MTV News |
- Taylor Lautner Compares His Abs To Robert Pattinson's In His #4 Moment
- Uma Thurman Says Playing The Older Woman In 'Ceremony' Is 'Fun'
- 'Pretty Little Liars' Star Ashley Benson Recalls Her First Date
- Pia Toscano Eliminated In 'American Idol' Shocker
- Lady Gaga's 'Judas' Video Is 'Groundbreaking,' Laurieann Gibson Says
- Snooki And JWoww Reveal 'Jersey Shore' Spin-Off Details
- Britney Spears Vs. Adele: Which Brit Will Be #1?
- Taylor Lautner Fist-Bumps Tom Cruise In His #5 MTV Moment
- Mariah Carey's Pregnant Magazine Cover Is 'Beautiful,' Nick Cannon Says
- Dirty South Talks Hit Diddy-Dirty Money 'Coming Home' Collabo
- 'Your Highness' Finds The 'Humanity' In Its Villain
- Simon Cowell Says Fergie Was 'Put Forward' As Possible 'X Factor' Judge
- Brittany Snow Recalls Smelly Tutor On 'When I Was 17'
- The Game Praises 'Red Nation' Producers Cool & Dre
- Death Cab For Cutie Tell Story Behind 'You Are A Tourist'
- 'American Idol' Report Card: Scotty McCreery Rules Rock And Roll Night
- Russell Brand Discusses On-Set 'Arthur' Antics
- DJ Trauma Wants To Make 'Classic' Mixtapes
- Jay Baruchel Joins Robert Pattinson In 'Cosmopolis' Cast
| Taylor Lautner Compares His Abs To Robert Pattinson's In His #4 Moment Posted: 08 Apr 2011 03:52 AM PDT Lautner will debut the 'Abduction' trailer and chat with MTV News on Wednesday at 7:56 p.m. ET.
When Taylor Lautner hit the MTV VMAs back in September 2009, he turned up with a gift for his fans: an extended trailer for the second "Twilight" flick, "New Moon." Although it seems like a lifetime ago, Twi-hards had yet to see Lautner transformed into a beefier Jacob Black. On the VMA red carpet, Lautner told MTV News that fans would probably have a visceral reaction to seeing him as a shirtless werewolf for the first time. Now, with just a few days until our special "MTV First: Taylor Lautner," which premieres Wednesday, April 13, on air and online, we're reliving that shirtless unveiling, our #4 favorite moment with the "Abduction" star.
"I think they might start crying," he quipped about fans' likely reaction to seeing his physique. But Lautner seemed unsure about who would win in an ab-off between him and fellow "Twilight" stud Robert Pattinson, who also began hitting the gym as production on the next "Twilight" flick got under way. (At the time of the awards show, the cast was in the middle of shooting the David Slade-directed "Eclipse.") "I don't know [who would win]. Rob, he's getting some muscle," Taylor admitted. "There's some good competition," he laughed, adding about RPattz, "No, he definitely doesn't need any pointers at all. He's got it covered." Lautner has since bulked up, not only his abs, but also his résumé. He's set to wrap up production on the two-part "Breaking Dawn, the final films in the "Twilight" series, and he'll exclusively premiere the trailer for his action/thriller "Abduction" on "MTV First: Taylor Lautner." The clip debuts on Wednesday at 7:56 p.m. ET. Don't miss "MTV First: Taylor Lautner" this Wednesday at 7:56 p.m. ET on MTV and MTV.com. Tune in to see Lautner debut the trailer for "Abduction," followed by a live 30-minute interview on MTV.com. Tweet questions using the hashtag #asktaylor to get in the conversation! Related Videos Related Photos |
| Uma Thurman Says Playing The Older Woman In 'Ceremony' Is 'Fun' Posted: 08 Apr 2011 03:52 AM PDT 'I have been cast opposite a lot of really handsome, charming young men,' she laughs to MTV News.
Despite the age-old stereotype in Hollywood (pun intended) of casting much younger actresses opposite older actors, Uma Thurman is one of the few lucky leading ladies to have broken that mold — several times over, in fact. In her new movie "Ceremony," Thurman plays the beautiful and seemingly unattainable Zoe, a playful, curious woman who is easily distracted by new things. When she gets herself involved in a brief romantic fling with the much younger Sam (played by Michael Angarano), despite the fact that she's engaged, everything comes to a head during her wedding weekend when Sam shows up unannounced to profess his love for her.
When MTV News caught up with Thurman, we asked for her thoughts on playing the older woman. "I have been cast opposite a lot of really handsome, charming young men," laughed Thurman, who also stars opposite Robert Pattinson in the upcoming "Bel Ami." "It's nice work when you can get it. I've also worked with some of the world's most wonderful esteemed older men throughout my career, who were wonderful people to learn from and be with." Thurman said she likes the idea of exploring outside stereotypical or popular opinion. "I think the exploration of people relating in different generations is something that is really current," she said. "And it's fun. It's wonderful to have. I can't just speak about it romantically, but it's wonderful to know people at all different stages of life," she said, citing the fact that she's made three or four films in which her romantic interest is a younger man. "My [12-year-old] daughter said, 'Mommy, why are you being cast with all these young men?' I said, 'Well, I'm not doing it in life,' " she recalled with a laugh. "Anyway, I don't know. I think it's cool." Check out everything we've got on "Ceremony." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. |
| 'Pretty Little Liars' Star Ashley Benson Recalls Her First Date Posted: 08 Apr 2011 03:52 AM PDT 'When I Was 17' airs Saturday at 11 a.m. on MTV.
On "Pretty Little Liars," Ashley Benson's character Hanna has already been through her fair share of love interests — and it's only the first season. But in real life, when Benson was still in high school, she wasn't so smooth when it came to dating. On this week's episode of "When I Was 17," airing Saturday at 11 a.m. on MTV, the TV star admits that on her first date, she made a major faux pas. "He took me to this sushi restaurant. I acted like, 'Oh my gosh! I love sushi, yes, this is so awesome,' " she says in the all-female episode, which also features tales from La La Vazquez and Brittany Snow. "That was really my first sushi experience."
Benson certainly did have enough opportunities to practice her sushi game, but, as her pal recalls, she never did. "I do remember we had sushi Wednesdays in the cafeteria," Darren recalled. "And I don't think she ate it. ... I am not surprised that she lied about that. We all tell little white lies here and there to impress guys and girls." So Benson tried to play it cool, but didn't play it cool enough. "I get there, and I'm like, 'So what's cool on the menu? So what rolls do you get?' " she explained. "And he's like, 'Well, what do you like?' and I was like, 'Well, I really like this one,' California roll, 'cause it seemed the most normal." I kind of acted like I had eaten sushi a lot before and never did," she continued. "I was eating sushi and it had seaweed in it, and I got seaweed caught in my teeth. I'm trying to act like nothing is wrong. He was just staring at me. It was not cute. I totally embarrassed myself. ... The date kind of went well after that, because he became my boyfriend and it was a very cool relationship." "When I Was 17" — this week featuring Brittany Snow, La La Vazquez and Ashley Benson — airs on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV. Related Videos |
| Pia Toscano Eliminated In 'American Idol' Shocker Posted: 07 Apr 2011 06:36 AM PDT Stefano Langone and Jacob Lusk join onetime front-runner in the bottom three.
All sense of logic was officially thrown out the window on "American Idol" on Thursday night's (April 7) elimination show. With two of the season's leading contenders in the bottom three — after last week's shocking near-miss for Paul McDonald — there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the voting patterns on the 10th season of the show. When the dust settled, those confounding voters served up one of the biggest early elimination bombshells in recent "Idol" history, sending home the woman many had pegged as a potential winner, or at least top finisher, Pia Toscano. The comely singer who had charmed the judges with her professional, powerful performances, camera-ready looks and diva-in-the-making potential hit the bottom three for the first, and last, time on Thursday night in a vote that confounded and angered the judging panel.
As host Ryan Seacrest broke the bad news, judge Randy Jackson — perhaps sensing that he pulled his save too early two weeks ago when bearded bass player Casey Abrams was spared — grabbed his head and mouthed "no, no" and, as the camera cut away, maybe something a bit stronger, while Toscano smiled politely and took the news like a pro. "I'm good," Toscano smiled when Seacrest asked how she was doing. Judge Jennifer Lopez broke into tears, saying, "I have no idea. I have no idea what just happened here. I'm shocked, I'm angry. I don't even know what to say." "They're wrong, I don't know what happened with this," a dumbfounded Steven Tyler added, as Jackson admitted that he never gets mad on the show and was officially steamed at Toscano's elimination. It was not shaping up like this earlier in the hour. Casey Abrams, Stefano Langone and Lauren Alaina were first up in the elimination circle, with Abrams skating after his CCR bass-plucking performance, Alaina safe after biting off a big chunk with "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," leaving Langone to shuffle to the bottom three again after a lackluster "When a Man Loves a Woman." From early indications, it seemed like it was Langone who was going to be leaving. The second group featured Paul McDonald, Toscano and Scotty McCreery. McDonald rocked Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," while Pia went uptempo with Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High" and McCreery did Elvis' "It's Alright Mama." McCreery and McDonald will live to sing another day, while nobody saw it coming when Toscano made her first visit to the bottom three. The next trio up was James Durbin, Haley Reinhart and Jacob Lusk. While rocker Durbin took a chance with the gentle ballad "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and Reinhart hit "Piece of My Heart" with gusto, Lusk seemed to stumble with "Man in the Mirror." Durbin was safe again, as was Reinhart, while Lusk also made his maiden voyage to the bottom. He, too, seemed like the likely one to be sent packing at show's end. But first to be waved back to safety was Lusk, who survived despite a shaky performance and a strange warning to America that if he was eliminated it would be because the country couldn't look itself in the mirror (whatever that means). Though eliminated contestants haven't been given a chance to sing their way off this year, Seacrest made an exception and let Toscano reprise her heartbreaking cover of the Pretenders' "I'll Stand by You," as the remaining eight wiped their eyes and the audience gave Pia a standing ovation while she broke down in tears at song's end. Perhaps sensing that one of the leading lights of the show had been dimmed and the audience might wane in the coming weeks, Seacrest ended the show with the plea: "We need you. Stay with us this season." The show also featured season-four finalist and Tony nominee Constantine Maroulis stopping by to visit the kids and sing a brooding rock version of the classic ballad "Unchained Melody." But, aside from Pia's exit, the night's biggest WTF moment was when Rock Hall of Famer and shirt-allergic punk godfather Iggy Pop shimmed all over the stage to "Real Wild Child." What did you think of tonight's elimination? Did Pia deserve to go home? Let us know 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 Photos |
| Lady Gaga's 'Judas' Video Is 'Groundbreaking,' Laurieann Gibson Says Posted: 07 Apr 2011 03:32 AM PDT 'It's a phenomenal video: really powerful, really impactful,' creative director tells MTV News.
Lady Gaga is ready to tell her version of the Bible in her "Judas" video, which recently wrapped production in L.A. MTV News caught up with the video's co-director and Gaga's creative director, Laurieann Gibson, to talk about the clip as well as her new E! show "The Dance Scene," debuting Sunday.
"I will tell you now, first off, I'm Christian, and my career is evidence of God in my life, and I think that most people are already thinking that Gaga and the blasphemy and they're premeditating the approach and I think they'll be very shocked to find out how huge and really groundbreaking the message is and how freeing the message is for all the right reasons," she said. "And it's really going to shock the world." The cast includes some big-name cameos as well, including Norman Reedus as Judas. "He was so prolific," she declared of his performance, adding that the video is "badass" and that Gaga will play Mary Magdalene. The two ladies took it upon themselves to make sure the video's direction was perfect — so they just decided to direct it themselves. "There was elements of 'Born This Way' during our collaboration [with director Nick Knight] and, as much as I loved it, there were moments where, for me, it didn't really evolve as I had inspired of the actual creative, which was still fine. "But when we got to 'Judas,' it was very clear to me and the inspiration was very clear to her. We approached a director, but then the dates actually got messed up and it was conflicted and her manager and her looked at me [and asked me to direct it with her]." Gibson said she took a moment before agreeing, as she had just wrapped up work on Lady Gaga's Monster Ball HBO special, premiering in May, but she "couldn't resist. It's a phenomenal video: really powerful, really impactful. She's such a strong, committed artist. Her loyalty to me is something I will be forever grateful for. We're spiritually connected. We need each other ... and 'Judas' is ultimately a representation of our true bond." What are you expecting from the "Judas" video? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Snooki And JWoww Reveal 'Jersey Shore' Spin-Off Details Posted: 07 Apr 2011 04:23 AM PDT 'We legitimately just wanted to buy a house together,' JWoww says of planning to be roomies before they got their own show.
On Thursday (April 7), MTV announced that we will be seeing a lot more of Snooki, JWoww and Pauly D. The three "Jersey Shore" castmembers will be featured in two untitled reality projects set to debut on MTV in 2012. "The 'Jersey Shore' cast is at the center of the show's ongoing success, and Nicole, Pauly D and Jenni have become household names as a result of their unique, sometimes outrageous and often hilarious personalities," said Chris Linn, MTV executive vice president of programming and head of production.
The inseparable dynamic duo of Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and best friend Jenni "JWoww" Farley will give viewers a look at what life, love and friendship is like away from Seaside Heights. "It's pretty much just the concept of me and Jenni being on our own without our roommates," Snooki told MTV News recently. The two best friends will be living in a yet-announced location, but it seems the girls planned to be roommates even if the cameras weren't rolling. "It was a concept before the show [was green-lit]. We legitimately just wanted to buy a house together," JWoww revealed. "She wanted to get out of her dad's, and I wanted to move out of the home that everyone could see on TV, so they were like, 'Let's shoot it!' " JWoww and Snooki will share the spotlight with fellow castmember DJ Pauly D. The cameras will follow him (and his blowout) as he continues to pursue his dream of becoming one of the most successful and recognized DJs in the music business. "I used to be this DJ in Rhode Island, DJing two sets a week, hustling, promoting," he explained to MTV News earlier this year, "and all of a sudden, I'm on this show, and now they're sending private jets for me to DJ for these huge crowds, yet I'm still the same guy that was DJing for 200 people, just loving life." Both untitled series will be 12 episodes, and production begins later this year. What do you think of the "Jersey Shore" spin-offs? Let us know in the comments below! |
| Britney Spears Vs. Adele: Which Brit Will Be #1? Posted: 07 Apr 2011 01:59 AM PDT Adele's 21 is slated to return to the top after Femme Fatale's #1 debut.
It's a catfight to the top next week on the charts. While Britney Spears' Femme Fatale may have topped the charts this week, it seems that next week, she's got some competition from the unstoppable Adele and her crossover album 21. So will the British songstress beat the Femme Fatale?
"It sure looks that way," Hits Daily Double senior editor Roy Trakin told MTV News. "And I guess it'll mark the week that album will go over a million in sales. ... [Adele's 21 is] far and away the leading album. Same time last year, Lady Antebellum was at this place. There's a little bit of an up-kick, and there are some solid releases coming in the future: Lady Gaga in May and Lil Wayne the week before hers." Until then, Adele will rule the roost next week, and that means that Brit will have to settle for the second slot. "If you've followed the way since the SoundScan era came about, this is what we've been getting. You get the top release debuting, and it's very rare that you have an album that can stay atop," he said of Spears' inevitable tumble. "This Adele thing is truly a phenomenon. It transcends genre, more or less, and that's what you need to sustain that momentum on the chart. Debuts invariably [see] a 60 to 70 percent drop-off, and if it's less than that, it's considered a success." Trakin does offer some advice for those artists who have more typical chart reigns than Adele: "Forget about that first week and concentrate on sustaining and keeping it steady." Spears, of course, came of age in a time when records sold millions and stayed at the top for quite some time. So, bottom line, Spears' fans shouldn't worry too much about her chart reign. "I think it's difficult to sustain a 10-year-plus career in this business," he said. "You know, for that kind of star, I wouldn't look at the totals as disappointing, I would just say it's part and parcel of where the business is at this point. Certainly the days of 'NSYNC are over. We're not gonna see that again." Who do you think will take the top slot next week? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists |
| Taylor Lautner Fist-Bumps Tom Cruise In His #5 MTV Moment Posted: 06 Apr 2011 11:33 PM PDT Lautner will debut the 'Abduction' trailer and chat with MTV News this Wednesday at 7:56 p.m. ET.
For a while, Taylor Lautner was pretending he wouldn't be able to make it to the 2010 MTV Movie Awards. Of course, faithful members of Team Jacob know how that turned out: The "Twilight" star was on hand to present an exclusive "Eclipse" clip, take the stage to accept a Best Movie win for "New Moon" and take part in a ridiculous spoof with Robert Pattinson called "Bad-Ass Cops."
But in the run-up to the big show, Lautner had some fun, during an MTV promo, suggesting he might have other plans for his evening — plans that didn't make Tom Cruise very happy. As we count down the days until "MTV First: Taylor Lautner" hits the air and the Web on Wednesday, April 13, at 7:56 p.m. — and count off our favorite encounters with the young star — we hauled the promo out of our archives because: A) It still makes us laugh, and B) It's Taylor's #5 MTV moment. In the promo, Cruise's egomaniacal alter-ego, Les Grossman, finishes ripping "Avatar" director James Cameron a new one — "I want it in 4-D! Do it," he screams — and turns to Lautner to discuss the upcoming Movie Awards. "Les, we already talked about this, remember?" Lautner tells him. "My agents told you that weekend is my best friend's wedding." "Understood. All cool," Les says, and brings in a schlubby fella he says will stand in for Lautner at the wedding. Despite Taylor's skepticism, Grossman says that everything's going to work out, then offers up his fists for Tay-Tay to pound. Don't miss "MTV First: Taylor Lautner" this Wednesday at 7:56 p.m. ET on MTV and MTV.com. Tune in to see Lautner debut the trailer for "Abduction," followed by a live 30-minute interview on MTV.com. Tweet questions using the hashtag #asktaylor to get in the conversation! Related Videos Related Photos |
| Mariah Carey's Pregnant Magazine Cover Is 'Beautiful,' Nick Cannon Says Posted: 07 Apr 2011 03:38 AM PDT 'She's such a trouper to be carrying two human beings in her body,' Cannon tells MTV News of his wife.
Mariah Carey had heads turning at the newsstand when she debuted her bare baby bump on this week's cover of Life & Style. And while it may have left some blushing, her hubby Nick Cannon told MTV News he loves it.
"I think the cover is beautiful," he said. "The way that happened — we weren't planning to put that out. It was an idea [where I said], 'You look beautiful. Let's take pictures.' It turned out to be so beautiful; we were like, 'The world has to see this.' I actually took some naked pictures too with her — hopefully those won't be on no magazine covers anytime soon." So will Dad be following suit with his own scantily clad magazine cover? "I don't know if I want my kids to see my ass out, but they are classy," he laughed. "I like the ones of my wife more than the ones of me." With Carey on the brink of labor at any moment, Cannon is just waiting for the call. The couple are completely ready to be parents — they have the twins' names picked out and everything. "She's doing amazingly right now," he gushed. "She's such a trouper to be carrying two human beings in her body and for her to have such high spirits and to be so understanding. ... It's just wonderful just to see her in all her aura and beauty, glow. I got a couple of phones on me." "We thought of a few names, ironically, when we first met," he recalled. "On our first date [I was planning out our life], and she was into it, and we still play around with those names, but now that it's real ... when the babies come out, we'll see if they keep the names we made up on our first date." What did you think of Mariah's magazine cover? Let us know it the comments! Related Artists |
| Dirty South Talks Hit Diddy-Dirty Money 'Coming Home' Collabo Posted: 07 Apr 2011 05:43 AM PDT 'I got a phone call from Diddy and he said, 'I love it,' ' Aussie DJ/producer recalls to MTV News about one of Miami Music Week's anthems.
Just which song will be crowned this year's Miami Music Week anthem? This is the subject of a now-heated debate stirred up by a poll posted over at our Newsroom blog, with tracks by Calvin Harris, Benny Benassi and Skrillex, and Tiësto and Mark Knight leading the pack so far. Whoever comes away with the win (voting closes Monday morning!), one thing is clear: nearly every DJ rocked a certain Diddy ... er, ditty, in their sets.
Be it Tiësto or Erick Morillo at Ultra Music Festival or Swedish House Mafia at their Masquerade Motel After Party at Wall at the W Hotel, Dirty South's club mix of Diddy-Dirty Money's "Coming Home" is without a doubt one of the most popular dance music songs out right now. One clear indication is its current spot on Beatport.com's Top Download chart: "Coming Home (Dirty South Club Mix)" has been in the top 10 since it first debuted nearly a month ago; it currently sits in the #4 slot. It turns out the song was first commissioned by Diddy-Dirty Money's record label, Interscope. Upon submitting his mix, Dirty South (born Dragan Roganović) says he was surprised to get a call from the Bad Boy CEO himself, who showered praise on South's version. They decided to team up on a final mix. "I got a phone call from Diddy and he said, 'I love it,' " Dirty South told MTV News recently. " 'I wanna add some vocals on top of your remix,' which he did, and we got an official release on Beatport recently, and I think it just hit top 10. So it's been a great result." With so many mix-titans spinning for the masses during Miami Music Week, Dirty South managed to catch Tiësto's set at UMF, where he got to watch as 50,000 fans reveled in the soothing sound of Skylar Grey singing that chorus, "I'm coming home/ Coming home/ Tell the world, I'm coming home." "I've been hearing it everywhere," Dirty South beamed, "just walking through pool parties. Tiësto played it at Ultra. I've never seen a response like that in my whole life. I had to take a video of it. It was insane!" As MTV News has mentioned before, a Dirty South/ Axwell/ Rudy bomb is in the works. The track, titled "Dreams," is tentatively due to drop this summer. And if you want to catch Dirty South, he'll be performing a series of Stateside dates in May: » 5/7 - Los Angeles, CA @ Avalon |
| 'Your Highness' Finds The 'Humanity' In Its Villain Posted: 07 Apr 2011 03:21 AM PDT 'He actually gets more and more neurotic as the movie goes along,' Justin Theroux tells MTV News of his sinister character Leezar.
"Your Highness" stars Danny McBride and Justin Theroux weren't worried about getting an audience to show up to their zany action/fantasy/comedy flick. The challenge, however, was getting moviegoers to run with their jokes and the liberties taken during filmmaking.
As McBride told MTV News, they wanted to make "a legitimate fantasy action movie and then [figure] out how to make it a comedy without blowing the fantasy out of the water and still keeping that." "At the end of the day, when you're involved in a movie like this, you want the audience to let go and be able to follow this," McBride said. "Even in finding a villain like Justin — he destroys that role. He's awesome at it. For us, even finding humor in a guy who has to fulfill a prophecy and he has all these pressures put on him by his parental figures, we're just trying to find the humanity and the comedy in all these characters." Theroux added that for his character, the delightfully sinister and sleazy Leezar, half the fun was playing a different take on a villain. "He's one of these guys who actually starts strong and then finishes soft, in a great way," Theroux explained. "He's all f---ng bluster when he shows up, but by the end he gets more and more human, which is a strange way to go with a villain. Normally they're at their craziest in Act 3, and then they pop a cork in whatever happens," he said. "He actually gets more and more neurotic as the movie goes along, as more and more pressure is put on him." Check out everything we've got on "Your Highness." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos |
| Simon Cowell Says Fergie Was 'Put Forward' As Possible 'X Factor' Judge Posted: 07 Apr 2011 03:28 AM PDT He also explains new audition booths being placed around the country.
With "X Factor" auditions under way, Simon Cowell is slowly dishing out even more details surrounding the highly anticipated singing competition, including another possible contender for the show's judging panel: Fergie. On Thursday (April 7), the former "American Idol" judge confirmed that the Black Eyed Peas songstress is among the many possible additions to the lineup. "All I can tell you is that her name was put forward," Cowell said in a conference call with reporters. "But like a lot of other people we've spoken to, we have to check out everybody's availability. There's a lot of time you have to put into the show, because it's not a 'two-day-a-week' with this. When you're in the live show, it's because you're mentoring the contestant. You're working five or six days a week." In addition to talk of the show's possible judges, Cowell also spoke about an alternative method hopefuls can go about auditioning for "X Factor." In partnership with MyStudio, Cowell revealed that the series is expanding the audition process with recording studios across the country, where contestants can videotape an a cappella performance and explain why they should win the singing competition. Six audition studios will be available through the country and remain open until the end of April. "I don't think it's probably as fun as attending an open audition," he said of the booth auditions. "But it is your chance to be seen and heard, and that's why we've done this. I'm going to try and put these in as many cities as possible prior to our filming." Asked how the show's auditions are going thus far, the music exec exclaimed the turnout has been "great" and "much higher" than anticipated. In late February, Cowell broke down the rules for the forthcoming series in a promo, insisting America has yet to see a show like this before. "The show is basically a singing competition with a twist," he said. "The auditions are open to anyone who can sing. You can be 12; you can be 112. You can be in a group; you can have 100 people in the group. It doesn't matter." "X Factor" MyStudio audition booths will open at the following dates/locations, according to a press release: » April 8 - Honolulu, HI @ Pearlridge Center Uptown Do you want to see Fergie join the "X Factor" judging panel? Share your thoughts in the comments! Related Artists |
| Brittany Snow Recalls Smelly Tutor On 'When I Was 17' Posted: 07 Apr 2011 04:02 AM PDT The 'Harry's Law' star remembers a malodorous encounter she had with a private teacher while working on the TV series 'American Dreams.'
Brittany Snow says that at age 17 she was "very shy and pretty dorky," but she also happened to be the star of the show "American Dreams." That success was accompanied by on-set tutoring for the then-teenage actress. And, as Snow reveals on this week's episode of "When I Was 17," which premieres on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT, some lessons learned while getting schooled on the set of a TV series can differ greatly from those imparted in a traditional classroom. "When I was 17, I was on a show called 'American Dreams.' I also had to finish high school so I was doing three or four takes of a scene [then] rushing to the tutoring trailer," the current star of "Harry's Law" explains during the newest installment of the MTV series, which also features TV personality La La Vazquez and "Pretty Little Liars" actress Ashley Benson.
"I figured out a way to do the least amount of work as possible," she recalls, before joking, "Which I guess is not good to say to the MTV audience. My friend Vanessa [Lengies], who I worked with, we were being tutored by this one lady who will remain nameless. We always noticed that there was this smell in the trailer." Adds Lengies, "It got so bad you couldn't even be in the room for more than five minutes. We had to find the source of this awful, wretched smell." So, the two ladies began to investigate the cause of the odor. "About a week later, we found the tutor was keeping all this food in the storage cabinet with our books," Snow remembers. And, as it turns out, it was the smelliest kind of food imaginable. "We opened the cabinet and both of us were like, 'Oh my God,' " Lengies says. "There were old eggs, there was an onion in there." Snow explains that they then decided to take matters into their own hands. "Just, like, that does not need to be incorporated with our curriculum. Vanessa and I decided to disinfect the entire trailer," the actress says. "I have no idea why she was keeping eggs in a cabinet, but to each their own." "When I Was 17" — this week featuring Brittany Snow, La La Vazquez and Ashley Benson — airs on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV. Related Videos |
| The Game Praises 'Red Nation' Producers Cool & Dre Posted: 07 Apr 2011 03:32 AM PDT 'Those guys always come through,' the L.A. rapper says about the Miami production duo behind his new single.
Dr. Dre isn't the only go-to producer that Los Angeles rapper the Game is keeping in his arsenal. "Red Nation," the lead single from his forthcoming LP, The R.E.D. Album, was produced by Miami-based duo Cool & Dre.
On the set of the Parris-directed "Red Nation" video in downtown L.A., the rapper born Jayceon Taylor had high praise for his Grammy-nominated collaborators. "Cool & Dre, those are like two of my brothers in hip-hop, man," Game told MTV News. "From 'Hate It or Love It' to 'Red Nation,' 'Big Dreams,' they did a lot of my songs, man. They did [my 2008 track] 'Camera Phone' with Ne-Yo -- those guys always come through." The aforementioned "Hate It or Love It," from Game's debut album, The Documentary, rose to #1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 2005 and featured his one-time G-Unit ally -- and now nemesis -- 50 Cent. The Game is keeping friendlier company on "Red Nation," which boasts a chorus performed by Lil Wayne. Cool & Dre already had the Young Money boss in mind when they submitted the track to the Game. "They called me on the phone and they was like, 'I got a song, it's "Red Nation," and you're going to love it and you put Weezy on the hook and it's going to be crazy, right?!' " Game explained. "That's how they always kind of make the song, and then tell you who they think you should put on it. It's just fun to see it come to life, man." Keeping with the all-red-everything theme of the tune, the Game debuted a new haircut at the video shoot, a maroon -- or bright red, depending on who you ask -- Mohawk. "I kinda wanted to do something new for the day," the Game said of the 'do. "I think I'mma stick with it, man. I been getting a lot of rave reviews. The ladies seems to love it. Couple of haters out there. But if I dyed my hair green or kept it black, they'd still be out there waiting to hate on something. But we need the haters, man. Without the haters we can't be who we are." The Game has been working on The R.E.D. Album at least since 2009, when he told MTV News it would be his most lyrical effort. Related Artists |
| Death Cab For Cutie Tell Story Behind 'You Are A Tourist' Posted: 07 Apr 2011 01:29 AM PDT 'Catchy' first single off upcoming Codes and Keys album almost didn't make the cut, fontman Ben Gibbard tells MTV News.
You might think, given the live live video used to promote it (and all the preparation that went into pulling said video off), that Death Cab for Cutie had known for a very long time that "You Are a Tourist" would be the first single off their upcoming Codes and Keys album. But you'd be wrong. "This song ... actually came in late during the recording process," DCFC bassist Nick Harmer told MTV News. "I mean, we had a group of songs in the beginning that we were working on, and you never really know what your album's going to be at the start of a process, but we knew what songs we were going to start working on. Then [Ben] brought ['Tourist'] in later on in the process, and the fact that it went from being a song that we hadn't gone into the process knowing about ... to suddenly becoming a song that we immediately reacted to, that as soon as we recorded it, we just knew it was going to be the first song to release from this album. ... That was a fun development for us."
So from late addition to first single out of the gate, "Tourist" has certainly had an interesting life already. But that's just part of what makes the song unique. Because, to hear frontman Ben Gibbard tell it, the song is also different from most in the DCFC catalog because it is, at its very core, just a very shiny pop tune. "It's weird, there's not really a narrative in the song. ... I feel like the lyrics and the verses are kind of more, just, affirmations than anything else; they're not really deep thoughts," Gibbard said. "But I feel that there's a kind of particular narrative within the bridge that kind of ties everything together, and balances out the affirmations in the verse. And that's the thing I'm most fond of in the song, is that, you know, the verses are catchy and light -- it's a pop song -- but at the same time, there's a weight to it, that you kind of get in the bridge that kind of ties it all together." What do you think of DCFC's "You Are a Tourist"? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists |
| 'American Idol' Report Card: Scotty McCreery Rules Rock And Roll Night Posted: 07 Apr 2011 09:27 AM PDT Pia, Haley and Paul also rock the 'Idol' stage, while Stefano fails to make the grade.
The oddest thing about "American Idol" on Wednesday night wasn't that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame night was largely rock-and-roll free. No, what was truly weird was that producers seemed to be trying out a new reality-show concept on the program — some newfangled version of "Perfect Strangers" starring Jimmy Iovine and will.i.am as a bickering, kind-of-annoying, yet ultimately endearing twosome.
Is it too much to ask that pre-performance packages focus on contestants rather than look-at-me producers/personalities? To the folks behind the "Idol" scenes, we offer a firm tsk-tsk-tsk. To the singers themselves, we send out our hearty congratulations. No one bombed. No one put us to sleep. Five weeks into the finals, we're proud of these kids. Here's how they stack up on our latest "American Idol" report card. Excellent Scotty McCreery: He Who Shall Soon Sell Millions of Records promised to transform himself into a rocker for an Elvis Presley cover, but Scotty couldn't ditch his country vibe if he hopped in a Ferrari and floored it. During his honky-tonk take on "That's All Right, Mama," the 17-year-old was loosey-goosey and loving being up on the stage. Oh, and he sounded great, too — like a true country pro. Scotty's starting to believe he might win this thing. He's not wrong. Good Haley Reinhart: We don't often see stuff like this, a contestant struggling at the bottom tier of the competition, only to rediscover her greatness after weeks of confusion and criticism. That's exactly what's happened with Haley, who followed up a killer take on Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets" with an impressive cover of Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart." What a muscular voice she has! Our only complaint is that we wish the arrangement had been more sparse, allowing her vocals to soar. Pia Toscano: We hated the cheesy synth chords in the background of that cover of Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High." We didn't think she looked all that comfortable scrambling around the stage. None of that, however, matters at all. Why? Because Pia has one of the finest voices we've heard on "Idol" in years. End of story. Paul McDonald: Who would have guessed that Paul, and not Scotty, would be the one singing Johnny Cash? Paul's take on "Folsom City Blues" was good, clean, swinging fun. Playing the guitar rather than flippity-flopping all over the stage continues to pay dividends for him. We're just not sure any of it will be enough to keep him out of the bottom three. And that's a shame. Satisfactory Jacob Lusk: There was goofy dancing. There was oh-no-don't-do-that hip thrusting. There were pitch problems as far as the eye could see. OK, fine. But the most galling aspect of Jacob's night was his smug observation that if he landed in the bottom three, it'd have nothing to do with his singing but rather would be an indictment of America herself. Listen, Jacob, we'll give you the same advice we gave James Durbin a few weeks ago: Be humble and be great, because on Wednesday, you were neither. Casey Abrams: The bushy beard was back, as were the zany stares when you can almost hear Casey thinking, "If I just keep squinting, I'll totally look all sexy and stuff, right?" Wrong! We like Casey because he's got a hefty serving of soul hiding inside an unlikely package. And, yes, we liked his faithful Creedence Clearwater Revival homage. He's got undeniable musical talent. But Casey continues to fall into default growl mode too often, and we're no longer buying what he's selling: That ain't originality we're hearing, it's a defense mechanism. Lauren Alaina: We're reluctant to drop Lauren into this category. She performed far better than Jacob or Casey. Yet her take on "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" didn't hold a candle to tunes from Haley or Pia. We were happy to hear her deliver a ballad, as we've continued to argue it's during slower songs that she's able to shine. But let's be clear: This was nothing compared to the cover that Kelly Clarkson busted out years ago — a fact that makes the judges' comparisons last month of Lauren to the season one winner all the more laughable. James Durbin: James, too, slips into "satisfactory" territory, if only because at this point in the season, the competition is stiff and the top tier set the bar so high on Wednesday. We give him a big thumbs-up for embracing some soft Beatles rock, even if we maintain "Hey Jude" would have been a savvier choice. And we'd even go so far as to say his screams actually worked this time, bringing a rousing conclusion to a somewhat sleepy tune. So what was James problem? He only seemed to hit, oh, a third of the notes in "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Unsatisfactory Stefano Langone: In the "Idol" audience, Christian Slater was clasping his hands, praying that Stefano would hit the money note on "When a Man Loves a Woman." He didn't, and he's in serious danger of going home. The falsetto wasn't there, nor was the sense that he's not singing alone in his car but in front of millions of viewers at home. Stefano's had a good and, one might argue, unlikely run. But heading out in the top nine seems about right. So how did you rate this week's "Idol" performances? Share your opinions 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 Photos |
| Russell Brand Discusses On-Set 'Arthur' Antics Posted: 07 Apr 2011 12:59 AM PDT The comic actor talks about acting drunk, receiving an unexpected call from Coldplay's Chris Martin while filming his new movie.
In Russell Brand's new film, "Arthur," he plays a hapless, immature and perpetually drunk billionaire who is faced with losing his inheritance if he marries the wrong woman. Now while Brand is known for his outrageous antics, he's been sober since he spent three months in rehab in 2003. So, when MTV News caught up with Brand recently during the press day for "Arthur," we asked him if he enjoys making believe that he's liquored up. "Yes, it's brilliant; it's a right laugh. I love pretending to be drunk," Brand said. "I had a real hoot. [You] can sort of stagger around. We were filming in New York, there's crowds of people everywhere, hanging out, so I could just wander among them, pretend to be drunk, beg for change occasionally."
Naturally the crowds were always happy to see Brand gallivanting about the set, and so was one of Brand's famous friends, who spotted the actor/comedian during the filming of one particularly revealing scene in which Arthur strips down to his skivvies and runs down several busy Manhattan streets. "One day we were on 42nd Street and [filming in] a church, and I had to run out in my underpants and [later when] I checked my iPhone messages, it was from Chris Martin from Coldplay," Brand recalled. "He goes, 'Russell, I'm just driving past in a car — I can see you running around in a pair of purple underpants. It reminded me of you because it was you. Is everything all right?' And then [he] hung up." And exactly how often does Brand get phone calls from the singer? "That was the only one," he admitted. "Arthur" hits theaters this weekend. Check out everything we've got on "Arthur." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos |
| DJ Trauma Wants To Make 'Classic' Mixtapes Posted: 07 Apr 2011 03:02 AM PDT 'I remember having a Kid Capri tape from '88; I still have the cassette tape,' Atlanta DJ tells Mixtape Daily.
DJ Trauma is taking his skills to a bigger stage. After spinning at Atlanta's Hot 107.9 for 10 years, Trauma recently left the station to focus on being the tour DJ for Ciara and Sean "The Pen" Garrett, as well as his own Carte Blanche team. Trauma has long been a key member of the ATL DJ/mixtape scene thanks to his role as a co-founder of the Superfriends DJ clique, his work on radio and as a staple on the club scene, holding down parties for Diddy, Jamie Foxx and Jay-Z, among others. Although Trauma has plenty of hip-hop ties, he believes his breakthrough mixtape was last year's #ialmostmadeamixtape, which had him teaming up with British R&B crooner Estelle.
"I really wanted to start focusing on the music that I love to hear and I want to help the world hear," Trauma told Mixtape Daily. "I want to create mixtapes that are not disposable. That's part of what's wrong with the mixtape game now, 'cause I remember having a Kid Capri tape from '88; I still have the cassette tape. People still download the links. I want to create tapes like that, that no matter what, it's classic. A Trap or Die [mixtape] is classic. That's the type of mixtape I want to create. Even if it's an Estelle, which is kind of like pop music or soul, a lot of her records are real soulful and real good music. I want to do stuff like that." While Trauma's output also includes a tape with neo-soul singer (and Barack Obama playlist entry) Anthony David, his latest is an EP with former "American Idol" contestant Anoop Desai. Titled Zero.0, Trauma eventually assembled all of the producers and songwriters for the project, earning himself a co-executive producer credit. "What ended up happening is it turned into a real album," Trauma said of Zero.0, the first of a planned trilogy. "It's called Zero because everything starts and ends from zero. ... [Anoop] used to sing in an a capella group. You get his soul and R&B influences on the tape but then you also end off with his single, 'OoWee,' which is like a straight dance/pop song." Billboard hosted the free mixtape upon its initial release and on April 20 a high-quality version will be available for purchase on iTunes. Next, Trauma plans to drop another mixtape, The Sex Tape Chronicles 2, with Verse Simmonds, as well as his own I Am the Party project, inspired by music that gets people jamming no matter what part of the world they're in. As Trauma put it, "No matter where you are in the world, you can party with me." For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. |
| Jay Baruchel Joins Robert Pattinson In 'Cosmopolis' Cast Posted: 07 Apr 2011 09:37 AM PDT Baruchel will play Pattinson's boss in the David Cronenberg film.
Robert Pattinson just got a new (fictional) boss ... and it's Jay Baruchel. Baruchel ("How to Train Your Dragon," "Knocked Up," "Undeclared") has joined the cast of "Cosmopolis," David Cronenberg's upcoming big-screen adaptation of Don DeLillo's 2003 novel, according to Deadline New York. The novel is a modern reinterpretation of James Joyce's "Ulysses." In the film, Pattinson will play Eric Packer, a "financial wunderkind" in New York at the beginning of the 2000 dot-com bubble burst, who one day takes a major risk that could put his life in jeopardy. Baruchel, who is known for playing more reserved types, will take on the role of the company's shy founder who also acts as Packer's conscience in the film. The actor, who turns 29 on April 9, can add "Cosmopolis" to his growing list of projects, which includes the sequel to "How to Train Your Dragon" and the hockey comedy "Goon". Baruchel's casting adds to the already-diverse ensemble for Cronenberg's "Cosmpolis," which Pattinson heralded as a "great cast" that includes Oscar-winner Juliette Binoche, Samantha Morton, Paul Giamatti (who joked to MTV that he would "get to stalk" the "Twilight" star on set) and relative unknown Sarah Gadon, who will play Packer's estranged wife. During a chat with MTV, Pattinson, who previously revealed that he immediately said yes to Cronenberg's offer to appear in the film, said of his co-star Gabon, "I've seen a couple of things she's done. She's really good. She has a great face." Pattinson said he's currently preparing for "Cosmopolis" by "working with a dialect coach ... there's this very specific accent." What do you think of the casting of Jay Baruchel in "Cosmopolis"? Let us know in the comments. For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com. Related Videos |
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