become readily apparent in recent weeks, she absolutely loves Led Zeppelin.
In early February, reports began circulating that Blige had re-recorded Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to Heaven," working with Travis Barker, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson and guitarist Steve Vai on the track, which is slated to appear on the international reissue of her Stronger With Each Tear album, due Monday.
But after she had recorded "Stairway," Blige continued to get the Led out, covering another Zeppelin classic — the thunderous "Whole Lotta Love" — for the album too. And when MTV News caught up with her on the Essence Black Women in Hollywood red carpet, she told us all about channeling her inner Robert Plant for the tracks, a process that came much easier than you'd probably imagine.
"I did Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love' — it's crazy," she said. "I am a Led Zeppelin fan. I'm not going to say I've been to their concerts, but I've listened to their music since I was a child, and it's always moved me, especially 'Stairway to Heaven,' and 'Whole Lotta Love' is just fun."
Blige also said she recorded another new song — a "club record" called "I Can't Wait" — for the re-release. And while it's only slated to hit shelves outside the U.S., she hopes her fans will get a chance to hear all the new songs pretty soon.
"I want y'all to hear it," she laughed.
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Mary J. Blige
Photo: MTV News
You wouldn't peg Mary J Blige as the black-light-and-tapestry sort, but, as has become readily apparent in recent weeks, she absolutely loves Led Zeppelin.
In early February, reports began circulating that Blige had re-recorded Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to Heaven," working with Travis Barker, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson and guitarist Steve Vai on the track, which is slated to appear on the international reissue of her Stronger With Each Tear album, due Monday.
But after she had recorded "Stairway," Blige continued to get the Led out, covering another Zeppelin classic — the thunderous "Whole Lotta Love" — for the album too. And when MTV News caught up with her on the Essence Black Women in Hollywood red carpet, she told us all about channeling her inner Robert Plant for the tracks, a process that came much easier than you'd probably imagine.
"I did Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love' — it's crazy," she said. "I am a Led Zeppelin fan. I'm not going to say I've been to their concerts, but I've listened to their music since I was a child, and it's always moved me, especially 'Stairway to Heaven,' and 'Whole Lotta Love' is just fun."
Blige also said she recorded another new song — a "club record" called "I Can't Wait" — for the re-release. And while it's only slated to hit shelves outside the U.S., she hopes her fans will get a chance to hear all the new songs pretty soon.
"I want y'all to hear it," she laughed.
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Friday, May 6, 2011
Ashley Greene Rocks Paul Frank Shades: Celebrity Style
Ashley Greene was photographed wearing Paul Frank?s ?My Excuse to Travel? sunglasses. The pair retails online for $138. For more�celebrity style, click here.Liz Phair
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Jennifer Love Hewitt Dresses Up For Her Coffee Run
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Does Amy Winehouse Have A New Brazilian Boyfriend?
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Jacob Lusk Sent Home On 'American Idol'
Lauren Alaina lands in the bottom two for the first time.By Gil Kaufman
Jacob Lusk
Photo: FOX
First the good news: More than 60 million votes came in on Wednesday night for the highest vote total so far this season on "American Idol." Of course, even with that avalanche of support, someone had to go home after the up-and-down "now and then"-themed performance episode.
As always at this stage of the competition, there was an unexpected twist, as gutsy high-schooler Lauren Alaina landed in the bottom for the first time all season. But when the tears were mopped up, it was gospel crooner Jacob Lusk who was sent to the showers, after a pair of performances that split the judges and drew low marks from mentor Jimmy Iovine.
"I got to share the love with America and I think America fell in love with me," Lusk said with a smile upon hearing the news as Alaina wept with a mixture of relief and shock in the arms of the remaining three finalists. "And now I can go home and put out that good-feeling R&B music that worships Luther [Vandross] or reminds you of those old singers."
The twisty path to the top four had the usual allotment of drama. Before Lusk learned of his fate, James Durbin took the hot seat after scoring a hit with a 30 Seconds to Mars cover and bringing tears to his own eyes with the emotional ballad "Without You." That landed him on the far side of the stage, where he looked genuinely nervous. Alaina had opened with Carrie Underwood's "Flat on the Floor" and then nailed it again with her folks' favorite song, "Unchained Melody," performances that sent the scared-looking teen to the opposite side of the stage, confusing the audience about who was in jeopardy.
After a train-crash solo duet on "No Air" and an even screechier "Love Hurts," Lusk seemed destined for the bottom and he soon joined Alaina. Haley Reinhart had a seesaw night, with so-so notices for her take on the yet-unreleased Lady Gaga tune "You and I" and raves for "House of the Rising Sun." She joined James on the far side of the stage, with Scotty McCreery the last man standing after a pair of ace performances of Montgomery-Gentry's "Gone" and Elvis Presley's "Always on My Mind."
He was the first to be declared safe, and Seacrest pulled his cruelest trick by asking McC to pick which group he belonged in. "I can't do that," Scotty demurred, as Seacrest led him over to the safe group featuring Durbin and Reinhart. Alaina burst into tears as she realized she was in the bottom for the first time, and Lusk looked stone-faced awaiting the news about who was going home.
When Seacrest pulled the short straw for Lusk, Alaina could barely contain her emotions, bursting into tears as she made the long walk back. Lusk took the hit like a champ, going out with a reprise of Vandross' "A House Is not a Home," which was a showcase for his soaring falsetto and wild verbal gesticulations. He was joined by his four musical soul mates center stage, as he smiled his way through a playful scat-filled gospel finish to the tune.
The episode also continued the season-long self-promotion from the judges and mentor Iovine, with Tyler getting a plug for his new memoir, "Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?," and another for his debut solo single, "(It) Feels So Good."
Lopez also got in on the action, performing her smash "On the Floor" from her just-released Love? album. Wearing gold Hammer pants and a spangly bikini top, she stomped across the stage surrounded by a group of precision dancers during a high-energy performance. She also played a clip of her new beach-blanket bump-and-grind video for "I'm Into You."
Also on the show were Grammy-winning country trio Lady Antebellum, performing their new single, the low-key ballad "Just a Kiss."
Do you think Jacob deserved to go home? Let us know in comments below.
Don't miss "Idol Party Live" every Thursday at noon on MTV.com for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! In the meantime, 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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Jacob Lusk
Photo: FOX
First the good news: More than 60 million votes came in on Wednesday night for the highest vote total so far this season on "American Idol." Of course, even with that avalanche of support, someone had to go home after the up-and-down "now and then"-themed performance episode.
As always at this stage of the competition, there was an unexpected twist, as gutsy high-schooler Lauren Alaina landed in the bottom for the first time all season. But when the tears were mopped up, it was gospel crooner Jacob Lusk who was sent to the showers, after a pair of performances that split the judges and drew low marks from mentor Jimmy Iovine.
"I got to share the love with America and I think America fell in love with me," Lusk said with a smile upon hearing the news as Alaina wept with a mixture of relief and shock in the arms of the remaining three finalists. "And now I can go home and put out that good-feeling R&B music that worships Luther [Vandross] or reminds you of those old singers."
The twisty path to the top four had the usual allotment of drama. Before Lusk learned of his fate, James Durbin took the hot seat after scoring a hit with a 30 Seconds to Mars cover and bringing tears to his own eyes with the emotional ballad "Without You." That landed him on the far side of the stage, where he looked genuinely nervous. Alaina had opened with Carrie Underwood's "Flat on the Floor" and then nailed it again with her folks' favorite song, "Unchained Melody," performances that sent the scared-looking teen to the opposite side of the stage, confusing the audience about who was in jeopardy.
After a train-crash solo duet on "No Air" and an even screechier "Love Hurts," Lusk seemed destined for the bottom and he soon joined Alaina. Haley Reinhart had a seesaw night, with so-so notices for her take on the yet-unreleased Lady Gaga tune "You and I" and raves for "House of the Rising Sun." She joined James on the far side of the stage, with Scotty McCreery the last man standing after a pair of ace performances of Montgomery-Gentry's "Gone" and Elvis Presley's "Always on My Mind."
He was the first to be declared safe, and Seacrest pulled his cruelest trick by asking McC to pick which group he belonged in. "I can't do that," Scotty demurred, as Seacrest led him over to the safe group featuring Durbin and Reinhart. Alaina burst into tears as she realized she was in the bottom for the first time, and Lusk looked stone-faced awaiting the news about who was going home.
When Seacrest pulled the short straw for Lusk, Alaina could barely contain her emotions, bursting into tears as she made the long walk back. Lusk took the hit like a champ, going out with a reprise of Vandross' "A House Is not a Home," which was a showcase for his soaring falsetto and wild verbal gesticulations. He was joined by his four musical soul mates center stage, as he smiled his way through a playful scat-filled gospel finish to the tune.
The episode also continued the season-long self-promotion from the judges and mentor Iovine, with Tyler getting a plug for his new memoir, "Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?," and another for his debut solo single, "(It) Feels So Good."
Lopez also got in on the action, performing her smash "On the Floor" from her just-released Love? album. Wearing gold Hammer pants and a spangly bikini top, she stomped across the stage surrounded by a group of precision dancers during a high-energy performance. She also played a clip of her new beach-blanket bump-and-grind video for "I'm Into You."
Also on the show were Grammy-winning country trio Lady Antebellum, performing their new single, the low-key ballad "Just a Kiss."
Do you think Jacob deserved to go home? Let us know in comments below.
Don't miss "Idol Party Live" every Thursday at noon on MTV.com for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! In the meantime, 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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Thursday, May 5, 2011
Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Chris Colfer Make Time's 100 Most Influential List
Amy Poehler, Blake Lively, and Prince William and Kate Middleton also on the list.By Gil Kaufman
Justin Bieber
Photo: Mark Von Holden/ WireImage
What kind of list includes Justin Bieber alongside Vice President Joseph Biden, Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Oprah Winfrey? It must be Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The annual count of the people who, for better or worse, make our world fascinating, includes an essay by mentor Usher extolling the virtues of the Biebs.
"From the minute I met Justin, I knew this kid possessed a certain confidence that only a star could have," wrote Usher. "He was born a star. He knew what he wanted to accomplish; all he had to do was get everyone else to believe it. Now, looking back at his incredible run, the reality of who he is and what he's accomplished far exceeds anybody's expectations of him. What's interesting and will keep the world watching is that at the same time he's having this incredible success, he's like any other kid living a normal life."
In his typically impish style, "Parks & Recreation" co-star and comedian Aziz Ansari spent most of his 150 words in praise of series star and producer Amy Poehler, after complaining about an alleged real estate scam she pulled on him. "That said, I cannot say how much I admire and respect Amy Poehler," he wrote. "In comedy, a lot of what you see feels derivative and uninspired; with Amy, 39, there is always something fresh and unexpected, and that's why I love her work."
Director Baz Luhrmann marveled at actress Blake Lively for pulling off the unique trick of channeling the "vitality of youth — that indefinable, natural, unprocessed glamour full of possibility and filled with anticipation for an endless future."
Actress Glenn Close wrote of the talents of her "Albert Nobbs" co-star Mia Wasikowska ("Alice in Wonderland," "The Kids Are All Right"), saying the 21-year-old is "a sun, not a satellite. She generates her own energy. She's seductive because she's not compelled to reveal everything. Her shyness has made her an acute observer. At the same time, she loves a good joke, loves to laugh and can suddenly have the boisterous physicality of a teenager. Mia will be many things in life and will defy expectation because she's brilliant and curious and not fooled by what most people define as success."
When it comes to "Glee" star Chris Colfer, co-star Dianna Agron said the 20-year-old song-and-dance man "lives by extreme truth, speaking out against the epidemic of bullying that he, too, faced in high school. The honesty that he infuses into his 'Glee' character, Kurt, leaves you reeling." Elsewhere, B.o.B writes of his pal Bruno Mars, 25, that the singer/songwriter "has a musicality, a presence in his voice that I've never heard from anyone else."
Among the others making the list were Google executive Wael Ghonim, credited with being the voice of the revolution in Egypt; Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg; WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange; Congresswoman and shooting victim Gabrielle Giffords; Sting; and President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. For the third year, South Korean pop superstar Rain made it onto the list as the result of a reader's poll.
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Photo: Mark Von Holden/ WireImage
What kind of list includes Justin Bieber alongside Vice President Joseph Biden, Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Oprah Winfrey? It must be Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The annual count of the people who, for better or worse, make our world fascinating, includes an essay by mentor Usher extolling the virtues of the Biebs.
"From the minute I met Justin, I knew this kid possessed a certain confidence that only a star could have," wrote Usher. "He was born a star. He knew what he wanted to accomplish; all he had to do was get everyone else to believe it. Now, looking back at his incredible run, the reality of who he is and what he's accomplished far exceeds anybody's expectations of him. What's interesting and will keep the world watching is that at the same time he's having this incredible success, he's like any other kid living a normal life."
In his typically impish style, "Parks & Recreation" co-star and comedian Aziz Ansari spent most of his 150 words in praise of series star and producer Amy Poehler, after complaining about an alleged real estate scam she pulled on him. "That said, I cannot say how much I admire and respect Amy Poehler," he wrote. "In comedy, a lot of what you see feels derivative and uninspired; with Amy, 39, there is always something fresh and unexpected, and that's why I love her work."
Director Baz Luhrmann marveled at actress Blake Lively for pulling off the unique trick of channeling the "vitality of youth — that indefinable, natural, unprocessed glamour full of possibility and filled with anticipation for an endless future."
Actress Glenn Close wrote of the talents of her "Albert Nobbs" co-star Mia Wasikowska ("Alice in Wonderland," "The Kids Are All Right"), saying the 21-year-old is "a sun, not a satellite. She generates her own energy. She's seductive because she's not compelled to reveal everything. Her shyness has made her an acute observer. At the same time, she loves a good joke, loves to laugh and can suddenly have the boisterous physicality of a teenager. Mia will be many things in life and will defy expectation because she's brilliant and curious and not fooled by what most people define as success."
When it comes to "Glee" star Chris Colfer, co-star Dianna Agron said the 20-year-old song-and-dance man "lives by extreme truth, speaking out against the epidemic of bullying that he, too, faced in high school. The honesty that he infuses into his 'Glee' character, Kurt, leaves you reeling." Elsewhere, B.o.B writes of his pal Bruno Mars, 25, that the singer/songwriter "has a musicality, a presence in his voice that I've never heard from anyone else."
Among the others making the list were Google executive Wael Ghonim, credited with being the voice of the revolution in Egypt; Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg; WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange; Congresswoman and shooting victim Gabrielle Giffords; Sting; and President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. For the third year, South Korean pop superstar Rain made it onto the list as the result of a reader's poll.
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New Led Zeppelin On The Way? Jason Bonham Hints At 'Jam' Sessions With Jimmy Page -- But Not Robert Plant
Drummer admits he doesn't know what will come of 'new material.'By Chris Harris
Jason Bonham
Photo: Larry Marano/ Getty Images
On Friday morning, mere hours before he was due to take the stage with classic rockers Foreigner at Detroit's GM Renaissance Center, drummer Jason Bonham — the son of late Led Zeppelin kitman John Bonham — told Jim Johnson and Lynne Woodison of local rock station 94.7 WCSX that he'd be an ex-member of Foreigner as of September 1. But that's not the only thing he said.
Much to the delight of Led Zeppelin fans everywhere, Bonham revealed that he's been meeting up with Led Zep guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones in recent months and that they've been "trying to do some new material and writing."
It was the first time since Led Zeppelin announced they would re-form for a single performance (which happened late last year at London's O2 Arena, in honor of the late Ahmet Ertegün, who signed the band to Atlantic Records in 1969) that anyone connected to the band has confirmed publicly that new music could be on the horizon for the iconic rockers. While the bandmembers have stopped short of definitively ruling out such a reunion, singer Robert Plant insisted in the wake of last year's show that he intended to focus on promoting and touring behind his critically lauded album with bluegrass artist Alison Krauss, Raising Sand.
Not that Bonham knows what — if anything — will happen with the new material he's been working on with Page (who collaborated with pop singer Leona Lewis on an uneven version of Zep's "Whole Lotta Love" at the Olympic closing ceremonies in Beijing on Sunday night) and Jones. He said he just shows up and takes his seat behind the kit.
"I've been over [to England] a couple of times," Bonham said. "I've been working with Jimmy and John Paul and trying to do ... some new material and some writing. I don't know what it will be, but it will be something. At the moment, all I know is I have the great pleasure to go and jam with the two guys and start work on some material. When I get there, I never ask any questions. If I get a phone call to go and play, I enjoy every moment of it. Whatever it ends up as, to ever get a chance to jam with two people like that, it is a phenomenal thing for me. It's my life. It's what I've dreamed about doing."
He said it's still too early to tell what will become of these "jam" sessions, but admitted that the "possibility of doing something is in the cards. I really felt it was in the cards from the moment we walked offstage at the O2." Bonham also explained that, before there could be a Led Zep LP, "lots of politics [would need to] get ironed out," but added that recording with Zep is "something I've always wanted to do."
Bonham noticeably didn't mention frontman Plant's name during the discussion. A spokesperson for Page's management had no comment on the matter, and a spokesperson for Jones' management could not be reached by press time.
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Jason Bonham
Photo: Larry Marano/ Getty Images
On Friday morning, mere hours before he was due to take the stage with classic rockers Foreigner at Detroit's GM Renaissance Center, drummer Jason Bonham — the son of late Led Zeppelin kitman John Bonham — told Jim Johnson and Lynne Woodison of local rock station 94.7 WCSX that he'd be an ex-member of Foreigner as of September 1. But that's not the only thing he said.
Much to the delight of Led Zeppelin fans everywhere, Bonham revealed that he's been meeting up with Led Zep guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones in recent months and that they've been "trying to do some new material and writing."
It was the first time since Led Zeppelin announced they would re-form for a single performance (which happened late last year at London's O2 Arena, in honor of the late Ahmet Ertegün, who signed the band to Atlantic Records in 1969) that anyone connected to the band has confirmed publicly that new music could be on the horizon for the iconic rockers. While the bandmembers have stopped short of definitively ruling out such a reunion, singer Robert Plant insisted in the wake of last year's show that he intended to focus on promoting and touring behind his critically lauded album with bluegrass artist Alison Krauss, Raising Sand.
Not that Bonham knows what — if anything — will happen with the new material he's been working on with Page (who collaborated with pop singer Leona Lewis on an uneven version of Zep's "Whole Lotta Love" at the Olympic closing ceremonies in Beijing on Sunday night) and Jones. He said he just shows up and takes his seat behind the kit.
"I've been over [to England] a couple of times," Bonham said. "I've been working with Jimmy and John Paul and trying to do ... some new material and some writing. I don't know what it will be, but it will be something. At the moment, all I know is I have the great pleasure to go and jam with the two guys and start work on some material. When I get there, I never ask any questions. If I get a phone call to go and play, I enjoy every moment of it. Whatever it ends up as, to ever get a chance to jam with two people like that, it is a phenomenal thing for me. It's my life. It's what I've dreamed about doing."
He said it's still too early to tell what will become of these "jam" sessions, but admitted that the "possibility of doing something is in the cards. I really felt it was in the cards from the moment we walked offstage at the O2." Bonham also explained that, before there could be a Led Zep LP, "lots of politics [would need to] get ironed out," but added that recording with Zep is "something I've always wanted to do."
Bonham noticeably didn't mention frontman Plant's name during the discussion. A spokesperson for Page's management had no comment on the matter, and a spokesperson for Jones' management could not be reached by press time.
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Beyonce Drops Official Version Of 'Run The World (Girls)'
In the first single off her upcoming album, B warns the haters that she's in charge.By Jocelyn Vena
Beyonce
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
Beyoncé dropped the official version of her new single "Run the World (Girls)" on Thursday morning (April 21). The track is just under four minutes of sassy, girl-power lyrics paired with marching-band beats and club appeal.
The song is loud and proud in its relentless message: Beyoncé and girls everywhere are in charge now. B is clearly rallying the troops to her side in this first single off her forthcoming summer album release.
"Girls, we run this motha," she announces at the song's opening. Soon, the beat takes off and looped Auto-Tuned vocals complement Beyoncé's feel-good call and response of "Who run the world? Girls."
The verses that follow sound like a warning to any of the haters. "Some of them men think they freak this like we do/ But no they don't/ Make your checks come at they neck/ Disrespect us, no they won't/ This goes out to all my girls that's in the club rocking the latest/ Who will buy it for themselves and get more money later," Beyoncé sings in a choppy, emphatic style.
"I think I need a barber/ None of these ho's can fight me/ I'm so good with this/ I remind you I'm so 'hood with this," she goes on, before briefly transitioning to smoother, more persuasive, but still boastful vocals.
The song is a cleaned-up version of the demo that leaked earlier this week. It was produced by Switch, Beyoncé and Shea Taylor. Beyoncé also co-wrote the track with The-Dream.
Though there's still no word on when the video might drop, its director, Francis Lawrence, has made it clear that the video (which was teased on Wednesday) will be epic. "It'll be big, it'll probably be one of the bigger Beyoncé music videos ever done," he explained. "And, I can say that I think the song is unbelievable."
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Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
Beyoncé dropped the official version of her new single "Run the World (Girls)" on Thursday morning (April 21). The track is just under four minutes of sassy, girl-power lyrics paired with marching-band beats and club appeal.
The song is loud and proud in its relentless message: Beyoncé and girls everywhere are in charge now. B is clearly rallying the troops to her side in this first single off her forthcoming summer album release.
"Girls, we run this motha," she announces at the song's opening. Soon, the beat takes off and looped Auto-Tuned vocals complement Beyoncé's feel-good call and response of "Who run the world? Girls."
The verses that follow sound like a warning to any of the haters. "Some of them men think they freak this like we do/ But no they don't/ Make your checks come at they neck/ Disrespect us, no they won't/ This goes out to all my girls that's in the club rocking the latest/ Who will buy it for themselves and get more money later," Beyoncé sings in a choppy, emphatic style.
"I think I need a barber/ None of these ho's can fight me/ I'm so good with this/ I remind you I'm so 'hood with this," she goes on, before briefly transitioning to smoother, more persuasive, but still boastful vocals.
The song is a cleaned-up version of the demo that leaked earlier this week. It was produced by Switch, Beyoncé and Shea Taylor. Beyoncé also co-wrote the track with The-Dream.
Though there's still no word on when the video might drop, its director, Francis Lawrence, has made it clear that the video (which was teased on Wednesday) will be epic. "It'll be big, it'll probably be one of the bigger Beyoncé music videos ever done," he explained. "And, I can say that I think the song is unbelievable."
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Photos | MTV Buzzworthy: Britney Spears Walks The Aisle At Friend's Wedding
MTV Buzzworthy: Britney Spears Walks The Aisle At Friend's Wedding
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Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Cab Drivers Don't Like Brooklyn
1) This is me after three martinis.
2) The video is a bit too long, but hang on until the last two minutes or so.
3) I'm much cuter than this in real life.
And now... a video blog:
WARNING: NSFW
Big Poosay from Karyn Bosnak on Vimeo.
Leila Arcieri Lena Headey Leonor Varela Leslie Bega
2) The video is a bit too long, but hang on until the last two minutes or so.
3) I'm much cuter than this in real life.
And now... a video blog:
WARNING: NSFW
Big Poosay from Karyn Bosnak on Vimeo.
Leila Arcieri Lena Headey Leonor Varela Leslie Bega
Is Beyonce Prepping Her Next Music Video?
Photos and reports surface of a B video shoot featuring couture fashion and 200 dancers.By Jocelyn Vena
Beyonce on the set of her next music video
Photo: Robero Cavalli's Twitter
Last week a photo appeared on NYMag.com of Beyoncé, dressed in a blue Roberto Cavalli jumpsuit and a funky maroon fur coat, reportedly shooting a video in New Jersey for her forthcoming studio album.
A rep for the singer never returned MTV News' request for comment and now, nearly two weeks later, details about the video shoot are being revealed. According to Ace Showbiz, the video will be directed by music video auteur Francis Lawrence, who has gone behind the lens for Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Pink and Bey's former girl group, Destiny's Child.
Rumor has it that 200 African dancers and eight choreographers were hired for the clip. According to several online message boards, auditions for dancers were held in Los Angeles. Fan sites such as BeyonceDaily.com have posted blurry pictures that appear to show the singer on the set of the video, which is reportedly for the song called "Girl."
In the snapshots, Beyoncé's hair is done up in a faux-hawk, and she's wearing a white jumpsuit and sunglasses. The outfit is reportedly Givenchy couture.
The song is a "female empowerment/girl power type of song that is a definite club banger with Top 40/Worldly appeal," according to one commenter who talked about the open call after his friend attended. "The beat is driven by a sample of a popular club song that a lot of you will probably recognize. There's a breakdown in the song that is described as absolutely disgustingly sick! Definitely an anthem in the style of her singing." The post also backs up the claim that there will be upwards of 200 dancers in the video.
Rumors are floating around that Beyoncé's new album may drop this June. Sony Music Australia boss Denis Handlin told The Telegraph in Australia that "it was just amazing." He added that while he was in New York, the star herself was on hand to play some of the new music.
"She came in and played us six tracks from the album. She wants to do a big tour off the back of this record, which will include Australia," he explained. "These songs, the best description I can give is groundbreaking; she's gone to another level."
Over the course of recording the new album, Beyoncé has been rumored to hit the studio with a number of big industry names like Diplo, Sleigh Bells and Kanye West's producer S1. When she spoke to MTV News last November, she made it clear that sonically she was thinking outside the box.
"Well, I wouldn't say I'm inventing a new genre," Beyoncé explained. "I'm mixing every type of genre that I love and I'm inspired by every type of genre. ... I'm not in a box. It's not R&B. It's not typically pop. It's not rock. It's just everything I love all mixed together in my own little gumbo of music."
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Beyonce on the set of her next music video
Photo: Robero Cavalli's Twitter
Last week a photo appeared on NYMag.com of Beyoncé, dressed in a blue Roberto Cavalli jumpsuit and a funky maroon fur coat, reportedly shooting a video in New Jersey for her forthcoming studio album.
A rep for the singer never returned MTV News' request for comment and now, nearly two weeks later, details about the video shoot are being revealed. According to Ace Showbiz, the video will be directed by music video auteur Francis Lawrence, who has gone behind the lens for Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Pink and Bey's former girl group, Destiny's Child.
Rumor has it that 200 African dancers and eight choreographers were hired for the clip. According to several online message boards, auditions for dancers were held in Los Angeles. Fan sites such as BeyonceDaily.com have posted blurry pictures that appear to show the singer on the set of the video, which is reportedly for the song called "Girl."
In the snapshots, Beyoncé's hair is done up in a faux-hawk, and she's wearing a white jumpsuit and sunglasses. The outfit is reportedly Givenchy couture.
The song is a "female empowerment/girl power type of song that is a definite club banger with Top 40/Worldly appeal," according to one commenter who talked about the open call after his friend attended. "The beat is driven by a sample of a popular club song that a lot of you will probably recognize. There's a breakdown in the song that is described as absolutely disgustingly sick! Definitely an anthem in the style of her singing." The post also backs up the claim that there will be upwards of 200 dancers in the video.
Rumors are floating around that Beyoncé's new album may drop this June. Sony Music Australia boss Denis Handlin told The Telegraph in Australia that "it was just amazing." He added that while he was in New York, the star herself was on hand to play some of the new music.
"She came in and played us six tracks from the album. She wants to do a big tour off the back of this record, which will include Australia," he explained. "These songs, the best description I can give is groundbreaking; she's gone to another level."
Over the course of recording the new album, Beyoncé has been rumored to hit the studio with a number of big industry names like Diplo, Sleigh Bells and Kanye West's producer S1. When she spoke to MTV News last November, she made it clear that sonically she was thinking outside the box.
"Well, I wouldn't say I'm inventing a new genre," Beyoncé explained. "I'm mixing every type of genre that I love and I'm inspired by every type of genre. ... I'm not in a box. It's not R&B. It's not typically pop. It's not rock. It's just everything I love all mixed together in my own little gumbo of music."
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Ashton Kutcher And Demi Moore At Real Men Don?t Buy Girls Launch Party
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Britney Spears ?Til The World Ends? Music Video World Premiere!
It’s here! Britney Spears has officially debuted the video to her new song ‘Til The World Ends’ from her new album, ‘Femme Fatale’. Available exclusively through VEVO, the video which takes place on December 21, 2012 features lots of skin, … Continue reading →Ciara
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Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Ashley Tisdale Promotes Sharpay?s Fabulous Adventure
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'Fast Five' Speeds To Box-Office #1
Ensemble action flick breaks records while 'Prom,' 'Hoodwinked Too!' flop.By Ryan J. Downey
Paul Walker in "Fast Five"
Photo: Universal
"Fast Five" won the box-office race over the weekend and sped through several records in the process. The ensemble action flick's estimated $83.6 million opening was not only the best yet for the "Fast and Furious" franchise but the biggest opening of 2011 thus far (sorry, "Rio"), the largest in Universal Pictures history (beating "The Lost World: Jurassic Park") and the third-highest opening outside of the holiday or summer seasons. Overall, "Fast Five" gave the box office a 52 percent boost.
Co-producer and star Vin Diesel can also celebrate the movie's solid reviews. Set in Rio and uniting stars from the previous films for a heist story a bit removed from the franchise's street-racing roots, "Fast Five" is the first in the series to win over critics. Each previous "Fast and Furious" movie, including the 2001 original, was overwhelmingly panned, but "Fast Five" boasted a 79 percent positive critical rating on movie review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes at press time.
"Fast Five" clearly benefited from its ethnically diverse cast — which includes Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges — as well as its international setting. It made $45.3 million overseas, and in the U.S., the mostly male audience was 35 percent white, 33 percent Hispanic, 19 percent African-American and 9 percent Asian, according to Universal.
It should be noted that with adjustments for inflation, "Fast Five" would fall behind "The Lost World," and the movie will soon face some stiff competition from Marvel's "Thor," which it's already battling overseas. But its debut is great news for the movie business and for Universal, which, as anyone who stuck around for the closing credits teaser scene knows, plans at least one more sequel.
Disney's "Prom," meanwhile, delivered only $5 million in its first weekend in theaters to land at #5 on the box-office tally. Made for an estimated $8 million with a cast of relative unknowns, it's not a huge disaster for the studio, but it certainly could have done better.
The animated "Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil" debuted just behind "Prom" at #6 with $4.1 million. Hayden Panettiere replaced Anne Hathaway, who led the cast of 2006's "Hoodwinked!"
Hathaway made a wise career choice when she took on a voice role in "Rio." The animated movie from the makers of "Ice Age" crossed the $100 million mark in its second week of release, making another $14.4 million towards its $103.6 million total to land at #2 at the box office.
Also in the top five during a second weekend of release: "Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family" at #3 with $10 million for a $41 million total and "Water for Elephants" at #4 with $9.1 million for a $32.2 million total. The comic book-based "Dylan Dog: Dead of Night" opened in limited release and grossed just $885,500 in 875 theaters. It sits at just 7 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Next weekend's new releases include "Thor" and romantic comedy "Something Borrowed." Mel Gibson's "The Beaver," co-starring and directed by Jodie Foster, will also hit theaters.
Check out everything we've got on "Fast Five."
Check out everything we've got on "Fast Five," "Rio" and "Water for Elephants".
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Paul Walker in "Fast Five"
Photo: Universal
"Fast Five" won the box-office race over the weekend and sped through several records in the process. The ensemble action flick's estimated $83.6 million opening was not only the best yet for the "Fast and Furious" franchise but the biggest opening of 2011 thus far (sorry, "Rio"), the largest in Universal Pictures history (beating "The Lost World: Jurassic Park") and the third-highest opening outside of the holiday or summer seasons. Overall, "Fast Five" gave the box office a 52 percent boost.
Co-producer and star Vin Diesel can also celebrate the movie's solid reviews. Set in Rio and uniting stars from the previous films for a heist story a bit removed from the franchise's street-racing roots, "Fast Five" is the first in the series to win over critics. Each previous "Fast and Furious" movie, including the 2001 original, was overwhelmingly panned, but "Fast Five" boasted a 79 percent positive critical rating on movie review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes at press time.
"Fast Five" clearly benefited from its ethnically diverse cast — which includes Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges — as well as its international setting. It made $45.3 million overseas, and in the U.S., the mostly male audience was 35 percent white, 33 percent Hispanic, 19 percent African-American and 9 percent Asian, according to Universal.
It should be noted that with adjustments for inflation, "Fast Five" would fall behind "The Lost World," and the movie will soon face some stiff competition from Marvel's "Thor," which it's already battling overseas. But its debut is great news for the movie business and for Universal, which, as anyone who stuck around for the closing credits teaser scene knows, plans at least one more sequel.
Disney's "Prom," meanwhile, delivered only $5 million in its first weekend in theaters to land at #5 on the box-office tally. Made for an estimated $8 million with a cast of relative unknowns, it's not a huge disaster for the studio, but it certainly could have done better.
The animated "Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil" debuted just behind "Prom" at #6 with $4.1 million. Hayden Panettiere replaced Anne Hathaway, who led the cast of 2006's "Hoodwinked!"
Hathaway made a wise career choice when she took on a voice role in "Rio." The animated movie from the makers of "Ice Age" crossed the $100 million mark in its second week of release, making another $14.4 million towards its $103.6 million total to land at #2 at the box office.
Also in the top five during a second weekend of release: "Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family" at #3 with $10 million for a $41 million total and "Water for Elephants" at #4 with $9.1 million for a $32.2 million total. The comic book-based "Dylan Dog: Dead of Night" opened in limited release and grossed just $885,500 in 875 theaters. It sits at just 7 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Next weekend's new releases include "Thor" and romantic comedy "Something Borrowed." Mel Gibson's "The Beaver," co-starring and directed by Jodie Foster, will also hit theaters.
Check out everything we've got on "Fast Five."
Check out everything we've got on "Fast Five," "Rio" and "Water for Elephants".
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Coldplay, Led Zeppelin Album Covers Featured On New British Stamps
Album art from Pink Floyd, Blur and David Bowie also included.By James Montgomery
Coldplay's new British stamps
Photo: Royal Mail
On Thursday (January 7), the U.K.'s Royal Mail unveiled a series of 10 new stamps, honoring the most iconic album covers of the past 40 years.
The albums featured in the new series are the Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed, Led Zeppelin's IV, David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, The Clash's London Calling, New Order's Power, Corruption and Lies, Primal Scream's Screamadelica, Pink Floyd's The Division Bell, Blur's Parklife and — the most recent album on to make the cut — Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head.
Meant to honor "the most potent graphic images of modern times, many of which have provided a visual soundtrack to people's lives," the series is the end result of a lengthy research process by the Royal Mail, who looked through thousands of album covers by British artists before deciding on the final list. And, during a Wednesday night BBC Radio broadcast, it was revealed that the queen herself actually approved each design.
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page — who helped design the cover for IV — was on hand to celebrate the release of the stamps and recalled the mysterious nature of the album's iconic imagery.
"Almost 40 years after the album came out, nobody knows the old man who featured on the cover, nor the artist who painted him," he said. "That sort of sums up what we wanted to achieve with the album cover, which has remained both anonymous and enigmatic at the same time."
Of course, any great honor is befitting of an equally great contest, so, on the same day the stamps were made available to the general public, Coldplay decided to give one of their Rush of Blood stamps away. In a message on their official site, the band held a contest to send one lucky fan "a letter using a Coldplay stamp, postmarked with today's issue date."
"We visited our local post office earlier today and bought some of the Coldplay stamps," the message read. "Very nice they are too."
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Coldplay's new British stamps
Photo: Royal Mail
On Thursday (January 7), the U.K.'s Royal Mail unveiled a series of 10 new stamps, honoring the most iconic album covers of the past 40 years.
The albums featured in the new series are the Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed, Led Zeppelin's IV, David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, The Clash's London Calling, New Order's Power, Corruption and Lies, Primal Scream's Screamadelica, Pink Floyd's The Division Bell, Blur's Parklife and — the most recent album on to make the cut — Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head.
Meant to honor "the most potent graphic images of modern times, many of which have provided a visual soundtrack to people's lives," the series is the end result of a lengthy research process by the Royal Mail, who looked through thousands of album covers by British artists before deciding on the final list. And, during a Wednesday night BBC Radio broadcast, it was revealed that the queen herself actually approved each design.
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page — who helped design the cover for IV — was on hand to celebrate the release of the stamps and recalled the mysterious nature of the album's iconic imagery.
"Almost 40 years after the album came out, nobody knows the old man who featured on the cover, nor the artist who painted him," he said. "That sort of sums up what we wanted to achieve with the album cover, which has remained both anonymous and enigmatic at the same time."
Of course, any great honor is befitting of an equally great contest, so, on the same day the stamps were made available to the general public, Coldplay decided to give one of their Rush of Blood stamps away. In a message on their official site, the band held a contest to send one lucky fan "a letter using a Coldplay stamp, postmarked with today's issue date."
"We visited our local post office earlier today and bought some of the Coldplay stamps," the message read. "Very nice they are too."
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Monday, May 2, 2011
I Told You So
In case I wasn't clear in my video... more proof that cab drivers don't like to go to Brooklyn.Michelle Obama
Michelle Rodriguez
Michelle Trachtenberg
Mila Kunis
How Osama Bin Laden's Death Might Affect Several Developing Movies
The death of Osama bin Laden is making headlines all across the globe today, and it's an incident we're sure to hear about for years and years to come ? indeed, it's a story we're likely to see on the big-screen very soon.
Several developing films centered on bin Laden already existed prior to the Al [...]Ana Hickmann Ana Ivanovi Ana Paula Lemes Ananda Lewis
Several developing films centered on bin Laden already existed prior to the Al [...]Ana Hickmann Ana Ivanovi Ana Paula Lemes Ananda Lewis
Britney Spears Drops Official 'Till The World Ends' Remix
New track with Nicki Minaj, Ke$ha follows leaked version, plus Brit tweets single's cover art.By Jocelyn Vena
The "Till the World Ends" Femme Fatale remix
Photo: Jive
Just days after it was leaked on Friday, Britney Spears and her femme fatales, Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha, dropped their official remix of "Till the World Ends."
The new version of the song was produced by Dr. Luke and Dream Machine. Brit half-whispers " 'Till the World Ends' remix" before the beat kicks in and Nicki hits her verse hard. She spits fierce lines like, "Sniff, sniff, cries/ I done slayed your whole entire f---ing life."
Then Britney's sex-kitten vocals kick in for the song's first verse. "That's Britney, bitch! I'm Nicki Minaj and that's Ke$ha," the Queens MC declares before K sings the chorus. The beat is harder, the loops are sassier and the song is grimier than the original version, which was the second single from Femme Fatale. The newly added dubstep portion takes the one from "Hold It Against Me" to a new level by adding in bass-heavy synths.
Ke$ha, of course, wrote the track for Britney, and the ladies certainly don't seem to mind sharing the spotlight with each other. The official track isn't much different than the version that leaked over the weekend, though Spears did have something brand-new to share with her fans just as the song dropped on iTunes and streamed on her website.
Spears tweeted the artwork for the single, which features the original press photo of Spears along with separate photos of Nicki on the left and Ke$ha on the right. Spears wrote, "@NickiMinaj @Keshasuxx Too much fierceness for one cover! Thanks for lending your voices girls... #TTWEREMIX — Brit"
Spears and Minaj have been hanging out a lot in the lead-up to their summer tour. They hung out at the Factory nightclub on Friday night after Minaj's show in Los Angeles. Spears later wrote, "Early rehearsal after a late night with my girl @NickiMinaj. Can't WAIT to get out on the road with you."
What do you think of the "Till the World Ends" remix? Tell us in the comments!
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The "Till the World Ends" Femme Fatale remix
Photo: Jive
Just days after it was leaked on Friday, Britney Spears and her femme fatales, Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha, dropped their official remix of "Till the World Ends."
The new version of the song was produced by Dr. Luke and Dream Machine. Brit half-whispers " 'Till the World Ends' remix" before the beat kicks in and Nicki hits her verse hard. She spits fierce lines like, "Sniff, sniff, cries/ I done slayed your whole entire f---ing life."
Then Britney's sex-kitten vocals kick in for the song's first verse. "That's Britney, bitch! I'm Nicki Minaj and that's Ke$ha," the Queens MC declares before K sings the chorus. The beat is harder, the loops are sassier and the song is grimier than the original version, which was the second single from Femme Fatale. The newly added dubstep portion takes the one from "Hold It Against Me" to a new level by adding in bass-heavy synths.
Ke$ha, of course, wrote the track for Britney, and the ladies certainly don't seem to mind sharing the spotlight with each other. The official track isn't much different than the version that leaked over the weekend, though Spears did have something brand-new to share with her fans just as the song dropped on iTunes and streamed on her website.
Spears tweeted the artwork for the single, which features the original press photo of Spears along with separate photos of Nicki on the left and Ke$ha on the right. Spears wrote, "@NickiMinaj @Keshasuxx Too much fierceness for one cover! Thanks for lending your voices girls... #TTWEREMIX — Brit"
Spears and Minaj have been hanging out a lot in the lead-up to their summer tour. They hung out at the Factory nightclub on Friday night after Minaj's show in Los Angeles. Spears later wrote, "Early rehearsal after a late night with my girl @NickiMinaj. Can't WAIT to get out on the road with you."
What do you think of the "Till the World Ends" remix? Tell us in the comments!
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Mary J. Blige Dishes On Her 'Crazy' Led Zeppelin Covers
'I've listened to their music since I was a child,' says the R&B diva, who recorded 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love.'By James Montgomery, with reporting by Larry Carroll
Mary J. Blige
Photo: MTV News
You wouldn't peg Mary J Blige as the black-light-and-tapestry sort, but, as has become readily apparent in recent weeks, she absolutely loves Led Zeppelin.
In early February, reports began circulating that Blige had re-recorded Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to Heaven," working with Travis Barker, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson and guitarist Steve Vai on the track, which is slated to appear on the international reissue of her Stronger With Each Tear album, due Monday.
But after she had recorded "Stairway," Blige continued to get the Led out, covering another Zeppelin classic — the thunderous "Whole Lotta Love" — for the album too. And when MTV News caught up with her on the Essence Black Women in Hollywood red carpet, she told us all about channeling her inner Robert Plant for the tracks, a process that came much easier than you'd probably imagine.
"I did Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love' — it's crazy," she said. "I am a Led Zeppelin fan. I'm not going to say I've been to their concerts, but I've listened to their music since I was a child, and it's always moved me, especially 'Stairway to Heaven,' and 'Whole Lotta Love' is just fun."
Blige also said she recorded another new song — a "club record" called "I Can't Wait" — for the re-release. And while it's only slated to hit shelves outside the U.S., she hopes her fans will get a chance to hear all the new songs pretty soon.
"I want y'all to hear it," she laughed.
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Mary J. Blige
Photo: MTV News
You wouldn't peg Mary J Blige as the black-light-and-tapestry sort, but, as has become readily apparent in recent weeks, she absolutely loves Led Zeppelin.
In early February, reports began circulating that Blige had re-recorded Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to Heaven," working with Travis Barker, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson and guitarist Steve Vai on the track, which is slated to appear on the international reissue of her Stronger With Each Tear album, due Monday.
But after she had recorded "Stairway," Blige continued to get the Led out, covering another Zeppelin classic — the thunderous "Whole Lotta Love" — for the album too. And when MTV News caught up with her on the Essence Black Women in Hollywood red carpet, she told us all about channeling her inner Robert Plant for the tracks, a process that came much easier than you'd probably imagine.
"I did Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love' — it's crazy," she said. "I am a Led Zeppelin fan. I'm not going to say I've been to their concerts, but I've listened to their music since I was a child, and it's always moved me, especially 'Stairway to Heaven,' and 'Whole Lotta Love' is just fun."
Blige also said she recorded another new song — a "club record" called "I Can't Wait" — for the re-release. And while it's only slated to hit shelves outside the U.S., she hopes her fans will get a chance to hear all the new songs pretty soon.
"I want y'all to hear it," she laughed.
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Sunday, May 1, 2011
Afternoon Links With Jayden James And Sean Preston Federline
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Ke$ha Says Her Own Britney-Style All-Girl Tour Will Be All Guys
'Blow' singer is psyched for the summer leg of her Get $leazy Tour with Spank Rock, LMFAO.By Gil Kaufman
Ke$ha
Photo: MTV News
There's certainly something to be said for girl power. Ke$ha felt it when she hit the road with Rihanna last year, when the two apparently engaged in a variety of high jinks, including some alleged backstage pillow fights.
But when MTV News caught up with the glitter-soaked party girl on Wednesday just hours before her show at New York's Roseland Ballroom and asked her who she might bring along if she were able to put together a Britney Spears-style all-girl tour, Ke$ha didn't hesitate to name her posse.
Sitting cross-legged on a couch in black tights, black cowboy boots, black leather gloves and sleeveless black rocker T-shirt, Ke$ha told us that her all-girl lineup would actually be, well, all guys. "All-girl fantasy tour?" she said, staring up at the ceiling for a moment and contemplating the idea. "I mean, I play nice with chicks. I actually put together my personal fantasy tour and I just announced the second leg of my Get $leazy Tour and that's gonna be: me and LMFAO and Spank Rock."
And while the upcoming outing will be light on the estrogen — much like the first leg of her $leazy tour, on which she is sharing the stage with party-rap dude Beardo — Ke$ha insisted that it still will offer what her fans have come to expect from her shows. "It's not an all-girls tour, but it's gonna be f---ing sleazy," she maintained.
That macho vibe has been on display during to the winding-down first leg of the $leazy fest, which Ke$ha has nicknamed the "I Can Do Whatever We Want Tour." So, what kind of perks come with being a first-time headliner? "Blasting glitter violently at people, even if they don't want it," said Ke$ha. "It's like they don't even have a choice. It is a little volatile, but I do it anyways. I feel like people know me for my glitter and I don't want to disappoint."
Are you planning to see Ke$ha on the next leg of her Get Sleazy tour? Tell us in the comments.
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Ke$ha
Photo: MTV News
There's certainly something to be said for girl power. Ke$ha felt it when she hit the road with Rihanna last year, when the two apparently engaged in a variety of high jinks, including some alleged backstage pillow fights.
But when MTV News caught up with the glitter-soaked party girl on Wednesday just hours before her show at New York's Roseland Ballroom and asked her who she might bring along if she were able to put together a Britney Spears-style all-girl tour, Ke$ha didn't hesitate to name her posse.
Sitting cross-legged on a couch in black tights, black cowboy boots, black leather gloves and sleeveless black rocker T-shirt, Ke$ha told us that her all-girl lineup would actually be, well, all guys. "All-girl fantasy tour?" she said, staring up at the ceiling for a moment and contemplating the idea. "I mean, I play nice with chicks. I actually put together my personal fantasy tour and I just announced the second leg of my Get $leazy Tour and that's gonna be: me and LMFAO and Spank Rock."
And while the upcoming outing will be light on the estrogen — much like the first leg of her $leazy tour, on which she is sharing the stage with party-rap dude Beardo — Ke$ha insisted that it still will offer what her fans have come to expect from her shows. "It's not an all-girls tour, but it's gonna be f---ing sleazy," she maintained.
That macho vibe has been on display during to the winding-down first leg of the $leazy fest, which Ke$ha has nicknamed the "I Can Do Whatever We Want Tour." So, what kind of perks come with being a first-time headliner? "Blasting glitter violently at people, even if they don't want it," said Ke$ha. "It's like they don't even have a choice. It is a little volatile, but I do it anyways. I feel like people know me for my glitter and I don't want to disappoint."
Are you planning to see Ke$ha on the next leg of her Get Sleazy tour? Tell us in the comments.
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Celebrity Couple Sighting: Tom Cruise And Katie Holmes
Tom Cruise was snapped rushing out to greet Katie Holmes as she returned home in NYC this afternoon. Katie’s television miniseries ‘The Kennedys‘ premiered last week – have you been watching? What do you think so far? Photos by FameSara Spraker
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Jack, My Narcoleptic Nephew
I'm seriously worried that my nephew Jack might be narcoleptic. One minute he's playing, and the next minute Zzzzzz...
The kid can fall asleep anywhere.
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The kid can fall asleep anywhere.
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Saturday, April 30, 2011
Seth Meyers 'Excited' By Lady Gaga/ Justin Timberlake 'SNL' Prospects
'Saturday Night Live' writer tells MTV News he has yet to start working on May 21 episode.By Jocelyn Vena
Seth Meyers
Photo: MTV News
When "Saturday Night Live" wraps up its season on May 21, it will have two of the biggest names in the entertainment world on hand to keep everyone buzzing through Monday morning. "SNL" darling and Hollywood A-lister Justin Timberlake has been tapped to host with pop music superstar Lady Gaga onboard to delight fans as the night's musical guest.
It's a pairing that has "SNL" writer/ "Weekend Update" host Seth Meyers very excited.
"Timberlake and Gaga! [I've got] nothing. It's a month out!" he told MTV News at the Time 100 gala in New York City about his plans for the twosome.
"I'm not even thinking about it! I have two shows before then. I can't believe how I'm slacking," he joked, adding, "Mostly, I'm just taking care of the business ahead of me, like athletes taking it a game at a time."
Fans would probably love to see Justin and Gaga pair up for a sketch, and the "SNL" head writer said he isn't against that idea. "I would love it," Meyers said. "[Lady Gaga] was great. She was one of the best musical acts we've ever had. Obviously, when it comes to being a performer, she's without peer, so I'm really excited to have both of them there together."
As for Timberlake, who has won two Emmys for his work on the late-night comedy staple, Meyers admitted, "Basically, he owns it!"
The multitalented pop stars will appear on the show in time to promote some of their latest projects. Timberlake's flick "Bad Teacher" opens on June 24 and Gaga's Born This Way drops May 23.
Would you like to see Gaga and Justin do an "SNL" skit together? Share your ideas in the comments!
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Photo: MTV News
When "Saturday Night Live" wraps up its season on May 21, it will have two of the biggest names in the entertainment world on hand to keep everyone buzzing through Monday morning. "SNL" darling and Hollywood A-lister Justin Timberlake has been tapped to host with pop music superstar Lady Gaga onboard to delight fans as the night's musical guest.
It's a pairing that has "SNL" writer/ "Weekend Update" host Seth Meyers very excited.
"Timberlake and Gaga! [I've got] nothing. It's a month out!" he told MTV News at the Time 100 gala in New York City about his plans for the twosome.
"I'm not even thinking about it! I have two shows before then. I can't believe how I'm slacking," he joked, adding, "Mostly, I'm just taking care of the business ahead of me, like athletes taking it a game at a time."
Fans would probably love to see Justin and Gaga pair up for a sketch, and the "SNL" head writer said he isn't against that idea. "I would love it," Meyers said. "[Lady Gaga] was great. She was one of the best musical acts we've ever had. Obviously, when it comes to being a performer, she's without peer, so I'm really excited to have both of them there together."
As for Timberlake, who has won two Emmys for his work on the late-night comedy staple, Meyers admitted, "Basically, he owns it!"
The multitalented pop stars will appear on the show in time to promote some of their latest projects. Timberlake's flick "Bad Teacher" opens on June 24 and Gaga's Born This Way drops May 23.
Would you like to see Gaga and Justin do an "SNL" skit together? Share your ideas in the comments!
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Heidi Montag And Danielle Staub Continue Bonding On Camera
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Artist: Ke$ha
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American Idol Results: Season 10 Top 13
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Friday, April 29, 2011
?Gossip Girl? Star Chace Crawford Strikes Deal In Drug Case
“Gossip Girl” Star Chace Crawford Strikes Deal In Drug CaseActor Chace Crawford has entered a deal after being charged with marijuana possession in June 2010. “Gossip Girl” actor Chace Crawford was arrested and charged [...]“Gossip Girl” Star Chace Crawford Strikes Deal In Drug Case Stupid Celebrities GossipCarla Gugino
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Ne-Yo Defends Beyonce 'Dis' Statements
'I'm tired of being nice to dumb people. ... Bottom line, Beyonce is my friend,' 'Irreplaceable' songwriter tweets.By Jocelyn Vena
Ne-Yo
Photo: Mawuse Ziegbe/ MTV News
When a comment from Ne-Yo hit the Internet in which the songwriter said that he wished he could have kept the Beyoncé hit "Irreplaceable" for himself, some took it as a dis to the star.
"One song that I gave away and didn't want to, but it's actually a good thing that I did, is Beyonce's 'Irreplaceable'. I honestly wrote that song for myself, but that song taught me a very interesting lesson: Many women don't think that differently. ... However, a man singing it comes across a little bit misogynistic, a little bit mean," Ne-Yo, who wrote the song, said in an interview.
When it was implied on Twitter that Ne-Yo was dissing the Sasha Fierce star with his comments, the singer/songwriter defended himself. "Aiight my dude. Send me the link to where I said ANYTHING disrespectful about Beyonce, PLEASE! Dying to hear this," he wrote. "Just heard the audio where I supposedly dissed Beyonce. ARE Y'ALL SERIOUS!?! Did y'all even listen to what I said!?!"
Ne-Yo then continued to tweet his anger toward those who misunderstood what he said. "I said I originally wrote the song for me. That's true, so OF COURSE I didn't want to give it away originally. IT WAS FOR ME," he wrote. "Once I realized how the song comes across if sung by a guy, that's when I decided to give it away. HOW IS THAT DISSING BEYONCE!?! She took the song and made it a smash, NOBODY can deny that ...
"You know what? At first I was apologetic about what the hacker said, now that I've heard the audio myself, not so much," he continued. "Y'all should listen a lil' harder before you start dissin' people. Makes you look real dumb. I'm tired of being nice to dumb people. ... Bottom line, Beyonce is my friend. To HELL with anybody that ain't SMART enough to understand what I truly meant."
Do you think Ne-Yo was dissing Beyoncé with his comments? Tell us below.
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Photo: Mawuse Ziegbe/ MTV News
When a comment from Ne-Yo hit the Internet in which the songwriter said that he wished he could have kept the Beyoncé hit "Irreplaceable" for himself, some took it as a dis to the star.
"One song that I gave away and didn't want to, but it's actually a good thing that I did, is Beyonce's 'Irreplaceable'. I honestly wrote that song for myself, but that song taught me a very interesting lesson: Many women don't think that differently. ... However, a man singing it comes across a little bit misogynistic, a little bit mean," Ne-Yo, who wrote the song, said in an interview.
When it was implied on Twitter that Ne-Yo was dissing the Sasha Fierce star with his comments, the singer/songwriter defended himself. "Aiight my dude. Send me the link to where I said ANYTHING disrespectful about Beyonce, PLEASE! Dying to hear this," he wrote. "Just heard the audio where I supposedly dissed Beyonce. ARE Y'ALL SERIOUS!?! Did y'all even listen to what I said!?!"
Ne-Yo then continued to tweet his anger toward those who misunderstood what he said. "I said I originally wrote the song for me. That's true, so OF COURSE I didn't want to give it away originally. IT WAS FOR ME," he wrote. "Once I realized how the song comes across if sung by a guy, that's when I decided to give it away. HOW IS THAT DISSING BEYONCE!?! She took the song and made it a smash, NOBODY can deny that ...
"You know what? At first I was apologetic about what the hacker said, now that I've heard the audio myself, not so much," he continued. "Y'all should listen a lil' harder before you start dissin' people. Makes you look real dumb. I'm tired of being nice to dumb people. ... Bottom line, Beyonce is my friend. To HELL with anybody that ain't SMART enough to understand what I truly meant."
Do you think Ne-Yo was dissing Beyoncé with his comments? Tell us below.
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Photos | Britney Spears' 'Hold It Against Me' Pop-Culture References
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Thursday, April 28, 2011
First Look: Britney Spears ?Til The World Ends? (Video)
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Janet Jackson Thrills Fans With Greatest Hits, Michael Tribute At Radio City
Singer covered songs ranging from classic 'Pleasure Principle' to 2008's 'Feedback' at New York show.By Vaughn Schoonmaker
Janet Jackson (file)
Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images
NEW YORK — Often imitated, never duplicated, Janet Jackson's outbursts of meticulous choreography, sassy exclamations and smoldering gazes into the audience kept them on their feet for the entire two-hour set of her greatest hits at Radio City Music Hall. Monday night marked the last of three sold-out shows at the historic venue on her monumental Number Ones: Up Close and Personal Tour.
Up-and-coming boy band Mindless Behavior opened the show with songs including "#1 Girl," "Future" and their debut single, "My Girl." With their Usher-esque dance moves and shouts like "Where the ladies at?" the boys brought the tween girls out of hiding, judging by the shrill screams escaping various corner of the music hall.
At 9:00 sharp, the lights went down and Janet's fans were on the edge of their seats, watching music videos for "The Best Things in Life Are Free" and "Rhythm Nation" projected on big screens across the venue. A small shadow drifted toward center stage, and when the colorful lights came up, Jackson, wrapped in a shoulder-padded catsuit, complete with slick short hair, blasted into "The Pleasure Principle," dancing as hard and intensely choreographed as she did when the song first came out in the 1980s.
With barely a spare second between songs, Janet dazzled her way through her biggest hits, including "Miss You Much," "All for You" and "Nasty," and more recent hits like 2008's "Feedback."
Videos displayed during Jackson's costume changes included vintage clips from "Diff'rent Strokes," a funny scene from "Poetic Justice" where Jackson slyly rejects the advances of Tupac Shakur's character, and a rather heavy scene, as Jackson's character in "Why Did I Get Married" destroys her husband's house with a golf club, screaming hysterically.
Considering the tough couple of years the Jackson family has faced, the dark moments in the video seemed fitting, and everyone was beside themselves with bittersweet joy when Michael Jackson's face popped up on the big screen and she performed their hit single "Scream."
Janet emerged for her encore in a tight white one-piece disco suit, and performed "Diamonds," "Make Me" and "Together Again," which appeared to be the biggest hit of the evening. As Jackson graciously bowed out, her straight face transitioned into a smirk, suggesting that despite the hard times she has experienced recently, we can expect to see this singing and dancing pop legend shine far into the future.
"Its amazing!" Janet fan Elena Mercantini gleamed afterward. "It's like she's still 20 years old!"
"She's hot, she's amazing and she's still got it after all these years" added Alison Klinger of Long Island. "Best concert I've ever been to!"
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Janet Jackson (file)
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NEW YORK — Often imitated, never duplicated, Janet Jackson's outbursts of meticulous choreography, sassy exclamations and smoldering gazes into the audience kept them on their feet for the entire two-hour set of her greatest hits at Radio City Music Hall. Monday night marked the last of three sold-out shows at the historic venue on her monumental Number Ones: Up Close and Personal Tour.
Up-and-coming boy band Mindless Behavior opened the show with songs including "#1 Girl," "Future" and their debut single, "My Girl." With their Usher-esque dance moves and shouts like "Where the ladies at?" the boys brought the tween girls out of hiding, judging by the shrill screams escaping various corner of the music hall.
At 9:00 sharp, the lights went down and Janet's fans were on the edge of their seats, watching music videos for "The Best Things in Life Are Free" and "Rhythm Nation" projected on big screens across the venue. A small shadow drifted toward center stage, and when the colorful lights came up, Jackson, wrapped in a shoulder-padded catsuit, complete with slick short hair, blasted into "The Pleasure Principle," dancing as hard and intensely choreographed as she did when the song first came out in the 1980s.
With barely a spare second between songs, Janet dazzled her way through her biggest hits, including "Miss You Much," "All for You" and "Nasty," and more recent hits like 2008's "Feedback."
Videos displayed during Jackson's costume changes included vintage clips from "Diff'rent Strokes," a funny scene from "Poetic Justice" where Jackson slyly rejects the advances of Tupac Shakur's character, and a rather heavy scene, as Jackson's character in "Why Did I Get Married" destroys her husband's house with a golf club, screaming hysterically.
Considering the tough couple of years the Jackson family has faced, the dark moments in the video seemed fitting, and everyone was beside themselves with bittersweet joy when Michael Jackson's face popped up on the big screen and she performed their hit single "Scream."
Janet emerged for her encore in a tight white one-piece disco suit, and performed "Diamonds," "Make Me" and "Together Again," which appeared to be the biggest hit of the evening. As Jackson graciously bowed out, her straight face transitioned into a smirk, suggesting that despite the hard times she has experienced recently, we can expect to see this singing and dancing pop legend shine far into the future.
"Its amazing!" Janet fan Elena Mercantini gleamed afterward. "It's like she's still 20 years old!"
"She's hot, she's amazing and she's still got it after all these years" added Alison Klinger of Long Island. "Best concert I've ever been to!"
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Michael Jackson Wrongful Death Suit Vs. AEG Can Proceed, Judge Rules
Katherine Jackson and family are pursuing a claim against concert promoter.By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson
When he was alive, Michael Jackson was forever embroiled in a series of complex and expensive-sounding lawsuits. But even in death, the late King of Pop is the subject of major legal action. None could potentially be bigger than the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the pop icon's mother, Katherine Jackson, against concert promotion giant AEG Live.
Reuters reported that a Los Angeles judge ruled on Wednesday that the civil lawsuit can go forward. It will proceed in parallel with the criminal case against Jackson's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Jackson's June 2009 death from an overdose of the powerful surgical anesthetic propofol. Murray is the only person charged in Jackson's death and he is currently awaiting trial in that matter.
Katherine Jackson's lawsuit — filed in September on behalf of her and Jackson's three young children — accuses AEG of being responsible for the medical decisions made by Murray, whose salary was paid by the touring company behind Jackson's attempted "This Is It" comeback shows in London. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos denied a motion on Wednesday by AEG to dismiss Katherine Jackson's suit, but warned Jackson's attorneys that they would need to show evidence of "fraud, negligent infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy" in order to win the case.
The judge has already said she doubts they can prove the latter charge, because the suit does not detail any agreement between Murray and AEG to break the law in providing medical care to Jackson.
"If the object was to get him to rehearsals, I don't see that as a wrongful or illegal act," the judge said. A lawyer for AEG told the judge that the company could not have predicted beforehand that Murray's medical decisions would result in Jackson's death. Court papers also show that AEG "did not choose to hire Murray" and had only participated in negotiations to bring him on as an independent contractor. Michael, who had previously been treated by Murray in Las Vegas, was reportedly the one who suggested the cardiologist serve as his personal, on-call physician during the "This Is It" rehearsals and shows.
Katherine Jackson's attorney recently dropped choreographer Kenny Ortega from the lawsuit based on new information they received about his actions. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for March 22, just six days before Murray is due back in court for his trial. Jackson's father, Joseph, has twice attempted to file a wrongful death suit in the matter, though his is focused on Murray and the Las Vegas pharmacy that supplied the propofol, not AEG Live.
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When he was alive, Michael Jackson was forever embroiled in a series of complex and expensive-sounding lawsuits. But even in death, the late King of Pop is the subject of major legal action. None could potentially be bigger than the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the pop icon's mother, Katherine Jackson, against concert promotion giant AEG Live.
Reuters reported that a Los Angeles judge ruled on Wednesday that the civil lawsuit can go forward. It will proceed in parallel with the criminal case against Jackson's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Jackson's June 2009 death from an overdose of the powerful surgical anesthetic propofol. Murray is the only person charged in Jackson's death and he is currently awaiting trial in that matter.
Katherine Jackson's lawsuit — filed in September on behalf of her and Jackson's three young children — accuses AEG of being responsible for the medical decisions made by Murray, whose salary was paid by the touring company behind Jackson's attempted "This Is It" comeback shows in London. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos denied a motion on Wednesday by AEG to dismiss Katherine Jackson's suit, but warned Jackson's attorneys that they would need to show evidence of "fraud, negligent infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy" in order to win the case.
The judge has already said she doubts they can prove the latter charge, because the suit does not detail any agreement between Murray and AEG to break the law in providing medical care to Jackson.
"If the object was to get him to rehearsals, I don't see that as a wrongful or illegal act," the judge said. A lawyer for AEG told the judge that the company could not have predicted beforehand that Murray's medical decisions would result in Jackson's death. Court papers also show that AEG "did not choose to hire Murray" and had only participated in negotiations to bring him on as an independent contractor. Michael, who had previously been treated by Murray in Las Vegas, was reportedly the one who suggested the cardiologist serve as his personal, on-call physician during the "This Is It" rehearsals and shows.
Katherine Jackson's attorney recently dropped choreographer Kenny Ortega from the lawsuit based on new information they received about his actions. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for March 22, just six days before Murray is due back in court for his trial. Jackson's father, Joseph, has twice attempted to file a wrongful death suit in the matter, though his is focused on Murray and the Las Vegas pharmacy that supplied the propofol, not AEG Live.
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Beyonce Is A Goofy Fan!
Beyonce channelled her inner child today as she was spotted enjoying some time in Disneyland Paris. Beyonce looks stunning even in a Goofy hat! Beyonce and husband Jay-Z have been enjoying their time in Paris. Her new single, Run The … Continue reading →Danneel Harris
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
WTF? Hanson Plays Live on Dancing With The Stars
WTF? Hanson Plays Live on Dancing With The StarsLol, Hanson? � Yep- Hanson played their number one hit MMMbop on Dancing With The Stars last night. I guess they ran out of big [...]WTF? Hanson Plays Live on Dancing With The Stars Stupid Celebrities GossipTara Reed
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Mariah Carey Keeps The Belly Paintings Coming, Easter Style
Mariah Carey is determined to make herself the patron saint of pregnant belly painting. Last month, she rocked a butterfly on her tummy along with the words "dem babies." Then this the weekend, she painted up her convex tummy with an Easter egg, complete with a pink heart for her unborn daughter and a blue one for soon-to-be son. Maybe it's because she has the world's biggest canvas thanks to the twins? [PopEater]
After the jump, how David Beckham spent Easter…
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After the jump, how David Beckham spent Easter…
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Beyonce's 'Girls' Video Will Be 'Big,' Director Says
'Water for Elephants' helmer Francis Lawrence opens up about shooting the diva's video.By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Beyoncé
Photo: Getty
Francis Lawrence confirmed to MTV News at the "Water for Elephants" premiere on Sunday that he had just wrapped up work on Beyoncé's new video. And the director promised that this clip will live up to the expectations that have been building since photos from the set began leaking.
"I just shot a Beyoncé video at the beginning of this last week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, which was fun, and I hadn't done a video since 2009," he said, referring to the VMA-winning video for Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance."
Lawrence went on to confirm a few more details about the song, without giving away too much of anything, per B's orders. "The video's for the songs 'Girls'; it's off her new album," he said. "She would probably have me shot if I said anything. ... Some stuff spilled out, but she wasn't happy about it, so I've been sworn to secrecy."
What spilled was some looks from the video, as well as details that there will be lots of dancing in the clip. "It'll be big, it'll probably be one of the bigger Beyoncé music videos ever done," he added. "And, I can say that I think the song is unbelievable."
The director noted that artists have definitely stepped up their video game in recent years and once again made visuals a vital part of their work. He gives some credit for that to Lady Gaga, as well as a number of Lawrence's past collaborators, like Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and the Black Eyed Peas.
"The Gaga thing took me by surprise, 'cause I've done videos for probably 15 years, and I had forgotten what it felt like to have a video premiere and have it be anticipated and have it explode," he explained. "And yeah I hope the same for Beyoncé, but I don't know if that's gonna happen. It is a fantastic song, so I really hope that song catches for her, and I think the video's gonna be really fun and cool and different for her."
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Photo: Getty
Francis Lawrence confirmed to MTV News at the "Water for Elephants" premiere on Sunday that he had just wrapped up work on Beyoncé's new video. And the director promised that this clip will live up to the expectations that have been building since photos from the set began leaking.
"I just shot a Beyoncé video at the beginning of this last week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, which was fun, and I hadn't done a video since 2009," he said, referring to the VMA-winning video for Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance."
Lawrence went on to confirm a few more details about the song, without giving away too much of anything, per B's orders. "The video's for the songs 'Girls'; it's off her new album," he said. "She would probably have me shot if I said anything. ... Some stuff spilled out, but she wasn't happy about it, so I've been sworn to secrecy."
What spilled was some looks from the video, as well as details that there will be lots of dancing in the clip. "It'll be big, it'll probably be one of the bigger Beyoncé music videos ever done," he added. "And, I can say that I think the song is unbelievable."
The director noted that artists have definitely stepped up their video game in recent years and once again made visuals a vital part of their work. He gives some credit for that to Lady Gaga, as well as a number of Lawrence's past collaborators, like Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and the Black Eyed Peas.
"The Gaga thing took me by surprise, 'cause I've done videos for probably 15 years, and I had forgotten what it felt like to have a video premiere and have it be anticipated and have it explode," he explained. "And yeah I hope the same for Beyoncé, but I don't know if that's gonna happen. It is a fantastic song, so I really hope that song catches for her, and I think the video's gonna be really fun and cool and different for her."
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Monday, April 25, 2011
Adam Lambert's 'Whole Lotta Love': The Story Behind The Cover
Glam rocker tackled the legendary 1970 Led Zeppelin song for 'American Idol' rock night.By Gil Kaufman
Adam Lambert performs "Whole Lotta Love" on "American Idol" on Tuesday
Photo: R. Mickshaw/Getty Images/ Fox
Imagine a freight train speeding toward you at midnight. Or a rockslide barreling down a hill as you try to outrace it. That's the feeling of the ominous, chugging Jimmy Page riff that kicks off Led Zeppelin's 1970 Stonehenge of rock, "Whole Lotta Love." And that's before singer Robert Plant leans into one of the nastiest, ecstatic rock screams this side of the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again."
That's the song Adam Lambert chose to sing on "American Idol" rock night Tuesday (May 5), and, needless to say, it was a challenge that the eyeliner-loving Los Angeles stage veteran was more than up for, hitting a series of high notes and rock screams that would have made Plant proud. It was a risky maneuver that paid off for Lambert, who chose a tune that came in at #75 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004.
The legendary British rock act recorded the tribute to Chicago blues icon Willie Dixon during their second U.S. tour after working it out in their live show, including it on their 1969 classic album Led Zeppelin II. Like many of the songs Zeppelin performed early in their career, "Love" was a blues standard turned on its head with a heavy dose of crunching psychedelic guitar and thundering drums, courtesy of late drummer John Bonham. The song was based on a 1962 tune by another blues forefather, Muddy Waters, called "You Need Love," which was penned by Dixon.
For Zeppelin's version, Plant customized the lyrics by adding some lyrical quotes from a few other songs Dixon wrote for Howlin' Wolf, "Back Door Man" and "Shake For Me," nailing the tricky vocal in a single take. It was also inspired by 1966's "You Need Loving" from the British rock group the Small Faces, for whom Zeppelin had great affection, but they also did not credit Dixon for his part in writing the original lyrics. The song became Zeppelin's first U.S. single and their only U.S. top 10 hit. Though their manager would not let them release singles in the U.K. because he thought it cannibalized album sales, the song was finally released as the band's only British single in 1997.
Dixon sued Zeppelin over the song in 1985, claiming it borrowed too heavily from his "You Need Love," and Zeppelin reached an agreement with him, with Dixon using the money he received to set up a program that provided musical instruments for schools. A cornerstone of heavy rock, the tune -- which was the theme song for the long-running British countdown show "Top of the Pops" in the 1970s and '80s -- has been covered by dozens of artists over the years, from Tina Turner and Ben Harper to Prince, Slash, Leona Lewis, Train's Pat Monahan, the London Symphony Orchestra and Jane's Addiction.
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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Adam Lambert performs "Whole Lotta Love" on "American Idol" on Tuesday
Photo: R. Mickshaw/Getty Images/ Fox
Imagine a freight train speeding toward you at midnight. Or a rockslide barreling down a hill as you try to outrace it. That's the feeling of the ominous, chugging Jimmy Page riff that kicks off Led Zeppelin's 1970 Stonehenge of rock, "Whole Lotta Love." And that's before singer Robert Plant leans into one of the nastiest, ecstatic rock screams this side of the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again."
That's the song Adam Lambert chose to sing on "American Idol" rock night Tuesday (May 5), and, needless to say, it was a challenge that the eyeliner-loving Los Angeles stage veteran was more than up for, hitting a series of high notes and rock screams that would have made Plant proud. It was a risky maneuver that paid off for Lambert, who chose a tune that came in at #75 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004.
The legendary British rock act recorded the tribute to Chicago blues icon Willie Dixon during their second U.S. tour after working it out in their live show, including it on their 1969 classic album Led Zeppelin II. Like many of the songs Zeppelin performed early in their career, "Love" was a blues standard turned on its head with a heavy dose of crunching psychedelic guitar and thundering drums, courtesy of late drummer John Bonham. The song was based on a 1962 tune by another blues forefather, Muddy Waters, called "You Need Love," which was penned by Dixon.
For Zeppelin's version, Plant customized the lyrics by adding some lyrical quotes from a few other songs Dixon wrote for Howlin' Wolf, "Back Door Man" and "Shake For Me," nailing the tricky vocal in a single take. It was also inspired by 1966's "You Need Loving" from the British rock group the Small Faces, for whom Zeppelin had great affection, but they also did not credit Dixon for his part in writing the original lyrics. The song became Zeppelin's first U.S. single and their only U.S. top 10 hit. Though their manager would not let them release singles in the U.K. because he thought it cannibalized album sales, the song was finally released as the band's only British single in 1997.
Dixon sued Zeppelin over the song in 1985, claiming it borrowed too heavily from his "You Need Love," and Zeppelin reached an agreement with him, with Dixon using the money he received to set up a program that provided musical instruments for schools. A cornerstone of heavy rock, the tune -- which was the theme song for the long-running British countdown show "Top of the Pops" in the 1970s and '80s -- has been covered by dozens of artists over the years, from Tina Turner and Ben Harper to Prince, Slash, Leona Lewis, Train's Pat Monahan, the London Symphony Orchestra and Jane's Addiction.
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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Charlie Sheen Unsuccessful In Taking Custody Of Twins From Brooke Mueller
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Sunday, April 24, 2011
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Demi Lovato's Windy City Easter Weekend
Making the cross-country flight to the midwest, Demi Lovato touched down at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, IL on Saturday night (April 23).
The "Camp Rock" cutie was fresh off of an outbound trip from LAX Airport in Los Angeles as she chomped on an apple while patiently waiting for her luggage.
The trip to the Windy City comes just after Miss Lovato sat down with 20/20 to talk about her rehab stint and road to recovery from cutting and an eating disorder.
Of her battle with cutting, Demi told, ?It was a way of expressing my own shame, of myself, on my own body. I was matching the inside to the outside. And there were some times where my emotions were just so built up, I didn?t know what to do. The only way that I could get instant gratification was through an immediate release on myself.?
As for her eating disorder, the former Disney star said, ?I was compulsively overeating when I was 8 years old ? So, I guess, for the past 10 years I?ve had a really unhealthy relationship with food.?
On the right track at this point, Lovato told of turning things around, ?I was performing concerts on an empty stomach. I was losing my voice from purging and I literally was so emotionally whacked out that I took it out on someone that meant a lot to me. I take 100 percent full responsibility. The second I kind of came out of my mania and realized what I had done I felt sick. [My family and management team] sat me down and said, ?You can?t live like this. You need to get help.? And that?s exactly what I did.?
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The "Camp Rock" cutie was fresh off of an outbound trip from LAX Airport in Los Angeles as she chomped on an apple while patiently waiting for her luggage.
The trip to the Windy City comes just after Miss Lovato sat down with 20/20 to talk about her rehab stint and road to recovery from cutting and an eating disorder.
Of her battle with cutting, Demi told, ?It was a way of expressing my own shame, of myself, on my own body. I was matching the inside to the outside. And there were some times where my emotions were just so built up, I didn?t know what to do. The only way that I could get instant gratification was through an immediate release on myself.?
As for her eating disorder, the former Disney star said, ?I was compulsively overeating when I was 8 years old ? So, I guess, for the past 10 years I?ve had a really unhealthy relationship with food.?
On the right track at this point, Lovato told of turning things around, ?I was performing concerts on an empty stomach. I was losing my voice from purging and I literally was so emotionally whacked out that I took it out on someone that meant a lot to me. I take 100 percent full responsibility. The second I kind of came out of my mania and realized what I had done I felt sick. [My family and management team] sat me down and said, ?You can?t live like this. You need to get help.? And that?s exactly what I did.?
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Saturday, April 23, 2011
Boy Troubles For Amy Winehouse
Oh no! Amy Winehouse has been doing SO well lately! This is the last thing she needs.Her current boyfriend, film producer, Reg Traviss, was supposedly spotted getting cuddly with his ex-girlfriend, Raven Isis, at a strip club in London this weekend. At a strip club??? Riiiight. Perfect place for romance, no? Then again Raven is a burlesque dancer, so maybe that's her just her thing."The pair walked into the Red Room gentlemen's club where they spent some time inside.They seemed cosy and comfortable with each other. Raven couldn't stop smiling. Then they went out to have a cigarette."Hopefully this won't send Amy spinning out of control again. With celebrities like Amy and Britney Spears, I feel like the balance is precarious and any little thing could send them over the edge again, don't you?Photos by Wenn.com Continue reading →Brittany Snow
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Friday, April 22, 2011
Marines Make Britney Spears Video
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Red Carpet Fashion At The 2011 Sag Awards Plus Kidman Opens Up About Faith Margaret
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Friday, March 18, 2011
Jennifer Love Hewitt Is Prepared To Get Married
Jennifer Love Hewitt visits ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ today, and in addition to talking about her new project, ‘The Lost Valentine,’ she also dished on wedding rings and working with Betty White. When Jennifer confirmed to Ellen that she already … Continue reading →Michelle Obama
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VOTD: Jimmy Fallon (as Van Morrison) Wishes You a Happy St. Patrick?s Day
It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and in celebration, we bring you proof that yes, Jimmy Fallon does indeed have some comedic talented. Today’s video features the “SNL” alum doing a spot-on impression of beloved Irish songwriter Van Morrison. Of course he’s chugging pints of Guinness. Would it be a true St. Patrick’s Day celebration without it? [...]Daisy Fuentes
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Celebrity Breakup: Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron
It was confirmed that Vanessa and her longtime boyfriend/ ?High School Musical? costar Zac Efron decided to call it quits. According to Us Magazine, the ?High School Musical? co-stars have split after spending more than three years in the spotlight together.
With their romance having started as the two were paired up as co-star leads in Disney's "High School Musical," a source close to the couple now claims of the breakup, "It was mutual. They have been together for so long. It just ran its course."
And, the insider insists, "They are still talking and still friends. There's no drama. No one cheated. They just grew up."
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With their romance having started as the two were paired up as co-star leads in Disney's "High School Musical," a source close to the couple now claims of the breakup, "It was mutual. They have been together for so long. It just ran its course."
And, the insider insists, "They are still talking and still friends. There's no drama. No one cheated. They just grew up."
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Thursday, March 17, 2011
Britney Spears - Radar
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WATCH: Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake Get Naked!
Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis continue to insist that their friendship had nothing to do with his recent split from Jessica Biel. But this new trailer for their upcoming flick, Friends with Benefits, is certainly not helping!
Kunis and Timberlake play two pals, both frustrated by past relationships, who decide they'll just have a no-strings-attached sexual fling. In one scene, Kunis and Timberlake even strip down naked in order to assess each other's goods.
The onscreen chemistry between these two is undeniable. And if their off-screen relationship was half as fun as what they portray in the new flick, we're not surprised by the rumors that a little something-something was going on behind the scenes.
Check out the trailer for Friends with Benefits below:
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Kunis and Timberlake play two pals, both frustrated by past relationships, who decide they'll just have a no-strings-attached sexual fling. In one scene, Kunis and Timberlake even strip down naked in order to assess each other's goods.
The onscreen chemistry between these two is undeniable. And if their off-screen relationship was half as fun as what they portray in the new flick, we're not surprised by the rumors that a little something-something was going on behind the scenes.
Check out the trailer for Friends with Benefits below:
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PHOTO: See Pink's New "Butchered" Haircut
Pink won't be raising her glass to her stylist anytime soon!
The pregnant singer, who debuted a new cropped, silver 'do at the red carpet premiere of The Lincoln Lawyer last week, is complaining about her new look.
"The woman that did my hair butchered it," she twittered on March 12. "I hate it."
Adding fuel to her fire, fans of the 31-year-old agreed that the look was, well, less than perfect.
"Thanks for pointing out how much you all hate it, too. Helpful," she shot back.
What do you think of Pink's new look? Vote in the poll above!
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The pregnant singer, who debuted a new cropped, silver 'do at the red carpet premiere of The Lincoln Lawyer last week, is complaining about her new look.
"The woman that did my hair butchered it," she twittered on March 12. "I hate it."
Adding fuel to her fire, fans of the 31-year-old agreed that the look was, well, less than perfect.
"Thanks for pointing out how much you all hate it, too. Helpful," she shot back.
What do you think of Pink's new look? Vote in the poll above!
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011
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Linkin Park? U2? Ke$ha? Behind MTV's Musical March Madness Selection
With the tipoff of our tournament set for Monday, Bigger Than the Sound breaks down your favorite band's chances of busting the bracket.By James Montgomery
Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington
Photo: Frank Hoensch/ Getty Images
Last year, when we launched the inaugural Musical March Madness tournament, we did it largely on a whim.
As I wrote when I revealed my original (handwritten) bracket, the basic idea was to combine my love of college basketball, gambling and rock music (and superfluous lists) into one magical event, and it really didn't matter that I hadn't figured out how bands would advance in the tournament or even what they'd get for winning. All I knew was that it seemed like a fun idea (especially since I didn't have anything else to write my column about that week) and that somewhere, there had to be someone who cared about these seemingly disparate things nearly as much as I did.
As it turned out, there were a lot of people who cared, and when it was all said and done — thanks to the efforts of a whole lot of folks, including Newsroom blog editor Kyle Anderson, who basically decided "You know what? People should vote on this!" — not only was Musical March Madness a certified success, but we somehow even managed to get an actual trophy to present to the winners, Coheed and Cambria, too. So, really, everybody won.
Of course, given the success of the original MMM, attention quickly shifted to the 2011 tournament. Last year, I basically just threw together a list of 64 bands (65, actually; who could forget the epic Against Me!/ Creed play-in battle?). For the 2011 tournament, however, I did research, monitored album sales and basically became a Selection Committee of one. And, yes, it took way longer than I ever could have imagined.
So, with the 2011 Musical March Madness set to tip off Monday — when we reveal our full bracket of 64 bands and launch voting in first-round matchups — I decided to pull back the curtain on that selection process. Some teams have all but locked up their spots in the 2011 tournament, while others still have some work to do. In the spirit of all things bracketological, here's my up-to-the-minute look at where your favorite bands stand for this year's MMM:
The #1 Seeds
The biggest bands in the land. Last year, I gave out #1's to Nickelback, Coldplay, Blink-182 and the Kings of Leon. Somewhat surprisingly, three-quarters of them ended up losing in the opening round of the tournament (only Blink survived, making it to the round of 32 before losing to 30 Seconds to Mars). Obviously, I overestimated the popularity of some of those acts, which means that, in 2011, to be a #1 seed, you have to have proven yourself as not only a rock-solid commodity, but an actual threat to win the championship too. Oh, and it wouldn't hurt to have an album either in stores or coming soon. So here are my latest contenders for top seeds:
» Foo Fighters
» 30 Seconds to Mars
» Linkin Park
» My Chemical Romance
» Arcade Fire
» Vampire Weekend
» Muse
» The Black Keys
» Blink-182
» Radiohead
» Coldplay
» Mumford & Sons
The Foos have a hotly anticipated album coming down the pipeline, as does Coldplay. Are expectations enough to make them #1's? Or will the committee recognize the breakout success of the Black Keys, Muse and Mumford? Does a #1 album and a shocking Grammy win earn the Arcade Fire a top seed? Linkin Park and MCR both scuffed a bit with their latest albums, but does that matter, especially since they're both legacy acts with loyal fanbases (and, in the case of My Chem, are tournament-tested)? And will the committee ignore the fact that, by most accounts, Radiohead's latest was a bit of a letdown or that Blink-182 may never actually release their new album? As you can see, there are still plenty of questions left to be answered.
The Old Guard
Legacy acts with something left in the tank. In 2010, time-tested faves like Slipknot, the White Stripes, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sublime, Pearl Jam, U2 and the Dave Matthews Band all got invites to the big dance based largely on reputation alone (just think of them as the Dukes or Kansases of MMM). Of course, nearly all of them got knocked off in the first round, which means that this time around, reputation isn't going to be enough to punch their tickets. Shoot, some of these acts aren't even around anymore, which means that some deck-shuffling is in order. Here are the established acts that are still fighting for their tournament lives:
» Green Day
» Dave Matthews Band
» U2
» Red Hot Chili Peppers
» Rage Against the Machine
» Kid Rock
» Pearl Jam
» R.E.M.
Some (like the Chili Peppers and U2) have announced new albums this year, while others (like DMB) are planning to take 2011 off entirely. Still, whatever their status may be, the old guard remain forces at the cash registers and on radio, even if their latest albums didn't exactly light the world on fire. And ignoring that entirely just isn't possible. So how does the committee decide which make the field of 64? Good question. I'm still trying to figure out the answer.
The New Blood
Upset-minded young guns. The 2010 MMM featured up-and-coming acts like the Young Veins, 3OH!3, Owl City and MGMT. One year later, none of them are even on the radar. Picking new bands for MMM is always a challenge, though in 2011, there seem to be a handful who have all but secured their spots in the tournament, thanks to their breakout successes. I'm talking about the likes of:
» Mumford & Sons
» Florence and the Machine
» The Black Keys
» Cage the Elephant
» Sleigh Bells
» Adele
If the tournament started today, all of the above have been in (and some may even earn high seeds). But do any of them have enough to actually win the tournament? We'll just have to wait and see.
The Bracket Busters
Bands with solid, if not spectacular, résumés (weak out-of-conference schedules, etc.). Last year, this included eventual champs Coheed and Cambria, Final Four acts like Tokio Hotel, Elite Eight bands like Panic! at the Disco and Owl City, and even Patrick Stump, who rumbled all the way to the Sweet 16. In other words, the 2011 champion could very well come from this group. Here's my list of under-the-radar threats:
» Panic! (once again)
» Weezer
» The Decemberists
» Cake
» Paramore
» Avril Lavigne
» Crystal Bowersox
» Adam Lambert
» Death Cab for Cutie
» All Time Low
Two of the above — Cake and the Decemberists — have recent #1 debuts under their belts, while others have new albums on the horizon (DCFC, ATL, Avril). Others, like Bowersox and Lambert (who made the Sweet 16 last year), command insane fanbases, which make them dangerous on any day. Lavigne and ATL still have some work to do, but I'd consider all of the acts I just mentioned as safe for now.
The Bubble Bands
On-the-verge acts that need a little help to make it in. Maybe they win their conference championship, or maybe they PayPal the selection committee some cash, but these are the bands on the brink. In 2010, that included Panic! (no new album or single), the Gaslight Anthem (up-and-comers just learning to play together) and Coheed (largely ignored by mainstream radio). Most of those bands managed to do quite well in the tournament, while others, like Hollywood Undead, Lil Wayne, Them Crooked Vultures and the National, all flamed out in the tournament's opening round. Somewhat fittingly, it's a real feast-or-famine type of thing. Here's my updated list of bubble bands:
» Cobra Starship
» Ke$ha
» Tokio Hotel
» MGMT
» Train
» Adele
» Bret Michaels
» Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
» Taylor Swift
Right off the bat, neither Ke$ha nor Swift really rock (though Ke$h does use Jack Daniels as mouthwash), which makes them long shots. Tokio Hotel have done next to nothing since last year's tournament, but was their success enough to earn them a spot this year? Bret Michaels is basically indestructible at this point, so I'd consider him a lock. Cobra Starship are largely dormant but command a big enough fanbase to warrant consideration. MGMT's last album stiffed in spectacular fashion, which places them squarely on the soapy surface of the bubble.
So, will your favorite band make the cut for the 2011 Musical March Madness tournament? As you can see, the Selection Committee still has plenty of work to do — which means that, between now and Monday, I'll be burning the midnight oil, busting out the brackets and then re-busting them once again. It'll be a chore, but I bet it will be worth it. And I hope you'll be along for the ride. Your band needs you, after all.
MTV's 2011 Musical March Madness Tournament begins Monday, March 14, when we reveal the full field of 64 bands that will battle for the championship. Winners are determined by fan votes, so if your favorite act makes the cut, it'll be up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM — but get ready, it's gonna be a war.
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Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington
Photo: Frank Hoensch/ Getty Images
Last year, when we launched the inaugural Musical March Madness tournament, we did it largely on a whim.
As I wrote when I revealed my original (handwritten) bracket, the basic idea was to combine my love of college basketball, gambling and rock music (and superfluous lists) into one magical event, and it really didn't matter that I hadn't figured out how bands would advance in the tournament or even what they'd get for winning. All I knew was that it seemed like a fun idea (especially since I didn't have anything else to write my column about that week) and that somewhere, there had to be someone who cared about these seemingly disparate things nearly as much as I did.
As it turned out, there were a lot of people who cared, and when it was all said and done — thanks to the efforts of a whole lot of folks, including Newsroom blog editor Kyle Anderson, who basically decided "You know what? People should vote on this!" — not only was Musical March Madness a certified success, but we somehow even managed to get an actual trophy to present to the winners, Coheed and Cambria, too. So, really, everybody won.
Of course, given the success of the original MMM, attention quickly shifted to the 2011 tournament. Last year, I basically just threw together a list of 64 bands (65, actually; who could forget the epic Against Me!/ Creed play-in battle?). For the 2011 tournament, however, I did research, monitored album sales and basically became a Selection Committee of one. And, yes, it took way longer than I ever could have imagined.
So, with the 2011 Musical March Madness set to tip off Monday — when we reveal our full bracket of 64 bands and launch voting in first-round matchups — I decided to pull back the curtain on that selection process. Some teams have all but locked up their spots in the 2011 tournament, while others still have some work to do. In the spirit of all things bracketological, here's my up-to-the-minute look at where your favorite bands stand for this year's MMM:
The #1 Seeds
The biggest bands in the land. Last year, I gave out #1's to Nickelback, Coldplay, Blink-182 and the Kings of Leon. Somewhat surprisingly, three-quarters of them ended up losing in the opening round of the tournament (only Blink survived, making it to the round of 32 before losing to 30 Seconds to Mars). Obviously, I overestimated the popularity of some of those acts, which means that, in 2011, to be a #1 seed, you have to have proven yourself as not only a rock-solid commodity, but an actual threat to win the championship too. Oh, and it wouldn't hurt to have an album either in stores or coming soon. So here are my latest contenders for top seeds:
» Foo Fighters
» 30 Seconds to Mars
» Linkin Park
» My Chemical Romance
» Arcade Fire
» Vampire Weekend
» Muse
» The Black Keys
» Blink-182
» Radiohead
» Coldplay
» Mumford & Sons
The Foos have a hotly anticipated album coming down the pipeline, as does Coldplay. Are expectations enough to make them #1's? Or will the committee recognize the breakout success of the Black Keys, Muse and Mumford? Does a #1 album and a shocking Grammy win earn the Arcade Fire a top seed? Linkin Park and MCR both scuffed a bit with their latest albums, but does that matter, especially since they're both legacy acts with loyal fanbases (and, in the case of My Chem, are tournament-tested)? And will the committee ignore the fact that, by most accounts, Radiohead's latest was a bit of a letdown or that Blink-182 may never actually release their new album? As you can see, there are still plenty of questions left to be answered.
The Old Guard
Legacy acts with something left in the tank. In 2010, time-tested faves like Slipknot, the White Stripes, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sublime, Pearl Jam, U2 and the Dave Matthews Band all got invites to the big dance based largely on reputation alone (just think of them as the Dukes or Kansases of MMM). Of course, nearly all of them got knocked off in the first round, which means that this time around, reputation isn't going to be enough to punch their tickets. Shoot, some of these acts aren't even around anymore, which means that some deck-shuffling is in order. Here are the established acts that are still fighting for their tournament lives:
» Green Day
» Dave Matthews Band
» U2
» Red Hot Chili Peppers
» Rage Against the Machine
» Kid Rock
» Pearl Jam
» R.E.M.
Some (like the Chili Peppers and U2) have announced new albums this year, while others (like DMB) are planning to take 2011 off entirely. Still, whatever their status may be, the old guard remain forces at the cash registers and on radio, even if their latest albums didn't exactly light the world on fire. And ignoring that entirely just isn't possible. So how does the committee decide which make the field of 64? Good question. I'm still trying to figure out the answer.
The New Blood
Upset-minded young guns. The 2010 MMM featured up-and-coming acts like the Young Veins, 3OH!3, Owl City and MGMT. One year later, none of them are even on the radar. Picking new bands for MMM is always a challenge, though in 2011, there seem to be a handful who have all but secured their spots in the tournament, thanks to their breakout successes. I'm talking about the likes of:
» Mumford & Sons
» Florence and the Machine
» The Black Keys
» Cage the Elephant
» Sleigh Bells
» Adele
If the tournament started today, all of the above have been in (and some may even earn high seeds). But do any of them have enough to actually win the tournament? We'll just have to wait and see.
The Bracket Busters
Bands with solid, if not spectacular, résumés (weak out-of-conference schedules, etc.). Last year, this included eventual champs Coheed and Cambria, Final Four acts like Tokio Hotel, Elite Eight bands like Panic! at the Disco and Owl City, and even Patrick Stump, who rumbled all the way to the Sweet 16. In other words, the 2011 champion could very well come from this group. Here's my list of under-the-radar threats:
» Panic! (once again)
» Weezer
» The Decemberists
» Cake
» Paramore
» Avril Lavigne
» Crystal Bowersox
» Adam Lambert
» Death Cab for Cutie
» All Time Low
Two of the above — Cake and the Decemberists — have recent #1 debuts under their belts, while others have new albums on the horizon (DCFC, ATL, Avril). Others, like Bowersox and Lambert (who made the Sweet 16 last year), command insane fanbases, which make them dangerous on any day. Lavigne and ATL still have some work to do, but I'd consider all of the acts I just mentioned as safe for now.
The Bubble Bands
On-the-verge acts that need a little help to make it in. Maybe they win their conference championship, or maybe they PayPal the selection committee some cash, but these are the bands on the brink. In 2010, that included Panic! (no new album or single), the Gaslight Anthem (up-and-comers just learning to play together) and Coheed (largely ignored by mainstream radio). Most of those bands managed to do quite well in the tournament, while others, like Hollywood Undead, Lil Wayne, Them Crooked Vultures and the National, all flamed out in the tournament's opening round. Somewhat fittingly, it's a real feast-or-famine type of thing. Here's my updated list of bubble bands:
» Cobra Starship
» Ke$ha
» Tokio Hotel
» MGMT
» Train
» Adele
» Bret Michaels
» Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
» Taylor Swift
Right off the bat, neither Ke$ha nor Swift really rock (though Ke$h does use Jack Daniels as mouthwash), which makes them long shots. Tokio Hotel have done next to nothing since last year's tournament, but was their success enough to earn them a spot this year? Bret Michaels is basically indestructible at this point, so I'd consider him a lock. Cobra Starship are largely dormant but command a big enough fanbase to warrant consideration. MGMT's last album stiffed in spectacular fashion, which places them squarely on the soapy surface of the bubble.
So, will your favorite band make the cut for the 2011 Musical March Madness tournament? As you can see, the Selection Committee still has plenty of work to do — which means that, between now and Monday, I'll be burning the midnight oil, busting out the brackets and then re-busting them once again. It'll be a chore, but I bet it will be worth it. And I hope you'll be along for the ride. Your band needs you, after all.
MTV's 2011 Musical March Madness Tournament begins Monday, March 14, when we reveal the full field of 64 bands that will battle for the championship. Winners are determined by fan votes, so if your favorite act makes the cut, it'll be up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM — but get ready, it's gonna be a war.
Related Videos
MTV's Musical March Madness Is Back For 2011
Related Artists
Linkin Park
Ke$ha
U2
Chandra West Charisma Carpenter Charli Baltimore Charlies Angels
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