MTV News |
- Eminem Pushes Alchemist To 'Step My Game Up'
- Fabolous Talks Soulja Boy Twitter Drama
- Lil Wayne's Glow-In-The-Dark Tattoos Are 'For Real,' Director Says
- 'The Town' Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know
- Lady Gaga, Pink Usher In New Age Of Pop Spectacle
- 'Easy A' Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know!
- Megan Fox Says Seeing 'Transformers 3' Will Be 'Weird'
- Lady Gaga's Meat Dress 'Didn't Smell At All,' Insider Says
- Sacha Baron Cohen To Play Freddie Mercury
- Joaquin Phoenix Documentary Isn't Real, Casey Affleck Admits
- 'American Idol' Judges' Panel Is Finalized
- 'True Blood' Stars Share Their Season-Four Wish Lists
- 'Real World' Alum Sean Duffy Talks His Republican Primary Win
- Jay-Z/Eminem LP Would Be 'Up There With <i>Thriller,</i>' Fans Say
- Will.i.am Remembers Knowing 'All' The 'Sesame Street' Songs
- Rick Ross, Drake Talk 'Dope' 'Aston Martin Music' Video
- Lady Gaga's Meat Dress: Celebs Weigh In
- Trey Songz Talks 'Building' 'Bottoms Up' With Nicki Minaj
- Katy Perry Calls Nicki Minaj 'The Truth'
- Ciara Teases 'Possible' Collabo With N.E.R.D.
| Eminem Pushes Alchemist To 'Step My Game Up' Posted: 17 Sep 2010 03:52 AM PDT 'When you're on the stage with Em, there's no room for error,' DJ tells Mixtape Daily.
Behind The Beats: Alchemist Alchemist pulled it off once again. Al, who rose to fame with his production for the likes of Mobb Deep, Lloyd Banks and Lil Wayne, has been prospering lately as Eminem's DJ. Em doesn't perform too much, so when a star of his caliber takes the stage, every show is high-profile. This month, Al was in the DJ booth during Em's Home and Home shows with Jay-Z in Detroit and in New York.
"With the band now, it eases a little bit of the pressure," Al said. "My friends say, 'You're pressing play and stop.' I'll tell them, 'It's pressing play and stop; it's not the technical part of it. If you mess it up, it's a stop and go, but you better do it right on time.' It's like the pyro. The pyro guy can't be a second off. Somebody can get blown up. Em being the perfectionist he is, it was clear: 'All right, Al, when you're on the stage with Em, there's no room for error.' I respected that. I was like, 'Oh, that's gonna make me step my game up.' I'm watching his shows, before I was his DJ, looking at how his vocals were perfect. In sync, perfect. I felt like this is important. I took it real serious." Al said he, Eminem manager Paul Rosenberg and D12's Mr. Porter all give Em input on the show. "At first I was nervous. Like, 'This is one of the greatest of all time. It's nothing I can really tell him,' " Al thought back. "But as you vibe together, you get ideas. I would test the waters a little bit. He would listen, not always take your idea, but be open-minded. As we started rehearsing, I started implementing some of the stuff I'm known for." Paul and Em told Al to put some of his own flavor into the live sets. Fans got to hear some of that flavor during the Home and Home series. "It was 'The Way I Am,' " Alchemist explained. "It was an old version where they had Edie Brickell in it: 'What I am is what I am.' So ... I was like, 'We should bring it back when we play it live.' It was a reason they didn't use it on the original song. Maybe clearance or something. Stuff like that. Or at the end of 'Not Afraid,' when the band is breaking it down, I made them get the a cappella and I put in the 'Holla if you ... ' Start cutting that up. I think about [DJ] Premier a lot. I think about how to be subtle as a DJ. The band's up here, Em is running the show. I look at it as accents. I was around [DJ] Muggs for so many years. I got to see so many great people do it. Definitely try to think of what I saw through the years, be subtle and play my part. Add some flavor." Next Wave of Flav On Eminem and Slaughterhouse: "I didn't make the Recovery album. Shout-out to DJ Khalil, the big homie. He did, like, four joints on the album. Em's got him on the album. Mr. Porter made the album. Havoc made the album. It adds to me wanting to go even harder. I think what it was, that I'm so accustomed to making stuff for Mobb Deep or Dilated [Peoples] or the people in my immediate circle. Being around Em more, I'm starting to get it. People vibe, and we make the best music. Now that I'm around him more, there's talks of the Slaughterhouse project. I think that might be one of the first moments I might be able to pick up some dust." On Gang Green: "I got this project Gang Green with Oh No, a real good friend from the West Coast, a collaboration project we did together. We did the rhymes and beats together. It's like I'm almost going backwards. I've had my years when I tried to make big stuff after I had a little success. Now I'm gong back to the raw beats, making something every country can feel. Raekwon's on the joint. Guilty Simpson, Evidence, Fat Sean, a bunch of people I have relationships with." On Prodigy: "P comes home in February. It's gonna be a very busy time. It's amazing. He feels like he's home already. He's in the best health he's been in. He's really excited. I've been sending him beats. Havoc is sending him beats. I e-mail them to his wife, and she puts it on some type of cassette. It's like he's in the studio, he's just not recording." For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Videos |
| Fabolous Talks Soulja Boy Twitter Drama Posted: 16 Sep 2010 06:33 AM PDT 'I know when I say things ... people may take it out of context,' Fab says on 'RapFix Live.'
Fabolous' Twitter followers know that the sharp-tongued MC is not afraid to hit hard with his tweets. Fab is known for typing much-re-tweeted missives and sparking popular trending topics that go in on everything from pop-culture starlets to the foibles of everyday life. And as a lyricist known for his witty punch lines, the trials of his fellow hip-hop stars are rarely exempt from the e-teasing.
Recently, Fab and Soulja Boy got into some e-beef on the social-networking site after the Brooklyn rapper sent up the "Pretty Boy Swag" hitmaker's alleged dalliance with hip-hop groupie Kat Stacks. After Stacks released a video suggesting Soulja Boy had a coke problem, Fab referenced the drama in a freestyle, Soulja shot back on Twitter, and the two were embroiled in a social-media flap that played out in front of their millions of followers. The rappers have since worked out their issues, and during his MTV News "RapFix Live" interview Thursday (September 16), Fab explained that he wanted to address Soulja's supposed threats before the barbs got out of hand. "The only reason I really wanted to speak to him [was] because of the threats that was involved," Fab said. "If you threaten me or someone threaten you, when you see them, you're reacting off of the threat, probably. Then that could escalate into something else, which I really didn't want, because Soulja Boy is 19, 20 years old and I'm grown. It's nothing cool about that to me." Fab, who said he "just was making light of [the Soulja Boy video] in a comedic way," didn't initially believe the young rapper was actually behind the viral vitriol. "I never threatened him, and for him to make threats, I wanted to see if this was [really him]," Fab said. "I wasn't even sure if it was him at that point. I thought maybe somebody hacked his account. I just didn't know of that Soulja Boy." Fab said he eventually explained to Soulja that the comments weren't personal; the Atlanta rapper was just a victim of pop-culture circumstance. "He was saying that he had heard certain things and people were telling [him], 'Yo, Fab's going at you.' He had heard things before that I said and he thought ... maybe for some reason that I didn't like him," Fab said. "When I spoke to him I [was like], 'Personally, I don't have nothin' against you. It was more something of me just cracking jokes. If it happened to anybody, I would have been cracking jokes on them. It just happened to happen to you.' " Although Fab maintained he didn't set out to personally upset anybody, he's aware of the effect his high-profile jabs may have. "I know when I say things ... as a grown man, people may take it out of context, and I have to deal with that accordingly." What do you think of Fab's comments about Soulja Boy? Let us know in the comments below! Related Videos Related Artists |
| Lil Wayne's Glow-In-The-Dark Tattoos Are 'For Real,' Director Says Posted: 16 Sep 2010 05:56 AM PDT Black-light 'I Am Not a Human Being' video shows off Weezy's fluorescent ink.
For music-video director David Rousseau, working with Lil Wayne was a gift and a curse.
A curse because the Cash Money Records superstar is incarcerated and not readily available to approve changes or edits; a gift, though, because the rapper is exuberant and camera-friendly, ready to offer concepts and suggestions for his clips. For his "I Am Not a Human Being" visual — which is still not ready; the version that landed online Wednesday wasn't finished — Wayne came up with the idea to showcase his glow-in-the-dark tattoos. "The thing about this video, it was his concept to shoot the black light, 'cause that way the tats that he has, they glow in the dark. That's actually for real; that's not a camera trick or post-production," Rousseau told MTV News. "The tattoos that he has on him when you put the black light on him, they glow in the dark. He came up with that idea. So really, the rest of the video was a springboard on that." The song is the title track from Weezy's forthcoming EP, which is set to drop later this month for free on the Web. The footage from the clip was shot earlier this year, when Wayne and Rousseau worked on upward of 12 videos the rapper hoped to finish before his incarceration, including numbers for his Rebirth album and portions of Drake's "Miss Me" clip. When Rousseau sat down to work with all the material after Wayne turned himself in to a New York City prison, the director said his work was easier after the foundation was already laid. Rousseau said he just had to listen to the lyrics and portray the MC in an abstract sense, which includes contrasting shots of his writing process and flashes of money. "After listening to the track, he's talking about just not being a human being, being totally different, is he an alien," Rousseau explained. "So the idea grew from that. It wasn't that hard, because we already had a base of what the concept would be when we shot his performance earlier this year." Are you looking forward to the official "I Am Not a Human Being" video? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists |
| 'The Town' Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know Posted: 17 Sep 2010 03:52 AM PDT We separate the A-list good guys from the bad in Ben Affleck's gritty Boston heist flick.
Before you set out to the multiplex to see this week's gritty bank-heist flick "The Town," MTV News has you covered with an insider-y look at Ben Affleck's latest directorial effort, following his critically praised work on "Gone Baby Gone."
Based on Chuck Hogan's novel "Prince of Thieves," the story revolves around the relationship between bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) and the career criminal who "stole more than her heart," Doug McCray (Affleck). Rounding out the triangle is FBI agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm), who is determined to bring Affleck's crook and his gang to justice. From the announcement of the star-studded cast to a glimpse at how the city of Boston embraced the production, here's everything you need to know about "The Town." The A-list cast was announced in July 2009, first with news of the addition of Hall and "Mad Men" hunk Hamm, followed by "Gossip Girl" ingénue Blake Lively and, finally, "Hurt Locker" star Jeremy Renner. Production began in Boston that September, and the celebrity cast quickly became the talk of Beantown, with the paparazzi shots to prove it. Photographers popped up, in particular, when filming was under way in public places. Once shooting wrapped, so did any news about "The Town," until nine months later when the first trailer dropped. Shortly thereafter, Affleck's much-buzzed about film was announced as part of the esteemed lineup for the 2010 Toronto Film Festival. MTV News was lucky enough to attend the fest, where we sat down with a few of the castmembers. We couldn't help but veer slightly off-topic, since all of the stars had a slew of highly anticipated projects on the way, including Ben Affleck's "The Trade," Jeremy Renner in "The Avengers" and Blake Lively in "Green Lantern." As for Lively, she nimbly dodged our challenge Ben Affleck-vs.-Matt Damon. Will you go see "The Town"? Among the cast, whose projects are you most excited about? Check out everything we've got on "The Town." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. |
| Lady Gaga, Pink Usher In New Age Of Pop Spectacle Posted: 15 Sep 2010 11:48 PM PDT 'We have returned to the age of P.T. Barnum,' one expert says.
Popular music has always been about putting on a show. From the psychedelic fantasias of 1970s rockers Pink Floyd to Madonna's many Vegas-like tours, KISS' relentless pyro attack, the boy-band glitter parades of the early 2000s and the over-the-top plans for Michael Jackson's never-mounted This is It farewell shows, major artists have always tried to pony up a big show for their fans. And now, thanks to a new generation of visually acute music stars, we could be living in a new age of the great pop spectacle. From Muse's massive stadium light show to Lady Gaga's Monster Ball outing and Pink's Cirque du Soleil-like Funhouse Tour, artists are going above and beyond in an effort to give their fans a never-ending, eye-popping extravaganza. "We were missing a real element of showmanship [in music] for a while, but you see it in Gaga and her elaborate costuming and in artists like Pink," music-industry veteran Jeff Rabhan, chair of recorded music and an arts professor at NYU's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, said of Gaga's now-legendary meat dress and string of outrageous getups at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards. He also pointed to the positive reaction for Kanye West's visually stunning VMA performance as further proof that audiences were thirsting for a return of the pop spectacle. "It's been lacking, and that's the reason that people are drawn to it," he said of the chatter that inevitably follows one of West's unique set pieces. In fact, the rapper has more in store with his 40-minute film-noir project in support of the "Runaway" single, which is not surprising coming from an artist who has always been very tuned in to the importance of having great visuals to accompany his music. In rock music, bands like U2 have always understood the importance of giving their fans something unique, from their PopMart Tour in the late 1990s to their most recent 360 Tour, which included the largest, most elaborate stage ever built for a live show. More contemporary acts like Britney Spears have also done their part, hitting the road for her Circus extravaganza with a stage full of magicians, tumblers and glitzy costumes. On a smaller scale, "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert has made glitter bombs and gender-bending videos and performances part of his pop calling card, earning him the distinction of outpacing his onetime rival, season-eight winner Kris Allen, in album sales and concert tickets. What sets some of today's stars apart, according to Robert J. Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University, is the immersive way they live their public lives. "Artists like Gaga and Ke$ha are always in costume," Thompson said of the outrageous makeup and outfits those pop stars, and other such as Katy Perry, model every time they go out in public. "We have returned to the age of P.T. Barnum, no question about it. But I suppose these things go in cycles, a case you can make if you look at the biggest acts of all time, which were all spectacle-oriented: Madonna, Michael Jackson." Thompson said outrageous characters have always played a part in popular music, but with the dawn of the video age in 1981, artists had a new medium to explore with flashy videos that added another layer to their radio hits. Then, with the rise of the Internet, the decade-long contraction of the music industry and a renewed emphasis on singles-oriented artists over the past nine years thanks to iTunes, the ability to reach a mass audience just through radio and video began to disappear. "We went into a period where music was being consumed not with a visual spectacular or with the visual of a big album cover, but as an à la carte thing you listen to with earbuds," Thompson said. "There was naturally going to be a kickback from that." With Gaga as the most prominent example, many artists began to realize that with so many entertainment options — from online video to TV, movies, video games and portable devices like the iPad — the only way to rise above the din was to be bigger, bolder and louder than everyone else, all the time. "Lady Gaga is much more about her look and character and clothes than about the songs," Thompson said. "There are a lot more people out there who could recognize a photo of Lady Gaga in a minute than if you played them one of her songs." He also acknowledged that grim economic times also draw fans to artists and performances that allow for some fantastical escape from the day's news. And with the increasing hikes in the cost of concert tickets, cash-strapped music fans are also more likely to part with their meager cash reserves if they think they're going to see something jaw-dropping. "You have to put on costumes and a spectacle if you're going to get any attention these days," Thompson said. What do you think of today's flashier pop stars? Share your thoughts in the comments! Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| 'Easy A' Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know! Posted: 17 Sep 2010 03:52 AM PDT We've been tracking Emma Stone's teen comedy since its freshman year.
For people who love movies, and we at MTV News certainly do, 2010's box-office offerings have been a little inconsistent. Nevertheless, if you've been passing up the mediocrity in anticipation of something worth your time and hard-earned dollars, "Easy A" is your reason to get back to the theater. Yes, we've gushed a bit about it all week, but it is that good. Nice girl/ semi-outsider Olive (Stone) makes a deal with a guy friend to pretend to have loud, crazy sex at a house party so the bullies at their high school will think he's "cool" and leave him alone. But that one good-natured act soon spirals into many more "requests" from other similarly plagued students. Soon the high school rumor mill has been set ablaze with exaggerated accounts of Olive's alleged exploits.
And it's finally in theaters! To celebrate the well-made and well-acted teen comedy that is "Easy A," here is everything you need to know! When Emma Stone, a much-loved scene-stealer in films like "Superbad" and "The House Bunny," was announced in her first big starring role back in March 2009, fans were already excited about the project. Days before production began in June 2009, we learned which actors would fill out the hilarious supporting roles: Penn Badgley, Cam Gigandet, Stanley Tucci, Lisa Kudrow and more. Shortly thereafter, we caught up with "Twilight" hunk Gigandet to hear about his role in the film. "I'm one of those characters who you think is one person, where he turns out to not be," Gigandet said. Finally, almost a full year later, in May, we got our first look at the talented cast in action, courtesy of the . This only solidified our interest in the film. In late July, we stole a few moments with director Will Gluck, who heaped praise on Stone as a leading lady, as well as the rest of his talented cast. That was followed by our first exclusive clip, which is coincidentally one of the funniest sequences in the film. Stone's quote/narration over the scene speaks for itself: "If people thought I was a dirty skank, fine. I'd be the dirtiest skank they'd ever seen." And just recently, we sat down with the film's stars to discuss the many quirks and charms of the film. Badgley dished on the most amusing rumor he'd heard about himself, and Stone revealed how filming a fake sex scene induced an asthma attack. Earlier this week, it was finally time for the film's premiere, where Stone and her co-stars shined, along with several other fashion-forward stars, including Taylor Swift and Keke Palmer. Check out everything we've got on "Easy A." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. |
| Megan Fox Says Seeing 'Transformers 3' Will Be 'Weird' Posted: 16 Sep 2010 03:45 AM PDT 'I might be a little jealous when I see somebody kissing my Shia,' Fox tells MTV News.
Megan Fox may have left the cast of "Transformers 3," but that doesn't mean she's completely snubbing the franchise. In fact, when MTV News caught up with the actress at the Toronto Film Festival, Fox insisted that she plans to check out the latest installment of the fantasy juggernaut.
"I will see it," Fox said while promoting "Passion Play" at the Toronto International Film Festival. "I'm gonna see it." The actress did admit that watching the battle of the 'bots continue on without her will be fairly odd. "I might be a little jealous when I see somebody kissing my Shia [LaBeouf], wearing my jeans that I ... already had been fit for," Fox conceded. "It's kind of weird, actually." Fox also observed that her replacement, onscreen newcomer and Victoria's Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, won't work the leading-lady role quite like her. "She's 6 feet tall also, so maybe they're not the exact same jeans," Fox quipped about the ad-campaign vet slated to play LaBeouf's love interest Carly. "But it will be strange." As much as the actress admits that a Fox-free "Transformers 3" will be a little hard for her to handle, her former co-star has pined for her presence as well. While filming the 2011 release, LaBeouf commented earlier this year that he missed Fox's contributions to the series. "I love Megan and I miss the girl," LaBeouf said. "But Sam and [Fox's character] Mikaela became one character, and here ... you have discovery again from a new perspective." Despite the headline-grabbing cast shake-up, many details about the upcoming "Transformers" film have remained under wraps. However, director Michael Bay has insisted that the third installment, which will be released in 3-D and will abandon the "dorky comedy" aspects, will likely signal the end of the series. "As a trilogy, it really ends," Bay said. "It could be rebooted again, but I think it has a really killer ending." Check out everything we've got on "Transformers 3." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos |
| Lady Gaga's Meat Dress 'Didn't Smell At All,' Insider Says Posted: 16 Sep 2010 06:21 AM PDT 'Is she really wearing a meat outfit?' Gaga's backstage VMA escort recalls thinking.
Lady Gaga's meat dress is one of the biggest fashion statements in VMA history, but despite the outsize media, fan and PETA attention, the ensemble was actually one of the superstar's more wearable looks of the evening.
"It didn't smell at all," Ernesto Elias of MTV Music and Talent, who escorted Gaga to and from her seat throughout Sunday's show, told MTV News on Thursday (September 16). Although Gaga was rocking pounds of raw meat under the glare of the Nokia Theatre lights, Elias said the fleshy frock wasn't gag-inducing. "I actually was able to get a picture taken with her and kinda touched it. It was just your regular old feeling of meat." The crafty couture may have had the usual touches of a choice cut of beef, but the visual punch the look packed was anything but typical. Well, maybe it was typical for Gaga. "Pretty much every time that dressing-room door would open up, it was always a surprise, because I never knew what to expect," Elias said. "That last time was a real shock, just because I was confused if it was really meat or what. At first, it kind of looks fake, but at a closer glance, I could tell it was real." Gaga's final sashay backstage caught other VMA insiders off guard as well. "When I'm walking her from her dressing room to her seat, I'm always five or 10 steps ahead, just kind of clearing a path. And ... people would just take a double take," Elias said, describing the behind-the-scenes impact of Gaga's outfit. "Just 'cause they weren't quite sure what they were really looking at. Then she would walk by them, and they'd get a better glimpse, and [it] probably left them confused — as most people were." Gaga kept the ensemble carcass-coordinated as well, encasing some sky-high heels in slivers of meat. "They were real shoes and they just used the meat and wrapped it around the shoes. They used the butcher's twine to hold the meat in place," Elias said. "The shoes ... without the meat on them [were] just huge, like, heel platforms, I guess." The meat mini capped off another night of decadent fashion, which included a black ball gown that "was very heavy. She needed to walk very slow to get to one place or another just because of the weight of the outfit," Elias said. Gaga also hit the white carpet in a flowing Alexander McQueen creation as she simultaneously pulled off both a fashion and political statement with several openly gay military vets on her arm. Unlike her breakout runway-show-within-an-awards-show moment at the 2009 VMAs, Gaga had more time to put on each elaborate outfit. However, the pacing and styling of every look was very likely still planned with the same detail-oriented precision as her debut VMA outing. "She's very professional in how she's coming across with all this sort of stuff," Elias said. And as millions of viewers and VMA attendees witnessed at this year's festivities, Gaga kept it consistent with some seriously "over-the-top" fashion. Even Elias, who led Gaga through the gaggle of backstage mayhem that is the VMAs, had to reflect upon the impact of the protein-packed garb. "I was probably just thinking: Is she really wearing a meat outfit?" What did you think of Lady Gaga's VMA fashion? Let us know in the comments! The Moonmen have all been handed out and the stars have gone home, but there's plenty of MTV Video Music Awards news, interviews, behind-the-scenes scoop, party reports and more still to come, so keep it locked on MTVNews.com. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Sacha Baron Cohen To Play Freddie Mercury Posted: 16 Sep 2010 07:23 AM PDT 'Borat' star will portray legendary Queen frontman.
Comic and filmmaker Sacha Baron Cohen is set to play legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in an upcoming movie. Deadline.com reports that Cohen, who shot to pop-culture fame with his outrageous Brüno and Borat characters, will portray the British rocker in a flick centered on the group's developing years up until their historic 1985 Live Aid set. A rep for the actor confirmed the casting to MTV News. Rights to iconic Queen tunes such as "Another One Bites the Dust," "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Are the Champions" and "We Will Rock You," have been secured for the film. GK Films ("The Tourist"), Robert De Niro's Tribeca Productions and Queen Films are reportedly helming the project. The announcement comes years after Cohen was reportedly cast to portray the rock star. Rumors that the comedian was slated to play Mercury surfaced in 2007; however, the actor's rep quashed whispers, telling MTV News the chitchat was "absolutely untrue" and "pure hokum." "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor Johnny Depp was long-rumored to bring Mercury's life to the big screen. Although Cohen is known for his comedic chops, the British entertainer appeared in the 2007 murder musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," which coincidentally starred Depp. The upcoming movie, which is scheduled to begin production in 2011, is not the first time the band's famed repertoire has been given the Hollywood treatment. The stage production "We Will Rock You" has been running in London since 2002. After fronting one of the most popular bands in the '70s and '80s, Mercury succumbed to AIDS in 1991. The band's music continued to reach new generations of fans through pop-culture vehicles such as the Mike Myers comedy "Wayne's World." For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Related Photos Related Artists |
| Joaquin Phoenix Documentary Isn't Real, Casey Affleck Admits Posted: 16 Sep 2010 08:32 AM PDT 'It's the performance of his career,' director says of 'I'm Still Here.'
After two years of freaking out fans with his bizarre antics, Joaquin Phoenix's disturbing behavior has been unveiled as nothing more than an intense commitment to his latest role.
Phoenix, who grew a ratty beard, embarked on a hip-hop career and fumbled his way through awkward interviews, such as his infamous 2009 sit-down with David Letterman, has apparently just been getting crazy for his recently released movie "I'm Still Here." "It's a terrific performance, it's the performance of his career," director Casey Affleck told The New York Times on Thursday (September 16). After much speculation (and mostly negative reviews), Affleck owned up to the ruse of the flick and revealed that most the film was fake. The filmmaker described how footage of Phoenix and his siblings frolicking in Panama were actually actors swimming in Hawaii, with the film later doctored to look aged. Affleck also revealed that disturbing moments in the movie in which Phoenix appears to live it up with prostitutes and drugs were created with the help of actors. Affleck revealed that the actor's agent was even in on the stunt and agreed to cooperate after the director detailed his plan to show the world Phoenix "has lost his mind," noting, "You would think he would have me killed immediately." Many moviegoers will perhaps question why Affleck and Phoenix went to the trouble of staging what appeared to be a meltdown of an Oscar-winning A-lister instead of just openly shooting a mockumentary and calling it a day. Affleck explained that the duo wanted viewers to believe they were indeed witnessing the fall of a great star. "We wanted to create a space," he said. "You believe what's happening is real." What do you think about Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck's fake documentary "I'm Still Here"? Let us know in the comments below! Check out everything we've got on "I'm Still Here." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more -- updated around the clock -- visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. |
| 'American Idol' Judges' Panel Is Finalized Posted: 16 Sep 2010 05:39 AM PDT New panelists will be revealed at a news conference Wednesday.
Now that we know Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi are out, who's in? After months of speculation, "American Idol" will finally announce the season-10 judges' panel next week. Ryan Seacrest will make the announcement at a news conference at the Forum in Inglewood, California, on Wednesday at noon PT, joined by the new judges. Original judge Randy Jackson appears to be the only returning panelist, although even he hasn't been confirmed for the next season. The loudest rumors have Jackson joined by Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and singer/actress Jennifer Lopez. Whether the panel will return to the three-person format it started with or add a wild card into the mix as a fourth judge is unknown. Back in July, Tyler was asked what he would be up to following Aerosmith's tour, and he seemed to confirm reports of his involvement with the reality show. "Probably going to be a judge on 'American Idol,' " Tyler said. "I'm doing it! What do you think?" While Lopez hasn't commented on the rumors, various outlets have reported that she has already signed a $12 million deal to join the show. The judges' panel isn't the only thing changing for the show's 10th season. On Wednesday, it was announced that "Idol" hopefuls could submit online audition videos to MySpace for the first time. The show also dropped its age limit to 15 to make sure it doesn't miss out on a potential Justin Bieber. Who do you think will be on the new judges' panel? Share your theories in the comments! Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos Related Photos |
| 'True Blood' Stars Share Their Season-Four Wish Lists Posted: 16 Sep 2010 06:06 AM PDT Alexander Skarsgård, Nelsan Ellis and others speculate on who'll find supernatural powers next.
Oh, "True Blood," why does your season have to end so quickly! It seems like just yesterday fans were counting down the days to the season-three premiere. Alas, the new episodes have come and gone, but that doesn't mean we don't have fresh news and intel straight from our favorite HBO castmembers themselves! When MTV News caught up with the merry, wise-cracking bunch recently, we asked them what might be on their wish lists for next season, as well as a few details about co-stars and witches, etc.
"Well, if you read the books you know that next season is all about fightin' witches," Nelsan Ellis teased about season four's fun new plotline. "So we shall see," he said. But will we get to see Lafayette and Hoyt get involved in that? Jim Parrack (Hoyt) offered to demonstrate his skills right away. "I'll fight a witch right now," he said. "I'll fight a witch tonight!" "Maybe," Ellis added, sounding skeptical about Parrack's fighting ways. "And maybe Hoyt is a witch." "A good witch, like the white witch in 'Wizard of Oz,' " Parrack added. Todd Lowe, who plays big-hearted war vet Terry, seemed overwhelmed with all the supernatural elements that have been added to the show. "Fighting witches? It seems fun," he said. "I'm wondering what the next supernatural thing [is going to be] because we started with vampires, then you get shapeshifters, maenad, fairies, now werepanthers and now witches. "We've got griffins that could come in and Frankensteins," Lowe joked. When asked whether Terry has any supernatural in him, Lowe said he hoped not. "I don't know. I like playing a human right now," he said. "So, no." Actress Lindsey Haun's wishes for her character, Sookie's cousin Hadley, are quite the opposite: She's excited to explore her supernatural side. "We haven't really touched on her magical side," Haun said. "She has some fun with being a witch, and she also turns into a vampire, so I'm really excited to get my own set of fangs — if that happens. I don't know, they keep us so in the dark, I have no idea what's going on. Nelsan, who plays Lafayette, we're constantly like, 'What's next in the books? What are we doing next?' He's pretty good, actually, he keeps me up on what's going to happen." Swedish dreamboat Alexander Skarsgård (Eric Northman) joked that he hopes he makes it back on air next season. "We'll see what happens in the last episode; I'm just happy if I get to come back next year," he joked. (As if he wouldn't.) As for Bon Temps' resident scaredy cat Arlene (played by Carrie Preston), the actress said she enjoys playing one of the only people on the show who is actually worried about the vamp danger factor. "She's a little narrow-minded. She's sort of designed to be ridiculed because of that," Preston said of her character's attitude. "I take it as a challenge to make her a full, well-rounded, grounded, real, human being. The views that she expresses on the show are quite valid, which is, vampires really shouldn't be around our children, and I think that's a valid thing with them being cold-blooded killers. "They make it seem like they're so sexy and everything," she added. "But meanwhile they have these urges sometimes that they can't control." Still, scary or no, Preston said she'd like Arlene to get in on the supernatural action. "I would like to see her get involved in some kind of the supernatural in some way. I'm just saying that's what I would like. I'm not giving anything away. No one has said anything to me," she insisted. "But the supernaturals seem to have a little more fun." Indeed they do, which is half of the reason the show is so fun for fans. What do you want to see on next season's "True Blood"? Which characters do you want to have some supernatural in them? Talk about it in the comments. |
| 'Real World' Alum Sean Duffy Talks His Republican Primary Win Posted: 16 Sep 2010 02:12 AM PDT 'People are not concerned about a reality show from 15 years ago,' he says of his congressional run.
If you were watching the election results Tuesday night and the Republican candidate for the U.S. House seat from Wisconsin's seventh district looked familiar, your eyes weren't playing tricks on you. Yes, that was Sean Duffy, who appeared on season six of MTV's "Real World," raising his hands in victory as he raked in 67 percent of the vote. The county prosecutor will now go on to face Senator Julie Lassa, the winner of the Democratic primary, in November's election. Wisconsin native Duffy, 38, currently the district attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin, is the kind of candidate seemingly custom-made for a political run in the land of cheese. One of 11 kids, he's an expert log roller and speed climber, with three world titles at the National Lumberjack Championships, who has also done color commentary on ESPN's Great Outdoor Games. "I'm a traditional conservative, and because of the momentum I built and the ideas I'm talking about, a lot of folks in the Republican Party are excited about me," Duffy said Thursday (September 16) from his car while traversing his district on another endless round of campaign stops. "When I decided to get into the race, they laughed at me, like, 'Oh, wow, yeah, you're a great candidate!' But because of what I've done, people have gotten behind me." Among the Republican heavyweights who've endorsed Duffy are former Alaska governor and 2008 vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, Minnesota governor and potential presidential aspirant Tim Pawlenty and another 2008 presidential contender, Mitt Romney. Duffy — who is married to another "Real World" alum, Rachel Campos-Duffy, with whom he has six children — has been re-elected to his current post four times, and he threw his hat in the ring last summer, at a time when the district's powerful incumbent, 40-year House veteran Democrat David Obey, seemed unbeatable. But not long after he announced his candidacy, Duffy said he was prominently featured in a story on page one of The New York Times about some of the vulnerable chairmen on Capitol Hill, and just 10 days later, Obey announced his retirement. If he's able to pull off the win, he could be crucial to Republicans taking control of the House of Representatives away from the Democrats. Because his "Real World" stint portrayed him as a bit of a playboy and a naïf about racial politics, Duffy said you would never guess he'd be where he is now based on his reality-TV past. "Absolutely not," he said when asked if he ever imagined he'd make the leap from the Boston firehouse to the Capitol. "But if you meet us now, reality TV is so not a part of our lives. We're raising a family in Wisconsin and living the American dream." After taking a year off from law school to appear on the show, Duffy met Campos, got married, finished law school and moved back home to Hayward, Wisconsin, to work in his father's law firm. "I think this country is going in the wrong direction," he explained of his unlikely bid. "I haven't been involved with a ton of politics, but I have some ideas for the people of Wisconsin." One of his major talking points is his opposition to the Obama administration's trillions of dollars in economic-stimulus spending, which Duffy said he thinks is the wrong way to get the economy back on its feet. "Prosperity and growth comes from people in the private sector who create jobs," he said. Though he has the kind of name recognition and colorful résumé most candidates only dream of, Duffy said his reality-TV past doesn't really come into play when he's out there shaking hands at parades and campaign events. "Sometimes someone will reference my past, but I'm running on a set of ideas and a vision for Wisconsin and America, and that's where I'm at," he said. "People are not concerned about a reality show from 15 years ago." Duffy has gone further than one fellow "Real World" alum with political aspirations: season one's Kevin Powell. The activist and poet, who has made two unsuccessful runs for Congress from New York, lost for a third time on Tuesday. Are there any other "Real World" alumni you could see going into politics? Share your ideas in the comments! |
| Jay-Z/Eminem LP Would Be 'Up There With <i>Thriller,</i>' Fans Say Posted: 16 Sep 2010 12:23 AM PDT 'It would be impossible to find that album,' says one fan of a potential collabo after historic Yankee Stadium concert.
Jay-Z and Eminem just finished their Home and Home showcase, with each MC headlining two nights at baseball stadiums in their respective hometowns, New York and Detroit.
But now that they've wrapped, is there the potential for the two to join forces again soon? MTV News hit the pavement in the Bronx just outside of Yankee Stadium to pose the question to the people: Do you want to hear a joint Jay-Z and Eminem project? "Eminem and Jay-Z together," Karyn responded. "What a phenomenal duo — who can top that?" Jay-Z has had his share of collabo albums in the past, including two with R. Kelly and a mash-up project with Linkin Park. Now, however, the Roc Nation boss is working on a joint LP with Kanye West. But most fans seemed to agree that a record with Jay-Z and Eminem would be historical. "If Jay and Em did a record together, it would be off the hook," Dot said. "If God can bless this earth with Jay-Z and Eminem doing an album together, all hell would break loose," Armaan told MTV News. "It would be impossible to find that album." Music-industry insider Eddie Blackmon agreed the project would move quickly off shelves. "They're two of the greatest lyrical artists of our generation," he explained. "I think if they got together and collaborated on a project, it'd sell millions and millions of records." New Edition's Michael Bivins also attended the event and afterward, he told MTV News he was enthusiastic about the idea of the two superstars coming together. "The expectations might be really, really high," Bivins said about a potential LP. "Up there with Thriller." Do you think Jay and Em should extend their joint-tour idea to the recording studio? Tell us in the comments! Related Photos Related Artists |
| Will.i.am Remembers Knowing 'All' The 'Sesame Street' Songs Posted: 16 Sep 2010 04:55 AM PDT Now the BEP frontman gets to perform his 'What I Am' for the show's season premiere, September 27.
Will.i.am made quite an impression on the music world when he performed with Nicki Minaj during the pre-show of the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, and he's about to make waves among an entirely different audience soon. His new song "What I Am," which he performed for "Sesame Street," just premiered online, and the track will also be featured on the show's season premiere on September 27.
Flanked by an army of "Sesame Street" all-stars (including Big Bird, Elmo, Grover and Cookie Monster), Will croons an inspirational track about being yourself, setting goals and working hard to achieve those goals. The video segment was recorded back in November, and MTV News was there to catch up with Will (and Grover). "The song is called 'What I Am,' and it's about making goals and working hard to achieve them," Will told MTV News. He was especially honored to be on the set of "Sesame Street" and working with some of the Muppets who gave him his early education. "You have to understand: I was like 4 or 5 years old, and I always wanted to watch 'Sesame Street,' " he said. "Grover helped me learn about numbers and about the alphabet, and I used to know all the songs." He had a fan in Grover, who insisted he liked the Black Eyed Peas, as well as "carrots, broccoli, all those vegetables." Grover later taught Will a few dance moves while the producer provided beatbox backup. Will represents the first in a series of high-profile guest appearances on the 41st season of "Sesame Street," including Katy Perry, Usher, Jude Law, Ryan Reynolds, Kara DioGuardi, Reggie Bush and Zoe Saldana. What do you think of will.i.am's "Sesame Street" song? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists |
| Rick Ross, Drake Talk 'Dope' 'Aston Martin Music' Video Posted: 16 Sep 2010 01:19 AM PDT 'I'm excited to go and handle that,' Drizzy says of plans to shoot clip for breezy Teflon Don track in Miami.
Forget maintaining: He has to keep bawwwllin'! Rick Ross and his director Spiff TV just shot a video for "I'm Not a Star" in Miami, and Ricky Rozay says he's about to get down in MIA with another one. This time, he wrangled Drake for "Aston Martin Music." "Yeah. I mean, it's on the schedule," Drake confirmed while walking the Video Music Awards white carpet. "I'm excited to go and handle that. I'm rehearsing for this tour in Miami right after this. Anything is possible."
"We were just going over treatments for 'Aston Martin Music,' " Ross told MTV News during VMA weekend in Los Angeles. "We're going to shoot the dope version: Drake's going to be rapping his verse and Chrisette [Michele will be there] and most definitely me. We're just finalizing all the details. We should be shooting that hopefully next week, so look for that real soon." Ross said he wanted to switch his sound up just a little after murdering the clubs and the streets in recent months with his massive Teflon Don LP. "It's just a lot of records that feel good," the Miami native said of his latest album. "After you've had the 'B.M.F.' anthems, the 'MC Hammer's, the 'I'm Not a Star's, you're on the 'O Let's Do It's, you wanna deliver them next-level records. Them different kind of records to always show, 'I'm capable of doing this.' As an artist, it's always dope when you can put out two or three street singles, four street singles, and then holiday time, 'Aston Martin Music.' That'll make the ladies appreciate it even more and paint a picture." As this year comes to a close, fans will be able to get a taste of the Bawse up close and personal as he hits the road. "Most definitely, we got a Blowing Money Fast Tour on deck," Ross told us. "We also have another tour with Puff Daddy. We working all the dates together and we're going to make an announcement real soon." What do you hope the "Aston Martin Music" clip will look like? Tell us in the comments! Related Photos Related Artists |
| Lady Gaga's Meat Dress: Celebs Weigh In Posted: 16 Sep 2010 01:47 AM PDT 'She's a courageous chick,' Mary J. Blige said at New York fashion event.
Tongues are still wagging over Lady Gaga's BBQ-defying meat dress from Sunday's Video Music Awards, and it seems everyone has an opinion on the flesh frock. So who better to weigh in on Lady Gaga's look than the honorees at US Weekly's 25 Most Stylish New Yorkers event in New York City? While many stars lauded the "Bad Romance" singer for her sartorial bravery, most added that they'd never actually don such a rare outfit. "I thought: courageous," host Mary J. Blige said with a laugh when asked her opinion of Lady Gaga's meat dress. "She's a courageous chick."
Actress and frequent "Glee" guest star Kristin Chenoweth couldn't have agreed more. "I thought it was incredible," she said. "Actually it was an incredible design. I wouldn't be caught dead in it, but go girl!" One lucky celeb got to see -- and smell -- Franc Fernandez's design up close and personal. "I was sitting right behind her [at the VMAs]," record producer Sean Garrett said. "That's probably the best-smelling meat [I've ever smelled]." One person not coveting Garrett's prime seat was talk-show host Wendy Williams. "I wouldn't have been the one wanting to sit next to her," she said. "With the hot lights and the hot skin, she was actually sizzling right there, and I understand she has a line of perfume coming out, and that would smell like A1 Sauce." Though most celebrities found Gaga's get-up humorous, "The City" star and People's Revolution owner Kelly Cutrone was introspective, saying she found the frock frivolous in light of global hunger issues. "I personally think it's not a good idea when people are starving in the world," she said about food as fashion. "One person's dress is another person's dinner." What do you think about Lady Gaga's meat dress? The Moonmen have all been handed out and the stars have gone home, but there's plenty of 2010 MTV Video Music Awards news, interviews, behind-the-scenes scoop, party reports and more still to come, so keep it locked on MTVNews.com. Related Photos Related Artists |
| Trey Songz Talks 'Building' 'Bottoms Up' With Nicki Minaj Posted: 16 Sep 2010 02:38 AM PDT 'She came to the studio for three hours and listened to my whole album,' Songz says of their meeting.
A week before this year's BET Awards, as Trey Songz was working on his new album, Passion, Pleasure & Pain, the singer thought to himself that Nicki Minaj would make for a good guest on the project. A week later, however, as he watched the awards show, he realized he wasn't the only fan of the Lil Wayne protégé: The Queens lyricist was on the BET stage practically all night. "She came out so many times and her star power was so big, and she [hasn't even done] a record of her own," Songz recalled.
He thought Nicki Minaj would be over doing guest appearances and instead focus on completing her own album, Pink Friday. So, Trey Songz had his work cut out for him if he wanted to secure her for the single "Bottoms Up." "We flirt all the time," he told MTV News. "I know I flirt with her every time I see her. Hey, Nicki. [He laughs.]" "I actually told her when we were going to do the record, 'Baby, I want you to come by and listen to the album, I want it to be all the way authentic,' " Trey continued. " ' 'Cause I know you doing a lot of features, I know you supposed to be focusing on your album, and I know it's probably a lot going on with you right now. So I want you to come by when you get some time and I want to build with you.' I've known Nicki for about two years now, but we never ever had a chance to really build and have a real conversation. So she came to the studio for three hours and listened to my whole album." The Virginia singer said that with his "I Invented Sex" and "Say Aah" records still spinning on radio, he wanted "Bottoms Up" to be able to stand out on its own. He called the single "an anthem" and explained that the title is derived from the phrase "bottles up," but a member of his crew suggested the more broad twist "Bottoms Up." Songz described the video as the perfect complement to his and Nicki Minaj's vocals. "[It's] different from me or what's expected from me and anything I've shot for that matter," he said. "Anthony [Mandler] used a lot of different shooting techniques. I think it heightens whatever it is that the song has already -- the drive, the vigor, the club anthem, the energy in the record is definitely heightened in the video." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Katy Perry Calls Nicki Minaj 'The Truth' Posted: 15 Sep 2010 10:43 PM PDT 'I can't believe she hasn't even put out a record yet and she's still Nicki Minaj!' Perry tells MTV News.
Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj presented the Best Male Video award together at the VMAs, and it was evident that the two fun-loving pop stars shared a kinship. Their love of colorful costumes and fun music make it easy for fans to understand why they might get along, and Perry explained just what she loves about the Young Money princess.
"I think Nicki Minaj is the truth," she told MTV News at her alma mater, Santa Barbara, California's Dos Pueblos high school, where she performed Tuesday night. "I think she is amazing, and I love her sense of style. I love her beautiful figure. It's hot." But it's about more than just the aesthetic. She thinks Nicki has that certain "it" factor. "I like her whole attitude. She's so funny and a chameleon, and you really don't know exactly what you're going to get from her, but you know it's going to be entertaining at every corner," she said. "She's really fun. She belongs in this world. I'm very excited for her record. I can't believe she hasn't even put out a record yet and she's still Nicki Minaj! It's amazing." When talking about fellow pop stars like Lady Gaga, Perry pointed out that the "over-the-top" aesthetic only works if the performer also has a "spine." "Some people that are just like, 'Look at me, I have something on my face or head' — I don't want to be specific because I don't even know what I'm trying to say — they're just not following through," she said. "I like all that theatrical stuff, but at the end of the day, I like to strip it all off and sit down with my guitar and write a song." Like Perry, Nicki hopes that her music can tell a story and resonate with people. "This album is my heart and soul," the rapper said about Pink Friday, which arrives in November. "This is me explaining every single relationship that I've ever been in and explaining it in a way that every woman in this world can understand it." Share your thoughts on Nicki Minaj in the comments! The Moonmen have all been handed out and the stars have gone home, but there's plenty of MTV Video Music Awards news, interviews, behind-the-scenes scoop, party reports and more still to come, so keep it locked on MTVNews.com. Related Artists |
| Ciara Teases 'Possible' Collabo With N.E.R.D. Posted: 16 Sep 2010 02:42 AM PDT 'We're talking about doing a couple of things,' Ciara says at the VMAs.
Ciara and N.E.R.D. blazed the stage when they performed the band's sultry single "Hot-N-Fun" at this year's MTV Video Music Awards. When MTV News caught up with the ATL princess on the show's white carpet, she dished that fans could be rocking to a white-hot collaboration between CiCi and the hip-hop crew in the future.
"We're talking about doing a couple of things. We've been in the studio a little bit too, just, like, talking about things and stuff," Ciara said. "In the future, it's very possible that you'll be hearing something more from possibly me and N.E.R.D. and also maybe even just me and Pharrell, musically." The songstress, who took on Nelly Furtado's vocal duties from on the original track, joined the band for a hip-twisting, back-bending performance at the show's Chevrolet Cruze Drive-In. Whether a Ciara/N.E.R.D. project actually jumps off, the songbird said she enjoyed turning up the fire with the band onstage. "I have to say, I had a lot fun performing with Pharrell. He's such a sweetheart, their whole crew, Chad [Hugo], Shay, all of them are such sweet guys," she said. "I had a wonderful time." One project that is definitely in the works is Ciara's upcoming album, Basic Instinct. Perhaps recruiting the "Hot-N-Fun" fellas for some new tracks is a smart move, as the singer told MTV News last year that her Fantasy Ride follow-up will be, well, "hot and fun." On last week's VMA carpet, the singer updated her fans about her new videos and promised another dope musical ride. "My fans are gonna really be happy. They're gonna really be in for a treat. I worked so hard on this record. I just shot two videos: 'Gimme That' and 'Speechless,' " Ciara said. "My fans are gonna be so happy, I promise you guys. I'm so excited." What do you a think a Ciara and N.E.R.D. collabo may sound like? Sound off in the comments! Related Artists |
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