Bobby Brown took to The Tonight Show stage to debut a new song he wrote about life since Whitney Houston’s death … we wish we were kidding. The song, released online a week ago but little-noticed because Bobby Brown’s career has been on a 15-year tailspin, is a confession of sorts. Bobby admits he “messed up pretty bad” and begs his late ex-wife … “Don’t let me die.” That’s right, even after her death, it’s all about BB. Bobby Brown – Don’t Let Me Die The song also features the lyrics, “I didn’t realize that every breath I took was from you … You were my air.” That’s actually somewhat nice. Brown also sings. “I didn’t know who you were, didn’t know what we had. Now I’m stuck living in the past … trying to get the pieces back. But I guess now you’re gone.” Guess so. Brown, who’s been making the media rounds to reiterate that Whitney’s death is not his fault , performed the track live last night for the FIRST TIME EVER, will be releasing the sensual track on his new album in June, just months after she died. Hey, gotta strike while the iron is hot.
Anyone who’s ever seen or used a rabbit vibrator can attest to the device’s utter adorableness as a totem. Whoever designed this miraculous pink rubbery thing, with its Peter Cottontail-worthy quivering ears, probably thought, Why does a vibrator have to be ugly? Why not make it cute? Tanya Wexler may have had the same idea when she was making Hysteria , a romantic comedy and highly fictionalized history of the vibrator. The picture is, in places, too adorable for words, and when it’s not adorable, it suffers from an excess of neo-suffragette preachiness. But the picture is at least spirited, a jaunty trifle that’s low on eroticism but high on cartoony coquettishness. Like the little motorized whatsit that is its subject, it does have its charms. The picture is set in Victorian London, a time and place where the women’s ailment known as hysteria — caused, allegedly, by an overactive uterus — was treated by some rather, um, direct and interesting methods. (According to the movie, they involve two kinds of oil and a doctor’s fingers.) Hugh Dancy plays Mortimer Granville, a physician who, unlike his whiskery colleagues, keeps up with all the latest developments in modern medicine — he’s hip to the idea of germs while all the other docs are still hung up on leeches. Because of his radical beliefs in these invisible microscopic destroyers, no hospital will have him, and he feels lucky to land a job in the office of one Dr. Robert Dalrymple (Jonathan Pryce), who specializes in de-overactivating the uteruses of his patients. “It’s the plague of our time!” he tells his young colleague. “Half the women in London are afflicted!” Only half? Anyway, many of the afflicted make their way to the good doctor’s office, including an opera singer who’s too sad to sing (Kim Criswell) and a minxlike sexagenarian (Georgie Glen), all clamoring for treatment. In fact, handsome young Dr. Granville attracts so many new patients that he begins suffering desperately from hand cramps. Luckily, his closest friend, a layabout aristocrat played by a marvelously louche Rupert Everett, has invented an electric feather duster that, with a few tweaks, actually serves as a handy hysteria treatment device. The thing catches on like wildfire, and everybody’s happy. Well, not quite. There’s plenty of trouble in Dr. Granville’s paradise, mostly in the love department: He thinks he’s attracted to Dr. Dalrymple’s brainy but meek daughter Emily (Felicity Jones), but his real match is her sister, headstrong Charlotte (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who works with the poor and has some very progressive ideas about the equality of women, which she spouts freely at every turn. The script, by Stephen and Jonah Lisa Dyer, give Charlotte’s ideas free rein, and enough is enough already. Their grinding insistence only weighs the movie down, preventing it from getting on with the business of getting it on. But Wexler — director of two previous features, Ball in the House and Finding North — strives to keep things buoyant, and her efforts mostly pay off. Gyllenhaal’s presence helps — with that bright, expressive, acorn-shaped face, she carries on valiantly, despite the pedantic nature of the material. The movie’s offhand moments are the most fun, as when the two doctors, plus Everett, try the device on their first patient: They put a drape across her legs and don swimming goggles, peering expectantly into the abyss before — huzzah! — achieving victory. Hysteria is most delightful when it slips into its naughtiest groove and just purrs. Editor’s note: Portions of this review appeared earlier, in a different form, in Stephanie Zacharek’s Toronto Film Festival coverage . Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Go ahead and tell me you didn’t see this coming: The Russian government is underwriting a biopic of the late-19th/early 20th-century ballerina and tsarist “femme fatale” Mathilde Kschessinska, and its cultural ministers have enlisted Paul Schrader to write the screenplay for “an internationally acclaimed director to be announced soon.” OK, fine — I didn’t see it coming, either. Read on for full details, by which I mean an explanation from all involved. I mean, between Raging Bull and Mishima , the guy knows from international historical figures of varying renown. But this… Anyway, if it sounds unprecedented, that’s because it is. Anyone have any casting suggestions? ============ PAUL SCHRADER PENS BIOPIC OF NOTORIOUS RUSSIAN BALLERINA Acclaimed screenwriter-director will write the story of Kschessinska, legendary prima ballerina and mistress to the last Russian Tsar, for film financed by Kremlin-backed Culture & Arts Fund May 17, 2012, Los Angeles — Paul Schrader has signed on today to write the story of the ultimate femme fatale, “prima ballerina assoluta” Mathilde Kschessinska, for Russian entertainment powerhouse Vladimir Vinokur and his partner the Russian ballet impresario Vladislav Moskalev, in collaboration with American producers David Weisman and Anatoly Davydov. The film is financed by the V. Vinokur Fund for the Support of Russian Culture & Arts under the auspices of the Kremlin. Never before has a renowned American screenwriter written a Russian film about an iconic figure from Russian history. The film will be shot in English with mixed Russian and American Star cast, and will be helmed by an internationally acclaimed director to be announced soon. “Kschessinska’s life is a powerful metaphor for Russian culture and evokes the best of Russian arts,” said Schrader. “She was a first native prima ballerina in the country that saw the highest achievement in that art form. She was not only a witness to the critical period of Russian history, she was a player in that history, only to be thrown aside.” As the Russian Empire was falling apart, a tiny ballerina caused scandal, heartbreak, and intrigue among the royal family. Kschessinska played mistress to at least four aristocratic men who controlled the crumbling Romanov dynasty, including Russia’s last Tsar, Nicholas II. Rising from poverty, through her extraordinary gift for ballet, Kschessinska lived a life of mind-boggling luxury during a time of monumental despair and chaos. Despite her relentless ambition and charismatic power, she never got what she really wanted. Although her son certainly had Romanov blood, his paternity remained in dispute—and her dream to become mother of the Tsar would never be realized—due to revolution, murder, and unrequited love. “Kschessinska’s story gives me an exciting opportunity to create historical fiction not only through direct narrative—but also through the ballets she danced and defined,” Schrader continued. “Oftentimes, the most interesting perspectives on history come from those seemingly off to the side but actually in the center—its artists.” “Kschessinska was worshipped and reviled,” said Weisman. “Nicknames such as ‘Black-eyed She-Devil of the Imperial Ballet’ and ‘Mathilde the Magnificent’ echo the seething jealousy and boundless admiration Kschessinska provoked during her time. Having narrowly escaped the Bolshevik bloodbath, for fifty years she taught ballet in Paris where she died only a few months before her hundredth birthday, in 1971.” “Kschessinska’s life begins in the world of Imperial St Petersburg—Russia’s window on the West—where Russian culture attained arguably the highest achievements in both lyric epic and in the novel,” Schrader added. “I’ll draw on all that to explore the inner-life of Kschessinska at the same time I explore the splendor of Russian culture. Russia, which like the Romanov imperial eagle looks both east and west, is uniquely positioned to take a dominant role in the renaissance of global cinema.” “This project is not just about making a movie for the international market; It is a window into true understanding of the Russian soul,” said Moskalev. ###
I love this girl! If 12-year old Victoria Grant can explain how banks that print our nation’s currency and their puppet global banks are the most immoral criminal institutions on our planet responsible for oppression, mass suffering, and misery, shame on anyone else that is too lazy and/or too misanthropic to take the time or effort to watch this six minute video to understand this essential truth… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : zero hedge Discovery Date : 16/05/2012 08:22 Number of articles : 2
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy, was “depressed and despondent” before committing suicide this week, according to a new report. Police found Mary Kennedy dead at her Mount Kisco, N.Y., home Wednesday. Radar Online is reporting that the 52-year-old hanged herself in a barn, though officials have not commented publicly on Mary Kennedy’s cause of death. A longtime friend, who spoke to Mary Monday, said they were sadly not surprised , as she faced mounting financial woes at the end of her marriage. “I spoke to Mary on Monday and she sounded extremely down,” the source said. “She was depressed and despondent and worried about the future.” “Mary said she was facing financial ruin, with American Express coming after her hard for an outstanding debt, along with several other creditors.” “In addition, she was concerned that Robert was about to substantially reduce the amount of financial support he gave her and she’d lose her home.” Mary was married to the son of Robert F. Kennedy for 16 years, before he filed for divorce in May 2010. The couple had four children together. While estranged from RFK Jr., Mary lived at the family home in Mount Kisco, while Robert spent the majority of his time in Los Angeles, Calif. “Robert still supported Mary and was there for her whenever he could be, but he had pretty much moved on,” a source said of the couple. “He has been dating Cheryl Hines for a while now and they are very happy.” The source says Mary Kennedy was struggling to come to terms with the end of their marriage, despite Robert having filed for divorce two years ago. “It was very tough for Mary to deal with Robert dating someone else,” the source says. “And it really didn’t help that the new woman is a celebrity.” “She would see photos of the two of them together and it would drive her nuts. I think, deep down, she had still harbored a belief they would get back together but it had recently become blindingly clear that wasn’t to be.” “Mary was in a very dark place recently. Robert tried to help her all he could but it was difficult for him to be around her. Robert is committed to his sobriety but Mary had chosen a whole different path to take.” “When I heard the news that she may have taken her own life I was devastated, but not that surprised. It was in the back of my mind that she may do something like this, and that was compounded by the conversation I had with her. “However she died though, this is an absolute tragedy. Mary was an amazing and beautiful person and she absolutely adored her children.” “It is a devastating loss to all that knew her.”
Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez and Joshua Ledet make their final cases to America that they should be in the final two. By Adam Graham Phillip Phillips on “American Idol” Photo: Michael Becker/ FOX With “We’ve Got Tonight,” Phillip Phillips may have punched his ticket to next week’s “American Idol” finale. Phillips’ performance at the close of Wednesday’s (May 16) episode stole the show and earned a standing ovation from the judges. All night, Randy Jackson spoke of having big “moments,” and Phillips’ gentle take on the Bob Seger classic definitely qualified as one of those performances. “That was the perfect song at the perfect time and your best performance on the show ever!” Jackson told Phillips after the song. Jennifer Lopez said it was like a “lullaby,” and Steven Tyler said he “nailed it” and praised him for his passion during the song. Phillips’ “We’ve Got Tonight” came at the end of a two-hour show that saw the contestants visiting their hometowns and being treated like returning heroes. The episode also saw Joshua Ledet retain his momentum, while Jessica Sanchez slipped a bit, proving it may be tough for her to make it to the final two. Contestants sang three songs each: One chosen by the judges, one of their own choosing and one picked by Jimmy Iovine. Ledet opened the show with Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind,” which also earned a standing ovation from the judges. (Not surprising, they picked the song.) “Out of 70,000, there’s only one American Idol. And you sang like that one tonight,” Tyler told Ledet after the song. He followed it with John Lennon’s “Imagine,” dubbed “brilliant” (by Jackson) and “controlled” (by Lopez) and finished with Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama,” his suggestion from Iovine. It was another hit. “You have this perfect marriage of knowing exactly what you’re doing and letting completely go at the same time,” Lopez told him after his unkempt performance, which saw him dramatically remove his jacket, as well as his in-ear monitors. “There’s spontaneity, you don’t know what’s going to happen, but you know it’s going to be out of this world.” Sanchez’s up-and-down night was typified by Jackson’s critiques: He called her version of Mariah Carey’s “My All” “one of the best times a Mariah song has ever been performed on TV,” but later said her version of Jackson Five’s “I’ll Be There” — also once memorably performed by Mariah — was only “OK.” “There was never a moment-moment. It’s like, you know, I mean, it needed like a moment-moment-moment.” (In Jackson-speak, that means she didn’t quite deliver.) Sandwiched between the two, she took on Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” which is more than a little familiar to one of the three judges. Tyler rose to his feet afterwards, telling her she “took a great song and made it greater,” while Lopez called it “crazy” (in a good way). And Jackson? “Dude, you delivered, man, yo, whoa, I’m like yo, all right, all right.” Our thoughts exactly, Randy. Phillips closed so strong it hardly mattered what came before. (Voters have short attention spans, you see.) After his first song, Madcon’s “Beggin’,” Tyler said Phillips “could be a new Springsteen,” while Jackson commented he felt he was at a Phil Phillips concert. All three judges agreed his middle performance of Matchbox Twenty’s “Disease” was underwhelming, but by his home-run song was a performance all but forgotten. One of the performers is headed home — this time not in a good way — on Thursday’s episode, which is also set to feature a performance by Adam Lambert. What did you think of “Idol” on Wednesday? Let us know in the comments! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Performances
Looking 4 Myself track featuring Pharrell is classic R&B but ‘very relevant,’ superstar says on ‘MTV First.’ By John Mitchell, with reporting by Sway Calloway Usher Photo: Jessica Hyndman / MTV News Usher sat down for an exclusive “MTV First” interview about his hotly anticipated upcoming release, Looking 4 Myself , his unconventional album-listening experience with the off-Broadway show “Fuerza Bruta” and to give fans a first listen to the Myself track “Twisted” featuring Pharrell. He told MTV News’ Sway Calloway the song is a “nostalgic record” that reflects the album’s ambitious aim to represent the variety of musical experiences that have impacted the R&B superstar. ” ‘Twisted’ is more of a nostalgic record, so when you think about the classic R&B record, we managed a way to modernize it, even though that’s very relevant,” the singer said. “You hear records like Cee Lo, you hear Bruno Mars and also Andre 3000, and that sound is very relevant in this time. So this was kind of our way to tie it all together and give you something different that you probably wouldn’t normally get from me.” Adapting current sounds and making them his own is a theme Usher is bringing in earnest to Looking 4 Myself and also reflects his philosophy of how to stay in the game. The star released his self-titled debut in 1994, when he was just 16, and has gone on to sell over 65 million records worldwide and score nine #1 songs and six more top 10 hits. As for how he’s managed to stay on top for so long, Usher revealed that it’s important to never be insular when it comes to music. “Life is a workout, man, it’s like a treadmill, and you gotta be with it, you gotta just stay with it,” he said. “For me, I’ve had the fortunate ability to always be mindful of other things and other people. I’m not so caught up in what I’m doing that I can’t be cognizant of what other people enjoy. … Now, I think music should be used as a channel to really allow people to have different experiences. So, this album is all about bottling up those different experiences.” The connecting tissue that’s given Usher the ability to explore world music — from full-on dance tracks like his new single “Scream” and his collaboration with David Guetta, “Without You,” to more classic R&B slow jams like “Climax” and the old-school spare drum beat of “Twisted” — while delivering cohesive records has been his voice, which he said brings “the essence of soul and emotion” to each record. “All of my career is kind of an unveiling, an unfolding story, and it ain’t done. There’s so much more that I’m going to do, so much that I’ve now just been interested in and been introduced to,” he continued. “I just want that experience of having this very monogamous relationship with entertainment and acting in a way where I can really, really focus and become better.” Usher’s commitment to tackling the changing face of music head-on and forging new roads in entertainment as he matures — he is currently training for a Sugar Ray Leonard biopic — is the key to his success, he said, concluding, “It’s all about evolution for me.” Share your review of “Twisted” in the comments below! Related Videos MTV First: Usher Related Artists Usher
Rap superstars get cozy in just-premiered clip, which also features Chris Brown. By Rob Markman Nicki Minaj and Nas in her “Right By My Side” video Photo: Cash Money/Young Money/Universal Music Nicki and Nas —it has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? It’s no secret that Nicki Minaj has a flair for the dramatic, and on Wednesday (May 16), when she debuted her “Right by My Side” video on MTV, Nicki surprised many by casting the Queensbridge rap great as her leading man. The bright and cheery video opens with a pensive Nicki seated in a high-backed chair fit for a queen; her mind is clearly elsewhere, unaware of the camera’s gaze. Only a few seconds pass before Nas struts into the scene and the two lean in to share a smooch only to find their lives subjected to a rewind sequence before their lips touch. “It all comes down to this, I miss your morning,” Nicki sings on cue as the viewer is taken back in time. It’s all pretty rosy as the lovesick couple share deep conversation and an inside joke as Nas hands his honey a silver dollar, which she flips into a wishing well. The clip has all the makings of a Nicholas Sparks romance flick: There’s PDA, hand-holding, shopping trips and outdoor lunches. In one scene, Nas — who sports his trademark half-moon Caesar and big-framed 1980s-inspired glasses — surprises Nicki with a new car, topped off with a pink bow, of course. The reigning rap queen is so excited she leaps into his open arms. When Chris Brown shows up for his guest verse and duet-styled hook, he is set outside of the video’s story line, delivering passionate performance scenes but never interrupting the two lovebirds. Breezy is no doubt a superstar, but he sits as a third wheel on Nicki and Nas’ romantic ride. The vibe of the soft love song switches by the time the Female Weezy’s rap verse rolls in. It’s quite the verbal display as she sits beside Nas, wearing his hoodie and rapping in double-time of her own sexual prowess. “My p—y game so cold, that he always seem to come back/ ‘Cause he knows that it be a wrap when I’m riding it from the back,” she spits while wearing God’s Son’s oversized medallion around her neck. For the most part, the couple can’t stay away from each other, but there is clearly some separation between the two lovers, even if only for a brief, undefined moment. In the closing scene, a lonely and longing Nicki sits on a park bench under a full moon with a sullen look on her typically animated face. Her frown is quickly remedied when Nas pulls up besides his boo and takes a seat next to her. They first hug and then share a deep and sensual kiss that is sure to get the rumor mill spinning out of control. What did you think of Nicki Minaj and Nas’ kiss in the “Right By My Side” video? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Nicki Minaj Nas
John Doe Number One, whose accusations of sexual assault against John Travolta made major headlines before his case fell apart and he dropped the lawsuit , apparently isn’t throwing in the legal towel
Actor Nick Stahl’s family filed a missing-person report Monday, but there were ongoing issues that predated the Terminator 3 star’s disappearance. According to court papers, he was involved in a custody battle with wife Roseann, who reported Nick Stahl missing , over their 2-year-old daughter Marlo. She filed in February requesting that Nick not be allowed unsupervised visits with their daughter. She also requested both legal and physical custody. Nick and Roseann are still married, but estranged and living apart. Roseann, 30, also stated that in 2011 she estimated the Terminator Salvation actor’s income to be $500,000 while she listed her own income as $0. She said her total monthly expenses were $6,065. In March, she subsequently requested Nick pay $3,807 monthly in child support, and he agreed. It’s unclear if Nick Stahl’s drug problems played a role in his disappearance, but they were bad enough to worry Roseann at the time he vanished. He was granted only supervised visitation with their child, however, and was barred from consuming alcoholic beverages or narcotics within 24 hours. He was also ordered to provide a negative drug test result for marijuana, cocaine and alcohol within 24 hours prior to every scheduled visitation. “Thank you for the kind words,” Roseann tweeted, along with a plea for anyone with information about Nick’s whereabouts to contact the LAPD. [Photo: WENN.com]
