New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma ( @JonVilma51 ) was in South Beach supporting his hometown hero DJ Irie at his seventh annual charity weekend. The Pro Bowler said that he has been practicing with teammate Drew Brees and hopes that the players and owners can come to a contract agreement that will end the current lockout . He also had some advice for athletes using Twitter . Watch our exclusive video.
We break down the first sneak peek of Tom Cruise’s fourth ‘Mission.’ By Eric Ditzian and Josh Wigler Tom Cruise in “Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol” Photo: Paramount The first “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” trailer begins in classic fashion for this epic spy franchise: with a ridiculously destructive explosion. It’s been almost six years, after all, since the previous installment hit theaters, and so this new footage, which popped up online Tuesday evening, delivers the fiery goods early and often. Hit play on the embedded video as we walk through some of the key moments in the trailer, then read on for a deeper exploration of what’s going on in the “Ghost Protocol” footage. The J.J. Abrams Conspiracy Early on, as Tom Wilkinson explains the unachievable mission Tom Cruise and his team will confront, we see Wilkinson flip through a series of digital profiles of the IMF agents. Josh Holloway’s character, it seems, is “disavowed.” Now if you’re a fan of the franchise, you’ll remember that in the third film, Keri Russell (a veteran of producer J.J. Abrams’ “Felicity”) is killed surprisingly early in the action. Our working theory is that we’re in for a similar treat for Holloway, who starred in Abrams’ “Lost.” We don’t see a lot of him in the rest of the trailer, and when you do see him, he’s usually alone. All signs point to Holloway getting an unfortunate, and quite possibly bloody, exit in “Ghost Protocol.” The Brad Bird Comparison Midway through the trailer, we get a moment that clearly harkens back to the first “M:I” movie. As Jeremy Renner flies down into a silo-like structure and the camera follows him from above, we can’t help but think of the moment in the original film in which Cruise, secured via harness, swooped down into a secure CIA facility. While J.J. Abrams has told us “Ghost Protocol” will carry the unmistakable signature of director Brad Bird , who is making his live-action debut after animated fare like “The Incredibles,” it’s hard to see any Birdian touches here. This looks like a “Mission” movie, not a Brad Bird one. And we wonder if, in the finished film, that will still be the case. One of Bird’s signature stylistic traits is action (and interactions) infused with humor, and “M:I” is hardly a franchise that goes for laughs. The Tom Cruise Marathon It would not be a Tom Cruise movie, let alone a “Mission” movie, without a shot of the action star running like the wind. There’s a hilarious YouTube video about this, which is definitely worth watching. But all jokes aside, let’s give Cruise some serious credit: We tend to take him for granted, but the guy is almost 50 years old, and here he’s running, jumping, diving and nearly dying. That’s impressive stuff. The Jeremy Renner Possibility Renner, of “Hurt Locker” fame, is a new face in the franchise; last year, he told MTV News he was being groomed to take over the franchise from Cruise . But that’s not at all the sense we get from the trailer, especially when Cruise suggests Renner is hiding something. First off, Renner is reportedly the front-runner to take over the “Bourne” franchise from Matt Damon, and it’d be odd to have the guy be the face of two separate spy series. And second, based on some of the dialogue in the trailer, there just might be a twist with Renner’s character in “Ghost Protocol.” Is he a villain? Is the trailer just trying to throw us for a loop? Can we possibly have a “Mission” movie in the future that doesn’t feature Cruise himself? The IMAX Grandeur The trailer wraps up with an epic scene in which Tom Cruise scales the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai, the tallest building in the world. This scene is compelling for two reasons. One, it was shot with IMAX cameras, and for all the technical mumbo-jumbo you can get into when talking about this technology, the fact is that watching something shot in IMAX delivers a singularly breathtaking visual scope. “Ghost Protocol” will be worth seeing in an IMAX theater just for this scene. And second, Cruise clearly stole the gloves he wore in “Minority Report” to scale this building, “Spider-Man”-style. Hey, can you blame a guy for trying to sneak a swarm of blockbusters into one film? Check out everything we’ve got on “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos Analyzing The ‘Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol’ Trailer
Third installment of the Shia LaBeouf-starring ‘Bot franchise is getting the best notices yet. By Eric Ditzian Sentinel Prime in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Photo: Paramount Pictures We’ve now seen “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” — during a raucous pre-release IMAX screening that left our ears ringing and our senses tingling — and can vouch for the consensus critical opinion surrounding the summer blockbuster: It’s the finest film in the franchise. That’s the overall take. But how do the three films — including the 2007 original and 2009’s “Revenge of the Fallen” — stack up when you’re gauging various cinematic elements? To get to the bottom of that question, we have to dive back into the historical record. The Story “T1” : “The screenwriters, Alex Kurtzmann and Robert Orci, don’t bother to explain as they go along; they just pile up the bang-crash action sequences and, when things get too confusing, screech to a halt for some plodding explanatory dialogue.” — Dana Stevens, Slate “T2” : “There is much absurd backstory and crammed-in explanation for what is going on and despite much of it being voiced by the thunderous Peter Cullen … it still gets annoying.” — Jordan Hoffman, UGO “T3” : “Writer Ehren Kruger … had script duties all to himself, and he has fashioned a narrative of ornate silliness — which is to say, pretty good pulpy fun.” — Kurt Loder, Reason The Visuals “T1” : “The visuals are the real stars here. Though they grow repetitive, the robots’ transforming scenes — joints bending, appendages stretching, gears whirling — are too cool to ever become boring.” — David Germain, The Associated Press “T2” : “The battle scenes are bewildering. A Bot makes no visual sense anyway, but two or three tangled up together create an incomprehensible confusion.” — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times “T3” : “By showing a measure of restraint and using 3-D to excellent effect, Bay finally enables the Transformers to emerge as players in their own right, with hopes and dreams, declaiming their philosophies of fate, humankind and the universe in grand Shakespearean style.” — Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times The Performances “T1” : “LaBeouf has the hefty job of single-handedly injecting the action with personality, and he brings it off, though without offering much variation on his nervous, hipster-squirt charm.” — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly “T2” : “Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, who are definitely the stars as far as how much of the movie they’re in compared to anyone else, both throw themselves into the physical demands of the film with admirable zeal, which is good, since there’s nothing else to the roles.” — Drew McWeeny, HitFix “T3” : “LaBeouf is highly physical and crowd-pleasingly jerky as the little man and the franchise’s centerpiece, Sam Witwicky. If all Tom Cruise consumed were juice boxes of Red Bull, LaBoeuf is who he’d be.” — Wesley Morris, Boston Globe The Bottom Line “T1” : “We knew it would be dumb. But we had no idea it would be so much dumb fun.” — Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinal “T2” : “[Though] it has plenty of popcorn moments that can be big, dumb fun (alien secrets under a pyramid, sexy girls who sprout mechanical tails at the worst moments), director Michael Bay’s sequel is louder and more illogical than the megasuccessful 2007 original.” — Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News “T3” : “‘Dark of the Moon’ is hardly a fleet production, but here Bay makes his best, most flexible use yet of all the flamboyant bigness at his command: computer-drawn characters and human actors seem to occupy the same narrative for once.” — Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly Check out everything we’ve got on “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos ‘Transformers: Dark Of The Moon’ ‘Transformers: Dark Of The Moon’ Crashes Into New York City
Keep voting over on the MTV Movies Blog to determine the best ‘Potter’ character of all time. By Eric Ditzian Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” Photo: Warner Bros. The second round of MTV News’ “Harry Potter” World Cup — the fan-voted tournament to pick the greatest character in the fantasy franchise — is already under way, but we’d like to pause for a minute to say how damn impressed we are. We offered up this momentous task to you, and you came through in a big way over the first round , voting more than 1.2 million times to make sure your favorite wizards and witches, heroes and villains, owls, elves and werewolves made it through to the next round. Magical stuff! And it’s only just beginning. Round two is shaping up to deliver us some blowouts, some neck-and-neck competitions and one upset that could have fans of another supernatural series up in arms. On that last point, we’re talking about Mr. Robert Pattinson . Before RPattz got mixed up in the “Twilight” madness, he took on the role of Cedric Diggory, a wizard who was only featured in “Goblet of Fire” but whose death changed the course of Hogwarts history and earned the character a #3 seed in our tournament. Cedric coasted through the first round and seemed to have a path cleared for him in future rounds by “Twilight” fans, who knocked Luna Lovegood out in a shocking round-one defeat. Yet “Potter” fans seem to be fighting back in round two. Cedric now finds himself in a fierce battle with Narcissa Malfoy, the Dark Lord ally who squeaked by Lovegood in round one and could make it two upsets in a row. As of this writing, Narcissa leads the voting 53 percent to Cedric’s 47 percent. All this makes for one of round two’s most exciting matchups. And a lot can happen before voting ends July 1 at 12:01 p.m. ET. Will the throw-down between brother/sister tandem George and Ginny Weasley , for example, go down to the wire? Right now, they’re locked in a virtual tie. And can Professor Minerva McGonagall , the head honcho of Gryffindor, maintain a razor-thin margin of victory over timid-yet-ultimately heroic Neville Longbottom? Don’t count that dude out yet. Other matches seem already decided. Ron Weasley holds a commanding lead over Quidditch top dog Oliver Wood. Ron’s gal pal Hermione and best friend Harry Potter , meanwhile, have each also raced out to nearly impossible-to-overcome leads. Big shock there, right? The big three are going to coast safely into the Sweet 16. There they’ll no doubt greet Severus Snape , the is-he-really-bad-or-maybe-kinda-good wizard who is deservedly a fan favorite. He’s far ahead in his face-off with itty-bitty Professor Flitwick. We’ll go ahead now and call it: Snape for the win! And let’s cross our fingers that Dobby the House Elf , he of the adorable voice and self-sacrificing worldview, maintains his hefty lead over Kingsley Shacklebolt, who honestly is on borrowed time after a round-one upset of Mad-Eye Moody. So that’s where we stand about halfway through the second round. Don’t let your personal fave pull a Mad-Eye Moody. Make sure he, she or it gets your support. With millions of votes coming through, it’s up to you to vote and vote and vote. And then vote some more before we anoint the greatest character of all time in MTV News’ Harry Potter World Cup. Who is the best “Harry Potter” character of all time? The “Harry Potter” World Cup will find out! Voting is going on now over on the MTV Movies Blog , and you can also get the debate going on Twitter with the hashtag #mtvpottercup. Related Videos The ‘Harry Potter’ World Cup Related Photos The ‘Harry Potter’ World Cup Players
Coen brother stock actor John Turturro told the AV Club that not only would he love to make a big screen spin-off for his Big Lebowski bowler Jesus Quintana, but he has already written up some notes. “Joel and Ethan don’t really want to do it, but if I can get them to approve my outline, which I think they liked there’s a very good chance of making it.” Until then, you’re just going to have to settle for those DirecTV commercials for your Lebowski reunion fix. [ AV Club ]
With the invention of Twitter I get a lot of pictures sent to me that don’t make a whole lot of sense. Here are a couple of shots of cutie Hilary Duff working out with some Fabio looking douche and balancing on her husbands leg like a really sexy toy. Weirdo. Clearly hockey players have no idea how to properly get a lap dance. Anyhow, at least in the first shot she’s wearing a tiny pair of spandex short short and that’s all kinds of alright. Enjoy.
We’ve heard of being an animal lover but this is just ridiculous! A dog eat dog world would have actually been better than this scenario. A man is facing an animal cruelty charge after his grandson saw him attempting to have sex with a dog, according to a Walton County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. Eugene Hickman, 54, was arrested on Saturday morning and charged with one felony count of animal cruelty, according to the report. His family contacted law enforcement after the grandson told his father that he had seen Hickman nude in the bedroom on top of the dog, the report stated. When asked about the incident, Hickman didn’t deny it and said he knew it was wrong and wouldn’t do it again, the report said. The 3-year-old female bulldog was turned over to animal control by deputies and was going to be examined by a veterinarian. NASTY!!!! Other reports say he tried getting it on with the dog but wasn’t able to get his male part to enter her. That poor kid is probably traumatized for life just from seeing that! Source
If you can’t find a single, actually married “Basketball Wife” on TV, it isn’t because they don’t exist! Check out a few of the players – and one owner – who found the loves of their lives and put a ring on it.
‘It will all be clear in the negotiations following me turning this actual album in,’ Fif tells MTV News. By Rob Markman 50 Cent Photo: Tiffany Rose/ WireImage After selling millions of records with Interscope, will 50 Cent be looking to jump ship? Anything is possible as the G-Unit head honcho prepares his fifth and final contracted album on the powerhouse label. “I don’t know,” 50 told MTV News when asked if he would ink back with Interscope once his five-album deal was fulfilled. “It will all be clear in the negotiations following me turning this actual album in. And, of course, the performance and how they actually treat the work will determine whether you still want to stay in that position or not.” Last week, on June 16, Fif took his label to task via Twitter when he fired off, “I’m sorry to announce I will not be releasing a new album this year if we don’t get on the same page.” Soon after, he tweeted: “My whole career iv been doing sh– and they have been playing catch up this is the last f—ing album THEY BETTER WAKE UP AND WORK.” Feeling he could no longer wait on the label and that he had to take matters into his own hands, the rapper then went on to release his new street single “Outlaw” later that evening. “It’s not necessarily [Dr.] Dre or [chairman] Jimmy [Iovine]; it’s more the guys that they pass the responsibilities on to,” 50 told MTV News the next day. “It takes longer for people, because they’ll be like, ‘OK, we’re gonna do this and we’re gonna do that,’ and the building will start having those conversations, but they’re not actually moving at that point. “They’re behind it, but to get everybody moving at the same beat and moving at the same pace is the object,” he added. “That was what the goal was even writing that statement and releasing the song.” It’s obvious that for 50, there is a lot riding on this project. He isn’t opposed to re-signing with the record company helmed by Iovine, but he also isn’t opposed to walking away and going independent either. For the Southside Jamaica, Queens, MC, the label support for his upcoming LP will determine his next move. “It’s not like you’re gonna be able to make a project bigger than the actual project is, but if the songs are right and you have full support and you feel that support, why would you want to go anywhere else?” he said. “If not, if you don’t have that support, why would you want to sign to another system? In the financial state that I’m in, you just do it yourself.” In 2010, 50 took his artist Lloyd Banks and signed him to EMI Records , where he structured the deal to operate much like an independent. Banks’ The Hunger for More album has already produced five singles and created a presence for the Queens rapper among his contemporaries. “You’ve seen the success of Lloyd Banks’ project with me being behind him financially,” 50 said. “You can’t tell the difference between him and other artists that are on major record companies.” Do you think 50 should stick with Interscope or go indie? Share your thoughts in the comments! Related Photos The Evolution Of: 50 Cent Related Artists 50 Cent
Hermione Granger is also dominating in the first round of the MTV News tournament. By Eric Ditzian Alan Rickman as Professor Snape in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” Photo: Warner Bros. Don’t pooh-pooh Filius Flitwick! That’s just one of the lessons coming into focus little more than 24 hours into the epic showdown we call the “Harry Potter” World Cup . Though the diminutive master of Charms nabbed just a 10 seed in our monthlong tournament, in which fans have been voting online to choose the greatest character in the fantasy franchise, Professor Flitwick has raced out to a commanding first-round lead over his fellow Hogwarts colleague, and number-seven seed, Sybill Trelawney. But voting in the initial round doesn’t close until midnight on Monday, meaning there’s more than enough time for Trelawney fans to divine a whole lot of votes in her honor. Other contests seem less prone to an upset. Honestly, what are the chances Harry Potter himself , facing off against Dark Arts devotee Quirinus Quirrell, gets an unexpected first-round ouster from the World Cup? As of this writing, the boy wizard has wrangled more than 95 percent of the vote. His pal Hermione Granger, meanwhile , has garnered more than 98 percent of the vote in her battle with often-salacious journalist Rita Skeeter. See photos of all of the “Potter” World Cup players. But that was all to be expected. Early voting has also shown us some characters that could become Cinderella stories. Dobby the House Elf , the adorable rascal who made the ultimate sacrifice to save Harry and company, shot out to a maybe-we-should-call-it-now lead over Gryffindor half-blood Dean Thomas. Maybe now it’s time for Dobby, who’s always been the servant until now, to lead a fan-supported charge. Yet the floppy-eared elf could well run up against Severus Snape, who himself is dominating a first-round matchup with Death Eater spawn Vincent Crabbe, in the Sweet 16. Snape, as “Potter” buffs know, has one of the most complex and satisfying character arcs in the entire series. Only Dobby, we presume, stands between him and an Elite Eight showdown with Harry. That’s the main action in the Privet Drive quadrant of the bracket . Over in Godric’s Hollow, while Hermione is busy wiping the floor with Rita, the phoenix Fawkes is straight up embarrassing poor Nearly Headless Nick. But voting in Albus Dumbledore’s game hasn’t even started. If you ask us, anyone who thinks someone like Dark Arts defender Remus Lupin is going to stand in the way of a Hermione vs. Dumbledore Elite Eight face off is crazy. See the full bracket and vote! Things haven’t even gotten started on the other side of the bracket. There’s a whole lot of Weasley brawling going on in the Hogsmeade section, not only with Ron securing the top seed but with Arthur cruelly conjuring up a war with his son Percy. But all that may become background noise once Cedric Diggory (memorably, if briefly, portrayed onscreen by one Robert Pattinson) gets in on the action. Even Ron Weasley, he who won the heart of Hermione, might not be able to take down the “Twilight” heartthrob. Voting kicks off Wednesday. And then in Diagon Alley, we find perhaps the tournament’s most competitive corner. Count ’em off: Lord Voldemort, Draco Malfoy (whose Tom Felton has collected two straight MTV Movie Award Best Villain wins ), Sirius Black and his murderer, Bellatrix Lestrange. About the only thing we can predict at this point is that Lord V is going to freaking destroy Moaning Myrtle, who might need a new nickname soon. Voting in these matches begins on Thursday. Who is the best “Harry Potter” character of all time? The “Harry Potter” World Cup will find out! Voting is going on now over on the MTV Movies Blog , and you can also get the debate going on Twitter with the hashtag #mtvpottercup. Related Videos The ‘Harry Potter’ World Cup Related Photos The ‘Harry Potter’ World Cup Players
