Frank Ocean’s album Channel Orange will not be sold at Target stores, but the retailer says it’s not because of his recent announcement that he is bisexual. The record has received plenty of praise since debuting early in digital form, and hitting No. 1 on iTunes in 10 countries … and Target says that’s the issue. The retailer cited the album’s early iTunes release as the reason behind its controversial decision to yank the rapper’s album, not Frank Ocean coming out . Target denies pulling it due to Ocean’s sexuality, saying: “The claims made about Target’s decision to not carry the Frank Ocean album are absolutely false.” “Target supports inclusivity and diversity in every aspect of our business. Our decisions are based on a wide number of factors, including guest demand.” The Target rep continued: “Target has a longstanding tradition of supporting music and artistry that reflects the diverse landscape of American culture.” Ocean – who has been praised by Beyonce and Russell Simmons, yet criticized by others since coming out – and his camp seemed to accept that reasoning. His manager Christian Clancy backtracked on a now deleted tweet suggesting the retailer had other motivations for pulling the record, tweeting: “I would like to apologize for my comments about Target. They are not carrying Franks album because it went digital first. Not for ANY other reason.” As for Ocean, he offered his own analysis and tweeted “album won’t be available at target. blame it on a generational gap. best buy on deck though.”
A lot has happened in Batman’s world this week — let’s recap! By Kevin P. Sullivan Christian Bale in “Dark Knight Rises” Photo: Jared Wickerham/ Getty Images
Online scalpers are hoping fans can’t wait even a few hours longer to see Christopher Nolan’s final Batman movie, in The Weekly Rising. By Kevin P. Sullivan Christian Bale As ‘Batman’ Photo: How important is ” The Dark Knight Rises ” to you? Would you pay $150 to be the first to see Christopher Nolan ‘s conclusion to his Batman trilogy at a midnight showing? Well, scalpers on eBay and Craigslist are hoping you will. Advanced tickets for “The Dark Knight Rises” went on sale a week ago, and midnight shows quickly filled up, taking away opportunities from fans hoping to be the first to learn the fate of Gotham City and its Dark Knight. Since then, some of those tickets have gone back up for sale, with price tags inflated 80 percent in some cases, ScreenCrush reports. A quick search on eBay revealed that not only are those reports true, but in some cases, the price has even gone up. The most common price is staying around the $150 mark, with tickets for the “Dark Knight Trilogy” marathon soaring even higher. But is there something to the ridiculously high price? What makes those early showings so much more valuable than a matinee the following Sunday? There certainly is something to being among the first people to see it, but that gives the ticket-holder little more than bragging rights. The idea of looking forward to a movie now requires that you see it as soon as possible. After waiting four years, scalpers are betting that waiting just a few hours more will be enough to make fans cough up an extra $135 to see “The Dark Knight Rises” sooner. Many would say that seeing the film as early as possible is the best way to avoid the deluge of spoilers on Twitter and Facebook. There have been a handful of minor spoilers posted online, but for the most part, the story and secrets of “The Dark Knight Rises” have stayed surprisingly unspoiled. The ad campaigns have focused on a few key questions, like whether Bruce Wayne will survive the final movie. A representative from the online ticket outlet Fandango said the company’s standing policy is that any ticket re-sold is declared invalid, so if you are considering purchasing a set of tickets for $300, you might want to consider this. Though the policy would be difficult to enforce, it’s something to keep in mind if you’re weighing your options. We want to hear from you: How much would you be willing to pay to see “The Dark Knight Rises” at midnight on July 20 on an IMAX screen? Leave your responses in the comments below or tweet them via @KPSull, and we will discuss later this week. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Dark Knight Rises.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Photos ‘Dark Knight Rises’ Final Trailer’s Key Scenes Related Artists Bruce Wayne
‘What’s kind of lost in a lot of the Lindsay discussions is the fact that Lindsay is a very talented actress,’ Braxton Pope tells MTV News. By Jocelyn Vena Lindsay Lohan Photo: Lindsay Lohan is in the midst of filming her Elizabeth Taylor biopic for Lifetime, “Liz & Dick,” and then she’s expected to begin work on her next film, the sexy, L.A.-based drama “The Canyons.” While her casting isn’t set in stone just yet, the film’s producer said it’s certainly on the right track. “She wants to do it. We want her to do it. I would just say we have not worked out the specifics of her deal yet,” Braxton Pope told MTV News. “Her participation in ‘Liz & Dick,’ I would just say we’re very aware of. We told her in the first meeting that we would be in touch with the producer of ‘Liz & Dick’ to see how that shoot was going and to get intel. And she gave us all that information, so she was very comfortable with us reaching out and getting that information, and that was how we decided to proceed.” With production expected to begin early next month, Pope is aware of the outside perceptions of Lohan and he and his team — consisting of screenwriter Bret Easton Ellis and director Paul Schrader — are more focused on her ability as an actor than her tabloid drama. “What’s kind of lost in a lot of the Lindsay discussions is the fact that Lindsay is a very talented actress,” he said. “She’s very charismatic and she has a lot of acting skills. So her lifestyle and some of the things that she’s gone through have tended to kind of overwhelm the fact, but Lindsay has kind of real talent. So for this part, we felt that she was really the right actor for a host of different reasons.” While they had been eyeing Lohan for a different role, she expressed interest in the female lead, and Pope said her enthusiasm for the part “resonated with us. … With Lindsay we felt she was the best actress for that role.” The role will not only remind fans of Lohan’s skills as an actress, but also introduce moviegoers to James Deen, as he transitions out of the world of adult films. “I’ve met with James many times, and I feel like I have a good sense of who and what he is. We mentioned, obviously, James to Lindsay, and that wasn’t an issue for her,” he explained, noting that “we have not put them together yet” and he’s interested to see what their chemistry will be like, since they are not only the film’s leads, but also play lovers. “He’s a very interesting guy. … He’s entering the mainstream, and this is the biggest step in that direction,” Pope added. “So he’s definitely excited, and he is preparing very diligently for the role. And he’s taken it very seriously. We’ve been pleased with everything about his approach to the project, for sure. He’s always very natural, and the guy was extremely prepared. It was very smooth.” According to a poster for the film, the tagline is “It’s not ‘The Hills,’ ” a reference to the popular MTV reality show that followed the glamorous lives of Lauren Conrad and her pals. This is expected to be a grittier take on young people and their struggles in Hollywood. Deen’s Christian is a “trust fund kid, power player and major manipulator, who is a film producer that enjoys filming his own three-way sex sessions.” Meanwhile, Lohan’s ex-model character, Tara, is his girlfriend who “has sold her pride for the material comforts Christian can provide.” Three other roles remain uncast: bartender and wannabe actor Ryan, Ryan’s employee and fellow actor Gina, and former actress/yoga instructor Lindsay, who is carrying on an affair with Christian. Pope said casting decisions for those roles should be made in the next week. Related Photos The Highs And Lows Of Lindsay Lohan Related Artists Lindsay Lohan
‘As a married person myself, I don’t know what it’s like to be told I can’t marry somebody I love,’ Underwood says. By Gil Kaufman Carrie Underwood Photo: Getty Images Carrie Underwood is the latest public figure to come out in support of gay marriage. Joining the likes of Jay-Z , Snooki and JWoww and the Wanted the country superstar told England’s The Independent that she believes same-sex couples should have the same rights as she does. “As a married person myself, I don’t know what it’s like to be told I can’t marry somebody I love, and want to marry,” she said. “I can’t imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love.” The paper noted that Underwood, who has just released a new album Blown Away has a large Evangelical Christian fanbase and has spoken frequently about her faith, making it the subject of one of her biggest hits, “Jesus, Take The Wheel.” She told the paper that her liberal attitude about same-sex marriage is actually a result of her Christian values, not in conflict with them. “Our church is gay friendly,” said Underwood, 29, who was raised as Baptist, a denomination that tends to condemn homosexual behavior, but who now worships in a non-denominational congregation with hockey-player husband Mike Fisher. “Above all, God wanted us to love others. It’s not about setting rules, or [saying] ‘everyone has to be like me’. No. We’re all different. That’s what makes us special. We have to love each other and get on with each other. It’s not up to me to judge anybody.” Underwood’s comments come in the midst of a presidential campaign in which gay marriage is likely to be a hot-button issue. President Barack Obama recently said that he personally supports same-sex unions while rival Republican Mitt Romney has spoken out against gay marriage. Related Artists Carrie Underwood
It looks like Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus only need to plan for one upcoming wedding now. Just a few days after news broke of Miley Cyrus’ engagement , brother Trace has announced that he and Disney actress Brenda Song are no longer planning to marry. Or even date for that matter. “Brenda and I have decided to go our separate ways,” the 23-year-old rocker said in a statement. “We split up a couple of months ago. We will continue to focus on our careers. I wish Brenda the best and much success in the future. I hope everyone can respect our privacy about this situation. Thanks so much.” Song and Cyrus got engaged in October , following nearly 18 months of dating and rumors than Brenda was pregnant . But no baby bump, nor any baby, ever materialized. We wish each the best in all future romantic endeavors. [Photo: WENN.com]
Members of the Ku Klux Klan are looking to take part in the Adopt-a-Highway program for a mile-long stretch of road in Georgia, according to reports. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Georgia Department of Transportation is currently reviewing the request made May 21 by the Klan. The application was filed by International Keystone Knights of the KKK in Union County to clean up Route 515 in the Appalachian Mountains in Blairsville. “Any civic-minded organization, business, individual, family, city, county, state, or federal agency is welcome to volunteer in the Georgia Adopt-A-Highway program,” at least according to the department’s website. The state attorney general’s office is expected to decide shortly. “We just want to clean up the doggone road,” Harley Hanson, who filed the application, told the paper. “We’re not going to be out there in robes.” But Rep. Tyrone Brooks, head of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials, called on Georgia state officials to reject the application. “This is about membership building and re-branding in a public way,” he said. “What’s next, neo-Nazis or the Taliban or al-Qaida adopting highways?” “We are good, decent Christian Americans,” Hanson, the group’s “exalted cyclops,” added. “What we’re trying to do is to work with the local community.” It’s not the first time the KKK has participated in an “Adopt-a-Highway” program. In 2000, the KKK successfully adopted part of I-55 south of St. Louis after a federal judge ruled that the Missouri DOT could not bar them from doing so. The Georgia KKK group said it will file a lawsuit if the state rejects its application.
Lucy Hale stars on ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars , but she’s perfectly honest about coveting the lead role in the upcoming Fifty Shades of Grey movie . The pretty, little star is a big fan of the best-selling book and admits she can see herself as Anastasia Steele in the film, which has yet to be cast. “I just finished the first book. I’m speechless,” she said at the MTV Movie Awards. “I think every girl on the carpet wants to play [Anastasia Steele].” “That would be freaking awesome,” says the actress, who turns 23 next week. “I’m really curious to see how they’re going to turn it into a film.” As are we. Not only does it involve heavy does of risque sex (think bondage, S&M, all that good stuff), the dialogue is absolutely beyond terrible. As for a dream Fifty Shades of Grey co-star? He’s been talked about plenty for the part. “Someone sexy but approachable… Looks-wise, [Ian Somerhalder] is a good one.” Plenty of fans probably agree with her on that selection, and The Vampire Diaries star himself has expressed interest in the role when asked. What do you think? Can you see Lucy Hale as Anastasia? What about Ian Somerhalder as Christian?
The film: Telling Lies in America (1997) Why It’s An Inessential Essential: Two years after Showgirls got screenwriter Joe Eszterhas ( Basic Instinct , Burn Hollywood Burn: An Alan Smithee Film ) blacklisted, the wily self-promoter returned with Telling Lies in America . Lies , based on a semi-autobiographical story, is somewhat similar to Showgirls in that they have common themes. Both films treat selling out and deception as an integral part of getting ahead in show business. But Lies , directed by Guy Ferland, is obviously not as garishly sarcastic as Showgirls is (few films are…). It’s refreshing in that sense to see Eszterhas show genuine affection for his con men and hucksters in Lies rather than alternately mock and then half-heartedly show affection for his desperate protagonists. Set in heartland America during 1960, Telling Lies in America stars a young Brad Renfro as Karchy, a high school-aged immigrant that dreams of becoming a disc jockey. Karchy hates the catholic school his father Dr. Istvan Jones (the ever-reliable Maximilian Schell) has sent him to and is, as stiff-necked Father Norton (Paul Dooley) delights in reminding him, on the verge of flunking out. Karchy’s dream of becoming a disc jockey is his ticket away from his mundane troubles and possibly even his means of scoring with older woman Diney Majeski ( Ally McBeal star Calista Flockhart). Thankfully, DJ Billy Magic (a winningly sleazy Kevin Bacon) is looking for a young dupe/assistant. Johnny and Karchy, who changes his name to Chucky, are thus able to form a symbiotic relationship. They each lie and take advantage of each other but not necessarily with malicious intent. All praise is due to Eszterhas, whose name is plastered on Lies ‘s opening credits (though “Joe Eszterhas Presents” undoubtedly didn’t mean what Eszterhas wanted it to mean at the time), for giving an ostentatiously moral bildungsroman an appreciable level of sophistication. Everybody cheats everybody else in Lies , even Diney, a female protagonist that Eszterhas allows to be intelligently ambivalent about her relationship with Karchy. Thanks to Eszterhas’s sensitive scenario and Flockhart’s semi-nuanced performance, Diney isn’t a tease but rather just uncertain about what she wants. Magic is similarly complex. He starts out as a loser scrounging for work but never once blows his cool so much that he shouts or pouts his way out of a confrontation. The affection Eszterhas has for his characters is salient and it makes Telling Lies in America proof that he’s not just coasting on the reputation he got from working with Paul Verhoeven. How the Blu-Ray Makes the Case for the Film: The only special feature on Shout! Factory’s Blu-Ray release of Telling Lies in America is a B-feature of Traveller , another 1997 drama about, well, telling lies in America! Bill Paxton and a very young Mark Wahlberg co-star as Bokky and Pat, a pair of grifters that are also members of a community called, “travellers.” Against the advice of his fellow travelers, Bokky takes Pat in and the two form a father-son bond. Bokky and Pat’s relationship is one of several ways that Traveller is more generic than the idiosyncratically thoughtful Telling Lies in America . In Traveller , Bokky makes the same mistakes that got Pat’s biological father killed, including falling in love with one of his own marks (Juliana Margulies!). Pat thus has to save Bokky, his surrogate dad, from his own worst impulses. Traveller therefore suggests that being jaded is a good thing, which decidedly sets it apart from the relatively straight-laced Lies . Still, the two films make a good double feature as they both feature snappy dialogue and similarly polished takes on very seedy characters. Simon Abrams is a NY-based freelance film critic whose work has been featured in outlets like The Village Voice, Time Out New York, Vulture and Esquire. Additionally, some people like his writing, which he collects at Extended Cut .
