Rabu, 04 Januari 2012

MTV News

MTV News


Nick Jonas Opens Up About Move To NYC For 'How To Succeed'

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 03:53 AM PST

Middle Jonas Brother tells MTV News the Big Apple 'is unlike anywhere in the world.'
By Jocelyn Vena


Nick Jonas
Photo: MTV News

Nick Jonas kicks off his rehearsals for his starring role in "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" this week. The role means that the singer/actor has relocated to the Big Apple for his run in the hit Broadway show. But, Nick is no New York newbie, having previously starred in several other musicals. And, he admits that he's excited to get back into a New York state of mind.

"Favorite thing about New York? I think the fact that it's all here all on this island — well in Manhattan, at least — and it's just an amazing city," he told MTV News. "The energy here is unlike anywhere in the world, and so many creative and talented people in this city and so many people that are passionate about theater and the arts and the things I'm really passionate about. Being around those people inspires me in so many ways. I think it's one of those places that you have to live in once in your life and I'm blessed to be here."

Jonas will pick up where both "Harry Potter" himself, Daniel Radcliffe, and "Glee" star Darren Criss left off as the show's very own J. Pierrepont Finch. And in the weeks leading up to his opening night on January 24, Nick plans on not only rehearsing, but also carving out a place for himself in NYC. "I think I'm really looking forward to setting up my world here," the 19-year-old New Jersey native explained. "I've had the opportunity, this last year spending more time in L.A. and being based there primarily, to kind of build a community of friends and have that whole atmosphere. And I hope to do the same here and hopefully have my friends come out and visit me here."

For Nick's L.A. friends wondering if he'll have any time for you now that he's on the East Coast, he's got this message for you: "I've got a guest bedroom, so I'll be able to have some friends over to stay."

'Red Tails,' 'Contraband' Lead January Movie Releases

Posted: 04 Jan 2012 03:53 AM PST

'The Devil Inside,' 'Beauty and the Beast 3-D' and 'The Grey' also arrive this month.
By Kara Warner


Mark Wahlberg and Ben Foster in "Contraband"
Photo: Universal Pictures

As far as excitement for brand-new movie releases goes, January is not a month film fanatics expect to deliver them major blockbusters, award contenders or other assorted cinematic events. The first month of the year falls into one of two seasons of studio dumping grounds: the late summer and winter months during which movie studios typically unveil their most forgettable fare.

There are exceptions, of course, and being the optimistic movie fans we are, we always hold out hope. Without further ado, here's a rundown of January's new releases and our guesses at their box-office potential.

January 6
The lone new release this week is "The Devil Inside," an R-rated thriller that revolves around a daughter's quest to find out the truth behind her mother's institutionalization. Is she mentally ill or demonically possessed? Our guess is a little bit of both. Fun fact: Director/editor Brent Bell and producer Matt Peterman shot the movie guerrilla/ found-footage style, making the film almost entirely outside the studio system on a shoestring budget.
Prediction: Horror fans, particularly those who made "Paranormal Activity 3" a $100 million box-office success story, will flock to this one.

January 13
The second week of the month pits an action flick vs. two family-friendly films, only one of which is actually "new." "Contraband" is an action thriller about a retired smuggler (Mark Wahlberg) who has to return to his criminal ways in order to save his family from harm. Think "Gone in 60 Seconds" set in New Orleans with smugglers instead of car thieves. In contrast, "Joyful Noise" has all the elements of a schmaltzy warm fuzzy. A small-town church choir struggles to find its "joyful" voice when its directors (Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton) clash over methods for how the choir can beat the odds and win a national competition. Finally, Disney will release its revamped 3-D version of 1992 Best Picture Oscar nominee "Beauty and the Beast."
Prediction: The NFL playoffs might keep the "Contraband" target audience at home, leaving the family-friendly flicks to dominate the box office. "Beauty and the Beast" will take the weekend. Latifah and Parton's movie magnetism are no match for the "tale as old as time."

January 20
The latter half of the month is all about action and intrigue. January 20 marks the release of the George Lucas-produced "Red Tails," the first Lucasfilm production since 1994's "Radioland Murders" that is not associated with the "Indiana Jones" or "Star Wars" franchises. The film is based on the true story of a group of African-American pilots, commonly referred to as the Tuskegee Airmen, who served in World War II. "Underworld: Awakening," the fourth film in the franchise, was shot in 3-D with fancy new Red Epic digital cameras and takes place after "Underworld: Evolution"; Kate Beckinsale reprises her role as former Death Dealer Selene. Finally, "Haywire" features MMA fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano as a black ops super soldier double-crossed in the line of duty who then sets out to exact revenge on those who betrayed her.
Prediction: This one's a tossup. We're giving the edge to "Tails" for its PG-13 rating, the "based on a true story" factor and the slightly broader appeal that comes with it.

January 27
It's the star-studded heist thriller "Man on a Ledge" vs. the Liam Neeson-led survival thriller "The Grey," vs. "One for the Money," based on Janet Evanovich's best-seller of the same name. Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Anthony Mackie, Jamie Bell, Ed Harris and Ed Burns give "Ledge" an edge in star power, adding intrigue to a film that seems to be a fun twist on the typical heist formula. "Grey" holds appeal for the man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. animal aspects. "One for the Money" will definitely draw book clubs and fans of star/producer Katherine Heigl.
Prediction: Shooting for the moon and solely because we believe in the power of Liam Neeson's post-"Taken" and "Unknown" bankability, our money is on "The Grey" to edge out "Ledge" and "Money."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Iowa Caucus: Mitt Romney Wins Squeaker Over Rick Santorum

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 11:45 PM PST

Ron Paul lifted to third-place finish by youth vote with only eight votes separating first and second place.
By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Andrew Jenks


Mitt Romney addresses his supporters after the Iowa caucus
Photo: Jewel Samad/ Getty Images

DES MOINES, Iowa — It was a dogfight that came down to a razor-slim margin of votes Tuesday night (January 3) between former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Senator Rick Santorum.

Romney came out on top after running in a tie with Santorum at 25 percent of the vote for much of the night, winning the Iowa caucus by only eight votes with north of 122,000 voters turning out. In addition, the third-place finish by libertarian rabble-rouser Representative Ron Paul with 21 percent of the vote proved the power of the youth vote in this year's election.

The mainstream media had been virtually ignoring Paul for months as they focused on the reality-show-like rise and fall of other Republicans vying for the GOP presidential nomination. But on Tuesday, the congressman from Texas shocked naysayers when he came in third place in the all-important Iowa caucus, the first primary contest of the season. CNN reported that entrance polls showed Paul's strongest support came from voters ages 17-29, while Romney was the pick for voters 65 and older and Santorum clicked with those 45-64.

In his concession speech, Paul thanked his enthusiastic supporters for believing in him and reintroducing what he described as a core Republican value: "the conviction that freedom is popular."

"Once again, we have had a fantastic showing for this cause and not the status quo we have been putting up with for decades and decades," he said to lusty applause. "This movement is going to continue, and we are going to keep scoring just as we are tonight."

The major story of the night, though, was the battle longtime poll leader Romney was drawn into with classic conservative Santorum, who had been polling in the single digits for much of the year but got a sudden burst of support late in the pre-caucus cycle in Iowa. Romney, who spent more than $10 million in 2009 to win Iowa, only to lose to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, didn't spend as much this time around but ended up in the closest Iowa caucus in history.

Romney addressed his supporters before he was named winner of the unbelievably close race. "This is a campaign night where America wins. We're going to win the White House and get America back on track," he said as he reiterated many of his stump talking points about what he said were President Obama's failures on security issues (Iran) and the economy (continuing high unemployment, record deficits).

Promising to dismantle the so-called ObamaCare health plan, Romney said this election is about the soul of America, once again reciting his favorite lines from "American the Beautiful," as he's done often on the stage. "I want to restore the principles that made America the hope of the earth," he said, professing his love for freedom, the constitution and the country.

With 25 delegates at stake and Iowa no longer a winner-takes-all state, Romney earned bragging rights, but not the kind that would come with a convincing, large-margin victory. If anything, pundits said that Santorum came out the champion by simply having such a strong showing.

Just moments after voting wrapped up at Olmstead Hall on the campus of Des Moines' Drake University, Katherine Rupp — who was undecided going in — was happy that Romney came out on top in her precinct after the night's vote. "Romney has a business background, and I believe he'll bring his CEO experience to hopefully being our Republican presidential candidate," she said.

Rupp said the unique nature of the Iowa caucuses — where Iowans get up onstage to give their personal pitch for why their friends, neighbors and fellow precinct dwellers should vote for a particular candidate — played a big part in swaying her from the undecided column into the Romney camp.

Ricki Meyer was a Santorum supporter going into the night, and while her candidate came in a tie for second with Paul at the Drake caucus, she was feeling bullish about the former senator's prospects and vowed to keep supporting him as he marches forward. "The things I believe in line up so well with what he believes in, and if I don't stand up for that and for him right now, I don't want to look back on this election and how pivotal it is for our country and think, 'Why didn't I support that guy anymore?' " she said.

Santorum addressed Meyer and his other followers even before the results were in Tuesday night. "People have asked me how I've done this sitting back in the polls ... I survived the challenges so far by the daily grace that comes from God," he said. "You have taken the first step of taking back this country," he told the people of Iowa, who he met while visiting all 99 counties, and likely winning over the state's all-important Evangelical voters.

"The essential issue in this race is freedom. Whether we will be a country that believes that government can do things for us better than we can do for ourselves," he added in an address that sounded more like his standard stump speech than a victory celebration for a candidate who most thought would never make it this far. "We are off to New Hampshire."

Benjamin Levine, 20, a Drake student and ROTC member, was inspired enough by Paul's message to get up during the caucus and speak out on behalf of his candidate, with no notes, because the congressman's message resonates that clearly in his mind. After volunteering for the campaign for several months, and after Paul's third-place finish in the Drake caucus, Levine said the fight was not over.

Larger precinct 46 went for Romney at the Drake vote, but Levine's precinct 45 went to Paul in a tight one, and he was pleased with the result. Though Tuesday was his birthday, Levine said the Paul win in his precinct was the bigger deal. "I don't feel any older, but I can feel maybe a little more freedom coming," he said as he prepared to go to a Youth for Paul watching party downtown. "Mitt Romney is the establishment guy. He ran four years ago. He has name recognition. It's huge that Paul can even get second in that precinct because people said he's unelectable, they made up all those lies ... even a second place in this precinct is pretty good."

Though final results would take several more hours, Levine said even if Paul did not end up snagging second statewide, "It's certainly not the end of the road."

As for the rest of the field, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich came in fourth (13 percent), followed by Texas Governor Rick Perry (10 percent), who signaled he might soon drop out, then Representative Michele Bachmann (5 percent) and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman (1 percent), who didn't really campaign in Iowa at all. The remaining candidates now move on to New Hampshire, which will hold its primary next Tuesday.

MTV is on the scene in Iowa! Head to Iowa.MTV.com for all our Iowa caucus coverage, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season to follow Andrew Jenks on the campaign trail.

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Robert Pattinson Or Kristen Stewart: Who Will Rule 2012?

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 03:56 AM PST

'Twilight' Tuesday takes a look at the big years ahead for the duo — aside from 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2.'
By Kara Warner


Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
Photo: Summit

What better way to kick off the new year than with a detailed analysis of what 2012 has in store for our favorite "Twilight" lovebirds, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart?

In addition to the highly anticipated franchise finale, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2," Pattinson and Stewart both have other projects on the horizon. For this week's "Twilight" Tuesday, we examine the superstars' next must-see movies.

On Pattinson's slate, there are two films of note: the saucy period piece "Bel Ami" and the David Cronenberg-directed drama "Cosmopolis." Neither film has an official release date yet, but because "Bel Ami" opens in the U.K. on March 2, we hope that means a U.S. release will soon follow. Pattinson and co-star Uma Thurman have not underplayed the fact that there is a lot of sex in the movie, which is evident in the trailer, and there's also plenty of Pattinson's "crack" — his words, not ours.

For the one or two Pattinson fans not interested in seeing their favorite actor's bare bum in "Ami," perhaps "Cosmopolis" will suit your needs. The story is based on Don DeLillo's novel of the same name and revolves around young multimillionaire Eric Packer (Pattinson) through a single day as he attempts to cross Manhattan in order to get his hair cut. According to Cronenberg, it's a role that really showcases Pattinson's acting chops.

"Really, he's fantastic. He's sensational," Cronenberg told MTV News. "Really, I'm telling you. He's a great actor. It's obvious in the movie. It's not like maybe yes, maybe no. It's obvious."

Switching gears toward Stewart's 2012 film forecast, the 21-year-old has a very busy year ahead of her, with the release of "Snow White and the Huntsman" and "On the Road."

Fans first get to see Stewart's sword-wielding skills as Snow White in Rupert Sanders' new telling of the classic fairy tale. "Snow White and the Huntsman" — or "SWATH," as it's been commonly referred to on the Internet — opens June 1 and shows us a side of Stewart we haven't yet seen. Stewart has been gushing about the project since filming began and might even be hoping for sequels.

"I've got stars in my eyes. I'm literally over the moon about what I'm doing right now," she told MTV News of her work on "Huntsman."

After that, we'll have a look at the long-awaited "On the Road," which doesn't officially have a release date but has been rumored to debut at some point during the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. The film — based on Jack Kerouac's beloved semiautobiographical treatise on the Beat Generation and his road trips with a collection of colorful characters — features an eclectic cast, including Garrett Hedlund, Tom Sturridge, Kirsten Dunst, Sam Riley, Amy Adams, Viggo Mortenson and Steve Buscemi.

Who has the edge here? We have lots of naked Pattinson vs. a sword-wielding Stewart — it's very tough to call. Not to mention the fact that they'll be back onscreen together in "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" on November 16. Perhaps the 2012 winners will be fans of the "Twilight" twosome!

Sound off in the comments below and tweet me @karawarner with your thoughts and suggestions for future "Twilight" Tuesday columns!

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Iowa Caucus: We're Live-Blogging From The Ground!

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 05:26 AM PST

Follow all the action live as MTV News brings you minute-by-minute updates.
By Gil Kaufman


Voters register their votes in the Iowa Caucus
Photo: Justin Sullivan/ Getty Images

It all comes down to this. Tonight Iowans will cast their votes for the Republican candidate of choice. Who will the barrage of ads, baby kissing and stumping pay off for? Will it be the business-like Mitt Romney, the surging Ron Paul, the dark horse Rick Santorum, the veteran politico Newt Gingrich or trailing Michele Bachmann?

MTV News is on the ground in Iowa and will be covering the caucus and live-blogging all the details. Keep refreshing for up-to-the-minute political drama here!

7:55 Caucus adjourned!

7:49 Most of the caucus goers leave (that wasn't so bad fussy baby, now was it?) and Pritchard asks for a motion to adjourn.

7:41 Booya! The official results are in and the results are being read! Ron Paul won Precinct 45 in a squeaker while Romney won pretty handily in Precinct 46. Final tally in that precinct: Romney 33, Paul and Santorum 19, Gingrich 10, Perry and Bachmann 3 and one lone vote for Huntsman.

7:40 I don't care what the OWS people say, THIS is what democracy looks like! Neighbors and students talking to each other about their passions, babies crying, people volunteering for their civic duty and, yeah, bored boys in Adidas texting while they wait for their moms.

7:38 There's a row of 6 teenage boys behind me furiously texting on their iPhones. There's no way they're liveblogging this too, is there?

7:31 The ballots are collected and nominations begin for the delegates to the county convention. Nobody knows the date, but the good people of precinct 45 vote 5 times for Karen and Cijo and 10 times for Ben Levine. Oh, okay, the county convention is March 10 and it'll cost the lucky delegates $40 for the honor.

7:28 And just like that, it's already time to vote. Some murmuring runs through the room as baskets are sent around to collect the little pieces of paper that caucusers wrote their votes on and that baby just keeps crying! Relax baby, this is as painless as democracy gets. "Looks like somebody else wants to make a speech too," jokes caucus chair and Romney supporter Sam Pritchard.

7:25 Just a minute! A Santorum speaker who looks like KFC's Col. Sanders ticks off a long list of Santorum policies, including clearing the way for the Keystone XL pipeline. Polite applause.

7:24 The speeches are almost cut off without even asking for a Rick Santorum speaker, a telling oversight for the former Senator who was left for dead just a month ago before surging into third place in the final Iowa poll.

7:21 Nobody stands up for Texas Governor Rick Perry, but two people take the podium for Mitt Romney, speaking to his long experience in the private sector.

7:16 A sophomore at Drake speaking on behalf of Rep. Paul makes it clear he's speaking for himself, not the ROTC, of which he is a member. He has to raise his voice a bit to be heard over a crying baby. "If you want someone who can beat Obama you need someone who is the opposite of Obama."

7:15 Nobody stands up for John Huntsman, the former Obama administration ambassador to China who basically threw in the towel on Iowa to concentrate on next week's contest in New Hampshire.

7:13 There are more than 200 people in the room, which has a parquet floor and almost as much space devoted to the media as voters.

7:11 "He created 11 million jobs during his time in Congress," the Gingrich speaker says.

7:08 The speaker calls for a representative to speak on behalf of Rep. Bachmann... Nothing. So it's on to the person speaking on behalf of Newt Gingrich. He apologizes for his lack of eye contact, but he's reading a letter from former Speaker Gingrich.

7:04 We just said the Pledge of Allegiance and now an organizer is sending around the "Money Bags" to help fill the precinct's coffers.

6:55 Caucus goers are rushing into an auditorium in Olmstead Hall. They have to hurry because the doors close promptly at 7!

6:51 We just arrived on the campus of Drake University for the on-campus caucus meeting.

MTV is on the scene in Iowa! Head to Iowa.MTV.com for all our Iowa caucus coverage, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season to follow Andrew Jenks on the campaign trail.

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Iowa Caucus Or 'Glee'? One Voter Stuns Andrew Jenks

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 04:20 AM PST

'World of Jenks' star hopes young people invest in themselves by voting in 2012.
By Andrew Jenks


Andrew Jenks
Photo: MTV News

DES MOINES, Iowa — Today, Iowans will vote in the first primary (well, caucus, actually) that could set the 2012 presidential race in all sorts of directions. Some candidates may drop out (sorry, Michele Bachmann), others may become front-runners (welcome to the big leagues, Rick Santorum). I don't know what to expect — nobody does — which is kind of what makes Iowa amazing.

But amid the building energy, I'm also kind of let down. Last night, someone looked at me as I watched a few candidates campaigning around town (it was hard not to run into a candidate in the state's capital this week) and said, "You realize there's 3 million of us. Only 120,000 vote. That's 4 percent."

Damn.

All of a sudden, I was feeling kind of hopeless. I spoke with one twentysomething and asked, "You going to vote tomorrow night?" He laughed: "There's a repeat of 'Glee' on." Wow, really? A "Glee" rerun trumps participating in one of the truly unique democratic processes our country offers?

But I am no glass-half-empty guy — I hope today, more than anything, isn't just a day when I get to see what it looks like when someone my age goes into a caucus for the first time. When they lock the doors at 7 p.m., not a minute later. When I follow a decided voter as he/she finds out who wins. Or when I follow an undecided voter as they hear each person make a case for their candidate and then make a final decision before the caucuses close at 9 p.m.

More than anything, I hope to see that people my age actually care. It makes sense that we don't trust the system, but we are hopeful about our future. So rather than relying on everyone else to decide the rest of our life, we might as well start investing in ourselves.

Plus, you can always catch "Glee" on iTunes.

MTV is on the scene in Iowa! Head to Iowa.MTV.com for all our Iowa caucus coverage, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season to follow Andrew Jenks on the campaign trail.

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Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann Woo Young Voters

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 02:57 AM PST

Teens and 20-somethings at 'Rock the Caucus' talk to MTV News about the GOP hopefuls in Iowa on Tuesday.
By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Joel Hanek


Ron Paul speaks during a "Rock the Caucus" event at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa
Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — How important is the youth vote to the Republican party? So important that on Tuesday morning (January 3), two of the leading candidates in tonight's crucial Iowa caucus took time out from their vacuum-packed schedules to address a throng of pumped-up teens at a "Rock the Caucus" event in the gymnasium of Valley High School in West Des Moines.

Although Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann is polling in the single digits and widely expected to have a poor showing at the first-in-the-nation caucus, GOP contenders Ron Paul and former Senator Rick Santorum were close to neck-and-neck for the second-place spot in final polling on Monday. As MTV News found as we headed to Iowa for our Power of 12 campaign, all three caught the attention of voters who are eager to step up for their man/woman.

Thomas Deacon, 21, woke up before 7 a.m. to drive from Lawrence, Kansas, with two of his friends and hold up Ron Paul signs by the side of a busy road on Tuesday morning alongside Kansas City, Missouri, native Elizabeth Bronaugh, 22.

"We're just trying to get awareness about Ron Paul ... and people are pretty receptive to it," said David Megli, 22, who was interrupted by motorists driving by and honking their horns in support. Megli, wearing a knit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles wool hat to ward off the cold, was a registered libertarian in 2008, but said he switched to the GOP for this election cycle. And, like his friends, he didn't realize you had to be a student to attend the event, so he was stuck outside and was not able to hear Paul speak.

Bronaugh said all four in her group backed libertarian Paul in the 2008 election because they appreciate his stance on civil liberties and small government. And though he's the oldest candidate in the race at 76, Deacon said there's a very good reason that Paul has gotten the attention of young voters.

"He recognizes that if we're doing personal activities that don't harm other people, why should we be punished for that?" said Deacon, alluding to Paul's position on the legalization of drugs and the nearly trillion-dollar cost of the 35-year-plus War on Drugs.

Paul's stances on state's rights, avoiding a military conflict in Iran, smaller government and fewer taxes also appeal to the new generation of voters, Deacon said. "When Obama got elected, a lot of young people supported him because we thought we were going to get change," Deacon said when asked about some of Paul's more controversial policies regarding the elimination of the Dept. of Education and his call for an end to the student loan program."But for the most part it's been the same ... you haven't seen a lot of change," he added, noting that he actually supported Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2008. "Obama seemed like an OK guy and I was excited about the change he was going to bring. There was a real upswell of energy. But I think he really wasted that."

This time, Bronaugh said, Paul is the one who has the same amount of energy and enthusiasm from young voters, but she believes he will follow through on his promises.

Inside the gym, the candidates did their job, with Santorum giving a shout-out to the school's mascot ("go Tigers!") and Paul mentioning that his followers had recently given former "American Idol" Kelly Clarkson a sales bump. Valley student Allie Brown, 17, said she thought it was really cool that the candidates took time out from their final day of campaigning to visit the school.

Brown was interested in Bachmann's pledge to lower the price of gasoline through more oil exploration, an issue that's obviously a big one for teen drivers. "I'm leaning toward Michele Bachmann because I think she's really personable and sincerely cares about the things she's talking about," she said while standing in the school gym and sporting her "Rock the Caucus" T-shirt.

Paul supporter Sulejman Malic, 17, was just blown away by the amount of press coverage at his school, and friend Pallavi Aurora, also 17, said the high-energy spirit of the event was getting her psyched up to vote— for the first time — later in the day for former Massachusetts governor and leading candidate Mitt Romney.

MTV is on the scene in Iowa! Head to Iowa.MTV.com for all our Iowa caucus coverage, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season to follow Andrew Jenks on the campaign trail.

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Obama Supporters Tuning Out Iowa Caucus Noise

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 04:55 AM PST

'It's all negative ads so far: They're bashing each other; they're bashing the president,' Obama re-election volunteer tells MTV News.
By Gil Kaufman


President Obama greeting supporters
Photo: John Moore/ Getty Images

DES MOINES, Iowa — Anywhere you went in Iowa over the past few weeks, the talk was likely to be focused on Tuesday night's (January 3) Iowa caucus. But, because President Obama is an incumbent facing no Democratic challenger, the nation's attention has been on the in-fighting among the Republican candidates vying for their party's nomination.

Obama was not far from their lips, though, as a landslide of attack ads on the airwaves here hammered the president on his policies, while questioning his dedication to the American ideal and just about anything else that would inspire Republican voters to come out and help decide the first-in-the-nation primary event.

That's why it's somewhat surprising that in a law office on the outskirts of town, the room was buzzing with activity Tuesday as Obama supporters worked the phones to get their party faithful out to caucus.

"Today, we are trying to get people out there to the caucuses and let them know that there is a caucus," said Kameron Middlebrooks, 23, a student at Grand View University in Des Moines and neighborhood team leader for the Obama re-election campaign. He's been in the state since April working with Obama's Organize for America team, getting out the word about the caucus, training more than 12,000 volunteers and setting up more than 4,000 one-on-one meetings with voters.

As for what issues are important this time around, Middlebrooks said Obama has already been focusing on what matters to him: overhauling the student loan system and creating more Pell grants.

In an attempt to expand his voter base in the state, Obama — who easily won the Iowa contest in 2009 over Hillary Rodham Clinton — will address his Iowa supporters via a live Internet video feed as they gather to caucus Tuesday night.

And while his staffers have made 350,000 phone calls to supporters so far, it's been rough sledding for the Democratic faithful here in the Hawkeye State lately, as the air and newspaper boxes have been filled with a tidal wave of negative attacks on his first term in office.

"Honestly, to me, it's like watching a reality TV show," Middlebrooks said of all the anti-Obama spots. "It's all negative ads so far: They're bashing each other; they're bashing the president. It really makes my job easier when I go out and talk to caucus-goers or potential voters because I can explain to them that instead of all these grand ideas but no real solutions, we can really talk about the solutions and what President Obama has done and what he can continue to do if we give him another four years."

Overall, though, Middlebrooks said the reaction from voters he's talked to has been good so far, and he's confident Obama can win the state again.

MTV is on the scene in Iowa! Head to Iowa.MTV.com for all our Iowa caucus coverage, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season to follow Andrew Jenks on the campaign trail.

Russell Brand: What's Next After Katy Perry?

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 03:07 AM PST

'Rock of Ages' and Diablo Cody's directorial debut should keep the newly single funnyman busy.
By Kara Warner


Russell Brand in London on Tuesday
Photo: Colin MacFarlane / Splash News

Russell Brand's career has never been short on surprises, but his biggest shock yet might have come last week, when he filed for divorce from his wife of one year, Katy Perry. So what does 2012 hold for the newly single actor/comedian?

Brand has several projects lined up in his professional life that might help distract him from the recent rockiness in his personal life. The "Get Him to the Greek" and "Arthur" star has a plum role in the star-studded movie musical "Rock of Ages," which opens June 1. The film — which is a love story told through the "arena rock" stylings of popular '80s artists like Journey, Pat Benatar, Bon Jovi, Styx and REO Speedwagon — is based on the popular Broadway show. Brand plays the role of Lonny, the film's narrator and co-club operator, for which he'll act and sing with castmates Alec Baldwin, Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Malin Akerman and Julianne Hough.

After "Ages," Brand will jump into writer Diablo Cody's directorial debut, originally called "Lamb of God" but currently listed on IMDb as "Untitled Diablo Cody Project." Brand is set to star alongside "Ages" co-star Hough in a story of a young conservative religious woman who decides to go to Vegas and "live the life of a sinner" but ends up rediscovering her faith along the way.

Brand has also been suggested as a candidate for the role of Tommy Lee in the movie version of Neil Strauss' Mötley Crüe biography "The Dirt," if that project ever gets off the ground. And while we're speculating, there's always those old rumors about the "Drop Dead Fred" remake Universal was supposedly developing for the funnyman.

In addition to acting, Brand has established himself as a talented writer. He has written columns and standalone opinion pieces for the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper, as well as two autobiographical books, "My Booky Wook" and "Booky Wook 2: This Time It's Personal." Perhaps he has a third book in him for 2012?

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Rick Santorum's Iowa Caucus Staffers Have Faith

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 04:40 AM PST

'The momentum in Iowa will help Santorum get to the next level,' conservative candidate's supporter tells MTV News.
By Gil Kaufman


Rick Santorum attends a "Rock the Caucus" event at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa
Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

DES MOINES, Iowa — Almost every candidate in the Republican presidential field has gotten a chance to be the front-runner so far. But in the days leading up to Tuesday night's (January 3) all-important first contest, the Iowa caucus, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is definitely peaking at just the right time.

The staunchly conservative family-values candidate, who was polling in the single digits for much of last year, has surged in the past few weeks and is now a close third behind Representative Ron Paul and leading candidate Mitt Romney. At a campaign rally Tuesday morning at a "Rock the Caucus" event in the gymnasium of Valley High School in West Des Moines, his staffers told MTV News they were feeling bullish about his prospects.

"Santorum is a huge supporter of faith and family. I truly believe that supporting the family ... will have a trickle-up effect on our society in America," said Jonathan Gehman, 29. "Kids who grow up in strong families will get good jobs and have good morals and high integrity that will build this country."

As he's spoken to people on the phone over the past few weeks, Gehman said a number were unaware of Santorum, but admitted that the more they heard about him and saw him on the news, the more they liked what he was saying. "The energy is going to carry into tonight, and the momentum in Iowa will help Santorum get to the next level," he predicted.

Fellow staffer Ryan Rutt, 26, said Santorum resonates with him because of the candidate's views on limited government. "He believes in people and not in the government fixing our problems," Rutt said. "He's all about smaller government, people unleashing their own innovation and not having the government take care of us."

Plus, Rutt said without naming names, he feels Santorum (who calls himself "Steady Eddie") has had a consistent message and has not flip-flopped on his beliefs.

While Santorum is known for holding a socially conservative hard line on issues such as abortion and gay rights, Rutt said he thinks his candidate might actually benefit from the youth support that has buoyed another late-surging candidate, libertarian Paul, who has a more socially liberal slate of views.

"There's a lot of youth support for Ron Paul now, but I think the core message of principles that they're excited about Rick Santorum also has," he said. "They get excited about freedom, they get excited about liberty, and that's what I get excited about. While Ron Paul has sort of a sexy appeal, I think that they will quickly realize when Santorum comes around that he has a lot of those same core principles and that's why they'll get behind Rick Santorum."

MTV is on the scene in Iowa! Head to Iowa.MTV.com for all our Iowa caucus coverage, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season to follow Andrew Jenks on the campaign trail.

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Ron Paul Supporters Boost Kelly Clarkson's Album Sales

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 01:17 AM PST

Republican presidential hopeful even shouts out the singer in a speech leading up to the Iowa caucus.
By James Montgomery


Ron Paul
Photo: Getty Images

Even as he continues to battle for votes in the final hours of the Iowa caucus, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is already a front-runner in another contest: the quest for celebrity endorsements.

Yes, in recent days, Paul has surged to the forefront of high-profile support, picking up the backing of singers Kelly Clarkson and Michelle Branch (both of whom subsequently felt the wrath of Paul's detractors, though, hey, Clarkson may have gotten a sales bump out of it). But they're just the latest in a list of seemingly disparate stars who have endorsed the candidate.

"Fear Factor" host/ UFC fanatic Joe Rogan has already gone on the record as saying he supports Paul's candidacy, as has comedian Doug Stanhope and actor Vince Vaughn, who introduced him at a political conference in Nevada back in September. Staind frontman Aaron Lewis is also onboard.

In a speech Tuesday (January 3) at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa — given to an audience of young voters — Paul even mentioned Clarkson by name, asking the assembled students, "Does anybody here know the name Kelly Clarkson? ... Recently, she endorsed me. ... I had to admit, I didn't know a whole lot about her, but I did know that our supporters were so enthusiastic about it they went out and bumped up sales of her record by 600 percent."

MTV is on the scene in Iowa! Head to Iowa.MTV.com for all our Iowa caucus coverage, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season to follow Andrew Jenks on the campaign trail.

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Iowa Caucus Coverage Earns 'Respect' From Twitter Hater

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 03:07 AM PST

Andrew Jenks turns a Twitter war into a civil political dialogue.
By Andrew Jenks


Andrew Jenks
Photo: MTV News

DES MOINES, Iowa — If young people can change anything about politics, it's the way we speak to each other. Whenever I write about politics, I mostly get civil tweets from those that agree and disagree. But sometimes I don't.

Earlier today, after tweeting about my experience so far in Iowa, I had the following exchange on Twitter with @TyKeeling:

1:52 p.m. - @TyKeeling: Wow @AndrewJenks. I thought he was different than most turns out he's the same as any other media d---head now a days.

1:56 p.m. - Me: what do u mean? And can we be civil? "d---head"? really?

2:04 p.m. - @TyKeeling: k D---head was too far however the way Iowa has been represented, especially this year, has all been negative attention.

2:07 p.m. - @TyKeeling: and it seems that you, purposely or not, are feed right into that.

2:14 p.m. -- Me: check out the blog, man. Talked to some really engaged smart young voters. Tweet me again if u think still not representing.

2:10 p.m. - @TyKeeling: After my early spontaneous rant about @AndrewJenks I have developed a new respect for him because unlike the rest, he cares what ppl think.

2:30 p.m. -- Me: Yeah man. Let's keep talking.

So I went from "d---head" to mutual respect and continuing a civil dialogue where we can talk politics in less than 40 minutes. It's possible ...

MTV is on the scene in Iowa! Head to Iowa.MTV.com for all our Iowa caucus coverage, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season to follow Andrew Jenks on the campaign trail.

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Pill Says He Never Signed To Rick Ross' Maybach Music

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 01:49 AM PST

'I ain't got nothing against none of them, nobody,' rapper tells MTV News of the label.
By Rob Markman


Rick Ross and Pill
Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage

Pill has caused quite the stir. Last week, after the Atlanta rapper took to Twitter to vent about his label situation, speculation began to swirl that P-I-Double L was dropped from the Rick Ross' Maybach Music Warner Bros. distributed-label. But seeing as Pill was never technically signed to MMG, that isn't necessarily the case.

"I never signed any paperwork with Ross. It was just my deal was over at Warner already," Pill revealed to MTV News Tuesday.

According to the "Trap Goin' Ham" MC, he was signed to Asylum/Warner Bros. Records at the end of 2009, a year before Ross brought his MMG label over to Warner Music Group. Pill says he is unaware of any conversations that Warner and Ross ever had concerning his career, but started receiving calls from Rozay around this time last year. The calls turned into collaborations — many of which ended up on Self Made Vol. 1, Ross' MMG label compilation album. It was alluded that Pill was officially a part of Rozay's roster, along with Wale, Meek Mill and a host of other artists, but that wasn't the case, the rapper says.

During his December 28 Twitter rant, Pill, who made a name for himself with independently released singles like "Ok Denn," criticized Warner, charging that they didn't give him the proper push on radio and television. "I bet u can name you favorite artist and the turn on the tv and see the video and hear it on the radio. It's not rocket science," he wrote.

Pill was particularly disappointed that "Pac Man," his single from Self Made Vol.1 didn't get a push, even after noted rappers 2 Chainz, Yo Gotti and Meek Mill were added to the song's remix. "To have all that set in stone, I thought it would've been pushed a little bit harder, went a little bit further, but it didn't," he said.

Maybach did include Pill on a number of label-driven initiatives, he admits. He was on the October 2011 XXL magazine group cover, appeared on "RapFix Live" with MMG in May 2011 and took part in the pre-taped crew cypher during BET's Hip Hop Awards but was noticeably absent when Ross, Wale and Meek Mill performed during the actual ceremony.

"I never really went on tour with them; I never really did anything with them," Pill said. "The only time I performed on tour with them is when it stopped in Atlanta. They still showed love to a n---a when it was time to go to Vegas, or Cali, you know, whatever the label had put together for us to be on as a whole."

Currently the rapper's lawyers are attempting to dissolve the Warner contract, and as for MMG, Pill insists he harbors no ill will and is grateful for the exposure that Ross has given him — even though he doesn't remember the last time he and the Bawse spoke. "I ain't got nothing against none of them, nobody. It's just the situation don't work," Pill said matter-of-factly. "It's cool with us, I don't got nothing against Ross either. It's just I don't talk to him.

"I ain't really got too much to say to somebody that ain't got too much to say to me. I'm not a brownnose, I ain't a punk ass n---a and I'm not finna go trying to chase behind somebody that ain't sayin' nothing to me."

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Katy Perry: What's Next After Russell Brand?

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 10:56 PM PST

Pop star has plenty to keep her busy, between her music and budding acting career.
By Jocelyn Vena


Katy Perry
Photo: Getty Images

Katy Perry is kicking off 2012 a single girl. Over the holiday weekend, news broke that Russell Brand had filed for divorce after a year of marriage with the pop star. And while Perry has remained low-key since the split, she is amping up for what is sure to be another busy year.

Perry hasn't been spotted in public since Friday's breakup announcement, but she did make some non-relationship-related headlines Tuesday (January 3) when a demo version of the Jessie James track "Bullet" hit the Net; Perry co-wrote the sassy track for the singer's 2009 album.

MTV's 2011 Artist of the Year has two shows later this month — one scheduled for January 19 in Jakarta, Indonesia, and another January 22 in the Philippines — as part of her California Dreams Tour. Come February, Perry is set to appear at the Grammys, where she is up for two awards, including Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Firework."

It's been nearly two years since Perry's megahit Teenage Dream album dropped. While no word has come down about new music from the star, when MTV News spoke to producer Tricky Stewart, he hinted that Perry was working on a new release of some older material, including a track called "Dressing Up."

"Katy and I went into [the studio] just to address some issues with records that we had done in the past that didn't end up going on Teenage Dream," he told MTV News about the top-secret project. "So we are in the process of just listening and freshening up things and getting ready for something special she has going on."

Perry hasn't announced plans to tackle any more acting roles, but in 2011, she made fans laugh on the big screen as the voice of Smurfette in "The Smurfs" and as the host of "Saturday Night Live" in December, teasing a possible second career in film and TV.

Since the split made headlines, Perry has not addressed the divorce. However, Brand said in a statement, "Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. I will always adore her and I know we'll remain friends."

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Fun. Go Big, Beautiful In New 'We Are Young' Video

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 12:04 AM PST

Eye-catching clip leads up to the release of their Some Nights album and serves notice Fun. may be the breakout band of 2012.
By James Montgomery


Nate Ruess in the "We Are Young" music video
Photo: Fueled By Ramen

The first must-see music video of 2012 has already been preceded by both an artful perils-of-peeling teaser and a stirring, acoustic vid seemingly shot adjacent to a bank vault. Oh, and a performance by the "Glee" cast too.

The official, real-deal version of Fun.'s "We Are Young" video premiered Monday on MTV.com, and I mention all the lead-up not just because it was rather unprecedented (especially for a band this green; they've released just one studio album to date), but because, rarely, if ever, does the final product live up to the advanced hype.

Except this time, it does. The latest — and, one can assume, last — version of "Young" is a gorgeous, gasp-inducing thing, a swirling, slow-motion snow globe of imagery that gradually envelops the band (and guest vocalist Janelle Monáe). Bodies sail through the air. Bottles shatter and seemingly hang in space. Booming cannons launch glittering bits of detritus skyward. It is, at turns, strangely violent — since, in theory, the video is just a bar fight stretched and slowed across four minutes — slightly touching and, of course, sublimely pretty, the rare marriage of style and substance. And it's all thanks to director Marc Klasfeld, the old pro who has turned in no shortage of eye-catching clips over the years, like Against Me!'s "I Was a Teenage Anarchist" and Jay-Z's "Girls, Girls Girls."

It is the kind of eye-catching video that generally launches bands upward, and given everything that's led up to its debut (and Fun.'s upcoming sophomore album, Some Nights, due February 21), you kind of get the feeling that trend could continue once again. But the thing that separates "Young" from so many of its inbox-clogging contemporaries is that the song it's promoting is actually really good too — a big, bold ballad that just keeps building and building, one that manages to capture both the wide-eyed optimism and the burgeoning, world-weary pessimism of millennial youth (or whatever you want to call them). You will pump your fists to it, send your bodies sailing to it, cry to it and, most importantly, shout along to its anthemic chorus. You know, if you haven't been doing so for months already.

With their bold new video and bombastic new single, Fun. serve notice that 2012 may very well be their breakout year. Heck, it's never too early to call these things — especially since we've been given advance warning since, well, last year. But it was worth the wait.

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Elton John Wants Justin Timberlake To Play Him In Biopic

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 11:42 PM PST

'It's going to be a surreal look at my life,' John tells the L.A. Times of movie in the works.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Timberlake
Photo: Getty Images

Elton John is currently working on a biopic based on his over-the-top life, and he even knows who he'd want to play him in the flick, should it all pan out. In an interview with the L.A. Times, the singer opened up about hoping to cast pop star-turned-actor Justin Timberlake.

"We have a director on board, and then it's just going to be a matter of getting the script exactly the way we want it. Lee Hall has written a script — he wrote 'Billy Elliot' — and then we'll start trying to cast and plan," he explained in the interview.

"I've got a wish list of people. #1 on my wish list is Justin Timberlake," John said, saying Timberlake's portrayal of him in the 2001 music video for "This Train Don't Stop Here Anymore" was "superb."

With some big decisions still up in the air, John does confirm that plans for the plot and story are a bit more solid. "That would be a jukebox musical in earnest, maybe with a couple of new songs," he explained. "You never know. Because it's going to be a surreal look at my life, and not just a factual look at my life, more in the manner of a 'Moulin Rouge!' I just don't want it to be a normal biopic because my life hasn't been like that. And it only goes up to when I go into rehab in 1990. It starts with me going into rehab and ends when I come out."

John admitted that he had attempted to get the director of "Moulin Rouge!" for his own film. "We tried to get Baz [Luhrmann], but Baz is so busy," he said of the "Great Gatsby" director. "We can't announce it yet, but we have got someone on board that we're very excited about."

The movie would mean that fans would get to see Timberlake sing again. Since heading to Hollywood, the singer hasn't done much of it, but has continued to rack up more and and even recently took a job at MySpace.

Would Justin Timberlake be a good fit for the Elton John role? Sound off in the comments!

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Fabolous, Maino To Kick Off 2012 'RapFix Live'

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 10:26 PM PST

Skillz will also swing through to perform his '2011 Rap-Up' on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com.
By Rob Markman


Fabolous and Sway on "RapFix Live" in September 2010
Photo: Jonathan Goldner / MTV News

It's 2012 and "RapFix Live" returns to kick off the new year with Brooklyn's own Fabolous on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET. "RapFix Live" closed out 2011 by crowning Machine Gun Kelly our Hottest Breakthrough MC of the year as voted by fans. Fab also ended the year in grand fashion when he released his murderous mixtape There Is No Competition III: Death Comes in 3s on Christmas Day.

It was his mixtape grind with DJ Clue that made Fabolous a rap force to be reckoned with in the late 1990s, but Loso has continually grown throughout his career and is one of hip-hop's most successful and celebrated MCs. Not only does Loso remain one of the game's rawest rappers, he is also one of its biggest hitmakers thanks to singles like 2003's "Can't Let You Go," 2007's "Make Me Better" and "Throw It in the Bag" from his last album, Loso's Way.

With TINC III once again cementing his position in the streets, Fab is back in the studio working on his next solo LP, Loso's Way 2. "Loso's Way 2 is a work-in-process. I put a lot in my mixtapes, but I definitely put a lot into my albums as well," Fab told MTV News in December, referencing the DJ Drama-helmed TINC III and the upcoming album. "I know a lot of people like mixtape Fab, and albums, to me, you're speaking to a broader audience sometimes. I take that at hand. I guess everybody doesn't see that."

Loso has also seen his private life come under the microscope now that his son's mother, Emily Bustamante, is a star on VH1's juicy reality show "Love & Hip Hop." Fab, however, isn't a fan. "It's just not my cup of tea," Fabolous told New York radio host Angie Martinez on her Hot 97 show earlier this month. "It's one side of what's going on. I don't bash it, but I'm not really in support of it, either. I don't think it depicts me the way I am. It just depicts a one-sided version of what's going on."

Fab won't be the only guest this week on "RapFix Live." Every year since 2002, Virginia MC Skillz drops a lyrical year in review — it has become an annual hip-hop tradition. On Wednesday, the "Are You That Somebody" lyricist will perform his "2011 Rap-Up."

Brooklyn MC Maino has also started a yearly tradition of his own. Three years ago, the "Hi Hater" rapper released "2009 Predictions." Last year he looked into his crystal ball and dropped "2011 Predictions," in which he successfully guessed that Lindsay Lohan would have relapsing bouts with alcohol, the Throne would sell over a million records, and Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao would go another year without fighting in what would be the most anticipated boxing match in years.

Catch Fabolous and Skillz on "RapFix Live" Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com, and be sure to join the Twitter conversation using the hashtag #RapFixLive. And send your questions for Fabolous to @MTVRapFiX!

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Bane In 'Dark Knight Rises': 'Can You Hear Me Now?'

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 10:02 PM PST

Has Christopher Nolan cleaned up the prologue's soundtrack? Let's discuss in The Weekly Rising.
By Kevin P. Sullivan


Tom Hardy as Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises"
Photo: Warner Bros

As highly anticipated as "The Dark Knight Rises" is, an unfortunate parenthetical has followed most praise of the six-minute prologue and the first theatrical trailer.

Tom Hardy's voice became the hot topic of Batman conversations as soon as critics saw the first minutes of the film, which focus heavily on the masked villain Bane. Fans complained, too, wishing they could comprehend more from a character they wanted to like so much, but almost every complaint came with a caveat tacked on: "I'm sure Nolan will fix it."

Then, at the height of discussion, an unnamed source "close to the movie" told The Hollywood Reporter that Nolan had no intentions of completely reworking Bane's voice, insisting he would only make slight changes to the sound mix.

Now, Collider has the testimony of a source that claims Warner Bros. sent a new soundtrack for the prologue still attached to select IMAX showings of "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," making Bane's dialogue "40 to 50 percent" clearer.

Here is the source's full account: "A friend of mine who is an IMAX projectionist told me they received a new soundtrack for the 'Dark Knight Rises' prologue. He said it's now a combo soundtrack with 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol,' but the cool thing about this is that they've cleaned up the dialogue. They've gone in and lowered the background noise of the plane and other things, thus making Bane's dialogue clearer and more understandable. He asked some people after they left the movie if they could understand Bane and they all said they had no issue understanding him, and were excited for the movie."

Warner Bros. told The New York Times' Dave Itzkoff that there was "no truth" to the rumors, but Collider followed up its initial report with a letter purportedly from IMAX sent to its projectionists. The letter instructs them on how to dub the combined tracks properly and perfectly aligns with the original report.

This is certainly looking like the tweak we've expected from Nolan since The Hollywood Reporter article. If the director is adamant about keeping the gargled effect on Bane's voice and encouraging the audience to participate in the film more, this is the change that needed to be made. Regardless of whether you're part of the camp that insists the voice is comprehendible, the change, however slight it may be, was needed.

Are you looking forward to a cleaned-up Bane? Let me know at @KPSull, and I'll discuss some of your responses over at Splash Page on Wednesday.

Check out everything we've got on "The Dark Knight Rises."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Justin Bieber Kicks Off New Year With New Track

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 07:46 AM PST

Pop star debuts 'Happy New Year,' a swaggerfied slow jam featuring Jaden Smith.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber
Photo: George Pimentel / WireImage

Justin Bieber isn't new to creating holiday songs using his new-millennium, R&B swagger, as evidenced on his Christmas album, Under The Mistletoe. And this weekend, he gave New Year's a try. The singer tweeted a New Year's-themed track, "Happy New Year," which features his pal Jaden Smith rapping.

The slow jam is certainly swaggerfied but also reflective, featuring lyrics that both play up the singer's pop-star image and look ahead to a more hopeful year. "I'm gonna make your cheeks red when I kiss your neck/Girl I'm never leavin' 'cause you are the best baby," he sings. "I wanna give you everything/Never feel 'cause girl you're coming home with me."

In a spoken breakdown, he says, "2012 is the year to be better, stronger and closer to the people around you. So grab someone special, and just, you know."

Smith also shows some bad-boy personality and proves that rapping runs in the Smith DNA. He raps, " 'Cause 2012 is the year of the love/And we gon' start it off/We can get a plane today and get a car toma'/We don't do it small at all/No girl tell me what I gotta to do/I can be the beat that you rockin' to/I can do anything, nothing is impossible, especially with you girl/And I never need a new girl/This love is true girl/Aye welcome to the crew girl."

Not only was Bieber gracing fans with new tracks over the weekend, but he also took the stage during "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2012" in Times Square, not far from where his lady love Selena Gomez was hosting "NYE in NYC 2012." The twosome later partied together at Glass House, E! News reports.

A source says, "He...danced with Selena, showing off, picking her up and swinging her around like it was 'Dancing With the Stars.' "

Bieber recently debuted another track"Be Alright," during his holiday special, "Justin Bieber: Home For The Holidays." He's expected to drop his new album, Believe, later this year.

Want Exclusive Justin Bieber News and Video? Friend Up MTV News on Facebook Now

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Demi Moore Joins 'Lovelace' Biopic

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 10:11 PM PST

Actress will play feminist icon Gloria Steinem in flick about adult film star Linda Lovelace.
By Jocelyn Vena


Demi Moore
Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/ WireImage

"Lovelace" has found its Gloria Steinem. Demi Moore will play the feminist icon, who covered the release of the adult film "Deep Throat" and profiled its star, Linda Lovelace, in Ms. magazine back in the 1970s.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, other new additions to the cast include Adam Brody, who will play Lovelace's "Deep Throat" co-star Harry Reems, and Eric Roberts, who's onboard as lie detector expert Nat Laurendi.

"Lovelace" is currently shooting in Los Angeles, where Moore, Roberts and Brody join Amanda Seyfried (as Lovelace) and James Franco, who'll make a cameo as Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. The film also stars Peter Sarsgaard as Lovelace's husband, Chuck Traynor; Bobby Cannavale and Chris Noth as "Deep Throat" investors Butchie Peraino and Anthony Romano; Hank Azaria as writer/director Jerry Damiano; Robert Patrick as Linda's father, John Boreman; and Sharon Stone as Lovelace's mother. Juno Temple will play the adult film star's best friend and Wes Bentley has been cast as her second husband.

"Howl" directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman are helming the project. According to previous reports, the role of Rat Packer Sammy Davis Jr. has yet to be cast.

"It's going to be really hard and kind of terrifying at the same time," Seyfried told ABCNews.com about the role in December. "It's something completely different. I do have some liberties there but I am playing someone that existed in history and had quite an established reputation for something very extreme."

Seyfried is not the first actress attached to the Linda Lovelace role. Seyfried's "Mean Girls" co-star and Playboy cover girl Lindsay Lohan was set to star in a separate Lovelace biopic before getting dropped by producers more than a year ago.

Before Seyfried nabbed the role in this latest biopic, Olivia Wilde had also been mentioned as a possible star.

Check out everything we've got on "Lovelace."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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