23. No, it’s not the number of boyfriends Taylor Swift has had this year. It’s her age, as the musical superstar celebrates a birthday today!!! Swift has made constant headlines throughout 2012 (where will she rank in our Celebrity of the Year countdown?!), largely for her music… but also for her personal life. As of this writing, Swift is definitely dating Harry Styles of One Direction, while her latest album has already gone Triple Platinum. It’s been a very, very impressive few months, even by Taylor’s high standards. So sit back, enjoy the following montage of Taylor Swift photos , and send in your birthday wishes to the icon now!
Natali Germanotta, 20, doesn’t have the same eccentric fashion tastes as her older, famous sibling. You may know her sister, who usually goes by Lady Gaga. Just the same, in a photo shoot for ViralFashion (dot) com, the Parsons The New School for Design student strikes a pose in various high-end pieces. Can you see the family resemblance? The fact that Natali agreed to appear in this photo shoot is surprising, since she’s rarely seen in the public eye and typically allows her sister to get all the attention. She did accompany Lady Gaga (Stefani Germanotta) down the red carpet at the CFDA Fashion Awards in 2011, and starred in her 2010 “Telephone” video. Other than that, she’s kept a low profile. Germanotta’s fashion shoot also features her wearing Alaia, J Mendel, and Proenza Schouler as she hangs out with well-dressed pals at Joanne Trattoria. That’s her parents’ Italian restaurant located on New York City’s Upper West Side. Good advertisement for the eatery, no? Lady Gaga’s weight gain has also been attributed to the restaurant – by the singer herself – which also means the food’s gotta be great.
Hollywood.TV is your source for all the latest celebrity news, gossip and videos of your favorite stars! bit.ly – Click to Subscribe! Facebook.com – Become a Fan! Twitter.com – Follow Us! Selena Gomez has signed on as a global style icon and guest designer for the adidas NEO label, one of the company’s most fun and fashionable brands. The three-year partnership was launched in Downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. To celebrate, the actress together with a band of teens, painted the town green with NEO-colored paint, posters and streamers spread across the city. Selena said she’s excited to have input into the design and she can’t wait to see the results of the collection. Hollywood.TV is the global leader in capturing celebrity breaking news as it happens. Launched in 2008, we capture all the latest news, exclusive celebrity interviews, star videos and hot celebrity gossip from around the world every minute of everyday. HTV is on the streets 24/7, at all the industry events and invited by the stars to cover their every move in Hollywood, New York and Miami. Hollywood.TV is currently the third most viewed reporter channel on www.youtube.com YouTube with almost 400 million views, and our footage is seen worldwide! Tune in daily for all the latest Hollywood news on www.hollywood.tv and http like us on Facebook!
NOT NORMAL is the mindset that has guided the design of MINI for over 50 years. And it’s the same mindset that connects the brand to people who drive MINI today. In a world where so many people are trying to fit in, MINI extends an open invitation to those who would rather stand out. And that is NOT NORMAL . Check out MINI’s Facebook Page here
‘The performances are excellent, especially from Michael Fassbender,’ writes the AP ‘s Christy Lemire. By Kevin P. Sullivan Michael Fassbender as David 8 in “Prometheus” Photo: Twentieth Century Fox After 30 years away from the genre, director Ridley Scott returns to science-fiction with “Prometheus,” a film with tenuous connections to the “Alien” universe. Reactions to “Prometheus” have been decidedly split, but parties on both sides can’t help but praise Scott’s stunning visuals and the ambition of the screenplay. Here is our roundup of critic reactions to “Prometheus.” The Story Since most reviews can’t seem to explain the story without giving away significant plot details, let this suffice: A group of scientists go into space. Bad things happen. The Look “Nearly all the bits and pieces in director Ridley Scott’s ‘Prometheus’ come from other movies — either one of Scott’s or someone else’s. More and more, though, I appreciate Scott’s fundamental squareness as a filmmaker. ‘Prometheus’ may be the ‘Gladiator’ director’s first picture shot digitally and in 3-D, but there’s an old-school assurance in the pacing and the design. ‘Elegant’ and ‘stately’ are two adjectives that won’t mean a thing to the potential teen audience for ‘Prometheus,’ but they’re the most apt.” — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune The “Alien” Connection “Ridley Scott’s ‘Prometheus’ is a magnificent science-fiction film, all the more intriguing because it raises questions about the origin of human life and doesn’t have the answers. It’s in the classic tradition of golden age sci-fi, echoing Scott’s ‘Alien’ (1979), but creating a world of its own. I’m a pushover for material like this; it’s a seamless blend of story, special effects and pitch-perfect casting, filmed in sane, effective 3-D that doesn’t distract.” — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times Michael Fassbender “The performances are excellent, especially from Michael Fassbender as a robot with the looks and impeccable manners of an adult but the innocence and troublemaking instincts of a child. His character, the genteel, fair-haired David, serves as an homage to Scott’s own work as he calls to mind Ian Holm’s android Ash from the original ‘Alien.’ His eerily calm, precise demeanor also is reminiscent of the HAL 9000 computer program in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey,’ and the pop-culture influences that shape David’s habits and speech are a clever celebration of the power of classic cinema in general. (‘Prometheus’ probably will not go on to be considered one of Scott’s classics in the same category as ‘Alien’ and ‘Blade Runner,’ but you’ve got to admire its ambition.)” — Christy Lemire, The Associated Press The Final Word “You might also call [elements of the film] science-fiction clich
Also in Tuesday afternoon’s Biz Break, Exclusive Media takes rights to Zac Efron/Dennis Quaid starrer; Universal picks up rights to Kathryn Bigelow’s untitled bin Laden film; and with the initial craze over 3-D fading comes scrutiny over the medium. Weinsteins Take Rights to Cannes’ The Sapphires Starring comedian Chris Dowd and Deborah Mailman, The Sapphires will screen at the 65th Cannes Film Festival this Saturday. Wayne Blair directed the feature which is inspired by a true story about four young and talented Australian Aboriginal girls from a remote mission as they learn about love, friendship and war when their all girl group The Sapphires entertains the U.S. troops in Vietnam in 1968. 10 Win 39th Student Academy Awards The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 39th Annual Student Academy Awards were unveiled; the organization will host an awards ceremony June 9th. The winners in the Narrative category: Nani , Justin Tipping (American Film Institute); Narcocorrido , Ryan Prows (American Film Institute); Under , Mark Raso (Columbia University). Documentary: Dying Green , Ellen Tripler (American University); Hiro: A Story of Japanese Internment , Keiko Wright (NYU); Lost Country , Heather Burky (Art Inst. of Jacksonville). Animation: Eyrie , David Wolter (Calif. Institute of the Arts); The Jockstrap Raiders , Mark Nelson (UCLA); My Little Friend , Eric Prah (Ringling College of Art and Design). Alternative: The Reality Clock , Amanda Tasse (USC). Exclusive Media Nabs Rights to Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron Starrer At Any Price The film, directed by Chop Shop director Ramin Bahrani, also stars Kim Dickens and Heather Graham and revolves around rebellious Dean Whipple (Efron), who wants nothing more than to pursue his dream of becoming a professional race car driver, whilst trying to avoid the obligations to his family’s farming empire. But Dean’s ambitious father Henry (Quaid), whose manic pursuit of expansion has alienated the whole family, sets his sights on Dean’s succession. Around the ‘net… How 48 Hours at Large in L.A. Turned Fellini into a Maestro Fellini Black and White is set to explore what may have happened when the celebrated Italian film director Federico Fellini disappeared for 48 hours on his first visit to America, where he was due to attend the Oscar awards. Instead of a smooth trip to the 1957 ceremony, the man who was to make such classics as La Dolce Vita and 8½ almost missed the awards gala after going missing for two days somewhere in Los Angeles, The Guardian reports . Universal Takes International Rights to Kathryn Bigelow’s Untitled Bin Laden Film Universal took select international rights to the true story about the team that hunted and killed Osama bin Laden last year. Sony Pictures will release the film starring Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Jason Clarke, Mark Strong and Edgar Ramirez in the U.S., Deadline reports . 3-D Comes into Sharper Focus Despite the format’s troubles, 2011 marked another record year for 3-D, with total box office revenue from 3-D movies hitting $6.9 billion, an 18 percent jump, according to provisional figures from Screen Digest, THR reports .
Also in Tuesday afternoon’s Biz Break, Exclusive Media takes rights to Zac Efron/Dennis Quaid starrer; Universal picks up rights to Kathryn Bigelow’s untitled bin Laden film; and with the initial craze over 3-D fading comes scrutiny over the medium. Weinsteins Take Rights to Cannes’ The Sapphires Starring comedian Chris Dowd and Deborah Mailman, The Sapphires will screen at the 65th Cannes Film Festival this Saturday. Wayne Blair directed the feature which is inspired by a true story about four young and talented Australian Aboriginal girls from a remote mission as they learn about love, friendship and war when their all girl group The Sapphires entertains the U.S. troops in Vietnam in 1968. 10 Win 39th Student Academy Awards The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 39th Annual Student Academy Awards were unveiled; the organization will host an awards ceremony June 9th. The winners in the Narrative category: Nani , Justin Tipping (American Film Institute); Narcocorrido , Ryan Prows (American Film Institute); Under , Mark Raso (Columbia University). Documentary: Dying Green , Ellen Tripler (American University); Hiro: A Story of Japanese Internment , Keiko Wright (NYU); Lost Country , Heather Burky (Art Inst. of Jacksonville). Animation: Eyrie , David Wolter (Calif. Institute of the Arts); The Jockstrap Raiders , Mark Nelson (UCLA); My Little Friend , Eric Prah (Ringling College of Art and Design). Alternative: The Reality Clock , Amanda Tasse (USC). Exclusive Media Nabs Rights to Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron Starrer At Any Price The film, directed by Chop Shop director Ramin Bahrani, also stars Kim Dickens and Heather Graham and revolves around rebellious Dean Whipple (Efron), who wants nothing more than to pursue his dream of becoming a professional race car driver, whilst trying to avoid the obligations to his family’s farming empire. But Dean’s ambitious father Henry (Quaid), whose manic pursuit of expansion has alienated the whole family, sets his sights on Dean’s succession. Around the ‘net… How 48 Hours at Large in L.A. Turned Fellini into a Maestro Fellini Black and White is set to explore what may have happened when the celebrated Italian film director Federico Fellini disappeared for 48 hours on his first visit to America, where he was due to attend the Oscar awards. Instead of a smooth trip to the 1957 ceremony, the man who was to make such classics as La Dolce Vita and 8½ almost missed the awards gala after going missing for two days somewhere in Los Angeles, The Guardian reports . Universal Takes International Rights to Kathryn Bigelow’s Untitled Bin Laden Film Universal took select international rights to the true story about the team that hunted and killed Osama bin Laden last year. Sony Pictures will release the film starring Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Jason Clarke, Mark Strong and Edgar Ramirez in the U.S., Deadline reports . 3-D Comes into Sharper Focus Despite the format’s troubles, 2011 marked another record year for 3-D, with total box office revenue from 3-D movies hitting $6.9 billion, an 18 percent jump, according to provisional figures from Screen Digest, THR reports .
What can we expect from the forthcoming, invariably awesome iPhone 5? The next version of Apple’s revolutionary device hasn’t even been unveiled yet, but that hasn’t stopped experts (and consumers) from speculating on what features it might have, and more importantly, when it’ll go on sale! Here’s what is known and rumored about the iPhone 5 thus far: Colors! Apple has filed patents involving carbon fiber, which could also provide more strength to the phone’s body and a potential new added benefit: color. Durability! Apple acquired rights to use a product from a company called Liquid Metal Technologies, which could offer the frame more elastic properties. In other words, your piece will break less easily when you drop it on the street. Bigger Design : Many new Android phones sport 4-4.5 inch screens, so Apple is feeling the pressure to increase screen size from its current 3.5. Rumors also project a 20 percent thinner iPhone 5, decreasing from the 9.3mm iPhone 4S to a sleeker 7.4mm, plus a new dock connector. Processor : The new iPad sported the faster A5X processor, some predict an even faster A6 processor with a gig of RAM in the new iPhone. The inclusion of LTE, a faster processor and a bigger screen all mean a greater drain on the battery, which would likely be addressed as well. Timing : Every year Apple hosts a developer conference in San Francisco in June, however, analysts are betting on October for a new release. Steve Jobs hologram : Too soon? Sorry. We were just watching Tupac perform at Coachella and thinking about Steve dispensing wisdom on cue. A racist Siri . Just kidding again. But you gotta see that parody.
‘We knew the film would be judged by the success of the Hulk,’ ‘Avengers’ visual-effects supervisor tells MTV News. By Josh Wigler Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man in “Avengers” Photo: Marvel/Disney At the end of the day, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is all about character. If the viewer doesn’t feel invested in the conflict between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, the inner-turmoil Bruce Banner feels as he keeps “the other guy” at bay or any other number of relationships, then the movie as a whole simply does not work. Thankfully, all those things work with flying colors due to the winning combination of Joss Whedon’s direction and script and the performances from Earth’s mightiest actors themselves. But while story is a crucial component to the success of “The Avengers,” spectacle cannot be downplayed as another essential ingredient. The film’s visual-effects supervisor Jeff White and his team had their work more than cut out for them when approaching “The Avengers,” a movie filled with no fewer than six superheroes, one particularly nasty supervillain and an entire alien armada to fight for his cause. MTV News spoke with White about his work on the film, what he viewed as the greatest visual-effects challenges, why the Hulk was key to the movie’s success and what it was like working with Whedon. The Biggest Challenge In short? Everything. “At the end of the day, with ‘Avengers,’ there were so many things to get right,” White told MTV News about the biggest difficulties facing his team. “We created a lot of New York City for the film and needed to build flying shots of Iron Man all from photography. We had to build a new Iron Man suit — the Mark VII — and Stark Tower. We had to build the alien race. When you add all of those things up, there are quite a few challenges there.” That’s not even mentioning the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, the floating base of operations for Earth’s mightiest heroes. “That was a massive undertaking,” White said. “The challenge was not only building the Helicarrier, but then having to build the atrium underneath that you fly into. Then we had to build all of the set dressing to make it feel like it was a populated vehicle: the flight crew, digital doubles, the vehicles pulling objects around, planes on the deck … all of that stuff, if it’s not there, makes everything feel very CG, because it’d be so empty.” We Have a Hulk … Still, if there was one particular ingredient White had to get right, the answer is easy: the Hulk. Already a big fan of Bruce Banner’s monstrous alter-ego going into the project, White said so much of “Avengers” leans on the existence of a compelling Jade Giant. “It was important to deliver on the performance that Joss was looking for. He knew exactly the Hulk he wanted to bring to the big screen. All of the great moments Hulk has in the film was Joss really guiding us there,” White said of creating the latest take on Hulk. “We wanted this guy to be as photo-real as we could make him. He’s not in a solo film; he’s part of an ensemble team. We wanted it to feel very natural when he’s sitting in that circle of Avengers. We didn’t want him to pop off or seem separate from the rest of them. So in that vein, we spent a lot of time working on his skin and his hair and his teeth, just to make sure that all of that was believable.” … But They Have an Army Just as important are the enemies Hulk goes up against — namely the Chitauri, the alien warriors Loki recruits to help him take over Earth. As they’re not the most iconic creatures in Marvel Comics lore, the “Avengers” design team had some freedom in bringing the heroes’ enemies to the big screen. “They’d done some initial designs at Marvel, as far as getting their overall forms in place. They came up with this idea of a mixture of metals and leather and skin, and then we ran with that as far as what the textural details were, making sure that the chariots had enough variety in them, making sure that when we initially started, we wouldn’t see the aliens with their helmets off — and then through the course of production, we do see them that way,” White said. “That was a whole round of design processes: What do they look like? What do their heads look like under that armor? I think one of the great parts of them is they’re wearing all of that armor — it’s worn, they’ve clearly been through several battles — but you can still see their eyes in there. That’s an important part of connecting them as a threat to the Avengers.” Release the Leviathan The Chitauri foot soldiers aren’t the only threats the Avengers have to worry about in the film. There are also the massive Leviathans, giant sky serpents hell-bent on destroying Manhattan. “That’s all about scale,” White said of those creatures. “It was such a great opportunity to have these massive creatures ambling around New York. Part of their design was to put these wings on them, which made them too wide to fit down a New York street, which in turn led us to have them tearing through buildings and causing mayhem everywhere they go.” Some fans have likened the Leviathans to something out of a Michael Bay “Transformers” movie — an observation that’s all the more interesting when considering White’s previous visual-effects work on those very same films. “You can see where the ‘Transformers’ comparisons come from as far as the trailers go. But when you see how the Leviathans operate in the film, and the role they fill and what drives them forward, there’s a pretty big difference,” White said. “Driller from ‘Transformers’ was all metal and all machine, digging through the ground to take down a building. These guys are actually organic beneath all of that armor. They have these worn gold plates and energy signatures that ripple down the side. We really tried to make sure that they felt unique. But I agree, when the first trailer came out, that [‘Transformers’ similarity] was a component of it, but when you see them in the entire film, they really serve a very different purpose.” The Geek God’s Influence Creating aerial bases, giant green rage-monsters, chariot-riding aliens and massive flying serpents is all well and good, but for White, the real thrill of working on “Avengers” was collaborating with Whedon, a storyteller who White was already very fond of going into the project. “It was fantastic,” White said of working with Whedon. “He’s involved in the [visual-effects] process every step of the way. Joss is so good at working with actors, and that extended right through working with animation and trying to get that same performance, really coaching us along. ‘Here’s what we want to see, here’s where you really want that look to get the emotion across his face.’ Everything he does so well with writing and actors really translated into his direction for working with the Hulk. He was involved in the entire effects process and every review. It was great working with him.” Tell us what you thought of the visual effects in “The Avengers” in the comments section or on Twitter ! Check out everything we’ve got on “Marvel’s The Avengers.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘The Avengers’ Related Photos ‘Avengers’ Assemble At Los Angeles Premiere
Bentley, who plays Seneca Crane, tells MTV News his beard ‘took two hours to groom every day.’ By Kara Warner with reporting by Josh Horowitz Wes Bentley Photo: MTV News For those of us who’ve been following the news surrounding all the comings and goings of the lucky “Hunger Games” castmembers, one of the most intriguing is Wes Bentley in the role of Seneca Crane . Not only does Bentley bring a sense of gravitas to the character, but as we’ve seen in the released photos, his costume and makeup design is especially interesting. MTV News recently caught up with the “American Beauty” actor to discuss his pivotal role in the film and how much fun he had sporting that curiously shaped beard, which, sadly, he no longer has. “I would have loved to have kept the beard but that beard took two hours to groom every day,” Bentley said. “I don’t want to spend that much time in the bathroom.” We then brought up the fact that the beard has caused quite a stir among fans, spawning its own Facebook page as well as our own tongue-in-cheek interview with the fancy fuzz . “I saw that. I had no idea my beard was so clever,” Bentley said of the interview, adding that he is flattered by all the attention the beard has received. “It’s such a cool look. Ve Neill, the makeup designer, did such an amazing job. It’s exciting that it’s getting that kind of attention.” Bentley insisted that all the credit for the design of the beard goes to Neill, and that all he did was grow out everything as much as it could go. “I usually come to set with a beard and my hair as long as I can get it so there are options. I saw Ve before we started shooting and she was excited I had a beard because she had something special in mind. It was all her. She went at it for like three hours trying to find the right shape; it was cool.” Bentley joked that having the peculiar design on his face did half of his acting work for him and that he sometimes wishes he kept it. “The beard did half the work,” he joked, later admitting that he got a few curious glances whenever he ventured out to run errands during filming. “I did go into Target a few times late at night with the beard, because my son was there, it was a little odd buying baby formula with this beard and some of the makeup on.” What questions do you have for Wes Bentley’s beard? Let us know in the comments section. Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Hunger Games’ Related Photos The Hunger Games
