The United States of America turns 236 years old today. That’s quite the milestone. But a couple other big names also celebrate birthdays, and each also represents the greatness of the country in which we all reside. First, there’s Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, a man solely famous for his abdominal muscles, tolerance for alcohol ( rehab stint not withstanding) and unusual vocabulary. He turns 30 today and we’d have to imagine there’s a lot of gym, some tanning and also a bit of laundry in his future. Where else would someone like this become a millionaire? Take that, France! Then there’s Malia Obama, newly 14 and the daughter of the first African-American President in our history. Her father is biracial and was raised in a poor household in Hawaii. Love him or think he’s the second coming of Karl Marx, Barack Obama represents the American dream. So put down that firework, raise your Budweiser and toast the United States, The Situation and Malia today. Here’s to hoping the Mayans were wrong and we’re all around to honor year number 237.
In Thursday’s round up of news briefs, News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch made it official that his media empire will be divided into two companies. Also this morning, skateboarding doc Waiting for Lightning headed for distribution, The Amazing Spider-Man gets a big release in one giant Asian country and the Men In Black brand readies for transformation. Waiting for Lightning Heads to Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn Films has picked up U.S. rights to the Bandito Brothers’ Waiting for Lightning . The SXSW Film Festival documentary follows skateboarding legend and action sports pioneer Danny Way on his journey to jump China’s Great Wall. Goldwyn plans a fall 2012 release. Around the ‘net… News Corp Officially Splits The company will separate its publishing and entertainment assets. Rupert Murdoch will be the chairman of both companies. Chase Carey will be president and COO of the media and entertainment entity, which includes Fox and other brands. The separation will take about a year, Deadline reports . Comic-Con: Fanboys in for Marathon Saturday Panel Sessions Tentpoles including Man of Steel , > The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , Pacific Rim and Iron Man 3 will all take place July 14th at the San Diego Convention Center’s Hall H, which seats 6,000, Variety reports . The Amazing Spider-Man to Get Widest-Ever India Release The film will be released Friday, ahead of its U.S. launch and it will be the widest release for a Hollywood film ever in the country. Indian actor Irrfan Khan ( Slumdog Millionaire ) makes a cameo as Dr. Rajit Ratha in the pic, THR reports . Men In Black Franchise Will Broaden Sony Pictures Entertainment and Starlight Runner Entertainment are heading toward an evolution of the Men In Black brand to transmedia. The brand will extend its story into a number of possible properties, Variety reports .
In Thursday’s round up of news briefs, News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch made it official that his media empire will be divided into two companies. Also this morning, skateboarding doc Waiting for Lightning headed for distribution, The Amazing Spider-Man gets a big release in one giant Asian country and the Men In Black brand readies for transformation. Waiting for Lightning Heads to Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn Films has picked up U.S. rights to the Bandito Brothers’ Waiting for Lightning . The SXSW Film Festival documentary follows skateboarding legend and action sports pioneer Danny Way on his journey to jump China’s Great Wall. Goldwyn plans a fall 2012 release. Around the ‘net… News Corp Officially Splits The company will separate its publishing and entertainment assets. Rupert Murdoch will be the chairman of both companies. Chase Carey will be president and COO of the media and entertainment entity, which includes Fox and other brands. The separation will take about a year, Deadline reports . Comic-Con: Fanboys in for Marathon Saturday Panel Sessions Tentpoles including Man of Steel , > The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , Pacific Rim and Iron Man 3 will all take place July 14th at the San Diego Convention Center’s Hall H, which seats 6,000, Variety reports . The Amazing Spider-Man to Get Widest-Ever India Release The film will be released Friday, ahead of its U.S. launch and it will be the widest release for a Hollywood film ever in the country. Indian actor Irrfan Khan ( Slumdog Millionaire ) makes a cameo as Dr. Rajit Ratha in the pic, THR reports . Men In Black Franchise Will Broaden Sony Pictures Entertainment and Starlight Runner Entertainment are heading toward an evolution of the Men In Black brand to transmedia. The brand will extend its story into a number of possible properties, Variety reports .
Surprise dirtbag!!! It took a determined FBI agent and a mother in Utah seeking justice for her son to finally catch a pedophile who filmed one of the most widely distributed pieces of child pornography on the Internet before fleeing the country. Antonio Cardenas was sentenced last week to 35 years in prison on child sex abuse-related charges. Getting there, however, required good timing and a trap that was certain to lure Cardenas back to the United States: an invitation to a child’s surprise birthday party Cardenas, 32, first came into contact with the boy in 2004 as his mentor through Big Brother Big Sisters of Utah. The child’s family trusted Cardenas, inviting him on their outings and even allowing him to take the boy to Las Vegas. When Cardenas moved back to Mexico, he still kept in touch through emails and phone calls, The Tribune reported. Unbeknown to the family, the child was being preyed upon. Cardenas had raped him repeatedly and filmed the abuse, prosecutors said, with images and video of it spreading quickly online. The boy tried to tell his school that Cardenas had shown him dirty movies in 2008, but later recanted, The Tribune reported. In June 2009, the child films produced by Cardenas reached Ross’ attention and he began investigating. Identifying the child seemed impossible, although a computer forensics team was able to determine the abuse was taking place in Utah and Las Vegas because of clues in the video’s background. It wasn’t until that October when Ross said he caught a break: FBI agents investigating a child-film ring found a Missouri man who posted Cardenas’ films online, and he knew the name of the victim and who filmed the images, according to The Tribune. Ross tracked down the boy, who at that point was age 12, and learned the back story. He also knew that Cardenas had returned to Mexico. Ross was able to convince the mother of the boy to invite Cardenas to a fake surprise party in honor of her son’s birthday in January 2010. Cardenas even paid someone $2,500 to help smuggle him back into the United States so he could make the festivities, The Tribune reported. The agents nabbed him once he was in Utah and on his way to the family’s home. “We had him in custody thanks in large part to mom’s ability to keep her cool and play this script we had written out,” Ross told The Tribune. This sicko really was trying to get for his victim’s birthday party, now the only “fun” he’ll be having will be in in the clink. Source
‘I’m not complaining about any box that I’m in, because I can write whatever I want,’ late writer/director tells MTV News in 2009. By Kara Warner with reporting by Josh Horowitz Nora Ephron in 2009 Photo: No matter how it happens, when or where, it is always sad to hear of the passing of a celebrated, talented and respected public figure like Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, director and playwright Nora Ephron, who died of pneumonia at age 71 on Tuesday (June 26). Ephron is best known for writing and/or directing some of Hollywood’s most famous and successful romantic comedies like “When Harry Met Sally … ,” “Sleepless in Seattle” and “You’ve Got Mail.” Her final film as writer and director was 2009’s “Julie & Julia,” and during the promotion for that film, which starred Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, Ephron revealed to MTV News that although she was happy to be known for her romantic comedies, she also dabbled in a few politically charged subjects that had yet to be made into feature films. “You should see my closet, it’s full of political scripts,” Ephron revealed, adding that while she’d love to see one of her many political scripts turned into a film, she wasn’t holding out hope that Hollywood would let her take a turn from romantic comedies to political dramedies. “Forget it,” Ephron said of wanting to direct one of her political scripts. “I mean yes, but the [movies] you get made are not necessarily all the things you write.” When asked if she felt at all limited by being most well-known for her expertise in the rom-com genre, Ephron said she felt nothing but gratitude for how much her successful romantic comedies have done in providing her with the freedom to explore other unrelated subjects. “I’m not complaining about any box that I’m in, because I can write whatever I want,” Ephron said with sincerity. “Fortunately, I’m not just in the movie business, so I don’t feel that the only way I can express myself is by the movies I make.” Share your condolences for Ephron’s family and friends in the comments below. Related Videos Nora Ephron: Dead At 71 Related Photos Nora Ephron: A Rom-Com Legacy
Pair examine everyday life in Nashville in new Jake Nava-directed video. By Jocelyn Vena B.o.B in his video for “Both of Us” Photo: If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if B.o.B and Taylor Swift hung out together in Nashville and hired video director Jake Nava to film it, well, wonder no more. The twosome are committing their song collaboration to celluloid in the just-released clip for the rapper’s track “Both of Us,” which features the country-pop superstar on the hook. But if you thought the video would pay homage to the glittering honky-tonks of Nashville, think again. This video instead sheds light on the grittier sides of the country music capital, following the lyrics of the track, which center on adversity and strife. Bobby Ray and Taylor are rarely seen in the same shot, as southern Americana is the twosome’s most prominent co-star. The clip opens with B.o.B hanging out in his modest home, while Swift is chilling out in the most un-Taylor Swift spot in music video history, a pool hall. There are shots of tatted locals, cowboy-boot-wearing young women, shirtless youths playing in sprinklers, teens kissing, a mobile home, and a dog that leaves Taylor awestruck with his high-flying antics. The video isn’t glamorous, but it leaves viewers appreciating the little things in life. It’s not about money, it’s about understanding that sometimes a romp through a sprinkler or a good game of billiards is enough to take you away from the mundane moments of everyday life. As the video closes out, viewers are left with a sort of fantasy, with B.o.B and Swift re-imagined as the everyman and everywoman living simple lives in rural Tennessee, much like the folks in the video. It’s like B.o.B says in the song: “Hey, but if it’s all for one and one for all/ Then maybe one day we all could ball/ Do it one time for the underdogs/ From Bobby Ray to all of y’all.” Swift shares in the sentiment when she answers on the chorus, “I wish I was strong enough to lift not one but both of us/ Someday I will be strong enough to lift not one but both of us.” The track is off B.o.B’s album Strange Clouds . Swift and the MC shot the clip in Music City, USA in mid-June, weeks prior to the official release. Related Photos Taylor Swift And B.o.B On The Set Of Their ‘Both Of Us’ Video
Sandusky Lawyers To Appeal Convictions Defense attorneys say they will appeal the convictions of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. A jury in Bellefonte, Pa., deliberated 20 hours over two days before convicting Sandusky of 45 charges of child sex abuse. The jury of seven women and five men provided a resounding confirmation of the prosecution’s case, convicting Sandusky on 45 of the 48 counts related to sexual abuse of young boys. Moments after the verdicts were read, Sandusky’s bond was revoked and he was immediately remanded to jail. As he was escorted from court, he took one final glance to his right, to his wife of 45 years. Dottie Sandusky and her family hugged and broke down in tears. Amendola told CBS News an appeal is planned but, barring a reversal of the convictions, the Sandusky will spend the rest of his life in prison. On the basis of WHAT? SMH. Source
We got some good soul music for you this Saturday! Nominated for Best International Act at the 2012 BET Awards and named by Essence as Five Unique Artists Set to Change Music in 2012, Lira is releasing her album Rise Again on June 26th. In July 2012, Lira will release her second live in-concert DVD Lira: The Captured Tour – filmed during her sold out 2011 tour in South Africa. The release is expected to be an even larger success than her 2009 telecast Lira; Live a Celebration which was tuned in by nine million South Africans, subsequently the DVD and Africa’s first Blu-Ray went on to secure 4x multi-platinum certification becoming the country’s fastest and highest selling music videodisc, supplanting international diva Celine Dion’s reign at the top: Live in Las Vegas; A New Day. Also in July, Lira makes her cinematic debut as the support lead in the Antonio Falduto directed drama, The Italian Consul, a film centered around the trafficking of girls in Europe. The film will premiere at the Isola del Cinema Festival in Rome, where Lira became only the second African vocalist to grace the Teatro Del Greco stage since Miriam Makeba. In August, Lira’s poignant track “Change it All” will appear as the theme music in Oprah’s Winfrey forthcoming documentary – OWLAG -surrounding her Leadership Academy for Girls based in South Africa which will air on her OWN Network. As part of a new cadre of African artists making waves stateside such as K’Naan, Nneka, and D’Banj, LIRA sees herself as an ambassador of the new Africa: a land where, despite a recent history filled with obstacles, a future brimming with infinite possibilities lies. LIRA feels that this pressure to thrive outside of convention has bred a unique brand of ingenuity that will propel her and her fellow artists to the world stage. “We’re proud of being African, but there’s also a desire to be a part of the world. Part of the way we can raise the consciousness back home is when people see us rise on the world stage. We don’t do it for the individual, we do it for the entire group.” Lira’s newest album drops Tuesday, June 26 and in the meantime you can pick up her latest EP HERE
Kim Kardashian may be krushing on Kanye West , but she’s far from finished with the past loves of her irritating life. Insiders tell Radar Online that Kris Humphries and his legal team are “gathering information” from this reality star’s ex-lovers – in particular Reggie Bush – and considering whether or not to subpoena them as part of Kris and Kim’s ongoing divorce battle. What information could Bush possibly provide in a deposition? Some kind of proof, Humphries hopes, that Kardashian is insincere in relationships and always seeking fame and fortune above romance. Kardashian’s lawyer, meanwhile, is taking a similar approach. He is requiring Myla Sinanaj to appear in court at a later date in order to reveal details of her time dating the NBA power forward. How has Kris fired back? By claiming Kris Jenner orchestrated the Kim Kardashian sex tape and that this is an example of how the family plots and schemes in every circumstance, manipulating situations and feelings to fit their marketing agenda. We wouldn’t make any long-term plans out of the country, Ray J. You’re clearly next.
