On the same day that Khloe Kardashian dismissed rumors that she may get divorced, and chatter spread that Kim Kardashian might wed Kanye West , a new tabloid story says Kourtney Kardashian is about to tie the knot with Scott Disick, In Mexico. At friend Joe Francis’ estate. “They signed a $1 million deal with E! to get married on TV,” an insider tells In Touch Weekly , adding that Kourtney and Scott will soon get engaged “in an orchestrated, well-publicized manner.” The only problem with this report? Kourtney’s rep says it isn’t true. Then again, isn’t that exactly what Kourtney’s rep would say if the engagement were meant to be a surprise?!?
Heart singer Nancy Wilson and Geoff Bywater got married last weekend. The 58-year-old Wilson confirmed the news on her Twitter and Facebook. “Love was in the air … at the El Paseo gourmet restaurant owned by longtime friend Sammy Hagar,” the couple, pictured below, wrote. “Love rules!” The “What About Love” rocker confirmed her engagement in March via Facebook, writing: “There have been some questions about a certain ring on my left hand and yes – it’s an engagement ring. There’s a new love in my life!” “My fiance Geoff Bywater is a senior exec at Fox who handles music for Glee among many other shows. We are deeply in love, the same age, and both devoted parents. There is so much happiness we share together, and our blended families too.” This was Wilson’s second trip down the aisle: she was married to We Bought a Zoo director Cameron Crowe, 54, from 1986-2010. They have two sons. Congrats to the happy newlyweds!
The Five-Year Engagement begins where a lot of movies would end, with a proposal. Tom (Jason Segel), a chef, is driving to a New Year’s Eve party with his girlfriend of a year, Violet (Emily Blunt), a psychology postdoc. He’s so visibly nervous that she’s worried he’s unwell, questioning him until he pulls over to the side of the road, slams down a box containing a ring and confesses that he was going to ask her to marry him that night. He still does, and she still insists on going through with his plan of a surprise rooftop romantic dinner at the restaurant in which he works. That’s because Tom and Violet are in love, and they’re also nice, down-to-earth, well-intentioned people, qualities that suffuse the film as well, generally for the better but sometimes to its detriment. The Five-Year Engagement is the most recent collaboration between director Nicholas Stoller and star and co-writer Segel, who have worked together on the likes of The Muppets , Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek. This film is their most ambitious not because of its long arc but because its dramatic currents are so submerged and minimal — there’s never any doubt that Tom and Violet belong together, just that they may not find the right place in which to do so. This unhurried comedy is devoted to realistic relationship issues like having to quit your job to move somewhere with your significant other, which is commendable while also posing a challenge. Tom and Violet sometimes feel like cuddly side characters in search of a main plot rather than anchors to base a film around; they’re solicitous of each other’s feelings to the point where they don’t acknowledge their own. It’s a good thing these characters are played by Segel and Blunt, who share enough dorky charisma to carry The Five-Year Engagement through a sprawling runtime to a deservedly happy ending. As Tom, Segel riffs comfortably on the beta male persona he’s honed over the years, portraying an accommodating guy who thinks he should be fine with putting his career on hold to head to Michigan when Violet gets accepted to a psych program there, even though he actually feels miserable and emasculated. And Blunt, who’s capable of being cut-glass chilly when a role calls for it, is funny and warm as the ambitious Violet, who’s torn between being uncomfortable with the sacrifice Tom’s making for her and knowing that in her chosen field, her options are limited. So Tom and Violet set up a life in Michigan and agree to postpone the wedding until the moment’s right. Meanwhile, elderly grandparents start dying off; Tom’s best friend, Alex (the always welcome Chris Pratt), becomes a success in the job Tom left behind; and Violet’s sister Suzie (Alison Brie) faces unexpected but felicitous motherhood. One reason the film’s central couple at times seem inadequate is that there’s so much comedic talent in the smaller roles. Pratt and Brie, MVPs on Parks and Recreation and Community , respectively, make a great accidental couple-turned-model pairing. Brian Posehn is very funny as Tom’s gourmet sandwich shop boss, as is Chris Parnell as a stay-at-home dad whose knitting hobby leads to some of the film’s best visual gags. And I was especially charmed by Violet’s psych department, overseen by Rhys Ifans’ Professor Childs and incidentally diversely staffed by Mindy Kaling, Randall Park and Kevin Hart; they’re genial colleagues whose interactions are lightly spiced with competition for limited academic positions. The overt theme of The Five-Year Engagement is that there’s no such thing as “the perfect moment,” but the underlying one is “for the love of God, just say what’s on your mind.” As plausible as long campaigns of passive-aggressiveness may be (Tom, for instance, suddenly declares that he doesn’t want kids during one family visit, noting that “sometimes the biggest balls are the ones left unused”), they’re not terribly fun to watch on-screen. Any investment in Tom and Violet’s endangered coupledom starts to get eroded by frustration with their lack of communication as the months tick by and they drift apart. There’s a lot of downtime between gags, though when they do arrive they’re generally good, whether involving an accidental arrow shooting or an alcohol-fueled chase down a wintry street in which Ifans’s character demonstrates some impressive parkour skills. The Five-Year Engagement is, for a movie in which a guy fakes an orgasm and (in a separate incident) stuffs a dead deer in his car’s sunroof, very grown-up. It’s grown-up in its assessment of how making sacrifices for someone else can also be a selfish act, and it’s grown-up in its consideration of how, while love is all very well and good, you also have to make practical decisions about where and how you’ll live. Sometimes, watching it, you wish it’d be a little less grown-up and a little more flexible in terms of what works as a comedy. (It sometimes feels like a lighter, happier take on Like Crazy or Blue Valentine .) But it’s rare to see main characters as grounded and plausible as Tom and Violet are, and when they finally find their way back into each other’s arms, it feels earned. Follow Alison Willmore on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Jason Segel, Emily Blunt and Alison Brie share with MTV News cures for avoiding on-set laughter: ‘I just think of really dark, morbid stuff.’ By Kara Warner Emily Blunt, Jason Segel, Chris Pratt and Alison Brie in “The Five-Year Engagement” Photo: Universal Pictures Whenever a movie features a very talented cast of actors who are also great comedians, it’s easy to assume that many laughs and bloopers occurred during filming. Take the upcoming romantic comedy “Five-Year Engagement” for example, which boasts the very funny ensemble of writer/actor Jason Segel , Emily Blunt , Alison Brie (“Community”) and Chris Pratt (“Parks and Recreation”) to name a few. When MTV News sat down with the cast to talk about the film recently, we asked how they keep their cool to avoid ruining a scene when a castmember does something particularly amusing. “I have a lot of experience trying not to break on the set of ‘Community’ working with a lot of funny people,” Alison Brie explained. “I consider it a personal challenge when working with Ken Jeong to not break in scenes with him, and he’s ridiculously funny, so I had that under my belt.” Regarding her methods for maintaining a straight face, Brie said, “I just stay in character — professional! Look, I just think of really dark, morbid stuff. I don’t want to tell you; it’s going to make you depressed.” Segel revealed he learned his lesson early in his career: “I’m terrified of breaking, because Judd Apatow screamed at me once when I was very young on ‘Freaks and Geeks.’ I was laughing, and I was young, and looking back, he was just trying to scare me, but he said, ‘Every time you break, it costs me thousands of dollars!’ And since then, I’m terrified of breaking.” Blunt blames “nervous energy” for her on-set laughter. “I laugh at everything,” she shared. “I found myself laughing at my grandfather’s funeral because I had that nervous energy, and you don’t know how to cope. I think the more pressure I’m under from the cast and crew not to laugh, the better I do.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Five-Year Engagement.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘The Five-Year Engagement’
From a feel-good rom com to a tear-jerking documentary, this festival has a variety of films we can’t wait to see. By Kevin P. Sullivan Robert DeNiro Photo: MTV News The Tribeca Film Festival is now upon us, and with so many films playing this year, it can be hard to parse what’s worth checking out. As festival founder Robert De Niro told MTV News, his goal each year is to fill the lineup with quality films. “The goals are the movies. Have good movies and good choices,” he said. “You can’t always get what you want, but we try to get the best things that are out there.” We’ve looked through the lineup and awarded superlatives to some of this year’s most talked-about movies at the Tribeca Film Festival. Most Promising Short Film: “Pitch Black Heist” Here’s a movie that features Michael Fassbender and Liam Cunningham, who play thieves looking to steal the contents of a safe. The catch is that the office that houses the safe is equipped with a light-sensitive alarm, so they must conduct the heist in total darkness. If that doesn’t persuade you to seek out this 14-minute short film, we’re not sure you like movies that much. Sundance Darling Award: “Searching for Sugar Man” This stranger-than-fiction documentary chronicles the life of Rodriguez, an unsuccessful but influential Mexican-American folk singer, who supposedly committed suicide on stage. The doc follows two filmmakers who decide to find out what happen to Rodriguez. “Searching for Sugar Man” earned rave reviews out of Sundance this past January, so expect the same from Tribeca. Best Superhero Movie: “The Avengers” (by default) Honestly, this wasn’t a very fair fight. Of course Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the Hulk are going to take the prize for Best Superhero Movie at an independent film festival. Though the movie doesn’t exactly fit in the lineup, Joss Whedon ‘s superhero extravaganza is New York to its very core, so what other film festival could host the event? Best Movie We’ve Already Seen: “The Five-Year Engagement” “The Five-Year Engagement” is the next effort from the guys who brought you “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “The Muppets,” Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller. Their new film has consistent belly laughs throughout and will leave you utterly charmed like no other rom-com in the past year. Segel and Emily Blunt both turn in believable performances that have you rooting for them from the first frame. Short Doc Most Likely To Make Us Cry: “Alekesam” “Alekesam” has a few key ingredients that make it a surefire weep-fest and a potentially huge hit at Tribeca. First, it’s the real-like story of a musician, Hugh Masekela, who is exiled from his homeland of South Africa during the apartheid. Secondly, after years away, he attempts to re-establish contact with the son he left behind. Yep, the tears are already coming. Doc Most Likely to Make Us Cry (Laughing Category): “Mansome” Thankfully, we have Morgan Spurlock and a cast of some of the world’s funniest men to cheer us up. “Mansome” is a look at the modern man’s grooming that features the likes of Zach Galifianakis, Will Arnett, Paul Rudd and Jason Bateman. Which movie from Tribeca Film Festival are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments! For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
The Tribeca Film Festival opened Wednesday night with the world premiere of Universal’s The Five-Year Engagement , ushering in 10 days of the festival’s 11th annual event. Initial word from insiders is that this year’s festival lineup is its strongest in years. Days from now, attendees will be buzzing about what works and what doesn’t, but Movieline is offering up a sneak glimpse into many of the films playing in the festival’s narrative and documentary competitions , plus its genre-centered Cinemania section. Ahead of the festival, we reached out to its filmmakers to give quick comments about their films and a peak at their trailers or clips, which Movieline will debut here in the coming days — including exclusive premieres, such as the trailer for The Revisionaries , featured below. Have a look, mark your calendars, and share your thoughts on these and other Tribeca films. The Revisionaries , by director Scott Thurman – U.S. [World Documentary Competition] Synopsis Once every decade, the 15 members of the Texas Board of Education meet in Austin to revise the state’s textbook standards. Led by Don McLeroy, a Young Earth Creationist, Evangelical Christian, and beloved local dentist, the panel will debate and implement controversial new standards related to science, evolution, social studies, and American history that will ultimately go into effect in textbooks adopted by schools across the nation. Challenged by outspoken activist Kathy Miller, as well as Thomas Ratliff, a moderate conservative out to unseat him, McLeroy faces an uphill battle, with the fate of American education itself hanging in the balance. [courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival] Comments by Scott Thurman: The Revisionaries quick pitch : The theory of evolution and a re-write of US history are caught in the crosshairs when an unabashed creationist seeks re-election as chairman of America’s most influential board of education. [The film] is about the rise and fall of a small-town dentist, outspoken young earth creationist, and Chair of the Texas Board of Education during a crucial period in determining high-school textbook content for public schools throughout the entire state, which influences schools across the country. …and why it’s worth checking out at Tribeca : The Revisionaries is a very important and timely film about the politics of education. I hope the creative director at Tribeca, Geoff Gilmore, won’t mind if we mention that he’s stated, “It’s such an intriguing point-of-view with the Christian right-wingers.” In an election year, what could be more important than learning more about a major battleground in the American culture wars? Thoughts about the trailer : I’d like audiences to be more informed about how the Texas Board of Education’s political process occurs, and to better understand the motivation and strategies of a handful of characters with opposing world views involved in that process, which could affect all of our children. Although we don’t advertise any specific action steps, we hope the film motivates audiences throughout the country to become more aware of the public school standards in their own state and understand the importance of participating in state board of education elections. First Winter by writer/director Benjamin Dickinson – U.S. [Tribeca Film Festival World Narrative Competition] Synopsis When winter begins, life is serene for a group of new-age Brooklynites living in a remote country farmhouse. Sex, drugs, yoga, and organic cooking absorb their days, safely tucked away from the stresses of urban life. But when a blackout of apocalyptic proportions strands them with no heat and no electricity during the coldest winter on record, their utopian commune is breached by anxiety and their idyllic harmony begins to lose its tune. As time wears on and the food supply dwindles, power struggles, jealousy, and desire threaten the group’s ability to work together in order to survive. [courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival] Comments by Benjamin Dickinson… First Winter quick pitch : It’s about letting go of what’s unnecessary. …and why it’s worth checking out at Tribeca : It’s a compelling story about Brooklynites with some nice drugs, sex, emotional violence, and jokes in there, and but so that’s just to set you up for what it’s really about, which is love and death. Thoughts about the trailer : I wanted to communicate more than anything the tone of the film, which I think this does nicely. It’s slow and visual and moody. The landscape gradually takes over. Jackpot by director Magnus Martens – Norway [Cinemania section] Synopsis Terrified, bloodied, and clutching a shotgun, Oscar Svendsen awakes and emerges from underneath a dead body. He finds himself in the midst of a crime scene in what used to be a respectable strip joint, surrounded by corpses and staring down the barrel of a gun pointed at him by a detective with the National Criminal Investigation Service. Naturally, Oscar is taken into custody, and during his interrogation he timidly relates a bloody story of betrayal, murder, and a soccer lottery prize that was meant to be shared with three ex-con co-workers. But is this the whole story? [Courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival] Comments by Magnus Martens… Jackpot quick pitch : Jackpot is a crime-comedy based on an original story by author Jo Nesbø. …and why it’s worth checking out at Tribeca : If you want to see something hilarious from Norway with a memento to Tarantino´s absurd action universe, you better not miss Jackpot . Thoughts about the trailer : The trailer starts as a scary movie with a crime plot and shifts into a comedy. We wanted to communicate that Jackpot has many ingredients from different genres. While We Were Here by director Kat Coiro – U.S. [World Narrative Competition] Synopsis In this tightly crafted relationship drama, Jane (Kate Bosworth) and her husband Leonard (Iddo Goldberg) travel to Naples—where Leonard is playing viola with the local orchestra—hoping to reinvigorate their silently disintegrating marriage and escape a personal tragedy that hangs heavily between them. Jane, left alone most days, wanders the streets listening to tapes she made of interviews with her grandmother, seeking inspiration to finish a book based on the old recordings. Facing writer’s block, she takes a day trip to stunning Ischia, where she meets Caleb (Jamie Blackley), a young American leading a hermetic yet Dionysian life on the island. As the two embark on an unlikely emotional affair, Jane’s carefully constructed world begins to crack open and she faces drastic changes in her life. [Courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival] Comments by Kat Coiro… While We Were Here quick pitch : Kate Bosworth plays a woman in an unhappy marriage who accompanies her musician husband to the south of Italy where she meets a young, devastatingly handsome man ten years her junior, with whom she embarks on an affair… …and why it’s worth checking out at Tribeca : The setting alone is worth the price of admission. Filmed on location on a little island off the coast of Italy, the movie takes place in grottos, on beaches, off of cliffs, in castles — it’s full-blown location porn. The other draw is the cast. Jamie Blackley is a rising star who shines as Kate Bosworth’s much younger lover, the legendary Claire Bloom narrates and Bosworth taps into a remarkably vulnerable place as a woman at a crossroads. Thoughts about the clip : The clip doesn’t give away any of the tightly wound story but it does transport the viewer to a romantic place and gives a sense of the black and white photography, the stunning location and the original orchestral score. Graceland by director Ron Morales – Philippines [Tribeca Film Festival Cinemania section] Synopsis : Once every decade, the 15 members of the Texas Board of Education meet in Austin to revise the state’s textbook standards. Led by Don McLeroy, a Young Earth Creationist, Evangelical Christian, and beloved local dentist, the panel will debate and implement controversial new standards related to science, evolution, social studies, and American history that will ultimately go into effect in textbooks adopted by schools across the nation. Challenged by outspoken activist Kathy Miller, as well as Thomas Ratliff, a moderate conservative out to unseat him, McLeroy faces an uphill battle, with the fate of American education itself hanging in the balance. [Courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival] Comments from Ron Morales… Graceland quick pitch : Graceland is an intense kidnapping drama that forces its viewers to see the motivations of several characters on several sides of a very dark story. It poses a lot of moral questions, is intensely exhilarating, and takes no prisoners. …and why it’s worth checking out at Tribeca : There’s nothing else like Graceland at Tribeca this year. Its raw ferocity and intense subject matter set it apart from other features, and the fact that it was written and directed by a Filipino now living in Manhattan allows it the exoticism of a foreign film with the heart of a local project. Thoughts about the trailer : The trailer is an extension of the film – calm and intense, with a strong air of concern that hints at the horrors to come. It highlights Arnold Reyes’ bravado performance, which begins calm and subdued, but ultimately throttles the film like a freight train toward it’s unexpected conclusion. Stay tuned for more exclusive festival previews at Movieline, and read all of our Tribeca 2012 coverage here .
Nothing like calling a Jolie-Pitt family meeting for the announcement that the celebrity gossip world had longingly been waiting – and hoping – for. On a recent spring day, Brad Pitt gathered Maddox, 10, Pax, 8, Zahara, 7, Shiloh, 5, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 3, to present their mom with something. That would be a tablet-shaped diamond engagement ring, estimated at 16 carats and worth $500,000, and which he helped design with jeweler Robert Procop. “Angelina cried and smiled” at the proposal, a confidante says. Aww. The children, who had been eager for their parents to wed after seven years together, were equally overjoyed to see Brad and Angelina engaged . The source adds. “Everyone hugged once she put [the ring] on. She went around and showed it to each of the kids , one by one. It was magical.” As the world now knows, Jolie, 36, quietly debuted that long-awaited ring at an April 11 private viewing at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Procop and then Pitt’s manager confirmed the engagement days later. Now, “Angie considers herself bonded to Brad for life,” adds the source. Speaking of which … do you think they’ll last?
They’ll soon go from Mr. and Mrs. Smith to Mr. and Mrs. Pitt — that’s right, celebrity supercouple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are finally making it official. A rep for the pair confirmed their news today to THR , calling it “a promise for the future.” Really, isn’t the long-awaited Brangelina engagement a promise for us all ? Hmm… could this be why Jolie made such concerted efforts to hide her ring finger on the red carpet last month in New York? Observe: What’s that? You don’t care? FINE. Let the rest of us live vicariously through Brad ‘n’ Angie while simultaneously coveting their happiness on this glorious day. Isn’t that what engagement announcements are for? (Or is this all an elaborate PR stunt to promote that Jason Segel-Emily Blunt movie about people who can’t get their act together?) Whatever. Congrats to the happy, gorgeous, charitable, and rich & famous couple and TGIF. [ THR ]
‘If it were totally up to me … it’d be great if everybody showed up,’ former bassist Duff McKagan told MTV News last month. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Vanessa WhiteWolf Duff McKagan Photo: MTV News Ever since Axl Rose very publically announced he wanted nothing to do with Guns N’ Roses induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, speculation has run rampant about just which (if any) of his former (or current) bandmates will be on hand to accept the honor. And with the ceremony set for Saturday in Cleveland, we’re still not sure. While Rose’s open letter to the Hall may have upset some , one former GN’R man probably wasn’t all that surprised. When MTV News sat down with bassist Duff McKagan (who served in Guns from 1985 until 1997) last month to discuss the paperback release of his biography “It’s So Easy and Other Lies,” well, he didn’t seem all that optimistic that his former bandmates would ever be able to put aside the past two decades of squabbles and appear at the Hall. “If it were totally up to me … it’d be great if everybody showed up,” he said. “If not, that’s the way it’s supposed to be. That’s it; it’s that simple for me.” And McKagan has already been down this path before: In 2007, he and his Velvet Revolver mates were tapped to induct — and subsequently jam with — Van Halen, a band whose backstory rivals possibly only GN’R’s in terms of acrimony. By all accounts, former frontman David Lee Roth and guitarist Eddie Van Halen were all set to let bygones be bygones, share the stage together and bask in the moment. Of course, that didn’t exactly happen . “Five years ago, we were going to be the band, and David Lee Roth was going to get on and sing with us, and Eddie was going to play with us, and those guys weren’t talking, but we were going to be the band and they were going to get up and play with us, somehow, ” he laughed. “And then it kind of fell apart, and we were already in New York, and we were kind of left holding the bag a little bit.” Still, even though he was eerily aware of all the drama that would come, McKagan was definitely touched by Guns’ induction into the Hall — mostly because he knows how much it means to his fans (take note, Axl). “It’s an honor. It’s not something I strove for my entire career, was not even on my radar, but I saw the outpouring of the fan reaction when we were nominated, and suddenly it became important, because I saw how important it was for people who got me to a place where I can be in a house and support my wife and kids,” he said. “And what a journey we had, going from a little club band, playing to three people to eventually playing stadiums, just out of thin air … and it’s really incredible for it to be 25 years later, talking about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.” Related Artists Guns N’ Roses
We take a look back at the seven-year relationship between two of the world’s biggest movie stars. By John Mitchell Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in 2007 Photo: Getty Images That noise you just heard was the heads of celebrity tabloid editors’ heads exploding in unison at the news that Brad Pitt finally put a ring on it and proposed to Angelina Jolie . Rumors of an engagement began to swirl when Jolie was spotted at a private viewing at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Chinese galleries on Wednesday rocking quite a sparkler on her ring finger. Pitt’s manager Cynthia Pett-Dante confirmed the engagement to People , saying, “It is a promise for the future and their kids are very happy.” The pair have been together for seven years and have six children. Their love story has been documented like crazy by the tabloids, but in honor of their long-overdue engagement, we decided to take a look back at the highlights of their relationship to show you how they got from meeting on a movie set to preparing to walk down the aisle.
