Bret McKenzie’s ‘Man or Muppet’ is up against ‘Real in Rio’ for Best Original Song. By Kara Warner Miss Piggy in “The Muppets” Photo: Muppets Studio There are always plenty of shocks, snubs and surprises when it comes to the unveiling of Oscar nominees each year. Tuesday’s (January 24) announcement was met with all of the above, but overall there were more pleasant surprises than not. One of our favorite nominees is “Flight of the Conchords” actor-turned- “Muppets” music supervisor Bret McKenzie, who scored a Best Original Song nod for his “Man or Muppet.” MTV News was lucky enough to get a few minutes on the phone with the still-in-shock McKenzie, who called in from his home in New Zealand. “We’re celebrating with breakfast,” McKenzie said. “I woke up to the phone ringing nonstop, so then I picked up my phone and saw the news. I was very excited. I don’t sound it, but I am very excited. It’s a great day.” The multitalented New Zealander revealed that while “Man or Muppet” is his favorite song in “The Muppets” and that he is very proud of the earnest ballad, he never expected it to be recognized for anything. “I really wanted it to be hilarious and beautiful, and I feel like we got that combination. It’s sincere but ridiculous,” he said. “The idea of children singing the song at school cracks me up.” McKenzie said that the nomination surprised almost the entire “Muppets” team, except perhaps writer/star Jason Segel, who made an outlandish prediction during production about the earnest tune’s award potential. “The night we recorded ‘Man or Muppet,’ we had a few drinks and Jason Segel was predicting we’d get together at the Oscars, but he was joking,” McKenzie recalled. “[Maybe] that guy can see the future.” Once the actor/musician gets over the shock of his nomination, he’ll have to start preparations for how the song will be performed during the 84th annual awards ceremony. “I was thinking we’ll definitely need a man and a Muppet,” McKenzie joked. “Yeah, that’s what we need.” When asked about his chances, McKenzie marveled at the fact that there are only two nominees, “Man or Muppet” and “Real in Rio” from “Rio.” “I was amazed there were only two nominees; I was surprised. It seems unusual, but it’s great because the odds are 50-50,” he said. “The only thing I guess would be better if there was only one nomination.” What song should win the Oscar for Best Original Song? Sound off in the comments section! See the complete list of Academy Awards Nominations . Related Videos Oscars 2012: And The Nominees Are…
Or some other lukewarm cling-monkey: “If I were feeling less generous and more cynical on this holiest of all Oscar-calendar mornings , I might say that to decipher this year’s Academy Awards contest, we need only look for inspiration to the GOP presidential race. The Artist is Mitt Romney — desperate to please, doesn’t stand for anything in particular, not especially popular with the general public, will eventually keep most of its money offshore, and, though dinged up and trash-talked, will probably cross the finish line first by default. The Descendants is Newt Gingrich (emotionally unsteady, hard on wives, doing better than expected, but probably can’t go all the way). Hugo is Rick Santorum (a little slow, doesn’t really like anything that changed in the culture in the last 80 years). And The Tree of Life is Jon Huntsman (believes in evolution, probably a little too classy for this field).” [ Grantland ]
‘I just asked a normal question,’ Rock tells MTV News about what prompted the director’s passionate criticism against Hollywood. By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Eric Ditzian Chris Rock Photo: MTV News PARK CITY, Utah — The old refrain of “more money, more problems” seems to apply to Spike Lee’s “Red Hook Summer,” the director’s new drama he unveiled at the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday. During a Q&A session following the screening of the filmmaker’s religion-focused feature, actor and comedian Chris Rock (at Sundance for his new film “2 Days in New York” from Julie Delpy) asked Lee if he would have done anything differently had he “actually gotten… studio money” for the film. Lee’s response was a fiery one, fueled with comments that condemned the Hollywood studio system for knowing “nothing about black people.” “We never went to the studios with this film. I bought a camera and said we’re gonna do this mother[bleeping] film ourselves. I didn’t need a mother[bleeping] studio telling me something about Red Hook! They know nothing about black people,” Lee said in response to Rock’s question, according to the New York Post . “And they’re gonna give me notes about what a 13-year-old black boy and girl do in Red Hook? [Bleep] no!” Lee’s response was nothing short of perplexing to Rock, who told MTV News that he “just asked a normal question.” “I just asked him how it would have been different if he’d had it financed by a studio. If he had more money,” he continued. “That was it. That’s all I said. Everything else, I don’t know. You gotta ask Spike.” In “Red Hook Summer,” Lee tells the story of a young boy sent by his mother from Atlanta to spend the summer in Red Hook, Brooklyn, with his grandfather, a strict preacher he’s never met. The film stars Clarke Peters, Jules Brown and Thomas Jefferson Byrd. Do you think Spike Lee’s criticism at Sundance out of line? Sound off in the comments section! The 2012 Sundance Film Festival is officially under way, and the MTV Movies team is on the ground reporting on the hottest stars and the movies everyone will be talking about in the year to come. Keep it locked with MTV Movies for everything there is to know about Sundance. Related Videos Sundance 2012: Interviews From Park City Related Photos Sundance 2012: Behind The Scenes Photos Celebrities Hit The Ground At Sundance 2012 Film Fest
We leave the Oscar odds up to the professionals, in Bigger Than the Sound. By James Montgomery George Clooney in “The Descendents” Photo: 20th Century Fox My buddy Corey (
From ‘Like a Prayer’ to ‘La Isla Bonita,’ stars pick their favorite songs by the ‘W.E.’ director. By Jocelyn Vena Madonna attends the New York City premiere of “W.E.” Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images NEW YORK — At the latest premiere of Madonna ‘s film, “W.E.,” it seemed like everyone just wanted to know what it was like to work with the pop icon as she embarked on writing and directing the film, based on the historical romance between King Edward VIII and American divorc
George Clooney and BFF Brad Pitt to face off in Best Actor category. By Gil Kaufman Asa Butterfield in “Hugo” Photo: Paramount Pictures A silent picture, a baseball flick, a horse tale, a 3-D children’s movie for grown-ups, a infidelity family drama, an ode to classic cinema and a film that tackles race relations against the backdrop of the 1960’s civil right movement. The nominations for Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards read like a travelogue of the history of film. The names of the nominees for the 84th annual Academy Awards , hosted by Billy Crystal, were announced on Tuesday (January 24) morning and in addition to a lot of the expected vote-getters, a few dark horses emerged from the pack, which was led by Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” with 11 nods, followed by the acclaimed silent film “The Artist” with 10. For photos of all the Oscar nominees, click here. The Best Picture race will be a dogfight between one of the year’s most lauded films, the French silent movie “The Artist,” director Alexander Payne’s family drama “The Descendants,” the inspiring tale of “The Help,” Scorsese’s 3-D children’s film/ode to his love of the movies, “Hugo” and one of Woody Allen’s most box-office friendly flick in years, “Midnight in Paris.” Also making the list was the Brad Pitt baseball drama “Moneyball,” as well as Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse,” reclusive director Terrence Malick’s existential “The Tree of Life” and “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.” The bids for “The Artist” mark the first time in nearly 80 years that a black-and-white silent film is the leading contender to take the Best Picture award. The Oscars will air live on February 26 from the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. Golden Globe winner George Clooney and his pal Pitt will vie for the Best Actor award for their work, respectively, in “The Descendants” and “Moneyball.” They will need to overcome a strong bid from Jean Dujardin in “The Artist,” as well as Gary Oldman in the drama “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.” Also in the mix is the surprise vote for Mexican actor Demian Bichir, who was praised for his work in “A Better Life” as a gardener in East L.A. intent on keeping his son out of a local gang. It’s a mix of the usual suspects and some new names in the Best Actress category, with 16-time nominee Meryl Streep leading the list for her take on Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron lady,” Viola Davis earning major kudos for her work as a sweet-natured maid in “The Help,” Michelle Williams getting a nod for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in “My Week With Marilyn” and first -time nominee Rooney Mara for her goth punk blitzkrieg in “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” Glenn Close was also honored for her gender-bending turn in “Albert Nobbs.” Best Director will pit three legends — Scorsese, Allen and Malick — against Payne and a rising star in against Payne Michel Hazanavicius for “The Artist.” The Best Supporting Actor category features Kenneth Branagh (“My Week with Marilyn”), Johan Hill (“Moneyball”), Nick Nolte (“Warrior”) Christopher Plummer (“Beginners”) and Max Von Sydow (“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”). In the Best Supporting Actress race, Octavia Spencer (“The Help”), will take on “Janet McTeer (“Albert Nobbs”), Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”), Jessica Chastain (“The Help” and Berenice Bejo (“The Artist”). Break-out “Saturday Night Live” star Kristen Wiig and her writing partner Annie Mumulo were honored with a Best Original Screenplay bid for their explosively funny “Bridesmaids” script, along with Allen for “Midnight in Paris,” Hazanavicius for “The Artist,” Asghar Farhadi for “A Separation” and J.C. Chandor for “Margin Call.” The Animated Feature battle will feature such popcorn pleasers as “Kung Fu Panda 2” going up against “Puss in Boots” and “Rango” as well as two lesser-known movies, “A Cat in Paris” and “Chico & Rita.” Related Videos Oscars 2012: And The Nominees Are… Related Photos 2012 Oscar Nominees
‘I think we got a good shot with Melissa [for Best Supporting Actress],’ Paul Feig tells us on the Golden Globes red carpet. By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Joshua Horowitz Paul Feig Photo: Steve Granitz/ Getty Images “Bridesmaids” might have walked away from the Golden Globes empty-handed , but the raunchy comedy is still considered a dark horse for the upcoming Oscar race. Nominees won’t be announced until January 24, and many experts are guessing that the film might sneak into the pool of Best Picture nominees. Director Paul Feig is similarly optimistic. MTV News caught up with him on the red carpet before the Globes where he chatted about his predictions for “Bridesmaids'” Oscar chances. “I’m really pulling for Melissa [McCarthy]. I think we got a good shot with Melissa [for Best Supporting Actress],” he said. “I think the girls have a good shot for the screenplay.” But what about their Best Picture odds? Feig isn’t holding his breath. “Look, nothing would make me happier,” he said. “I think that’s a real tough one because the way the voting for the Academy is set up for Best Pictures this year is tough. We have to get a lot of, like, ‘best movie of the year’ votes, which, like, we’re good, but we’re not the best movie of the year. I’d like to say we were, but what an ass I would sound like if I did say that.” That lends itself to a different argument that says the Academy Awards should follow the Globes’ model and separate the drama and comedy categories. As a comedic director and producer for over a decade, Feig said he sees the upside in that split. His argument is that it’s easier to create a showy drama that appeals to critics than a showy comedy that does the same. In his experience, showy comedies typically distance the intended audience, though that isn’t always the case. “I thought ‘The Hangover’ was very showy in that way, filmmaking-wise. But it’s hard because most comedy needs to be very relatable. Like, if I were to do ‘Bridesmaids’ kind of very stylistic, I think I would alienate the audience, you know,” he said. “As a filmmaker, my theory is always, ‘Take the backseat. Don’t show off. Let the girls be the focus.’ ” Check out everything we’ve got on “Bridesmaids.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes 2012 Golden Globes: Highlights From The Show Related Photos Golden Globes 2012: The Afterparties Golden Globes 2012 Press Room MTV Style | 2012 Golden Globes Red Carpet Photos
ABC released a cutesy trailer for the 2012 Academy Awards telecast that speaks loads to the youthful new direction the show’s makers were going in when they brought Brett Ratner aboard, before his untimely exit ; in a slick parody of globe-trotting Hollywood fare, two heroes are tasked with tracking down wizened Billy Crystal for hosting duties on the Big Night. Those heroes? None other than Transformers castmates Josh Duhamel and Megan Fox, because of course. Nothing says current like the girl who was the hottest thing on earth three years ago! Watch the trailer and see if it entices you with its “Hey kids, check us out!” hip comedy stylings. The trailer even comes courtesy of Funny Or Die, it’s so plugged in! And hey, isn’t that Vinnie Jones as a mysterious bartender with inside intel? And Bill Fichtner as Oscarcast producer Brian Grazer? (At least that much makes sense.) And, well, Robin Williams as a Himalayan ferryman? (That cameo actually just makes me sad that he’s not hosting or co-hosting with Crystal.) See, the Oscars are for everybody! This milquetoast-but-four-quadrant trailer proves it! Verdict: The 84th Academy Awards will be televised live on Feb. 26 at 4p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET, and from the looks of it we’ll be in for a loooong night.
The Library of Congress today announced an eclectic batch of new inductees into the National Film Registry for 2011, ranging from no-brainers (Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid ) to fantastic finds (the 1930s-era Nicholas Brothers Family Home Movies ). And also: Silence of the Lambs ! Forrest Gump ! … El Mariachi ? Which of these 25 newly anointed selections, to be preserved on account of their cultural, historical or aesthetic significance, is the most surprising addition? The 2011 National Film Registry Additions : Allures (1961) Bambi (1942) The Big Heat (1953) A Computer Animated Hand (1972) Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (1963) The Cry of the Children (1912) A Cure for Pokeritis (1912) El Mariachi (1992) Faces (1968) Fake Fruit Factory (1986) Forrest Gump (1994) Growing Up Female (1971) Hester Stree t (1975) I, an Actress (1977) The Iron Horse (1924) The Kid (1921) The Lost Weekend (1945) The Negro Soldier (1944) Nicholas Brothers Family Home Movies (1930s-1940s) Norma Rae (1979) Porgy and Bess (1959) The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Stand and Deliver (1988) Twentieth Century (1934) War of the Worlds (1953) I could be convinced of El Mariachi ‘s worthiness given Robert Rodriguez’s famed hardscrabble production legend and the fact that he’s created a manageable cottage industry for himself working on the periphery of Hollywood. And yeah, El Mariachi ‘s pretty good, but for my money it’s the weakest new addition of the bunch. Which is not to say it’s the most surprising; Forrest Gump was well-loved and somewhat groundbreaking in its time even if it feels cringe-inducingly dated now, but many of these selections are of a distinct era or creatively, socially, or technically significant. (Ed Catmull’s 3-D grad project A Computer Animated Hand is another inspired choice.) Besides, Groundhog Day made the list back in 2006. Groundhog Day . So here’s what I want to know: How the heck has it taken this long for Bambi to make the list? Read more on each selection from the Library of Congress’s press release over at the Library of Congress website . [ Library of Congress ]
And so my most-favorite, least-favorite task of the year rolls around again. I never call it a “10 best” list — meaning the unequivocal 10 best films of the year — because I’m fully aware of how subjective it is. Yet as frustrating as it usually is to pull together just the right 10, I found the job surprisingly pleasurable this year. So many movies to love! How could this have happened? Let’s not even address the fact that two 3-D movies made it onto my list — that surprises me as much as anyone. The remarkable thing is that year after year, no matter how much samey-sameness Hollywood (or even so-called indie cinema, for that matter) seems to give us, there are always pictures that resonate, movies that stand apart as if to do so were their God-given right. This year was, I think, particularly rich, but again, no critic’s list can ever be the perfect definition of the year’s finest movies. Besides, all the fun lies in comparing and contrasting. That’s why I urge you to share your favorites with me, in the comments section. That’s one of the things I most look forward to each year. A note about the order: My top four movies are pretty much ranked in order of preference. But the remaining six are just a happy jumble — Drive could just as easily be Number 7 instead of Number 10, and Bill Cunningham: New York could have crept up to Number 6. And in the Honorable Mentions category, all bets are off. This is secretly, or perhaps not so secretly, my favorite part of compiling a year-end list. It’s the place I can revisit every movie of the past year that has somehow stuck with me, without having to make a case for alleged greatness. Because as I’ve said many times — and plenty of other people have said it before me — greatness so often happens in the margins. Here goes: The Artist — Michel Hazanavicius’ nearly silent black-and-white film (featuring the ultra-charming Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo) has inspired lots of rapture among critics, but also a great deal of harumphing that it’s nothing more than a trifle and says very little about silent film as an art form. But ideally, what, exactly, might it have said? Beyond offering such beauty and pleasure (as if that weren’t enough), Hazanavicius has reopened the world’s eyes to a long-gone mode of filmmaking. Sure, yes, of course, there are Keaton films, Griffith films, Murnau films that are better, and there are plenty of critics around to remind us of that. But when critics write chiefly for other critics — in other words, to show off how much they know — they forget that thousands of people who have never even seen a silent film will see and enjoy The Artist , and maybe seek out more of the great silents. Meanwhile, no one needs a badge of certification to “properly understand” silent film, or The Artist . Thank God. Melancholia — Lars von Trier’s meditation on serious depression is gorgeous to look at, deeply moody and atmospheric, and always in on its own grim little joke. The most rapturous, uplifting picture about the end of the world — or the end of a world — ever made. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy — Over the past few weeks, Tomas Alfredson’s intricate John LeCarré adaptation has crept — kind of like a super-stealthy MI6 agent — from my Honorable Mentions section to the bottom of my 10-favorites list to somewhere very close to the top. The picture is sly, precise and deeply fulfilling. It also features Gary Oldman in one of the great performances of the year. Midnight in Paris — In the past 20 years I’ve liked bits and pieces of Woody Allen’s films (Scarlett Johansson’s brainy-cute journalism student in Scoop , the great Elaine May in Small Time Crooks ). But mostly, since Manhattan Murder Mystery , I’ve pretty much loathed them, and that includes the much-lauded Match Point . Which is why it gives me extra pleasure to have fallen in love with a Woody Allen film once again. Midnight in Paris reckons with the past as a real place, even as it worries about the limits of nostalgia. What happens if we don’t care about the past enough to carry it with us into the future? That’s the question Midnight in Paris worries over. It’s a movie about every yesterday we stand to lose as we’re busy making the leap, over and over again, between today and tomorrow. Jane Eyre — Cary Joji Fukunaga understands both the novel’s quintessential Englishness and the raw animal nature that drives it. Michael Fassbender, as Mr. Rochester, finds the character’s inherent, awkward warmth without mistaking it for anything so bland as mere niceness. And Mia Wasikowska’s Jane, physically just a slip of a thing, has carnal boldness to burn. Sex is threatening, as Charlotte Brontë knew, and Wasikowska and Fassbender make this particular dance look exceedingly dangerous. Le Havre — Finnish sadsack Aki Kaurismäki gives us a sort-of bookend to Melancholia , with an equally happy, albeit very different, ending. With this story of an aged Normandy shoeshine guy who takes a African refugee under his wing, even as he faces the loss of his possibly terminally ill wife, Kaurismäki takes the most generous attitude possible toward human nature. Being jaundiced about the world is easy — it takes relatively little energy to expect the worst from everyone. But it’s harder to allow for the possibility of surprise in the way people behave and treat one another, and the rewards are far greater. That’s what Kaurismäki captures in this unapologetically joyful picture. Bill Cunningham: New York — Richard Press’ glorious documentary isn’t just a movie about fashion or street photography or even just one pretty eccentric and fascinating guy, New York Times photo-columnist Bill Cunningham. It’s a picture that captures the vitality and myriad idiosyncrasies of New York. At one point in the film, Cunningham says plainly, “He who seeks beauty will find it.” Press’ movie shows Cunningham leading by example, urging us not just to look, but to really see. Pina — Wim Wenders’ 3-D documentary about choreographer Pina Bausch doesn’t demystify modern dance — it still seems pretty weird, which is as it should be. But Wenders opens up Bausch’s world in a way that beckons us close. This is less a strict documentary than a heartfelt — and visually gorgeous — celebration of Bausch’s work and her mode of working. Werner Herzog’s Cave of Forgotten Dreams — Herzog: What a weirdo! But he’s our weirdo, and with this stunning 3-D documentary about the Paleolithic drawings in France’s Chauvet Cave, he uses relatively new technology to burrow a little deeper, both literally and figuratively, into history — into the nature of mankind, even. At one point Herzog startles a sweet, serious French archaeologist by earnestly posing unanswerable questions about the artists who made these drawings so long ago: “Do they dream? Do they cry at night?” But of course, Herzog knows the answer — doesn’t everybody? Drive Nicolas Winding Refn’s winking existentialist portrait of a laconic getaway driver named, well, Driver (and played superbly by Ryan Gosling) could have been the best drive-in feature of 1975. As it is, it’s the best action movie of 2011. Honorable Mentions: Martin Scorsese’s Hugo , David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo , William Monahan’s London Boulevard , Jim Sheridan’s Dream House , Tsui Hark’s Detective Dee and the Phantom Flame , Apitchatpong Weerasethakul’s Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives , Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip , Xavier Beauvois’ Of Gods & Men , Bennett Miller’s Moneyball , Steven Spielberg’s War Horse , Cindy Meehl’s Buck , Kelly Reichardt’s Meek’s Cutoff , Craig Brewer’s Footloose , Andrew Niccol’s In Time , Jake Kasdan’s Bad Teacher . Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
