“It always seems impossible until it is done…” – Nelson Mandela Don’t be intimidated by new challenges. The bigger the mountain, the greater your opportunity…
Matt Kemp of the L.A. Dodgers is doing what he can and more to help Oklahoma tornado victims in his home state, pledging $250,000 and then some. The quarter-million pledge comes after Kemp, inexplicably, received backlash when he promised to give $1,000 for every home run he hit this spring. Kemp, of course, has hit only two so far this year in what has been a disappointing campaign, leading to the obligatory jokes and childish criticism. Until the Oklahoma native, announced plans to go far beyond that initial pledge. Far, far beyond it. The baseball star said in a statement Wednesday: “Dear Families of OKC, on Monday, out of concern and emotion I committed $1,000.00 for every home run I hit until the All-Star Break.” “It was a quick and small gesture in advance of what I knew would be my greater contribution through your rebuilding process.” “I am keeping my pledge and in addition, donating $250,000.00. May God bless you through this and the many generous donations coming to your aid. “Sincerely, Matt Kemp #PrayforOklahoma” Cynics, of course, will say that public sniping got to him, but the 28-year-old seems like a man of his word who would absolutely do what he can. Did you see what Matt Kemp did for that fan just this month? Enough said. He’s a standup guy, people, even if he is only hitting .265 in 2013.
Hands down…Lindsay Lohan is my dream girl….she is the ultimate in Hollywood, she represents a perfect balance of class, luxury, mental health disorders, addiction, sex appeal, broken childhood, and broken dreams…..and one of life’s great tragedies was that I didn’t marry her back when I had the chance…not that I officially ever had the chance to marry her, but she did follow me on twitter, and I guess I could have proposed to her until she said yes in private messages….and now the only way I’ll ever touch her is if I become really famous for doing nothing….and if she falls off even harder than she already is….or if I become a airport security guy like this asshole mocking me with his vagina scans of her he should release to the internet – cuz sometimes it is better to lose your job for the greater good of man…. All this to say. I still love me some LOHAN. TO SEE THE REST OF THE PICS FOLLOW THIS LINK
Although he converted to marry his devoutly Catholic wife in 1926, Graham Greene was famously called to the faith during his time in Mexico, where he exiled himself in 1938, after an over-stimulated review of a Shirley Temple movie threatened him with extradition to the United States on libel charges. It was in Mexico that Greene conceived the first novel in his “Catholic trilogy,” The Power and the Glory , about a priest on the run during the Cristero War. The context of that war is laid out in reams of curly font at the beginning of For Greater Glory , and I guess I mention Graham Greene because the two hours of prancing melo-epic that follow those introductory paragraphs compare so poorly to the nuance and moral rigor of his masterpiece. To be fair, that’s probably a given – what I mean is that I began, not long after the opening credits, to long for an escape into a better story. I kept wanting to sneak Greene’s “whiskey priest” into the film’s turgid, sepia-toned landscapes and start following him through his purely fictional paces. Where Greene’s hero was racked with doubt, there’s very little of that at the outset of For Greater Glory ; the embalming agents of history will do that to a story. President Calles (Rubén Blades) informs the press that “Mexico is under siege,” and describes his campaign to rid the country of its overweening religious influences. Calles passed legislation that banned Catholic services, forbid priests and nuns from being seen in clerical garb, and severely restricted the rights of the faithful. Religion-neutral revolutionary war hero-turned-mogul General Gorostieta (Andy Garcia) addresses the concerns of his devout wife (Eva Longoria): “As an ex-military man I can tell you it’s only a matter of time until Calles is overthrown.” The rebels (including Catalina Sandino Moreno and Santiago Cabrera) amassing an underground alliance are as certain in their beliefs, and pledge a peaceful resistance. Young José (astonishing newcomer Mauricio Kuri) is chastised by his father (Nestor Carbonell) for taunting a priest (Peter O’Toole); the priest responds by making José an altar boy. Soon after, O’Toole is martyred before his protégé’s eyes, galvanizing the boy’s faith where it might have been understandably thrown into chaos. The scene is shameless, the pair locking eyes and praying together at the moment of execution, and comes very early on. But For Greater Glory is just getting started, both with its jarring emotional pace and deliberate muddling of the issue of whether our heroes are fighting for their God or for a larger freedom of religious belief. Garcia’s General is positioned as the lightning rod for this question: When the Cristeros decide to fight back, they seek to recruit him as a leader, but the only glory the General is interested in has to do with medals and kill counts. Bored with his soap factory, Garcia squares his mercenary interest in the offer with the idea, as he later hisses to his old war buddy Calles, that the latter “declared war on freedom.” (Oh no he did not!) But the General’s reluctant conversion – the result of the bond he develops with José, who joins the revolt – manages to sidestep the idea of a motivating ideology. Instead Glory relies more on sentiment for its climax, mixing in just enough piety to fully and finally confuse the film’s perspective. Michael Love’s script is full of beans and Catholic loopholes: In one scene a priest tells his men that they might fire bullets, but God decides where they land. In another he counsels that God doesn’t worry about those who kill a body, only those who kill a soul. There doesn’t seem to be any scrutinizing awareness surrounding these lines; certainly director (and effects maven) Dean Wright appears to rejoice in depicting the war’s violence, whether it’s the bodies swinging from telephone poles or the constant puh-pow, puh-pow, p-chew, p-chew of the shoot ‘em up scenes (though the renegade fighter played by Oscar Isaac has a welcome, snarling vitality). There’s a moment, early on, when For Greater Glory fires up the viewer’s camp alert, specifically when Blades ends one of his diabolical, “let them eat dick” pronouncements – and the scene – by lazily spinning a globe with his index finger. Ultimately the movie has too much going on to be primarily a campy pleasure. Bruce Greenwood works his oaky inflections as the U.S. ambassador responsible for arming Calles’s men with advanced artillery in exchange for oil; several performers eke out genuinely moving moments. But there’s enough froth along the way to keep the memory of Will Ferrell’s recent Casa Di Me Padre close at hand. I’m still Catholic enough to feel guilty about that, especially given the closing-credits images of the actual subjects – martyrs all – and one actual, unidentified execution. I hereby sentence myself to a re-reading of The Power and the Glory as penance. Follow Michelle Orange on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Students at the University of Florida unveil ‘Super Grace,’ an ode to ‘the boys with the true religion.’ By James Montgomery Nicki Minaj Photo: D. Dipasupil/FilmMagic When Nicki Minaj first dropped “Super Bass,” she probably never thought it’d go on to be her biggest hit … and we’re willing to bet she definitely didn’t think it would become an anthem for Christian coupling. And yet, it has. Thanks to some students at the University of Florida, Nicki’s ode to the boys with the booming systems has been re-imagined as “Super Grace,” a contemporary commentary “about the single Christian girl’s struggle to appreciate the wonderful Christian men in her life.” Written by UF student Raychel Manko, and first performed during a homecoming “Skit Night” for the university’s Christian Greek organizations, “Grace” pays homage to “the boys with the true religion … in love with the Lord and done with sinning.” It was apparently such a hit — it won first place at the competition — that Manko and her fellow Gators were inspired to make an accompanying music video . And, oh, what a video it is. In the clip, Manko dons a bright blue wig (a nod to Nicki’s eternally evolving hairstyles), preaches from the pulpit, checks out some like-minded guys whilst praying, spits lines like, “You know I really have a thing for Christ-centered guys/ I mean, sigh, I’m gonna cry” (you can read the full lyrics over on her blog ) and, of course, inspires some rather zesty choreographed dance routines. The video was first uploaded on Christmas and has, to date, racked up just 1,100 views. But in recent days, it’s begun to make the rounds on sites like Buzzfeed, which sort of guarantees it’s well on its way to viral status. Manko, of course, remains unfazed by it all. In fact, she seems more concerned with meeting those Christian guys: as the “Grace” YouTube page states, “Raychel does not have blue hair in real life, and she looks better without it.” What do you think of the “Super Grace” remix? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page or in the comments! Related Artists Nicki Minaj
‘I love the ocean, but I’m just a bit unsure about it,’ actor tells MTV News about James Cameron sequel. By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Kara Warner Sam Worthington Photo: MTV News The upcoming sequel to James Cameron’s record-breaking film “Avatar” is going to showcase a whole new area of Pandora. With the destruction of the Na’vi’s Hometree in the first flick, Jake Sully, Neytiri and the rest of the tribe are apparently going to be spending some quality time in the planet’s ocean . And, to try to keep the filmgoing experience as authentic as possible, Cameron would like to shoot those scenes underwater . As an avid fan of diving, this is a passion project for Cameron, though he admitted to MTV News in the past that he likes to keep his work and extracurriculars separate. At least it’s not going to be all new to him, as Cameron previously said that he learned a few tricks from producing the underwater thriller “Sanctum.” The difficulty is trying to figure out how to do performance capture underwater, which is something he said has never been done before. In preparation for the film, Cameron is apparently trying to convince his leading man, Sam Worthington, to go diving with him. “He’s trying to get me to scuba-dive,” Worthington told MTV News on Friday (January 6). “I’ve never been, but he got me the gear and the tanks, so I’ve got to give it a go. I’ve got to get my lessons. I’m a bit nervous.” Worthington’s quickly running out of time to start training, though, as his “Avatar” costar Sigourney Weaver started the rumor that Cameron plans to get the cameras rolling on “Avatar 2” at some point in 2012 . Worthington admitted that he’s a little uncomfortable with the concept of learning how to scuba-dive and shooting underwater. Turns out he’s more afraid of filming in the ocean than he was of heights, a fear he had to cope with while shooting his upcoming thriller “Man on a Ledge,” out January 27. “I love the ocean, but I’m just a bit unsure about it. I suppose once I’m down there and have done it, it will be [ snaps fingers ],” Worthington said. “I’m not worried about [the unknown]; that’s the exciting part. It’s more the claustrophobia.” But sacrifices must be made for the greater good of the film. Cameron told MTV News that he wanted to shoot in the water because “we’ll have characters that are in and under the water.” At least Worthington has a better sense of how the ocean plotline will fit into the greater “Avatar” narrative than we do. “I don’t know when [Cameron]’s going to start ‘Avatar 2,’ but I know he’s been telling me bits about it,” he said. Check out everything we’ve got on “Avatar 2.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
Actor explains his Parade quote about not ‘living an interesting life’ during marriage. By Jocelyn Vena Brad Pitt Photo: Michael Tran/ Getty Images Brad Pitt made headlines this week when he opened up to Parade magazine about his ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston. “It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn’t living an interesting life myself,” Pitt said about the tail-end of his marriage to Aniston, which lasted from 2000 to 2005. “I think that my marriage had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn’t.” He also lamented that he spent much of the ’90s “trying to hide out,” adding, “I started to get sick of myself sitting on a couch, holding a joint, hiding out.” But following the story’s publication on the Web, according to Reuters, Pitt issued a statement lamenting that people are taking his quotes the wrong way. “It grieves me that this was interpreted this way. Jen is an incredibly giving, loving, and hilarious woman who remains my friend. It is an important relationship I value greatly,” he explained in the statement released through his talent agency. “The point I was trying to make is not that Jen was dull, but that I was becoming dull to myself — and that, I am responsible for.” Aniston and Pitt divorced in 2005, after he began dating his “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” co-star Angelina Jolie, with whom he now has six kids. While he may have come off as critical of his ex, Pitt does say very favorable things about his current partner in the Parade story. “I’m satisfied with making true choices and finding the woman I love, Angie, and building a family that I love so much. A family is a risky venture, because the greater the love, the greater the loss,” he said. “That’s the trade-off. But I’ll take it all. … One of the greatest, smartest things I ever did was give my kids Angie as their mom. She is such a great mom. Oh, man, I’m so happy to have her.” Pitt is currently making the rounds promoting his film “Moneyball” and spoke to MTV News at the Toronto Film Festival, where he remained more tight-lipped about whether he has a cameo in Jolie’s directorial debut, “In the Land of Blood and Honey.” “I will say nothing,” he declared. “Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.” Related Photos The Evolution Of: Brad Pitt The Many Looks, Movies And Girlfriends Of Brad Pitt
A report from Nicole J. Pearce . She covered the Greater Boston Labor Council’s “We Are One” MLK exploitation protest at the Massachusetts Republican Party headquarters: Yesterday I was able to attend the We Are One rally in Boston. This video is of the closing remarks of the event by Greater Boston Labor Council leader Rich Rogers … And check Kimberly Morin, ” Violent rhetoric from AFL-CIO union… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : American Power Discovery Date : 05/04/2011 21:20 Number of articles : 2
A report from Nicole J. Pearce . She covered the Greater Boston Labor Council’s “We Are One” MLK exploitation protest at the Massachusetts Republican Party headquarters: Yesterday I was able to attend the We Are One rally in Boston. This video is of the closing remarks of the event by Greater Boston Labor Council leader Rich Rogers … And check Kimberly Morin, ” Violent rhetoric from AFL-CIO union… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : American Power Discovery Date : 05/04/2011 21:20 Number of articles : 2
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