‘Hunger Games’ fever has us wondering about the prospects for Tim Burton’s adaptation. By John Mitchell Johnny Depp in “Dark Shadows” Photo: Warner Bros Everyone has “Hunger Games” fever , and it’s understandable; the film is absolutely everywhere, critics are saying it’s pretty good and star Jennifer Lawrence’s candid, funny interviews are a welcome change from the uncomfortable sit-downs granted by, um, some other YA adaptation stars when their films hit the big screen. Anyway, “Games” just crept into theaters, and talk of the sequel is already ramping up. Filming on “Catching Fire” is set to begin later this year, and a November 22, 2013, release date is already in the books. That got us thinking about our own little mini-obsession: “Dark Shadows.” While it’s nowhere near as fervent or large as “Games,” “Shadows” has a devout following too, and if the film is a hit at the box office, which seems quite possible if not bet-on-it likely, at least one sequel would be justified. And with an extensive catalog of 1,225 episodes, there is plenty of plot for, well, as many follow-ups as Tim Burton could come up with. But the approach the director has taken with the film makes us wonder if it’s the sort of thing that could sustain a franchise. Let’s talk this out. First, the direction Burton has chosen to take with the film has already divided fans . Over on MTV Movies Blog, we asked readers whether they liked the “Shadows” trailer , and the reaction was pretty much split down the middle. Just over half of those who voted (52.35 percent) were into the trailer, checking our “Love it! Burton knows what he’s doing” box. That leaves 47.65 percent of respondents who instead “Hated it! Burton is ruining everything!” It’s a pretty radical reinvention, to be sure, and the trailer reminds us most of the big-screen version of “The Addams Family.” “Addams,” of course, was a sitcom to start with, and all director Barry Sonnenfeld really did was turn up the volume on the weird. Much of the humor derived from people reacting to the macabre-but-good-natured family of weirdos, and the film was a hit — a big enough hit to merit a sequel. The “Addams” sequel didn’t connect quite the way the first film did, perhaps because the shtick that was so fresh the first time around had worn out its welcome. So even if it’s a hit, will people really want multiple “Shadows” films once the novelty has worn thin? The thing about (good) sequels is that they generally require emotional investment from the audience to be successful. We want to know what happens next with Katniss in “The Hunger Games.” There’s an entire mythology attached to Bruce Wayne in the “Batman” films. It’s hard to form that connection when the characters are hyper-realized and a little bit caricatured. And though there is a definite mythology to “Shadows,” Burton has opted to ignore it in favor of some brave, maybe even fun, stylistic choices he no doubt hopes will make the film unique and set it apart, both from the series itself and from anything else hitting the big screen this summer. But zany absurdity is hard to maintain across multiple films. By the time the second “Addams” movie came around, the crux of the joke — playing off other people’s reactions to the goth family — was a bit tired, so they had to put Wednesday and Pugsley into an awkward situation (summer camp) to try and keep it fresh. Had Burton hewed a little closer to his source material, this wouldn’t be a concern, but in taking such liberties with the style of “Shadows” he kind of backs himself into a corner when it comes to whatever comes next. He’d have to up the ante in some way for a sequel, but since he’s already operating so over the top, is that even possible? We’re super excited for “Shadows” but we’re just curious if — unlike “Hunger Games” fans — we should learn to quell our excitement that there may be more films coming. After all, maybe there’s a reason we only ever got one “Beetlejuice” ( hey, wait a minute … ). What do you think, “Shadows” fans? Did Tim Burton blow his shot at a franchise by making his “Shadows” so niche? Let us know in the comments below and tweet me @JohnMitchell83 with your thoughts and suggestions for future columns! Check out everything we’ve got on “Dark Shadows.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
‘That probably is the craziest, unexpected, weird thing that’s happened to me,’ she says about flour-tossing incident in L.A. By Jocelyn Vena Kim Kardashian is covered in flour at her True Reflection fragrance launch on Thursday. Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images Kim Kardashian is making headlines again. At a fragrance launch event in Los Angeles on Thursday for her new perfume, True Reflection, the reality starlet was assaulted with a bag of flour. Kardashian was walking the red carpet at the London Hotel in West Hollywood when someone flour-bombed her. According to the Los Angeles Times, police and authorities were called to the scene. The assailant — who may or may not be the same person who shouted “fur hag” at the E! star — was taken into custody but later released after Kardashian decided not to press charges. Instead of making a big fuss over the incident, Kardashian went back to the carpet, where she continued to do interviews. “That probably is the craziest, unexpected, weird thing that’s happened to me,” Kim told E! News afterward. “Like I said to my makeup artist, I wanted more powder and that’s a whole lot of translucent powder right there.” The site also reported that it was Kardashian’s publicist who held down the suspect until authorities arrived. Kim’s mom, Kris Jenner, laughed off the incident, telling E! News, “If anybody comes at me with something, call security.” In the end, Kim apparently wasn’t too upset by any of it. On Twitter , she posted a lighthearted message: “Thx everyone who came last nite 2 support my new perfume True Reflection & the amazing women from Dress 4 Success! Last nite was eventful.” What do you think of Kim getting flour-bombed on the red carpet? Tell us in the comments!
1D’s Niall Horan weighs in on rumors of a boy-band rivalry, saying the Wanted are ‘really nice guys.’ By Jocelyn Vena One Direction Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/ Getty Images There’s something happening right now. That something is a British boy-band explosion , led by One Direction and the Wanted . While 1D touts candy-coated love affairs in their music, the Wanted are selling ones that are enjoyed best with an adult beverage. While they each cater to different audiences, one thing they have in common is that girls absolutely love them. As both bands bring their signature charms to the States, having already conquered their native U.K., many fans are wondering if there’s any rivalry, friendly or otherwise, brewing between the two. One Directioner Niall Horan assures MTV News that everything’s cool between the two groups. “We all know each other. It’s the same in the U.K. as it is here, everyone knows each other,” he explained. “And, we haven’t seen the Wanted in a while. We just haven’t been in the same place at the same time. They’re really nice guys. And every time we’ve met them, we’ve had a good laugh with them. The more, the merrier! Let’s bring the British invasion over here and show them what we got, I suppose.” One Direction dropped their debut album, Up All Night , this month and became the first English act to debut at #1 on the Billboard albums chart. Meanwhile, the Wanted will drop their U.S. self-titled debut next month, riding the wave off their hit single, “Glad You Came.” But, it’s not just boy bands that U.S. audiences are buying and loving: There’s a full-on British invasion, as Horan called it, which reaches far beyond just pop groups, and also includes chart-topping pop divas. “It’s pretty cool,” he said. “Adele and us and Jessie J and the Wanted, it’s all very good.” Related Artists One Direction
Movie focuses on ancient evil unearthed from a glacier. By Gil Kaufman Dr. Dre Photo: Getty Images Rick Ross recently told MTV News that he had joined the likes of Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Nas as a contributor to the top secret project. “We making some things happen, man — we just gonna see where the pieces fall,” Ross said. “But we most definitely putting in major work. Related Artists Dr. Dre
Toronto band upset Mumford & Sons in round one and face Radiohead in round two; vote now in all second-round matchups! By James Montgomery F—ed Up’s Damian Abraham Photo: Getty Images Of all the first-round upsets in MTV’s Musical March Madness tournament (and there were a lot), none was as shocking as Toronto hardcore act F—ed Up’s trouncing of top-seeded — and heavily favored — Mumford & Sons. Except to F’ed frontman Damian “Pink Eyes” Abraham, that is. He saw this one coming from the day the bracket was revealed. “I think anyone who bet on them was a fool, because, let’s just be honest, if their fans were really living the Mumford & Sons way, they’re probably not the most technologically savvy individuals in the world,” he laughed. “It’s all based on, you know, the 1920s, so the Internet at that point was just a wireless typing device, and it takes a lot longer to spell out ‘Mumford & Sons’ in Morse code. How many dips and lines is that?” Vote for your favorite band, discuss and share on Facebook and Twitter in the MTV Musical March Madness interactive bracket! Of course, he was joking — he never really thought F—ed Up stood a chance against the mighty Mumford — though, as three years of Musical March Madness has proven, anything can happen. And as the first round wore on, and F’ed closed the gap, Abraham actually started believing. Even if he didn’t want to tell anyone. “Mumford & Sons have sold, conservatively, 100 times as many records as us; and they are a very popular band. … I mean, they’ve played with Bob Dylan. I thought it was a sure defeat,” he said. “I gotta admit, I really hate sports, but I think everyone at their core has a competitive nature, and as soon as I saw there was a glimmer of hope that we might win, it felt amazing. But, like, I didn’t want to start shouting, ‘We’re going to win!’ or anything, because I still wasn’t sure, you know? “And I’ll be honest: I never wanted to be in a really popular band,'” he continued. “So it really felt strangely touching, because it was like, ‘Wow, this many people cared enough to take time from looking at pornography to vote for me? That’s awesome.’ ” So now, having dispatched of Mumford, F—ed Up draw #8 Radiohead in round two — voting closes Sunday at midnight ET — with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line. And, well, let’s just say Abraham isn’t confident about his band’s chances (“It’s like a commuter college taking on Duke,” he laughed). Though, as Sum 41 proved with their miracle run to the Elite Eight in last year’s MMM tourney, stranger things have happened. Vote for your favorite band, discuss and share on Facebook and Twitter in the MTV Musical March Madness interactive bracket! And if F—ed Up somehow manage to take down Radiohead, Abraham has already done some advanced scouting on his band’s next opponent, Tokio Hotel. And he’s sufficiently terrified, to say the very least. “This is a tournament that’s not going to get easier; it’s not like we’re going to get to the next round and find ourselves facing No Use for a Name. It’s just going to get worse as time goes on,” he said. “Mumford & Sons? That was just a taste of what’s to come; we’re dealing with people that have really, really rabid — to the point of being mentally unstable — fans now, and F—ed Up’s fans are just a bunch of nerds. We’re nothing against these Tokio Hotel zealots. I’m worried they’re going to firebomb my house or take out my knees.” MTV’s 2012 Musical March Madness tournament has reached the second round. Voting runs until midnight ET on Sunday, March 25, and winners are determined by fan votes, so if your favorite act is still alive, it’ll be up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM or by downloading one of our custom badges — but get ready, it only gets more difficult from here on out. Related Videos Musical March Madness Heats Up! Related Photos MTV’s Musical March Madness 2012 Related Artists Fucked Up Tokio Hotel
‘That was definitely dope to hear,’ Digg says of rap legend dad’s approval of his brand-new debut album. By Rob Markman Diggy Simmons Photo: Andrew H. Walker/ Getty Images Diggy Simmons is not the second coming of Run-DMC , but still there has to be some pressure being the rapping son of one of hip-hop’s most revered MCs, right? Not really, says Diggy, who released his debut album Unexpected Arrival on Tuesday. “A couple of weeks before the release, he heard the complete album and he was really impressed,” Diggy told MTV News of Reverend Run’s reaction on Tuesday. “He was like, ‘You know, this is an album that I can turn on and I can leave on and I’d be happy listening to it.’ ” That’s quite a compliment coming from Run, who at first modeled himself after 1980s rap icon Kurtis Blow, but then went on to have one of hip-hop’s most iconic careers as a part of the larger-than-life group Run-DMC . In fact, the group’s career was so heralded they became the second rap group ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. “That was definitely dope to hear,” Diggy, who turned 17 on Wednesday (March 21), said. “That was something that I was definitely focused on making a cohesive album that sounded incredible together and you can just rock it and feel every sorta type of way.” The elder Simmons is no stranger to cohesive albums. The group’s 1984 self-titled debut effectively changed the way rappers recorded music with tracks like “Sucker M.C.’s” and “It’s Like That.” On Diggy’s Unexpected Arrival, however, there are no nods to his dad’s catalog, instead the teenage spitter simply does what comes natural to him. On the single “Do It Like You” Diggy pursues a crush, and on “4 Letter Word” things get a tad more serious when he dives deeper into love. The album isn’t all hugs and kisses though; on “88” Digg teams with Jadakiss for a rap free-for-all, and on “Unforgivable Blackness,” he raps of Martin and Malcolm’s legacy while calling for unity among his brothers. Unexpected Arrival is a complete work and distinctly Diggy’s. In fact, the emerging MC reveals that his pop was pretty hands-off. “He heard the tracks piece by piece. I’d have them sent to him sometimes when I was on the road for long amounts of time just so he can hear stuff,” he said. “That excites him, he’s not a person who pushes up.” Share your birthday wishes for Diggy in the comments! Related Artists Diggy Simmons
‘We’ve been friends for years,’ Kim tells Ryan Seacrest of talk that she’s dating the rapper. By Christina Garibaldi Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Photo: Getty Images These days, it seems that wherever Kim Kardashian goes, the rumors and drama follow. The E! reality star recently found herself feuding with Jon Hamm after the “Mad Men” star made some negative comments about her in an interview with Elle UK. On Tuesday (March 20), Kardashian addressed the actor’s comments and more during a radio interview with Ryan Seacrest. “I just feel like, to be honest, it’s all about trying to stay focused and keep everything positive,” she said about wanting to move on from the Hamm story.”It really takes a lot more energy and effort to be harsh than to say something nice and be positive.” But that wasn’t the only issue that Kardashian said she wanted to put to rest once and for all. After appearing at Kanye West ‘s Paris Fashion Show , some speculated that the pair were rekindling their rumored onetime romance , even saying these two were headed down the aisle. “I think I’m still married,” Kardashian responded, laughing off the rumor. “We’ve been friends for years. It’s so funny, you take a picture with someone, you support them. You know, he supported me at my Dash opening in New York. We just support each other; that’s what friends do.” Kardashian also revealed she’s in no rush to get back into the dating game since filing for divorce from her husband of 72 days, Kris Humphries . “You know, I’m really not dating right now at all. I’m really just focusing on work. I know I always say this, but I’m just trying to get through my situation and just have fun.” For now, Kim is busy helping big sister Kourtney get ready for baby #2 , due later this spring.”She’s so tiny, she’s so cute pregnant,” Kardashian said of her sister. “I am obsessed with Mason,” she added about Kourtney and her boyfriend Scott Disick’s son. “I can’t wait to meet the baby girl. I can only imagine how they are going to dress her. … They just make really cute babies.” And what about those rumors that Kim might be adopting a baby of her own? “No, I don’t even know where that came from, but what’s so crazy is the magazines can easily call and ask and we would say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ ” she told Seacrest. “But that’s not true. “I’ve heard so many ridiculous things and to be honest, I used to read all the magazines and watch things. I don’t even look at any of that anymore. I’ve taken my Google alerts off my phone!” Related Artists Kanye West
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