Neil Armstrong has died at the age of 82. Modest and quiet, the self-described “nerdy engineer” became a global hero with “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” on July 20, 1969. That one small step was onto the moon, the first time such a thing had ever been done and marking the pinnacle of 20th Century space explorations. His first words after setting foot on the surface will forever be etched in history books and in the memories of those who heard them in a live broadcast. Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin spent nearly three hours walking on the lunar surface, collecting samples, conducting experiments and taking photos. “The sights were simply magnificent, beyond any visual experience that I had ever been exposed to,” Armstrong said in an interview years later. In all, 12 American astronauts walked on the moon between 1969 and 1972, but none more famously than the Ohio native on Apollo 11. Armstrong died following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures, a statement from his family said. It didn’t say where or when.
Rumor has it … Adele is pregnant with her first child!! Adele and Simon Konecki are expecting, she confirmed Friday: “I’m delighted to announce that Simon [Konecki] and I are expecting our first child together,” the Grammy winner told fans in a post on her official website titled, “I’ve Got Some News.” That would certainly quality. Adele’s baby will soon be rolling in the crib! “I wanted you to hear the news direct from me , obviously we’re over the moon and very excited but please respect our privacy at this precious time. Yours always, Adele xx” The singer/songwriter was first photographed with Konecki, who is 38, and divorced with a daughter, back in January. In February, he accompanied her to the Grammys. That month, the 24-year-old said in an interview that her goal was to have three sons by the age of 30. Guess she was serious about achieving that life milestone. “I really want to be a mum,” she said. “I better start getting on with it!” And so she has! Congratulations to Adele and Simon! As for the guy who dumped Adele and supposedly inspired her career? Wonder what he’s thinking … [Photo: WENN.com]
Director Michael Bay speaks out on his plans for his fourth and final round with the robots in disguise. By Josh Wigler “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Photo: When “Transformers” revs up for its fourth big-screen adventure, you’ll see plenty of familiar faces along for the ride: Optimus Prime, Bumblebee. … But there won’t be a single human character from the old guard. Unless, of course, you count director Michael Bay. “It’s a new cast,” the director matter-of-factly told the Los Angeles Times about his plans for “Transformers 4,” which will not feature Shia LaBeouf’s Sam Witwicky at all. “We’re moving on to something different.” “It’s not a reboot, that’s maybe the wrong word,” Bay added. “I don’t want to say reboot because then people will think we’re doing a Spider-Man and starting from the beginning. We’re not. We’re taking the story that you’ve seen &8212; the story we’ve told in three movies already &8212; and we’re taking it in a new direction. But we’re leaving those three as the history. It all still counts. I met with the writer before I went off to do ‘Pain and Gain’ and we talked about a bunch of ideas. We let that simmer for a bit. He’s been thinking about stuff and now we’re getting back together next week to see what we’ve got and to see if it gels.” One of the new ideas that Bay has cooked up: the possibility of bringing the Autobots and Decepticons to outer space. “I think so, yeah, a little,” he said when asked if the fourth film would go off-planet. “That feels like the way to go, doesn’t it? I want to go a little off, but I don’t want to go too sci-fi. I still want to keep it grounded. That’s what works in these movies, that’s what makes it accessible.” Bay said that “Transformers 4,” which will have a smaller budget than its predecessors by “about $30 million,” will be his final ride with Prime and pals. He’s said as much in the past, of course — but this time, Bay insists that he means business. “Here’s the thing, it’s tough to find someone who’s done these kind of movies and to have the complication of creating the new stuff that needs to be in this movie — not just characters but a new type of action, I hope — and that’s a lot for someone new to bite off,” said the director. “And so after this one I will leave it in the best hands possible. That’s the plan.” Tell us what you think of Bay’s “Transformers” plans in the comments below! Check out everything we’ve got on “Transformers 4.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
Director Michael Bay speaks out on his plans for his fourth and final round with the robots in disguise. By Josh Wigler “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Photo: When “Transformers” revs up for its fourth big-screen adventure, you’ll see plenty of familiar faces along for the ride: Optimus Prime, Bumblebee. … But there won’t be a single human character from the old guard. Unless, of course, you count director Michael Bay. “It’s a new cast,” the director matter-of-factly told the Los Angeles Times about his plans for “Transformers 4,” which will not feature Shia LaBeouf’s Sam Witwicky at all. “We’re moving on to something different.” “It’s not a reboot, that’s maybe the wrong word,” Bay added. “I don’t want to say reboot because then people will think we’re doing a Spider-Man and starting from the beginning. We’re not. We’re taking the story that you’ve seen &8212; the story we’ve told in three movies already &8212; and we’re taking it in a new direction. But we’re leaving those three as the history. It all still counts. I met with the writer before I went off to do ‘Pain and Gain’ and we talked about a bunch of ideas. We let that simmer for a bit. He’s been thinking about stuff and now we’re getting back together next week to see what we’ve got and to see if it gels.” One of the new ideas that Bay has cooked up: the possibility of bringing the Autobots and Decepticons to outer space. “I think so, yeah, a little,” he said when asked if the fourth film would go off-planet. “That feels like the way to go, doesn’t it? I want to go a little off, but I don’t want to go too sci-fi. I still want to keep it grounded. That’s what works in these movies, that’s what makes it accessible.” Bay said that “Transformers 4,” which will have a smaller budget than its predecessors by “about $30 million,” will be his final ride with Prime and pals. He’s said as much in the past, of course — but this time, Bay insists that he means business. “Here’s the thing, it’s tough to find someone who’s done these kind of movies and to have the complication of creating the new stuff that needs to be in this movie — not just characters but a new type of action, I hope — and that’s a lot for someone new to bite off,” said the director. “And so after this one I will leave it in the best hands possible. That’s the plan.” Tell us what you think of Bay’s “Transformers” plans in the comments below! Check out everything we’ve got on “Transformers 4.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
So do you think the condo association in Rosie Huntington-Whitely ‘s building is taking applications? Because if she’s willing to go topless on a balcony, then we’re willing to invest in some professional photographic equipment. We’ll casually brush arms with her in the elevator, and she’ll look down and see our fancy $3,000 camera and bag full of lenses (that’s how you know someone is a Serious Photographer) and she’ll say “Oh, are you a photographer?” And we’ll say “Yes, how about we get together and shoot sometime?” and she’ll say “Well, today I have a meeting with my agent, but how about tomorrow? Around noon?” Yeah, we got it all planned out. See more from Transformers: Dark of the Moon star and lingerie model par excellence Rosie Huntington-Whitely right here at MrSkin.com
The Invisible War director Kirby Dick at the Provincetown International Film Festival over the weekend. Any Day Now won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature over the weekend, while Kirby Dick’s The Invisible War won for Best Documentary at the Provincetown International Film Festival over the weekend. Starring alan Cumming and directed by Travis Fine Day revolves around a handicapped teen who is taken in by a gay couple. Invisible War meanwhile is a heart-wrenching look at rampant sexual assault in the U.S. military and the institution’s blatant disregard in addressing the little-known crisis. Festival attendees speculated that the feature will receive an Oscar nomination come awards season. David France’s How to Survive a Plague won the festival’s John Schlesinger Award given to a first time filmmaker. As previously announced, the 2012 Filmmaker on the Edge Award was given to Producer/Director Roger Corman. Actor Parker Posey received the Excellence In Acting Award. The Faith Hubley Career Achievement Award was given to director Kirby Dick. 2012 Provincetown International Film Festival winners: Any Day Now (directed by Travis Fine) – HBO Audience Award Best Narrative Feature. The Invisible War (directed by Kirby Dick) – HBO Audience Award Best Documentary Feature. DIK (directed by Christopher Stollery) – HBO Audience Award Best Short Film. How To Survive a Plague (directed by David France) – The John Schlesinger Award (given to a first time documentary or narrative feature filmmaker) Shoot the Moon (directed by Alexander Gaeta) – Jury Award / Student Short Film Who Lasts Longer (directed by Gregorio Muro) – Jury Award / Animated Short Film Tsuyako (directed by Mitsuyo Miyazaki) Jury Award / Live Action Short Film – Short Film Jury Honorable Mentions go to Installation , Teacher of the Year and Entry Denied
Here’s just what you need to keep that Prometheus mania going: A batch of fantastic Prometheus photos and stills featuring Charlize Theron , Michael Fassbender , Noomi Rapace , Logan Marshall-Green , and others from the cast in their spiffy (and skin-tight) Prometheus space suits. It’s a space suit party! Oh, the laughs Charlize and Fassy and Noomi share when they’re not on set staring ominously into the distant at unknown horrors, or resting those space helmets on those sassy hips. The adorbs moment below comes from an exclusive photo shoot for EW’s May 11 issue, which includes great looks from the set along with in-character portraits of the cast. Thankfully (?) these photos don’t seem to give away any spoilers, so you can click through to your heart’s delight and take notes for crafting your own homemade Prometheus Halloween costumes. But seriously, Hollywood: What is the deal with all these micro-textured hero costumes? Oh, nevermind. These space suits are pretty sick. Love the futuristic-retro take on classic space-age design. Can’t wait to see if space-chic catches on this summer. Head to EW for the full batch of photos. Prometheus hits theaters on June 8. [via EW ]
There are enough terrific, elegant old-style Tim Burton touches in Dark Shadows that, now and then, you might be fooled into thinking the once-mad genius had finally come back to his senses: A young girl gazes dreamily through the window of a train slipping through the New England countryside, the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin” serving as an aural curtain for her reverie; a wispy ghost woman floats toward the waiting arms of a giant chandelier, her hair and tattered skirt winding around its crystals like jellyfish tendrils; a secret button reveals a passageway whose opening is framed by mechanical ocean waves and a cadre of cast-iron wolves raising their snouts to the moon in a hearty salute. Parts of Dark Shadows look lovely. So what happened to the story? Burton used to be a madman; now he’s just a franchise. The vibrant inventiveness of pictures like Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (his debut) and the doleful elegance of his Batman movies and Sleepy Hollow have given way, over the past 10 years, to an excess of primary-color gimmickry. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland are loaded with self-conscious wonder and strained jokes masquerading as clever ones. Similarly, Dark Shadows suffers from the now-predictable Tim Burton pile-on: Like a matron who’s gone mad for garish jewelry, he just doesn’t know when to stop. It didn’t have to be that way. Dark Shadows takes its inspiration from the late-’60s spooky-Gothic soaper of the same name, starring Jonathan Frid (who died just last month) as a lovesick vampire named Barnabas Collins. The show was just the thing to scare the bejesus outta you while you enjoyed your bowl of after-school Cheerios, and my friends and I adored it. Clearly, Burton did too, because there are dots and dashes of affection in this Dark Shadows . The script, by John August and Seth Grahame-Smith, resuscitates many of the original characters and keeps them fairly close to the spirit of their forbears, though only the movie’s opening sequence – the finest section of the picture — is set in the early 1800s. Johnny Depp plays Barnabas Collins, formerly the son of a rich Maine fishing family, now a lost 19th-century soul transplanted to early ’70s New England, a land of banana-seat bikes, frilly granny dresses and Donovan records. Eva Green plays Angelique, a witch who begins spinning a never-ending web of revenge around Barnabas after he spurns her. Bella Heathcote is Barnabas’ original true love Josette DuPres and her 20th century reincarnation Victoria Winter, two women — or, rather, two versions of the same woman – who drive Angelique to diabolical, murderous measures. Here’s how it all plays out in the Burton version: Angelique, after murdering Josette, turns the then-human Barnabas into a vampire and locks him in a coffin, which is then buried. He remains there until the 1970s, when he’s dug up accidentally. (He wastes no time in makes a tasty meal out of some hapless construction workers.) He treks to his old homestead, Collinwood Manor, and finds that much has changed: The mansion’s current mistress is Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer), an ice-cool lady whose necklace collection appears to include the complete stock of the Trifari, Monet and Napier factories combined. Elizabeth lives in the old house with other members of the extended Collins family, including her disaffected teenage daughter Carolyn (Chloë Grace Moretz) and her semi-orphaned nephew David (Gully McGrath), a troubled lad who keeps having visions of his dead mother. Also floating around are David’s layabout dad, Roger (Jonny Lee Miller), who seems to exist in the story only as a hanger for loud plaid jackets, and blowsy, horny psychiatrist Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), who can’t keep her mitts off mystery-man Barnabas. If you think that’s too many characters to fit comfortably or reasonably into any story, you’re right. Dark Shadows is a rambling affair in which characters who ought to be central to the plot — Josette/Victoria, for instance — drop out of sight for long, mysterious stretches. Some of the performances are extremely entertaining: Green makes a great bad gal, a lanky temptress in an assortment of vixenish Ossie Clark-style gowns and pantsuits. (Costumer Colleen Atwood does right by her.) And Depp is marvelous when he’s not called upon to look quizzically at lava lamps and such: His hair has been styled into great, Frid-like pointy bangs, but his performance is more homage than impersonation. Just as he discovers he’s been turned into a bloodsucker, he surveys his newly sprouted Nosferatu talons with a mix of wonder and horror. The scene takes place in the movie’s semi-naturalistic Gothic opener, before Barnabas has acquired his white warpaint pallor, and it’s the kind of moment that makes you wish Depp would play more roles with less makeup. Because, through most of Dark Shadows , he’s wearing a lot of it, and it’s almost as heavy as the shtick Burton has saddled him with. The movie is overloaded with gags about how tacky the ’70s were, and the routine gets tired, fast. Barnabas recoils from the bright-eyed visage of a Troll doll, and blanches when he accidentally hits the buzzer on an Operation game. Sure, lava lamps are hee-larious, and yet — does everything in Burton’s world have to be so retrolicious? Dark Shadows needs a lot more soap and a lot less kitsch. I fell in love with the movie’s opening sequence, which lays out the movie’s back story — if only Burton had taken that preamble and fleshed it out, instead of just cranking up the old gag machine. The opening sequence captures what was so compelling about the TV show, despite its rather modest production values: It was true to the spirit of Gothic literature while also being dishy and entertaining enough for the masses (i.e., a seven-year-old me). Burton outlines Barnabas’ origins with the same courtly spookiness he brought to his sort-of Washington Irving adaptation Sleepy Hollow : We see Josette, driven to madness by Angelique and throwing herself off a steep cliff. Barnabas runs after her and stands on a rock amid the crashing waves, gazing into the mist and seeing only a bleak eternity. The image — rendered very handsomely by DP Bruno Delbonnell, though I’m sure there was plenty of CGI help — is lifted straight from a famous painting that you’ve probably seen even if you think you haven’t, The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog , by the German Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich. Why couldn’t Burton have sustained that moody elegance, while also packing some of his loopy wit around it? Beyond that opening sequence, there’s nothing very dark or shadowy or even just imaginative about Dark Shadows . It’s proof that the candyman can’t. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
I’m Ryan, 19 from London. My friend Lauren came down from Manchester to stay at my place so we could try and meet Justin. We woke up early Monday morning (23/04/12) and set off out into Central London. We decided that we’d just go to the hotel where he stayed when he came over to turn the lights on at Westfield Mall. I tried to meet him that time, but was unsuccessful. As soon as we got there we saw around 20 fans, so we knew we were in the right place. Everyone stayed calm, thanks to Kadra’s skills at crowd control and when Justin arrived he stood on the wall and reached out to fans and touched their hands! Later on we found out that Justin was going to be at the Supperclub, so we turned up and we saw Kenny, Allison and Alfredo go inside the club along with members of the press, but no Justin. Kenny came out and started choosing fans from the crowd and Lauren & I were chosen. We were so excited and nervous that we were going to be let inside to hear the album and potentially meet Justin! We went inside and Reggie Yates introduced Justin on stage and he answered some questions. He then played Boyfriend and the 10 of us at the back were dancing to it and all of the press were looking at us! He played 6 more songs off the album such as ‘Believe’ and ‘Around the World’ and can I just say this album is amazing so far. Like, I can’t even; I’m so excited for the rest of the world to hear it. After the event had finished, Kenny brought Justin to the back of the room to meet us and when it came to my turn to meet him. I shook his hand & told him “Believe is an amazing song, I love it and I’m so excited for what’s to come” and he said “Thanks”. I asked him to follow me on twitter and he asked me for my Twitter name so I said ‘ryanswaggy’ and he then asked “is that spelled with a Y or an IE” at this point I was over the moon that I was actually interacting with Justin Bieber! So I replied “it’s spelled with a Y, you know, cause you changed it” and he looked at me with a grin. The next day he was going to radio so we got an early start and arrived at the hotel for 6am, Moshie came out and told us he was coming out at around 8, so we waited and his car pulled on to the sidewalk and he leaned towards the window to talk to fans, it got a bit crowded so he drove off. When he returned after his miniature radio tour the amount of fans that gathered outside the hotel required the police to attend and keep everyone in order, so I decided to go home and get some sleep. Lauren stayed overnight and she got to meet him at 1am, I got there at 1:20am and was gutted that I missed him. I waited alone for about 10 minutes and his car pulled into the hotel so I cautiously ran round after the car and called “Justin! Justin!” He got out the car and walked towards me. I was shaking! I told him that I missed him by 5 minutes earlier and he said “That’s okay.” I said to him that I was at the Believe album launch the other night and that I loved the album so far. I asked him for a picture to which he replied “Yeah sure.” Moshie took the picture! I said thank you and I said again that Believe was amazing work so far and he said thank you. As I walked away I shouted, “ryanswaggy” as to remind him to follow me on twitter and he shouted back, “Yes, SWAGGY!” A day passed and he was leaving London so we went back to the hotel to see him off. We decided to wait all night just in case he was flying out early. We met Kenny and Alfredo again as they were going out to celebrate Kenny’s birthday. Justin left the following afternoon and we both felt so depressed that’d he had gone. I woke up on the morning after (27/04/12) to find out that he had followed me on Twitter and I will always proclaim that this week had been the best week of my life. Justin was so good to his fans that week as he always has been, I just want to say a big thank you to Justin, Kenny & Alfredo for making the week so amazing. If i’ve learned anything from this week, it’s that Justin is the coolest person I’ve ever met, he’s so normal and caring its just very refreshing. Can’t break us! BELIEVE!! -@ryanswaggy Read the original: I’m Ryan, 19 from London. My friend Lauren came down from…
It’s more than a month until first Kristen Stewart film is released, but David Koepp is reportedly in talks to pen a sequel script. By Kara Warner Chris Hemsworth, and Kristen Stewart in “Snow White and the Huntsman” Photo: Universal Studios Despite the fact that we’re still a little more than a month away from the release of “Snow White and the Huntsman,” there are already rumblings of a sequel. According to Deadline , Universal has apparently already begun talking to screenwriter David Koepp about writing a sequel to the film, which is one of this summer’s most highly anticipated movies. Koepp certainly has enough credibility in drafting scripts for big blockbusters: He has screenplay credits on “Jurassic Park,” “Mission: Impossible,” “Spider-Man,” “War of the Worlds” and “Men in Black III.” Naturally, we don’t know what happens to the characters over the course of the film, but star Kristen Stewart has already expressed interest in reprising her role as the titular Snow White. “To be totally candid and honest with you, when I first signed on to this thing, the idea of doing another franchise was like, ‘Wow, [we’ll] cross that bridge when it comes.’ It was something so far outside my realm of thinking,” she told MTV News when asked if she’d be game for more action and adventure as the fairest one of all. “I was so focused on the first one, and I thought, ‘Maybe, maybe,’ but I’ve got stars in my eyes. I’m literally over the moon about what I’m doing right now,” she said of her work on “Huntsman.” “Yes, I would love to [do more ‘Snow White’ films].” “Huntsman” director Rupert Sanders is reportedly Universal’s choice to helm the sequel if it happens, and judging from his positive comments about working with Stewart , it seems likely the pair could team up again. “Kristen is a very driven, visceral, intuitive actress. From a director’s point of view, it’s great to get into her headspace,” Sanders said. “We did a lot of work together on the script and character, and she really helped inform me how that character was feeling, which really helped my process getting the character onscreen. Kristen was doing a lot of her stunt work, she was riding horses, she was jumping from high precipices into freezing cold water, she was fighting dwarves — she’s gung-ho.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Snow White and the Huntsman.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos Behind The Scenes: ‘Snow White And The Huntsman’
