Move on over, Backstreet Boys. Slide over a bit, New Kids On the Block. There’s room in this recent boy band revival movement for one more. Pop group 98 Degrees is reuniting! The crew – Jeff Timmons, Justin Jeffre, expectant father Nick Lachey and his brother, Dancing with the Stars winner Drew Lachey – is planning a 15-city tour. 98 Degrees was best known for their hits “Because of You” and “Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche).” And for looking oh-so-cute in group shots like this: Rumors of the boy band’s reunion began Wednesday after the group’s website was updated for the first time in a decade, with a new design and logo.
Move on over, Backstreet Boys. Slide over a bit, New Kids On the Block. There’s room in this recent boy band revival movement for one more. Pop group 98 Degrees is reuniting! The crew – Jeff Timmons, Justin Jeffre, expectant father Nick Lachey and his brother, Dancing with the Stars winner Drew Lachey – is planning a 15-city tour. 98 Degrees was best known for their hits “Because of You” and “Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche).” And for looking oh-so-cute in group shots like this: Rumors of the boy band’s reunion began Wednesday after the group’s website was updated for the first time in a decade, with a new design and logo.
George Zimmerman’s father, Robert Zimmerman, says Trayvon Martin threatened to kill his son, then beat him to the point where he had no choice but to defend himself against the 17-year-old in Sanford, Fla., on February 26. The elder Zimmerman spoke, on camera but without showing his face, to Orlando, Fla., TV station WOFL, to share his son’s side of the national story. He claims Trayvon Martin attacked first and may have killed Zimmerman. Robert Zimmerman Interview “It’s my understanding that Trayvon Martin got on top of him and just started beating him,” Robert Zimmerman told WOFL. “Martin said something to the effect of, ‘You’re going to die now’ or ‘You’re going to die tonight.'” “He continued to beat George. At some point, George pulled his pistol … and what he did.” “He was punched in the nose. His nose was broken,” Robert Zimmerman insists . “He was knocked to the concrete. Trayvon Martin got on top of him and started beating him.” “Beating him in the face. In his nose, hitting his head on the concrete.” The comments came just after the George Zimmerman surveillance video , taken at police headquarters the night of Martin’s killing, was released. His hands cuffed, Zimmerman does not appear to have substantial injuries, though the video does not show a close-up of the neighborhood watchman. The video was taken four hours after the incident took place. “The injuries that made it sound as though he really should have been on a stretcher are not apparent in this tape at all,” CNN analyst Marcia Clark said. “He moves freely. He moves fluidly, not like someone who has just been through a beating in any way, shape or form, someone whose head has been pounded on the pavement as hard as described, someone whose nose was broken and bleeding.” “That tells you a great deal.” Zimmerman’s attorney Craig Sonner described the video as “very grainy” on NBC’s Today , noting that Zimmerman had been “cleaned-up” and received first aid care in the hours between the incident and his arrival at the police station.
Greater face time for Robb Stark and Jaime Lannister means bigger departures from George R.R. Martin’s source material in season two. By Josh Wigler Richard Madden as Robb Stark in “Game of Thrones” season two Photo: Helen Sloan/ HBO While “Game of Thrones” is about as close to a perfect adaptation as it gets, there are some aspects of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros that remain in the books. Changes between George R.R. Martin’s source material and the television series are, like winter, destined to come. Your mileage may vary on whether these differences are a good thing, but the differences exist, like them or not. As was the case in season one, season two of “Thrones” features entirely new scenes to the “Song of Ice and Fire” saga, while other fan-favorite characters from “A Clash of Kings” — the novel that the show’s second season is based upon — have been notably modified or, in some extreme cases, completely cut from the proceedings. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the changes you can expect between the books and the show this coming season, but be warned: There are spoilers ahead. No way around them! More Robb Stark Despite his status as one of the clashing kings in Westeros, Robb Stark remains largely off the page in the second novel of Martin’s series. Not so on “Game of Thrones.” Richard Madden, the actor who brings Robb to life, is very much present this season, with his off-page exploits given new live-action life on HBO. It’s a divisive choice; so much of Robb’s impact hinges on only hearing about him and not actually seeing his legendary acts firsthand. On the other hand, you can’t expect Madden to sit out virtually an entire season and remain on retainer for future years. Besides, getting the chance to see what Robb is up to while he’s away from the book’s narrative is part of the fun of an adaptation, right? More Jaime Lannister Likewise, the Kingslayer is a figure largely absent from “A Clash of Kings,” thanks to his captivity at the hands of the Starks. But just as Madden can’t be put on ice, neither can Nikolaj Coster-Waldau; he must remain on fire! But where Robb’s off-page actions are the focus of his new onscreen story, Jaime’s additional screen time might actually come from a future book. Fans of the novels know that portions of Jaime’s last appearance in “Clash” were already used in the “Game of Thrones” season-one finale, and there are whispers that the character will actually dabble in “Storm of Swords” territory before the show’s second year draws to a close. We Want Our Reeds, We Want Our Reek On the flip side, some of the characters heavily present in “Clash” are potentially sitting out of season two entirely. Recent rumors indicate that certain key roles — including Meera and Jojen Reed, critical to Bran’s story in the books, and nasty sidekick Reek, who has a very interesting place in Theon’s world — have not been cast for the upcoming season. Even if the rumors prove true, show runners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff have said previously that certain aspects of the books might get shifted around from season to season — hence bits of Jaime’s book-three story moving into season two, or the Reeds moving from book two into season three. As long as there’s a future for these characters, we’ll take them whenever we can. What’s in a Name? Asha Greyjoy is dead. Long live Yara! Theon’s older sister is not one of the aforementioned casualties of adapting book two for television, but her name is. It’s been reported that the character, played by Gemma Whelan, lost her original name due to its similarity to Osha, the wildling girl played by “Harry Potter” veteran Natalia Tena. It’s a minor difference in the grand scheme of things, but still the kind of change that could rub “Ice and Fire” purists the wrong way. For me, as long as Yara stays true to the essence of Asha — witty, gritty and incredibly badass — I won’t sweat the change too much. Throwing Dragonstones All right, let’s close with a personal gripe/nerd-out, shall we? Here we go: “Clash” begins with a prologue from the perspective of Maester Cressen, a servant of would-be king Stannis Baratheon’s at his home on Dragonstone. It’s an excellent introduction to Stannis and his surrounding cast, and it also sets the stakes extremely high for Baratheon’s future actions. The Cressen prologue is easily one of my favorite chapters in the entire “Ice and Fire” series, but it’s not quite as prominent in the upcoming “Thrones” season premiere. Of course, some things are lost in translation by necessity, and where the introduction to Dragonstone falls a bit short for me, the show more than makes up for it with plenty of fantastic scenes in King’s Landing and elsewhere. I’m just hoping that, going forward, the Dragonstone story line remains a prominent, powerful one. Tell us what you think about the potential changes in the comments section, or hit me up on Twitter @roundhoward! Related Videos Talk Nerdy
‘He was killed by a terrorist,’ Atlanta MC declares on ‘RapFix Live,’ while Prodigy adds, ‘[Zimmerman] murdered that kid for no reason.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Killer Mike on “RapFix Live” Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News Speculation over what happened the night of February 26 when 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was tragically shot dead continues to run rampant. On Wednesday, police surveillance video emerged showing the gunman, George Zimmerman, in handcuffs. The fact that he wasn’t charged with a crime that night and was release has fueled a public outcry for justice. Among the outraged are rappers Killer Mike and Mobb Deep’s Prodigy , who both appeared on Wednesday’s “RapFix Live” to discuss Trayvon’s death. Killer Mike called the shooting “an assassination.” “He was killed by a terrorist; there is no other way to put it,” Mike said, as he and “RapFix” host Sway wore hooded sweatshirts in a symbolic show of support for the teen, who died wearing a similar article of clothing. Via Skype, Prodigy said, “It’s definitely a murder, that dude just murdered him in cold blood. The dude, Zimmerman, I don’t know what he thought he was doing, but he murdered that kid for no reason.” It has been reported that Zimmerman called 911 on the night of February 26 after he saw Trayvon, who was wearing hoodie, walking through the Sanford, Florida, gated community where he lived and served as a neighborhood watchman. The police dispatcher instructed Zimmerman not to pursue the teen, but he reportedly ignored those instructions. What happened then is unclear, but when Sanford police arrived on the scene, Trayvon was dead. Zimmerman claimed Trayvon attacked him and he acted in self-defense, and police didn’t charge him with a crime. Critics who have watched the police-surveillance footage said Zimmerman doesn’t appear to have injuries consistent with his beating account, but the footage is grainy. Prodigy believes Sanford police should have immediately charged Zimmerman. “The burden of proof is on the person that’s claiming self-defense,” he said. The case has tremendous racial undertones: Zimmerman is a white man of Hispanic origin, and Trayvon was black. Killer Mike said he’s particularly concerned with the “Stand Your Ground” law, Florida legislation that allows a person to kill in cases of self-defense. The Atlanta MC believes that young black men should be armed to protect themselves under the confines of the law. “If you live below the Mason-Dixon line, gun laws allow you to arm yourself; you should be armed,” Killer Mike urged. “Because we live in a state where we are hunted, we live in a state that allows the conditions of black men to walk around in fear.” Prodigy believes that if Zimmerman isn’t charged, similar incidents might occur. “What the police department out there is doing is they’re gonna start a trend of people that’s just gonna go out there and think they’re neighborhood watch or whatever, and they’re just gonna clap whoever they feel like clappin’,” he said. Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Nas & Killer Mike
A movie about childhood nightmares that plays too much like an actual, incoherent nightmare to make a good movie, Intruders is a psychodrama divided against itself. Little kids don’t need a reason to get worked up about what’s in their closet, or to be told to worry. When it comes to being scared their imaginations are half cocked at all times, more than prepared to fill every blank with the bogeyman. Although Intruders , much like last year’s Insidious , is framed as a sins-of-the-father spook-fest, it assumes too little of its audience — specifically that we too need only contemplate a darkened wardrobe or the outline of a giant, grabby dude to want to jump out of our skin. Despite being separated by the English channel and a few countries in between, both little Juan (Izán Corchero) and 12-year-old Mia (Ella Purnell) are having the same bad dream: A man in a Grim Reaper/Hazmat getup visits them in the night and tries to steal their faces. Juan, with his penchant for creepy bedtime stories, seems to have frightened himself into a state. Mia, having been mysteriously drawn to the tree on her grandparents’ estate where a hand-written story of the “Hollow Man” is hidden, becomes cursed with the subject’s presence. Why the pair have imagined or conjured this faceless fellow is a question that director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo ( 28 Weeks Later ) leaves wide open, much like my bedroom door every night until I was about 17. With the hall light on, please. Although the expertly chilled atmosphere of this dark world is re-visited every other scene — with Fresnadillo leaning on the scare horn — storywise we have to assume what any parent would: Either these kids have been eating too many Doritos or it’s a dreamlife kink that will eventually work itself out. “It’s just a story,” Mia’s father, John ( Clive Owen ), tells her. “You needn’t be afraid of stories.” They’re both a little afraid of mom (Carice van Houten), though, and why not — she’s always throwing cold water on their bonding time, not least of all when she actually threw cold water on the bogeyman effigy John built and lit up in the backyard to help ease Mia’s fears. Owen is as warm and doting a presence here as he was in the recent online-exploitation parable Trust , and he tries to give the similarly plotted unseating of that stability the same dad-on-fire urgency. But the script (by Nicolás Casariego and Jamie Marques) feels disordered somehow, as though the materials for a decent horror allegory arrived in the mail without instructions and a few key pieces missing, and the Intruders team tried to put it together anyway. Least successful is the toggling back and forth between Juan — who is carted to and from the Catholic Church as his mother (Pilar López de Ayala) seeks help for his night terrors — and Mia, who favors her father and whose storyline is favored in the film. When John is involved in a dreadful accident at work on a construction site, the story slouches in a potentially interesting direction: Are these two so close that they’re actually sharing anxieties? And what would a little Spanish boy have to do with that? When neither Jesus, nor dad, nor ACT security, nor the police can vanquish the Hollow Man from Mia’s bedroom, the resolution appears by a kind of process of elimination: Psychiatry to the rescue! If it didn’t work for Psycho , the medical, explanatory twist tanks what little dramatic momentum Intruders had going into the home stretch. Owen and Purnell, a strikingly beautiful young girl last seen playing the young Keira Knightley in Never Let Me Go , do their best to bring emotional life to an oddly staged, pseudo-confessional conclusion. Their commitment is wasted on an ersatz psycho-thriller more interested in the aesthetics of scary movies than the whys, whats and wows. Follow Michelle Orange on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
As Mother Monster celebrates her birthday, MTV News takes a look back at her most-interesting confessions … so far! By Jocelyn Vena Lady Gaga Photo: Universal Listen up, Little Monsters: It’s Mother Monster’s 26th birthday! And in that quarter of a century (plus one year!), Lady Gaga has managed to reinvent the pop wheel with her eccentric persona and pumping, politically charged dance music. When asked how she planned to celebrate another year, she simply told a Monster on Twitter , “Quinceanera.” While we’ll be Quincea
Facebook.com – Become a Fan! Twitter.com – Follow Us! Justin Bieber was spotted leaving a recording studio in Sunset Towers late into the night. Justin was not having it and didn’t want to chat or be seen by us. Too bad cause we wanted to kick it with Justin!
From Ned’s beheading to Tyrion’s tumultuous journey, we recount the key moments to remember heading into Sunday’s premiere. By Josh Wigler Lena Headey in “Game of Thrones” Photo: HBO Swords, kings, dragons and things (and by things, we mean an absurd amount of sex and violence): Where else but “Game of Thrones” can you get all that and then some? Those who’ve been thirsting for blood and fire are about to get plenty of both when “Thrones” returns for its second season this Sunday, but considering how much time has passed since poor Ned lost his head, you’d be forgiven for not remembering much of what happened all the way back in season one. Well, never fear, true believers; that’s what we’re here for! Keep on reading for everything you need to remember about “Game of Thrones” season one before returning to Westeros later this week. “Winter Is Coming” The words of House Stark echo all throughout “Game of Thrones” season one, beginning with King Robert Baratheon’s royal visit to old friend and war buddy Eddard Stark all the way north in Winterfell. Robert all but commands Ned to take on the role of Hand of the King — the ruler of Westeros’ right-hand man — and Lord Stark begrudgingly accepts. His reason: to investigate the death of the pervious Hand, Jon Arryn, an old mentor of Ned and Robert’s, who he believes was murdered by Queen Cersei and members of her wicked family, the Lannisters. Kids These Days Ned’s investigation does not go smoothly. After arriving in King’s Landing to serve as Robert’s Hand, Ned learns that Robert fathered many bastard children and that his own supposedly trueborn heirs — Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen — were not his trueborn children at all, but bastards of Queen Cersei’s incestuous relationship with her twin brother, Jaime. Robert dies from a freak injury before Ned can tell him the truth, and Ned takes it upon himself to see that the late Baratheon’s younger brother, Stannis, is the next man to sit upon the Iron Throne, as is his right. Hopeless, Headless Ned Once again, Ned’s plan does not go well. When Lord Stark attempts to persuade the court to recognize Stannis’ claim to the throne, newly minted King Joffrey and Queen Regent Cersei have him arrested for treason. A deal is later brokered where Ned will confess to his treachery and recognize Joffrey’s claim, in exchange for the safety of himself and his children. But after he publicly confesses to his “crimes,” Joffrey pulls a fast one on everyone — characters and audience included — by ordering Ned’s beheading . With one stunning stroke, the main character of “Game of Thrones” was dead, before the season finale, no less. Stark Reality While they still have their lives, the Stark children aren’t faring much better than poor Ned. The youngest son, Bran Stark, is pushed out of a window and subsequently paralyzed after catching twins Cersei and Jaime doing the nasty. Ned’s two daughters, Arya and Sansa, are left in very different and very awful positions following his death too. Arya is posing as a boy, traveling north with a group of young men to join the Night’s Watch; she’s to be dropped off at her home in Winterfell before reaching the Wall. Sansa, meanwhile, is still in King’s Landing and still betrothed to the wicked boy king Joffrey, who abuses her physically and emotionally with brutal regularity. The King in the North Lord Eddard Stark’s eldest son, Robb, on the other hand, is in a position to actually do something about his father’s death. Robb has called upon House Stark’s bannermen in the northern part of Westeros to wage war on Joffrey and the Lannisters. His goals are threefold: the safe return of his sisters, the official succession of the North from the Seven Kingdoms’ purview, and vengeance for Ned. Robb becomes known as the King in the North, an ancient title not held by anyone since Torrhen Stark bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror nearly 300 years earlier. Here a King, There a King … Robb Stark is not the only man in Westeros calling himself king. There’s Joffrey Baratheon, of course, who sits on the Iron Throne. Three other men have their eyes on the crown as well: Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands and the two remaining Baratheon brothers, Stannis and Renly. Though Renly is a charismatic and well-liked figure in Westeros, he is also the youngest Baratheon, making his claim weaker than the less-beloved Stannis. It won’t matter which Baratheon has the better claim, of course, if one of the other three kings vying for power has their say. … And There a Queen There’s another player in the game of thrones, and that’s exiled princess Daenerys , the last surviving member of House Targaryen, the clan who ruled over Westeros for nearly three full centuries. Dany spends the entirety of season one across the Narrow Sea among the Dothraki, a barbaric people who pride themselves on war and horses. Bad things happen to all “Thrones” characters, but Dany has a particularly rough go of it in season one: Her husband, Khal Drogo, and their unborn son both die, as does her brother, Viserys. (Indeed, that guy is super dead.) On the other side of all that tragedy, Dany is now the proud owner of three brand-spanking-new dragons, the first of their kind in hundreds of years. That’s a plus! The Perks of Being a Wallflower Elsewhere, in another remote area of this fantasy world, Ned Stark’s bastard Jon Snow serves as a man of the aforementioned Night’s Watch, an ancient order of warriors who patrol the great ice Wall to protect the people of Westeros from the dangers lurking further north. Shortly after becoming a sworn brother of the Watch, Jon saves Lord Commander Mormont from dying at the hands of a reanimated corpse (zombies, ftw!), the latest and most dangerous evidence yet that the Others — a long-forgotten force of evil with unspeakably cold crystal swords and voices that sound like crackling ice — still exist beyond the wall. To investigate further, Mormont takes Jon and other members of the Watch beyond the Wall, where they’ll continue to explore throughout season two. Paying Their Debts Clearly, season one was crazy busy for Ned Stark and his family, but how about House Lannister? Though Cersei’s son sits on the Iron Throne as she had always hoped, the queen suffers a severe blow in the capture of her brother and lover, Jaime, at the hands of Robb Stark. Jaime remains in the northerner’s captivity. Meanwhile, the third Lannister sibling — the imp Tyrion Lannister — went through hell and back again as well: He starts in Winterfell as part of Robert’s royal party, ends up on the Wall for a time, is captured by Ned Stark’s wife Catelyn for his suspected role in Bran Stark’s paralysis, is brought to the miles-high Eyrie to pay for his crimes, is eventually liberated from his fate with the help of his own cunning wit and the talented sellsword Bronn and ultimately relegated to the frontlines of lord Tywin Lannister’s war against the Starks. As King Joffrey’s Hand, Tywin can’t exactly win a war and worry about the goings-on of Westeros at the same time. Accordingly, he temporarily passes off his duties as Hand to Tyrion, who is about to prove that a very small man can cast a very big shadow. A Dink and a Nod Speaking of very big shadows, you heard about Peter Dinklage’s Best Supporting Actor wins at the Emmys and the Golden Globes this past year, right? Well, given what happens to his character in “A Clash of Kings” (the novel that the second season of “Thrones” is based on), Dinklage has only scratched the surface of Tyrion’s enormously satisfying arc. If he’s as smart as his character, the gifted actor has left some room on the shelf for a few more trophies come the end of the new season. Are you all caught up for “Thrones” season two? Let us know in the comments section below, or chat with me more on Twitter @roundhoward! Related Photos ‘Game Of Thrones’ Season Two
‘I’m not engaged. I’ve worn this same ring on this finger since November!’ Cyrus tweeted on Monday in response to rumors. By Christina Garibaldi Miley Cyrus at her Pilates class in Beverly Hills Photo: Splash News Miley Cyrus is putting those engagement rumors to rest. On Monday (March 26), the Internet was abuzz that Cyrus and her “Hunger Games” star boyfriend Liam Hemsworth were going to tie the knot after photos surfaced of her wearing a large sparkler on her ring finger. I’m not engaged. I’ve worn this same ring on this finger since November! People just wanna find something to tal about! It’s a topaz people! — Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) March 26, 2012 But Cyrus took to Twitter on Monday to shoot down the rumors, saying, “I’m not engaged. I’ve worn this same ring on this finger since November! People just wanna find something to [talk] about! It’s a topaz people!” Speculation began last week after Cyrus tweeted a photo of her new manicure and the ring. Most recently, she was spotted sporting the large stone on Saturday as the two posed for pictures on the red carpet at Muhammad Ali’s Celebrity Fight Night XVVIII in Phoenix. Even though they won’t be planning a wedding anytime soon, the couple, who have been dating on and off since 2009, have a lot to be excited about. “The Hunger Games” had the third-biggest opening weekend of all time, beating out all of the “Twilight Saga” movies when it raked in $155 million. Hemsworth and Cyrus will next be seen together on an upcoming episode of MTV’s “Punk’d,” where the former “Hannah Montana” star tells her boyfriend that two naked people have locked themselves in her car, a prank Hemsworth doesn’t seem to be too fond of. “I knew she was doing the show. I honestly thought she had enough respect for me not to do me, and she got me really good,” Hemsworth recently told Ellen DeGeneres. “Your girlfriend comes running around and she’s yelling hysterically and you see two naked people in your car… I think my instincts were pretty right.” Related Artists Miley Cyrus
