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Natalie Portman’s ‘Black Swan’ Physique Gave Emily Blunt ‘Anxiety’

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off

Blunt, who also plays a ballerina in upcoming Matt Damon thriller, recalls marveling, ‘That girl has some serious guns.’ By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Natalie Portman in “Black Swan” Photo: Fox Searchlight Emily Blunt spent the end of 2009 training to be a ballerina for her role opposite Matt Damon in the 2011 sci-fi thriller, “The Adjustment Bureau.” The training regimen she thrust herself into was borderline brutal. “The tears did start to flow. I did cry a lot in pain,” she told us months later. Around the same time Blunt was pirouetting like a madwoman, Natalie Portman had also slipped on some ballet slippers for “Black Swan.” Portman’s film beat Blunt’s to the screen and quickly became an awards-season fave. Blunt herself is a fan of the film, even if seeing Portman dance caused a bit of apprehension. “I had a full anxiety attack after it but still loved the movie,” Blunt laughed to MTV News while promoting the Christmas release “Gulliver’s Travels.” “That girl has some serious guns,” she explained. “I was like, ‘Wow, her back looks like a barrel of snakes.’ She truly worked out and she looks incredible in the movie.” Blunt shouldn’t sell herself short. She, too, trained intensely for “Adjustment Bureau,” recruiting the artistic director of the modern-dance company Cedar Lake to teach her how to dance like someone who’d been doing it her whole life. “It’s definitely an endurance test, learning how to be a dancer,” she said. “That is some lifestyle. That is day in, day out, hours and hours and hours a day, just crippling your body. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. I am so happy I did it because I think it’s probably a good thing, soul-building, to do something every day that terrifies and embarrasses you.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Gulliver’s Travels.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Black Swan’ Related Photos ‘Black Swan’

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Natalie Portman’s ‘Black Swan’ Physique Gave Emily Blunt ‘Anxiety’

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Tagged artists, Hollywood, loved-the-movie, Money, Music, natalie-portman, news article, TMZ, young-money

Cory Gunz Says Lil Wayne Told Him ‘To Attack’ ‘6’7" ‘

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off

‘Some beats you hear … and they hit you in a certain kind of way,’ the Young Money upstart tells MTV News. By Hillary Crosley, with reporting by Sway Calloway Sway and Cory Gunz Photo: MTV News On Tuesday, Lil Wayne released his first post-prison song, “6’7″,” a cut that features Bronx MC Cory Gunz . The son of rapper Peter Gunz, of “Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)” fame, spoke to MTV News about the strength of producer Bangladesh’s infectious “6’7″ ” beat . “We went straight to the studio and Tunes [told me,] ‘I have something for you to hear,’ and it went from there,” Cory recalled. “[Wayne said], ‘We gon’ have to attack this.’ As soon as I heard it, it was like instant. Some beats you hear [or] certain songs you hear in a party … and they hit you in a certain kind of way and that’s kinda what the beat did. So we sat and the record is now getting an amazing response. People been messing with the record, so it’s dope. I’m happy to be here.” As a Young Money artist, Gunz also said the label heads allow him creative freedom. “Honestly, [Wayne] just told me to be me on the record,” Gunz said. “He didn’t tell me any specific way to write or anything to do, and that’s what I really appreciate. Mack Maine and Slim, they don’t never try to, like, make me do anything that would compromise how I feel about it,” he added about the YM president and Cash Money boss. “They always tell me to be ‘100’ with it and that’s what me and Wayne did — we bodied the record. As for whether fans will be able to catch all of Wayne and Cory’s metaphors at first listen, the MC said fans should take their time. Related Artists Cory Gunz Lil Wayne

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Cory Gunz Says Lil Wayne Told Him ‘To Attack’ ‘6’7" ‘

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Britney Spears Inspired ‘Country Strong’ Lead, Director Says

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off

‘I was seeing what was happening in the media to Britney Spears,’ filmmaker Shana Feste says of crafting upcoming flick. By Mawuse Ziegbe Britney Spears Photo: Fame Pictures Gwyneth Paltrow may have honed her country-music skills for her role in the upcoming flick “Country Strong,” but her troubled character was actually inspired by a pop sensation. In the film, Paltrow plays embattled crooner Kelly Canter, who fights to resurrect her struggling career as a music superstar. Writer/director Shana Feste recently told the Los Angeles Times that Paltrow’s onscreen drama was inspired by the very public meltdown of pop megastar Britney Spears . “That’s where this movie came from. I mean, I was seeing what was happening in the media to Britney Spears,” Feste said. The filmmaker also added that wrapping up the script coincided with the outsize media frenzy surrounding another superstar. “I finished the script when Michael Jackson passed away ,” she revealed. Feste also lamented the dark side of celebrity-making, which entails ripping apart a once-beloved public figure at the first misstep. “I think it’s tragic how we treat people who give us so much, and we love to see them knocked down to build them back up again, to knock them down again,” she said. “It’s a weird fascination.” Paltrow has said that work on the project was challenging, due to both the physical and creative demands of the role. “It was brutal,” she told MTV News in September. “It was a brutal shoot. I mean, I wasn’t naked, naked, but I was semi-naked, in various stages of undress. [My character] has a drug and alcohol problem, so she’s struggling a lot. It was a lot of fun for me, as an artist.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Country Strong.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Country Strong’ Related Artists Britney Spears

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Britney Spears Inspired ‘Country Strong’ Lead, Director Says

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Train Say Grammy Snub ‘Felt Like A Practical Joke’

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off

Band performed at nominations concert before massive hit ‘Hey, Soul Sister’ was largely shut out by Grammys. By James Montgomery Train Photo: MTV News Even if you are the most casual of music fans, there’s still a pretty good chance you know (and probably even own) Train’s “Hey, Soul Sister,” the most omnipresent (and best-selling) song of 2010. No matter where you turned, it truly seemed like the song was there … except, strangely enough, the Grammys. Earlier this month, when nominations for the 2011 Grammy Awards were announced, “Hey, Soul Sister” was oddly absent. It failed to score a nod for either Record or Song of the Year — both of which seemed mortal locks, given the single’s general inescapability — and ended up with just one nomination: for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals. And that was for a live version of the song. The fact that Grammy voters snubbed “Soul Sister” was even more shocking considering that Train were invited to perform at the annual Grammy Nominations Concert , a move that usually guarantees a plumb nod or two. And if you were surprised that Train left the telecast (largely) empty-handed, well, you weren’t the only one. “You know, it was a strange night for us, to be real honest with you,” Train frontman Pat Monahan told MTV News. “Playing the nominations show, being seated in the front to watch all the performances, and then to not be nominated for any of them during that show. I don’t really know what the take is, to be real honest. It kind of felt like a practical joke at the time. “I mean, a guy even came around, he was like, ‘You guys are going to be really happy tonight,’ ” drummer Scott Underwood added. “And we were like, ‘Oh, really? OK, cool!’ ” Monahan admitted that part of the reason “Soul Sister” was shut out of the Grammy’s big categories was because of a technicality: The song was released digitally in August 2009 — within the eligibility window for the 2010 awards — but added that the “live” version that picked up a nom probably should’ve sufficed for consideration, given the song’s success this year. “I’ll just speak for myself. During the ceremony, my feelings were hurt,” Monahan admitted. “I felt like we were being set up for something kinda big and it didn’t go down,” he said. “And I was like, ‘Wow, that was weird,’ because if I hadn’t been here, I’d just be psyched that we’re nominated, instead of disappointed that we weren’t nominated for the big several [awards]. But, you know, it’s cool to be nominated at the same time, so I’m pretty appreciative. It was just that one moment was a little bit hurt feelings.” And to that end, Monahan said he’s already put the Grammy incident behind him. In fact, he’s even learned a lesson from the whole thing. “It’s a great reminder that that’s not what we’re here for. Really what we’re here for — and we keep proving it over and over again — is, we’re here because there’s some Train fans out there, and somehow they keep growing instead of shrinking,” he said. “And there’s some music that we’re supposed to provide people to maybe make their lives a little bit better and, you know, that’s really why we’re here. All the rest is just whatever, as the song ‘If It’s Love’ says.” What do you think of Train’s Grammy experience? Were they wrongly overlooked? Sound off in the comments! Related Artists Train

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Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars, More Added To Bamboozle Festival

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off

Wiz Khalifa, M

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Katy Perry Is MTV News’ #2 Woman Of The Year

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off

Perry got married and ruled the charts in 2010. By Gil Kaufman Katy Perry Photo: Christopher Polk/AMA2010/Getty/DCP For most women, getting married to the man of their dreams would be enough to make a pretty good year. But when you’re a larger-than-life pop diva like Katy Perry , exchanging rings with comedic beau Russell Brand is just one of the bold headlines in a 365-day whirlwind that also included a successful tour and a trio of inescapable radio smashes that permanently smacked down any fears of a sophomore slump. (They’re more than just pretty faces, but you can still check out photos of our Men and Women of 2010!) After meeting at the 2009 VMAs , Perry and Brand started off 2010 with a bang by announcing their engagement , and frankly, things just got better and better for her from there. 2010 Highlights : An impressive engagement ring in hand, Perry set to work on her follow-up to her 2008 breakthrough, One of the Boys, working again with pop maestros Dr. Luke and Max Martin while turning in one of the most memorable guest-judge spots in the early audition rounds of what would turn out to be a very lackluster season of “American Idol.” There was the inevitable pregnancy rumor to bat away, and then it was off to work on the “Smurfs” movie and complete the album, even as wedding plans continued apace. By March, Perry was calling Brand a “bridezilla” for his fascination with all things marital, and news leaked that pal Rihanna was planning Perry’s bachelorette party. Like any proper pop star, Perry’s songs started leaking early in May, and when her first single, the Snoop Dogg-assisted “California Gurls,” finally dropped on May 7, fans had no idea how much a part of their flip-flop months that insanely catchy song would become. We got the first glimpse of six months of kaleidoscopic wigs and second-skin latex outfits at the MTV Movie Awards in June when she nearly melted the stage up with her “Gurls” performance , and the single made a historic rise to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart a few days later. When the sticky-sweet video debuted a week after that, well, it was clear Katy (and her whipped-cream-spurting bra) would be in a lot of late-night dreams for the rest of the year. July and August brought a false-starting lawsuit from the Beach Boys’ publisher over “Gurls,” another fetish-fantasy performance at the Teen Choice Awards and a triumphant chart debut in early September for Teenage Dream, which successfully bumped Eminem’s Recovery from the top of the charts. She turned heads again at the VMAs in September, played a sweet revenge show at her old high school and jetted to Las Vegas for a bachelorette party hosted by Rihanna by month’s end. And what would a year of ups be without a few bumps and controversies? In Katy’s case, it was her God-given assets that got her bumped from “Sesame Street,” when some parents complained in late September that her cleavage was NSFK (not safe for kindergarten). She got her revenge a short time later by giving an eyeful on a “Saturday Night Live” skit lampooning the flap and then flew to India in early October for her lavish wedding to Brand . The year was rounded out with the empowering message of the “Firework” video , a headline-grabbing appearance at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show , another boob-centric controversy, this time courtesy of the poster for the “VH1 Divas Salute the Troops,” and a place on Amazon.com’s year-end best-seller list. An exotic wedding to the man of your dreams, a red-hot career, mad love from your fans and a jet-setting lifestyle — what more could a girl ask for in one year? We’ll be revealing MTV News’ #1 Man and Woman of the Year on Friday. As always, we want to know what you think, so share your picks in the comments below! Related Videos Men And Women Of The Year 2010 Related Photos The Men & Women Of 2010 Related Artists Katy Perry

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Waka Flocka Flame’s Mom Denies That Prostitution Was Behind Raid

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off

‘We were really surprised, but the neighbors always watch,’ Deb Antney, who also acts as Waka’s manager, tells MTV News. By Jayson Rodriguez Waka Flocka Flame and Gucci Mane Photo: Getty Images A home occupied by Waka Flocka Flame was raided by Atlanta authorities Thursday (December 16), and the rapper’s associate, Gucci Mane, and his manager and mother, Deb Antney, were detained as police searched the premises. No formal charges were filed, but a TMZ report suggested that the investigation centered on prostitution. Antney staunchly denied that allegation when MTV News spoke with her Thursday (December 16); according to various reports, weapons and drugs were also found on the scene. “It had nothing to do with prostitution,” Antney told MTV News. “The weapons they found were licensed weapons. There was under an ounce of marijuana, but it was nothing but a blunt. The other drugs were medication that was in Waka’s room from when he got hurt,” Antney said, referring to Waka Flocka Flame’s February shooting . Under the terms of the search warrant, Antney said, any person on the property was detained, which included Gucci Mane, whom she also manages. Neither Gucci nor Antney were charged. Waka was not present at the time. It remains unclear if police are searching for the “No Hands” rapper. Antney indicated that she plans to pursue legal action again the authorities. “There’s nothing going on for you to kick a door in,” she said. “We were really surprised, but the neighbors always watch. We live in a country club, so they always watch, they always assume.” Antney, who heads up Mizay Entertainment, was frustrated because her company is scheduled to host a toy drive Thursday. She said when she arrived on the scene, police called her “the Candy Lady” and suggested she was the ring leader of the prostitution operation. “Of course I’m not gonna sit back and be called ‘the Candy Lady,’ ” she said. “There was no prostitution. And we’re not gang-affiliated.” Related Artists Waka Flocka Flame Gucci Mane

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Eminem Is MTV News’ #2 Man Of The Year

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off

Em raised the bar in 2010, thanks to a blockbuster album, hometown stadium shows and awards galore. By Gil Kaufman Eminem Photo: Kevin Mazur/EM/WireImage If there’s one thing we’ve learned by now about Eminem , it’s this: Never count him out. The 38-year-old Detroit legend seemed like he was in a career funk last year with the release of the long-awaited but unevenly dark Relapse, which chronicled his near-death experience with drug addiction and left some fans a bit worried about whether he’d finally run out of lyrical magic tricks. But what a difference a year makes. Near the end of 2009, we began getting excited about the promised, more “emotionally driven” sequel, Relapse 2. Twelve months and an entirely different album later, Eminem has the year’s best-selling release, handfuls of Grammy nominations and a fresh-eyed take on life that can only bode well for his next musical adventure. 2010 Highlights : As 2010 dawned, February brought Em joining Drake, Kanye West and Lil Wayne for a rousing, bleep-tastic performance of “Forever” at the Grammys with a tease of “Drop the World,” his hookup with Weezy that hit screens and iPods a month later, bringing together two of hip-hop’s biggest names for a rough-and-ready cut. He killed it again with his verse on B.o.B’s “Airplanes Pt. 2” and then the shocking news broke April 14 that “there is no Relapse 2. ” Fans were dumbstruck, but not for long, as the MC clarified later that day that he would be dropping a whole new album called Recovery on June 22. April’s release of the first single, “Not Afraid,” provided proof that Slim Shady would be taking a more positive, uplifting approach on his sixth major-label album, an encouraging note hammered home by lyrics on the song in which the rapper admitted that Relapse wasn’t his best work . In the run-up to the release, “Not Afraid” debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and there was more cause for celebration when Jay-Z and Marshall announced a slate of hometown stadium shows , which would represent one of the few live appearances the Detroit spitter would make in 2010. Then, despite leaking two weeks early, Recovery easily notched the highest debut of the year to date when it moved a gargantuan 741,000 copies in its first week, topping the charts for nearly two months on its way to selling more than 3 million copies to take the sales crown for 2010. After crushing it with “Not Afraid,” Em struck platinum again with an even bigger hit, his domestic-violence ballad “Love the Way You Lie,” a duet with Rihanna that featured an iconic video starring Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan as the song’s protagonists. August brought a hefty eight VMA nominations and September the long-awaited shows with Jay, which found rap’s two biggest headliners torching the stage for thrilled fans in Detroit and NYC . In between the gigs, though, Shady found time to open up the VMAs with performances of “Not Afraid” and “Love the Way You Lie” with a surprise cameo from Rihanna on a night when he took home two Moonmen. By October, Em was talking about being in the lab with mentor Dr. Dre working on the latter’s long-awaited Detox album and topping MTV News’ Hottest MCs in the Game list . Eminem was also getting more shine for his duet with Nicki Minaj on “Roman’s Revenge” from her Pink Friday debut and another collabo with Rihanna on her track “Love the Way You Lie (Part II).” As 2010 came to a close, he could be heard on T.I.’s “That’s All She Wrote” and had locked down a “Saturday Night Live” appearance with Lil Wayne for December 18. He wasn’t done yet, as he led all artists with 10 Grammy nominations , landed at #9 on MTV News’ Top Songs of 2010 with “Love the Way You Lie,” took top spots on the album-sales chart on iTunes and Amazon.com and inked a deal to play a boxer in the “8 Mile” inspired “Southpaw.” Not bad, right? (They’re more than just pretty faces, but you can still check out photos of our Men and Women of 2010!) We’ll be revealing MTV News’ #1 Man and Woman of the Year on Friday. As always, we want to know what you think, so share your picks in the comments below! Related Videos Men And Women Of The Year 2010 Related Photos The Men & Women Of 2010 Related Artists Eminem

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T.I. Thanks Fans For Supporting No Mercy

Posted on December 15, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off

‘I love hearing your opinions on what songs you like most for the next singles,’ incarcerated MC tells fans in message on his website. By Mawuse Ziegbe T.I. Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images T.I. may be locked up, but he’s still keeping tabs on his fans. In a message posted on the ATL MC’s website Wednesday (December 15), Tip thanked followers for the #4 debut of his latest effort, No Mercy, and added that he’s taking fan opinion into account when choosing upcoming singles from the project. “What up world? First off I’d like to thank everybody again for going out and supporting the ‘Hustle’ yet again with No Mercy last week. I can’t say enough on how much I appreciate the support and all the positive feedback. I read so many tweets, letters, reviews and comments that spoke volumes to how much love was still out there and how much respect still exists for my art and my passion. I put so much of myself into what I do,” he said. “I even read over the negative comments cuz’ that’s the kind of energy I feed off of to adjust, evolve and improve my craft until it manifests into the closest thing to perfection on the next go-round. I love hearing your opinions on what songs you like most for the next singles. We are taking all of them into consideration as we decide right now on which direction to head in.” Tip also urged followers to stay positive despite his time behind bars and sent out some cheery holiday greetings. “I know this seems like an unfortunate set of circumstances to endure for a career with so much potential but remember adversity builds character and character takes you places money can’t. I know what’s in store for me in the future so I ain’t trippin’ and neither should you,” he said. “For now all my love and best wishes to you and yours for the holidays. Y’all hold it down out there and I’ll do the same in here. And continue to spread the word about No Mercy & Team T.I.” The upbeat missive comes around the same time that longtime T.I. crony DJ Drama said the “Get Back Up” spitter might have been disappointed in his first-week sales because he wasn’t physically on the scene. “Tip is the type of guy that, I’m sure, no matter how high it debuted, he might feel disappointed, because he’s not here, [and he might] feel like he could have done better,” Drama told MTV News . The mixtape king also added that he feels the drama surrounding Mercy may be a turning point in a career plagued by run-ins with the law — a sentiment that T.I. has also echoed . “If it does whatever numbers it does, with him being here, it might have done double that. I think this [release] is the toughest one for him. I been a part of his career for the last 10 years, and I seen him in and out of legal problems. But I think this one is a little bit different. Hopefully, this one is the most life-changing one for him,” he said. “I listened to the album, and I watched it being made, and it’s some quality work. You know, at the end of the day, it’s about the music. And he still comes with that music.” What do you think of T.I.’s latest message? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists T.I.