Don't miss 'MTV First: This Means War' at 7:56 p.m. ET Tuesday on MTV, followed by an in-depth chat on MTV.com. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Reese Witherspoon Photo: MTV News
In addition to her successes as an actress and her respectable reputation, Reese Witherspoon is the envy of millions of Twilighters after working alongside superstar heartthrob Robert Pattinson in not one, but two films — not to mention the fact that she's kissed him too.
When MTV News caught up with Witherspoon recently as part of "MTV First: This Means War," we asked her the first thing that comes to mind when she thinks of her "Water for Elephants" and "Vanity Fair" co-star.
"I would say [he is] the hardest-working person I've ever worked with, honestly," she said. "[He's] professional, hard-working, so appreciative, more grateful than I've ever seen anyone for where he is in life."
Given the fact that Witherspoon has been in the business for decades and experienced every facet of being famous, we asked her to weigh in on the current fan frenzy that surrounds Pattinson wherever he goes and how it may or may not affect a person.
"I've never experienced what he has — going to premieres and there's just millions of people waiting for him to touch them," she said. "I think it must be strange, but I don't even know how to process what he deals with and Kristen [Stewart] deals with. I don't know."
The Oscar-winning actress said Pattinson handles his fame very well, despite the sometimes-chaotic circumstances. "[He's]a really cool guy," she said.
Don't miss our exclusive sit-down with Witherspoon during Tuesday's "MTV First: Reese Witherspoon." Tune in to MTV at 7:56 p.m. ET, when the actress will premiere a previously unseen clip from her upcoming film "This Means War," followed by an in-depth interview on MTV.com.
'There's no such thing as perfect love,' Queen of Pop tells MTV News. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Madonna Photo: MTV News
Madonna has lived the majority of her adult life in the public eye, which means the world has watched her fall in and out of love.
The focus of her film "W.E.," which she wrote and directed, is all about love — specifically, the love between American divorcée Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII during the '30s. In the film, the couple's affair seeps into the modern world when a contemporary woman becomes interested in it. When Madonna focused her energy on the story for the big screen, she felt she had sufficient personal experience to bring.
"I think that there's duality to my point of view in the film 'cause on the one hand you can say I take a slightly cynical point of view about romance," she told MTV News while promoting the flick, which opens this week. "And there's no such thing as perfect love. The idea that we are raised — certainly women, young girls — that the knight in shining armor is going to come and sweep you off your feet and take you on his stallion and you're going to ride off in the sunset, well that's really rubbish, isn't it?
"But an intelligent woman gets sidetracked by that notion, and ultimately I have come to the conclusion that we have to save ourselves," she continued. "That said, I still believe in love, and I am a romantic. I hope you get both of those feelings from the film."
In fact, the Queen of Pop points out that she gets what Wallis and Edward probably felt like when they met and fell head over heels for each other and landed right in an affair that became an international scandal.
"I certainly know what it feels like to be swept off your feet and to feel a deep love and connection to somebody and also be willing to give up things and make sacrifices," she said. "I also know what it feels like to be scrutinized and be under the constant microscope.
"I certainly can relate to all that. I know the agony and ecstasy of love," she continued. "I feel like I'm in a very-qualified position to speak of it and make a film about it. Absolutely, for anyone and anything we love [we make sacrifices]. Love equals sacrifice."
Danger and Daniel tells MTV News why the new episode, which airs Monday at 10 p.m. ET, is one of their favorites. By Christina Garibaldi
"Caged" star Danger Photo: MTV News
We're only three episodes into MTV's new docu-series "Caged," and so far, the show has certainly packed a punch. With the fourth episode airing Monday at 10 p.m. ET, these amateur mixed martial arts fighters from the small town of Minden, Louisiana, are gearing up for some of their toughest competition yet, both in the cage and out.
MTV News caught up with Daniel and Matt a.k.a. Danger, who were visiting New York City for the first time, and they told us what fans can expect from this upcoming episode.
"For me, it's definitely my toughest fight for the season." Danger said. "I'm very excited for everybody to see it. ... Just fighting a really tough guy, really tough guy from a really tough camp. One of the higher-ranked guys in our state and in our area, so it's a fight I wanted for a long time and it finally came to fruition and it was a great fight. It didn't disappoint; I hope everybody enjoys it."
Fellow fighter Daniel said he's looking forward to fans getting to know his lighter side. He returned to the cage last week after suffering a knockout in the premiere episode and went on to win a tough fight on the anniversary of the tragic death of his girlfriend Hannah.
"I feel that my personality is going to finally start opening up a little bit more." Daniel said. "I'm obviously getting a little bit more used to the cameras and I just feel like you all get to see maybe a funnier side to me. Not just a robotic, deep-voiced guy that's always fighting for something crazy."
That's not all: On Monday night viewers will also be introduced to a new Minden fighter, who enters the cage for the first time.
"You'll get a chance to meet one of our boys, he makes his 'Caged' debut, John Wesley Reed," Danger revealed. "He's a great fighter, and everybody is going to fall in love with him too. So we're really excited about episode four; it's one of my favorites."
You can catch "Caged" on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.
Co-stars Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer triumph in actress categories, while 'Artist' star edges out George Clooney for Best Actor. By Kevin P. Sullivan
Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis and Brad Pitt onstage at the SAG awards on Sunday Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
A surprise win for "The Help" for Best Ensemble capped off a rather predictable night at the SAG Awards on Sunday (January 29). The adaptation of the best-selling novel picked up individual awards for both Octavia Spencer, who won Best Supporting Actress, and Viola Davis, who won Best Actress.
The rest of the Screen Actors Guild Awards were dominated by category favorites. Christopher Plummer kicked off the night with another win to add his impressive amount of gold for his role in "Beginners." The legendary actor expressed his job satisfaction by stating, "I can't tell you what fun I've had being a member of the world's second oldest profession."
A mild shock came in the Best Actor category for film, when French actor Jean Dujardin edged out George Clooney for his role in the awards favorite "The Artist." The silent ode to the golden era of filmmaking had been a favorite for the evening's biggest categories, but huge wins from "The Help" stole the thunder from the Oscar favorite.
Past winners in the TV categories took the stage at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium as repeat winners. Betty White seemed more confused than anyone when she won the award for Best Actress in a comedy series for the second year in a row. The cast of "Modern Family" stormed the stage with a painfully pre-rehearsed acceptance speech for Best Comedy Series, and Steve Buscemi took to the mic twice for wins in the Best Actor in a Drama Series and Best Drama series categories for "Boardwalk Empire."
Other winners in the television categories included Alec Baldwin for "30 Rock" and Jessica Lange for "American Horror Story." Kate Winslet and Paul Giamatti won their respective categories for actors in a TV movie or miniseries.
Stick with MTV News all night for the 2012 SAG Awards winners, and don't miss all the fashion from the red carpet!
Emma Stone, Lea Michele and Angelina Jolie flaunt what they've got in couture on Sunday night. By Jocelyn Vena
Angelina Jolie at the 2012 SAG Awards Photo: Getty Images
The SAG Awards may honor actors and their hard work, but on the red carpet on Sunday (January 29), it was all about recognizing all of the hard work they put into their looks. At the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, the overarching trend seemed to be flaunting what you've got.
Zoe Saldana went light in a sequined white dress with a drop waist and floral detailing. Kristin Wiig's look, though, had a bit of a split personality: Her pale-hued Balenciaga gown was decidedly glam thanks to tailoring that showed off her long, lean body, but her black metal choker was a bit too heavy and goth for the overall look.
Two of the biggest divas on Fox's "Glee," Lea Michele and Naya Rivera, made pale colors look red-hot. Michele's lavender Versace had a body-hugging bodice and thigh-high slit, while Rivera's ice-blue dress was made even sexier thanks to a plunging neckline.
Red also ruled the carpet. "My Week With Marilyn" star Michelle Williams was chic in a bright-red Valentino dress, which was cut right above the ankle. Her ladylike look was capped off with lace detailing along her sleeves and neckline. "Dexter" star Jennifer Carpenter also opted for a red-and-lace red-carpet look.
Using a similar color palette, Sofia Vergara's hot pink, strapless Marchesa gown was super hot. Her "Modern Family" co-star Julie Bowen went Grecian in a purple gown.
Emma Stone, Angelina Jolie, Tina Fey and Ashlee Simpson decided that a little black dress wasn't too simple for Sunday's show. Jolie played up her inner vixen in a Jenny Packham halter gown with a draped neckline. Meanwhile, Stone went quirky in a three-quarter-length strapless black dress with lace details. "The Help" star played up the fun aspect of the Alexander McQueen design with platform shoes.
Simpson, meanwhile, looked like a character right out of boyfriend Vincent Piazza's show "Boardwalk Empire" in a '20s-style Jenny Packham gown with sequins and see-through fabric along the neckline. Fey brought the "va va voom" in her black strapless column dress: It was all party on top — with grey and black shades — and business at the bottom in a plain black fabric.
The guys didn't disappoint, either. Fellas like Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Jonah Hill kept it classic and simple in tuxedos, choosing ties over bowties. One guy, however, had a little fun with it, and that honor went to "Modern Family" star Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who wore a blue pinstripe suit with a matching blue-velvet bowtie.
Share your favorite SAG red-carpet looks on our Facebook page.
Stick with MTV News all night for the 2012 SAG Awards winners, and don't miss all the fashion from the red carpet!
'The Help' nabs Best Ensemble' in a stunning upset, while awards-show fave 'The Artist' leaves light on wins. By Eric Ditzian
Octavia Spencer at the SAG Awards on Sunday Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
The SAG Awards, as we have noted, often have a curious way of letting us know what the Oscars are going to deliver. So when the Screen Actors Guild doled out its golden statuettes on Sunday night (January 29), we couldn't help but feel there were more than a few hints at how the Academy Awards might shake out in a few weeks.
What are we to make of the upset SAG win for "The Help" in outstanding cast in a movie, for instance? Where does this leave "The Artist," which had been looking increasingly, inevitably like the big champ come Oscar night, yet only won outstanding male performance (Jean Dujardin) at the SAGs?
Things were more predictable on the TV side of things. In 2012, for the second year in a row, "Modern Family" (Outstanding Cast in a Comedy) and "Boardwalk Empire" (Outstanding Cast in a Drama and a Lead Actor win for Steve Buscemi) had strong showings. Check out the full list of winners:
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture "Bridesmaids" "The Artist" "The Descendants" "The Help" "Midnight in Paris"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role George Clooney, "The Descendants" Demian Bichir, "A Better Life" Leonardo DiCaprio, "J. Edgar" Jean Dujardin, "The Artist" Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn" Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs" Viola Davis, "The Help" Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady" Tilda Swinton, "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Nick Nolte, "Warrior" Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn" Armie Hammer, "J. Edgar" Jonah Hill, "Moneyball" Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Octavia Spencer, "The Help" Berenice Bejo, "The Artist" Jessica Chastain, "The Help" Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids" Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture "The Adjustment Bureau" "Cowboys & Aliens" "Harry Potter and the Deahtly Hallows - Part 2" "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" "X-Men: First Class"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie Or Miniseries Laurence Fishburne, "Thurgood" Paul Giamatti, "Too Big to Fail" Greg Kinnear, "The Kennedys" Guy Pearce, "Mildred Pierce" James Woods, "Too Big to Fail"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie Or Miniseries Diane Lane, "Cinema Verite" Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey" Emily Watson, "Appropriate Adult" Betty White, "The Lost Valentine" Kate Winslet, "Mildred Pierce"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Patrick J. Adams, "Suits" Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire" Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights" Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad" Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Kathy Bates, "Harry's Law" Glenn Close, "Damages" Jessica Lange, "American Horror Story" Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife" Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock" Ty Burrell, "Modern Family" Steve Carell, "The Office" Jon Cryer, "Two and a Half Men" Eric Stonestreet, "Modern Family"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Julie Bowen, "Modern Family" Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie" Tina Fey, "30 Rock" Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family" Betty White, "Hot In Cleveland"
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series "Boardwalk Empire" "Breaking Bad" "Dexter" "Game of Thrones" "The Good Wife"
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series "30 Rock" "The Big Bang Theory" "Glee" "Modern Family" "The Office"
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series "Dexter" "Game of Thrones" "Southland" "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" "True Blood"
Screen Actors Guild Awards 48th Annual Life Achievement Award Mary Tyler Moore
Stick with MTV News all night for the 2012 SAG Awards winners, and don't miss all the fashion from the red carpet!
Full-length video for Madge's new tune will premiere day after Thursday's 'AI' episode. By Jocelyn Vena
Madonna Photo: Getty Images
Madonna is truly an "American Idol," so it's probably fitting that the Queen of Pop has chosen the Fox reality show to debut a tease of the highly anticipated video for her upcoming single "Give Me All Your Luvin'. "
"AI" will premiere a preview of the video during Thursday's episode, a day before its proper debut on Friday, which also happens to be the day the single hits iTunes (a version was leaked late last year). Fans will finally get to hear Madge, Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. in all their sassiness. (Oh, yeah, Madonna's film "W.E." hits theaters that day too!)
Along with producer Martin Solveig, Madge, Nicki and M.I.A all co-wrote "Give Me All Your Luvin', " while the "W.E." director was also onboard to co-produce the track. "Luvin" is the lead single off her upcoming album, M.D.N.A., which is now set to drop on March 26, according to Idolator.
Fans are just getting a glimpse of new artwork for the single, which features Madge sporting only a sweater in a trio of shots. On each sweater, there's a star and a portion of the song's title. In one shot, Madge has her eyes closed with her lips pursed together. In another, she's shouting; and in the third image, she has her hands in her hair, eyes closed and a smile on her face.
Other production credits for the album include William Orbit, the Demolition Crew, Marco "Benny" Benassi and Alessandro "Alle" Benassi, Hardy "Indiigo" Muanza and Michael Malih.
Madonna recently spoke to MTV News about working with Orbit. "With William, I didn't really have a discussion," she said. "We've worked on stuff for so many years that we kind of finish each other's sentences. He knows my taste and what I like. Magic happens when we get into a recording studio together."
Not enough Madonna for you? Well, she'll hit the stage for the Super Bowl halftime show next Sunday, February 5, where, rumor has it, M.I.A., Nicki Minaj, Cee Lo Green and LMFAO will join her. While we don't know much about her performance, the pop superstar teased that it would include a lot of pom poms.
Are you excited to hear the official version of "Give Me All Your Luvin' "? Tell us on our Facebook page!
Pop star shows off new 'do at a Las Vegas charity event. By Rebecca Thomas
Katy Perry at 1 Oak in Las Vegas on Saturday Photo: David Becker/WireImage
Katy Perry is feeling a little less blue these days. The pop star began rocking an electric-blue bob not long after news broke that husband Russell Brand had filed for divorce late last year. But Perry, who stepped out in Las Vegas this weekend, appears to have dipped her locks in the dye once again.
On Friday night, KP hit a charity event dressed in a beaded frock, her razor-cut 'do colored in a rich turquoise. The party at the Vegas outpost of nightspot 1OAK was hosted by GiveLove.org, an organization devoted to improving public health in Haiti.
But although newly separated Perry reportedly put on a good face, one source told amNewYork the "Waking Up in Vegas" singer seemed "subdued." The pop star "pretty much sat in the same spot the whole night" as her friends danced, according to the source.
While Katy has always been adventurous about her hair hues, post-split, she seems, anecdotally at least, to be hitting the bottle — of dye — with increasing frequency.
Brand and Perry announced the end of their marriage on December 30, after 14 months together. The exes have been a keeping a rather low profile ever since. The comic is set to perform on March 4 at New York's Radio City Music Hall as part of an Amnesty International benefit, while Perry may turn up next at the Grammy awards on February 12, where she's up for two statues. She was spotted earlier this month shooting an Adidas ad, not long after wrapping two concert dates in Indonesia and the Philippines.
Share your thoughts on Katy's latest look on our Facebook page.
His dad, rapper Peter Gunz, confirms report to MTV News: 'To go to a precinct and see your son in handcuffs, it's heartbreaking.' By Nadeska Alexis
Cory Gunz Photo: Oluwaseye Olusa/MTV
Veteran Bronx MC Peter Gunz confirmed to MTV News early Sunday (January 29) that his son, rapper Cory Gunz, was arrested for gun possession in the Bronx, New York, on Saturday afternoon.
"The details are still sketchy, but I can confirm that he was arrested with a firearm yesterday in the Bronx," Gunz told MTV News. "They caught him around 2 p.m. in the afternoon with a loaded gun in his knapsack.
"It was definitely an illegal search," Peter added.
Gunz was unable to disclose full details on the incident just yet, but he explained the events leading up to his son's arrest. "I spoke to the arresting officer, and so far, what I'm hearing from him is that they got a phone call at the station saying they should 'look out,' " Gunz said. "According to [the officer], they didn't know he was Cory Gunz. They just saw a bunch of kids following him around.
"What I will say is that the officer that arrested Cory actually happened to be a cool dude," Gunz continued. "After arresting Cory, sitting down with him and talking, he felt bad about the situation."
The 24-year-old rapper was brought to the 43rd Precinct in the Bronx on Saturday, but officials there say he has since been transported to Central Booking, on E. 161st Street in the Bronx.
While this is Cory Gunz's first brush with the law, his father is still worried about the potential fallout from a firearm charge.
"At the end of the day, there's a reason for everything, but at the same time, in New York, it's mandatory jail time," he said. "To go to a precinct and see your son, your junior, in handcuffs, it's heartbreaking. Anytime you see your child in jail, in the cell, in handcuffs, it's very hard. He's walked down some of the same paths that I walked down, but you never want to see your kids go through what you went through.
"This is Cory's first offense, but sometimes they like to make an example out of rappers and people with any kind of celebrity to them."
In April 2011, Cory Gunz and his father starred in the six-part MTV docu-series "Son of a Gun," which charted the young rapper's rise to fame. The younger Gunz is signed to Lil Wayne's Young Money label.
Mary-Louise Parker not stepping in as Gloria Steinem in the Linda Lovelace biopic, as had been reported. By Kevin P. Sullivan
Sarah Jessica Parker Photo: Getty Images
A report from Us Weekly on Friday (January 27) claimed that "Weeds" star Mary-Louise Parker was stepping in to replace Demi Moore in "Lovelace." However, according to a press release, a different Parker — Sarah Jessica Parker — will step in for Moore as Gloria Steinem in the Linda Lovelace biopic.
Moore dropped out of the film earlier this week after being hospitalized for "exhaustion," and the search for her replacement began soon afterward. The film, which is currently filming in Los Angeles, stars Amanda Seyfried as the famous 1970s porn star.
On Thursday, actress Chloë Sevigny joined the cast of "Lovelace" as a journalist, sparking speculation that she could be the one to replace Moore. When sources confirmed to Us Weekly that Mary-Louise Parker would take the role of Steinem, this no longer appeared to be the case. Hours after Us' initial report, the film's directors, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman ("Howl"), confirmed with Entertainment Weekly that Sarah Jessica Parker was Moore's true replacement, declaring the previous report erroneous. A press release announcing the news was sent to MTV News shortly thereafter.
Moore officially left the film Tuesday amid controversy surrounding her hospitalization, which a rep for the actress referred to as Moore's decision to "seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health." Since Moore's hospitalization, rumors have run rampant seeking an explanation for the medical emergency. Claims of drug and nitrous-oxide abuse arose shortly after word of the incident broke.
Check out the vintage clip in advance of Tuesday's 'MTV First: Reese Witherspoon.' By Jocelyn Vena
Reese Witherspoon in 1991 Photo: MTV News
Reese Witherspoon is slated to sit down with MTV News on Tuesday for an exclusive interview and premiere of a previously unseen clip from her upcoming film "This Means War." The special, "MTV First: Reese Witherspoon," will air on Tuesday at 7:56 p.m. ET on MTV.
But before we look to the future, we are going to take a peep at her past. MTV News has uncovered a precious vintage gem, a 1991 interview with the then up-and-comer. "Ever since I was 7," the already precocious and sassy rookie told MTV News when asked whether she had always had her sights set on a career in Hollywood. "I just thought, I always wanted to do something really outgoing 'cause when I was little I was really kind of quiet, but you know, I'd always be really creative at home and stuff, and finally I started, you know, speaking out and doing little things to impress everybody."
She further explained that once she had decided that acting was something she wanted to do, she took the necessary steps to make sure she'd be ready for fame and stardom. "I started taking little acting classes and improv classes and, you know, [that] turned out to be what I was going to do," she said. "I was always going to do something really out there, really far away. Does that make any sense? No, not really."
Later mocking herself and her answer, she teased, "That's nice, Reese. That's real nice."
Following the on-air "First" segment, Academy Award winner Witherspoon will stay for an additional 30-minute interview on MTV.com with MTV News' Josh Horowitz. Fans can be part of the action right away by submitting video or text questions starting Monday on MTV.com or via Twitter by using hashtag #MTVFirst.
"This Means War," the McG-directed comedy-action film, stars Witherspoon as a seductive female dating two of the world's deadliest CIA operatives (played by Chris Pine and Tom Hardy), whose partnership and friendship are put in jeopardy when they begin to battle for her affections. Instead of talking to her about the love triangle, they try to settle the matter using all of the weapons at their disposal.
The film also stars one of Witherspoon's real-life pals, comedian and "Chelsea Lately" host Chelsea Handler, who gives Reese's character the terrible advice that she should continue dating both men.
Effects work 'frighteningly well' but 'premise is so devoutly ridiculous,' critics say. By Kara Warner
Sam Worthington in "Man on a Ledge" Photo: Summit
If your impressions about the new action thriller "Man on a Ledge" are based on the film's very-literal title, you're very likely correct in assuming to know a decent amount about the film before entering the theater. "Ledge" is the story of ex-cop and fugitive Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), whose seemingly obvious suicidal plan to jump off a building is slowly revealed to be something much more.
Thus far, the critical reception for the film is very different from initial audience reactions. The Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer has "Ledge" at a 22 percent fresh rating from critics, versus a 65 percent fresh audience rating.
Read on to see what has the two viewing bodies so divided as we sift through the "Man on a Ledge" reviews:
The Premise "It's an arresting image, Sam Worthington out on that 40th-story ledge. He's a fairly tough-looking guy, after all, and we know him best as the tooth-gritting blockbuster hero of 'Avatar' and 'Clash of the Titans,' so it's head-spinning to see the man's beefy figure as a speck hovering so precariously close to New York's infinite sky. The camera swirls around Worthington's disgraced former cop Nick Cassidy, inching out past that thin strip of architecture, then back in. What if he trips, or jumps? For a while, anything seems possible, and it's both exhilarating and terrifying. Then the wool comes off, and it's clear that director Asger Leth and screenwriter Pablo Fenjves have ambitions considerably less grand than their protagonist's perch. Cassidy's ledge game — with all the studio-unfriendly moral ambiguities it entails — is just a con, a photo op for the crowds, and Nick's apparent desire to exit the material world is a front. What he truly, passionately wants to do is steal some jewelry." — Andrew Lapin, NPR
The Impact of Practical Effect "I, on the other hand, was gripping anything in reach, palms dripping, thinking I might not have survived the effects had they been 3-D. Though there were other production sites, serious time was spent actually shooting on that 14-inch ledge wrapping the 21st floor of the Roosevelt Hotel to create the vicarious sensation of being there. Which worked frighteningly well, at least for the vertiginous among us. Oh, that the actual human dynamics of the unfolding story could have been as dramatic, as on the edge as that ledge." — Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times
The Direction "Mr. Leth, the son of renowned Danish documentarian Jorgen Leth, has directed only one other film, 'Ghosts of Cité Soleil,' a highly stylized doc that revealed a soul yearning to breathe free of nonfiction. He has an instinct for weaving sturdy narrative fabric out of intersecting plot lines. ... Amid the hoopla, Mr. Leth takes sobering assessment of media-circuses and mob mentalities: The people down below taking cellphone pictures, the ones yelling 'Jump!'; the callous nature of cops for whom it's all routine. There's the occasional goofy grace note: Kyra Sedgwick, playing a voracious and obviously Anglo television reporter named Suzie Morales, rolls the 'R' in her surname as she signs off, just in case someone missed the point (we've all heard it). In another scene, Mr. Leth takes such pains to strip the shapely Ms. Rodriguez down to her underwear that audiences, who may well be leering, will also be laughing at how obvious it is." — John Anderson, Wall Street Journal
The Final Word, Pro/Con Style "Director Asger Leth, making his U.S. feature-film debut with 'Man on a Ledge,' keeps the pace brisk and never allows the tone to stray into self-seriousness, which is crucial for a movie whose premise is so devoutly ridiculous. The script, from Pablo F. Fenjves, provides enough feints and twists to keep us engaged. Jamie Bell and Genesis Rodriguez aren't the most believable of couples, but there's a screwball charm to their comic routine as amateur thieves charged with aiding Nick's scheme. (Leth can't resist inserting an entirely superfluous — but nonetheless greatly appreciated — scene of the criminally gorgeous Rodriguez stripping down to a thong in the middle of a heist.) Worthington makes for a likable populist protagonist, even if his Australian accent betrays him on copious occasions, and Harris' disturbingly emaciated frame lends an added menace to his devious plutocrat villain." — Thomas Leupp, Hollywood.com
"Like last year's action comedy 'Tower Heist,' 'Man on a Ledge' becomes something of a parable of the 99 percent, with Cassidy initially an object of prurient interest for the massed crowds below, then becoming a blue-collar folk hero. That gives the movie at least a frisson of contemporary relevance, but the filmmakers blow that advantage with plot and characterization that require not just a suspension of disbelief but a suspension of eye-rolling reflexes and the nagging impulse to burst into derisive laughter." — Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
On the call, someone called 'Ru' was asked to provide an address for emergency responders. By Kara Warner
Demi Moore with daughter Rumer Willis Photo: Getty Images
Ever since news of Demi Moore's hospitalization broke, more details have emerged each day to paint a clearer picture of the circumstances that led to the actress' ambulance ride to the ER on Monday night.
Some reports have claimed Moore was inhaling nitrous oxide from aerosol cans, also known as whip-its, the night the 911 call was placed from her home in Los Angeles, the recording and details of which were released Friday (January 27). Several people were heard on the call describing various symptoms the actress was experiencing at the time, as well as a few comments that seemed to indicate that Moore's friends were just learning of her alleged substance abuse.
One question that is causing a buzz online is whether Moore's 23-year-old daughter, Rumer Willis, was present during the ordeal. Careful listening of the 911 call reveals an exchange between one of the callers and someone named "Ru," who is asked for the specific address and instructions for how the paramedics can get to the house.
"Hey, Ru, what's the name at the gate so that we can buzz them in from here?" a man is heard asking on the call.
There has been no confirmation regarding Rumer's presence at the scene, but she reportedly goes by the "Ru" nickname and references it on her Twitter account.
Sources told E! News that Moore's three daughters are doing fine since their mom's health scare. Rumer reportedly visited her mother several times at the hospital before she was discharged earlier this week. Tallulah, 17, is with her dad, Bruce Willis. "She's doing great," the source said. "Her grandmother [Bruce's mom] is also there with her." Moore's other daughter, 20-year-old Scout, goes to Brown University in Rhode Island and reportedly hasn't been home since the incident.
Last week, the federal government took action against Megaupload.com, arresting several members of the company on racketeering and copyright-infringement charges. A federal indictment alleged that the site, which allows users to transfer large files, has generated more than $175 million in criminal proceeds and costs copyright-holders more than $500 million in lost revenue from pirated movies, albums and other materials.
According to TorrentFreak.com, Pirate Parties around the world are banding together to file an official complaint against U.S. authorities in an effort to recover the large amounts of non-pirated data, research documents and personal videos that are shared among users on the site.
"The widespread damage caused by the sudden closure of Megaupload is unjustified and completely disproportionate to the aim intended," they announced in a statement obtained by TorrentFreak. "For this reason Pirates of Catalonia, in collaboration with Pirate Parties International and other Pirate Parties, have begun investigating these potential breaches of law and will facilitate submission of complaints against the US authorities in as many countries as possible, to ensure a positive and just result.
"This initiative is a starting point for legitimate internet users to help defend themselves from the legal abuses promoted by those wishing to aggressively lock away cultural materials for their own financial gain."
The Department of Justice said the case against Megaupload is among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States. The news broke just a day after major websites like Wikipedia and Google protested against the U.S. House of Representatives' controversial Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, and the Senate's similar Protect IP Act.
Stars of the film talk to MTV News about the thriller surrounding 'a desperate man in a desperate situation.' By Kara Warner
Sam Worthington and Jamie Bell in "Man on a Ledge" Photo: Summit Entertainment
While some filmmakers go the mysterious or fanciful route with their titles, there are just as many who tell their prospective audiences exactly what they're going to see. "Man on a Ledge," which opened Friday (January 27), is about as literal a film title as you can get.
When MTV News caught up with the cast recently, we asked them to explain the inherent intrigue in the title, as well as why the film has so much more going for it than just a man and a ledge.
"[The film is about] a desperate man in a desperate situation," star Sam Worthington said of his character and the man on a ledge himself, Nick Cassidy. "As the movie goes on, we get to see why he's there and how's he's going to get out of it."
Worthington went on to say that "Man on a Ledge" takes a few cues from action films like "The Negotiator" and "Phone Booth."
"I like those movies. I've always said I like doing movies that I would go and see and this is in the same vein as those movies," Worthington said. "It's exciting, thrilling and interesting for the audience because they've got a lead character who they're wondering, 'What's going to happen next?' "
"The basic premise of the movie is that there is a man on a ledge, and the great thing is that there is so much more behind that basic premise," added co-star Elizabeth Banks, who plays determined hostage negotiator Lydia Mercer. "Why is he there? What is he there for? What's really happening? Those are all the questions that my character has and I get to sort of be the surrogate for the audience.
"The whole time we're watching the movie we're learning more about what's going on. I'm the truth-seeker of the movie, I'm really interested in understanding why he's there in the first place," she explained. "Sam's character says to me at one point, 'You need to listen, I'm prepared to die' and what he's really saying is 'Even if I die, I need you to carry on and tell everyone what happened,' and that's the great mystery of the movie. The action that drives the movie is, 'What the heck is going on here?' "
Jamie Bell, who plays the man on the ledge's younger brother, conceded that the title basically sells the film. "It's quite literal," he said.
"I think that's what throws people off," offered Genesis Rodriguez, who plays the girlfriend of Bell's character. "They're like, 'Oh, it's a movie about a man on a ledge.' It really isn't. There's more to it.' You should check it out because you don't know it all."
Are you planning on seeing "Man on a Ledge" this weekend? Leave your comment below!
One celebrity watcher weighs in on the actress' latest personal woes. By Jocelyn Vena
Demi Moore in September Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
As more details about Demi Moore's recent hospitalization emerge, celebrity watchers are getting an inside look at the actress' personal life since her split with Ashton Kutcher in November. While some revelations may seem too personal, one expert told MTV News this sort of nothing's-off-limits coverage comes with the territory.
"When you're a celebrity, it's open season for the press to scrutinize every aspect of your life, specifically your personal life. Most celebrities are used to being under the microscope like this, but when the scrutiny involves their personal relationships, especially a split, everything is magnified," celebrity magazine editor David Caplan told MTV News on Friday, just as the 911 call from the night of her health scare hit the Web.
"The scrutiny, the press coverage ... can be very stressful for a celebrity, because the majority of the information being disseminated about the relationship and the split in the press is often highly critical of the celebrity," he added.
When one bit of bad news — like a divorce or substance abuse — comes to light, the media has a field day trying to uncover even more dirt.
"As the press seeks to explain why the split occurred, skeletons in a stars' closet are revealed, and demons are revealed. In the case of Demi and Ashton, she was basically humiliated since it came to light that Ashton was blatantly cheating on Demi, with younger women, making Demi look like she was manipulated in the relationship — let alone reports claiming they had an open marriage," Caplan said. "Once this was revealed, the floodgates were open and stories emerged of Demi's alleged low self-esteem, how her partying put strain on the marriage and other aspects about her life. For someone who already seems to be on an emotional roller coaster, this doesn't bode well for Demi's mental health and well-being."
As the Demi story continues to hold the public's interest, expect the focus to also fall on her famous ex. "It's also exacerbated by the fact that Ashton seems to be going on with his life and enjoying himself," Caplan noted. "Combining all this together takes such a mental toll, a breakdown isn't surprising."
Matthew Broderick may be returning to classic 1986 role, but this time behind the wheel of a CR-V. By Kevin P. Sullivan
Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller in a Super Bowl tease
A 10-second preview of a Super Bowl ad took the internet by storm on Thursday. The clip featured actor Matthew Broderick throwing open the curtains of a window, looking into the camera and asking, "How can I handle work on a day like today?"
That's before the classic "bow-bow-chicka-chicka" from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" plays, ending the preview with just the date of the Super Bowl left to tease us.
It seems clear that Broderick reprises the role of Ferris Bueller, but the preview told us nothing else. The YouTube video listed no company and didn't suggest the product that the ad would ultimately feature.
MTV News reached out to both Broderick and one of the producers of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," Tom Jacobson, for comment, but neither responded to our requests.
Then Friday (January 27), the automotive blog Jalopnik reported that a source "familiar with Honda's operations" revealed that Ferris will appear in a commercial for the car company during the Super Bowl. "The source also added that the spot was going to mimic much of the original film, except this time prominently featuring Hondas," Jalopnik reported. "The big jump the two valets do in Cameron's dad's Ferrari? We hear this time it's going to be a Honda CR-V."
Jalopnik's source also said Honda apparently put a lot of money behind the ad, even going as far as to hire "The Hangover" director Todd Phillips to create the spot.
Although the Honda story sounds likely, we will have to wait until February 5 to find out exactly what Ferris has been up to.
Alex Da Silva was convicted of rape and assault against former dance students. By Katie Byrne
Alex Da Silva (file) Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
"So You Think You Can Dance" fans haven't seen Alex Da Silva on the show since season four back in 2008, and there's a reason the choreographer has been off the radar: He has been in jail since being charged with raping a former dance student and assaulting another one. On Friday (January 27), Da Silva was sentenced to 10 years in prison for those crimes, TMZ reports.
While the 43-year-old was accused of raping and sexually assaulting four women, he was convicted in September of only one count of rape and one count of assault with intent to commit rape; the jury was deadlocked on the other charges. He was arrested back in 2009 and charged with multiple felonies. Unable to pay the bail set at $2 million, Da Silva has remained in jail for the past two years. On top of his 10 years in prison, he is now required to register as a sex offender for life.
Da Silva appeared on seasons one through four of "So You Think You Can Dance" as a guest choreographer specializing in Salsa dancing. In season two, eventual winner Benji Schwimmer named his Da Silva-choreographed mambo as his favorite routine of the show.
After his arrest, Da Silva did an interview with SalsaFreak.com to clear his name, insisting that he had done nothing wrong with his students. "I know the truth, and I don't even know who the others are," he said, claiming to not even be acquainted with some of his accusers. "It's all a bunch of lies, and people just want to bring me down. If something like that really happened, then they should have gone to the police that night, or the same day, but it was never that way. I have too much to lose. I don't need that type of thing in my life."
'She's shaking, convulsing, burning up,' one caller says the night of Moore's hospitalization. By Jocelyn Vena
Demi Moore Photo: Jason Kempin/ Getty Images
In the 911 call made the night of Demi Moore's hospitalization, a female caller is heard describing the events that led to the actress' Monday health scare.
Describing Moore's condition as "semiconscious, barely," the caller told the 911 operator, "She smoked something. It's not marijuana, but it's similar to it. It's similar to incense. She seems to be having convulsions of some sort."
The first caller then passed the phone to another woman, who added, "She's shaking, convulsing, burning up. I'm taking cold water and putting it on her back because she's burning up. I don't know what would have made her do it."
There appeared to be several other people present at the time of the call, as they all frantically tried to keep the actress afloat. When asked if it was common for Moore to react in this way, one caller said, "There has been some stuff recently that we're just finding out." Another caller added: "She's been having some issues lately with some other stuff, so I don't know what she's been taking or not."
As the seven-minute phone call wrapped up, the paramedics arrived to the residence. On Tuesday, Moore's rep said she had been hospitalized due to "exhaustion"; however, there has been speculation that she had been inhaling nitrous oxide at the time of the incident.
Sources told E! News that her three daughters are doing fine. Rumer, 23, visited her mother several times at the hospital before she was discharged earlier this week. Tallulah, 17, is with her dad, Bruce Willis. "She's doing great," the source told E! "Her grandmother [Bruce's mom] is also there with her." Moore's other daughter, 20-year-old Scout, goes to Brown University in Rhode Island and reportedly hasn't been home since the incident.
Despite all the hype and controversy, critics are pretty impressed by Del Rey's atmospheric music. By Gil Kaufman
Lana Del Rey's "Born To Die" video Photo: Interscope
The now-infamous "Saturday Night Live" performance fail. All the hype about her looks, her path to the spotlight and the obligatory album leak a week before her debut dropped.
Lana Del Rey survived a lifetime's worth of slings and arrows before her major-label debut, Born to Die, was even released. But now that it's officially out, critics have had a chance to listen to the atmospheric tracks she's put together, and for the most part, they're pretty impressed.
The Chicago Tribune gave it two out of four stars and said the finished product is not always as interesting as the run-up to its release. "[The album] positions itself as a knowing retro commentary. It borrows heavily from B movies starring various second- and third-level 'Rebel Without a Cause' bad boys on motorcycles, string-drenched 'Last Kiss' pop tunes in which young lovers die in each other's arms, beehived teens-with-attitude declaring, 'He hit me and it felt like a kiss,' " music critic Greg Kot wrote. While Kot said Del Rey wishes to be taken seriously as "the bad girl in a gown, the cabaret singer with a masochistic streak," he said she's not always up to the task, even as he praised her distinctive, draggy vocal delivery and the dramatic, eerie arrangements from producer Emilie Haynie.
Over at BBC, the focus was squarely on the music, saying above and beyond the drama, Born to Die is about "something older and more mysterious than that; the extraordinary, resilient power of the pop song." The reviewer lamented that nothing on the 12-track album quite reaches the exquisite bummerness of lead single "Video Games," with several of the songs running "perilously close, while revealing there's more to her than the love-stunned torch singer [of that song]." What makes the album so fascinating and sets Del Rey apart from the typical "I'm hot, you're hot" pop tart is her "preoccupation with Hollywood archetypes of American femininity, and her ability to shape-shift between them."
MTV News' own James Montgomery believed the hype, writing that the album was "positively brimming with atmospherics — soaring, sonorous strings, echoing electronic boom-bap, morose, maudlin guitar crescendos — all of which imbue it with a truly epic (if not unnecessarily dramatic) scope." For him, the album is a "thrilling headphone experience" that sounds like the $1 million he suspected it cost to make.
The U.K.'s Guardian also praised the "sumptuous" orchestration and Del Rey's "fine" voice. But after being impressed by the "beguiling description of a mundane love" affair in "Video Games," the reviewer said the album's other lyrics are "incredibly heavy-handed in their attempts to convince you that Lana del Rey is the doomed but devoted partner of a kind of Athena poster bad boy, all white vest, cheekbones and dangling ciggie." If anything, the Guardian critic didn't buy the Del Rey tough-girl personality and said the best bet is to mostly ignore the lyrics and focus on "how magnificently most of the melodies have been constructed."
Leave your own review of Born to Die in the comments!
Critics give mostly positive reviews to Liam Neeson's wolf-punching thriller. By Kevin P. Sullivan
Liam Neeson in "The Grey" Photo: Open Road Films
For the third January in a row, Liam Neeson returns to kick ass more than any other 59-year-old we know. This time he isn't taking down sex traffickers like in "Taken" or whatever he was fighting in "Unknown." No, this time, it's wolves.
For a movie that was sold on the notion of wolf punching, "The Grey" has received primarily positive reviews for its deeper-than-you'd-think story and characters.
Check out what the critics are saying about "The Grey."
The Story "We meet Neeson's character, a heartbroken loner named John Ottway, on the verge of suicide and thinking back, obsessively, to the woman who got away. His demons temporarily quelled, Ottway boards a small plane with his fellow refinery workers and in one of the most nerve-racking flights ever put on film, the aircraft runs afoul of bad weather and crashes. (For a turbulence wimp like me, this scene was not easy.)" — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
The Star "Having paid his quality biopic dues as Oskar Schindler, Michael Collins and Alfred Kinsey, Mr. Neeson has, at least for now, turned to the rougher and perhaps more lucrative work of action heroism. It takes nothing away from his earlier achievements to note that he's really good at it. He conveys a ferocious and absolute seriousness even when the going gets silly, and he finds the soul in each new angry-everyman cipher he is asked to play." — A.O. Scott, New York Times
The Wolves " 'The Grey' is an unrelenting demonstration that wolves have no opinion. When they attack, it's not personal. They've spent untold millennia learning how to survive, naked and without weapons, in fearsome places like the Arctic Circle in the dead of winter. They aren't precisely unarmed; they have their teeth and claws, but how far would that get us, even if we had rifles?" — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The Director "We've come, in vain, to see [Neeson] danse-macabre with wolves, and the film's director, Joe Carnahan, provides the occasional horror-film sneak attack. He also manages to create one of the movies' more nightmarish plane crashes and conclude with just the sort of ludicrous finale that paying customers who've seen the ads might assume they would be getting a whole film of." — Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
The Final Word "For all its macho standoffs and action set pieces and menacing off-screen howling, 'The Grey' is at heart a simple moral fable about how true heroism consists in helping other human beings to live as long and die as well as they can, which is, after all, the task all of us face each day, even when we're not fending off wolves with broken glass duct-taped to our knuckles." — Dana Stevens, Slate
MTV News exclusive: The British boy band will play themselves on an episode of Miranda Cosgrove's hit Nick show. By Jocelyn Vena
Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik of One Direction Photo: Redferns
"iCarly" is about to feel the effects of a British Invasion. The show has just booked British boy band One Direction to appear on the fifth season of the Miranda Cosgrove-starring show.
The guys will be on set Monday to tape their appearance on the episode, during which they will play themselves and perform "What Makes You Beautiful."
According to a synopsis of the episode, "Carly returns home sick after a trip and discovers that One Direction has accepted an invitation to perform on their web show. Not long after arriving, bandmate Harry becomes sick and we see Carly doting over him. Realizing Harry is playing sick for the attention, they hatch a plan to get him back in the group by telling him Gibby has become their newest bandmember. Meanwhile, Spencer becomes a personal trainer and gives a bratty girl a makeover."
The guys of One Direction, who got their start after appearing on "The X Factor" in 2010, are already superstars in their native U.K., and now it seems they are poised to break Stateside. Their debut album, Up All Night, is set for U.S. release on March 20, and they will be touring with Big Time Rush starting next month.
Cosgrove stopped by the MTV News offices recently and teased that there were some big plans in store for season five. "We're just getting started to start the next season, so I'm not really sure what's going to come, because it's sort of a surprise for all of us even," she said. "But I've heard Carly's getting a boyfriend, so that's exciting, and we're gonna have some more musical guests, some big, different musical artists," she said, noting that she'd love to get Katy Perry on the show. "There are a lot of different musical acts that I love, so it's fun whenever we get to have music in an episode."
Rihanna had everyone buzzing this week when she debuted a tattoo with the words "Thug Life" scrolled across her famous fingers. The flesh-colored ink was done up by Los Angeles tat artist Mark Mahoney at the Shamrock Social Club parlor in Hollywood. While the body art pays tribute to late rapper Tupac, it is certainly not the first time that Rihanna has gotten a tattoo.
In fact, the singer is no novice. She's already covered in ink, ranging from the sugary sweet to the more hard-core.
She made headlines back in 2009 when she debuted a gun tattoo on her rib cage. Rihanna's tattoo was scandalous as it came only months after her Grammy-night altercation with her ex, Chris Brown. "People are going to react all different ways," tat artist BangBang explained to MTV News at the time, noting that it had been in the works long before the incident. "She's great. She's perfect. We had a blast, and we had a lot of fun."
BangBang and Rihanna have quite the history together when it comes to the many tats on her body. He is also responsible for the star tattoos on her back, the Roman numerals on her shoulder and the word "Shhh ... " on her finger.
But Rihanna hasn't stopped there. She has also been branded with a musical note on her ankle, a Pisces sign behind her right ear, the word "love" on her middle finger and a tribal tattoo on her hand. She reportedly has the birthday of her manager Melissa Forde written in Roman numerals on her shoulder: XI-IV-LXXXVI. As an homage to her perfume line she also has the French words for rebellious flower, "rebelle fleur," on her neck.
The singer also has a Sanatana Dharma Sanskrit prayer on her right hip.
Reportedly misspelled, the phrase was supposed to mean "forgiveness, honesty, suppression and control," but actually ends up meaning "long suffering, truthfulness, self-restraint, inward calm, fear and fearlessness."
On her rib cage, she also has the Arabic phrase "Al Hurria fi Al Maseeh," which means "Freedom in God." Proving to be some sort of billboard for sage advice, she also has the motto "Never a Failure, Always a Lesson" scrolled across her collarbone. Other Ri tats include a star in her ear and a skull and cross bone on her ankle.
In fact, Rihanna loves tattoos so much that in July 2009, she was spotted giving BangBang a tattoo at New York's East Side Ink, where he works. Owner Yadira said at the time, "We had a blast. It was so funny and cute."
When BangBang spoke to MTV News in 2009, he added this philosophy when it comes to tatting the singer: "You don't want to be staring at tats. You want to be staring at her face."
Actor who plays Ron Swanson tells MTV News that 'the evil Tammy Two' returns in the fall. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Nick Offerman in "Parks and Recreation" Photo: NBC
As the latest season of "Parks and Recreation" rolls along, fans of the quirky NBC comedy have been rooting for the show's leading lady, Leslie Knope, as she tries to win the hearts of the folks in Pawnee, Indiana, by running for a spot on the city council.
But Leslie isn't having all the fun. Pawnee's resident curmudgeon, Ron Swanson (played by Nick Offerman), is finding himself caught up in an unexpected friendship with the always-optimistic government star Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe). As always, Swanson is working to make sure government doesn't run smoothly, and of course he faces the possibility that one of his ex-wives could show up and bring their own brand of trouble to his life.
"If we can help it," Offerman told MTV News at the Sundance Film Festival when asked if there would be a chance to bring back one of his character's former wives, both named Tammy (one played by his real-life wife, Megan Mullally, and the other by Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson). "I know that there's one juicy story coming up in the fall for Tammy Two, the evil Tammy Two [Mullally]."
But until then, Offerman, offscreen, will be wearing another hat. He recently wrote one of the show's upcoming episodes, and in addition to some more Knope-related election excitement there will also be a shakeup in his character's romantic life.
"Oh gosh. It was so fun and exciting and crazy. The episode is called 'Lucky.' Leslie Knope gets this really lucky interview with sort of the Anderson Cooper of Indianapolis. But then the interview is canceled and it comes back on, and some hilarity ensues," he explained. "Meanwhile, Ron Swanson and Chris Traeger are vying for the attentions of Andy Dwyer's women's studies college professor. It's very funny."
Atlanta rapper commends Short Dog on his beef-free career and way with the ladies. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway
Too $hort Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News
No doubt 2 Chainz is the hottest underground rapper in the streets right now, so when he threw a nod to rap legend Too $hort on Rick Ross' "F--- Em," it proved that the ATL spitter's hip-hop ties were deep-rooted. "Dad wasn't around; my father figure was Too $hort," 2 Chainz spit when he appeared on Rozay's Rich Forever mixtape.
So when Chainz and Short Dog appeared on Wednesday's "RapFix Live," they shared quite a moment. It was $hort's 1988 album Life Is ... Too $hort that provided 2 Chainz with his earliest musical memories after he sent someone much older than him to the store to buy the explicit CD LP for him. "I remember being in the neighborhood and all the other kids' parents thought I was bad because I was tryin' to get them to get on that," 2 Chainz said.
2 Chainz went on to praise $hort for his beef-free career as well as his way with the ladies. "I can only imagine why $hort has never had beef with nobody," 2 Chainz told "RapFix" host Sway Calloway. "He's a straight-up businessman. He got a savvy and it is about the women. And at the end of the day, it's about getting your money."
Getting money is something 2 Chainz knows plenty about. His current single, "Spend It," is a lyrical celebration of life's excesses. Industry insiders expect Chainz to go on to cash even bigger checks once he signs with one of the major labels that have been pursuing him. "I'm coming up to New York to have a few finalized meetings," 2 Chainz said about his plans for next week.
Chainz is also headlining his first major NYC show at SOB's on Monday and will stop by "RapFix Live" next Wednesday.
In other Demi news, Madonna reportedly reaches out to actress after her hospitalization. By Jocelyn Vena
Demi Moore Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/ WireImage
Editor's note: While Us Weekly originally reported that "Weeds" star Mary-Louise Parker would replace Demi Moore as Gloria Steinem in "Lovelace," the filmmakers have confirmed to MTV News that Moore's actual replacement is Sarah Jessica Parker.
Amid her personal woes, Demi Moore, who had been set to play Gloria Steinem in the Linda Lovelace biopic, has been replaced by "Weeds" star Mary-Louise Parker.
Sources confirm to UsMagazine.com that the TV star will fill in for Moore, who had to drop out of the film earlier this week after she was hospitalized for "exhaustion." On Thursday, there was speculation that Chloë Sevigny would play the feminist icon when she was cast as a feminist journalist, but now it seems that those are two different roles.
"Lovelace" is currently shooting in Los Angeles with Amanda Seyfried playing the film's central character, '70s porn actress Linda Lovelace.
As the Demi drama rolls on, there are reports that Madonna reached out to the actress shortly after she was hospitalized. Moore has since been released from the L.A.-area hospital.
Sources tells E! News that the singer called her actress pal. "Madonna told Demi she was there if she needs anything," the E! source says, adding, "They're pretty tight."
The ladies last hung out during Golden Globes weekend, and they reportedly were going to see one another again over Super Bowl weekend; Madge is slated to perform during the halftime show. The status of their annual post-Oscars bash is currently up in the air.
While speculation runs rampant about why Moore was hospitalized, sources say that her ex, Ashton Kutcher, is "deeply concerned" for her. Moore is rumored to have been doing nitrous oxide before landing in the hospital. "He still cares about her and wants the best for her," the source added. "But their marriage is ending and they are both moving on with their lives."
'Pants Back' cast throws a party in Brooklyn to celebrate the show's much-anticipated premiere on February 2. By Jocelyn Vena
Peter Vack and Kim Shaw Photo: MTV News
NEW YORK — On Thursday night, the cast of MTV's latest scripted comedy, "I Just Want My Pants Back," gathered at the Public Assembly in Brooklyn, where they not only celebrated the show's imminent arrival, but also got to hang out with their Thursday night cohorts, the cast of the "Jersey Shore."
The pilot for the series originally got some love when it made its debut after the VMAs in August, and now it will officially kick off its run next Thursday. The cast, it seems, can't wait to finally have it on air.
"At last! I know everyone's been asking," Jordan Carlos joked to MTV News about the long-simmering delay. "My parents can finally get off my back; it's real. It'll be on on Groundhog Day, which happens to be my birthday as well."
"We've been seeing the commercials for the show for years now," Sunkrish Bala teased. "Slow burn, but it's all coming to a beautiful conclusion right now."
"It feels so crazy to be here right now," co-star Kim Shaw said. "We wanted people to see it at the VMAs to give people a taste of what we were filming, and now that we're finished with the series, we're so excited that everyone gets to see the whole thing."
Having already had one very high-profile premiere, it seems that next week it will get one more thanks to the "Jersey Shore" as its lead-in. "It's awesome," Elisabeth Hower said. "The fact that the network has so much confidence around us really means a lot, and I think that says a lot about the show. Please watch the show. We're nice people."
"It's an amazing lead-in," said Peter Vack, leading man of "Pants Back." " 'Jersey Shore' is a great show."
While "Jersey Shore" and "Pants Back" may seem like different shows on the surface — one's scripted, one's a reality show; one's about hipsters, one's about guidos — they both deal with a group of friends navigating their love lives. "Pants Back" follows a group of twentysomethings in New York City as they pilot love, friendship and the job market with a good dose of dirty humor and some heart thrown in for good measure.
"The show just goes so many fun places," Vack teased. "It's just a crazy ride, and I'm excited for people to take the ride with us."
"Pants Back" premieres on February 2 at 11 P.M. ET/PT right after "Jersey Shore."
Are you excited for "I Just Want My Pants Back"? Let us know in the comments section!
Plus, the Situation is hungover and the girls wear bunny suits in this week's episode. By Jim Cantiello
Mike "The Situation" on Thursday's Episode of "Jersey Shore" Photo: MTV
The Situation's back and he got a Hugh Hefner-themed surprise party, what with the strippers and the wheelchairs. Here now, my five favorite moments from this week's "Jersey Shore."
5. Hungover Situation You can't get any more DTF than a stripper, right? Wrong. Just ask the Situation, who brought home one of his party favors.
"I don't even remember her name. It might as well be A-nita because all night she was saying 'I need a cigarette. I need French toast.' Well I need you to get the hell out of my house!"
I think Hungover Situation is my favorite Situation. On the other hand, dude, she's a stripper who never actually took her clothes off. That's like being mad at your anorexic friend for giving you a crappy restaurant recommendation.
4. Old Man With Vinny gone, Danny the T-shirt guy is looking to find a new employee/housemate and made J-Woww write up a "Help Wanted" sign after she tore down the first one.
J-Woww says, "What should the sign say, because Danny's being a douche ..."
"You should write, 'See old man inside for details!' " the Situation laughs.
The Situation - 1, Danny - 0.
The Situation walks away, and J-Woww says under her breath, "But then people would think they should talk to you."
The Situation - 1, J-Woww - 1,000,000!!
3. Operation Rescue Vinny! What better way to help a guy with anxiety than to crowd him, shout loud things in his ear and bum-rush him in the comfort of his own home?!
Um ... get better Vinny!
2. Crack Is Wack! In all seriousness, Vinny was happy to jump in the car and return to Seaside with his roomies. Too bad they nearly died on the way back ...
[They moon each other. Snooki sees "a ball." They all scream.]
Don't drink and drive. Don't text and drive. Don't try to blind people with your ugly-ass ass and drive.
1. Funny Bunnies Gotta hand it to MTV. Always looking to lure in new audiences for their programming. This week they dedicated a segment entirely to furries!
Snooki and Deena hump each other in giant bunny costumes. Later, Snooki uses her new bunny costume for evil when she scares J-Woww.
Amazing. Let's just hope she doesn't pull that on Vinny for a few days.
