Actress tells MTV News hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’ ‘will definitely be a highlight of my life.’ By John Mitchell, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Zooey Deschanel Photo: MTV News Zooey Deschanel will get to scratch off one more item from her bucket list when she takes the stage to host this weekend’s “Saturday Night Live” with musical guest Karmin. The Golden Globe-nominated star of Fox’s hit sitcom “New Girl” is a longtime fan of the legendary sketch comedy show and remembers watching Mike Myers and Dana Carvey create classic characters when she was a kid. “I think the cast is so strong right now,” Deschanel told MTV News. “It’s really great to be here right now.” Indeed, her regard for the cast is so great she wouldn’t reveal her favorites, insisting she couldn’t wait to hit the famed Studio 8H stage at 30 Rock with each and every member of the current “SNL” team. “This will definitely be a highlight of my life,” she said. “For sure, the bucket list.” With booking “SNL” scratched off her to-do list, the actress can focus on the business of hosting the show, which includes a lot more work than what you see on camera. “They ask you if there’s anything you’d like to do, if there’re any impressions you can do, and, you know, characters — sort of talk about stuff you’re capable of doing,” Deschanel says of the “SNL” writing team, who take all that info and, in an all-night writing session, churn out the first draft of the script. “Once you do the read-through is sort of when you can see what’s working and not,” she said. “But it’s not really until you read it out loud that you really know.” And she can’t wait to break out some of the impressions she’s been working on in the lead-up to Saturday night. “I’m an actor and that’s one of the things you do,” Deschanel said. Are you planning to check out Zooey on “Saturday Night Live”? Let us know in the comments below!
Ricky Martin, Bruce Springsteen, Dierks Bentley and Sugarland also in the mix. By Gil Kaufman Barack Obama Photo: Shahar Azran/WireImage We already know President Obama likes to listen to (and occasionally sing) Al Green songs. And he’s told us that his iPod has a bit of Jay-Z and Lil Wayne on it . But with the toughest re-election campaign of his career on the horizon, what music will Obama 2012 be using to pump up crowds at rallies? Judging by a playlist uploaded to Spotify this week, it looks like a cheerful, noncontroversial mix of classic rock, country, soul and R&B, but, alas, no hip-hop. Instead, in a clear bid to appeal to the broad middle, Obama chose songs by beloved soul acts like Booker T. & the MG’s (“Green Onions”), Earth Wind & Fire (“Got to Get You Into My Life”), The Impressions (“Keep on Pushing”) and, yes, Green (the pleading “Let’s Stay Together”). From the rock pile, he went with Wilco (“I Got You”), Arcade Fire (“We Used to Wait”), U2 (“Even Better Than the Real Thing”) and the new blue-collar recession anthem from Bruce Springsteen (“We Take Care of Our Own”). For those visits to the heartland, he loaded up on country goodness from Sugarland (“Stand Up” and “Everyday America”), Darius Rucker (“This”), Zac Brown Band (“Keep Me in Mind”) and Dierks Bentley (“Home”). There are a few oddball picks in there as well, including a deep cut from No Doubt (“Different People”), a very literal AM radio staple from REO Speedwagon (“Roll with the Changes”), a cover of the Band’s “The Weight” by Aretha Franklin, some indie rock from Noah and the Whale (“Tonight’s the Kind of Night”) and a Ricky Martin/ Joss Stone duet (“The Best Thing About Me Is You”). While likely GOP opponent Mitt Romney takes the stage to the rousing strains of Kid Rock’s Americana anthem “Born Free,” Obama plans to get crowds pumped with the likes of modern R&B master Raphael Saadiq (“Keep Marchin’ “), Florence and the Machine (“You’ve Got the Love”) and afro-era prog popsters Electric Light Orchestra (“Mr. Blue Sky”). Rounding out the list is obscure jam act AgesAndAges, whose “No Nostalgia” is a handclapping ditty that just begs for a group hug, Jennifer Hudson’s “Love You I Do,” Ledisi’s self-explanatory “Raise Up,” James Taylor’s feel-good “Your Smiling Face,” country duo Montgomery Gentry’s small-town homage “My Town” and Ray LaMontagne’s tear-in-your-beer lovefest “You Are the Best Thing.” It might sound tame, but don’t forget that back in 2008 when he was still just Candidate Obama, the president’s taste in music was pretty similar. At the time, the future boomer-in-chief said he listened to everything from Bob Dylan, Elton John, Earth Wind & Fire and the Rolling Stones to Sheryl Crow, Springsteen and a number of jazz and classic giants, including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Yo-Yo Ma. What songs would you add to the president’s playlist? Let us know in comments below! Check back for up-to-the-minute coverage of the primaries and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the 2012 presidential election season. Related Artists Bruce Springsteen Ricky Martin Al Green U2
An avalanche of new trailers dominates the geek-tastic discussion in this week’s episode of Talk Nerdy! By Josh Wigler Jeremy Renner in “Bourne Legacy” Photo: Universal Studios Second to glorious football, the big reason to tune into the Super Bowl every year is the commercials. For movie fans, this year was a giant one: We got great new looks at Taylor Kitsch’s doubleheader in “Battleship” and “John Carter,” but the main event was Joss Whedon’s superhero-studded “Avengers.” But not to be outdone, another Marvel hero swung into action after the big game. “The Amazing Spider-Man” released its full theatrical trailer on Tuesday, spinning web-worthy chatter all week long. But even Spidey has to face some serious competition in the form of a new super spy who isn’t named Jason Bourne. We got into these trailers and more in this week’s Talk Nerdy, featuring special guest and closet nerd Rob Markman from MTV News’ hip-hop team! “Bourne” To Die There was never just one. Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne is as iconic as they come in the superspy scene, no doubt, but he has new company in the form of Jeremy Renner’s Aaron Cross. Cross steps into the forefront with this week’s release of the first “Bourne Legacy” teaser… but does it live up to its name? Is this a teaser worthy of the storied “Bourne” franchise? See what the Nerdy crew thinks in this week’s episode. Spider-Can Bourne doesn’t get the spotlight all to himself, of course. There’s also the new “Spider-Man” trailer to weigh in on this week! Andrew Garfield cracks wise and swings high in the Marvel icon’s classic red-and-blues, and overall, fans are very pleased with this latest “Amazing” look. That said, even with an awesome new trailer at his disposal, did Spider-Man win the superhero of the week award? Or did another of Earth’s mightiest comic book movies steal some of Spidey’s thunder? The “Phantom” Looms There’s lots to choose from at the box office this weekend, including the re-release of “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” this time in 3-D. Is it worth going back to the world of a long time ago in a galaxy far away just for some new visual tricks, or are the weekend’s all-new releases more deserving of your hard-earned theatergoing cash? One nerd played it “Safe” on the issue, while another “Vow”-ed to see something special ahead of Valentine’s Day next week. Get their picks in the latest episode of Talk Nerdy. What did you think of this week’s Talk Nerdy? Tell us in the comments section and on Twitter ! For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos Talk Nerdy Related Photos The Amazing Spider-Man Key Scenes From The ‘Bourne Legacy’ Trailer
Ha! It’s a trick! There are no words . Also: Totally coincidentally, I’m sure, the shoulder-surgery-party duo is now confirmed to be reteaming for the long-rumored prison-break flick The Tomb . [ WhoSay/Arnold Schwarzenegger ]
If it takes you a beat to remember the movie to which Journey 2 is a follow-up, that may not just be because the makers have opted for a trimmer title than, say, the marquee-busting, geographically confusing Journey to the Center of the Earth: The Mysterious Island . The 2008 Journey to the Center of the Earth was solid if unexceptional summer box-office fodder starring Brendan Fraser as a scientist who adventured through a Jules Verne-documented fabulous world hidden under the earth’s crust, accompanied by his young nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) and their dishy Icelandic guide (Anita Briem). This new film, directed by Brad Peyton (of, yes, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore ) has dropped Fraser to instead follow the less-familiar and less-charismatic Hutcherson as the series through-line. Sean’s grown to surly teenagerdom and has been reluctantly relocated to Dayton with his mom (Kristin Davis) and new stepdad Hank (Dwayne Johnson), who has to learn how to fill in as the boy’s latest father figure. I’m maybe unreasonably fond of the actor formerly known as The Rock, and his willingness to stride fearlessly and unabashedly into sequels like this despite having played no part in the earlier installments (see also Fast Five and the upcoming G.I. Joe: Retaliation ) is curiously endearing — he’s the poor man’s everyone, game to replace any star around whom a franchise was previously built. And he’s not a bad substitute for Fraser, sharing the same cartoon-caricature handsomeness and willingness to combine brawny bits of action with goofball silliness, an apparent must for the family action adventure. But Johnson’s disarming commitment to the doodle of a character he’s playing isn’t enough to inject life into the rest of the film, which is an anemic retread of beats and elements from its predecessor, taking place on a secret island hidden beneath a constant storm in the South Pacific rather than in an underground realm hidden inside an extinct volcano in the North Atlantic. Instead of continuing the story, Journey 2 just blatantly recycles it. In the role of competent local/love interest this time around is Vanessa Hudgens as Kailani, on whom Sean immediately develops a crush, and who’s accompanied by her father Luis Guzmán, strenuously working at being the comic relief. In the place of dinosaurs there’s a giant lizard. Instead of a roller coaster-style mine cart ride there’s a roller coaster-style chase in which everyone rides massive bees. In the first film, the characters had 48 hours to escape deadly rising temperatures, while in this film they have a little less than that to get away before the island sinks into the ocean. You can argue that there’s no need to mess with a formula that worked, especially given how young the intended audience for this film is, but the one thing Journey 2 can’t recreate is the novelty that still clung to 3-D in 2008. Journey to the Center of the Earth was advertised as “the first live-action digital 3-D movie ever,” and much of its charm lay in the nostalgically corny pleasure it took in the technology, the sense of wonder it demonstrated for making things appear to fly out of the screen, even if that meant having someone rinse their mouth and spit the water out at the audience. In the four years since, our love affair with 3-D has hit some rough patches, and while Journey 2 has moments of multi-dimensional inventiveness, like a trick of perspective involving sea life swimming by close to camera, or an erupting mountain framed by a window serving as a character’s TV, it doesn’t offer much in terms of memorable spectacle. In fact, the film’s effects can look surprisingly outdated given they’re the primary selling point, from the hazy fantasy landscapes to a submarine-escape sequence that resembles a video game cutscene. This franchise is based on the idea that everything Verne wrote about not invented but real — the Vernians, of which Sean’s late dad could be counted, seeks out the locations the author described in his books. But the films are actually focused on missing and surrogate father figures, with family members rushing off to explore and go missing rather than stay with their children and be there for them when needed. Michael Caine, cruising along, turns up as Sean’s flaky Vernian grandfather, Alexander, the man who lured the party out to the island in the first place. When the action slows down enough for characters to have a conversation, which is thankfully not often, Alexander and Hank bicker over and compete for Sean’s attention and admiration like dueling swains. Will Sean come around to his new stepfather, and will Alexander realize that being reliable is just as important as being exciting? Of course — this is a family movie, after all — but you’ll have to sit through some abrasively broad, unfunny exchanges to get there. Dialogue, alas, is the kind of thing that can’t be enhanced by the wearing of 3-D glasses. Follow Alison Willmore on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Chicago rapper GLC recently released his mixtape entitled Eternal Sunshine of the Pimpin Mind . From the mixtape, he drops the video for the inspirational track, “Reach For The Top,” produced by up and coming beatsmith Mr. O . The former Kanye West collaborator spits about remembering the lessons his mother told him when he was growing up. The video reflects the journey to achieving your dreams. Why did Kanye never release GLC’s album? Check out the video below. Leave us your review in the comments. While you’re at it, download GLC’s mixtape here . RELATED POSTS: GLC Explains Chicago Gentrification And Overcoming Gang Strife [VIDEO] GLC On Making Kanye West’s “Spaceship”[VIDEO] Kanye West, GLC, Arrowstar & Timmy G Are The Go-Getters
After facing criticism from leaders in the Jewish community, Bishop Eddie Long has apologized for the controversial ceremony at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church where Long was crowned a king and wrapped in Torah scrolls by Ralph Messer. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution , Long apologized in a letter to Bill Nigut, Southeast Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League. “The ceremony was not my suggestion, nor was it my intent, to participate in any ritual that is offensive in any manner to the Jewish community,” wrote Long. “I denounce any action that depicts me as a king, for I am merely just a servant of the Lord.” Messer, who serves as Rabbi of Simchat Torah Beit Midrash in Parker, Colorado, proclaimed during the ceremony that Long is a “prophet” and “is not on the Earth! He’s raised from Earth into a Heavenly realm! He’s raised in a prophetic position.” RELATED: Jewish Leaders Offended By Eddie Long’s “King” Ceremony [VIDEO] WTF! Bishop Eddie Long Crowned King?! [VIDEO] New Birth Christian Academy To Reopen With Aurora Day School [VIDEO] Bishop Eddie Long Returns To New Birth [VIDEO] Eddie Long Protestors Nearly Run Over By Long’s Supporters! [VIDEO] View The Eddie Long / Vanessa Long Divorce Papers Here! [PHOTOS] Bishop Eddie Long Taking Leave From New Birth [VIDEO] Vanessa Long Says Divorce Back On, Eddie Long Responds Eddie Long Seeks To Recoup Sex Abuse Settlement Money
We posted a video yesterday of a January 29th service at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church where Bishop Eddie Long was crowned a king by Ralph Messer — who claims to be a Rabbi bringing Torah truth to Christians. “He’s no longer a commoner,” said Messer. “He’s not on the Earth! He’s raised from Earth into a Heavenly realm! He’s raised in a prophetic position…God has made a prophet out of you.” During the ceremony Eddie Long was also wrapped in a sacred Torah scroll and carried upon a throne. Messer claimed the Torah scroll was 312 years old and “may still have the dust of Auschwitz and Birkenau,” referring to the Nazi extermination camps in Poland where millions of Jews were killed during the Holocaust. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke with several metro Atlanta Jewish leaders who found the ceremony offensive to Judaism, including Bill Nigut, Southeast Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League. Rabbi Joshua Heller of Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs told the AJC that he would never wrap a Jewish person in a Torah scroll, saying he found the symbolism off-putting. In a statement released through New Birth, Messer said critics misunderstood his intent. “My message was about restoring a man and to encourage his walk in the Lord,” Messer said. “It was not to make Bishop Eddie L. Long a king.” Messer added that Sunday’s ceremony “was simply a way of bringing honor to a man who had given his life to the Lord and had given so much to his church, the Atlanta metro area and throughout the world.” Read the full story at the AJC. RELATED: WTF! Bishop Eddie Long Crowned King?! [VIDEO] New Birth Christian Academy To Reopen With Aurora Day School [VIDEO] Bishop Eddie Long Returns To New Birth [VIDEO] Eddie Long Protestors Nearly Run Over By Long’s Supporters! [VIDEO] View The Eddie Long / Vanessa Long Divorce Papers Here! [PHOTOS] Bishop Eddie Long Taking Leave From New Birth [VIDEO] Vanessa Long Says Divorce Back On, Eddie Long Responds Eddie Long Seeks To Recoup Sex Abuse Settlement Money
The solar storm that impacted Earth Tuesday produced a lot of auroral activity, though it’s hard to say if it was really that much stronger than usual. Still, any aurora is better than none… and I have two videos to show you! The first was taken on January 22, and shows the effects of an Broadcasting platform : Vimeo Source : DiscoverMagazine Discovery Date : 25/01/2012 22:54 Number of articles : 2
Ratings down a bit from last year’s show. By Gil Kaufman Ricky Gervais at the 2012 Golden Globes Photo: Getty Images Ricky Gervais has said that his third go-round as host of the Golden Globes would be his last. And while his latest Hollywood-tweaking gig on Sunday night didn’t draw the same headlines as last year’s scorched-earth takedown of Tinsel Town pomposity, ratings for the broadcast were steady. According to the Nielsen Co. the 69th annual Globes was seen by 16.8 million viewers, which is just below the 17 million who tuned in last year. And though some critics dented Gervais for being more controlled than he was last year, the Globes has already set the high-water mark for awards programs so far this season, beating out both the American Music Awards and the Emmys. MTV’s Movies team gave Gervais both a thumbs up and down on his performance, praising him for “winning over Hollywood frenemies and delivering a very funny opening monologue.” But there was some bad news as well. “The comedian might have talked a big game heading into the show, but Gervais’ performance was a restrained one after last year’s hullabaloo. What’s great about the comedian is how he coats a witty mean-spiritedness with kindly, winking, you-know-I-still-love-you sugar. When your biggest dig is a fish-in-the-barrel attack on ‘The Tourist,’ you know you’ve caved to the worrywarts in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.” With big wins for George Clooney for “The Descendants” and a boost for the silent film “The Artist,” both movies solidified their spots as front-runners of the awards season. Check out the 2012 Golden Globes winners , and don’t miss all the fashion from the Golden Globes red carpet! Related Videos 2012 Golden Globes: Highlights From The Show On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes Related Photos Golden Globes 2012 Press Room Golden Globes 2012: The Afterparties MTV Style | 2012 Golden Globes Red Carpet Photos
