Dedicated volunteers inspire MTV News’ Sway. By Sway Calloway Volunteers in New Hampshire Photo: MTV News MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — After months of buildup, the people of New Hampshire finally came out to cast their vote today. I’ve had a great time over the past 24 hours talking to voters supporting just about every name on the ballot. I met a lot of really cool people and listened to why they voted and why they’ll do it again in November — even if their pick today doesn’t make the cut. I met people who are volunteering for President Obama and walked around the crowded office in downtown Manchester where they are trying to keep Democrats in this notoriously independent state excited about supporting the commander in chief. A lot of them were college kids who are already on the ground making calls from phone banks, waving signs outside polling places and spending their winter break learning how political campaigns work and filling up the office’s “Why Are You In?” wall with their motivation to service. I met one volunteer who came all the way from the U.K. just to support the Obama campaign, and at a rally for former Senator Rick Santorum , I sat down with a young man who drove in from Canada. He can’t vote, but it was important for him to just be here and participate in our political process. I also met a couple of young ladies who were Santorum supporters, including Jordanne Anderson, who shot her first deer the other day and, like me, is also a big-game fisherman — she caught a 160-pound swordfish. She was very, very well-versed when it came to the political process and the candidate she wants to vote for. What struck me about all of them was their passion. Whatever issue it was that drove them to the polls or to drive from three states over to knock on doors, make phone calls and wave signs, they were all in, even if they suspected their candidate wouldn’t end up on top when the polls closed. We had a lot of good times here in Manchester, where I learned once again that the 45 million young voters in this country not only have a voice, they’re ready and eager to use it. I can’t wait to come back next time and stay on this political trail with the Power of 12 and hear what they have to say. You guys rule this generation. MTV is on the scene in New Hampshire! Check back here around the clock for up-to-the-minute coverage on the primary caucuses, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season. Related Videos New Hampshire Primary Sparks Youth Conversation
‘Gay people [are] not Rick Santorum’s punching bag, and we will punch back,’ Savage tells MTV News of controversial website. By James Montgomery Rick Santorum Photo: Justin Sullivan/ Getty Images In 2003, when columnist Dan Savage decided to take on then-U.S. Senator Rick Santorum for equating consensual, same-sex relationships to polygamy, incest and adultery (among other things), he never thought he’d still be talking about the matter more than eight years later … mostly because, well, he never thought Santorum would consider running for president. Of course, a lot can happen in eight years. Savage launched his campaign to “attach [Santorum’s] name to a sex act that would make his big, white teeth fall out of his big, empty head,” started a website that displayed the definition of the sex act in question (chosen from more than 3,000 reader-submitted suggestions) and watched with disbelief as that website became a prominent result for Santorum’s name on most search engines. And Santorum, well, not only did he decide to make a run for the White House, but he finished a surprising second in the Iowa caucus , establishing himself as a legitimate front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. And so now, in 2012, with the New Hampshire primary upon us, here is Savage, still talking about his website, the Google problem it’s caused the Santorum campaign and how, despite many (many) protests from the right, he has no intention of ever taking it down. “I was never taking Santorum seriously. I’m surprised that he ran, I’m surprised that he did as well in Iowa as he did, but since Iowa, his poll numbers have been dropping,” Savage told MTV News. “One of the funny things about the Spreading Santorum website is that it was dormant forever. There was a blog there we kept until about 2006 … and then we stopped paying any attention to it. And yet it still sat at the top of the Google search results, even though we hadn’t updated it for five years. And then he runs for president [and] it just explodes in his face. “I can take the site down tomorrow, and it’s not going to make any difference,” he continued. “The new definition is out there, people use it in its proper context with the new meaning, and the damage is done.” Of course, some consider his site to be nothing more than a “vile attack” on Santorum and have called for him to remove it from the Internet to spare the candidate’s family from various indignities. Savage, not surprisingly, isn’t budging. In fact, the way he sees it, his site represents nothing more than him fighting back. “It is a vile attack — I completely embrace that. So is comparing my 17-year marriage … to raping dogs. That’s pretty vile. That’s pretty bigoted,” he said. “It was really fighting fire with fire. When somebody injects vileness and bigotry into the public discourse, I believe they’ve invited some vileness and bigotry thrown back at them. “Rick Santorum is a bully; the GOP is full of bullies who were basically able to punch people in the face and never get punched back. And gay people these days, we’re not Rick Santorum’s punching bag, and we will punch back,” he continued. “And you’ve seen that on the campaign trail, with people confronting Santorum and Perry and Cain and Bachmann and everyone else who’s trying to win votes by beating up gay people. We are not going to take it anymore.” And to that end, though he’ll laugh his way through questions about the site (though he wants it to be known that he doesn’t consider the action to be a “Google Bomb” — as some have coined it — since he’s “not tech-savvy enough to do a Google Bomb … I’ve literally reached the stage of life where when I have to turn on the TV, I have to get my kid to do it”), he’d rather discuss the resistance most GOP candidates have been receiving for their stances against marriage equality and the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Because, to him, not only do they represent the beginning of a generational shift in this country, but perhaps even the end of the GOP as we know it. “Well, we’ve been seeing this throughout the campaign, where Bachmann and Romney and Perry and Santorum, they’ve all been challenged not by activists or gay organizations, but by individual voters. … Increasingly LGBT people are empowered, not ashamed,” he said. “They’re attacking us, and we’re confronting them. We’re holding them accountable and calling them on their lies and their ‘pious baloney,’ to borrow Newt Gingrich’s phrase. America is waking up to the fact that we’re not bogeymen, and we’re not coming to do any harm, and that we’re your daughters and sons and neighbors, sometimes your parents, your co-workers, friends, colleagues. The Republican party, in this desperate [nod] to its dying evangelical base, is just ramping up the homophobia, and they’re doing themselves real long-term damage. “What’s interesting is that, you look at who’s been doing the most hate speech: Bachmann? She’s out. Herman Cain? He’s out. Perry? He’s all but out. Santorum? He’s running fourth, he’s trailing even in conservative South Carolina,” Savage continued. “It’s not winning them the election anymore. It’s not 1992; Pat Buchanan can’t get up and give a ‘gay rights never, family values forever’ speech at the Republican National Convention anymore. Times have changed.” MTV is on the scene in New Hampshire! Check back here around the clock for up-to-the-minute coverage on the primary caucuses, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season. Related Videos New Hampshire Primary Sparks Youth Conversation
Tuesday, January 10, 2010 The Metropolitan Atlanta Violence Prevention Partnership (MAVPP) in Cooperation with the King Center, 6 pm – 8 pm, at the King Center, Freedom Hall. Free and Open to the Public. The seminar will highlight areas such as gang, school, and youth violence prevention. Youth will learn ways to become change agents and leaders to upgrade their community and build a healthy future for all Atlantans. For more information contact: James P. Griffin, Jr., Ph.D. (404) 756-1397. Wednesday, January 11, 2010 Kingian Nonviolence Collegiate Leadership Orientation , 9 am – 4 pm at the King Center Limited Space- Free. Pre-Registration Required. This leadership orientation is offered to college sophomores and juniors from Atlanta area colleges and universities. Participants will get an overview of the ideology of Dr. King to heighten the awareness of the “Kingian” approach to nonviolent social change. For more information contact: Barbara Harrison at (404) 526-8911 or programs@thekingcenter.org Thursday, January 12, 2012 State of Georgia Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission Program , 10 am at the State Capitol, North Wing, Atlanta. Free and Open to the Public. For more information contact: The Georgia Martin Luther King, Jr., King Holiday Commission at 404-463-1343 “A King Celebration” Concert with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra , 8:00 pm at the Atlanta Symphony Hall. Open to the Public. Ticketed Event – General Admission: $55.00 – $125.00. The 20th annual musical tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. honors the legacy of Dr. King in words and music and features the Orchestra with the Morehouse and Spellman College Glee Clubs. For more information contact: or (404) 733-4900 or visit www.atlantasymphony.org ; or aso-info@woodruffcenter.org Saturday, January 14, 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Breakfast , 9 am at St. Philip AME Church with keynote speaker, Dr. Floyd Flake, pastor of the Greater Allen AME Cathedral of New York. Enjoy a free breakfast, but reservations are required. For more information, call Saint Philip AME Church at (404) 371- 0749 or www.saintphilip.org Body Spirit and Mind King Commemorative Health and Fitness Fair, 9 am – 4 pm. at Andrew and Walter Young Family YMCA. Free and open to the public. Join hundreds of Atlantans in the “Looking Good and Feeling Healthy” health fair as a call to action to take better care of ourselves. For more information, call Blanche Payne at (404) 523- 9622. The Annual “Salute to Greatness” Awards Dinner at the Hyatt Regency, Downtown Atlanta. 5:30 pm Reception – 6:30 pm Dinner. Tickets – $250- $5,000. The Salute to Greatness Awards Dinner is the King Center’s primary fundraising initiative. The award recognizes individuals who exemplify excellence in leadership and have demonstrated a commitment to the principles of Dr. King. For more information Contact: Judy Hanenkrat at (404) 526-8974 or jhanenkrat.thekingcenter.org Sunday, January 15, 2012 Dr. King Weekend “Discovering the New Possibilities” , 11 am at Saint Philip AME Church featuring keynote speaker, Dr. Cornell West, University Professor at Princeton University. For more information, call (404) 371- 0749 or www.saintphilip.org Body Spirit and Mind King Commemorative Health and Fitness Fair, 1 pm – 4 pm at Andrew and Walter Young Family YMCA. Free and open to the Public Join them for a second day of healthy life styles in honor of the King Holiday. For more information, call Blanche Payne at (404) 523- 9622. The King Center Book Signing , 3 pm – 5 pm at the King Center, Freedom Hall Auditorium, Free and Open to the public. Dr. Christine King Farris and Dr. Angela Farris Watkins will autograph their published books which includes, “March On”, “My Brother Martin”, and “My Uncle Martin’s Big Heart.” For more information Contact: Barbara Harrison at (404) 526- 8911 or programs@thekingcenter.org Monday, January 16, 2012 The Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Commemorative Service, 10 am at Ebenezer Baptist Church – Horizon Sanctuary. Free and Open to the Public (Limited Seating). The spiritual hallmark of the King Holiday Observance Week. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, Senior Pastor of Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. On this day, The King Center encourages the world to engage in volunteer service in tribute to the work and life of Dr. King. For more information, contact: Barbara Harrison at (404) 526- 8911 or programs@thekingcenter.org King Holiday March and Rally , 10 am. The Rally is held on Auburn Avenue in the King National Park Area. The march is from Peachtree Street to Jackson Street. To participate in the March call or email (404)614 – 3233 or cleoorange@bellsouth.net Hosea Feed the Hungry 41 st Annual King Holiday Dinner, 10am – 4 pm at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park. Celebrate the holiday by enjoying dinner with thousands of other in observance of Dr. King’s vision of love, unity and service to the poor. For more information, visit www.hoseafeedthehungry.com King’s Birthday Celebration at 10:30 at Imagine It! The children’s Museum in downtown Atlanta. A kid-friendly event to let little imaginations celebrate the legacy and visions Of one of the greatest heroes of our time. Children will make their very own “Live the Dream” Wall Hanging. Dekalb NAACP King Parade and Rally , 12:30 pm at Champion Theme Middle School in Stone Mountain. Bring your family to a downtown parade along Main Street at 12:30 in honor of Dr. King’s legacy. A Peace Rally follows the parade inside the Champion Theme Middle School Gymnasium on Mimona Drive. For more information, call Sara Copelin-wood at (404) 371- 1490 at www.schoolsandcommunity@yahoo.com Georgia Gwizzlies MLK Day Game vs. Columbus Riverballers, 3 pm at the Lynwood Recreation Center in Atlanta. Bring the entire family to enjoy one of Atlanta’s semi-Pro Basketball Teams play their annual King Observance Game. Special Pricing. Buy 1 Adult General Admission Ticket, get 2 people in free. From King to Obama-DuBois and back again , 10 am – 6 pm at the Auburn Avenue Research Library. Enjoy an outstanding art exhibition of art focusing on the African American socio-historical experience in our country. . The King Day of Service Project, All day, Free and Open to the Public. Sponsored by Hands on Atlanta, this offers and opportunity for people commit themselves to make a difference on this holiday by participating in community service projects in honor of Dr. King. For more information contact: Hands On Atlanta at (404) 979-2800 or www.handsonatlanta.org Body Spirit and Mind King Commemorative Health and Fitness Fair, 8 am – 10am at Andrew and Walter Young Family YMCA. Free and open to the Public Join them for a third day of healthy life styles in honor of the King Holiday. Keynote speaker, Dan Sims, Principal Tri-Cities High School. For more information, call Blanche Payne at (404) 523- 9622.
One young voter described the choice this year as between ‘freedom and tyranny.’ By Gil Kaufman Ron Paul Photo: Getty Images MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — “They call it the Department of Education … Let’s put an end to the Department of Indoctrination!” That kind of sentiment was flowing like extra-hoppy craft beer on Sunday night at Manchester’s only brewpub, Milly’s Tavern. It was the site of the “Slam Free or Die” poetry open-mic event in honor of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. And while the sentiment onstage was often dripping with elegantly worded sarcasm, the boots on the ground had plenty of sobering thoughts on the suddenly surging candidate who refuses by play by his party’s staid rules. Nearly a week after the Iowa caucus , Congressman Paul’s rivals continued to take digs at one another in an attempt to win over traditional GOP voting blocs and prove their family values bona fides. Libertarian Paul’s pull with younger voters, meanwhile, was inspiring the kind of enthusiasm that motivated his followers to drive in from as far as Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., to attend the slam and volunteer in the Granite State in the lead-up to Tuesday’s primary. A common theme among the Paul faithful who spoke to MTV News for the channel’s ongoing Power of 12 series was a disappointment with the Obama administration and a feeling that the promises of change touted four years ago have not come to fruition as they expected. “I think there were a lot of disillusioned voters in ’08 who thought Obama would be a good solution to the problems presented by Bush,” said Pericles Niarchos, 26, who like the 50 or so other Paul-ites in the bar was firmly focused on the poetry rather than the nail-biting Steelers-Broncos NFL playoff game being shown on the bar’s flat-screen TVs. “And after the last four years, we’ve seen the wars extended, we’ve seen [the terror detention center at] Guantanamo Bay remain open … the war on drugs continues on, we see bailout of the corporate elite that started under Bush. So, a lot of those supporters … [feel] Dr. Paul has a consistent record on these issues.” Niarchos, who recently completed a history degree with a political science minor from Drexel University, is among those who drove in from Philly to volunteer for the campaign, and he had a lot of issues on his mind. But one of the foremost was the various overseas military entanglements that are taking young lives and, he said, bankrupting the country. As to what it is about Paul — at 76, the oldest candidate in the running — that is speaking to teens and twentysomethings, Ryan Kuch, 24, said it is concerns about the economy and the libertarian call for a society that is “bottom-up … organic … people doing things, rather than top-down … people in Washington deciding what we should do to stimulate the economy.” Plus, he said, alluding to Paul’s non-interventionist theory of foreign policy, it’s his generation that will continue to pay for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, long after they are over. And not just with higher government debt but with issues like post-traumatic stress disorder and physical wounds that won’t heal. “Dr. Paul’s message seems to be more about sincerity and that you should be free to determine your own future,” said Niarchos. “A lot of young people today feel like they’re growing up in a world where they’re no longer free to determine their own future. They’re living in a set amount of circumstances that are being defined by older generations who don’t really understand what we’re going through. What our perspective is on the world is, what we want and what our values are … in my whole lifetime I don’t think the U.S. has been at peace for more than four years, and it’s really refreshing to see someone who advocates that so thoroughly.” “We need a cranky old president who keeps his money in a mattress,” said one poetry slam reader. Another read a piece entitled “Upholding Miserable Everywhere,” in which he selectively quoted the candidates in their own words. “I’m reciprocal,” he said, reiterating former Utah governor Jon Huntsman’s line . Another lamented that he missed the recent televised GOP debate because he was being arrested backstage after trying to “occupy” the event, and yet another referred to the various politicians as “New Hampshire’s deadbeat uncle,” who only comes around every four years when he needs something. What’s fascinating about Paul’s followers is that this poetry slam is not an isolated, election year event. They say that this is what Paul’s people do: They get together and lament the economic inequities of Pell grants, the tyranny of government’s tentacle-like reach into our pockets, the worthlessness of the Fed continually printing more money, the stifling of entrepreneurship by overzealous regulation and benefits of a free market system in the same way their peers discuss fantasy football stats. Emily O’Neill, 23, a member of the National Guard and self-described “misfit and contrarian” and “1920s feminist” who works in human resources in Washington, D.C., said the first time two Paul supporters meet each other, the opening topic is how they discovered their political icon. Dressed in cherry-red high heels, a gray skirt, ruffled white shirt and blue blazer, the New Boston, New Hampshire, native said she planned to wave signs and make calls on behalf of her candidate on Monday (January 9). “Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s not about left versus right,” she said. “We all agree on freedom and more government is not working. We’re less prosperous now than when we started off even a decade ago … people now want their freedom. Especially young people. This is the Internet generation. We can go online and find the answers and find out who the politicians are who are complete hypocrites. We know the truth so there’s no kidding us anymore.” Along with her friend Josh Luedtke, 26, a Roanoke, Virginia, reservist who just returned from his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, O’Neill said she might typically have been a Mitt Romney supporter. But not this time. “I came to the conclusion that what other people do, as long as it doesn’t hurt me, doesn’t affect me,” said Luedtke, who sported a red, white and blue Paul campaign T-shirt emblazoned with the word “liberty,” as well as a baseball hat that reads “Dysfunctional veteran … Leave me alone.” Inspired by the Occupy movement and the grassroots nature of Paul’s latest campaign, O’Neill said young voters are feeling motivated to get involved and be part of a new solution. “I hope that the difference between [the election of] 2008 and 2012 is that in 2008 young people came out and said, ‘We want the government to give us things.’ And in 2012, young people are going to come out and say, ‘We want the government to leave us alone.’ ” As for his peers who might be considering sitting this election out because they don’t like the options, Luedtke said they have two choices. “Freedom and tyranny. You can either vote for Ron Paul and take hold of your future with a government that is going to leave you alone … or you can choose tyranny and vote for anyone else.” Romney has a decisive lead in New Hampshire, where he’s polling at more than 41 percent, followed by Paul at 17 percent, which is not surprising given that 40 percent of the state’s voters describe themselves as independents. MTV is on the scene in New Hampshire! Check back here around the clock for up-to-the-minute coverage on the primary caucuses, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season. Related Videos Barnstorming The Iowa Caucus With Andrew Jenks
Sunday on Kourtney & Kim Take New York, Kim Kardashian finally has hubs Kris Humphries living with her in the city … but decides she has more fun when he’s not. Foreshadowing, anyone? Kim, Kourtney and Mason drove on up Connecticut to “escape the paparazzi,” leaving Scott Disick and Kris to their own scripted devices. How did that play out? Find out in our weekly rekap, THG style! Kim and Kourt checking out Mystic, Conn., aquarium with Mason. Nice place. Plus 20 . Kris has been offered “some quick cash” to head up to Toronto and make a club appearance, so off he goes. Kim would be so proud/jealous. Plus 15 . Scott decides to join, saying, “I may go just to prove a point that I’m not whipped.” Dude, the same girl let you knock her up twice with no ring. You’re good. Plus 25 . “I may go just to prove a point that I’m not whipped,” Scott warns Kris, who’s having his photo taken with lots of girls … on a REALITY SHOW. Minus 50 . “Humphries really doesn’t need girls taking pictures with him. So whatever I could do to help out, I will to some extent,” says Scott, ever the altruist. Plus 12 . Kim finds out where they are via Twitter, where someone says, “It’s crazy up in here, Scott Disick and Kris Humphries just walked in.” E! writer, probably. Plus 9 . Even Mason says that’s bad. Plus 6 . Scott, after getting his fade on, can’t wait to use the men’s room and relieves himself in a garbage can. The man is the epitome of class. Plus 14 . Dun-dun-dun! Back in NY: “How would you feel if I went out of the country to work and didn’t tell you?” asks Kim. Trick question: He could just read her Twitter! Minus 8 . “Part of me is not used to being married yet.” – Kris. Don’t get too used to it! Minus 15 . “I went because Kris was going and he asked me to go and I was here alone. You were gone. I was lonely,” explains Scott, slightly more convincingly. Plus 5 . Just like that, Kim’s off to Dubai for “work.” Kris is aware of the trip, but not invited. Her real life partner, Kris Jenner, will be there instead. Minus 10 . Lucky for Kris, Khloe’s in town and hoping to connect with him. At least that’s what the producers told her when they flew her out. Minus 10 more . Kourtney’s number of sexual partners remains a mystery. What a tease. Minus 5 . “Everything in Dubai is so stunning,” says Kimm as she gets escorted into a luxury suite at the Atlantis. “I’m so excited to be here.” No one cares. Minus 30 . Kim gets an A-list star welcoming at the Millions of Milkshakes store opening. People are hanging off the rafters just to see her. So, so sad. Minus 70 . “This is just a pretty special moment.” – Kim. Anything in which she gets attention and money qualifies. Sadly, marriage does not apply. Minus 100 . “I feel like I’m back to myself and I’m really enjoying this feeling.” – Kim Kardashian . You know what they say about that one-month itch … Minus 150 . Things aren’t much better at home. “We really want to get to know Hump, but he’s acting like he’s miserable,” Khloe laments. Wonder why. Minus 40 . “There’s something in my relationship that I feel isn’t right. I’m learning a lot of things about him that I didn’t really know before. And married life isn’t what I thought it would be with him.” – Kim. Why rush to get married then? Minus 500 . “It’s not normal to feel like you don’t want to go home to your brand-new husband. Your dad and I were obsessed with each other.” – Kris. First honest, heartfelt moment of the entire episode closes out the night with a Plus 250 . EPISODE TOTAL: -632. SEASON TOTAL: -3,801.
MTV’s Power of 12 is on the scene as Republican candidates fight to be Mitt Romney’s runner-up. By Gil Kaufman Rick Santorum Photo: Andrew Burton/ Getty Images If you stayed up late awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus last week, there’s a good chance you’ll get to bed earlier this Tuesday when New Hampshire voters head to the polls for their presidential primary. While former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney slid out of the Hawkeye State with a razor-thin eight-vote victory over suddenly surging contender former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum , polls indicate that the leading GOP candidate will face much-weaker competition in his own backyard. Romney is polling at 40 percent in the state, which means that the real scramble this time will be for second place. Though Romney managed to emerge from Iowa with a win (barely), despite not spending much time there in the run-up to Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation contest, it was the roster of those below him that helped shake up the contest. Left for dead months ago after failing to climb out of the single digits, traditional family-values conservative Santorum nearly managed a huge upset but is unlikely to pull another January surprise in New Hampshire, where the large population of independent voters — who make up 40 percent of the electorate — can cast ballots in Republican primaries. His anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage fire-and-brimstone message may not resonate with Granite State voters the way Libertarian Ron Paul ‘s small-government outlook could. In fact, according to CNN, not only is New Hampshire the least-religious state in the nation, but a 2008 poll found that 55 percent of Republican primary voters believed that abortion should be always or mostly legal. Also, New Hampshire is one of the few states in the country where gay marriage is legal. Paul, whose pull with young voters helped propel him to a strong third-place finish in Iowa, could cement his status as a serious contender with a second-place finish. At press time, he was polling around 17 percent, edging out Santorum at 11 percent. With a win clearly off the table, even a runner-up finish was looking less likely, though, for former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman. The most-liberal conservative in the remaining field made a calculated risk by avoiding Iowa and betting the farm on New Hampshire, where he’s spent much of the past six months. But after crowing that he was certain he’d win the state in recent weeks, Huntsman began lowering expectations in the days leading up to the vote, when his poll numbers failed to rise above 7 percent. Like Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Huntsman already began setting his sights on the next contest in South Carolina (January 21), while Romney is hoping to solidify his hold on the leader spot and fend off the rest of the pack as the primaries head to Southern states, where Evangelical voters could play a bigger role in boosting Santorum. While the GOP contenders continue to rip each other apart in the scramble to come out on top after primary season, they also have been hitting President Obama very hard on his policies in their stump speeches. Though Obama does not face a primary battle on Tuesday night, he is running a robust campaign in New Hampshire, where his team is trying to get as many supporters out to the polls to vote as possible in order to shore up the commander in chief’s sagging support in the state. No matter what happens, MTV’s Power of 12 will be there to chronicle what’s on the minds of young voters and bring you their reactions to Tuesday night’s vote. MTV is on the scene in New Hampshire! Check back here around the clock for up-to-the-minute coverage on the primary caucuses, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season. Related Videos Barnstorming The Iowa Caucus With Andrew Jenks
Anyone who’s seen Contagion (or, let’s be honest, even just the trailer for Contagion ) knows that Steven Soderbergh is not precious about keeping his biggest stars breathing for the duration of his films. And when you think about it, that is kind of an awesome against-the-tide trend that few directors — okay, few studios — have the wherewithal to attempt. Chatting with the UK’s Independent about Contagion and Haywire , Soderbergh dropped some science on the art of manipulating the very essence of stardom in movies to great effect. “It’s always good to kill movie stars,” he told the Independent. “I think that the two most important things that have happened to that aspect of movies in the last 50 years are Hitchcock killing off Janet Leigh in a way that nobody had ever dreamed of doing – taking his heroine and killing her off after 40 minutes – and… Mike Nichols casting Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate . That changed everything.” “Now it’s back to the way it was before that single decision totally turned the world upside down in terms of what was people’s idea of a movie star. That one stroke ushered in the great actors who followed, De Niro, Pacino and Nicholson.” So how does one shake up audience expectation again in movies chock-full of A-listers? [ Spoilers ] Have them pummeled to a pulp by unknown MMA fighter-ladies! Cut their brains open in the first act! Blame it all on chickens! [ End spoilers ] All hail Soderbergh! Kill your idols! (Figuratively speaking.) [ The Independent via Movie City News ]
Tran Anh Hung’s Norwegian Wood is meticulously faithful to the book it’s based on, Haruki Murakami’s 1987 novel of the same name: It takes no significant liberties with the plot, and it captures the novel’s delicate, half-hopeful, half-mournful tone. So why, unlike its source material, does it feel only half-alive? It’s so easy, too easy, to get lost in the book-vs.-movie debate. But a movie like Norwegian Wood is a peculiar case – its intentions are sterling, and it’s hard to pinpoint any technical flaws. The problem, maybe, is that it’s trying too hard; Tran has such firm control over the storytelling that the resulting picture has no room to breathe. Watanabe (Kenichi Matsuyama) is an aimless young university student in late-1960s Tokyo. His closest friend, Kizuki, committed suicide at age 17, leaving behind his childhood love, the fragile Naoko (Rinko Kikuchi, the Japanese actress who made a splash in the 2006 Babel ). Watanabe “inherits” the friendship of Naoko, and it seems that the two might fall in love. But Naoko disappears – the intensity of the blossoming relationship is too much for her, sexually and emotionally, and she enters a retreat-like sanitorium in the country. Though Watanabe continues, sweetly, to pine for her, he also starts tagging along with his more sexually adventurous roommate, Nagasawa (Tetsuji Tamayama). He also embarks on a fledgling friendship with another student, Midori (Kiko Mizuhara) ,who, unlike Naoko, seems boldly certain about what she wants out of life. She is, perhaps, a little too bold for Watanabe: She outlines her idea of the ideal lover (essentially, a man who will be at her beck and call, so she can then turn him away). And she informs him that she already has a boyfriend, anyway. Watanabe continues to visit Naoko in her forest retreat, though his time with her is nearly always supervised by Noako’s half-protective, half-possessive roommate, Reiko (Reika Kirishima). The rest of Norwegian Wood outlines the rather delicate dance between the things Watanabe might think he wants and the things he may actually be able to have. Tran adapted the screenplay himself, with obvious care and precision (though the resulting movie doesn’t do much to address, as Murakami’s novel did, the social unrest among young people in late-‘60s Tokyo). His actors have plenty of moments of grace and subtlety, particularly Kikuchi – somehow, she makes us see a deeply troubled soul in Naoko, not just a wan, self-absorbed victim of circumstance. And there isn’t a single frame in Norwegian Wood that isn’t gorgeous to look at: The cinematographer is Mark Lee Ping Bin, who also shot In the Mood for Love (sharing credit with Kwan Pung-Leung and Christopher Doyle), and every inch of the movie’s surface fairly glows. Or, rather, every millimeter glows — the picture creeps along at a very leisurely pace, which shouldn’t by itself be a problem. Norwegian Wood is Tran’s fifth feature. (The director, who was born in Vietnam and who lives in Paris, is perhaps best known for the 1993 The Scent of Green Papaya .) I kept watching Norwegian Wood waiting for that pleasant, wide-awake state of hypnosis to kick in, the slipstream effect that a well-constructed, slow-moving picture sets into gear. But for reasons that are hard to pinpoint, Norwegian Wood seems to be hampered by its own integrity; it’s like a ghost wearing a trailing nightie that’s just too long. Would the movie be more effective if every lingering shot were cut by just a second or two, or if the dialogue between characters had just a little more energy and crackle? Maybe. But whatever it is that’s wrong with Norwegian Wood couldn’t possibly be remedied by any quick fix. That’s both its tragedy and its virtue. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Tran Anh Hung’s Norwegian Wood is meticulously faithful to the book it’s based on, Haruki Murakami’s 1987 novel of the same name: It takes no significant liberties with the plot, and it captures the novel’s delicate, half-hopeful, half-mournful tone. So why, unlike its source material, does it feel only half-alive? It’s so easy, too easy, to get lost in the book-vs.-movie debate. But a movie like Norwegian Wood is a peculiar case – its intentions are sterling, and it’s hard to pinpoint any technical flaws. The problem, maybe, is that it’s trying too hard; Tran has such firm control over the storytelling that the resulting picture has no room to breathe. Watanabe (Kenichi Matsuyama) is an aimless young university student in late-1960s Tokyo. His closest friend, Kizuki, committed suicide at age 17, leaving behind his childhood love, the fragile Naoko (Rinko Kikuchi, the Japanese actress who made a splash in the 2006 Babel ). Watanabe “inherits” the friendship of Naoko, and it seems that the two might fall in love. But Naoko disappears – the intensity of the blossoming relationship is too much for her, sexually and emotionally, and she enters a retreat-like sanitorium in the country. Though Watanabe continues, sweetly, to pine for her, he also starts tagging along with his more sexually adventurous roommate, Nagasawa (Tetsuji Tamayama). He also embarks on a fledgling friendship with another student, Midori (Kiko Mizuhara) ,who, unlike Naoko, seems boldly certain about what she wants out of life. She is, perhaps, a little too bold for Watanabe: She outlines her idea of the ideal lover (essentially, a man who will be at her beck and call, so she can then turn him away). And she informs him that she already has a boyfriend, anyway. Watanabe continues to visit Naoko in her forest retreat, though his time with her is nearly always supervised by Noako’s half-protective, half-possessive roommate, Reiko (Reika Kirishima). The rest of Norwegian Wood outlines the rather delicate dance between the things Watanabe might think he wants and the things he may actually be able to have. Tran adapted the screenplay himself, with obvious care and precision (though the resulting movie doesn’t do much to address, as Murakami’s novel did, the social unrest among young people in late-‘60s Tokyo). His actors have plenty of moments of grace and subtlety, particularly Kikuchi – somehow, she makes us see a deeply troubled soul in Naoko, not just a wan, self-absorbed victim of circumstance. And there isn’t a single frame in Norwegian Wood that isn’t gorgeous to look at: The cinematographer is Mark Lee Ping Bin, who also shot In the Mood for Love (sharing credit with Kwan Pung-Leung and Christopher Doyle), and every inch of the movie’s surface fairly glows. Or, rather, every millimeter glows — the picture creeps along at a very leisurely pace, which shouldn’t by itself be a problem. Norwegian Wood is Tran’s fifth feature. (The director, who was born in Vietnam and who lives in Paris, is perhaps best known for the 1993 The Scent of Green Papaya .) I kept watching Norwegian Wood waiting for that pleasant, wide-awake state of hypnosis to kick in, the slipstream effect that a well-constructed, slow-moving picture sets into gear. But for reasons that are hard to pinpoint, Norwegian Wood seems to be hampered by its own integrity; it’s like a ghost wearing a trailing nightie that’s just too long. Would the movie be more effective if every lingering shot were cut by just a second or two, or if the dialogue between characters had just a little more energy and crackle? Maybe. But whatever it is that’s wrong with Norwegian Wood couldn’t possibly be remedied by any quick fix. That’s both its tragedy and its virtue. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Get your beach freak on! Even though the rest of the country is stuck in annoying cold weather and huge jackets, these celebrities get to take vacations to warmer weather. The good thing for us? We get to look at their lovely cakes and sometimes they even get close and personal with their significant others! We’ll take it.
