‘They’ve spared no expense in making an awesome episode,’ Richard Madden tells MTV News. By Kara Warner Richard Madden Photo: MTV News So, how about Sunday’s episode of “Game of Thrones”? Have you recovered from all the fireworks? ‘Twas a doozy, for sure. Thank goodness there is still one more episode left in this action-packed season. Fans of George R.R. Martin’s source material had an inkling of what to expect from the highly anticipated Battle of Blackwater , but the sheer spectacle of it all was something to behold, even for the actors who had prepared themselves for it. “It was off the scale,” star Richard Madden (a.k.a. Robb Stark) told MTV News of the production that went into the sequence. “I know in season one we started a battle and we saw the end of a battle, and I know some people weren’t too pleased about that, but season two makes up for that and then some. They’ve spared no expense in making an awesome episode.” So, how many days did the cast and crew actually spend working on the battle? “Days and days and weeks,” Madden said. “I know there was months of CGI work to get those episodes looking awesome. If you’ve read the books, you know what that battle entails: It’s pretty visual, like a lot of George’s stuff. I think people won’t be disappointed.” Looking ahead to what’s to come for the would-be king, we also asked Madden if he has read ahead to find out what’s in store for his character. “It’s one of the things I try to avoid doing. I only read season by season: I don’t read ahead,” he explained. “It’s one of the great things about the books that I loved is that you are constantly surprised by these characters and the story, and as an actor, I want to try and stick to that. “I know if I read too far ahead, I’d start preempting character traits or decisions he makes,” he continued. “I’d much rather be an actor and make one decision and stick to it and then have the challenge of turning it around and going in a different direction. I try and keep it like that as much as I can so the audience gets as surprised by the journey as I do when I read the books and when I read each script.” Related Photos ‘Game Of Thrones’ Season Two
Hot 107.9′s own DJ Scream was on 50 Cent’s Thisis50.com recently talking about his career and upcoming album, Long Live the Hustle. Scream also talked…
Hot 107.9′s own DJ Scream was on 50 Cent’s Thisis50.com recently talking about his career and upcoming album, Long Live the Hustle. Scream also talked…
Never say J. Cole is not a man of his word. The Roc Nation rapper recently confirmed his plans to record an album with Kendrick Lamar, and now photos have appeared that further reveal it is definitely going down. Click Here To Peep The Photos On HipHopWired.com
‘The show exists to find the next cute white guy with a guitar,’ says Richard Rushfield, author of ‘American Idol: The Untold Story.’ By Gil Kaufman Phillip Phillips performs on the “American Idol” finale on May 22 Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images Even if she hadn’t been saddled with what is possibly the worst “American Idol” finalist song in the show’s history, the chances of Jessica Sanchez beating Phillip Phillips seemed slim. The guitar-strumming, foot-swiveling, five-o’clock-shadow-having Dave Matthews doppelg
‘ I don’t really feel anything … It’s just so unreal,” 21-year-old Phillips says after the season 11 finale on Wednesday. By Kelly Marino Phillip Phillips wins “American Idol” Photo: Fox/ Getty Images After a “world record” of 132 million votes, America has crowned guitar-strumming sweetheart Phillip Phillips as season 11’s “American Idol.” And although most viewers and critics expected him to win it all, Phillips himself seemed shocked that America chose him. When MTV News caught up with the 21-year-old Georgia native at a backstage press conference after the finale, he still seemed to be coming to terms with his recent win over 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez. Q: How do you feel? A: Uh, I’m feeling. I don’t know. I don’t really feel anything. It’s crazy. I’m still a little numb from the whole situation. It’s just so unreal. Q: Did you think you were going to win? A: Did I think I was going to win? No. Heck no. Did you see Jessica’s last performance? Golly. She sang the crap out of that song. Q: Is this surreal? Is this like a dream come true? A: Man, it’s so unreal. Like I said, it hasn’t sunk in yet and it’s just such a blessing to have and I’m kind of ready to try to comprehend it all. Q: Can you talk about your health? Will you get any surgery? A: Yeah, I’m gonna get some surgery done so I’m gonna get all better for the tour. Q: How were you able to overcome the pain you must have been in to get through this season and get all the way to the end? A: Yeah, it was very tough but I had great doctors and great people surrounding me so that really helped out. So, it’s just a blessing to be here now. Q: Can you talk about what happened onstage when you were performing “Home” tonight? A: Yeah, I wasn’t thinking about anything, not even the song. I wasn’t really wanting to sing or anything. And I just started thinking about the whole journey, how far all of us had come and how far we had made it and it was just so overwhelming. Q: When you auditioned did you think you would be standing where you are right now? A: Honestly man, I didn’t think I’d even make it to see the judges because, like I said, man, I have no shame in saying that I’m not a great singer. You know, I just love having fun up onstage jamming with the guys and just playing good music man. You know, I like getting the crowd into it. Music’s fun dude. It’s takes away a lot of things that’s going around. Q: Are you all cried out or do you think you might cry a little more? A: I might end up crying some more. I hate crying but I’ll probably cry some more. It feels good at times. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Finale Highlights Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Finale Red Carpet ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Finale Show
Kid Cudi tells MTV News watching himself on seven screens simultaneously during 30-minute film ‘was weird! But it was dope.’ By Alicia Malone Kanye West and Kim Kardashian attend the “Cruel Summer” premiere during the Cannes Film Festival Photo: Getty Images CANNES, France — Kanye West is nothing if not ambitious. The rapper/designer/mogul has added a few more slashes to his name, as producer, writer and director of the experimental short film “Cruel Summer,” which had its premiere during a splashy party Wednesday night during the Cannes Film Festival. The 30-minute short, inspired by West’s upcoming G.O.O.D. Music compilation of the same name, was projected onto seven screens inside a tented pyramid, designed to give viewers a fully immersive experience. “Cruel Summer” stars G.O.O.D. artist Kid Cudi as a car thief who falls for a blind Arabian princess. The seven screens alternately come on and off, sometimes showing different angles of one shot, other times acting as an extended wide screen, complete with a ceiling and floor. This means the audience looks around them at the images, instead of staring straight ahead, which, as Kanye explained in a speech, was to reflect real life. “It related to a post-Steve Jobs, post-Windows era, where we’re always on our BlackBerry in a ball game or at the movies,” West said. “I was very particular about having the screens separate, where your mind puts the screens back together, the way you put memories together. I’m not the best director in the world, but I had an idea that I thought would be amazing to inspire people, like a dream of one day this being the way people watch movies. You know, [Quentin] Tarantino doing a movie like this or a horror movie like this, animation, 3-D … in this form that surrounds you. People want to go back and see it more and more because they missed something to their left or to their right, and it feels more like the experience of life.” “Cruel Summer” plays like an extended music video, in a similar way to ‘Ye’s 2010 online film for “Runaway,” with sparse dialogue and striking slow-motion images set to a rocking soundtrack. The music is provided by various G.O.O.D. artists, many of whom make cameos in the film, and there’s a super quick appearance by comedian Aziz Ansari. Among the celebrity names attending the premiere party at the Palm Beach Club were Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian and Kid Cudi, who told MTV News the experience of watching himself on seven screens was surreal. “It was weird! But it was dope,” Cudi said. “I’m nervous, just like with anything I do, with people watching, but I’m really proud of it. I’m happy that Kanye had me as part of it. It’s so humbling. He’s a genius, he’s the best, the illest … you can quote me on that!” “Cruel Summer” was co-directed by Alexandre Moors, who previously worked with ‘Ye on the videos for “Runaway” and “N—as in Paris.” The script was based on a screenplay by Elon Rutberg, and it was shot entirely in Qatar in the Middle East. “We were literally shooting in Qatar less than a month ago,” West said. “It was the most impossible feat, all odds were against us having this moment, showing this at Cannes. The reason why I went so hard is that this is my goal. What I want to do post-Grammys is I want to change entertainment experiences. Like if [late fashion designer Alexander] McQueen or [director] Tarsem [Singh] was to meet the entertainment value of Cirque du Soleil or Walt Disney. We’re going to bring it to New York to Qatar and re-edit it … so you guys are seeing the rough draft of this concept.” Although the world premiere of “Cruel Summer” coincided with the Cannes Film Festival, it is not in competition or part of the official screenings. The film is now open to the public in Cannes until May 25. Related Artists Kanye West Kid Cudi
Frontrunner Phillips beats out 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez for the season 11 crown after a ‘world record’ of 132 million votes. By Adam Graham Phillip Phillips performs on the “American Idol” season 11 finale Photo: Getty Images The lights were dimmed, the votes were counted, and Phillip Phillips became the new “American Idol.” As expected, Phillips beat out Jessica Sanchez on Wednesday’s (May 23) Season 11 “Idol” finale, live at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre. Phillips topped Sanchez after a reported 132 million votes were cast — “a new world record,” according to host Ryan Seacrest. Phillips teared up while performing his winning song “Home,” while confetti rained down on the stage around him. The Leesburg, Georgia, native has been a cool cucumber all season long, but he broke down in the moment, just as he did during his hometown visit last week. Phillips didn’t finish the song, but strolled off stage and into the arms of his family, who were waiting in the first few rows. As streamers fell and the band played on the stage behind him, Phillips hugged his family members, and later judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. Phillips came out of Tuesday’s performance episode the heavy favorite to win it all and was celebrated by the judges for his “Home,” which was tailor made for his laid-back style. On the other hand, Sanchez’s would-be winning song, “Change Nothing,” was sloughed off by the judges and even Sanchez herself, who acknowledged the song wasn’t really in her wheelhouse, and said she’d aim to put more of herself in her future recordings. Heading into this season, the buzz was that a woman would win “Idol,” becoming the first female winner since Jordin Sparks in 2007. Four of this year’s top six contestants were female, but Phillips proved unbeatable in the stretch. Sanchez was an early favorite in the season, stepping out in front with her show-stopping rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” on the March 7 episode. But she hit her stumbling blocks along the way, and was voted out on the April 12 episode, and had to be saved by the judges to stay in the competition. Phillips was steady throughout the season. His name — that name! — made him an instant standout, and he played it cool all season long, never letting much of anything — including the season-long illness he battled — ruffle his fathers. (On Thursday’s show, he joked — he was joking, right? — that he got nine and a half to 10 hours of sleep the night before.) He was often criticized, and fairly so, for his similarities to Dave Matthews, but he came alive in the final two weeks, knocking out Bob Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight” and his winning “Idol” song, “Home.” Wednesday’s finale packed the usual array of medleys, group performances and guest appearances. Stars on the roster included Rihanna (who hit the stage to perform “Where Have You Been”), Chaka Kahn (who joined the female finalists on “I’m Every Woman”), Neil Diamond (who did “Sweet Caroline” with the male contestants) and Reba McEntire (who sang “Turn on the Radio” with Skylar Laine). Josha Ledet sang Elton John’s “Take Me to the Pilot” alongside Fantasia Barrino, whom he introduced as “the biggest inspiration in my life” and who hit the stage in a wild, form-fitting catsuit and long hair, while another former “Idol” winner, Jordin Sparks, took the stage with Hollie Cavanagh on “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” John Fogerty teamed up with Phillips on the Creedence Clearwater Revival classics “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” and “Bad Moon Rising,” and Jennifer Holliday teamed up with Sanchez on the “Dreamgirls” signature song “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” (Earlier, Sanchez hit the stage on her own to reprise her performance of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”) The “Idol” finalists — minus Phillips and Sanchez, who teamed up on Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes’ “Up Where We Belong” late in the show — opened the show with Bruno Mars’ “Runaway Baby,” and the male finalists paid tribute to the late Robin Gibb by running through a handful of Bee Gees classics, including “How Deep is Your Love,” “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” and “To Love Somebody.” The “Idol” judges got in on the action as well. Jennifer Lopez performed “Goin’ In” with Flo Rida and Lil Jon and “Follow the Leader” with Puerto Rican duo Wisin & Yandel, while Steven Tyler hit the stage with his Aerosmith cohorts to do their new single “Legendary Child” along with “Walk This Way.” The show also featured “Idol’s” first live wedding proposal, when fifth season finalist Ace Young proposed to third season runner-up Diana DeGarmo while the dramatic “Idol” suspense-building music played in the background. (DeGarmo accepted despite Young’s tacky jewelry store plug mid-proposal.) Phillips and Sanchez were also given new Ford automobiles for their efforts. Next up? After the finalists make the media rounds, the “American Idol” summer tour — featuring the season’s top 10 finalists — kicks off July 6 in Detroit. What did you think of the “Idol” finale? Let us know in the comments! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Finale Red Carpet
‘It’s not really something I would write, so I’m excited to get my own stuff out there,’ he tells MTV News. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Kelly Marino Phillip Phillips on the “American Idol” finale red carpet Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images As has been his M.O. throughout this 11th season of “American Idol,” Phillip Phillips wowed the crowd and the judges with his show-stopping final performance of would-be single “Home.” MTV News was lucky enough to chat with Phillips on the red carpet leading up to the big finale Wednesday (May 23), where he revealed a few details about how he wound up choosing the rootsy ballad. “It wasn’t really too much of a process,” Phillips admitted with his trademark “aw, shucks” smile. “I got to hear it once and they said, ‘Would you like to do it?’ ” Obviously, Phillips did want to do that song, a smart decision that led to the evening’s only standing ovation from the judges. However, if the Georgia native had to do it all over again, without the strict time constraints they work under on “Idol,” Phillips said he would have preferred to have performed his own original song. “I wanted to do my own stuff, but we only had a certain amount of time to do everything, so I had to do that one, and it’s a really good song,” he said. “The writers are really good. It’s not really something I would write, so I’m excited to get my own stuff out there.” We’re sure Phillips’ adoring fans are excited to listen to his “stuff” as well. In the meantime they can watch and re-watch the sweet-tempered 21-year-old’s final performance, complete with a marching band, to hold them over. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Finale Red Carpet
