Led Zeppelin Reunite At London Concert
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Sunday, October 31, 2010
Michael Jackson 'Thriller' Movie In The Works
MJ choreographer and 'This Is It' director Kenny Ortega rumored to be helming the big-screen adaptation.
By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson in "Thriller"
Photo: Epic Records
Just in time for Halloween comes a report that former Michael Jackson choreographer Kenny Ortega is in talks to direct a big-screen version of "Thriller," the late pop star's groundbreaking music video.
According to a report on Deadline Hollywood, GK Films, the production company from Academy Award-winning producer Graham King ("The Tourist," "The Rum Diary"), is in "active" negotiations to put together a deal to bring the landmark 1983 mini-movie to the big screen. "This Is It" and "High School Musical" director Ortega is attached to direct the $50 million project with a script from "The Hangover" screenwriter Jeremy Garelick.
The project hinges on an OK from the Jackson estate, and a spokesperson for the estate said no confirmation was currently available on the project; representatives for Garelick, Ortega and GK had not returned requests for comment at press time.
The original 14-minute clip was directed by veteran filmmaker John Landis ("Trading Places," "The Blues Brothers"), who is currently involved in a royalties dispute with the Jackson estate over proceeds from the best-selling video of all time. "Thriller" set a new high-water mark for the art of video-making at the time and is still widely considered to be among the greatest efforts ever in the medium, one that continues to influence generations of artists.
The latest to take a swing at "Thriller" is Kanye West, who has said his 35-minute art film "Runaway" drew inspiration from the video, including a nod to MJ in a scene featuring a giant papier-mâché likeness of the King of Pop.
No details were available about the plot, but Deadline reported that it might follow the ghouly song's "folklore" and possibly include a story line involving the late narrator of the song, film actor Vincent Price, and the town in which he grew up.
As noted on MTV's Movies Blog, a "Thriller" movie helmed by Ortega wouldn't be entirely surprising. Though Ortega has roots in music-based projects and is best known as a choreographer ("Dirty Dancing," "Newsies"), his directing credits include the Halloween-themed 1993 witch tale "Hocus Pocus," starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and a young Thora Birch.
What do you think of plans to make the "Thriller" video into a movie? Tell us in the comments!
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'Today' Show Hosts Dress As Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber For Halloween
Segment also featured cameos from Will Ferrell and Tina Fey as their 'Megamind' characters.
By Jocelyn Vena
Meredith Vieira as Lady Gaga on the "Today" show
Photo: NBC
This year's "Today" show Halloween segment may have been short on Matt Lauer, but the show made up for it thanks to cameos from Will Ferrell and Tina Fey as their "Megamind" characters. But even those superstars were upstaged by some crafty costumes worn by the "Today" show hosts Friday morning (October 29).
In what turned out to be one complex segment, the Halloween fun started with Lauer and Roker looking at "Megamind" footage in a pretaped segment. Then the story went a bit zany. As Roker escorted a Clark Kent-looking Lauer out of the building, Lauer used his highly sensitive hearing to sense that Fey was in trouble.
In order to become Superman, he entered a phone booth to call Ferrell's Megamind to meet up with him, and out came Roker, in Lauer's place, as Superman. Ferrell and Roker then rushed to the side of Fey (dressed as "Megamind" reporter Roxanne Ritchi) to save her and toss to an old-timey newsreel, in which Ann Curry made her entrance as Amelia Earhart, who apparently had been hiding out in 30 Rock for the better part of a century.
Once she reemerged in the modern world, Earhart said she'd noticed that a lot has changed. Like what? Well, music. With that, Natalie Morales came out playing a convincing Justin Bieber, all the way down to the dance moves during "Baby."
But it was Meredith Vieira as the "monster of all monsters," Lady Gaga, dressed in the Armani orbit gown the singer wore to the Grammy Awards earlier this year, that really upped the production value. She sang the pop star's hit "Bad Romance," complete with backup dancers.
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Adam Lambert's 'Whole Lotta Love': The Story Behind The Cover
Glam rocker tackled the legendary 1970 Led Zeppelin song for 'American Idol' rock night.
By Gil Kaufman
Adam Lambert performs "Whole Lotta Love" on "American Idol" on Tuesday
Photo: R. Mickshaw/Getty Images/ Fox
Imagine a freight train speeding toward you at midnight. Or a rockslide barreling down a hill as you try to outrace it. That's the feeling of the ominous, chugging Jimmy Page riff that kicks off Led Zeppelin's 1970 Stonehenge of rock, "Whole Lotta Love." And that's before singer Robert Plant leans into one of the nastiest, ecstatic rock screams this side of the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again."
That's the song Adam Lambert chose to sing on "American Idol" rock night Tuesday (May 5), and, needless to say, it was a challenge that the eyeliner-loving Los Angeles stage veteran was more than up for, hitting a series of high notes and rock screams that would have made Plant proud. It was a risky maneuver that paid off for Lambert, who chose a tune that came in at #75 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004.
The legendary British rock act recorded the tribute to Chicago blues icon Willie Dixon during their second U.S. tour after working it out in their live show, including it on their 1969 classic album Led Zeppelin II. Like many of the songs Zeppelin performed early in their career, "Love" was a blues standard turned on its head with a heavy dose of crunching psychedelic guitar and thundering drums, courtesy of late drummer John Bonham. The song was based on a 1962 tune by another blues forefather, Muddy Waters, called "You Need Love," which was penned by Dixon.
For Zeppelin's version, Plant customized the lyrics by adding some lyrical quotes from a few other songs Dixon wrote for Howlin' Wolf, "Back Door Man" and "Shake For Me," nailing the tricky vocal in a single take. It was also inspired by 1966's "You Need Loving" from the British rock group the Small Faces, for whom Zeppelin had great affection, but they also did not credit Dixon for his part in writing the original lyrics. The song became Zeppelin's first U.S. single and their only U.S. top 10 hit. Though their manager would not let them release singles in the U.K. because he thought it cannibalized album sales, the song was finally released as the band's only British single in 1997.
Dixon sued Zeppelin over the song in 1985, claiming it borrowed too heavily from his "You Need Love," and Zeppelin reached an agreement with him, with Dixon using the money he received to set up a program that provided musical instruments for schools. A cornerstone of heavy rock, the tune -- which was the theme song for the long-running British countdown show "Top of the Pops" in the 1970s and '80s -- has been covered by dozens of artists over the years, from Tina Turner and Ben Harper to Prince, Slash, Leona Lewis, Train's Pat Monahan, the London Symphony Orchestra and Jane's Addiction.
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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Saturday, October 30, 2010
'Hangover 2' Director Addresses Mel Gibson Switch
'No one was ever fired,' says Todd Phillips.
By Jocelyn Vena, with additional reporting by Jeff Cornell
Mel Gibson
Photo: Dominique Charriau/WireImage
After news broke that Mel Gibson's cameo in "The Hangover 2" had been scrapped, observers tried to figure out why the Australian actor had landed on the cutting-room floor. But the film's director, Todd Phillips, wants the public to know that Gibson wasn't fired.
"No one was ever fired," Phillips said, according to MTV Radio. "It's a term that is so obscene to me."
Gibson was slated to play a tattoo artist. But shortly after "Hangover" star Zach Galifianakis said during a radio appearance that he was in a "deep protest right now with a movie I'm working on," Liam Neeson replaced Gibson.
"Someone was doing me a favor to come in for a two-minute cameo, and we changed it," Phillips explained. "It wasn't like we fired somebody. [Gibson] was just doing a favor from the beginning."
Phillips recently released a statement saying that he had wanted Gibson in the film, but that not everyone agreed with his decision.
"I thought Mel would have been great in the movie," read the statement. "And I had the full backing of [Warner Bros. Pictures president] Jeff Robinov and his team. But I realize filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my entire cast and crew."
What do you think of Mel Gibson being cut from "The Hangover 2"? Let us know in the comments!
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1650987/20101028/story.jhtml
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Friday, October 29, 2010
Chris Cornell Filling In For Robert Plant On Led Zeppelin Tour? That's News To Him
'I have not been approached to fill in for Robert Plant on the Zeppelin tour, but that isn't to say I won't be,' singer says.
By Chris Harris
Chris Cornell
Photo: MTV News
Former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell has spoken out for the first time about rumors that he's been asked to fill in for Robert Plant on a proposed Led Zeppelin reunion tour. The trek would feature original guitarist Jimmy Page, original bassist John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham taking over on drums for his late father, John Bonham.
Cornell has been mentioned — along with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, White Stripes mastermind Jack White and Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy — as a potential Plant fill-in. Plant has already said that he wouldn't take part in the tour.
"I have not been approached so far to fill in for Robert Plant on the upcoming Zeppelin tour, but that isn't to say I won't be," Cornell told MTV News. "I've heard that from about 200 people now, and it might be one of those situations where it's just an online rumor or it might be true. But if you see anyone from Led Zeppelin around, let me know. I think I should actually fill in for Jimmy Page on the Robert Plant/ Alison Krauss tour."
Cornell's denial comes just a day after Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford confirmed reports that frontman Steven Tyler recently met with Zeppelin for an impromptu jam session. "They did it for fun," Whitford said during an appearance on the syndicated show "Todd N Tyler Radio Empire." "I actually think Jimmy wanted Steven to come over and play a little bit because I think he was trying to light a fire under Robert."
Rumors of a Zeppelin reunion tour have abounded since the iconic band played a single reunion set last year at London's O2 Arena. Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider added fuel to the fire last month when he revealed that the group was thinking of touring, with or without Plant.
According to Snider, the rest of the band told Plant, " 'We're all rehearsed, we're ready to go. Here's a gazillion dollars on the table. If you don't do it, we're going out with this kid [Myles Kennedy].' "
"And he can sing the sh-- out of Zeppelin," Snider added. "They're going to hope that Robert, at the last minute, will go, 'OK,' and step in."
In a recent interview, Jones told BBC Radio Devon that a new singer was being sought to take over for Plant. "We are trying out a couple of singers," he said. "We want to do it. It's sounding great, and we want to get on and get out there."
But Jones insists that he, Page and Bonham aren't interested in finding a Plant clone. "It's got to be right," he said. "There's no point in just finding another Robert. You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don't want to be our own tribute band. There would be a record and a tour, but everyone has to be onboard."
Of course, even if Zeppelin were to approach him, Cornell might be too busy to take over vocals for the band. His upcoming Timbaland-produced solo LP, Scream, will be released within the next few months. Cornell told MTV News last month that some of his fans might consider Scream something of a departure, but he doesn't see it that way.
"It makes me happy that there's this perception that I have a group of fans that I'm now sort of throwing a curve at and what their reaction will be," he said. "But I've been in this situation so many times already. When I put out [1999's] Euphoria Morning, my main goal was to create an album that sounded like nothing I'd done in Soundgarden, and I did that. I also had that with Temple of the Dog, where I showed up with songs that weren't necessarily riff-based. And then, of course, the pairing of me and members of Rage Against the Machine had everyone sort of speculating about what that would sound like.
"It feels like I've done this so many times that when it's presented to me as being a departure, I feel that's a misconception," he added. "I feel like that's my theme at this point."
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Kanye West's 'Runaway' Film: A High-Culture Cheat Sheet
We break down the highbrow inspirations behind 'Ye's short film.
By James Montgomery
Kanye West in his film "Runaway"
Photo: Def Jam
Now that you've finally seen Kanye West's ultra-arty "Runaway" film, you're probably wondering what it really means. We might not be able to tell you exactly what was going on in Kanye's brain when he made the film, but we can help you pick out some of the highbrow references within. And there are an awful lot of them.
We've done things like this in the past for big-ticket videos like Lady Gaga's "Telephone" and My Chemical Romance's "Na Na Na," but those were pop-culture cheat sheets." For "Runaway" — an ambitious film with equally ambitious influences — we've gone even deeper. What follows is our high-culture cheat sheet, an alphabetized, exhaustively researched list of all the painters, dance troupes and conceptual performance artists 'Ye references in the video. It may not help you understand the film any better, but it will certainly make you sound smarter at your next cocktail party.
So, from Yemi Akinyemi to Leonardo da Vinci, here's our artful guide to Kanye West's "Runaway":
Akinyemi, Yemi: Czech-born choreographer responsible for the elaborate dance sequence in "Runaway." Also runs the JAD Dance company in Prague.
Beecroft, Vanessa: Italian contemporary artist who specializes in large-scale performance-art pieces, most of which feature nude female models. The phoenix in "Runaway" is indebted to her work, as is the film's dinner sequence, which is reminiscent of her controversial "Last Supper" piece, which featured African immigrants wearing suits and seated at a banquet table laden with chicken.
Breuning, Olaf: Swiss-born artist who works in several mediums. In "Runaway," his photograph "Smoke Bombs" — which shows a series of smoke bombs emitting multi-hued plumes — is recalled in the scene of a child running toward the camera while holding a flare aloft.
Cirque Garuda: Czechoslovakian performance troupe specializing in acrobatics and pyrotechnics. Several of their members can be seen whirling around West and the phoenix in the lead-up to the "All of the Lights"/ Michael Jackson scene.
Corbijn, Anton: Famed Dutch photographer and director. His video for Joy Division's "Atmosphere," which features hooded figures prostrating themselves before images of late frontman Ian Curtis, clearly influenced the "Runaway" Michael Jackson parade scene. Or, if you prefer to call them Klansmen, well, Corbijn famously featured a little girl wearing a Klan robe in his iconic video for Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box."
Crewdson, Gregory: American photographer famous for his elaborately staged, supremely surreal portraits of suburban life. Many scenes in "Runaway" — particularly those in which the phoenix sits contemplatively in West's backyard — seem to have been taken directly from his portfolio.
Dia de los Muertos: Holiday celebrated in Mexico (and, in varying forms, throughout the rest of the world) to remember family members and friends who have died. Often, parades are held, featuring towering skeletons, marching bands and papier-mâché skulls (called calavera), all of which sort of remind us of the Michael Jackson parade in "Runaway."
Guo-Qiang, Cai: Chinese contemporary artist famed for his gunpowder drawings and so-called "explosion events," large-scale performance pieces in which stuff is blown up, usually in unison, leaving only smoke and charred earth in its wake. Since roughly one-third of "Runaway" is slow-motion shots of explosions and fireworks, the connection is easy.
Koons, Jeff: American artist and prankster famed for his garish reproductions of banal, household items and a series of life-size, porcelain-and-gold-leaf statues of Michael Jackson cuddling his pet chimp, Bubbles (one of which sold for $5.6 million in a Sotheby's auction). The giant Jackson head in the "Runaway" parade scene looks strangely similar to the head of Koons' sculptures.
Kubrick, Stanley: Hugely important American filmmaker who West himself cited as an influence on "Runaway." Case in point, the languid tracking shots, slightly off-kilter framing or even the elaborate dinner sequence, all of which recall Kubrick films like "The Shining," "Barry Lyndon" and "Eyes Wide Shut."
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus: Arguably the greatest composer to ever live. A portion of his unfinished "Requiem" piece can be heard playing at the beginning of "Runaway."
MTX Tatra V8: Czech-produced "supercar" with gull-wing doors and an engine positioned over the rear axle. Not surprisingly, they are incredibly fast and exceedingly rare.
The National Theatre: Vaunted Czechoslovakian institution that is home to three artistic ensembles: opera, drama and ballet. A handful of ballerinas in "Runaway" are also members of the National Theatre's 2010 ensemble, including Jade Clayton and Ivanna Illeyenko.
Phoenix: Mythological firebird referenced in early works by the Persians, Greeks, Egyptians and Chinese. Known for its colorful plumage, the phoenix lives for anywhere from 500 to 1,000 years, at which time it builds a nest for itself and ignites. A new phoenix arises out of the ashes. Subsequently, it has become a symbol for rebirth, immortality and renewal. And the namesake of the capital of Arizona.
"Swan Lake": Celebrated Russian ballet about a princess transformed into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. In the third act, said evil sorcerer tricks a kind-hearted prince into confessing his love for his daughter by dressing her as a black swan. Kind of like all the ballerinas in "Runaway."
Tarsem: Indian director famous for his artfully abstract, hyper-detailed and lavishly staged productions, most notably R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religon" video, which seems to have influenced the cinematography — and some of the biblical body language of the dinner guests — in the "Runaway" dinner scene.
Von Trier, Lars: Danish filmmaker famous for his artful, oft-brutal films, perhaps none more artful (or brutal) than 2009's "Antichrist," which — much like "Runaway" — features a scene with a deer that doesn't seem all that afraid of humans. Of course, unlike "Antichrist," the deer in "Runaway" doesn't have a dead fawn hanging halfway out of its womb.
Da Vinci, Leonardo: Italian-born painter, sculptor, architect, scientist and mathematician (to name just a few of his endeavors) who created famed works like "The Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper." The latter work is referenced in the "Runaway" dinner scene, most obviously in the hushed conversations of the guests and Kanye, who, of course, is seated at the very center, just like Jesus.
Did we miss anything? Share the high-culture references you noticed.
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Photos | 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Premieres In Los Angeles
'Avatar' Sequels: Everything We Know So Far
James Cameron and co. have given us hints about the return to Pandora for the second and third movies.
By Eric Ditzian
Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington in "Avatar"
Photo: 20th Century Fox
The voyage from Earth to Pandora takes about six years. It looks like James Cameron will only need five to return to "Avatar." The writer/director has officially set up two "Avatar" sequels as his next projects, with the first arriving in December 2014 and the second opening in December 2015.
"[W]e will not back off the throttle of 'Avatar's' visual and emotional horsepower, and will continue to explore its themes and characters," Cameron said in a statement on Wednesday morning (October 27).
Themes and characters, you say? Well, that's not terribly revealing at all. Thankfully, Cameron and his cohorts have previously spilled details about what we can expect from the upcoming installments of "Avatar." Here's everything we know so far about the sequels.
Exploring Oceans and Other Planets
We got a taste of Pandora's marine world when Sam Worthington's Jake Sully plunged down a waterfall, but the plot took place almost exclusively on the ground and in the air. According to Cameron, "Avatar 2" will plunge into Pandora's oceans.
"Part of my focus in the second film is in creating a different environment — a different setting within Pandora," he said. "And I'm going to be focusing on the ocean on Pandora, which will be equally rich and diverse and crazy and imaginative, but it just won't be a rainforest."
Cameron later told MTV News that he plans to film footage underwater to capture what will become Pandora's oceans. "I think what we should do there is — because we'll have to have characters that are in and under the water — is that we should actually capture them underwater," Cameron told MTV News. "It's not the same as going diving, but I like to keep my diving, which I do for pleasure, separate from work."
While "Avatar" focused strictly on Pandora, an alien moon, "Avatar 3" will likely begin to explore other planets. "We created a broad canvas for the environment of film," Cameron has said. "That's not just on Pandora, but throughout the Alpha Centauri AB system. And we expand out across that system [in subsequent films] and incorporate more into the story — not necessarily in the second film, but more toward a third film."
Jake and Neytiri — and Maybe Grace — Return
At the end of "Avatar," Jake ends up abandoning his human body and transferring his consciousness to his Na'vi avatar, allowing him finally to be truly together with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). The next two films will continue to tell their story.
"We'll follow Jake and Neytiri," Cameron told us.
Who else will return? Sigourney Weaver's character, scientist Grace Augustine, appeared to die toward the end of the film. But Weaver has said we shouldn't assume Grace won't pop up in some form in the sequels.
"It's always a mistake in science fiction to make these judgments on the dead," Weaver told MTV News "You didn't really see her die. What you saw was ... something happen. I think that [James Cameron] wants all of this to be a surprise, but don't buy the funeral wreath quite yet."
The Development Process So Far
In his statement, Cameron announced he will begin writing the sequels early next year. We already know he's got a hefty head start on the process. He's written hundreds of pages of notes about where the story will go.
"I have a trilogy-scaled arc of story right now, but I haven't really put any serious work into writing a script," he told us in December 2009.
And just because the scripts have not been finished does not mean preproduction cannot begin. They'll begin work on creature and environment development "as soon as Jim locks in on some of those notes," producer Jon Landau explained to us. "We don't have to wait for a script for that. And there are also certain things we designed from the last movie that didn't make it in that I'm sure will make it in on the next movie."
Check out everything we've got on "Avatar."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Kid Cudi Stoked To Have Mary J. Blige On New Album
Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager drops November 9.
By Steven Roberts
Kid Cudi
Photo: MTV News
Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, set to drop November 9, is one of the most anticipated albums of 2010. Arguably the most unexpected thing about the release is that Cudi was able to secure two Mary J. Blige cameos.
Cudi is known for genre-blending collaborations — Kanye West, Cee Lo Green and St. Vincent also are featured — but even he was shocked that the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul wanted to work with him.
Cudi and Blige first talked about working together when they bumped into each other on a flight to New York. Cudi said he was surprised she was open to a collaboration and kept her in mind when he was in the studio. He eventually found a record he thought she would fit. After they recorded it, however, neither was sold on it.
"She liked it, but she asked to hear other stuff," Cudi revealed. "I was immediately standoffish. I was like, 'Man, I don't want to play all of these other songs, me talking about cocaine and wilin' out and stuff. I don't want to disrespect Mary, and I know these topics are really intense, and the song I wanted her on was an upbeat, 'Family Affair,' happy. It's a completely different vibe, and I just didn't know how she would respond.
"I played her 'Please Don't Play This Song,' and she was like, 'I want to get on that,' " Cudi recalled. "I was like, 'You can get on anything you want.' "
Cudi said Blige went in the booth and nailed her part in almost one take. They took a listen, and she asked to hear even more of the album. He played her "These Worries," and she laid down more vocals.
Cudi said their session was very relaxed and therapeutic. Blige was really down to Earth and schooled Cudi on music, he said. He was surprised how humble she was, as she didn't want to impose by jumping onto his records.
"She didn't believe that I wanted her on any song that she wanted," Cudi remembered. "When I was like, 'You can do this third joint,' she was like, 'Really, you want me on all three songs?' and I was like, 'Yeah, I want you on the whole album if you want to be.' "
Which Kid Cudi collaboration are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments below!
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Thursday, October 28, 2010
Michael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray's Trial Set For January
Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death.
By Gil Kaufman
Dr. Conrad Murray
Photo: Toby Canham/ Getty Images
More than a year after Michael Jackson's death, the pop icon's former personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was in court Monday (August 23) where a judge finally set a preliminary date of January 4, 2011, in the cardiologist's involuntary-manslaughter trial.
TMZ reported that Murray's legal team won a request to get a fluid sample from Jackson as part of their defense strategy questioning the accuracy of levels of the surgical anesthetic propofol found in Jackson's body. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined that Jackson, 50, died as a result of acute propofol intoxication.
Murray has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of involuntary manslaughter and has admitted to giving Jackson propofol, a strong anesthetic usually used during surgery but allegedly employed by chronic insomniac Jackson as a sleep aid. Murray's lawyers have said the physician did not administer any drugs that "should have" caused Jackson's death. The investigation into his death was equally lengthy, lasting more than eight months, after which Los Angeles prosecutors charged that Murray gave the King of Pop a lethal combination of propofol and other painkillers and sedatives in the hours before the singer was found dead in his rented Los Angeles mansion on June 25, 2009. Murray faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
After hearing from both sides in the case at the January court date, the judge, Michael Pastor, will determine if there is enough evidence to mount a full trial.
Jackson's mother and father, Katherine and Joseph, were in court on Monday, according to Radar Online, sitting in the front row as Judge Pastor set the preliminary hearing date. Pastor granted a protective order covering all evidence in the criminal case, meaning it cannot be released to anyone other than the lawyers, paralegals and investigators in the case.
Murray's defense team reportedly asked for access to three fluids collected by the coroner's office, including ones taken from syringes and an IV tube to re-examine test results. Pastor ruled that the coroner's office must preserve the samples, and if defense attorneys and prosecutors cannot agree on the request, he will schedule a hearing on the matter.
After court let out, a group of Jackson supporters gathered and sang an impromptu verse that featured the lines, "Conrad Murray is a cold man," while holding up signs that read "Justice for Michael Jackson" and "Love Unites Us, Peace Drives Us, Judgment Day 4 All."
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Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Charlie Sheen, The New NBA Season And Paul The Octopus In Today's Twitter-Wood
Charlie Sheen attracted some attention in Twitter-Wood today after police reportedly found him in a poor state of affairs in a New York hotel room, possibly under the influence of some foreign substances. Michael Ian Black spoke up about him today, while Seth Meyers took a moment to remember Paul the psychic octopus and Michael [...]
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Nicki Minaj, Ke$ha, Jason Derulo Are Dreaming Of VMAs
The Best New Artist nominees talk about what a Moonman would mean to them.
By James Dinh
Nicki Minaj
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
On Sunday (September 12), Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj, Ke$ha, Justin Bieber and the Broken Bells will vie for the Best New Artist title at the 2010 Video Music Awards. But what does the Moonman mean to these industry newbies? MTV News caught up with a few of the nominees to find out.
Jason Derulo, who has opened for Lady Gaga and scored back-to-back radio hits, said he attended the award show last year, although he didn't have the best seat in the house. "Last year, I went to the MTV Awards, I sat all the way in the back. This year, I'm nominated for two awards. It's incredible," he gushed. "I've watched these awards my whole entire life, so to be finally a part of it is a dream come true. Pinch me, please."
Fellow nominee Nicki Minaj, whose climb to the top started on the mixtape circuit, said that the nomination was the pinnacle of her career. "I mean, obviously this is something everybody dreamed of being part of and I'm no exception to that rule," the Young Money rapper said. "I just feel like this is my coming-out party. This is major for an artist with no album out."
Whether or not Minaj takes home the award, she's sure to set her mark Sunday with her eye-popping fashion and her performance on the pre-show, which will be the first televised solo performance of her career.
If Ke$ha's journey to solo success wasn't already hinted at when she penned hits for Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears, she says her nomination proves it.
"This is such a monumental thing for me to be nominated, because it really means people do really like what I'm doing," she said. Asked what would happen if she did take home the Moonman, the singer merely smiled.
Who should win Best New Artist? Tell us in the comment section below!
The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday. The party starts with MTV News' VMA Pre-Show at 8 p.m., followed by the main event at 9 p.m. ET.
Fans can go to VMA.MTV.com (or text VMA to 97979 if they are Verizon subscribers) to vote for Best New Artist from now through Sunday.
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Denise Richards Desiree Dymond Diane Kruger Dido Diora Baird
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Justin Timberlake Fundraiser To Feature Christina Aguilera, Diddy, More
Selena Gomez, T-Pain, Lady Antebellum, Salt-N-Pepa also set for Las Vegas show on October 23.
By Gil Kaufman
Justin Timberlake
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/ FilmMagic
Justin Timberlake always lines up a star-studded roster for his annual Justin Timberlake and Friends benefit concert in support of the Shriners Hospitals for Children, and this year is no exception.
The October 23 show at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino's Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas will feature pal Christina Aguilera, Lady Antebellum, Diddy and his Dirty Money crew, Selena Gomez & the Scene, T-Pain, hip-hop icons Salt-N-Pepa and one of the bands signed to JT's label Tennman Records, FreeSol.
JT will, of course, perform at the show as well in his only official concert appearance of the year. Tickets for the show go on sale on August 21 and cost between $100 and $350. Last year's benefit featured appearances by Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys, Taylor Swift, Ciara and TLC.
The event will again be accompanied by the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open golf tournament, which will take place at the TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas from October 21 to October 24. With a purse of more than $4 million, the tournament will feature 132 PGA tour professionals.
Though Timberlake has been lying relatively low on the music scene over the past year, he's been working hard on the acting side, signing up to portray a "singing booger" on the "Family Guy" spin-off "The Cleveland Show", filming the flick "Friends With Benefits" with Mila Kunis in New York. He'll also appear in the David Fincher-helmed movie "The Social Network." In that flick, he plays Napster co-founder Sean Parker, who had a hand in the launch of the social-media phenomenon Facebook.
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Piper Perabo Poppy Montgomery Portia de Rossi Rachael Leigh Cook Rachel Bilson
'Paranormal Activity 2' Director Reveals Sequel Ideas
'There are a lot of good ideas of where it may go,' Tod Williams says.
By Eric Ditzian
Tod Williams
Photo: MTV News
While director Tod Williams and his fellow "Paranormal Activity 2" creative forces were busy all summer shooting the follow-up to one of 2009's breakout hits, they were also focused on what might take place in a third installment of the horror franchise. (Beware of spoilers below.)
"You can't help but joke and think and imagine what might happen next," Williams told us. "And of course, in the making of this movie, we thought carefully about things we suggest. Because we had to work within what was suggested out of the first movie. We were married to any detail that was dropped in the first movie. We knew whatever we say in this movie has potential to grow and blossom into a whole other thing. There are a lot of good ideas of where it may go."
Now a go seems inevitable: "Paranormal Activity 2" opened to $41.5 million this weekend. While there's no word if Williams will return to the director's chair — and he demurred when pressed on this point — he did speak at length about what he and the folks behind "Paranormal Activity" view as the "soul" of the franchise.
"To me, the soul of the series is the degree to which it allows the audience to bring their creative imagination to it," Williams explained. "Movies are like a conversation. Some movies hog the conversation and some movies talk just enough and allow the audiences to fill in the blanks."
Williams went on to state two guiding principles for the franchise: "It has to feel real" and "If we had to make a choice between real and scary, we had to choose real."
"We'd rather make a boring and real movie than a scary and unreal movie," he added.
Would "Paranormal Activity 3" have to be comprised of found footage, as the first two are, or could it ever abandon that formula? "Going into a more traditional format? I think anything is possible, as long as you cleave to those first two principles. But it does seem to me that part of the DNA of the movie is this idea of found footage," Williams said.
And given the fact that "Paranormal Activity 2" was largely a prequel, does "PA 3" have to take place before the events of both films? Will the franchise continue to push backward in time, essentially telling its story in reverse?
"It could go either way," Williams teased. "Or sideways."
Check out everything we've got on "Paranormal Activity 2."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1650742/20101025/story.jhtml
Amber Brkich Amber Heard Amber Valletta America Ferrera Amerie
Kanye West Explains Michael Jackson 'Runaway' Scene
MC says he used King of Pop's likeness to represent cult mentality.
By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by Sway Calloway
Photo: Def Jam
In a production wrought with powerful imagery, the Michael Jackson procession scene in Kanye West's film debut, "Runaway," is among the most impactful and intriguing.
Around seven minutes into the movie, which centers on the ill-fated romance between West's character, Griffin, and a phoenix played by Selita Ebanks, fireworks herald a parade of a crimson-clad marching band flanked by a mob of followers sporting pointed hoods reminiscent of the garb worn by the Ku Klux Klan. The band surrounds a larger-than-life illuminated bust of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, while Griffin and the phoenix excitedly look on.
When West sat down with MTV News' Sway for a live Q&A session that followed the film's premiere Saturday (October 23) on MTV, he explained that he juxtaposed Jackson's likeness with the hooded marchers to make a comment about the potent pull of cult mentality.
"The hood, what it does represent to me ... in relation to the Michael Jackson thing is not the KKK but the concept of cult, because it's multiple people with this hood on," West explained. "It's me taking [the phoenix] to my world and saying, 'Let me show you what my world is about.' "
West said he invoked the image of the late icon, whose expansive cultural reach was unparalleled, to demonstrate the energy of the pop realm.
"The greatest, biggest pop-cultural figure of all time, arguably bigger than Jesus Christ, is Michael Jackson. You have the band in front of him, marching ... and you have the cult around it," West said, before explaining the scene that precedes the procession, of a young boy in mid-sprint brandishing a flaming baton.
"If you saw the kid in the beginning, he's running and running at top speed holding his torch, and his torch represents his thoughts and ideals. At the end, after he's been cultivated, he has the hood on now and he's walking extremely slow. That's basically how people think," West said. "It's the way society has set people up to be able to control them, slave mentalities."
Yeezy added that coaxing people into social conformity is an effective form of control — assuming the followers don't decide to break away on their own trails.
"[By] just creating this mentality by cultivating the ideals ... you could just make people just stand in their own mental jails," he said. "What happens when someone isn't in a mental jail?"
What do you think of Kanye's explanation of the Michael Jackson "Runaway" scene? Sound off in the comments!
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Amber Arbucci Amber Brkich Amber Heard Amber Valletta America Ferrera
Monday, October 25, 2010
Liam Neeson Rumored to Inherit Mel Gibson's 'Hangover 2' Cameo
Robin Williams, Kurt Russell also listed as possibilities for the sequel.
By Kara Warner
Liam Neeson
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/ Getty Images
Now that Mel Gibson is officially out of "The Hangover 2," the busy bees at Warner Bros. Pictures have been scrambling to replace their high-profile celeb cameo with another big name. According to Variety, the studio is going after A-list actor Liam Neeson for the role.
A source close to the production confirmed to MTV News that the "Taken" actor is at the top of the studio's wishlist, but added that a few other established names have been circulating as well: Robin Williams and Kurt Russell.
There is no word on whether the cameo role is the same one Gibson was supposed to play (a tattoo artist), only that Warner Bros. is "very happy" with the script and wants a veteran actor to fill the now-high profile cameo.
Director Todd Phillips said in a statement recently that he wanted Gibson in the film, but that not everyone agreed with the casting.
"I thought Mel would have been great in the movie," Phillips said in a statement. "And I had the full backing of [WB President] Jeff Robinov and his team. But I realize filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my entire cast and crew."
"Hangover" breakout star Zach Galifianakis reportedly was the most upset with Gibson's cameo and hinted to Comedy Death-Ray Radio host Scott Aukerman that he was upset about a recent turn of events related to a film on which he's currently working.
"But a movie you're acting in, you don't have a lot of control: You just show up and vomit your lines out," Galifianakis said. "I'm not the boss. I'm in a deep protest right now with a movie I'm working on, up in arms about something. But I can't get the guys to [listen] ... I'm not making any leeway."
Tell us who you want to see in "The Hangover 2" in the comments below!
Check out everything we've got on "Hangover 2."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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Cindy Crawford Cindy Taylor Cinthia Moura Claudette Ortiz Coco Lee
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Justin Bieber's Alleged Assault Victim Files Complaint
The 12-year-old boy's father has lodged formal complaint after incident at laser tag center.
By Jocelyn Vena
Justin Bieber
Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ WireImage
A formal complaint has been filed against Justin Bieber after an incident at a laser tag center last Friday, Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Monday night. The father of the 12-year-old boy involved in the incident has lodged a complaint against the teen star with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The department indicated that it was investigating an incident at Planet Lazer in suburban Vancouver. But further information about the child who reportedly sustained a minor injury at the hands of the 16-year-old pop star was not made public because he is a minor. "In the case where it involves a minor, we're simply not in a position to ever release the person's name," RCMP Corporal Annie Linteau told CBC News.
Bieber had been in Vancouver over the weekend because he had a show in the area on Tuesday night. Ryan Seacrest put out a call on his Twitter to fans who might be going to the show to see if Bieber would comment on the matter, but it was later noted on his Twitter feed that the singer did not in fact address the incident.
"Cool, thx! RT @DARDALUPANG: @RyanSeacrest I went to JB Vancouver Show ... no mention of the 'incident.' He just thanked everyone for support," Seacrest tweeted early Wednesday morning (October 20).
As for Bieber, he has yet to directly comment on the matter, but on Tuesday he did tweet, "Take the high road." He later added, "Vancouver thank u for your support tonight. WE BACK!! #MyWorldTour"
Earlier this week, TMZ reported that after Bieber's camp spoke to police and witnesses backed up his story, it's been concluded that the singer did not instigate the confrontation with the tween, who may have used an anti-gay slur on the pop star. TMZ also reported that Bieber wanted to speak out against bullying after the incident.
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Mila Kunis Milla Jovovich Minka Kelly Minki van der Westhuizen Miranda Kerr
Kanye West - Go Hard
- Artist: Kanye West
- Label: Koch Records
- Director: Hype Williams
- Album: We Global [Clean]
Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1230523&vid=317222
Maria Menounos Maria Sharapova Mariah Carey Mariah O\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Brien Marika Dominczyk
Jay-Z Lands At #2 On Hottest MCs In The Game List!
Even without a 2010 album, Jay stayed relevant with new singles and guest spots on Kanye West tracks.
By Paul Cantor
Jay-Z
Photo: Getty Images
Good music stands the test of time. Just ask Jay-Z.
The Roc Nation chief spent the better part of 2010 riding the wave of success from 2009's The Blueprint 3. Songs like "Empire State of Mind," "Forever Young," "On to the Next One" and "Run This Town" kept BP3 on the Billboard albums chart for 56 weeks, well into 2010. Jay racked up awards for Best Rap Solo Performance for "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song for "Run This Town" at the Grammys. He won CD of the Year for BP3 and Best Live Performer at the BET Hip-Hop Awards. He toured the country on the BP3 Tour (which yielded him a reported $1 million a show) and split Home and Home dates in Detroit and New York with Eminem.
All that was more than enough for the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust to crown Jay-Z the #2 Hottest MC in the Game this year, down one slot from last year's list, where he held down the top position (he was #2 in 2008 and #7 in 2007).
"Jay has legacy, which you can't ignore if you're just talking about the last 12 months," MTV News senior writer Jayson Rodriguez said during the Hottest MCs round table. "What Jay does better than anybody is he leverages his past legacy to do things now."
The type of seniority Jay has in the game is evidenced best when he appears on others' songs, and 2010 found him doing a lot of that. There was his scene-stealing verse on Rick Ross' "Free Mason," on which he addressed the conspiracy theorists that took him to task for his "On to the Next One" video. Then there were a handful of Kanye West records, like "Monster," "So Appalled" and the "Power" remix. And there was the Drake cut "Light Up." He was even called on to make a song for charity in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti, linking with Rihanna and U2's Bono and The Edge for "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)."
"There's nobody in the game that's even coming close to spitting how Jay is doing," MTV News' Shaheem Reid said. "When you talk about Hottest MCs, that's the very foundation ... and Jay is just murdering everything in hip-hop right now, lyrically."
And then there's the things Jay does outside of hip-hop (he's not a businessman; he's a business, man). Despite not being able to woo LeBron James to New Jersey, he's still a minority owner in the Nets. Along with Will Smith and his wife Jada, Jay produced the Tony-winning Broadway play "Fela." Plus, he's the head of Roc Nation, which manages acts as wide-ranging as Mark Ronson, the Ting Tings and recent signee Willow Smith. He also still has a pair of 40/40 sports clubs in New York and Atlantic City, New Jersey. All these ventures allowed Jay to top Forbes' Hip-Hop Cash Kings list, with $63 million earned in 2010 alone.
But Jay didn't make it to #2 without contention. In fact, the roundtable initially voted him #1. He wasn't demoted because of anything he did, per se, but more so because Eminem had a more impactful year.
"Jay owned last year; it carried over into this year," MTV News senior producer Rahman Dukes said. "[But] if you want to look at it like a 12-month period, it's not been bigger than Eminem. If you asked Jay himself, I bet you he'd tell you Eminem had a better year than him."
Many on the roundtable claimed Jay was using his verses on Kanye's songs to keep himself relevant, since Hov didn't drop a new album this year.
"All the legacy aside and everything we talk about, we made Jay #1 last year based on the work that he put in," MTV New supervising producer Sean Lee said. "I know he shined on some verses, but when you look over the course of a year ... "
Put to a vote, Jay-Z and Eminem swapped positions, with Eminem landing at #1 and Jay at #2.
The 2010 Hottest MCs in the Game rollout is now under way! As in 2008 and 2009, the criteria is based on a combination of rhyme skill, flow, buzz, commercial success, business ventures, Web presence and cultural influence. Upload your comments, reactions, arguments and/or your own list to Your.MTV.com or send tweets with the hashtag #hottestmcs — the best responses could be on TV or our hip-hop blog, RapFix!
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