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First Look: The New ?ThunderCats? Cartoon Releases A First Trailer
Last week we got to check out some horribly tragic leaked footage from the planned/failed ThunderCats CGI film that never was but right now we get to check out the first video trailer for the upcoming new animated reboot cartoon of ThunderCats that will air on Cartoon Network later this year. This first trailer doesn’t [...]
Ke$ha Says She's 'Disappointed' By Grammy Snub
'I plan on making a lot more records, and hopefully one of them will be Grammy-worthy,' singer tells Vanity Fair.By James Dinh
Ke$ha
Photo: Jordan Strauss/ Getty Images
Last year was full of breakout music stars, including Ke$ha, who ruled the scene with a string of dance-pop hits (and a massive overflow of glitter). But not everyone is a Ke$ha fan: The singer was snubbed when the 2011 Grammy nominees were announced in December.
The starlet recently spoke to Vanity Fair about the Grammy snub and said she's determined to score a nod sometime later in her career. And after calling the Recording Academy's award "not that big a deal," Ke$ha admitted that she was saddened by her lack of nominations.
"Of course I do," the singer said when asked if she wanted a Grammy. "I was disappointed that I didn't get nominated. But I've only been around for a year. I'm friends with the Black Keys, and they were nominated for the first time this year. And they've been around for a decade. That's like half my life, so I really can't be a brat about it."
Ke$ha isn't bitter about the situation either, telling the magazine, "I plan on making a lot more records, and hopefully one of them will be Grammy-worthy."
While she may not be gearing up for the big show on Sunday night, Ke$ha is prepping for the launch of her first North American headlining tour, the Get $leazy Tour. The country-wide trek is scheduled to kick off on Tuesday in Portland, Oregon, and continue through May.
Do you think Ke$ha deserved a Grammy nomination? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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Photo: Jordan Strauss/ Getty Images
Last year was full of breakout music stars, including Ke$ha, who ruled the scene with a string of dance-pop hits (and a massive overflow of glitter). But not everyone is a Ke$ha fan: The singer was snubbed when the 2011 Grammy nominees were announced in December.
The starlet recently spoke to Vanity Fair about the Grammy snub and said she's determined to score a nod sometime later in her career. And after calling the Recording Academy's award "not that big a deal," Ke$ha admitted that she was saddened by her lack of nominations.
"Of course I do," the singer said when asked if she wanted a Grammy. "I was disappointed that I didn't get nominated. But I've only been around for a year. I'm friends with the Black Keys, and they were nominated for the first time this year. And they've been around for a decade. That's like half my life, so I really can't be a brat about it."
Ke$ha isn't bitter about the situation either, telling the magazine, "I plan on making a lot more records, and hopefully one of them will be Grammy-worthy."
While she may not be gearing up for the big show on Sunday night, Ke$ha is prepping for the launch of her first North American headlining tour, the Get $leazy Tour. The country-wide trek is scheduled to kick off on Tuesday in Portland, Oregon, and continue through May.
Do you think Ke$ha deserved a Grammy nomination? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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New 'Never Say Never' Clip Shows Justin Bieber Singing With Fan
The 'Director's Fan Cut' teaser captures the teen sensation performing an acoustic version of 'Baby' with a young girl.By Eric Ditzian
Justin Bieber in the new "Never Say Never" clip
Photo: Paramount
Earlier this week, "Never Say Never" director Jon Chu promised MTV News that his new "Director's Fan Cut" of Justin Bieber's 3-D flick would deliver 40 minutes of fresh footage, including different songs (such as "Favorite Girl"), some more shirtless shots of the teen singer ("Maybe some abs!") and extra scenes of him interacting with fans.
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With the recut movie hitting theaters on Friday (February 25), Paramount Pictures has released a clip showing just that: the Biebs hanging out with some of his young fanatical followers. The 71-second promo shows Bieber — pre-haircut, of course — at an intimate gathering in Phoenix. While the pop star gives an acoustic performance on a small stage, his fans beg him to play "Baby," but he jokes, "I don't know that song."
He then declares to a very young fan, "I'll only sing 'Baby' if you come up here and sing it with me." Cue the cuteness. The girl sits on his lap and together they belt out the hit single.
This isn't the first time we've seen Bieber show off an easy, breezy way with his youngest fans. Last year, he popped up on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to surprise a 3-year-old Belieber named Cody who'd become an Internet sensation after her sister posted a video of her crying over the teen heartthrob on YouTube. As he tweeted later, "Makin faces with Cody!"
The re-released "Never Say Never" represents an effort both to goose box-office receipts three weeks after the film's initial opening and to feed the Beliebers' seemingly insatiable appetite for anything and everything connected to the star.
"We originally had a two-and-a-half-hour version of the movie, which we obviously couldn't release," Chu explained to us. "So we started to think about putting stuff back in that didn't have to do with our story but that we knew people would love."
Are you planning to go see the "Director's Fan Cut" of "Never Say Never"? Let us know in the comments.
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Justin Bieber in the new "Never Say Never" clip
Photo: Paramount
Earlier this week, "Never Say Never" director Jon Chu promised MTV News that his new "Director's Fan Cut" of Justin Bieber's 3-D flick would deliver 40 minutes of fresh footage, including different songs (such as "Favorite Girl"), some more shirtless shots of the teen singer ("Maybe some abs!") and extra scenes of him interacting with fans.
video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player
With the recut movie hitting theaters on Friday (February 25), Paramount Pictures has released a clip showing just that: the Biebs hanging out with some of his young fanatical followers. The 71-second promo shows Bieber — pre-haircut, of course — at an intimate gathering in Phoenix. While the pop star gives an acoustic performance on a small stage, his fans beg him to play "Baby," but he jokes, "I don't know that song."
He then declares to a very young fan, "I'll only sing 'Baby' if you come up here and sing it with me." Cue the cuteness. The girl sits on his lap and together they belt out the hit single.
This isn't the first time we've seen Bieber show off an easy, breezy way with his youngest fans. Last year, he popped up on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to surprise a 3-year-old Belieber named Cody who'd become an Internet sensation after her sister posted a video of her crying over the teen heartthrob on YouTube. As he tweeted later, "Makin faces with Cody!"
The re-released "Never Say Never" represents an effort both to goose box-office receipts three weeks after the film's initial opening and to feed the Beliebers' seemingly insatiable appetite for anything and everything connected to the star.
"We originally had a two-and-a-half-hour version of the movie, which we obviously couldn't release," Chu explained to us. "So we started to think about putting stuff back in that didn't have to do with our story but that we knew people would love."
Are you planning to go see the "Director's Fan Cut" of "Never Say Never"? Let us know in the comments.
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Michael Jackson Doctor Pleads Not Guilty To Involuntary Manslaughter
Conrad Murray's trial slated to start March 28.By Gil Kaufman
Dr. Conrad Murray appears in court on Tuesday in Los Angeles, California
Photo: Irfan Khan-Pool/ Getty Images
Michael Jackson's former personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray entered a plea of not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the pop star at his arraignment on Tuesday morning (January 25).
According to the Los Angeles Times, when asked by judge Michael Pastor how he pleaded to the charge, Murray said, "Your honor, I am an innocent man." When Pastor interrupted and asked Murray what his plea was, the cardiologist said, "Therefore, I plead not guilty."
The brief hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court ended with Pastor setting a March 28 date for the start of a trial in the case. Murray faces a maximum of four years in prison if convicted, and the Times noted that he surprised the judge by invoking his right to a speedy trial, which meant the case would have to begin by late March. Pastor noted the rarity of a defendant asking to have a speedy trial, then set jury selection for the week of March 28 and said he was inclined to allow television coverage of the trial that the defense expects will last two months.
Lawyers for Murray have maintained his innocence all along, saying he did not do anything that "should have" caused the 50-year-old pop icon's death. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined that Jackson died of an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol mixed with a cocktail of other sedatives.
Murray has admitted to administering propofol to Jackson in the hours before the singer's death, but the defense appears to be gearing up to claim that it was Jackson who administered the final, fatal dose of the drug after he woke in a panic from a fitful night of sleep.
During a preliminary hearing earlier this month to determine if there was enough evidence to hold Murray over for trial, the physician's attorneys said that there was evidence Jackson injected or drank a fatal amount of the drug when the doctor was not looking.
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Dr. Conrad Murray appears in court on Tuesday in Los Angeles, California
Photo: Irfan Khan-Pool/ Getty Images
Michael Jackson's former personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray entered a plea of not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the pop star at his arraignment on Tuesday morning (January 25).
According to the Los Angeles Times, when asked by judge Michael Pastor how he pleaded to the charge, Murray said, "Your honor, I am an innocent man." When Pastor interrupted and asked Murray what his plea was, the cardiologist said, "Therefore, I plead not guilty."
The brief hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court ended with Pastor setting a March 28 date for the start of a trial in the case. Murray faces a maximum of four years in prison if convicted, and the Times noted that he surprised the judge by invoking his right to a speedy trial, which meant the case would have to begin by late March. Pastor noted the rarity of a defendant asking to have a speedy trial, then set jury selection for the week of March 28 and said he was inclined to allow television coverage of the trial that the defense expects will last two months.
Lawyers for Murray have maintained his innocence all along, saying he did not do anything that "should have" caused the 50-year-old pop icon's death. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined that Jackson died of an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol mixed with a cocktail of other sedatives.
Murray has admitted to administering propofol to Jackson in the hours before the singer's death, but the defense appears to be gearing up to claim that it was Jackson who administered the final, fatal dose of the drug after he woke in a panic from a fitful night of sleep.
During a preliminary hearing earlier this month to determine if there was enough evidence to hold Murray over for trial, the physician's attorneys said that there was evidence Jackson injected or drank a fatal amount of the drug when the doctor was not looking.
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Justin Bieber's Grammy Performance Will Be 'A Crossover,' Usher Says
The 'O.M.G.' singer looks forward to sharing the stage with his protégé on Sunday night.By James Montgomery
Usher
Photo: Amanda Edwards/ Getty Images
HOLLYWOOD — At Sunday's 53rd Grammy Awards, Usher will be pulling double duty as both a nominee and a performer. Of course, given the massive year he just completed — with the success of his smash single "O.M.G." and as a mentor to rising phenom Justin Bieber — Ush's Grammy plans seem rather fitting.
Especially since he'll be performing with Bieber (and Bieber's pal Jaden Smith), a move that's just as much about celebrating Usher's successes as it is the successes of his young protégé.
"Having been through [the Grammys] so many times, you couldn't want for anything more than for your young protégé to have the opportunity to have one, so, in support of him having his moment, I wanted to be here," Usher told MTV News on Thursday, hours before his performance at the (Belvedere) RED launch party in Hollywood. "And also to be there to perform, to kind of tell the story of how we came together. This music business has definitely been good to both of us, and this year we have a lot to be happy for."
And just how will the dynamic duo tell that story? Well, Usher wasn't about to reveal all the details, but he did say that he's hoping their performance will show another side of Bieber ... a side most tend to overlook.
"The performance will be fun," Usher explained. "We want to get up there and just do what we do. Be comfortable, and have a great time. ... This is kind of a crossover for Justin. Having performed on so many different stages, this is the way that I wanted him to be seen and an opportunity to show the industry — a lot of the industry, that didn't believe [in him] — some of his other talents. He's going to play acoustically, and also, we'll get down a little bit."
And though Ush is up for a pair of Grammy awards on Sunday — Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary R&B Album for Raymond v. Raymond — he's most looking forward to sharing the stage with Bieber and giving fans a look at where the young artist will be heading next.
"I'm very proud, man. I definitely saw it from the beginning, but thanks to the team that we have around us, it was made to happen. And that story has only just begun," Usher said. "The story of Justin Bieber doesn't stop with screaming girls; we need screaming fans all around the world ... a cultural experience that's much more than just fanfare. And that's what this is. That's what the Grammys will be; that's what my next phase for Justin is. This is the way I found him: I found him with a guitar in his hand, so I want him to be seen that way."
Don't miss "Snooki & Sway: Live From the Grammys," a red-carpet live stream kicking off Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And stick with us all Grammy night for coverage of the red carpet, the show, the afterparties and beyond!
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Photo: Amanda Edwards/ Getty Images
HOLLYWOOD — At Sunday's 53rd Grammy Awards, Usher will be pulling double duty as both a nominee and a performer. Of course, given the massive year he just completed — with the success of his smash single "O.M.G." and as a mentor to rising phenom Justin Bieber — Ush's Grammy plans seem rather fitting.
Especially since he'll be performing with Bieber (and Bieber's pal Jaden Smith), a move that's just as much about celebrating Usher's successes as it is the successes of his young protégé.
"Having been through [the Grammys] so many times, you couldn't want for anything more than for your young protégé to have the opportunity to have one, so, in support of him having his moment, I wanted to be here," Usher told MTV News on Thursday, hours before his performance at the (Belvedere) RED launch party in Hollywood. "And also to be there to perform, to kind of tell the story of how we came together. This music business has definitely been good to both of us, and this year we have a lot to be happy for."
And just how will the dynamic duo tell that story? Well, Usher wasn't about to reveal all the details, but he did say that he's hoping their performance will show another side of Bieber ... a side most tend to overlook.
"The performance will be fun," Usher explained. "We want to get up there and just do what we do. Be comfortable, and have a great time. ... This is kind of a crossover for Justin. Having performed on so many different stages, this is the way that I wanted him to be seen and an opportunity to show the industry — a lot of the industry, that didn't believe [in him] — some of his other talents. He's going to play acoustically, and also, we'll get down a little bit."
And though Ush is up for a pair of Grammy awards on Sunday — Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary R&B Album for Raymond v. Raymond — he's most looking forward to sharing the stage with Bieber and giving fans a look at where the young artist will be heading next.
"I'm very proud, man. I definitely saw it from the beginning, but thanks to the team that we have around us, it was made to happen. And that story has only just begun," Usher said. "The story of Justin Bieber doesn't stop with screaming girls; we need screaming fans all around the world ... a cultural experience that's much more than just fanfare. And that's what this is. That's what the Grammys will be; that's what my next phase for Justin is. This is the way I found him: I found him with a guitar in his hand, so I want him to be seen that way."
Don't miss "Snooki & Sway: Live From the Grammys," a red-carpet live stream kicking off Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And stick with us all Grammy night for coverage of the red carpet, the show, the afterparties and beyond!
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Saturday, February 26, 2011
'Drive Angry' Stars Discuss Film's Most Outrageous Moments
'I'm still kind of amazed that they let me drink beer out of somebody's skull,' Nicolas Cage marvels to MTV News.By Kara Warner
Amber Heard
Photo: MTV News
If the trailers haven't already sold the fact that "Drive Angry" is outrageous, in every sense of the word, allow the cast of the film -- Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, Billy Burke and William Fichtner -- to expand on the subject, particularly the scenes they thought would be left on the cutting-room floor.
"I'm still kind of amazed that they let me drink beer out of somebody's skull," Cage admitted to MTV News recently of his character's most over-the-top antics. "That that's still in the movie, and it's a credit to [director] Patrick Lussier that he had the guts to go in the most far-out places."
"Only in our movie, in the world of 'Drive Angry,' " Heard said.
"I wanted it to look good, like, 'My cup runneth over,' " Cage explained of the big moment. "I wanted the beer to come sploshing out of the eye sockets."
Burke, who plays a very disturbed and psychotic cult leader hell-bent on infant sacrifice in the film, said he figured that one of the film's climactic scenes would receive a less intensely violent edit.
"I thought that we would probably change sacrificing a baby to maybe a lamb or something like that," Burke said. "I didn't think that we'd actually go forward with wanting to kill a baby, but we did, and that's the kind of movie this is. So if you can't take that, for the fun and spirit in which it's intended, then you shouldn't go see this movie," he advised.
For scene-stealer Fichtner, who plays the mysterious character the Accountant, he was most surprised that a very racy/violent love scene made the cut.
"There was one scene in the movie, we all know which one I'm talking about [a 'creative' sex scene in which Cage engages in a gunfight with a naked woman still on top of him] where I thought, 'Wow, that's interesting,' " he said. "That's a challenge."
In addition to the outrageousness of wrapping your head around what happens in that scene, Fichtner said he has great respect for the actors and stunt coordinators who made it happen.
"Patrick [Lussier] did an amazing job and so did Charlotte [Ross] and Nic," he said. "It's much more than just a sex scene."
Check out everything we've got on "Drive Angry."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Amber Heard
Photo: MTV News
If the trailers haven't already sold the fact that "Drive Angry" is outrageous, in every sense of the word, allow the cast of the film -- Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, Billy Burke and William Fichtner -- to expand on the subject, particularly the scenes they thought would be left on the cutting-room floor.
"I'm still kind of amazed that they let me drink beer out of somebody's skull," Cage admitted to MTV News recently of his character's most over-the-top antics. "That that's still in the movie, and it's a credit to [director] Patrick Lussier that he had the guts to go in the most far-out places."
"Only in our movie, in the world of 'Drive Angry,' " Heard said.
"I wanted it to look good, like, 'My cup runneth over,' " Cage explained of the big moment. "I wanted the beer to come sploshing out of the eye sockets."
Burke, who plays a very disturbed and psychotic cult leader hell-bent on infant sacrifice in the film, said he figured that one of the film's climactic scenes would receive a less intensely violent edit.
"I thought that we would probably change sacrificing a baby to maybe a lamb or something like that," Burke said. "I didn't think that we'd actually go forward with wanting to kill a baby, but we did, and that's the kind of movie this is. So if you can't take that, for the fun and spirit in which it's intended, then you shouldn't go see this movie," he advised.
For scene-stealer Fichtner, who plays the mysterious character the Accountant, he was most surprised that a very racy/violent love scene made the cut.
"There was one scene in the movie, we all know which one I'm talking about [a 'creative' sex scene in which Cage engages in a gunfight with a naked woman still on top of him] where I thought, 'Wow, that's interesting,' " he said. "That's a challenge."
In addition to the outrageousness of wrapping your head around what happens in that scene, Fichtner said he has great respect for the actors and stunt coordinators who made it happen.
"Patrick [Lussier] did an amazing job and so did Charlotte [Ross] and Nic," he said. "It's much more than just a sex scene."
Check out everything we've got on "Drive Angry."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Usher 'Got A Good Laugh' From Fan Kicking Him In The Face
'It looked worse than it actually was,' the 'OMG' singer laughs about accidental blow during concert serenade.By Mawuse Ziegbe
Usher
Photo: Jordan Strauss/ Getty Images
Usher's club-rattling jam "OMG" may "kill it every night" according to tourmate Miguel, but when the Atlanta crooner hit Madison Square Garden earlier this week, he was almost taken out by a clumsy fan.
When the singer touched down in New York on Monday, he indulged a super amped fan's fantasy by pulling her onstage for an intimate flirty serenade of "Trading Places." As Usher and the concertgoer got cozy on a recliner, she swiveled around to face the crooner — knocking him squarely in his mug with her foot. She began apologizing profusely as Usher briefly paused to collect himself. But the superstar took the strike in stride, quipping, "We play rough in the bed. We kick each other in the face and all type of good stuff."
Although Usher brushed off the blow, the moment did make an impression on him.
"In all my years, this is one of the most interesting experiences. I got a kick out of it!" he told Us Weekly. The singer assured fans that the knock wasn't that bad. "It looked worse than it actually was. My audience and I got a good laugh."
As for the fan, the "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" star maintained everything is all good on that front too. "Wherever you are baby, don't feel bad," Usher said. "No hard feelings."
As Miguel has noted, Usher isn't one dwell on drama, whether it's cranking out another hit album or weathering an unexpected hit from a fan.
"He's such a tremendous example of perseverance and determination," Miguel recently told MTV News. "I was there throughout this album, so I've seen the adversity that he's had to overcome perception-wise."
What do you think of Usher's response to getting knocked in the head by a fan? Tell us in the comments!
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Photo: Jordan Strauss/ Getty Images
Usher's club-rattling jam "OMG" may "kill it every night" according to tourmate Miguel, but when the Atlanta crooner hit Madison Square Garden earlier this week, he was almost taken out by a clumsy fan.
When the singer touched down in New York on Monday, he indulged a super amped fan's fantasy by pulling her onstage for an intimate flirty serenade of "Trading Places." As Usher and the concertgoer got cozy on a recliner, she swiveled around to face the crooner — knocking him squarely in his mug with her foot. She began apologizing profusely as Usher briefly paused to collect himself. But the superstar took the strike in stride, quipping, "We play rough in the bed. We kick each other in the face and all type of good stuff."
Although Usher brushed off the blow, the moment did make an impression on him.
"In all my years, this is one of the most interesting experiences. I got a kick out of it!" he told Us Weekly. The singer assured fans that the knock wasn't that bad. "It looked worse than it actually was. My audience and I got a good laugh."
As for the fan, the "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" star maintained everything is all good on that front too. "Wherever you are baby, don't feel bad," Usher said. "No hard feelings."
As Miguel has noted, Usher isn't one dwell on drama, whether it's cranking out another hit album or weathering an unexpected hit from a fan.
"He's such a tremendous example of perseverance and determination," Miguel recently told MTV News. "I was there throughout this album, so I've seen the adversity that he's had to overcome perception-wise."
What do you think of Usher's response to getting knocked in the head by a fan? Tell us in the comments!
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Les News, 022411
Civil Unions are now legal in Hawaii. How to be a Hipster Pen�lope Cruz shows off her post-baby bod. Kathy Griffin surfaces on the set of Glee. Nathan Fillion is the Green Lantern. Charlie Sheen‘s new girlfriend is a marijuana bikini model. Jennifer Lopez can’t handle the pressure on American Idol. Rosie O’Donell regrets picking [...]
Friday, February 25, 2011
Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, John Paul Jones Unveil Supergroup
Them Crooked Vultures make their debut with a post-Lollapalooza set.By James Montgomery
Dave Grohl (file)
Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images
Officially, Lollapalooza ended Sunday night in Chicago's Grant Park, with dueling sets from the Killers and Jane's Addiction. Unofficially, it ended very early Monday morning, across town at venerable rock club the Metro, with a surprise show by Them Crooked Vultures.
To the unfamiliar, the Vultures might seem like an odd choice to close out Lolla weekend ... until you realize that they're made up of Foo Fighters frontman/ former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age mastermind Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones. And their gig at the Metro was their world premiere.
According to some reports, the Vultures actually turned down Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell's request to replace the Beastie Boys as headliners at the festival, opting to debut in front of some 1,100 super-psyched fans at the Metro, rather than 75,000 in Grant Park (tickets for the gig were announced via Foo Fighter/ QOTSA fan clubs). Meaning that, in a lot of ways, this was the most sought-after ticket in town.
Taking the stage just after midnight, the Vultures — Grohl on drums (of course), Homme on guitar and vocals, Jones on bass and keys and frequent QOTSA contributor Alain Johannes on guitar — ripped through 12 songs in 80 minutes, all taken from their upcoming debut, which may or may not be called Never Deserved the Future, and may or may not be hitting stores on October 23 (early "promo" videos touting both those facts were revealed over the weekend to be hoaxes perpetrated by QOTSA fans).
The songs, with appropriately Homme-ian titles like "Scumbag Blues," "Mind Eraser (No Chaser)," "Caligulove" and "Interlude w/Ludes," sounded pretty much how you'd expect, given the band's pedigree. They rocked, hard — Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot described them as "fresh, invigorating and just plain nasty" — delving off into psychedelic, reverb-filled excursions and exploring proggy territory, "both of the old-school Yes variety, and the more modern Tool flavor," according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Jim DeRogatis.
It's not known if Monday's Metro performance was a one-off event for the Vultures — there have been whispers of a full-blown tour, but a spokesperson for Homme had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time. Nor was it clear whether or not they'll have an album out in October.
Early Monday, a Crooked Vultures Twitter account, which had previously posted links to the band's official-looking Web site and the Metro's online ticketing site — posted a link to what appears to be the group's first bit of official merchandise: a Deserve the Future T-shirt. Cost: $30.
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Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images
Officially, Lollapalooza ended Sunday night in Chicago's Grant Park, with dueling sets from the Killers and Jane's Addiction. Unofficially, it ended very early Monday morning, across town at venerable rock club the Metro, with a surprise show by Them Crooked Vultures.
To the unfamiliar, the Vultures might seem like an odd choice to close out Lolla weekend ... until you realize that they're made up of Foo Fighters frontman/ former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age mastermind Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones. And their gig at the Metro was their world premiere.
According to some reports, the Vultures actually turned down Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell's request to replace the Beastie Boys as headliners at the festival, opting to debut in front of some 1,100 super-psyched fans at the Metro, rather than 75,000 in Grant Park (tickets for the gig were announced via Foo Fighter/ QOTSA fan clubs). Meaning that, in a lot of ways, this was the most sought-after ticket in town.
Taking the stage just after midnight, the Vultures — Grohl on drums (of course), Homme on guitar and vocals, Jones on bass and keys and frequent QOTSA contributor Alain Johannes on guitar — ripped through 12 songs in 80 minutes, all taken from their upcoming debut, which may or may not be called Never Deserved the Future, and may or may not be hitting stores on October 23 (early "promo" videos touting both those facts were revealed over the weekend to be hoaxes perpetrated by QOTSA fans).
The songs, with appropriately Homme-ian titles like "Scumbag Blues," "Mind Eraser (No Chaser)," "Caligulove" and "Interlude w/Ludes," sounded pretty much how you'd expect, given the band's pedigree. They rocked, hard — Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot described them as "fresh, invigorating and just plain nasty" — delving off into psychedelic, reverb-filled excursions and exploring proggy territory, "both of the old-school Yes variety, and the more modern Tool flavor," according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Jim DeRogatis.
It's not known if Monday's Metro performance was a one-off event for the Vultures — there have been whispers of a full-blown tour, but a spokesperson for Homme had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time. Nor was it clear whether or not they'll have an album out in October.
Early Monday, a Crooked Vultures Twitter account, which had previously posted links to the band's official-looking Web site and the Metro's online ticketing site — posted a link to what appears to be the group's first bit of official merchandise: a Deserve the Future T-shirt. Cost: $30.
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First Look At Oscar Host James Franco In 'Rise Of The Apes'
A lot of attention has been paid to James Franco's extracurricular activities lately ? he's a student, he's a teacher, he's a Twitter maestro and more ? but let's not forget that the man is also an actor.
Currently knee-deep in preparations for this coming weekend's 83rd Annual Academy Awards ceremony, Franco enters the Oscars not [...]
Currently knee-deep in preparations for this coming weekend's 83rd Annual Academy Awards ceremony, Franco enters the Oscars not [...]
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Is 'Catalytic For The Action' In 'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon'
There was a lot of controversy surrounding Megan Fox's departure from the "Transformers" franchise last spring. How would the series fare without her? Who would replace her?
We got an answer to that second question pretty quickly, but the jury is still out on how easily model-turned-actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley will fit into the pre-established framework of [...]
We got an answer to that second question pretty quickly, but the jury is still out on how easily model-turned-actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley will fit into the pre-established framework of [...]
'Drive Angry' Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know!
MTV News has been on the road with the Nicolas Cage flick since the start.By Eric Ditzian
David Morse and Nicolas Cage in "Drive Angry"
Photo: Summit Publicity
"Drive Angry" is perhaps the Nicolas Cage-iest Nicolas Cage movie ever. The ever-unpredictable, often wacky, potentially out-of-his-gourd actor stars as a man who literally breaks out of hell to exact a bloody, muscle-car-assisted revenge plot ... in 3-D. It's deeply weird stuff, and yet, with Cage at the center of it all, it makes a whole lot of sense.
MTV News, it should be said, has been at the center of "Drive Angry" coverage, securing the very first interview about the project and continuing to track it from the first trailer to the brink of opening weekend. Read on for everything you need to know about the movie before it hits theaters Friday (February 25).
Going on the Road
Coming off the $100 million success of 2009's "My Bloody Valentine," director Patrick Lussier and his writing partner, Todd Farmer, asked themselves one question: "What movie do we want to see and what movie do we want to shoot in 3-D?" as Lussier later explained to us.
"We didn't really have anything in mind beyond that," he added. "We started writing an opening scene about a guy named Milton killing these three guys called the F---ers, who are totally scared sh--less and totally deserve it. From there, 'Drive Angry' was born. We wanted to come up with something that wasn't a horror movie but was just a hard-R, action-driven road movie, because that would be a great film to see in 3-D."
Ditching any notion of converting the film to three dimensions during post-production, Lussier hauled 3-D cameras down to Shreveport, Louisiana, and began shooting in the spring of 2010. To share the screen with Cage, Lussier hired Amber Heard to play a sassy waitress who gets pulled into Cage's scheme and William Fichtner as the agent of the devil's evil agenda.
3-D, From Scratch
When we caught up with Cage in the spring at Wonder-Con, he joked that the pollen in Louisiana made him sound like an "old blues singer" and raved about how the flick would meld an old-school cinematic vibe with cutting-edge technology.
"It's like if you got to see an old '70s action movie, but in 3-D," he explained. "We're doing something semi-historical, because it's the first 3-D movie shot [in the] style of a '70s action film. You could see Charles Bronson or [Clint] Eastwood [starring in a film like this] in those days."
Months later, with the shoot behind him and his voice back to normal, Cage marveled at how he escaped the production injury-free. "In this case, I did quite a few stunts with people literally on the hood of the car driving at very high speeds, so it reminded me of those old movies where you have people on top of the wing of a biplane," he said. "It was a little intense. That was definitely new to me and I was always very concerned about the stunt people I was working with."
Hell on Earth
The film's first trailer popped up online in October and featured everything we could have hoped for: big guns and fast cars, Cage walking slowly away from explosions without looking back, and fab lines like, "Hell already is walking the Earth." Months later, a Super Bowl ad delivered further peeks at the hard-R craziness. There's action aplenty, and that's exactly how Lussier planned it.
"We have this great car chase with Nic's character chasing after Amber Heard's character, who's in the middle of a fight inside this RV," he teased of one scene. "You're in this claustrophobic space, and suddenly you're outside with Nic in hot pursuit. There's all sorts of gunplay on the road. It's spectacular."
Check out everything we've got on "Drive Angry."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
David Morse and Nicolas Cage in "Drive Angry"
Photo: Summit Publicity
"Drive Angry" is perhaps the Nicolas Cage-iest Nicolas Cage movie ever. The ever-unpredictable, often wacky, potentially out-of-his-gourd actor stars as a man who literally breaks out of hell to exact a bloody, muscle-car-assisted revenge plot ... in 3-D. It's deeply weird stuff, and yet, with Cage at the center of it all, it makes a whole lot of sense.
MTV News, it should be said, has been at the center of "Drive Angry" coverage, securing the very first interview about the project and continuing to track it from the first trailer to the brink of opening weekend. Read on for everything you need to know about the movie before it hits theaters Friday (February 25).
Going on the Road
Coming off the $100 million success of 2009's "My Bloody Valentine," director Patrick Lussier and his writing partner, Todd Farmer, asked themselves one question: "What movie do we want to see and what movie do we want to shoot in 3-D?" as Lussier later explained to us.
"We didn't really have anything in mind beyond that," he added. "We started writing an opening scene about a guy named Milton killing these three guys called the F---ers, who are totally scared sh--less and totally deserve it. From there, 'Drive Angry' was born. We wanted to come up with something that wasn't a horror movie but was just a hard-R, action-driven road movie, because that would be a great film to see in 3-D."
Ditching any notion of converting the film to three dimensions during post-production, Lussier hauled 3-D cameras down to Shreveport, Louisiana, and began shooting in the spring of 2010. To share the screen with Cage, Lussier hired Amber Heard to play a sassy waitress who gets pulled into Cage's scheme and William Fichtner as the agent of the devil's evil agenda.
3-D, From Scratch
When we caught up with Cage in the spring at Wonder-Con, he joked that the pollen in Louisiana made him sound like an "old blues singer" and raved about how the flick would meld an old-school cinematic vibe with cutting-edge technology.
"It's like if you got to see an old '70s action movie, but in 3-D," he explained. "We're doing something semi-historical, because it's the first 3-D movie shot [in the] style of a '70s action film. You could see Charles Bronson or [Clint] Eastwood [starring in a film like this] in those days."
Months later, with the shoot behind him and his voice back to normal, Cage marveled at how he escaped the production injury-free. "In this case, I did quite a few stunts with people literally on the hood of the car driving at very high speeds, so it reminded me of those old movies where you have people on top of the wing of a biplane," he said. "It was a little intense. That was definitely new to me and I was always very concerned about the stunt people I was working with."
Hell on Earth
The film's first trailer popped up online in October and featured everything we could have hoped for: big guns and fast cars, Cage walking slowly away from explosions without looking back, and fab lines like, "Hell already is walking the Earth." Months later, a Super Bowl ad delivered further peeks at the hard-R craziness. There's action aplenty, and that's exactly how Lussier planned it.
"We have this great car chase with Nic's character chasing after Amber Heard's character, who's in the middle of a fight inside this RV," he teased of one scene. "You're in this claustrophobic space, and suddenly you're outside with Nic in hot pursuit. There's all sorts of gunplay on the road. It's spectacular."
Check out everything we've got on "Drive Angry."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
This Week In Celebrity Twitpics
CLICK HERE for an awesome pHOto gallery of all the best pics that your favoritest celebs were Twitpic-ing this week!
CLICK HERE for an awesome pHOto gallery of all the best pics that your favoritest celebs were Twitpic-ing this week!
CLICK HERE for an awesome pHOto gallery of all the best pics that your favoritest celebs were [...]
CLICK HERE for an awesome pHOto gallery of all the best pics that your favoritest celebs were Twitpic-ing this week!
CLICK HERE for an awesome pHOto gallery of all the best pics that your favoritest celebs were [...]
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Photos | 2010 American Music Awards Presenter, Nominee And Performer Highlights
2010 American Music Awards Presenter, Nominee And Performer Highlights
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Photos | MTV Buzzworthy Blog: Zombie Pop Stars
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See The First Photo Of Ben Affleck And Rachel McAdams In Terrence Malick's Untitled Love Story
As much as we want it to be, what you're about to see is not some strange "Armageddon" and "The Notebook" mashup ? though that's not a bad idea given recent Hollywood trends!
No, what you're looking at is something much more unexpected and exhilarating: the first official photo from director Terrence Malick's forthcoming untitled love [...]
No, what you're looking at is something much more unexpected and exhilarating: the first official photo from director Terrence Malick's forthcoming untitled love [...]
Lady Gaga Inspires Fans At Madison Square Garden Show
'She's god! This little monster loves her mommy!' one fan told MTV News.By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga performs at Madison Square Garden on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
On Monday night, Lady Gaga's little monsters put on their best Gaga as they headed to Madison Square Garden for Mother Monster's latest stop at the famed New York City venue, where she was making her first of two appearances. The fans were not only treated to her Monster Ball, but also got the chance to see Gaga's new single "Born This Way" live and be part of Gaga history as she taped the concert for an upcoming HBO special.
So, what stood out most? "When she gave her little speech about never letting someone tell you can't get a Grammy [or] you can't get an HBO special," Gaga fan Leanna told MTV News outside the show, moments after Gaga wrapped up. "I cried because it was just so meaningful ... it's like no one can tell me no."
Fellow fan Carey noted that Gaga is always thinking of her fans when she puts on her two-hour-plus spectacle. "I always feel like it's catered to her customers and her fans," he excitedly shared. "Go little monsters!"
Casey noted that being in the room as Gaga performed "Born This Way" was awe-inspiring. "I mean, it's her hometown and she just reenacted the Grammy performance," she said. "It's f---in' beautiful."
It seemed that particular song really resonated with the fans who came out to see Gaga. "My favorite was the last song, 'Born This Way.' To me, it's a great anthem for kids today, or anyone for that matter," Gaga fan Tony said.
Evie and her pal Cecelia also loved the finale. "I loved 'Born This Way' at the end," Evie said. "It was perfect. It was the perfect ending."
And two of Gaga's New York fans summed it up this way: "She is our religion," Danielle proclaimed. Her pal Joey agreed, adding, "She's god! This little monster loves her mommy!"
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Lady Gaga performs at Madison Square Garden on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
On Monday night, Lady Gaga's little monsters put on their best Gaga as they headed to Madison Square Garden for Mother Monster's latest stop at the famed New York City venue, where she was making her first of two appearances. The fans were not only treated to her Monster Ball, but also got the chance to see Gaga's new single "Born This Way" live and be part of Gaga history as she taped the concert for an upcoming HBO special.
So, what stood out most? "When she gave her little speech about never letting someone tell you can't get a Grammy [or] you can't get an HBO special," Gaga fan Leanna told MTV News outside the show, moments after Gaga wrapped up. "I cried because it was just so meaningful ... it's like no one can tell me no."
Fellow fan Carey noted that Gaga is always thinking of her fans when she puts on her two-hour-plus spectacle. "I always feel like it's catered to her customers and her fans," he excitedly shared. "Go little monsters!"
Casey noted that being in the room as Gaga performed "Born This Way" was awe-inspiring. "I mean, it's her hometown and she just reenacted the Grammy performance," she said. "It's f---in' beautiful."
It seemed that particular song really resonated with the fans who came out to see Gaga. "My favorite was the last song, 'Born This Way.' To me, it's a great anthem for kids today, or anyone for that matter," Gaga fan Tony said.
Evie and her pal Cecelia also loved the finale. "I loved 'Born This Way' at the end," Evie said. "It was perfect. It was the perfect ending."
And two of Gaga's New York fans summed it up this way: "She is our religion," Danielle proclaimed. Her pal Joey agreed, adding, "She's god! This little monster loves her mommy!"
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Photos | The 2010 Grammy Awards Red Carpet
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Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Photos | Justin Bieber's 'Never Say Never' L.A. Premiere
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Robert Plant And Alison Krauss Win Grammy Album Of The Year
Raising Sand, from Led Zeppelin vet and bluegrass superstar, wins five Grammys on Sunday night.By James Montgomery with MTV News staff
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant accept the award for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
"I'm bewildered," Robert Plant said onstage as he accepted the Grammy Album of the Year award with Alison Krauss on Sunday night. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but it's a good way to spend a Sunday."
He was probably one of the few who were surprised, because Raising Sand, which won five trophies at Sunday night's show, is in many ways the perfect Grammy album. It features two respected veterans, a critically lauded producer, some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards.
You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his Led Zeppelin days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). And if you don't know who Alison Krauss is, she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history.
Really, she's the key to Sand's success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots music — so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, Sand was released.
And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain.
And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on Sand. His arrangements are sparse — giving the two voices ample room to breathe — yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified.
To date, Sand has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.
One expert was surprised not by the album's success, but by the fact that it's actually quite a good album.
"At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really good record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards."
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Alison Krauss and Robert Plant accept the award for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
"I'm bewildered," Robert Plant said onstage as he accepted the Grammy Album of the Year award with Alison Krauss on Sunday night. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but it's a good way to spend a Sunday."
He was probably one of the few who were surprised, because Raising Sand, which won five trophies at Sunday night's show, is in many ways the perfect Grammy album. It features two respected veterans, a critically lauded producer, some sandpaper-and-velvet vocals and a baker's dozen of time-tested standards.
You're probably familiar with Robert Plant from his Led Zeppelin days, and you might be aware of producer T-Bone Burnett's work on the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack (it won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002). And if you don't know who Alison Krauss is, she possesses a haunting set of pipes and is one of the meanest fiddle players in the world. Oh, and she's won 21 Grammys, more than any other female artist and the seventh-most in history.
Really, she's the key to Sand's success, and not just because of her voice (or her fiddle playing). She and Plant first met in 2004, at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to legendary bluesman Leadbelly, and the former Zeppelin man was amazed by her knowledge of American Roots music — so much so that they began kicking around the idea of recording an album together. Three years later, Sand was released.
And while Plant possesses the more famous voice, the album's finest moments radiate from Krauss. Whether she's getting bluesy on Little Milton's "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" or entwining with Plant's husky voice on songs like "Please Read the Letter" and Roly Salley's winsome "Killing the Blues," she more than carries her end of the bargain.
And perhaps that's also due to producer Burnett, who handpicked the 13 songs the duo cover on Sand. His arrangements are sparse — giving the two voices ample room to breathe — yet dense, warm and crackling at the same time. It's a testament to his work that he's often given just as much billing as Plant and Krauss on the project ... and it's certainly justified.
To date, Sand has sold more than 1 million copies, heaped tons of acclaim and actually earned a Grammy last year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" took home the award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.
One expert was surprised not by the album's success, but by the fact that it's actually quite a good album.
"At first, the album seemed like a vanity project. ... Two names, clearly a one-off record, didn't have to be any good, you know?" New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "Led Zeppelin fans would buy it because of Robert Plant, Alison Krauss would get a check. But it actually turned out to be a really thoughtful, really good record. So when you combine all that with the fact that the Grammys love to lionize one of their own, I could really see it taking home some awards."
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Photos | Jay-Z, Beyonce, Bieber And More Nominated For 2010 BET Awards
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Michael Jackson's 'Moonwalker' To Get U.S. Theater Debut?
A Hollywood cinema is searching for a print of MJ's 1988 film with plans to give it a 'one night only' screening.By James Montgomery
Michael Jackson's "Moonwalker"
Photo: Warner Bros.
Michael Jackson's short-film anthology "Moonwalker" may finally get a debut theatrical screening in the United States more than 20 years after it was released.
Back in 1988, MJ first unveiled the ambitious project, which contained several long-form videos for songs off his then-just-released Bad album, including his famous 25-minute clip for "Smooth Criminal." The film had been scheduled to be released in U.S. theaters that Christmas, but for whatever reason, that plan was scrapped. The movie was released on VHS early in 1989, and — surprise, surprise — became a massive success. But now, more than two decades after its debut, one theater is planning to give "Moonwalker"
a proper premiere here in the States.
According to TMZ, Hollywood's Arclight Cinemas is actively searching for a print of the film, with plans to show it on the big screen ... for one night only.
The idea came after Jackson fans flooded Arclight's Facebook page with requests to show "Moonwalker," and the theater is now on the hunt for a copy of the flick. Even if the search is successful, there's no word on when the premiere would occur. The theater had not responded to MTV News' e-mail seeking a comment by press time.
However, Jackson fans might not want to hold their breath. In a follow-up story, TMZ reported that the late singer's estate had blocked Arclight's attempts to secure a print of the film, with a spokesperson for the theater telling the website: "We contacted the film's directors and producers and were finally directed to MJ's estate attorney [who] let us know the estate has the [film's] rights but have no plans to make ... prints available for rent at this time."
"Moonwalker" features videos for Jackson tracks like "Speed Demon" (directed by Claymation innovator Will Vinton), "Leave Me Alone" (which was released as a promo and won Jackson a 1989 Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form) and, as mentioned, the iconic "Criminal," which features Jackson battling a group of mobsters led by Joe Pesci.
The flick also served as the inspiration for the super-awesome Sega game "Moonwalker, which featured a digital MJ morphing into a laser-blasting robot with the aid of his chimpanzee pal, Bubbles.
Would you go see a theatrical screening of Jackson's "Moonwalker" film? Tell us in the comments.
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Michael Jackson's "Moonwalker"
Photo: Warner Bros.
Michael Jackson's short-film anthology "Moonwalker" may finally get a debut theatrical screening in the United States more than 20 years after it was released.
Back in 1988, MJ first unveiled the ambitious project, which contained several long-form videos for songs off his then-just-released Bad album, including his famous 25-minute clip for "Smooth Criminal." The film had been scheduled to be released in U.S. theaters that Christmas, but for whatever reason, that plan was scrapped. The movie was released on VHS early in 1989, and — surprise, surprise — became a massive success. But now, more than two decades after its debut, one theater is planning to give "Moonwalker"
a proper premiere here in the States.
According to TMZ, Hollywood's Arclight Cinemas is actively searching for a print of the film, with plans to show it on the big screen ... for one night only.
The idea came after Jackson fans flooded Arclight's Facebook page with requests to show "Moonwalker," and the theater is now on the hunt for a copy of the flick. Even if the search is successful, there's no word on when the premiere would occur. The theater had not responded to MTV News' e-mail seeking a comment by press time.
However, Jackson fans might not want to hold their breath. In a follow-up story, TMZ reported that the late singer's estate had blocked Arclight's attempts to secure a print of the film, with a spokesperson for the theater telling the website: "We contacted the film's directors and producers and were finally directed to MJ's estate attorney [who] let us know the estate has the [film's] rights but have no plans to make ... prints available for rent at this time."
"Moonwalker" features videos for Jackson tracks like "Speed Demon" (directed by Claymation innovator Will Vinton), "Leave Me Alone" (which was released as a promo and won Jackson a 1989 Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form) and, as mentioned, the iconic "Criminal," which features Jackson battling a group of mobsters led by Joe Pesci.
The flick also served as the inspiration for the super-awesome Sega game "Moonwalker, which featured a digital MJ morphing into a laser-blasting robot with the aid of his chimpanzee pal, Bubbles.
Would you go see a theatrical screening of Jackson's "Moonwalker" film? Tell us in the comments.
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MTV First: Britney Spears' 'Hold It Against Me' Premiere
Special guests break down Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" music video.
Photo: Jive
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Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Justin Bieber's 'Never Say Never' Re-Release: Five Secrets Revealed
Director Jon M. Chu reveals more about the 40 minutes of new footage fans will see this weekend.By Eric Ditzian
Justin Bieber in "Never Say Never"
Photo: Paramount
By now, most citizens of Bieber nation have undoubtedly canceled all weekend plans, purchased advance tickets for the super-size version of "Never Say Never," and are plotting the most stress-free path toward the multiplex to catch the revamped film's arrival in 3-D theaters on Friday (February 25).
But what exactly will you find up on the big screen when you slip on those purple 3-D glasses just three weeks after the original flick debuted? Team Bieber has promised over half an hour of new Justin-approved video, including fresh performances, footage from pre-release screenings and further glimpses at Justin's downtime with his pals.
That's a little vague for our liking, so we hit up director Jon M. Chu for some insight into what's being touted as a "Director's Fan Cut." Here are five secrets revealed!
There Are 40 Minutes of New Footage, Not 30
In a YouTube video announcement, Chu told fans that the new version would include 30 minutes of new footage. But a subsequent Paramount press release pegged the number at 40 minutes. So which is it?
"That was my mistake!" laughed Chu. "I didn't time it out. I was like, 'I'll just say over 30 minutes, and we'll be good to go. But they timed it and it is 40 minutes. The point is, there's a crapload of stuff in there.
"We originally had a two-and-a-half-hour version of the movie, which we obviously couldn't release," he added. "So we started to think about putting stuff back in that didn't have to do with our story but that we knew people would love."
"Omaha Mall" Is Coming for You
This rock/rap tune became a fan favorite after Bieber posted it on YouTube, and the reworked "Never Say Never" will pull back the curtain on the song's creation for the first time on the big screen.
"We see the creation of 'Omaha Mall' and how that came to be," Chu told us. "We also get to see way more baby videos. We sit on a lot more shots, so it's like you're sitting with him in the living room, just watching."
Get Ready for Bieber's Abs
"Twilight" fans know what to expect when they hit the multiplex for the first viewing of a franchise film: Taylor Lautner without a shirt on. But Beliebers may have been surprised — and, no doubt, delighted — to sit down for "Never Say Never" and be treated to scene after scene of Justin sans T-shirt. When it comes to the new version, fans should expect even more skin.
"I can't confirm nor deny those reports, but we do what the fans want," Chu laughed. "If that's what the fans want, then they'll get a little bit more. Maybe some abs!"
You'll Truly See What It's Like to Be Bieber's BuddySuch is the effect of Bieber Fever that the singer's friends, Ryan Butler and Chaz Somer, have become stars in their own right. And while they pop up a bit in the movie, Chu said that fans couldn't get enough of these two Canadian teens.
"Chaz and Ryan have their own followings, and one of the biggest pieces of feedback we got is that fans want more Chaz and Ryan," the director said. "In this version, we get to see what it's like to be part of the entourage. We go to their homes in Stratford. People call from all around the world and disrupt their dinners. It's absolutely insane. They're superstars."
Hello, "Favorite Girl"!
While the re-cut flick introduces 40 minutes of new footage, the overall running time is only 10 minutes longer. So what did Chu cut? He took out Bieber's lengthy, pre-MSG visit to the doctor, added in new scenes of tickets being given away outside concerts and swapped out some performances that didn't make it into the original release.
"Before we had to make a choice between 'Favorite Girl' and 'Never Let You Go,' because they're the same [in-concert] set-up with the heart," he said. "We couldn't play both. So this time, we made the choice to have 'Favorite Girl,' which is one of my favorite songs that he plays. People are going to love it."
Check out everything we've got on "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Justin Bieber in "Never Say Never"
Photo: Paramount
By now, most citizens of Bieber nation have undoubtedly canceled all weekend plans, purchased advance tickets for the super-size version of "Never Say Never," and are plotting the most stress-free path toward the multiplex to catch the revamped film's arrival in 3-D theaters on Friday (February 25).
But what exactly will you find up on the big screen when you slip on those purple 3-D glasses just three weeks after the original flick debuted? Team Bieber has promised over half an hour of new Justin-approved video, including fresh performances, footage from pre-release screenings and further glimpses at Justin's downtime with his pals.
That's a little vague for our liking, so we hit up director Jon M. Chu for some insight into what's being touted as a "Director's Fan Cut." Here are five secrets revealed!
There Are 40 Minutes of New Footage, Not 30
In a YouTube video announcement, Chu told fans that the new version would include 30 minutes of new footage. But a subsequent Paramount press release pegged the number at 40 minutes. So which is it?
"That was my mistake!" laughed Chu. "I didn't time it out. I was like, 'I'll just say over 30 minutes, and we'll be good to go. But they timed it and it is 40 minutes. The point is, there's a crapload of stuff in there.
"We originally had a two-and-a-half-hour version of the movie, which we obviously couldn't release," he added. "So we started to think about putting stuff back in that didn't have to do with our story but that we knew people would love."
"Omaha Mall" Is Coming for You
This rock/rap tune became a fan favorite after Bieber posted it on YouTube, and the reworked "Never Say Never" will pull back the curtain on the song's creation for the first time on the big screen.
"We see the creation of 'Omaha Mall' and how that came to be," Chu told us. "We also get to see way more baby videos. We sit on a lot more shots, so it's like you're sitting with him in the living room, just watching."
Get Ready for Bieber's Abs
"Twilight" fans know what to expect when they hit the multiplex for the first viewing of a franchise film: Taylor Lautner without a shirt on. But Beliebers may have been surprised — and, no doubt, delighted — to sit down for "Never Say Never" and be treated to scene after scene of Justin sans T-shirt. When it comes to the new version, fans should expect even more skin.
"I can't confirm nor deny those reports, but we do what the fans want," Chu laughed. "If that's what the fans want, then they'll get a little bit more. Maybe some abs!"
You'll Truly See What It's Like to Be Bieber's BuddySuch is the effect of Bieber Fever that the singer's friends, Ryan Butler and Chaz Somer, have become stars in their own right. And while they pop up a bit in the movie, Chu said that fans couldn't get enough of these two Canadian teens.
"Chaz and Ryan have their own followings, and one of the biggest pieces of feedback we got is that fans want more Chaz and Ryan," the director said. "In this version, we get to see what it's like to be part of the entourage. We go to their homes in Stratford. People call from all around the world and disrupt their dinners. It's absolutely insane. They're superstars."
Hello, "Favorite Girl"!
While the re-cut flick introduces 40 minutes of new footage, the overall running time is only 10 minutes longer. So what did Chu cut? He took out Bieber's lengthy, pre-MSG visit to the doctor, added in new scenes of tickets being given away outside concerts and swapped out some performances that didn't make it into the original release.
"Before we had to make a choice between 'Favorite Girl' and 'Never Let You Go,' because they're the same [in-concert] set-up with the heart," he said. "We couldn't play both. So this time, we made the choice to have 'Favorite Girl,' which is one of my favorite songs that he plays. People are going to love it."
Check out everything we've got on "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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'Justin Bieber: Never Say Never' Sneak Peeks
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Dimmu Borgir Release Live DVD; Plus Led Zeppelin, Brujeria, & More News That Rules, In Metal File
'It shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums,' guitarist says.By Chris Harris
Dimmu Borgir's Silenoz
Photo: Nuclear Blast
On October 14, Dimmu Borgir — who just happen to be Demi Lovato's favorite black-metal band — will release a a three-disc DVD/CD set called "The Invaluable Darkness," the band's first visual offering since 2002's "World Misanthropy." Boasting live footage shot last year, during gigs in Norway, Germany and England, "The Invaluable Darkness" demonstrates the unbridled furor of seeing Dimmu live, guitarist Silenoz said.
"It shows the honest rawness and atmospheric darkness of our concerts," the Norwegian told Metal File last week, after dismissing recent online rumors that his band's next LP would be coming out through Roadrunner Records. "Basically, it shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums. It's just a different side to the band, basically."
Dimmu Borgir began thinking about "The Invaluable Darkness" two years ago, but didn't start capturing footage until last summer, Silenoz explained, adding that the band will use its current stint on the Blackest of the Black Tour — which got underway Thursday night in Miami Beach, Florida, and also features the tour's founder, Danzig, along with
Moonspell, Winds of Plague and Skeletonwitch — to promote the DVD. Dimmu Borgir will not, however, use the tour to write material for their next LP.
"It's our first time on Blackest, but Glenn [Danzig] had wanted to bring us out before [on the tour], but we weren't available until now," Silenoz said. "We've done Ozzfest before, but we're looking forward to this tour more. We did the main stage on Ozzfest, playing in f--_ing broad daylight. This tour will let us play in bigger places, but at the same time showcase more of what the band's about, visually. We are going to concentrate on the tour for now. Some years ago, we tried putting [material] together on the road, but once we got home, we listened back to it, and were like, 'What the f--- is this?' So, we just scrapped it all. We find it's so much better to totally focus on one thing at a time, and then, when that's over, you move on to the next [thing]. We don't really feel like we need to rush things, anyway, so we'll just take our time, and it's going to be what it's going to be."
Dimmu Borgir hope to reconvene in late December to begin writing the follow-up to 2007's diabolically titled In Sorte Diaboli. "We have some ideas floating around already, but we haven't arranged any material yet," he said. "We'll start doing that once the touring for this DVD is over." The band's frontman, Shagrath, is also due to marry soon — he's engaged to actor Nicolas Cage's ex-girlfriend, Christina Fulton, so that may have an effect on when Dimmu finish their next album, which Silenoz said could be out this coming spring.
"I'm sure [Shagrath] won't let anything get in the way [of] the band — I think, I hope," the guitarist said. "We don't need a Yoko [Ono] situation."
While Dimmu have been at it going on 15 years now, Silenoz said he doesn't think their forthcoming material will be much of a departure from their previous black-metal offerings.
"And we have always been about more than just that term, 'black metal,' " he said. "Luckily for us, the older you get, the less concerned you get with the categorization and putting labels on your music. Things start getting more and more limitless with us, and we know that we operate within certain frames. But we try not to analyze things too much, because it's just going to be working against you in the end. When we write new stuff, we don't think about what we should write — we just get together, and put material together, and if we like it, we keep it. That's the formula, if we even have a formula."
Dimmu Borgir are definitely getting older — guitarist Galder will be missing Blackest because of a recent addition to his family, and Susperia's Cyrus will be filling in for him; while former Vader drummer Dariusz Brzozowski takes over for Hellhammer, who had to leave the band in 2007 after sustaining a neck injury that's now limited the use of his right arm. As Dimmu has gotten on in years, Silenoz admits they have failed to keep pace with some of the more extreme black-metal acts that have followed in their wake.
"We helped open doors for the more extreme bands out there," Silenoz said. "I'm sure we helped open doors for bands like Watain, [insomuch as] people that had maybe started listening to us first then went on to the more extreme stuff. Let's face it — we're not as extreme as Watain and other bands like that, but we're fine with that."
The Blackest of the Black Tour continues through November 10 in San Francisco.
The rest of the week's metal news:
Dimmu's tourmates on Blackest, Winds of Plague, have announced ex-Azusa drummer Art Cruz has joined their ranks — he replaced Jeff Tenney. According to the band's blog, "Art has already added a new spark to the band and has provided us with a solid backbone that will allow us to continue our rampage stronger than ever." ...
What the world really needs is another
Led Zeppelin box set, so, on November 4, Rhino Records will issue the Led Zeppelin Definitive Collection Mini LP Replica CD box set. For just $200, you'll get 1969's Led Zeppelin, 1969's Led Zeppelin II, 1970's Led Zeppelin III, 1971's Led Zeppelin IV, 1973's Houses of the Holy, 1975's Physical Graffiti, 1976's Presence, 1976's The Song Remains the Same, 1979's In Through the Out Door and 1982's Coda, as mini-LP replicas, with artwork from the original U.K. LP sleeves. Now, you know what you can get your dad for Christmas. ...
Former Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach and current Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz have teamed up for a new project they're calling Times of Grace, and they've already started working on material for their debut album. According to Leach, "We have two songs to go and we will be finished with all of the vocals. Adam has taken lead vocals in three songs as of yet and he is doing a great job. We also worked on a track yesterday that is so epic — we trade vocals and do two different melodies at the same time. This album went from a melodic metal album to an epic mix of metal/rock/pop/shoegaze and punk. So all of your metal expectations will be incorrect — we are pushing genre boundaries." To quote "Meet the Parents," we'll look forward to that, Greg. ...
The Funeral Pyre and Early Graves will be hitting the road together next month, starting November 7 in South Lake Tahoe, California. Dates are booked through November 21 in Hollywood. ...
The latest incarnation of Brujeria, which features Carcass frontman Jeff Walker and Napalm Death's Shane Embury, have lined up several U.S. dates for this winter. The band will begin its brief trek November 28 in Denver, and wrap things up in Dallas on December 7. ...
Demiricous will be touring with the Gates of Slumber starting November 9 in Denver, for a jaunt that's scheduled to run through December 6 in Indianapolis. ...
Nearly three years after Roadrunner Records' Roadrunner United concert, which took over the Nokia Theater in New York's Times Square, the label is now releasing footage from that special night as "Roadrunner United: The Concert." The DVD, which hits stores December 9, will boast two discs and 24 live tracks, including Life of Agony's "River Runs Red," King Diamond's "Abigail," Killswitch's "My Last Serenade," Type O Negative's "Black No. 1" and Sepultura's "Refuse/Resist." ...
According to Blabbermouth, Verrot, bassist for Swedish black-metal outfit Elimi, committed suicide on October 3. In a statement, the band said, "Verrot was a very good friend, brother, an excellent bass player/musician and an important part of Elimi; we respect his decision and hope he'll find his way with the dark gods of Chaos. Let your black flame be a part of what brings forth the day of wrath."
Related Artists
Dimmu Borgir
Led Zeppelin
Brujeria
Dimmu Borgir's Silenoz
Photo: Nuclear Blast
On October 14, Dimmu Borgir — who just happen to be Demi Lovato's favorite black-metal band — will release a a three-disc DVD/CD set called "The Invaluable Darkness," the band's first visual offering since 2002's "World Misanthropy." Boasting live footage shot last year, during gigs in Norway, Germany and England, "The Invaluable Darkness" demonstrates the unbridled furor of seeing Dimmu live, guitarist Silenoz said.
"It shows the honest rawness and atmospheric darkness of our concerts," the Norwegian told Metal File last week, after dismissing recent online rumors that his band's next LP would be coming out through Roadrunner Records. "Basically, it shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums. It's just a different side to the band, basically."
Dimmu Borgir began thinking about "The Invaluable Darkness" two years ago, but didn't start capturing footage until last summer, Silenoz explained, adding that the band will use its current stint on the Blackest of the Black Tour — which got underway Thursday night in Miami Beach, Florida, and also features the tour's founder, Danzig, along with
Moonspell, Winds of Plague and Skeletonwitch — to promote the DVD. Dimmu Borgir will not, however, use the tour to write material for their next LP.
"It's our first time on Blackest, but Glenn [Danzig] had wanted to bring us out before [on the tour], but we weren't available until now," Silenoz said. "We've done Ozzfest before, but we're looking forward to this tour more. We did the main stage on Ozzfest, playing in f--_ing broad daylight. This tour will let us play in bigger places, but at the same time showcase more of what the band's about, visually. We are going to concentrate on the tour for now. Some years ago, we tried putting [material] together on the road, but once we got home, we listened back to it, and were like, 'What the f--- is this?' So, we just scrapped it all. We find it's so much better to totally focus on one thing at a time, and then, when that's over, you move on to the next [thing]. We don't really feel like we need to rush things, anyway, so we'll just take our time, and it's going to be what it's going to be."
Dimmu Borgir hope to reconvene in late December to begin writing the follow-up to 2007's diabolically titled In Sorte Diaboli. "We have some ideas floating around already, but we haven't arranged any material yet," he said. "We'll start doing that once the touring for this DVD is over." The band's frontman, Shagrath, is also due to marry soon — he's engaged to actor Nicolas Cage's ex-girlfriend, Christina Fulton, so that may have an effect on when Dimmu finish their next album, which Silenoz said could be out this coming spring.
"I'm sure [Shagrath] won't let anything get in the way [of] the band — I think, I hope," the guitarist said. "We don't need a Yoko [Ono] situation."
While Dimmu have been at it going on 15 years now, Silenoz said he doesn't think their forthcoming material will be much of a departure from their previous black-metal offerings.
"And we have always been about more than just that term, 'black metal,' " he said. "Luckily for us, the older you get, the less concerned you get with the categorization and putting labels on your music. Things start getting more and more limitless with us, and we know that we operate within certain frames. But we try not to analyze things too much, because it's just going to be working against you in the end. When we write new stuff, we don't think about what we should write — we just get together, and put material together, and if we like it, we keep it. That's the formula, if we even have a formula."
Dimmu Borgir are definitely getting older — guitarist Galder will be missing Blackest because of a recent addition to his family, and Susperia's Cyrus will be filling in for him; while former Vader drummer Dariusz Brzozowski takes over for Hellhammer, who had to leave the band in 2007 after sustaining a neck injury that's now limited the use of his right arm. As Dimmu has gotten on in years, Silenoz admits they have failed to keep pace with some of the more extreme black-metal acts that have followed in their wake.
"We helped open doors for the more extreme bands out there," Silenoz said. "I'm sure we helped open doors for bands like Watain, [insomuch as] people that had maybe started listening to us first then went on to the more extreme stuff. Let's face it — we're not as extreme as Watain and other bands like that, but we're fine with that."
The Blackest of the Black Tour continues through November 10 in San Francisco.
The rest of the week's metal news:
Dimmu's tourmates on Blackest, Winds of Plague, have announced ex-Azusa drummer Art Cruz has joined their ranks — he replaced Jeff Tenney. According to the band's blog, "Art has already added a new spark to the band and has provided us with a solid backbone that will allow us to continue our rampage stronger than ever." ...
What the world really needs is another
Led Zeppelin box set, so, on November 4, Rhino Records will issue the Led Zeppelin Definitive Collection Mini LP Replica CD box set. For just $200, you'll get 1969's Led Zeppelin, 1969's Led Zeppelin II, 1970's Led Zeppelin III, 1971's Led Zeppelin IV, 1973's Houses of the Holy, 1975's Physical Graffiti, 1976's Presence, 1976's The Song Remains the Same, 1979's In Through the Out Door and 1982's Coda, as mini-LP replicas, with artwork from the original U.K. LP sleeves. Now, you know what you can get your dad for Christmas. ...
Former Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach and current Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz have teamed up for a new project they're calling Times of Grace, and they've already started working on material for their debut album. According to Leach, "We have two songs to go and we will be finished with all of the vocals. Adam has taken lead vocals in three songs as of yet and he is doing a great job. We also worked on a track yesterday that is so epic — we trade vocals and do two different melodies at the same time. This album went from a melodic metal album to an epic mix of metal/rock/pop/shoegaze and punk. So all of your metal expectations will be incorrect — we are pushing genre boundaries." To quote "Meet the Parents," we'll look forward to that, Greg. ...
The Funeral Pyre and Early Graves will be hitting the road together next month, starting November 7 in South Lake Tahoe, California. Dates are booked through November 21 in Hollywood. ...
The latest incarnation of Brujeria, which features Carcass frontman Jeff Walker and Napalm Death's Shane Embury, have lined up several U.S. dates for this winter. The band will begin its brief trek November 28 in Denver, and wrap things up in Dallas on December 7. ...
Demiricous will be touring with the Gates of Slumber starting November 9 in Denver, for a jaunt that's scheduled to run through December 6 in Indianapolis. ...
Nearly three years after Roadrunner Records' Roadrunner United concert, which took over the Nokia Theater in New York's Times Square, the label is now releasing footage from that special night as "Roadrunner United: The Concert." The DVD, which hits stores December 9, will boast two discs and 24 live tracks, including Life of Agony's "River Runs Red," King Diamond's "Abigail," Killswitch's "My Last Serenade," Type O Negative's "Black No. 1" and Sepultura's "Refuse/Resist." ...
According to Blabbermouth, Verrot, bassist for Swedish black-metal outfit Elimi, committed suicide on October 3. In a statement, the band said, "Verrot was a very good friend, brother, an excellent bass player/musician and an important part of Elimi; we respect his decision and hope he'll find his way with the dark gods of Chaos. Let your black flame be a part of what brings forth the day of wrath."
Related Artists
Dimmu Borgir
Led Zeppelin
Brujeria
Christina Applegate Christina DaRe Christina Milian Christina Ricci
'The Simpsons' Take Aim At Oscars, Pixar And 'Wallace And Gromit'
Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but we've got to imagine winning an Oscar is a close second. In which case, Nick Park, the creator of the "Wallace and Gromit" films, can now officially consider himself one of the most flattered guys out there: Park, as well as the fellow Oscar-magnet folks at [...]
Stone Temple Pilots Reunited In Hopes Of Opening For Led Zeppelin, Bassist Says
'If time allows, there will definitely be new music,' Robert DeLeo adds of STP's future.By Chris Harris
Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo and Scott Weiland
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images
There are a number of reasons why Stone Temple Pilots decided to reunite after nearly five years apart — some are obvious, and others, not so much.
Of course, the financial windfall of reviving the grunge stalwarts for an extensive U.S. tour was too good to pass up, and bassist Robert DeLeo readily admits as much. And then there are the fans, the ones who had been with STP since the very beginning as well as those who discovered the band only after it first split back in 2003 and who, woefully, have yet to catch the Pilots live.
On a more personal level, though, Stone Temple Pilots' resurrection was purely selfish, and very much an anticipatory (not to mention optimistic) move on the band's part: If, after the months and months of rumors and denials, there ever is a full-on Led Zeppelin reunion tour, STP wanted to be ready to offer their services as an opening act.
"Believe me, that was one of the reasons," laughed DeLeo. "We thought, 'We should get together now, in case Zeppelin does tour.' I'm serious, man. That would be one hell of a bill: STP and Led Zeppelin. I mean, we could play a doghouse, out in the middle of the ocean, and if I got to play with Zeppelin, that would be a highlight of my life."
Yes, DeLeo — and the rest of the band — had several reservations about raising STP from the dead — a feat DeLeo jokingly referred to as "Mission Impossible." For the band's members, the idea of regrouping was terrifying at first, but with time, the boys settled their differences and tried to think positive.
"For me, it was about putting down some of the things that I was used to getting bitten by," explained the bassist — who, with guitar-playing brother Dean DeLeo, has been collaborating with Peter Frampton on material for his next LP. "After you get bitten, it's hard to go back. I wanted to go into this with an open frame of mind and a positive attitude and just have fun with it. We should have fun with it, which God knows we didn't always have with our career when we were younger. If that's all I can say, and that's what I can get out of this reunion, great.
"I think I speak for all of us when I say there's a lot of unfinished business that we didn't get around to the first go," he continued. "Enough time has gone by, and it feels really good to be back. I don't really want to put too much thought into how it feels — I'm just kind of going with it and keeping a good positive attitude about it. I just needed to get over the things that we all needed to get over, and that's been working so far. If everyone shows up and does this thing, I think it's going to be really amazing."
DeLeo claims that during recent rehearsals, STP were "sounding as good as ever," and he credits sobriety as part of the reason the band's in tip-top shape.
"My brother's going on four years of sobriety," he said. "We have a lot more clarity in the band now, and I think with clarity comes appreciation. I saw that the other night, when we played [a secret gig in Los Angeles]. I saw it in my eyes, and in the eyes of the rest of the band. There's a lot more rock in this band now."
As for an STP record, DeLeo is not 100 percent sure that's going to happen. The goal for STP over the next few weeks, he said, is to reacquaint themselves with their songbook and prepare for their return to the road. Once the band is back in that mindset, the bassist said new STP material is very possible.
"I've always got stuff written, and there's always a long list of songs that are always there — it's a matter of timing," DeLeo said. "If time allows, there will definitely be new music. I think it would be silly not to release new music. I'd like to believe we still have a writing relationship, but the first step is getting reacquainted with what we know."
While STP were on hiatus, frontman Scott Weiland teamed up with Velvet Revolver, and the DeLeo brothers joined forces with Filter's Richard Patrick for Army of Anyone — who are now on hiatus after releasing a poorly received self-titled LP. Does DeLeo foresee an AOA reunion somewhere down the line?
"You never know," he said. "It's just like STP — I didn't know if I was going to return. Whether we get back together and do anything, I think we made a great record, bottom line. That's all that matters to me. If we make another one, I want to make sure it's great, and that applies to STP and anything I do. But I was pretty heartbroken over [the feeble response to AOA's album]."
Related Photos
Stone Temple Pilots Launch 2008 Tour At L.A.'s Harry Houdini Estate
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Stone Temple Pilots
Led Zeppelin
Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo and Scott Weiland
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images
There are a number of reasons why Stone Temple Pilots decided to reunite after nearly five years apart — some are obvious, and others, not so much.
Of course, the financial windfall of reviving the grunge stalwarts for an extensive U.S. tour was too good to pass up, and bassist Robert DeLeo readily admits as much. And then there are the fans, the ones who had been with STP since the very beginning as well as those who discovered the band only after it first split back in 2003 and who, woefully, have yet to catch the Pilots live.
On a more personal level, though, Stone Temple Pilots' resurrection was purely selfish, and very much an anticipatory (not to mention optimistic) move on the band's part: If, after the months and months of rumors and denials, there ever is a full-on Led Zeppelin reunion tour, STP wanted to be ready to offer their services as an opening act.
"Believe me, that was one of the reasons," laughed DeLeo. "We thought, 'We should get together now, in case Zeppelin does tour.' I'm serious, man. That would be one hell of a bill: STP and Led Zeppelin. I mean, we could play a doghouse, out in the middle of the ocean, and if I got to play with Zeppelin, that would be a highlight of my life."
Yes, DeLeo — and the rest of the band — had several reservations about raising STP from the dead — a feat DeLeo jokingly referred to as "Mission Impossible." For the band's members, the idea of regrouping was terrifying at first, but with time, the boys settled their differences and tried to think positive.
"For me, it was about putting down some of the things that I was used to getting bitten by," explained the bassist — who, with guitar-playing brother Dean DeLeo, has been collaborating with Peter Frampton on material for his next LP. "After you get bitten, it's hard to go back. I wanted to go into this with an open frame of mind and a positive attitude and just have fun with it. We should have fun with it, which God knows we didn't always have with our career when we were younger. If that's all I can say, and that's what I can get out of this reunion, great.
"I think I speak for all of us when I say there's a lot of unfinished business that we didn't get around to the first go," he continued. "Enough time has gone by, and it feels really good to be back. I don't really want to put too much thought into how it feels — I'm just kind of going with it and keeping a good positive attitude about it. I just needed to get over the things that we all needed to get over, and that's been working so far. If everyone shows up and does this thing, I think it's going to be really amazing."
DeLeo claims that during recent rehearsals, STP were "sounding as good as ever," and he credits sobriety as part of the reason the band's in tip-top shape.
"My brother's going on four years of sobriety," he said. "We have a lot more clarity in the band now, and I think with clarity comes appreciation. I saw that the other night, when we played [a secret gig in Los Angeles]. I saw it in my eyes, and in the eyes of the rest of the band. There's a lot more rock in this band now."
As for an STP record, DeLeo is not 100 percent sure that's going to happen. The goal for STP over the next few weeks, he said, is to reacquaint themselves with their songbook and prepare for their return to the road. Once the band is back in that mindset, the bassist said new STP material is very possible.
"I've always got stuff written, and there's always a long list of songs that are always there — it's a matter of timing," DeLeo said. "If time allows, there will definitely be new music. I think it would be silly not to release new music. I'd like to believe we still have a writing relationship, but the first step is getting reacquainted with what we know."
While STP were on hiatus, frontman Scott Weiland teamed up with Velvet Revolver, and the DeLeo brothers joined forces with Filter's Richard Patrick for Army of Anyone — who are now on hiatus after releasing a poorly received self-titled LP. Does DeLeo foresee an AOA reunion somewhere down the line?
"You never know," he said. "It's just like STP — I didn't know if I was going to return. Whether we get back together and do anything, I think we made a great record, bottom line. That's all that matters to me. If we make another one, I want to make sure it's great, and that applies to STP and anything I do. But I was pretty heartbroken over [the feeble response to AOA's album]."
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Some Ghostbusters 3 Progress! Bill Murray Has Probably Read The Script!
Last month, we learned that the Ghostbusters 3 script had been sent to Bill Murray.
Now, it looks like Murray has finally read the script, and director Ivan Reitman is waiting to hear back from him.
Here's what Reitman had to say about it:
"He's seen it and we're waiting to hear."
We REALLY hope he read it and [...]
Now, it looks like Murray has finally read the script, and director Ivan Reitman is waiting to hear back from him.
Here's what Reitman had to say about it:
"He's seen it and we're waiting to hear."
We REALLY hope he read it and [...]
Lady Gaga Announces HBO Monster Ball Special
'Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour at Madison Square Garden' airs May 7.By Gil Kaufman
Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Lady Gaga could not remember much about her celebration on Sunday night after winning three Grammy Awards, but during a Monday appearance on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," she did manage to recall that she had yet another big announcement to make.
"Oh, this is a very exciting new announcement," she said during the appearance, in which she revealed that she and Madonna have no beef over Gaga's smash single "Born This Way," which some critics and fans have said resembles some of Madonna's 1990s work. "I am going to be taping a special for HBO of the Monster Ball."
HBO confirmed on Tuesday (February 15) that the singer's first solo HBO concert special will air on May 7. The program will be taped during Gaga's February 21-22 shows at Madison Square Garden and will be titled "Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour at Madison Square Garden."
"Lady Gaga is the single most exciting music talent on the scene today," said HBO president Sue Naegle in a statement announcing the deal. "We're especially thrilled that she'll be creating unique new elements for the special that will make the show an even more memorable experience for our viewers."
The HBO show will begin airing a few weeks before the release of Gaga's highly anticipated Born This Way album, which hits stores on May 23. It will be directed by Laurieann Gibson, who has choreographed most of Lady Gaga's videos, including "Poker Face," "Paparazzi," "Telephone," "Alejandro" and "Bad Romance."
Gaga also dropped the news that the "Born This Way" video will be out soon and that it is a collaboration between her own Haus of Gaga and fashion photographer Nick Knight.
The singer admitted that she didn't remember much about Sunday night's post-Grammy party, but she remembers that "it was fun. I do remember being called 'drunky Gaga.' " Renowned for her elaborate entrances, Gaga said that Hussein Chalayan, the Turkish designer behind the egg-shaped device in which she was carried into the Grammys, wanted to make sure everyone knew it should be referred to as a "vessel." Joking (we think), Gaga told Leno she spent three days inside the temperature-controlled device.
Gaga also explained that the "vessel" was intended to signify rebirth, specifically the birth of a new race "with no prejudice ... against anyone."
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Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Lady Gaga could not remember much about her celebration on Sunday night after winning three Grammy Awards, but during a Monday appearance on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," she did manage to recall that she had yet another big announcement to make.
"Oh, this is a very exciting new announcement," she said during the appearance, in which she revealed that she and Madonna have no beef over Gaga's smash single "Born This Way," which some critics and fans have said resembles some of Madonna's 1990s work. "I am going to be taping a special for HBO of the Monster Ball."
HBO confirmed on Tuesday (February 15) that the singer's first solo HBO concert special will air on May 7. The program will be taped during Gaga's February 21-22 shows at Madison Square Garden and will be titled "Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour at Madison Square Garden."
"Lady Gaga is the single most exciting music talent on the scene today," said HBO president Sue Naegle in a statement announcing the deal. "We're especially thrilled that she'll be creating unique new elements for the special that will make the show an even more memorable experience for our viewers."
The HBO show will begin airing a few weeks before the release of Gaga's highly anticipated Born This Way album, which hits stores on May 23. It will be directed by Laurieann Gibson, who has choreographed most of Lady Gaga's videos, including "Poker Face," "Paparazzi," "Telephone," "Alejandro" and "Bad Romance."
Gaga also dropped the news that the "Born This Way" video will be out soon and that it is a collaboration between her own Haus of Gaga and fashion photographer Nick Knight.
The singer admitted that she didn't remember much about Sunday night's post-Grammy party, but she remembers that "it was fun. I do remember being called 'drunky Gaga.' " Renowned for her elaborate entrances, Gaga said that Hussein Chalayan, the Turkish designer behind the egg-shaped device in which she was carried into the Grammys, wanted to make sure everyone knew it should be referred to as a "vessel." Joking (we think), Gaga told Leno she spent three days inside the temperature-controlled device.
Gaga also explained that the "vessel" was intended to signify rebirth, specifically the birth of a new race "with no prejudice ... against anyone."
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Monday, February 21, 2011
Photos | Performances At The 10th Annual BMI Urban Awards
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Deadmau5 Brings Dance Music To The 'Masses,' Wolfgang Gartner Says
'He has a major role in the younger generation to this music,' producer/DJ tells MTV News of his collaborator.By Adam Stewart
deadmau5
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images
It's no secret that 2010 was a pivotal year for electronic dance music here in the States. With deadmau5 and Swedish House Mafia becoming household names, the genre's momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Using a conduit of collaboration, artists such as deadmau5 (a.k.a. Joel Zimmerman) have paired up with various underground acts to further the rapid expansion of the genre.
Perhaps one of the most notable movers and shakers of the year is now-Grammy-Award-nominated producer and DJ Wolfgang Gartner, who recently sat down to chat with MTV News about deadmau5 and dance music's rise to the top.
"He has a major role in the younger generation to this music," Gartner says, "but there have been certain artists that have been instrumental in helping it cross over and reach the mainstream — which I think is a good thing. I think rap artists using dance beats is a great thing. I think it just brings more people towards this music that we all love."
Thanks to several key moments, such as deadmau5 taking the helm as house DJ (well, technically "House Artist") for the 2010 VMAs, dance music has been thrown into the forefront of America's youth, a key demographic for any genre.
"Everybody knows who he is now and he's kind of exposing the masses to dance music. These little five-, six- and seven-year-old kids latch on to this 'mau5head' logo — they get into the music and he's bringing this tiny young generation into this music that probably wouldn't be exposed to it."
Gartner certainly doesn't mind the exposure either. Unless you were living under a rock for the past six months, you probably heard one of this past summer's hottest anthems, "Animal Rights," a collaborative effort brought forth by deadmau5 and Gartner.
"It was interesting because I kind of had a preconceived notion about how he would be to work [with]," said Gartner. "I think our sounds are really similar, so I figured he would work in a similar way to me, but the way that he writes music is actually completely different to me. But he achieves kind of the same sound through a completely different process."
Recorded in deadmau5's favorite Los Angeles studio — that would be rocker Tommy Lee's House — "Animal Rights" is a thumping progressive house anthem that melds Wolfgang's unmistakable harmonics and funk riffs with the driving bass line and wobbly synths that make deadmau5 one of the unique forces in the dance music world.
"[Deadmau5] writes these rich complex chord progressions and he does it by drawing these little bars on a grid, which is just amazing that you can do that and get that result," Gartner goes on to say. "It just proves you don't have to be able to play keyboards to write amazing music."
The two sound pioneers never cease to stop pushing the limits on what they are able to produce. Using drastically difference production approaches, deadmau5
and Gartner had the ability to play off each other's strengths while recording the track.
"I'd say the biggest thing is that I play everything in on a keyboard, like even my drums," says Gartner. "I play everything in live and he draws it in with notes on a mouse, which blew me away because his music is very musical."
What do you think 2011 will hold for deadmau5 and Gartner? Let us know in the comments below!
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Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images
It's no secret that 2010 was a pivotal year for electronic dance music here in the States. With deadmau5 and Swedish House Mafia becoming household names, the genre's momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Using a conduit of collaboration, artists such as deadmau5 (a.k.a. Joel Zimmerman) have paired up with various underground acts to further the rapid expansion of the genre.
Perhaps one of the most notable movers and shakers of the year is now-Grammy-Award-nominated producer and DJ Wolfgang Gartner, who recently sat down to chat with MTV News about deadmau5 and dance music's rise to the top.
"He has a major role in the younger generation to this music," Gartner says, "but there have been certain artists that have been instrumental in helping it cross over and reach the mainstream — which I think is a good thing. I think rap artists using dance beats is a great thing. I think it just brings more people towards this music that we all love."
Thanks to several key moments, such as deadmau5 taking the helm as house DJ (well, technically "House Artist") for the 2010 VMAs, dance music has been thrown into the forefront of America's youth, a key demographic for any genre.
"Everybody knows who he is now and he's kind of exposing the masses to dance music. These little five-, six- and seven-year-old kids latch on to this 'mau5head' logo — they get into the music and he's bringing this tiny young generation into this music that probably wouldn't be exposed to it."
Gartner certainly doesn't mind the exposure either. Unless you were living under a rock for the past six months, you probably heard one of this past summer's hottest anthems, "Animal Rights," a collaborative effort brought forth by deadmau5 and Gartner.
"It was interesting because I kind of had a preconceived notion about how he would be to work [with]," said Gartner. "I think our sounds are really similar, so I figured he would work in a similar way to me, but the way that he writes music is actually completely different to me. But he achieves kind of the same sound through a completely different process."
Recorded in deadmau5's favorite Los Angeles studio — that would be rocker Tommy Lee's House — "Animal Rights" is a thumping progressive house anthem that melds Wolfgang's unmistakable harmonics and funk riffs with the driving bass line and wobbly synths that make deadmau5 one of the unique forces in the dance music world.
"[Deadmau5] writes these rich complex chord progressions and he does it by drawing these little bars on a grid, which is just amazing that you can do that and get that result," Gartner goes on to say. "It just proves you don't have to be able to play keyboards to write amazing music."
The two sound pioneers never cease to stop pushing the limits on what they are able to produce. Using drastically difference production approaches, deadmau5
and Gartner had the ability to play off each other's strengths while recording the track.
"I'd say the biggest thing is that I play everything in on a keyboard, like even my drums," says Gartner. "I play everything in live and he draws it in with notes on a mouse, which blew me away because his music is very musical."
What do you think 2011 will hold for deadmau5 and Gartner? Let us know in the comments below!
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Celebrate Wendy O. Williams' Birthday With Bobblehead Doll
What better way to celebrate Wendy O. Williams' 61st birthday on May 28 (if she hadn't blown her head off at age 48) than with a cute, scantily clad bobblehead doll.
Yes, Aggronautix, the company that, in 2009, presented a bobblehead of GG Allin -- the lovable now-deceased counter culture character who beat up audience members, [...]
Yes, Aggronautix, the company that, in 2009, presented a bobblehead of GG Allin -- the lovable now-deceased counter culture character who beat up audience members, [...]
Liam Neeson's 'Unknown': The Reviews Are In!
Critics give high marks to Neeson, but are divided on neo-Hitchcockian thriller.By Shawn Adler
January Jones and Liam Neeson in "Unknown"
Photo: Warner Bros.
With apologies to the groundhog, Liam Neeson is quickly becoming February's biggest star. Two years after the action-thriller "Taken" made him perhaps Hollywood's unlikeliest action star, the Oscar-nominated man who played Oskar Schindler is back to kick butt and take names in "Unknown," a neo-Hitchcockian thriller about a man who awakens after a car accident to discover the life he thought he had has been taken away, possibly just an after-effect of amnesia.
Is the movie itself worth forgetting? Here's what the critics are saying:
The Twist
"As much as 'Unknown' tries to be an intelligent thriller for grown-ups, the premise is pretty silly and normally, when that's the case, you know it's going to lead to an equally silly twist. Dark Castle regular Jaume Collet-Serra's previous movie 'Orphan' had one of the funniest twist endings possibly ever, though this doesn't quite achieve that extreme of insanity because the plot is so based in thriller clichés we've seen before, there aren't as many surprises until that third act. We won't give away the big twist, though we'll say that the film's biggest problem is that once it's revealed, much of what happens in the film's third act negates what happened earlier by turning much of it into nonsensical drivel." — Edward Douglas, Coming Soon
Will the Real Mr. Neeson Please Stand Up?
"With Harrison Ford mellowing with the years, Liam Neeson is stepping into the position, near and dear to action fans, of the average, over-civilized American man who, finding himself surrounded by trouble, picks up a tire iron and learns to swing it. It's one thing to convince an audience you're tough when you're covered with muscles. But to do so while wearing a jacket and tie takes concentration and sincerity. Neeson brings his own special quality to this type of role. As we saw in 'Taken,' in which he had to rescue his daughter in Paris, and now in 'Unknown,' playing a scholar whose identity gets stolen in Berlin, Neeson has a way of getting upset — a frantic purposefulness — that fills viewers with both empathy and anticipation: He's so miserable that we care."
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
"Casting is crucial to a movie. The right lead changes every other aspect of the film, impacting the tone and the way scenes play. The wrong lead will suck the energy out of a movie, leaving what could have been a delight leaden and dull. Liam Neeson is the wrong lead for 'Unknown.' What's worse, he doesn't seem to care; bringing one boring level of gruff intensity to every scene, Neeson is unmodulated and uninterested in creating anything subtle. Which sounds weird when talking about a big, ultimately dumb movie like 'Unknown,' but if Jaume Collet-Serra's last film, the incredible 'The Orphan,' proves one thing it's that his special brand of lunacy needs strong, subtle actors to play it." — Devin Faraci, Badass Digest
The Supporting Players
"The venerable German actor Bruno Ganz plays a former Stasi agent whom Martin hires to help him prove his identity, and Frank Langella has a brief and marvelous small part as an American professor whom Martin contacts for help. The one scene that Ganz and Langella have together is worth the price of admission. Both are actors capable of elevating whatever material they're in, and for a few moments this fair-to-middling spy drama feels as emotionally rich and morally ambiguous as a Graham Greene novel." — Dana Stevens, Slate
The Final Word
"This is a studio thriller released in February, people, not the second coming of Hitchcock. Still, keep your expectations reasonable and director Jaume Collet-Serra — undaunted by the presence of the 2005 'House of Wax' remake on his résumé — will exceed them, delivering an exciting and unjaded entertainment with tremendous atmosphere, one that will keep you guessing almost to the final frame." — Andrew O'Hehir, Salon
Check out everything we've got on "Unknown."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
January Jones and Liam Neeson in "Unknown"
Photo: Warner Bros.
With apologies to the groundhog, Liam Neeson is quickly becoming February's biggest star. Two years after the action-thriller "Taken" made him perhaps Hollywood's unlikeliest action star, the Oscar-nominated man who played Oskar Schindler is back to kick butt and take names in "Unknown," a neo-Hitchcockian thriller about a man who awakens after a car accident to discover the life he thought he had has been taken away, possibly just an after-effect of amnesia.
Is the movie itself worth forgetting? Here's what the critics are saying:
The Twist
"As much as 'Unknown' tries to be an intelligent thriller for grown-ups, the premise is pretty silly and normally, when that's the case, you know it's going to lead to an equally silly twist. Dark Castle regular Jaume Collet-Serra's previous movie 'Orphan' had one of the funniest twist endings possibly ever, though this doesn't quite achieve that extreme of insanity because the plot is so based in thriller clichés we've seen before, there aren't as many surprises until that third act. We won't give away the big twist, though we'll say that the film's biggest problem is that once it's revealed, much of what happens in the film's third act negates what happened earlier by turning much of it into nonsensical drivel." — Edward Douglas, Coming Soon
Will the Real Mr. Neeson Please Stand Up?
"With Harrison Ford mellowing with the years, Liam Neeson is stepping into the position, near and dear to action fans, of the average, over-civilized American man who, finding himself surrounded by trouble, picks up a tire iron and learns to swing it. It's one thing to convince an audience you're tough when you're covered with muscles. But to do so while wearing a jacket and tie takes concentration and sincerity. Neeson brings his own special quality to this type of role. As we saw in 'Taken,' in which he had to rescue his daughter in Paris, and now in 'Unknown,' playing a scholar whose identity gets stolen in Berlin, Neeson has a way of getting upset — a frantic purposefulness — that fills viewers with both empathy and anticipation: He's so miserable that we care."
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
"Casting is crucial to a movie. The right lead changes every other aspect of the film, impacting the tone and the way scenes play. The wrong lead will suck the energy out of a movie, leaving what could have been a delight leaden and dull. Liam Neeson is the wrong lead for 'Unknown.' What's worse, he doesn't seem to care; bringing one boring level of gruff intensity to every scene, Neeson is unmodulated and uninterested in creating anything subtle. Which sounds weird when talking about a big, ultimately dumb movie like 'Unknown,' but if Jaume Collet-Serra's last film, the incredible 'The Orphan,' proves one thing it's that his special brand of lunacy needs strong, subtle actors to play it." — Devin Faraci, Badass Digest
The Supporting Players
"The venerable German actor Bruno Ganz plays a former Stasi agent whom Martin hires to help him prove his identity, and Frank Langella has a brief and marvelous small part as an American professor whom Martin contacts for help. The one scene that Ganz and Langella have together is worth the price of admission. Both are actors capable of elevating whatever material they're in, and for a few moments this fair-to-middling spy drama feels as emotionally rich and morally ambiguous as a Graham Greene novel." — Dana Stevens, Slate
The Final Word
"This is a studio thriller released in February, people, not the second coming of Hitchcock. Still, keep your expectations reasonable and director Jaume Collet-Serra — undaunted by the presence of the 2005 'House of Wax' remake on his résumé — will exceed them, delivering an exciting and unjaded entertainment with tremendous atmosphere, one that will keep you guessing almost to the final frame." — Andrew O'Hehir, Salon
Check out everything we've got on "Unknown."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Sarah Gellman Sarah Michelle Gellar Sarah Mutch Sarah Polley
Photos | The 2011 Grammy Awards Show
The 2011 Grammy Awards Show
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Usher Says New 'Rev Pop' Project Is A 'Movement'
Singer teases his new project by pointing to past hits like 'Yeah!' and 'OMG.'By James Montgomery
Usher
Photo: MTV News
With the success of songs like "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love," "Hot Tottie" and "OMG," Usher had himself a fairly massive 2010. But rather than rest on his laurels, he's looking to build on his big year, not with an album, but with a "movement."
It's something he's calling "Rev Pop" — or, simply, "Rev" — and though he's already teased his idea in a video with David Guetta (Akon is also involved), he has yet to speak in full about it. So when MTV News caught up with Ush before the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles at the (Belvedere) RED launch party, we asked him about his next musical endeavor. And though he didn't reveal much, he did let it be known that "Rev" isn't exactly something new. In fact, he's been doing it for a while now.
"I'll give it to you this way: At a later date, I'll tell you more about Rev Pop, but if I were to give you a flash: I've done it before, I did it with 'Yeah!' " he said, "taking a cultural experience, and also worldwide recognition of a feeling, and putting the soul in the middle of it. Not allowing it to shift heavily to R&B genre, or pop. I did it again with 'OMG,' once again putting the soul in the middle of it, which was an electric-pop experience, with the soul.
"It's bringing those elements together to tell a story, that was born here," he said, gesturing toward his heart, "And that's what Rev Pop is. There's more, I mean, I could really elaborate, but that's just what I'm going to tell you right now. 'Rev' is what it's called ... the movement is called Rev."
Usher wouldn't say just when his fans would be getting their first taste of Rev, but whenever they do, it sounds like they're going to be impressed ... if not a little shocked.
"Stay alive," he smiled, "Because you're definitely going to be in for a surprise."
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Photo: MTV News
With the success of songs like "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love," "Hot Tottie" and "OMG," Usher had himself a fairly massive 2010. But rather than rest on his laurels, he's looking to build on his big year, not with an album, but with a "movement."
It's something he's calling "Rev Pop" — or, simply, "Rev" — and though he's already teased his idea in a video with David Guetta (Akon is also involved), he has yet to speak in full about it. So when MTV News caught up with Ush before the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles at the (Belvedere) RED launch party, we asked him about his next musical endeavor. And though he didn't reveal much, he did let it be known that "Rev" isn't exactly something new. In fact, he's been doing it for a while now.
"I'll give it to you this way: At a later date, I'll tell you more about Rev Pop, but if I were to give you a flash: I've done it before, I did it with 'Yeah!' " he said, "taking a cultural experience, and also worldwide recognition of a feeling, and putting the soul in the middle of it. Not allowing it to shift heavily to R&B genre, or pop. I did it again with 'OMG,' once again putting the soul in the middle of it, which was an electric-pop experience, with the soul.
"It's bringing those elements together to tell a story, that was born here," he said, gesturing toward his heart, "And that's what Rev Pop is. There's more, I mean, I could really elaborate, but that's just what I'm going to tell you right now. 'Rev' is what it's called ... the movement is called Rev."
Usher wouldn't say just when his fans would be getting their first taste of Rev, but whenever they do, it sounds like they're going to be impressed ... if not a little shocked.
"Stay alive," he smiled, "Because you're definitely going to be in for a surprise."
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Lil Wayne Producer Bangladesh Plans Future Collaborations With Ke$ha
'It gives her a whole new look and it shows how creative I am,' Grammy-nominated producer says of Cannibal singer.By Jayson Rodriguez
Bangladesh
Photo: MTV News
Producer Bangladesh's biggest break came when he powered Lil Wayne's "A Milli." Then he upped the ante on Weezy's recent release "6 Foot 7 Foot." So, what does the Grammy-nominated beatsmith have in store for the new year? More of the same, actually.
Bangladesh hopes to continue his genre-bending ways, whether it's lending rock-leaning sensibilities to Lil Wayne or injecting a pop star's work with edgy hip-hop drums. He and Dr. Luke (Britney Spears, Pink, Katy Perry) recently worked together on Ke$ha's "Sleazy," from her Cannibal LP.
"I met Luke through a mutual friend, so it was like me walking into a stranger's house," Bangladesh told MTV News. "I really didn't know what to expect. But it was all love. It was kind of like the roles were reversed, like I was the biggest producer and he just had a couple of hits. Once I saw how he felt about me, I was like man, I might be the truth. [He laughs.]"
After hitting it off, they joined forces for "Sleazy," the first of many collaborations Bangladesh is shooting for with the "Tik Tok" star.
"That's a good look, because it gives her a whole new look and it shows how creative I am," he explained. "It shows how music is changing. And it shows that I'm kind of the changer behind it. The leader. I'm trying to mix the different genres where it's still convincing, like, I believe them doing this."
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Bangladesh
Photo: MTV News
Producer Bangladesh's biggest break came when he powered Lil Wayne's "A Milli." Then he upped the ante on Weezy's recent release "6 Foot 7 Foot." So, what does the Grammy-nominated beatsmith have in store for the new year? More of the same, actually.
Bangladesh hopes to continue his genre-bending ways, whether it's lending rock-leaning sensibilities to Lil Wayne or injecting a pop star's work with edgy hip-hop drums. He and Dr. Luke (Britney Spears, Pink, Katy Perry) recently worked together on Ke$ha's "Sleazy," from her Cannibal LP.
"I met Luke through a mutual friend, so it was like me walking into a stranger's house," Bangladesh told MTV News. "I really didn't know what to expect. But it was all love. It was kind of like the roles were reversed, like I was the biggest producer and he just had a couple of hits. Once I saw how he felt about me, I was like man, I might be the truth. [He laughs.]"
After hitting it off, they joined forces for "Sleazy," the first of many collaborations Bangladesh is shooting for with the "Tik Tok" star.
"That's a good look, because it gives her a whole new look and it shows how creative I am," he explained. "It shows how music is changing. And it shows that I'm kind of the changer behind it. The leader. I'm trying to mix the different genres where it's still convincing, like, I believe them doing this."
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Sunday, February 20, 2011
Usher 'Got A Good Laugh' From Fan Kicking Him In The Face
'It looked worse than it actually was,' the 'OMG' singer laughs about accidental blow during concert serenade.By Mawuse Ziegbe
Usher
Photo: Jordan Strauss/ Getty Images
Usher's club-rattling jam "OMG" may "kill it every night" according to tourmate Miguel, but when the Atlanta crooner hit Madison Square Garden earlier this week, he was almost taken out by a clumsy fan.
When the singer touched down in New York on Monday, he indulged a super amped fan's fantasy by pulling her onstage for an intimate flirty serenade of "Trading Places." As Usher and the concertgoer got cozy on a recliner, she swiveled around to face the crooner — knocking him squarely in his mug with her foot. She began apologizing profusely as Usher briefly paused to collect himself. But the superstar took the strike in stride, quipping, "We play rough in the bed. We kick each other in the face and all type of good stuff."
Although Usher brushed off the blow, the moment did make an impression on him.
"In all my years, this is one of the most interesting experiences. I got a kick out of it!" he told Us Weekly. The singer assured fans that the knock wasn't that bad. "It looked worse than it actually was. My audience and I got a good laugh."
As for the fan, the "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" star maintained everything is all good on that front too. "Wherever you are baby, don't feel bad," Usher said. "No hard feelings."
As Miguel has noted, Usher isn't one dwell on drama, whether it's cranking out another hit album or weathering an unexpected hit from a fan.
"He's such a tremendous example of perseverance and determination," Miguel recently told MTV News. "I was there throughout this album, so I've seen the adversity that he's had to overcome perception-wise."
What do you think of Usher's response to getting knocked in the head by a fan? Tell us in the comments!
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Usher
Usher
Photo: Jordan Strauss/ Getty Images
Usher's club-rattling jam "OMG" may "kill it every night" according to tourmate Miguel, but when the Atlanta crooner hit Madison Square Garden earlier this week, he was almost taken out by a clumsy fan.
When the singer touched down in New York on Monday, he indulged a super amped fan's fantasy by pulling her onstage for an intimate flirty serenade of "Trading Places." As Usher and the concertgoer got cozy on a recliner, she swiveled around to face the crooner — knocking him squarely in his mug with her foot. She began apologizing profusely as Usher briefly paused to collect himself. But the superstar took the strike in stride, quipping, "We play rough in the bed. We kick each other in the face and all type of good stuff."
Although Usher brushed off the blow, the moment did make an impression on him.
"In all my years, this is one of the most interesting experiences. I got a kick out of it!" he told Us Weekly. The singer assured fans that the knock wasn't that bad. "It looked worse than it actually was. My audience and I got a good laugh."
As for the fan, the "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" star maintained everything is all good on that front too. "Wherever you are baby, don't feel bad," Usher said. "No hard feelings."
As Miguel has noted, Usher isn't one dwell on drama, whether it's cranking out another hit album or weathering an unexpected hit from a fan.
"He's such a tremendous example of perseverance and determination," Miguel recently told MTV News. "I was there throughout this album, so I've seen the adversity that he's had to overcome perception-wise."
What do you think of Usher's response to getting knocked in the head by a fan? Tell us in the comments!
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Usher - Spotlight
Spotlight
Artist: Usher
Label: Warner Bros. Records, Asylum, Mizay Ent
Director: Benny Boom
Album: The State vs. Radric Davis
Artist: Usher
Label: Warner Bros. Records, Asylum, Mizay Ent
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Album: The State vs. Radric Davis
Beyonce, Leonardo DiCaprio Lead Flurry Of Movie Remakes
Russell Brand, Willow Smith, Jonah Hill are just a few stars looking to revamp film and TV classics like 'Arthur', 'Annie' and '21 Jump Street.'By Terri Schwartz
Beyoncé
Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images
What do Willow Smith and Beyoncé have in common with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Kenny Wormald? They're all starring (or in talks to star) in the latest round of remakes of beloved films and TV shows coming down the pike.
On Thursday, news broke that Beyoncé would be starring in a Clint Eastwood-directed remake of the 1976 Barbra Streisand classic "A Star Is Born" (which was a remake of a 1954 movie that remade a 1937 film). In the meantime, Will Smith is reportedly petitioning Sony to remake "Annie" (the 1982 movie and 1977 musical) starring his 10-year-old daughter, Willow, best known for whipping her hair.
In October it was announced that Leonardo DiCaprio and best bud Tobey Maguire would be starring in Baz Luhrmann's 3-D retelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby," with Carey Mulligan joining as Daisy Buchanan.
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum have been working on bringing the '80s Johnny Depp-starring television series "21 Jump Street" to the big screen since 2008, and they might even get Depp to cameo in it in time for the film's March 16, 2012, release date.
And let's not forget the long hunt for a Ren McCormack (the character Kevin Bacon made famous in 1984), after Zac Efron and Chace Crawford dropped out of the planned "Footloose" remake that finally landed dancer Kenny Wormald the role of his life.
Then there's "Arthur," the Russell Brand-starring remake of the 1981 screwball comedy about a happily drunk millionaire who risks everything for love. The film has tapped everyone from Helen Mirren to Greta Gerwig and Nick Nolte.
Two recently announced remakes are "Lethal Weapon" and "The Wizard of Oz," which are still in early development and without stars attached. Warner Bros. announced their plans to reboot the Mel Gibson-starring franchise on Thursday and tapped writer Will Beall to pen the script with completely new characters. And director Robert Zemeckis announced back in November that he planned on remaking the 1939 Technicolor classic using the script from the original film, with Warner Bros. hoping Robert Downey Jr. will play Oz.
Just this past year, films from "Clash of the Titans" to "The Karate Kid" to "A Nightmare on Elm Street" were remade for the big screen and were well-received by audiences. "Alice in Wonderland" and "Clash of the Titans" went on to become two of the top 10 highest-grossing films of 2010, while "Piranha 3D" and "The A-Team" also went on to strong successes, proving that there definitely is a market for these kinds of remakes.
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images
What do Willow Smith and Beyoncé have in common with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Kenny Wormald? They're all starring (or in talks to star) in the latest round of remakes of beloved films and TV shows coming down the pike.
On Thursday, news broke that Beyoncé would be starring in a Clint Eastwood-directed remake of the 1976 Barbra Streisand classic "A Star Is Born" (which was a remake of a 1954 movie that remade a 1937 film). In the meantime, Will Smith is reportedly petitioning Sony to remake "Annie" (the 1982 movie and 1977 musical) starring his 10-year-old daughter, Willow, best known for whipping her hair.
In October it was announced that Leonardo DiCaprio and best bud Tobey Maguire would be starring in Baz Luhrmann's 3-D retelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby," with Carey Mulligan joining as Daisy Buchanan.
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum have been working on bringing the '80s Johnny Depp-starring television series "21 Jump Street" to the big screen since 2008, and they might even get Depp to cameo in it in time for the film's March 16, 2012, release date.
And let's not forget the long hunt for a Ren McCormack (the character Kevin Bacon made famous in 1984), after Zac Efron and Chace Crawford dropped out of the planned "Footloose" remake that finally landed dancer Kenny Wormald the role of his life.
Then there's "Arthur," the Russell Brand-starring remake of the 1981 screwball comedy about a happily drunk millionaire who risks everything for love. The film has tapped everyone from Helen Mirren to Greta Gerwig and Nick Nolte.
Two recently announced remakes are "Lethal Weapon" and "The Wizard of Oz," which are still in early development and without stars attached. Warner Bros. announced their plans to reboot the Mel Gibson-starring franchise on Thursday and tapped writer Will Beall to pen the script with completely new characters. And director Robert Zemeckis announced back in November that he planned on remaking the 1939 Technicolor classic using the script from the original film, with Warner Bros. hoping Robert Downey Jr. will play Oz.
Just this past year, films from "Clash of the Titans" to "The Karate Kid" to "A Nightmare on Elm Street" were remade for the big screen and were well-received by audiences. "Alice in Wonderland" and "Clash of the Titans" went on to become two of the top 10 highest-grossing films of 2010, while "Piranha 3D" and "The A-Team" also went on to strong successes, proving that there definitely is a market for these kinds of remakes.
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Leo, Beyonce And More Remake The Classics
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Photos | Justin Bieber's Lost Magazine Covers
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Beyoncé - Ego
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Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia, Music World Music
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Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce [Deluxe Edition]
Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia, Music World Music
Director: Beyonce, Frank Gatson, Sheryl Murakami
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Photos | 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Premieres In Los Angeles
'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Premieres In Los Angeles
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Lady Gaga's Best Awards-Show Arrivals: From Kermit To The Egg
Gaga has always graced red carpets in completely over-the-top ways.By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga arrives at the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Lady Gaga arrived at the Grammy Awards red carpet on Sunday night in an egg designed by powerhouse fashion houses Hussein Chalayan and House of Mugler. And we'd expect nothing less from Gaga, who has a long list of unusual and over-the-top awards-show entrances in her short career.
Check out photos of Lady Gaga's most memorable entrances.
Back in September, Gaga hit the white carpet of the 2010 VMAs in a gown designed by late friend Alexander McQueen and was joined by several servicemen and women who had been discharged from the U.S. Air Force and Army for being openly gay or bisexual. "These soldiers that are with me today have all been discharged from the Air Force or Army, or opted to leave on their own. ... Their stories are truly inspiring, and in my opinion — and as so many young people around the world believe — 'don't ask, don't tell' is wrong, it's sick, it's immoral," she explained of her choice to include them in her appearance.
Later in the night she appeared in the press room wearing the now-famous meat dress and pointed out its connection to her earlier companions. "If we don't stand up for what we believe in and if we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're going to have as much rights as the meat on our own bones," Gaga explained. "And I am not a piece of meat."
At last year's Grammy Awards, Gaga was out-of-this world in a sparkly lavender and silver dress that looked like a planet with orbiting rings. What did the spacey outfit mean? "The series of pieces Mr. Armani created for me are truly iconic; they represent not only beautiful fashion, but my spirit and essence as an artist," she said. "Mr. Armani is a fashion legend, and tonight would not have been the same without his touch, and his wonderful team."
Gaga, who once wore a dress made of Kermit the Frogs, arrived at the 2009 VMAs with Kermit himself as her date for the big show. It was the first time that Gaga had created such a major spectacle for herself at an awards show. "He's been a really good date," Gaga joked to MTV News. "It's our first date, but we've been eyeing each other for a while."
And on Sunday night, though she didn't do interviews as her egg was being carried into the Staples Center, the art piece spoke for itself.
"She's born this way, so maybe she's being born again!" MTV News red-carpet correspondent Snooki noted after Gaga waved to her from inside her shell. Of course!
What's your favorite of Lady Gaga's many awards show fashion statements? Share your thoughts in the comments.
For more Grammy Awards analysis, interviews, fashion and more, stick with MTV News!
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Lady Gaga arrives at the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Lady Gaga arrived at the Grammy Awards red carpet on Sunday night in an egg designed by powerhouse fashion houses Hussein Chalayan and House of Mugler. And we'd expect nothing less from Gaga, who has a long list of unusual and over-the-top awards-show entrances in her short career.
Check out photos of Lady Gaga's most memorable entrances.
Back in September, Gaga hit the white carpet of the 2010 VMAs in a gown designed by late friend Alexander McQueen and was joined by several servicemen and women who had been discharged from the U.S. Air Force and Army for being openly gay or bisexual. "These soldiers that are with me today have all been discharged from the Air Force or Army, or opted to leave on their own. ... Their stories are truly inspiring, and in my opinion — and as so many young people around the world believe — 'don't ask, don't tell' is wrong, it's sick, it's immoral," she explained of her choice to include them in her appearance.
Later in the night she appeared in the press room wearing the now-famous meat dress and pointed out its connection to her earlier companions. "If we don't stand up for what we believe in and if we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're going to have as much rights as the meat on our own bones," Gaga explained. "And I am not a piece of meat."
At last year's Grammy Awards, Gaga was out-of-this world in a sparkly lavender and silver dress that looked like a planet with orbiting rings. What did the spacey outfit mean? "The series of pieces Mr. Armani created for me are truly iconic; they represent not only beautiful fashion, but my spirit and essence as an artist," she said. "Mr. Armani is a fashion legend, and tonight would not have been the same without his touch, and his wonderful team."
Gaga, who once wore a dress made of Kermit the Frogs, arrived at the 2009 VMAs with Kermit himself as her date for the big show. It was the first time that Gaga had created such a major spectacle for herself at an awards show. "He's been a really good date," Gaga joked to MTV News. "It's our first date, but we've been eyeing each other for a while."
And on Sunday night, though she didn't do interviews as her egg was being carried into the Staples Center, the art piece spoke for itself.
"She's born this way, so maybe she's being born again!" MTV News red-carpet correspondent Snooki noted after Gaga waved to her from inside her shell. Of course!
What's your favorite of Lady Gaga's many awards show fashion statements? Share your thoughts in the comments.
For more Grammy Awards analysis, interviews, fashion and more, stick with MTV News!
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Portia de Rossi Rachael Leigh Cook Rachel Bilson Rachel Blanchard
Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror
Man In The Mirror
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic Records
Director: n/a
Album: Moonwalker
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Epic Records
Director: n/a
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Saturday, February 19, 2011
Photos | New York's 2010 Summer Jam Lineup
New York's 2010 Summer Jam Lineup
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Beyoncé - If I Were A Boy
If I Were A Boy
Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia/Music World Music
Director: Jake Nava
Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce
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Label: Columbia/Music World Music
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Nicki Minaj Rips Through L.A. Club Set During NBA All-Star Weekend
Rapper thrills crowd with abbreviated version of controversial 'Roman's Revenge.'By Rahman Dukes
Nicki Minaj performs at L.A. club Exchange during NBA All-Star weekend
Photo: MTV News
Hip-hop's Barbie took her multi-colored wigs to Hollywood last night just in time to kick off the 2011 NBA All-Star weekend.
Nicki Minaj, flanked by her sideman/homey SB, took the stage at club Exchange in downtown Los Angeles, just a few blocks from the Staples Center, where the All-Star festivities are taking place throughout the weekend.
Not long after entering the massive venue, which was filled with a sea of Barbie fans, the Queens native made a beeline for the DJ booth and swiftly grabbed the mic from DJ Biz Markie, following a set by fellow rapper Rick Ross. Ross had just finished tearing through his own hits including club anthems "B.M.F," "9 Piece," "Aston Martin Music" and "Hustlin'." But after Rozay, the Los Angeles audience got who they were waiting for.
"Where my New York people at?" Nicki asked her fans as she stepped to the stage. From there, Nicki went into her latest single, "Moment for Life," which features Young Money capo Drake. "I fly with the stars in the skies/ I am no longer trying to survive/ I believe that life is a prize/ But to live doesn't mean you're alive," Nicki rapped as the audience sang and bounced along.
But the best was yet to come.
After cutting her song short during the Drake verse, the "legendary Biz Markie," as Ross referred to the iconic MC, cued up Nicki's controversial record "Roman's Revenge" to the female MC's surprise, sending the crowd into a rage.
"I am not Jasmine, I am Aladdin/ So far ahead, these bums is laggin'/ See me in that new thing, bums is gaggin'/ I'm startin' to feel like a dungeon dragon/ Raah, raah, like a dungeon dragon," an amped Nicki rapped.
Midway through her first verse on "Roman," the MC stepped away from the stage and disappeared into the night for the final time.
There's been no word if Nicki's abrupt ending was planned or not, but regardless, fans went home happy, comfortable with every penny spent to catch a glimpse of rap's most-wanted girl.
For the remainder of the weekend, Nicki is slated to appear at a host of events including a grand finale at the same location on Sunday night featuring manager Diddy.
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Nicki Minaj performs at L.A. club Exchange during NBA All-Star weekend
Photo: MTV News
Hip-hop's Barbie took her multi-colored wigs to Hollywood last night just in time to kick off the 2011 NBA All-Star weekend.
Nicki Minaj, flanked by her sideman/homey SB, took the stage at club Exchange in downtown Los Angeles, just a few blocks from the Staples Center, where the All-Star festivities are taking place throughout the weekend.
Not long after entering the massive venue, which was filled with a sea of Barbie fans, the Queens native made a beeline for the DJ booth and swiftly grabbed the mic from DJ Biz Markie, following a set by fellow rapper Rick Ross. Ross had just finished tearing through his own hits including club anthems "B.M.F," "9 Piece," "Aston Martin Music" and "Hustlin'." But after Rozay, the Los Angeles audience got who they were waiting for.
"Where my New York people at?" Nicki asked her fans as she stepped to the stage. From there, Nicki went into her latest single, "Moment for Life," which features Young Money capo Drake. "I fly with the stars in the skies/ I am no longer trying to survive/ I believe that life is a prize/ But to live doesn't mean you're alive," Nicki rapped as the audience sang and bounced along.
But the best was yet to come.
After cutting her song short during the Drake verse, the "legendary Biz Markie," as Ross referred to the iconic MC, cued up Nicki's controversial record "Roman's Revenge" to the female MC's surprise, sending the crowd into a rage.
"I am not Jasmine, I am Aladdin/ So far ahead, these bums is laggin'/ See me in that new thing, bums is gaggin'/ I'm startin' to feel like a dungeon dragon/ Raah, raah, like a dungeon dragon," an amped Nicki rapped.
Midway through her first verse on "Roman," the MC stepped away from the stage and disappeared into the night for the final time.
There's been no word if Nicki's abrupt ending was planned or not, but regardless, fans went home happy, comfortable with every penny spent to catch a glimpse of rap's most-wanted girl.
For the remainder of the weekend, Nicki is slated to appear at a host of events including a grand finale at the same location on Sunday night featuring manager Diddy.
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Usher, Ke$ha And More Help Dance Music Go Pop In 2010
But is it here to stay? Our music-industry experts weigh in.By Akshay Bhansali
Ke$ha
Photo: Andreas Rentz/ Getty Images
In 2010, pop princesses, R&B icons and chart-dominating newcomers all danced to the same beat. Not only did dance music go pop, but pop music caught the club-music bug.
Between Katy Perry's "Firework," Ke$ha's "We R Who We R," Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)," Enrique Iglesias' "I Like It," Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" and "OMG" and countless other singles, established artists definitely looked to dance beats for surefire hits. And two of this year's biggest success stories in music were Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz; could there be a soul left in this country who hasn't heard "Dynamite" or "In My Head"?
The love went both ways, with dance music's biggest stars finding mainstream success this year. Dance-music maestro deadmau5 took up house-artist duties at this year's VMAs, and Swedish House Mafia and Usher teamed up for a medley of their gems at the American Music Awards.
So how did this happen? We caught up with some music-industry experts to get their takes.
"You definitely saw tempos go up this year," Jon Caramanica of The New York Times told MTV News. "And I think what you had are a lot of producers who are really familiar with nightclub stuff. They are familiar with Europe. Things are happening on a more global scale now."
"I think everything from Europe, and sometimes even Asia, it comes to America, and we just adopt things a little bit slower," said Jared Eng of JustJared.com. "I think it was just a change. People like different types of music at different times. And dance was of this moment."
Noah Callahan of Complex magazine added: "I think 2010 saw the merging of the pop and dance genres. Pop artists realized that there were best practices that could be borrowed from dance music. And, ultimately, [all] pop music that has been made in the past 20 years had ended up being remixed for the club by dance artists. I think they basically just cut out the middleman and went straight there."
Dance music being introduced into the hip-hop and R&B realms was particularly notable this year.
"I think David Guetta kind of at the end of last year and the beginning of this year spearheaded it," said freelance writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd. "He produced a lot of tracks. I think as trends go, people revile 'unst-unst.' But it's just coming back around. Big-room techno was a way for people to get decadent in a year that no one could get decadent."
"You have someone like will.i.am, who's like, 'Well, I spent all this time in Ibiza, and this is what they are doing,' and he wants to find a way to bring that into his music," Caramanica said of the Black Eyed Peas mastermind. "R&B especially became dance music. And especially with your Jason Derülos, Taio Cruzes. Guys like that would have literally been blocked at the border two years ago. That would not have made it through customs. And now all of a sudden they have #1 songs. I think will.i.am had a lot to do with that last year."
Elliott Wilson of RapRadar.com added: "It's actually even affected hip-hop. I was talking to Q-Tip, and his next record, I feel like that's gonna kind of go in that vein. I know that was also Jay-Z's thought process with Blueprint 3 at first, that he wanted to make a little bit more of a world music [vibe], a little more dancey. I think the kids today want to go to the clubs. They wanna have a good time. They wanna dance. So I think the artists of today are trying to kind of feed that audience."
"I think it's caught on this year because the people who've done it have been successful," offered Clover Hope of Vibe magazine. "Like 'OMG,' with usher, he didn't have success until he made a dance record. He had 'There Goes My Baby' and these really, like, adult-contemporary records that didn't really catch on. And then once you see that everybody is doing it and that people are liking it, they are like, 'OK, let me just try this out.' It's like Auto-Tune. Like, 'Let me see what I sound like on a record by David Guetta.' They end up liking it and doing more of it."
So does the club-music trend have staying power. According to our tastemakers, not so much.
"I do think it's a blip," Caramanica said. "I don't think that's gonna be something that lasts in America. I think this is gonna be a moment we'll all look back on and go, 'Wasn't that weird when Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz had #1 records?"
"At some point, these R&B artists will get kind of sick of it and be like, 'Let me go back to my soul background,' " Hope said. "When you actually have to say something, dance doesn't really lend itself to substance. And I think that R&B artists, they really want to talk about love and in a deep way, and to do that, you need to do, like, a soul or a traditional R&B record. I want to say that it's kind of a fad."
"I think music is very cyclical," Eng offered. "So I think dance music might be here for a little bit, but I'm sure it will phase out at some point."
Wilson called dance music "the sound of today. I think that people want more aggressive, faster beats, and I think that that probably has legs until at least next summer."
What do you think? Is dance music here to stay? Let us know in the comments!
Related Videos
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Ke$ha
Ke$ha
Photo: Andreas Rentz/ Getty Images
In 2010, pop princesses, R&B icons and chart-dominating newcomers all danced to the same beat. Not only did dance music go pop, but pop music caught the club-music bug.
Between Katy Perry's "Firework," Ke$ha's "We R Who We R," Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)," Enrique Iglesias' "I Like It," Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" and "OMG" and countless other singles, established artists definitely looked to dance beats for surefire hits. And two of this year's biggest success stories in music were Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz; could there be a soul left in this country who hasn't heard "Dynamite" or "In My Head"?
The love went both ways, with dance music's biggest stars finding mainstream success this year. Dance-music maestro deadmau5 took up house-artist duties at this year's VMAs, and Swedish House Mafia and Usher teamed up for a medley of their gems at the American Music Awards.
So how did this happen? We caught up with some music-industry experts to get their takes.
"You definitely saw tempos go up this year," Jon Caramanica of The New York Times told MTV News. "And I think what you had are a lot of producers who are really familiar with nightclub stuff. They are familiar with Europe. Things are happening on a more global scale now."
"I think everything from Europe, and sometimes even Asia, it comes to America, and we just adopt things a little bit slower," said Jared Eng of JustJared.com. "I think it was just a change. People like different types of music at different times. And dance was of this moment."
Noah Callahan of Complex magazine added: "I think 2010 saw the merging of the pop and dance genres. Pop artists realized that there were best practices that could be borrowed from dance music. And, ultimately, [all] pop music that has been made in the past 20 years had ended up being remixed for the club by dance artists. I think they basically just cut out the middleman and went straight there."
Dance music being introduced into the hip-hop and R&B realms was particularly notable this year.
"I think David Guetta kind of at the end of last year and the beginning of this year spearheaded it," said freelance writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd. "He produced a lot of tracks. I think as trends go, people revile 'unst-unst.' But it's just coming back around. Big-room techno was a way for people to get decadent in a year that no one could get decadent."
"You have someone like will.i.am, who's like, 'Well, I spent all this time in Ibiza, and this is what they are doing,' and he wants to find a way to bring that into his music," Caramanica said of the Black Eyed Peas mastermind. "R&B especially became dance music. And especially with your Jason Derülos, Taio Cruzes. Guys like that would have literally been blocked at the border two years ago. That would not have made it through customs. And now all of a sudden they have #1 songs. I think will.i.am had a lot to do with that last year."
Elliott Wilson of RapRadar.com added: "It's actually even affected hip-hop. I was talking to Q-Tip, and his next record, I feel like that's gonna kind of go in that vein. I know that was also Jay-Z's thought process with Blueprint 3 at first, that he wanted to make a little bit more of a world music [vibe], a little more dancey. I think the kids today want to go to the clubs. They wanna have a good time. They wanna dance. So I think the artists of today are trying to kind of feed that audience."
"I think it's caught on this year because the people who've done it have been successful," offered Clover Hope of Vibe magazine. "Like 'OMG,' with usher, he didn't have success until he made a dance record. He had 'There Goes My Baby' and these really, like, adult-contemporary records that didn't really catch on. And then once you see that everybody is doing it and that people are liking it, they are like, 'OK, let me just try this out.' It's like Auto-Tune. Like, 'Let me see what I sound like on a record by David Guetta.' They end up liking it and doing more of it."
So does the club-music trend have staying power. According to our tastemakers, not so much.
"I do think it's a blip," Caramanica said. "I don't think that's gonna be something that lasts in America. I think this is gonna be a moment we'll all look back on and go, 'Wasn't that weird when Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz had #1 records?"
"At some point, these R&B artists will get kind of sick of it and be like, 'Let me go back to my soul background,' " Hope said. "When you actually have to say something, dance doesn't really lend itself to substance. And I think that R&B artists, they really want to talk about love and in a deep way, and to do that, you need to do, like, a soul or a traditional R&B record. I want to say that it's kind of a fad."
"I think music is very cyclical," Eng offered. "So I think dance music might be here for a little bit, but I'm sure it will phase out at some point."
Wilson called dance music "the sound of today. I think that people want more aggressive, faster beats, and I think that that probably has legs until at least next summer."
What do you think? Is dance music here to stay? Let us know in the comments!
Related Videos
Stories Of 2010
Related Artists
Usher
Ke$ha
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