MTV News |
- Taylor Swift Finds Love, Has Kids In 'Mine' Video
- Inside New 'Avatar' Footage: Beasts, Hometree And Sigourney Weaver
- Linkin Park's 'The Catalyst' Video: Kiss The Past Goodbye
- Rakim Recalls Epic Rap Battle That Never Was
- Jay Hernandez Says He 'Grew Up Watching' 'Takers' Co-Star Matt Dillon
- Lindsay Lohan's 'Machete' Castmates Wish Her Well
- Aaliyah Remembered By Nicki Minaj, Diddy, T.I.
- Nikki Reed Looks Forward To 'Family' Reunion For 'Breaking Dawn'
- Miley Cyrus And Liam Hemsworth Split
- Heidi Montag Regrets Breast Implants
- 'Breaking Dawn' Brazil Shoot Possibly Hampered By Local Violence
- Drake Writes A Letter To Aaliyah, Nine Years After Her Death
- Can Lindsay Lohan Make A Comeback?
- La Roux Announce U.S. Headlining Tour
- James Cameron Says We 'Live In A Science-Fiction World'
- Missy Elliott Remembers Aaliyah, Nine Years Later
- Timbaland Denies Reports That He Contemplated Suicide
- Eminem's <i>Recovery</i> Continues To Make Chart History
- Sean Penn Hits Back At Wyclef Jean
- Russell Simmons Shows Support For Controversial NYC Mosque
| Taylor Swift Finds Love, Has Kids In 'Mine' Video Posted: 26 Aug 2010 03:50 AM PDT Director Roman White dishes on what fans can expect from the clip, which premieres Friday on MTV.com.
With fans eagerly anticipating the premiere of Taylor Swift's "Mine" video, director Roman White — who also worked with Swift on the VMA-winning "You Belong With Me" and her VMA-nominated clip for "Fifteen" — said their latest collabo shows a more grown-up side to the singer.
" 'Mine' was a very hard song," he said about the track, which will be featured on Swift's October 25 release Speak Now. "The song has a lot of dark elements, but it also has a lot of happy elements. Taylor was extremely involved with this one from the beginning. We had lots of conversations about what it should be and moments and things like that." The video was shot early this summer, and White and Swift worked to make sure they'd capture the ups and downs of the video's love affair between Swift and "Black Swan" actor Toby Hemingway. "We shot the video in early July in Maine, and it was insanely hot. The first day we shot at this private estate. They had a private beach and everything, which made shooting a lot easier, because when you go out in public and somebody spots Taylor Swift, I mean, it doesn't take 15 minutes and there's a huge crowd," he recalled about the video shoot. "The beach shot we shot was mostly her and Toby falling in love," he explained. "It was more kind of walking hand in hand along the coastline, and then later on in the video, we kind of mimic that same beach. But it's Toby and older Taylor, and older Taylor has shorter hair. That's pretty much it." The video will also feature the pair getting engaged and married. It's quite different from the high school-themed video White previously shot with her. "Taylor's definitely matured since I've known her," he said. "We started with 'You Belong With Me,' and now we just shot a video where she has kids, and so that's quite an evolution. I definitely think she's growing into herself. It's going to sound cheesy, but she's becoming a woman." "Mine" premieres Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET on MTV.com, VH1.com and CMT.com. Are you looking forward to the "Mine" video? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists |
| Inside New 'Avatar' Footage: Beasts, Hometree And Sigourney Weaver Posted: 26 Aug 2010 03:50 AM PDT James Cameron's producing partner, Jon Landau, gives MTV News a look at the extra nine minutes.
James Cameron started teasing us with talk of deleted "Avatar" footage to be included on the DVD back in December, even before his blue alien epic hit theaters. More than $2.7 billion in box-office receipts later, and much of that footage will be first seen not in home theaters but at the cinema, as a nine-minute-enhanced version of "Avatar" that arrives Friday.
Recently, Cameron spilled some details about what to expect from the special edition, including an expanded death scene for Na'vi warrior Tsu'tey as well as what he playfully calls the "alien kink" sex scene. Late last week, Cameron's longtime producing partner, Jon Landau, gave MTV News a call to illuminate some other new scenes, explain how they choose what new footage to include and discuss the explosion of 3-D since "Avatar" first opened. MTV: How long has it been since you watched the movie? Jon Landau: I went away for a vacation finally this summer, and I came back and I watched the new material, and I got excited, because it's material that is organic to the story. You don't look at it and think it's outside of the movie. It adds to it. It's not superfluous. MTV: "Avatar" was #1 for seven weeks. The special edition is getting a limited release, but are you looking at the calendar and thinking you could have another run at #1? Landau: I don't think we'll be #1. This is just about appealing to two groups of people: one are fans of the movie that want to return to Pandora, and two are people that have never seen the movie. I can't tell you how many people have said to me, "Gee, I never got to see it, and then it was out of the theaters." It's about servicing those two groups. It's not about being #1. We don't have enough screens. MTV: Hey, Miley Cyrus' "Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" hit #1 on fewer screens a few years ago. Landau: That's not the way we're approaching it from an advertising or marketing standpoint. This is about delivering on what we have heard from fans. What we tried to do is make the added material diversified. Some of it is backstory, some is action, some is night by luminescence, so no matter what you enjoyed, you'll be getting more this time. MTV: So the new footage — is this stuff that just needed some finishing touches or was it material that needed to be built from the ground up? Landau: A lot of the stuff we had to build from the ground up. There's the Sturmbeest hunt, which [digital-effects studio] Weta had not even started working on. Other scenes with the fan lizards — it was just one shot before, and now there's a whole little sequence where Neytiri and Jake actually play around with them. Weta had finished maybe 50 percent of that. We went back to them and had them finish it off. MTV: So it's a mix of nearly finished and barely touched material. Landau: And the stuff that was hardest to trim last time. In a Jim Cameron script, every scene has a purpose. These new scenes all have purpose. One scene talks about the history of Sigourney [Weaver] teaching at the [Na'vi] school, which is something we didn't really do in the original release. MTV: Cameron recently said "The Hurt Locker" could have been better in 3-D. What's your take — can every film benefit from 3-D? Landau: Does every film lend itself better to being in color rather than black-and-white? MTV: I think somebody like Steven Spielberg would answer, "No." Landau: I don't think you want to do "Schindler's List" in color. I don't think you want to do "Raging Bull" in color. But I believe it's the same type of relationship with 3-D. We see our lives in 3-D. 3-D makes what we do as filmmakers even better. We try and create an immersive experience, and that's what 3-D does. I always said to people that "My Dinner With Andre" would be better in 3-D. MTV: Seriously? Landau: Absolutely! It'll put you in the room! It'll put you at the table! To me, one of the most compelling scenes [in "Avatar"] from a 3-D standpoint is the scene where Neytiri throws Jake out of Hometree. It's a dramatic scene, but the 3-D puts you in Hometree, and I become one of the Na'vi. It takes a passive experience and makes it voyeuristic. MTV: I've always felt that 3-D should complement the storytelling rather than something that's just tacked on for any number of reasons. Landau: The screen plane has always been a subconscious barrier for the audience's involvement with your movie. If you can make the screen plane disappear, the audience believes it is looking through a window into a world. And good 3-D is looking at a world through a window, not a world popping out of a window. Check out everything we've got on "Avatar." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Linkin Park's 'The Catalyst' Video: Kiss The Past Goodbye Posted: 26 Aug 2010 09:02 AM PDT New clip sees LP pushing the envelope even further.
Linkin Park are probably one of the 10 biggest rock acts on the planet. I mention this mostly because: A) It's true, and B) It makes everything they've done post-Hybrid Theory (their big breakout album) all the more admirable.
They have never been afraid to push the envelope and try new things. This is easy to do if you are a band that has nothing to lose, but in LP's case, it borders on insanity. Their albums are the kinds of things labels schedule their financial quarters around. They're tent poles (or life preservers) meant to keep things from sagging too low or sinking too deep. The danger of alienating their fanbase is very real, and the results could be catastrophic. Still, with each successive album, Linkin Park push even further into the void, and, in the process, they leave their nü-metal roots in the dust. At this point, they're barely the same band they were back in 2000, and any similarities they still share with their Hybrid past will almost certainly be erased with their upcoming A Thousand Suns, an album they've gone to great lengths to christen as a bold new direction for the group, public opinion be damned. We finally got to see the first fruits of that reinvention with the murky, mercurial video for "The Catalyst." Directed once again by band DJ Joseph Hahn, it's an ominous, elemental thing, full of smoke and unseen flames, charred earth and rising tides. It may very well be a chilling, post-apocalyptic preview of mankind's future, or it might just be a really cool, really art-y video, the kind that big, important rock bands tend to make (and at this point, LP are most certainly both of those things). It's really up to you to decide. Though, really, it works either way. But mostly, "The Catalyst" serves as a preview of what fans can expect on A Thousand Suns, which is basically what bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell told MTV News earlier this month. "There are certainly dark, trying times ahead," the band seems to be saying. "Get ready." And to that point, it's telling that Linkin Park are barely even in the video — or, more specifically, when they are, they're shrouded in smoke or submerged in water. You can infer from that what you'd like, but I see it as the band letting fans know that they practically died to make this album, that they went through hell and high water to bring it to fruition. It may be subliminal, but it's definitely there. And it's why I admire Linkin Park as much as I do. So if you loved Linkin Park for their rapping or their angry outbursts or even their Gundam obsession, you're probably going to be a bit disappointed with "The Catalyst," not to mention A Thousand Suns. But that's really the point, isn't it? Great bands push themselves, great bands are unafraid to fail. And, dare I say it, with both their new video and their new album, Linkin Park may very well have become a great band. What did you think of "The Catalyst" video? Share your reviews in the comments! Related Videos Related Artists |
| Rakim Recalls Epic Rap Battle That Never Was Posted: 26 Aug 2010 03:50 AM PDT 'We knew that people was trying to make us clash,' the Paid in Full MC says of onetime beef with legendary Big Daddy Kane.
Cornerstone Credentials: Rakim It's probably the greatest rap battle that didn't happen. Icon vs. Icon, the God vs. the Prince of Darkness: Rakim going mic to mic with Big Daddy Kane. Back in the late '80s, fans were buzzing about whether the two New York legends would engage in an epic face-off, a matchup of perhaps the two best MCs in the game at the time. On "Set It Off" from 1988's Long Live the Kane, Kane famously spit, "rap soloist, you don't want none of this." Of course, he rapped those lines during a period that saw Rakim ringing off crazy with "Eric B. Is President" from Paid in Full, which dropped in '87. Ra had rapped, "And you know that I'm the soloist." After hearing "Set It Off," Rakim was prepared to retaliate with some rhymes on 1988's sophomore LP, Follow the Leader.
"Me and Kane, people always expected me and Kane to battle. 'Yo, Ra, you and Kane need to do this. Boom, boom,' " Rakim recalled last Saturday when we caught up with him in San Bernardino, California, for the Rock the Bells kickoff. Ra performed the seminal Paid in Full from start to finish. "For the most part, it was love," he added. "We knew that people was trying to make us clash. 'Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em,' I had wrote some of that for Kane because he did a joint before that I felt he was talking to me. I wrote 'Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em' [in response] and Eric B.'s brother, Ant Live, let Kane hear it. "They called me up like, 'Nah, Ra, don't let people gas it up and say I was talking about you,' " he continued. "So it was a couple of bars in 'Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em' that I took out because I spoke to Kane. ... But he could've been lying. You know how it is, baby! Nah, love is love. A lot of people wanted it to happen — it would have been crazy. But big up to Kane, he always kept me on my toes, and I hope vice versa. And another brother: [Kool] G Rap. Those were my measuring sticks that I measured myself with. Big up for helping me keep my sword sharp." The Rock the Bells Tour continues this weekend in New York City on Governor's Island and ends its run on Sunday in Washington, D.C. In addition to Rakim, other hip-hop legends who'll be on the main stage are KRS-One, Slick Rick, A Tribe Called Quest, the Wu-Tang Clan, Lauryn Hill and Snoop Dogg. Hip-hop mainstays Wiz Khalifa, the Clipse and Yelawolf will hold court on the "Paid Dues" stage. For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Videos |
| Jay Hernandez Says He 'Grew Up Watching' 'Takers' Co-Star Matt Dillon Posted: 26 Aug 2010 03:50 AM PDT 'I've seen him in, I don't even know how many films,' Hernandez says.
Actor Jay Hernandez didn't get a chance to appear in too many scenes with the "bad guys" of the film "Takers." His character, detective Eddie Hatcher, spends a considerable amount of time with his onscreen partner Jack Welles — played by Matt Dillon — trying to crack a bank-heist case. Hernandez says he had a ball working with Dillon, the O.G. of the ensemble cast, which also includes as the gang of Takers: T.I., Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, Chris Brown and Michael Ealy.
"It was great," Hernandez said of Dillon. "I grew up watching the guy. I've seen him in, I don't even know how many films he's done in his career. But he turned out to be a great guy. You never know. I've worked with people when it's not all like that. People can have volatile situations sometimes. But he was great. The whole cast, I thought, was amazing. Once I saw the film — I screened it — I loved it. I think its gonna do really well." In one high-octane scene, Hernandez and Dillon have an elaborate foot chase with Chris Brown. As Brown fleas, the coppers pursue him through the streets of Los Angeles. "Keeping up with him!" Jay said was the toughest part of filming the scene. "[Chris] is like 19. He's running all over the place. It's days of running and running and running. Getting in one direction. Getting in another direction. It's constant. It's a little taxing." "I've never had to do so much running in my life," Dillon told MTV News about the scene. "For that sequence, we were just, like, four days straight, just running through the streets, and this kid Chris is an unbelievable athlete. This guy Chris Brown, he's unbelievable, man. So keeping up with him was a challenge even in itself, which was perfect for our characters." Check out everything we've got on "Takers." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos Related Photos |
| Lindsay Lohan's 'Machete' Castmates Wish Her Well Posted: 25 Aug 2010 10:39 PM PDT Jessica Alba and director Robert Rodriguez praise the actress' performance, a day after her release from rehab.
LOS ANGELES -- Given the fact that Lindsay Lohan was released from rehab just one day before a special screening of her new film "Machete," the odds of her attending the event were slim. Nevertheless, her co-stars lamented her absence and had wonderful well-wishes for the troubled actress.
Everyone from Don Johnson to the film's leading man, Danny Trejo, to Cheech Marin and Michelle Rodriguez all had glowing praise for Lohan, who plays the rebellious daughter of a powerful senator's aide. Jessica Alba, who plays a saucy immigration officer, was excited for people to see Lohan onscreen again. "She's so good in this movie," Alba said emphatically. "I can't wait for people to see [her in] it." "Machete" director Robert Rodriguez agreed. "She's awesome in the movie," he said, adding that when audiences see Lohan back in action, on her acting game, they'll remember why they paid attention to her in the first place. "That's what they'll see: the actress behind all that paparazzi nonsense that follows her and won't leave her alone," he said. "They'll get to see her and say, 'Oh, that's why we follow her around.' " After reporting to the Century Regional Detention Center on July 20 for her 90-day jail sentence, Lohan was released after less than two full weeks in custody thanks to good behavior and chronic overcrowding at the facility. She went straight from jail to the UCLA Medical Center on August 2 to begin the rehab phase of her sentence for a probation violation from a 2007 DUI conviction. Lohan is said to be going back to work on her Linda Lovelace biopic, "Inferno," and will continue to receive care on an outpatient basis. Check out everything we've got on "Machete." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more -- updated around the clock -- visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Artists |
| Aaliyah Remembered By Nicki Minaj, Diddy, T.I. Posted: 25 Aug 2010 04:04 AM PDT 'We'll always love you Aaliyah,' Ciara tweets.
Nearly a decade has passed since R&B icon Aaliyah's death, and her impact is still being felt. On Wednesday (August 25), the ninth anniversary of the star's tragic death at age 22, Missy Elliott and Drake sounded off about the later singer's effect on music, and several of her celebrity fans took to Twitter to reflect on her enduring style and influence. Funky songstress Janelle Monáe credits Aaliyah's unique look and mesmerizing footwork with keeping her on the straight-and-narrow. "Aaliyah was an inspiration," the Midwestern-born artist tweeted. "Always kept me & my friends in [Kansas City] out of trouble. Too busy in the mirror doing her 'swoop' bang & dance moves.:)"
Many stars co-signed each other's thoughts about the late hitmaker, who died in a plane crash in the Bahamas after shooting her "Rock the Boat" video with Hype Williams. DJ Drama re-tweeted Trina's "R.I.P Aaliyah 'We Will Always Love You' " shout-out. Rick Ross re-tweeted T.I.'s "R.I.P. Aaliyah" message, while Mary J. Blige re-tweeted Ne-Yo's missive about the fallen star. "Today is the day that the R&B Angel Aaliyah passed on," the singer-songwriter wrote. "RT if you loved her the way I did!!WE MISS YOU BABYGIRL!!!!" "We'll always love you Aaliyah," Nicki Minaj tweeted. Minaj's Dream Team associate Diddy revealed that an unheard Puffy/Aaliyah collabo cooked up in the Caribbean is somewhere in the vaults. "Unknown fact: Aaliyah + I recorded a track in Trinidad that was never released- I wish I could find those tapes now," Diddy tweeted. "Damn. RIP AALIYAH." Timbaland protégé Keri Hilson said she felt a strong connection to the "One in a Million" singer. "#ripAaliyah I feel like you were a sister I've nvr had the pleasure of meeting," Hilson tweeted. "No one will ever replace your shine, nor should one try." Ciara, whose agile moves, belly-bearing tops and sassy vocals are reminiscent of the late singer's, agreed with Hilson that no one will be able to fill the void Aaliyah left behind. "RIP Aaliyah," the ATL songstress typed. "U can NEVER be replaced!!" Share your favorite Aaliyah memories in the comments below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Nikki Reed Looks Forward To 'Family' Reunion For 'Breaking Dawn' Posted: 25 Aug 2010 02:28 AM PDT 'We love each other a lot, and I think we're sad this is coming to an end,' she tells MTV News of her 'Twilight' castmates.
With "Breaking Dawn" set to start filming sometime this fall, it's only a matter of time until the "Twilight Saga" wraps up for good. So when Nikki Reed stopped by MTV News recently to talk about her upcoming indie film "Last Day of Summer," we had to ask the actress what she's looking forward to most when production begins on "Dawn," the series' two-part finale.
"Just seeing everyone again," she said. "We've been making these [movies] for a couple of years now, and this year seems to have gone by really fast." Aside from the press campaigns surrounding "Eclipse," Reed said she and her co-stars haven't seen each other as frequently as in recent years, given their suddenly in-demand status. "We've all gone off and had other jobs," she explained, adding that it is very different from a couple of years ago after the first film was released. "I found after the first 'Twilight' movie, we were all sitting around L.A., going 'Hey, aren't we supposed to work a lot? Isn't this supposed to open doors?' We've spent a lot of time together [in the past], and in this past year, I haven't really seen anybody." Reed said she's most excited to be reunited with her "family" again. "Just going back to being with the family, because we love each other a lot, and I think we're sad this is coming to an end," she said. What are you most looking forward to from "Breaking Dawn"? Let us know in the comments! Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. |
| Miley Cyrus And Liam Hemsworth Split Posted: 25 Aug 2010 02:36 AM PDT Disney star and Australian actor have parted ways, Hemsworth's rep confirms.
Miley Cyrus is ending the summer as a single lady. The teen queen has split from her boyfriend Liam Hemsworth after more than a year of dating. Hemsworth's PR representative confirmed the "Can't Be Tamed" singer and her beefy Australian beau have officially called it quits. "It's true," the actor's rep told RadarOnline.com. The news comes after reports that the couple were getting serious. According to Radar, Cyrus recently purchased a $3.4 million house, not far from her parents' California home, where Hemsworth was a frequent guest. Hemsworth and Cyrus struck up a romance after meeting on the film set of "The Last Song" in 2009. The pop star said earlier this year that although she wasn't on the lookout for a boyfriend, Hemsworth won her over with his gentlemanly charm. "I kind of just wanted to focus on my work. I tend to hide behind my work sometimes," Cyrus said on "Ellen" in March. "But I met him, and he opened the door for me, and I was like, I have been in L.A. for three years and I don't think any guy has actually opened the door for me. It wasn't that he wanted the job. That's just who he is. I was like, 'Wow, that is super-impressive.' I actually turned to the director and said, 'He's got the job.' He's hot and he opened the door. Excellent." Cyrus, who dropped her latest album, Can't Be Tamed, in June, said that much of the LP was inspired by her romance with Hemsworth. "There are a lot of songs that are about Liam," Cyrus told MTV News when Tamed was released. "I tell him every one's about him," she quipped. Are you bummed that Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth broke up? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos Related Artists |
| Heidi Montag Regrets Breast Implants Posted: 25 Aug 2010 05:49 AM PDT 'I'm desperate to go back to normal,' Montag tells Life and Style.
Heidi Montag might be slowly returning to the fresh-faced Colorado girl viewers met when MTV's "The Hills" premiered four years ago. After splitting from publicity-hungry "Hills" co-star Spencer Pratt, she recently agreed with former bestie Lauren Conrad that her soon-to-be-ex-husband, who is reportedly shopping around a sex tape starring Montag, is "sucky." In addition to distancing herself from her Speidi past, Montag is trying to re-establish her natural look and has said she wants to remove her massive breast implants. "I'm desperate to go back to normal," Montag told Life & Style magazine. "I'm downgrading and going a little smaller, to a D or a double D," said the reality star, whose cup size has been reported to be in the DDD to G range. Montag made headlines earlier this year when she unveiled her plastic-surgery makeover. The starlet underwent 10 procedures in a single day, which included revisiting her already-enhanced breasts. However, she recently revealed that the implants make mundane activities, like embracing her pets, more difficult and force her to stick to specially made clothing. "I'm obsessed with fitness, but it's impossible to work out with these boobs. It's heartbreaking. I can't live an everyday life," Montag lamented. Montag's predicament has been complicated by the recent, unexpected death of her plastic surgeon, Dr. Frank Ryan, who the starlet said "knows everything" about her procedures. Montag is reportedly on the hunt for a doctor in South America who may be able to perform her desired surgical revamps. "There's just no fixing it," Montag said. "Dr. Ryan knows the work he did." The sometime singer and "Hills" celeb has also opened up about switching another aspect of her persona: her hair. "I haven't colored my roots for four months," Montag tweeted on Monday. "I want my hair to be natural and healthy for the first time in years! What do you think? Let it go?" What do you think about Heidi Montag regretting her breast implants? Let us know in the comments below! Related Photos Related Artists |
| 'Breaking Dawn' Brazil Shoot Possibly Hampered By Local Violence Posted: 25 Aug 2010 07:33 AM PDT 'We are continuing to scout locations within the country,' a Summit rep says.
Plans to shoot scenes from the second half of "Breaking Dawn" — the final installment in the "Twilight" series — in Brazil may have hit a snag as a result of violence in the country. According to Agence France-Presse, Summit Entertainment, the production company behind the hit vampire series, planned to begin shooting in Rio de Janeiro within the next few weeks. However, due to a situation in which gang members held 35 guests hostage in the city's Intercontinental Hotel, and a subsequent shoot-out that left one person dead, the future of the film's production in Rio has reportedly been jeopardized. RioFilme, a Brazilian film investment agency, said that Summit was discussing the issue with government officials. In a statement to RadarOnline.com, Summit insisted that no decision about abandoning production in the South American nation has been made. "The possibility of filming portions of 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn' in Brazil has always been under consideration and we are continuing to scout locations within the country," the company said. However, according to a RioFilme executive, if the smash film series touches down in the country, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart may not head to Brazil until the fall. "If part of the filming of 'Dawn' comes rolling in Rio, will be in November/December. OK?" CEO Sergio Sa Leitao said in a message re-tweeted by the agency's Twitter account. "And nothing more can be said until we close." Summit announced in June that "Breaking Dawn" would be divided into two parts. The first of the two films is scheduled to hit theaters on November 18, 2011. Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Pt. 1." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Related Videos |
| Drake Writes A Letter To Aaliyah, Nine Years After Her Death Posted: 25 Aug 2010 03:12 AM PDT 'We remain inspired and moved by all that you've given the world,' he writes to the late singer.
Drake's appreciation for Aaliyah is well-known, from the way he's spoken of the late singer in interviews to sampling her voice for his "Unforgettable" track with Young Jeezy. In honor of the nine-year anniversary of Aaliyah's death, Drake penned a letter to the "Rock the Boat" singer that was posted on RapRadar.com.
"Dear Dana," Drake begins, referring to the singer by her middle name. "I've never lost a parent, a friend, or a lover but I will never forget this day for the rest of my life. I remember getting the news that you had passed and it connected with my heart like a clean shot from Muhammad Ali. I was crushed." The Thank Me Later rapper went on to explain that he was one of Aaliyah's biggest fans and that he was "truly in love" with her. He complimented the star's appearance, the way she carried herself, and the confidence she communicated in her music, be it about love or heartache. Now that he's become a professional musician, he lamented that he and Aaliyah would never get the chance to collaborate. "But you should know, we all listen to you every day and we remain inspired and moved by all that you've given the world," he finished. "I hope I make the right life choices so I can end up in heaven where I know you rest your head. I'll continue to make music in your honor until the day we finally meet." Share your memories of Aaliyah in the comments. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Can Lindsay Lohan Make A Comeback? Posted: 24 Aug 2010 11:31 PM PDT 'She'll either be forgotten, she'll be dead, tragically, or she'll have an Academy Award,' one PR expert tells MTV News.
Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan has completed her jail term (13 of 90 days) and, on Tuesday, her court-ordered stint at an inpatient rehab facility (23 of 90 days). So now that she's back on the outside, can the onetime rising Hollywood starlet get her career groove back? Though the annals of Tinseltown are littered with stories of crackups that actors and actresses were unable to bounce back from, Lohan need look no further than Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr. for proof that once-left-for-dead careers trashed by drugs and erratic behavior can indeed be revived and thrive once again.
Lohan, who is slated to star in the biopic of early porn actress Linda Lovelace, "Inferno," in addition to an appearance in the upcoming Robert Rodriguez trailer-turned-feature "Machete," has a lot going for her, a number of experts told MTV News. "Lindsay Lohan is someone we grew up with," said public-relations veteran and image-rehab specialist Howard Bragman of Fifteen Minutes PR. He recalled how her seminal work in 2004's "Mean Girls" affected a whole generation of teenagers and still resonates today. "She's a girl who's really transfixing when you watch her on the screen." Fox News legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle noted that Lohan is a strong actress who carried movie reboots like 1998's "The Parent Trap" when she was only 11. "There's talent there, there's the hard work," said Ryan Gilbey, a film critic for the New Statesman, who praised Lohan's "manic" work in 2003's "Freaky Friday" and a small, but memorable, self-confident appearance in the 2006 movie "A Prairie Home Companion." But due to the personal drama in her offscreen life, Guilfoyle said Lohan began to develop a reputation for being flaky and difficult on movie sets, not showing up and being unreliable, a condition she said is consistent with someone with a substance-abuse problem. Hedging his bets, Bragman predicted one of three outcomes for Lohan over the next decade: "She'll either be forgotten, she'll be dead, tragically, or she'll have an Academy Award. I pray that she has the Academy Award." All three agreed that with rehab and jail behind her, Lohan has what it takes to get her personal and professional lives rebooted. "I think that we are a very forgiving nation, we love to see people rehabbed, rehabilitated, we love a good comeback," Bragman said, suggesting that LiLo's versatility allows her to do drama, comedy and, in the next few years, the type of romantic comedies that have been the go-to move for stars like Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Aniston. Robert Lindsay, president of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency, said, aside from getting her professional life in order, four-time rehab veteran Lohan needs to focus on her sobriety and figure out what she's going to do to change her habits and lifestyle. Guilfoyle also pointed out that there are currently no legal issues that would prevent Lohan from getting more work on a movie set. "I feel like people in the film industry are rooting for her," Gilbey said. "[Director Quentin] Tarantino has been saying great, supportive things about her and how brilliant she's in this movie he's produced ['Machete']." One good role and Lohan could change people's perceptions about her. "You're strong and you're smart and you're powerful and you have it in you to get beyond this," Bragman counseled. "And you have to live in the future and not in the past and stay clean and sober." Do you think Lindsay can bounce back? Share your thoughts in the comments. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| La Roux Announce U.S. Headlining Tour Posted: 25 Aug 2010 03:12 AM PDT After canceling stops due to illness this summer, the British electropop act returns Stateside in November.
British electropop sensation La Roux have landed top spots on radio playlists all summer long with their smash-hit single "Bulletproof," which has sold more than 1.5 million copies and is into its 24th week on the Billboard Hot 100. And Elly Jackson and company were eager to prove that Kevlar strength Stateside this summer, but she was forced to cancel a handful of dates due to bronchitis and then pharyngitis. But now she's ready to return with a headlining U.S. tour in November. The tour will last only for a brief 17 days, kicking off in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on November 1 before heading up the East Coast to conclude at New York's Terminal 5. La Roux have also announced that their single "In for the Kill" will be hitting U.S. radio stations within the next month. The track — for which they shot a video almost a year ago — has been generating a buzz since Skream's "Let's Get Ravey" remix of the song appeared on an episode of HBO's "Entourage" earlier this month. The tour dates for La Roux's fall 2010 U.S. tour, according to their MySpace blog: » 11/1 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room Have you seen La Roux in concert? Share your experience in the comments! Related Artists |
| James Cameron Says We 'Live In A Science-Fiction World' Posted: 25 Aug 2010 04:22 AM PDT 'I don't draw a line between fantasy and reality,' 'Avatar' director says of taking same approach to film and space exploration.
With the theatrical re-release of "Avatar" — including a much-discussed nine extra minutes of footage that features an "alien kink" scene — just days away, MTV News recently conducted an interview with the Oscar-winning maestro himself, James Cameron. So far the director has shared his thoughts on sending 3-D cameras (and people) to Mars, his wish list for future film technologies and revealed what other project might come before an "Avatar" sequel.
Given the filmmaker's unparalleled success in Hollywood and his project with NASA, we wondered if the prospect of changing the history of space exploration carries more weight for him than making the two most successful movies in history. "I don't draw a line between fantasy and reality," Cameron told us. "To me, I love science fiction, but we kind of live in a science-fiction world right now. And I've done deep-ocean exploration. I've been in situations personally, for real, that I would have considered science fiction when I was younger." Cameron added that he prefers to blur the lines between fact and fiction when it comes to the relationship between his films and the real world. "For me, it's just a continuum between cinema, where we know kind of that it's a fantasy world, but it requires a lot of advanced engineering to create it," he said, comparing movies to the "real world of exploration, where it requires equally advanced, but very different technology to go do interesting and new extraordinary things." Not surprisingly, Cameron said he happily moves between the two realities. "I'm comfortable in both worlds," he said. Check out everything we've got on "Avatar." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos |
| Missy Elliott Remembers Aaliyah, Nine Years Later Posted: 25 Aug 2010 03:50 AM PDT 'I miss her every day,' late singer's collaborator tells MTV News.
It's been nine years since Aaliyah Dana Haughton died in a plane crash and left an immense void in the hearts of her family, friends and fans. The singer's star was still rising when her life was cut short. She released multiplatinum albums and had just started her film career, but there was always a sense that her journey would be a long one, destined for greatness.
Traces of her style and influence are apparent in contemporary artists, but her legacy is most evident in her collaborators, including Timbaland, Ginuwine and Missy Elliot. Missy spoke with MTV News via e-mail and shared some of her favorite Aaliyah memories. MTV: When you look around today at some of the current R&B stars, who do you see traces of Aaliyah's influence in? Missy Elliott: I think it's hard for Aaliyah to be duplicated, because she had her own lane. But Ciara is an R&B singer who loves to dance, and Aaliyah was that same kinda artist. We knew when she dropped a record, we couldn't wait for the video. I think Aaliyah has influenced artists like a Ciara. MTV: How do you spend a day like this, where everyone is mourning the anniversary of your friend's passing? Elliott: I plan to spend my day the same as any other day, because there's not a day that goes by that I don't think of [Aaliyah] or watch a video or play her music. I miss her every day. MTV: Do you know of any update on the plans for an Aaliyah movie? Elliott: As far as a movie for Aaliyah, I've been hearing some things but don't know how true they are, and out of respect for her family, I would wait until they announce it. That way we will know it's a fact. MTV: I'm sure you have so many memories of Aaliyah. What was it like the first time you met her? Elliott: When me and Tim first went to work with her, we were so nervous. She was such a big star, and I was scared she was gonna be some diva, sipping on tea, with people fixing her hair and nails, and she would say, "What is this music you got! It's wack!" But when we walked in the studio, her smile made the whole room glow! She was like "Heyyyyy!" and gave us big hugs and made us feel like we were her cousins from down South. She was a very sweet spirit! Never seen her angry as long as I've known her, and in this business, that's unheard of! MTV: What memory do you revisit most when you think about Aaliyah? Elliott: We've had so many memorable times. My most memorable is when me, her and Tim wore outfits alike! It was burgundy Pony outfits to the awards. Mind you, Aaliyah was petite so her Pony outfit looked so cute on her, but I kept looking at mine during the awards whispering to her saying, "I feel like a big-ass pony for real!" And we laughed and laughed! Too many memories to state them all! If she was still with us, she would still be at the top. Because she always stayed pushing herself to be better. Share your memories of Aaliyah in the comments. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Timbaland Denies Reports That He Contemplated Suicide Posted: 24 Aug 2010 11:54 PM PDT 'Only thing I did was take a drive and figure out how I'm gonna handle it,' rapper says about his actions after being robbed.
Timbaland says that there is no way he was thinking about committing suicide. The super-producer called in to Ryan Seacrest's radio show this morning and denied the TMZ report that he was contemplating suicide after a $2 million watch was stolen from his Malibu house. "People steal from me all the time," Tim told Seacrest. "Something did happen. That wasn't a watch. It was something else." Tim also said that he suspected somebody close to him had stolen from him and he left his home to think. "Only thing I did was take a drive and figure out how I'm gonna handle it," he explained. "I wasn't talking, so I guess people got worried. I tell people if my mom ain't calling or my brothers or my best friend, ain't nothing to talk about. ... Now why would I commit suicide? I could buy what was stolen." The Malibu/ Lost Hills Sheriff's Station weighed in on the subject. Police say they had received a call from "distraught family members," and according to a police report, "His wife, mother, mother-in-law and other friends had been trying to find him but that proved unsuccessful so they called for the assistance of the Sheriff's Department." A missing persons report was apparently filled out yesterday. A police helicopter located Tim a short while later and the hitmaker returned home, the report also says. Tim did leave his crib later and spent all night in a recording studio. The platinum king told Seacrest he had just come out of the lab, where he was finishing up Keri Hilson's new album. He said fans can expect a couple of singles from it in the next couple of days. "I just got back from the studio," Tim said. "I don't know if a person who's going to commit suicide would be in the studio." Related Artists |
| Eminem's <i>Recovery</i> Continues To Make Chart History Posted: 25 Aug 2010 12:12 AM PDT Em's latest has topped Billboard albums chart for seven of its nine weeks out.
In these rather dire times, when album sales continue to plummet and ringtones seem to be the driving force of the music industry, there are still, on occasion, old-school bright spots: artists and albums that seemingly defy the odds and continue to move units, week after week. Eminem is officially one of those bright spots, because once again, his Recovery sits atop the Billboard albums chart, the seventh week it's held the #1 position in its nine weeks of release. (And if it weren't for those meddling kids in Avenged Sevenfold and the Arcade Fire, Em probably would have gone nine-for-nine.) The list of accomplishments doesn't stop there. Recovery sold more than 741,000 copies in its first week of release, giving Eminem not only the year's biggest debut, but the biggest opening-week numbers of any artist since 2008. To date, Recovery has sold more than 2.2 million copies, which already makes it the second-highest-selling album released in 2010. And in the nine weeks since it was released, the album has yet to fall any lower than #2 on the Billboard chart. So, clearly, we are witnessing something pretty remarkable here. Historical, even. According to Billboard, the album's seven non-consecutive weeks at #1 are the most for any album since Taylor Swift's Fearless held the top spot for 11 non-consecutive weeks in late 2008/ early 2009. Recovery's seven weeks at #1 are the most for any male artist since Usher's Confessions, which earned nine weeks atop the chart in 2004, and the most for any hip-hop album since Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below held the top spot for seven weeks in late 2003 and early 2004. It's likely that Recovery will fall to #3 on next week's Billboard chart, as it faces tough challenges from Katy Perry's Teenage Dream and Fantasia's Back to Me. But following that onslaught, who's to say it can't reclaim the top spot? At this point, we're not willing to bet against Eminem (or his remarkable album). And who knows? With a little bit of luck — and some endurance — perhaps Recovery can lay claim to the most weeks at #1 of any album released in the SoundScan era. The "Bodyguard" soundtrack holds that record (20 weeks), and while Whitney Houston probably isn't quaking in her boots just yet, Em's definitely going to make it interesting. Do you think Recovery has what it takes to top the "Bodyguard" soundtrack? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos Related Artists |
| Sean Penn Hits Back At Wyclef Jean Posted: 25 Aug 2010 02:09 AM PDT 'I would caution Mr. Jean against research, or prospective policy, by sound bite,' he writes in a Huffington Post essay.
Wyclef Jean's brief but colorful attempt to get on the presidential ballot for the upcoming post-earthquake election in Haiti is over, but the controversy continues. While Jean, 40, was garnering international headlines for his fight to get on the ballot in his native country — he has lived in New York since age 9 — behind the scenes, a more intense battle was apparently brewing with a man you definitely don't want to mess with: actor and activist Sean Penn. The notoriously short-fused Oscar winner aired his grievances with Jean in an essay for the Huffington Post on Wednesday (August 25), in which he took the former Fugees leader to task for turning their disagreement into a fake "sensationalized celebrity feud," contesting the country's electoral laws in the wake of his rejected bid (when he didn't seem to have any opinion on them before) and for not spending his more time on the ground in Haiti helping those in need in the wake of January's quake. Penn, who has lived in a small tent outside the crumbled capital of Port-au-Prince for much of the past six months, wrote, "I have never met Wyclef Jean, and all I really know of him on any personal level has come through the fond comments of a few mutual friends. Hence, nothing I might say, was in ANY way personal, or intended to be lambasting to anyone," he wrote, referring to comments he made on CNN earlier this month reacting to Jean's announcement of his presidential bid. "My comments were critical observations of a political candidate and a leader of an organization in Haiti." Penn — who joins 'Clef's former Fugees partner Pras in questioning the logic behind the presidential run — also takes issue with the publicist hired by Jean, who he said has worked to "make the case that Wyclef Jean gave indispensable world attention" to Haiti's incredible misfortune. "I was there for those six months after the earthquake and so many of us on the ground wondered where he was when that kind of attention was so necessary and absent, and why he was NOT helping to keep this desperate situation in the news," Penn wrote. "None among us felt or expressed anger toward it, but rather a universal sadness for his silence, as he is America's most admired cultural link to Haiti. As the six-month anniversary approached, it triggered the return of the world media, and of Wyclef Jean to Haiti. He'd referred to himself as 'His Excellency Wyclef Jean' and 'The most famous man in Haiti' on a self-generated flier in the lead-up to his troubling announcement." The actor explained that on a recent appearance on the "Larry King Show," he was expressing his concerns about the American media's support of Jean's run despite a lack of critical questions about it "simply because they were familiar with him." He also said that though current laws put limitations on the contribution of "Haitians returning to their own country following an education abroad," it would have been more valuable had Wyclef drawn attention to that fact at another time "or in a less divisive ambition. However, the only attention that Haiti seems to be getting today is on a presidential campaign of personality that threatens to create a new swell of social unrest in a plagued country. I would caution Mr. Jean against research, or prospective policy, by sound bite." Penn noted that he's been running a non-governmental organization while living in a 55,000-person camp in Haiti and that his organization has distributed "thousands of water filters, food, medicine, medical supplies and volunteers" throughout Port-au-Prince over the past six months. Jean said on "Larry King" that his Yele Haiti organization has raised $9 million to date for Haitian relief. Jean's publicist, Marian Salzman, sent MTV News an e-mail response to Penn's comments on Wednesday afternoon: "I am flattered he knows my name and more flattered that Wyclef called to sing [sic] me," she wrote. "I'm sorry since we're surprised by the anger over a disagreement between people who all care deeply about Haiti. Not sure why we need to argue versus hunker down and demand human rights and a positive Haitian future?" The actor was also clearly miffed by a comment Jean made on the "Gayle King Show" on August 9, in which he said he wanted to tell Penn, "I do not react on emotions when it comes to the Haitian people. I do not have to sacrifice my life and live inside of a tent to prove that I am for the Haitian people." That drew this sharp response: "No, he doesn't have to live in a tent. But it would be nice if he visited once and awhile." He ends by pointing again to the "Larry King" interview and asking readers to ponder Jean's response to questions about his residency in Haiti (he says he lives in the United States) and his fluency in French and Creole (he suggests the nation's people should also learn English), the island's native languages. "Yes, I still support those Haitians who believe in him. But, I recommend that Mr. Jean and his advisers keep their future musings on more important topics than discrediting someone involved with a really good NGO," Penn said. "The real and devastating human issues in Haiti must be handled and led by a qualified president's deft hand. These elections are crucial, and I have no part in them. Neither should Mr. Jean." What do you think about Penn and Jean's back-and-forth? Let us know in the comments. Related Artists |
| Russell Simmons Shows Support For Controversial NYC Mosque Posted: 25 Aug 2010 01:37 AM PDT Mogul spells out the word 'coexist' on the windows of his apartment, overlooking the proposed site.
Russell Simmons is making his stance on a planned mosque near New York City's Ground Zero site well-known. The hip-hop mogul has spelled out the word "coexist" on the windows of his downtown apartment, which is near the location where a Muslim community center named Park51 — which according to the center's website includes a mosque — is slated to be established. Several black-and-white signs emblazoned with symbols of faith, such as the Christian cross, the Star of David and the peace sign, spell out Simmons' message of religious pluralism. According to an article posted on Simmons' Global Grind website, the mogul worked with artist Glen E. Friedman to conceive the installation. "I was trying to figure out ways I could reach people and promote a message of tolerance," Simmons told The Associated Press on Wednesday (August 25). "The fact that it is a public discussion, that there's so many against it is what I think is disappointing to me, that so many people don't know that we founded our country on the First Amendment." The proposed center has sparked controversy and protests because of the community center's proximity to Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center skyscrapers that were decimated in the September 11 attacks once stood. Opponents of the center, including former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, insist building a mosque so close to the location is inappropriate. Supporters of Park51, which include President Obama, say that religious freedoms extend to all Americans and must be defended. In response to those opposed to Park51, Simmons said the future of the community center is not just an issue for Muslims. "It's for Jews, it's for Christians, it's for African-Americans and other non-Muslims to stand up and protect the rights of the Muslims involved in this debate," Simmons said. "It's an American principle, it should offend every American." Do you agree with Russell Simmons about the planned Muslim community center near Ground Zero in New York City's? Let us know in the comments below! Related Artists |
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