Selena Gomez did more than just kiss Justin Bieber this week. Although, let’s face it, that had to be the highlight, right? On Wednesday night, the singer filmed a a VEVO GO Show behind the Jimmy Kimmel Live studios in Hollywood, debuting a new video for the track “Hit the Lights” and then surprising attendees with a live performance. She later wrote on Facebook: “Thanks to everyone who came out to The El Captain today for the premiere of the new video for ‘Hit the Lights’ so amazing surprising you all with a live show!!!” Check out the video now: Selena Gomez – “Hit the Lights” (Music Video”)
Hmmm…. upon second thought, perhaps we should change the headline of this post to: America’s Next Top Model Shake-Up: Who is NOT Out? Indeed, Tyra Banks has cleaned house at her long-running reality show, firing three veteran personalities, all of whom have been with the series since its first cycle in 2003: J. Alexander, who served as a runway trainer/mentor to the models. Jay Manuel, the show’s creative director. Nigel Barker, a photographer/panelist. America’s Next Top Model is currently in its 18th season, a cycle dubbed “British Invasion” because it features a handful of international hopefuls. An ANTM insider tells The New York Post that “major changes” are planned for the following season, hence this wholesale changes. “Nigel Barker, Jay Manuel and J. Alexander have been an integral part of the America’s Next Top Model brand and they helped turn this show into the household name it is today,” Executive producer Ken Mok said in a statement. “They have been amazing assets to the show and will always be a part of the Top Model family. We will continue to actively work with each of them on future projects.”
‘I chose that song and I ran with it and I think I did me and I loved it,’ singer says of song choice that got him axed. By Kelly Marino Colton Dixon Photo: MTV News After a record 53 million votes were cast, America has allowed Elise Testone to continue on with her “vacation” in the bottom three on “American Idol” Thursday night as Colton Dixon — a potential favorite — was voted off. And while this may come as the second-most surprising elimination of the season, the Tennessean, who found himself in unfamiliar territory with the fewest votes, acknowledged he only had himself to blame. “It’s all good,” Dixon told MTV News backstage after the show. “There is always going to be peaks and valleys, but [Wednesday] night, I should have chosen a different song to begin with. And I know that. I knew I was going to be in the bottom three because of that. I was hoping I wasn’t going to leave, but stuff happens.” The Mohawked metal rocker was rolling through the competition after receiving praise for his versatility and unique twists on perfect song choices. But Wednesday night he fell flat when he chose to start off with Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” which turned out to be more of a “Bad Rendition.” Even Jimmy Iovine was confused, calling his performance somewhere between “1985 Billy Idol on MTV ‘TRL’ to ‘Spider-Man’ on Broadway” — and we kind of agreed . As the night went on, Colton failed to redeem himself when he took to the stage a second time to perform Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September.” Crouched over his piano, the skinny, tight-jeans-wearing contestant took a more somber approach to one of the grooviest tunes in soul music. However, despite any further confusion caused by the arrangement, he still stands by his motto: Stay true and take chances. “I loved ‘September.’ ” Dixon explained. “It’s been one of my favorites that I’ve done on the show, just because it was so different than the original. A lot of people don’t like change, or so much change, you know, and I definitely changed that song and I understand the feeling that the original gave off. But um, that wasn’t me and that wasn’t my style. I chose that song and I ran with it and I think I did me and I loved it. So in some cases, there is a balance, but if you’re feeling something, you need to run with it no matter what they are going to say. It’s a risk every week. So you have to be willing to take that risk, and I did.” The risk may have caused him the competition, but the 20-year-old said he’s glad he got to have one last moment to himself when it came to performing his swan song, Lifehouse’s “Everything.” “I wanted to end tonight the way I started it,” Colton said. “I felt like I strayed last night, and I hate that I did but I was ready to bring it back and bring my focus back. I wasn’t singing for the judges. I wasn’t singing for my family or anyone in the audience. I wasn’t singing for anyone at all. I was singing for my Lord, the savior Jesus Christ. And we had a good time on that stage so I’m so glad I got to do that song.” Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos Most Shocking ‘American Idol’ Exits
Following the most surprising American Idol vote of the season, the top seven gathered once again this week to learn which of them would be going home. After two performances from each of the contestants on Wednesday – along with a song tonight by Kris Allen and a tribute to Dick Clark – it came down to a bottom three of Hollie Cavanagh, Elise Testone and, for the first time so far, Colton Dixon. And the unlucky eliminate-ee? COLTON DIXON! “I need to apologize. I wasn’t myself last night and I get it,” Dixon said with class and grace upon hearing the news. What do you think, THGers? Did America get it right? Should Colton have been sent packing?
We take a closer look at the teaser for Channing Tatum’s upcoming flick. By Amy Wilkinson Channing Tatum in “Magic Mike” Photo: Warner Bros Hide your kids, hide your husband, and stuff your purse full of $1 bills, because the trailer for Channing Tatum’s stripper movie ” Magic Mike ” has shimmied onto the Web! The film stars Tatum as an exotic dancer named — what else? — Magic Mike, who takes an up-and-coming young performer named the Kid (Alex Pettyfer) under his tutelage. But, as strippers are wont to do, Mike is hoping for more from life than body oil and G-strings. He hopes to build furniture! And date the Kid’s sister! You’ll have to pony up $10 come June 29 to find out if his dreams come true, but in the meantime, check out what else your eagle-eyed experts at MTV found noteworthy in the tawdry trailer : Channing Tatum’s Acrobatics Co-star Matt Bomer already warned us about Tatum’s “sick” moves , and of course we’ve seen “Step Up” about 20 times, but it’s easy to forget how adept the Chan-man is on the dance floor, seeing as he’s most frequently cast as an action hero (“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” “Haywire”) or a romantic lead (“Dear John,” “The Vow”). All we have to say is, get this guy into toe shoes more often, Hollywood! Cody Horn Hits the Scene Tatum’s love interest is likely a new face to many a moviegoer. Her name is Cody Horn, and this could be her big, ballsy breakout role. The actress’ r
‘American Idol’ and ‘On Air’ radio host is most likely successor to Clark, who died Wednesday at age 82. By James Montgomery Ryan Seacrest and Dick Clark Photo: Andrew Walker/ Getty Images In 2005, when it was announced that Ryan Seacrest would join Dick Clark as the host of the long-running “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” telecast, most viewed the move as a ceremonial passing of the torch — probably because it was. Sure, a stroke suffered the previous year had left Clark debilitated — he had missed the 2004 New Year’s broadcast, replaced by Regis Philbin — and his role heading into the 2005 NYE show was anything but certain, meaning Seacrest’s live-TV acumen would be heavily relied on. But, really, there were plenty of folks ABC could have chosen to assist in the broadcast, and still, they went with the man who was building a broadcast empire as a radio and television personality, a producer and a pitchman. Turns out, it was the perfect choice, and not just because the ’05 “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” telecast posted a ratings jump of nearly 2 million viewers from the previous broadcast. For years, Seacrest had been seen as the heir apparent to Clark, the iconic personality who had spent the better part of eight decades establishing himself as America’s pre-eminent multimedia powerhouse, until that NYE broadcast, when he gradually began to cede the throne: Seacrest would return the following year, with Clark’s role diminishing, and in 2009, the show was officially re-named “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.” Make no mistake about it: There will never be another Dick Clark. But with Clark’s death Wednesday at the age of 82, Seacrest now stands alone. Granted, his entire career has been influenced in every possible way by Clark, who blazed trails — both in front of the camera and behind the scenes — and whose impact on television and radio is nearly impossible to fathom. With his work on iconic shows like “American Bandstand” and his various syndicated radio programs, Clark brought music into millions of homes, and by being one of the first mainstream hosts to embrace disco, R&B and hip-hop acts — the descendants of which probably make up 75 percent of your Spotify playlist today — he helped shape the tastes of the American public. Through “Bandstand,” he also helped fundamentally change the way music was presented on television, and his on-camera mannerisms belied the fact that live TV was (and is) a high-wire act. The parallels between that show and “American Idol” — on which Seacrest rose to national prominence — are obvious, and one could make the argument that the two men are quite possibly the best live-TV hosts of any generation. But Seacrest also followed in Clark’s footsteps on radio, where he hosts two syndicated programs (“On Air With Ryan Seacrest” and “American Top 40”), both of which continue to influence the nation’s musical tastes. And just as it was in Clark’s day, the debate rages over whether or not that’s a good thing. Clark also served as the longtime host of the “Pyramid” game show and the “TV’s Bloopers & Practical Jokes” series, the latter of which was an early forerunner of reality television, something Seacrest knows a thing or two about, given his role as producer on shows like the massively successful “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” In his role as a producer, Seacrest really seems to have been taking notes from Clark. After all, there were few as formidable as him: For more than 50 years, Clark’s self-titled production company has been one of the most successful in TV history, backing a string of hits like “Bandstand,” “So You Think You Can Dance” and the “American Music Awards.” Of course, it remains to be seen whether Seacrest will have the longevity Clark enjoyed or if his impact on television will be as sizeable. Both of those things seem tall tasks, indeed — there have been few, if any, who have been as influential as Clark, in any number of ways. He was one of a kind, to be certain, and in Seacrest, we have the heir to his throne. Or at least his understudy. Share your thoughts on this story in the comments below! Related Photos Dick Clark: A Pop-Culture Icon
John Cusack dives into the twisted psyche of 19th century author Edgar Allan Poe in this week’s The Raven , a fictional adventure-mystery that blends the writer’s real life with the kind of dark, macabre tales he wove — and Movieline has your chance to catch it before it opens on April 27! Enter Movieline’s 10-word review contest (critiquing any film from Cusack’s nearly three-decade career) and you could win a pair of tickets to the Los Angeles premiere and after party for the film. So turn on the hot tub time machine and crank up the high fidelity, tapeheads and grifters and America’s sweethearts, because, um, the cradle will rock over Broadway. Or something. It’s a sure thing! Oh, just say anything… Okay, that was terrible. But my point is, there are so many great Cusack flicks to choose from. Submit your best 10-word Cusack review in the comments below (or on Facebook or Twitter) and your faithful Movieline editors will pick the most clever, lyrical, and inspired one of the bunch; the writer of the best 10-word review will receive a pair of tickets to the Raven premiere and afterparty, to be held Monday, April 23rd at the LA Theater (615 Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles). CONTEST RULES: – Submit an original 10-word review of any John Cusack movie in the comments below. Entries must be exactly 10 words, no more, no less! – Enter with your full name and an email address where you may be reached. – Eligible entrants must be at least 18 years of age and able to attend the premiere in Los Angeles on the evening of Monday, April 23rd. One (1) winner will be selected. Tickets must be picked up at will call at the Los Angeles premiere and are not transferable. Contest ends Friday, April 20 at 3pm ET/12 pm PT — so get to reviewing! More on The Raven , in theaters April 27: The macabre and lurid tales of Edgar Allan Poe are vividly brought to life – and death – in this stylish, gothic thriller starring John Cusack as the infamous author. When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Poe’s darkest works, a young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) joins forces with Poe in a quest to get inside the killer’s mind in order to stop him from making every one of Poe’s brutal stories a blood chilling reality. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues, which escalates when Poe’s love (Alice Eve, She’s Out of My League) becomes the next target. Intrepid Pictures’ The Raven also stars Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Faster). Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Jessica Sanchez gives ‘otherworldly’ performance after near elimination last week and Hollie Cavanagh finally ‘ruffled her feathers.’ By Adam Graham Jessica Sanchez on “American Idol” Photo: Fox “American Idol” opened Wednesday (April 18) with a recap of last week’s Jessica Sanchez near-elimination drama , but before the show could get down to the business of the top seven (round two), host Ryan Seacrest paid tribute to television legend and his mentor Dick Clark , who died Wednesday at age 82. “Now we can’t begin tonight’s show without acknowledging the passing of a television pioneer and my dear friend, Dick Clark,” said a somber Seacrest. “Without Dick, a show like this would not exist. He will be missed greatly; our thoughts and our prayers go out to his family. I know he’s in a better place saying, ‘Hey, let’s get on with the show, OK?’ You got it, boss.” The contestants sang two songs each, the first a #1 hit from 2000 to today, the second an old-school soul classic. After nearly being booted last week, Sanchez fought back on the “Idol” stage, first with Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’ ” and later with a spunky version of Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness.” “Your talent is so otherworldly to me,” Randy Jackson told Sanchez — or was it BB Chez? — after “Fallin’.” “I don’t even know if you know how good you really are, and how even greater you can be. I love it.” Following “Tenderness,” the judges praised her ability to connect emotionally to songs, and urged her to push it even further going forward. Joshua Ledet, who for the first time last week landed in the bottom three, also came back strong, earning standing ovations from the judges for both his songs, first Fantasia’s “I Believe” and later for Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.” “You have stretched your voice to the limits of soul!” Steven Tyler beamed after “Change.” Praising the restraint he showed early before building to a robust climax, Jennifer Lopez made a plea to viewers: “Please, America, don’t send this boy home! Please!” All around cool dude Phillip Phillips took on Usher’s “U Got It Bad” early before tackling Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour” in the second half of the show. Lopez called “U Got It Bad” “sexy” while Tyler exclaimed, “no chump love, sucka!” — a comment we’re still trying to decode. But overall, the feedback for Phillip Squared was positive. “You are Phillip Phillips and dude, you are the bomb!” said Jackson. After receiving harsh criticism the past few weeks — or at least what passes for harsh criticism on this rather tame, gentle season of “Idol”— Hollie Cavanagh came back big on Wednesday, first by belting out Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” perhaps the biggest song any of the contestants took on all night, and later with “Son of a Preacher Man.” “You finally came out of your shell and ruffled your feathers a little,” Tyler told her, while Lopez told the 18-year-old Liverpudlian she showed a new composure in her performance. Country-rock boot stomper Skylar Laine continued her hot streak, first with Lady Gaga’s country-fried version of “Born This Way” and later with a down-home version of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” “Every time you’re on stage it’s a party. It’s the Skylar Laine Rock and Roll Country Party!” Jackson exclaimed, while Tyler said she’s “like a wild horse that refused to be tamed.” Lopez complimented Laine on the “spunkiness” of her performance. Colton Dixon also got his Gaga on, doing a goth-lite version of “Bad Romance,” even though the song technically never hit #1 in America (it peaked at #2 on Billboard ‘s Hot 100). He later put an emo spin on Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” a performance that got him some negative feedback from the judges. “I think your voice is a lot more powerful than that song,” Tyler told him, while Jackson said the song was out of his comfort zone. Dixon, who generally gets good marks from the judges, looked a bit surprised but took his dings in stride. Elise Testone, whom Jimmy Iovine snarked “has a vacation home in the bottom three,” was also criticized for performing what the judges deemed an odd fit for her voice when she did Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” Earlier, her version of Alicia Keys’ “No One” gave Lopez her “first goosies of the night,” while Tyler got a little weird when he told her, “You sang your little tushie off tonight, it was delish.” Testone also revealed that back home her dog is sick and might not pull through, which could earn her some sympathy votes from the masses. Since the judges’ one and only save was used up last week, someone will be sent home on Thursday’s program, which is also set to feature performances by LMFAO and season 8 “Idol” champ Kris Allen. What did you think of “Idol” 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 Most Shocking ‘American Idol’ Exits ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Performances
Clark’s influence endures today with such stars as Ryan Seacrest. By Gil Kaufman Dick Clark on the set of “American Bandstand” Photo: Getty Images Without Dick Clark, there would be no Ryan Seacrest. Hell, without “America’s Oldest Teenager” there would be no “TRL,” and maybe no MTV. Clark, who died at age 82 on Wednesday (April 18) after suffering a heart attack, never sang a note or released an album. He wasn’t the inventor of a dance craze or a label boss or even a particularly hip guy. What he was, though, was a visionary. And as much as any hotshot who played a guitar, figured out how to mix two turntables and a microphone, wiggled his hips or invented the next big sound in music, Clark was instrumental in making pop music pop. Photos: The life and career of Dick Clark He brought rock and roll into America’s living rooms in the 1950s, just as the sound of young America was upsetting parents, confounding the staid radio programmers of the day and encouraging teenagers to shake, rattle and roll. Though he dressed like a martini-swilling ad executive and was adamant about keeping a strict tie-and-jacket dress code on his long-running signature show, “American Bandstand,” Clark lived by one simple credo when it came to judging music: “It’s got a good beat and you can dance to it.” Most importantly, when he took over “Bandstand” and went national in 1957, Clark put teenagers on TV at a time when the most popular shows were aimed at their parents’ generation, including such popular series as “Gunsmoke,” “I Love Lucy,” “The Danny Thomas Show” and “General Electric Theater.” He let them see themselves on TV, which seems like no big deal to today’s YouTube-ified teens, but was a revelation for the first generation to grow up in front of the tube. An MTV VP recalls his first job in television, working for the late Dick Clark. With one of the longest runs in TV history (1957-1989), “Bandstand” became a crucial stop on any major artist’s promotional rounds. And with good reason: The show drew an audience of more than 20 million at its peak, half of whom were reportedly adults. Among the acts that lip-synced their hits on the program and got their first major exposure over the years: Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke, James Brown, Simon & Garfunkel, Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, Chuck Berry, the Doors, Pink Floyd, Prince, Kurtis Blow, Cher, Devo, LL Cool J, INXS, Bon Jovi, Run-DMC, Madonna and the Talking Heads. Clark would chat the artists up and, even as the years went on and the styles changed from the buttoned-down 1950s to the freewheeling 1960s, disco-dancing 1970s and new-wave 1980s and the show’s influence waned, Clark’s enthusiasm for the hits of the day was unwavering. The times changed, but Clark appeared ageless, his full head of hair and boyish smile as much a staple of the show as the enthusiastic dancing of its real stars: the audience. Though controversy would later rise over Clark’s claims that he integrated the show in 1957 (as well as a nearly career-derailing brush with the payola scandals of the 1950s), what is indisputable is that Clark offered a forum for both black and white artists at a time when there were few. The sight of black and white kids dancing together also inspired one of TV’s other enduring music programs, “Soul Train,” whose recently deceased leading light, Don Cornelius , was sometimes referred to as the “black Dick Clark.” Ryan Seacrest, Snoop Dogg and more celebs mourn Dick Clark. Clark didn’t just spin the hits, though. He created the template for the modern multitasking media mogul, a mantle picked up by his heir apparent, the unflappable Ryan Seacrest. He helped produce or executive-produce more than 7,500 hours of programming, from the Golden Globes, American Music Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards, to mind-numbing prime-time fluff like “TV’s Bloopers & Practical Jokes.” He often boasted that his was not the road less taken, but the cheesy, crowded freeway packed with bored couch potatoes just looking for a fun diversion, which he was happy to provide. Clark taught television execs that teenagers had the power to push the cultural needle and that they were having a huge impact on music, movies, fashion and, yes, even politics. More importantly, “Bandstand” helped pave the way for the Top 40 radio format and helped move rock and roll into the movies and beyond. Clark eventually moved into game shows, TV movies and children’s programming under his Dick Clark Productions banner. And if you want to know why Seacrest seems like he’s everywhere these days — from “American Idol” to “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” numerous awards shows and executive-producing multiple Kardashian shows and other TV — it’s because he studied at the knee of his icon and has patterned his multifaceted career on the man who laid the foundation. With holdings that included everything from themed restaurants to a theater in Branson, Missouri, it’s not a stretch to say that Clark’s influence reached into the modern world of hip-hop and pop, where moguls from Diddy to Jay-Z, Justin Bieber and Rihanna have diversified by dipping their toes into the worlds of perfume, beverages, advertising agencies and cosmetics. Nobody truly stays forever young, but Clark proved that you can stay forever young at heart. Share your condolences for Clark’s family, friends and fans in the comments below.
This country’s public education system has been in dire need of a boost for years — just look at the evidence collected by the diligent folks at Next Movie ; they’ve created a PSA from all your favorite movie student/slackers (because not all of America’s bright young stars of tomorrow can argue their way from a C+ to an A-). Ah, the classroom movie. So ripe a setting for tales of crap teachers learning to lead and crap students learning to learn. For some reason the ultimate movie about teaching and teachers is absent from the above honor roll — yes, I speak of 1995’s Dangerous Minds , the movie that taught us the most important lesson of all: That even a two-hit wonder like Coolio could make one of the best (according to Billboard ) ditties of all time. Seriously, kids. If Coolio can make it, so can you. [via Next Movie ]
