Living, breathing rocker and New Year’s Eve star Jon Bon Jovi showed off his impressive physique on a family Christmas vacation, while doing a little reading. Nice. As you can see, the Internet hoax that proclaimed Jon Bon Jovi dead earlier this month was B.S. – helpfully cleared up by the singer himself – and thank goodness. What kind of person actually starts a Twitter hoax to kill off Bon Jovi, you ask? Well, we now know, as the person responsible for starting the rumor confessed! Pennsylvania musician Jeffrey Goho told the Asbury Park Press (N.J.) he started a fake Twitter account in mid-December with the intention of offing Jon Bon. He reported that the “Wanted Dead or Alive” singer passed away on tour in his native New Jersey. Since then, “I’ve gotten a lot of backlash from it,” he says. Stunning news right there. Goho recalls how it got started: “All I heard was ‘Bon Jovi this,’ ‘Bon Jovi starting a restaurant.’ The Advil commercial. It was like, ‘Jeez, (Bon Jovi) was a household name due to music, not business.” “Long story short, [my band and I] got so worked up in the conversation, I just kind of took the liberty and started (the rumor), because I was so irritated.” Makes sense. Totally worth fake killing someone over. Goho said that within 24 hours his account was “slammed” with hate mail. “I’m not proud of this,’’ he said, but denies he had any self-promoting motive. “No, no, no, I didn’t do this as a business endeavor. As stupid as it sounds, I was just irritated. It was wrong to do and I almost kind of hurt myself.” “Ultimately, the more thought I gave to it I realized that his endeavors, his business endeavors, have actually made the tri-state area prosper, hence more musicians have more available places to go, more people to play to, and I was quite wrong.” Hey, at least he can admit it now. [Photo: WENN.com]
Writer/director Dee Rees has spent six years with Pariah , a film she wrote as a full-length script in 2005, then recalibrated as a short subject in ’07, and finally re-adapted as a feature film that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Pariah concerns a teenager named Alike (Independent Spirit Award nominee Adepero Oduye), an expressive girl who only encounters more identity issues as she tries establishing herself as an out lesbian. Though Rees came out as a lesbian in her 20s, she feels a deep connection to Alike — especially in her resistance to “butch” and “femme” labels. Movieline caught up with Rees to discuss Pariah ‘s wonderful story, the visibility of the LGBT coming out experience in 2011, and Rees’s unexpected connection to Dallas . Since Pariah ’s genesis as a short film years ago, there’s been a lot more visibility about the coming-out experience. Did you find it necessary to tailor the movie to the burgeoning sense of awareness about the topic? When I first wrote the script in ’05, I had a sense of who Alike was and where she was going, so there was no pressure to change it because I wanted to stay true to her and what her experience was. I didn’t want to make Alike’s experience vary from anyone else’s experience or make it topical. I just let it be what it was and just trustd that if we’re honest about the character and honest about the world, that it would be relevant no matter when it came out. It’s funny because some people along the way have said, “Is this an issue anymore? Is being gay cool now?” And it’s like, no. It’s not OK now, and it’s not “cool.” Although people’s experiences of coming out are changing and it’s becoming much more visible, that’s not necessarily everyone’s experience. It was about remaining true to the character and what this story was. I’m glad to see that coming out is relevant and people are aware of it, but I definitely didn’t feel compelled to make it fit anything. You’ve said that you came out in your 20s, but you wrote about the coming-out experience of a teenage girl. How did you find the inspiration for her character? It was just my own coming-out experience sort of transposed onto a 17-year-old. I chose to make her 17 because it’s such a higher-stakes age; figuring stuff out that young, it’s going to be higher because you’re still dependent on your parents and so much is still uncertain about you. You don’t know what you’re going to be. For her to make that discovery at that age, it makes her more interesting. For me, it’s also inspired by being in New York and being among out teenagers, which is something I’d never seen in Nashville, Tennessee. I barely saw out adults. To see out teenagers who were not only out, but out in the streets was inspiring for me. It made me wonder, “Even if I had known at 17, would I have that courage to be the person in the film?” – this woman who was trying to live in two worlds. Do you have particular favorite teenager characters from movies? No, not really! I just like Alike because she’s imperfect. Initially she isn’t courageous. In teen movies, we see characters who get to say exactly what’s on their mind and say what they want and thumb their nose in the face of adult authority. For Alike, I wanted someone who didn’t feel quite comfortable – someone who’s not so self-possessed, not so self-assured, and is figuring things out. Pariah ’s lead actress Adepero Oduye just earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Can you describe watching her on set? What did she bring to the character? Watching her on set was an experience of watching her inner life. Adepero is so expressive and yet so subtle. It was great to watch changes going on in her eyes and going on in her body language and behavior – those unspoken things. I felt like I was watching her internalize the characters’ feelings. She was really in that moment. She was really feeling what Alike was feeling. The feeling like she wanted to cry, feeling like she wanted to laugh – the changes were literally visceral. They were changing her, moving through her body. Getting to watch somebody unfold on camera is like watching a flower open. Amazing. In recent years, we’ve seen more in the media about gay men’s coming out experiences than lesbians’. Do you think Pariah highlights the specificity of a woman’s coming-out? I think Pariah highlights that there’s this gray area within the gay or lesbian community. Sometimes there’s a pressure to check a box, to either be hard and be butch or be feminine and wear heels. Alike’s neither of those things, so there’s a gray area. And her coming-out experience is different because she’s coming into a different space. Alike’s not figuring out if she’s gay – she knows she loves women, that’s not her question. It’s more “How [do I] be in the world?” The first half hour isn’t “Am I gay?” It’s, “Laura’s telling me I should be butch. Mom’s telling me I should be femme.” Versus other coming out experiences, like… when she’s wearing the club clothes, that’s not really her. When she changes into this different thing for Mom, she’s not that either. We don’t see her changing from her true self into another self – she’s neither of things she’s taking on or off. We don’t know who she is. She doesn’t really want to be this butch lesbian. She just wants to be Alike. You’ve been talking about this project everywhere for years and years. You’re the Carmen Sandiego of the indie film circuit. Which was the best kids’ game show ever! Indeed! What have you gained from spending so much time introducing the film to festival audiences? Specifically from being on tour with the film, I’ve gained a huge connection with audiences – an affirmation that we told the story truthfully. To your point, we weren’t writing it based on what people were saying or what was going on in the world. We stayed in a cocoon and wrote this thing. When we finished, we didn’t know how people would respond. But people felt we told a story and were honest with the experience, so we gained a feeling of affirmation. And personally, having gone from a point where when I was coming out and I was not quite sure the world that the world would accept me for who I have, or not quite sure that I could be loved or find love, and going to this press tour and seeing audiences embrace the film and saying, “We love you,” Pariah basically gave me the courage to be who I am. I came out behind the shield of this film. This tour has been this amazing wash of affirmation and love. It makes me feel good about audiences. They’re smart and progressive and open. They’re willing to see stories beyond themselves, images that don’t exactly look like them. It restored my faith in cinemagoers. They are hungering for good stories and are willing to step outside their experience to get them. Lastly, what do you have coming up? I imagine your new projects differ from Pariah because this movie is so emotional. One project coming up is called Large Print , a spec script I did, which is about a 50-something insurance adjuster who is recently divorced and lately incontinent, and has to redefine happiness for herself. Though she’s 56, it’s still a coming-of-age story. It’s going to be an emotional film because she’s played life by the rules and nothing’s turned out the way she’s expected. The other film I’m writing is called Bolo , a thriller set in the south. It’s also about, “What is home?” What if where you grew up changes? How do you accept that? Though it has more of a genre element, it goes back to these human things. I’m working on a TV series with HBO and Viola Davis about corruption in education, which will be cool. I’m working on another TV series called Reveal set in Nashville. It’s Dallas meets The Wire , about a city going through an identity crisis. I continue to be drawn to characters, and characters that are flawed especially. I love exploring flawed people trying to make their way. Did you just say “ Dallas meets The Wire ?” Yeah! Do you know how exciting that is? Ha! We’ll see! Dallas was the soap growing up. All my aunts gathered around the TV. We should not have been the target audience for Dallas . Pariah debuts in limited U.S. release December 28. Follow Louis Virtel on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Writer/director Dee Rees has spent six years with Pariah , a film she wrote as a full-length script in 2005, then recalibrated as a short subject in ’07, and finally re-adapted as a feature film that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Pariah concerns a teenager named Alike (Independent Spirit Award nominee Adepero Oduye), an expressive girl who only encounters more identity issues as she tries establishing herself as an out lesbian. Though Rees came out as a lesbian in her 20s, she feels a deep connection to Alike — especially in her resistance to “butch” and “femme” labels. Movieline caught up with Rees to discuss Pariah ‘s wonderful story, the visibility of the LGBT coming out experience in 2011, and Rees’s unexpected connection to Dallas . Since Pariah ’s genesis as a short film years ago, there’s been a lot more visibility about the coming-out experience. Did you find it necessary to tailor the movie to the burgeoning sense of awareness about the topic? When I first wrote the script in ’05, I had a sense of who Alike was and where she was going, so there was no pressure to change it because I wanted to stay true to her and what her experience was. I didn’t want to make Alike’s experience vary from anyone else’s experience or make it topical. I just let it be what it was and just trustd that if we’re honest about the character and honest about the world, that it would be relevant no matter when it came out. It’s funny because some people along the way have said, “Is this an issue anymore? Is being gay cool now?” And it’s like, no. It’s not OK now, and it’s not “cool.” Although people’s experiences of coming out are changing and it’s becoming much more visible, that’s not necessarily everyone’s experience. It was about remaining true to the character and what this story was. I’m glad to see that coming out is relevant and people are aware of it, but I definitely didn’t feel compelled to make it fit anything. You’ve said that you came out in your 20s, but you wrote about the coming-out experience of a teenage girl. How did you find the inspiration for her character? It was just my own coming-out experience sort of transposed onto a 17-year-old. I chose to make her 17 because it’s such a higher-stakes age; figuring stuff out that young, it’s going to be higher because you’re still dependent on your parents and so much is still uncertain about you. You don’t know what you’re going to be. For her to make that discovery at that age, it makes her more interesting. For me, it’s also inspired by being in New York and being among out teenagers, which is something I’d never seen in Nashville, Tennessee. I barely saw out adults. To see out teenagers who were not only out, but out in the streets was inspiring for me. It made me wonder, “Even if I had known at 17, would I have that courage to be the person in the film?” – this woman who was trying to live in two worlds. Do you have particular favorite teenager characters from movies? No, not really! I just like Alike because she’s imperfect. Initially she isn’t courageous. In teen movies, we see characters who get to say exactly what’s on their mind and say what they want and thumb their nose in the face of adult authority. For Alike, I wanted someone who didn’t feel quite comfortable – someone who’s not so self-possessed, not so self-assured, and is figuring things out. Pariah ’s lead actress Adepero Oduye just earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Can you describe watching her on set? What did she bring to the character? Watching her on set was an experience of watching her inner life. Adepero is so expressive and yet so subtle. It was great to watch changes going on in her eyes and going on in her body language and behavior – those unspoken things. I felt like I was watching her internalize the characters’ feelings. She was really in that moment. She was really feeling what Alike was feeling. The feeling like she wanted to cry, feeling like she wanted to laugh – the changes were literally visceral. They were changing her, moving through her body. Getting to watch somebody unfold on camera is like watching a flower open. Amazing. In recent years, we’ve seen more in the media about gay men’s coming out experiences than lesbians’. Do you think Pariah highlights the specificity of a woman’s coming-out? I think Pariah highlights that there’s this gray area within the gay or lesbian community. Sometimes there’s a pressure to check a box, to either be hard and be butch or be feminine and wear heels. Alike’s neither of those things, so there’s a gray area. And her coming-out experience is different because she’s coming into a different space. Alike’s not figuring out if she’s gay – she knows she loves women, that’s not her question. It’s more “How [do I] be in the world?” The first half hour isn’t “Am I gay?” It’s, “Laura’s telling me I should be butch. Mom’s telling me I should be femme.” Versus other coming out experiences, like… when she’s wearing the club clothes, that’s not really her. When she changes into this different thing for Mom, she’s not that either. We don’t see her changing from her true self into another self – she’s neither of things she’s taking on or off. We don’t know who she is. She doesn’t really want to be this butch lesbian. She just wants to be Alike. You’ve been talking about this project everywhere for years and years. You’re the Carmen Sandiego of the indie film circuit. Which was the best kids’ game show ever! Indeed! What have you gained from spending so much time introducing the film to festival audiences? Specifically from being on tour with the film, I’ve gained a huge connection with audiences – an affirmation that we told the story truthfully. To your point, we weren’t writing it based on what people were saying or what was going on in the world. We stayed in a cocoon and wrote this thing. When we finished, we didn’t know how people would respond. But people felt we told a story and were honest with the experience, so we gained a feeling of affirmation. And personally, having gone from a point where when I was coming out and I was not quite sure the world that the world would accept me for who I have, or not quite sure that I could be loved or find love, and going to this press tour and seeing audiences embrace the film and saying, “We love you,” Pariah basically gave me the courage to be who I am. I came out behind the shield of this film. This tour has been this amazing wash of affirmation and love. It makes me feel good about audiences. They’re smart and progressive and open. They’re willing to see stories beyond themselves, images that don’t exactly look like them. It restored my faith in cinemagoers. They are hungering for good stories and are willing to step outside their experience to get them. Lastly, what do you have coming up? I imagine your new projects differ from Pariah because this movie is so emotional. One project coming up is called Large Print , a spec script I did, which is about a 50-something insurance adjuster who is recently divorced and lately incontinent, and has to redefine happiness for herself. Though she’s 56, it’s still a coming-of-age story. It’s going to be an emotional film because she’s played life by the rules and nothing’s turned out the way she’s expected. The other film I’m writing is called Bolo , a thriller set in the south. It’s also about, “What is home?” What if where you grew up changes? How do you accept that? Though it has more of a genre element, it goes back to these human things. I’m working on a TV series with HBO and Viola Davis about corruption in education, which will be cool. I’m working on another TV series called Reveal set in Nashville. It’s Dallas meets The Wire , about a city going through an identity crisis. I continue to be drawn to characters, and characters that are flawed especially. I love exploring flawed people trying to make their way. Did you just say “ Dallas meets The Wire ?” Yeah! Do you know how exciting that is? Ha! We’ll see! Dallas was the soap growing up. All my aunts gathered around the TV. We should not have been the target audience for Dallas . Pariah debuts in limited U.S. release December 28. Follow Louis Virtel on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Who’s excited for 2012? I said, Who’s excited for 2012? Oh. Well, it’s coming whether you want it or not, and Mayan doomsday predictions and a U.S. presidential election aside, there is stuff to look forward to. Get your calendars ready and read on for 20 dates worth saving at the movies alone. Jan. 6 : The Devil Inside becomes the millionth exorcist movie to open in theaters, thus netting a $3 million cash prize and earning the producers and 20 of their closest friends a free party and Dave and Buster’s. Jan. 15 : In a craven, ruinous grab for ratings, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association invites a suicide bomber to host the Golden Globe Awards. Jan. 20 : Coriolanus makes its official post-Oscar-qualifying debut in theaters. Take Stephanie and Louis and my words for it: You really should see it. Feb. 10 : Watch a Michael Caine paycheck role come alive as you’ve never seen it before — in the eye-popping 3-D family adventure Journey 2: The Mysterious Island . Feb. 26 : “Ziss ees for you, Uggie”: Jean Dujardin dedicates his Best Actor prize at the 84th Academy Awards to his criminally underrecognized canine co-star . March 2 : Holy shit, they really made Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters ? With Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton and Famke Janssen? Wow. OK. Anyway, this opens today. March 9 : Disney commences counting how much money it lost on the ultra expensive, roundly buzzless John Carter . March 23 : Fangirl civil war erupts as The Hunger Games makes its first incursion against the creaky, sparkly Twilight empire. The rest of us, faced only with the sad counterprogramming spectacle of A Thousand Words , flee to art-house refugee camps nationwide. April 27 : The crackerjack comic duo of Jason Segel and Emily Blunt Alison Brie and Jacki Weaver co-star in The Five-Year Engagement June 22 — Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter winds up a distressing month of predatorily-titled blockbusters including Snow White and the Huntsman , Jack the Giant Killer and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted . Which is fine, because you’re going to be watching the awesome-looking , June 8-opening Prometheus for the fifth time this weekend, anyway. July 20 — The Dark Knight Rises opens! To quote Bane, the film’s excited villain: “ Fghrlkdjhafskdfbldkbsj .” July 27 : Tyler Perry’s The Marriage Counselor reaches theaters, finally exposing audiences everywhere to the subtle dramatic charms of Kim Kardashian. I smell a Verge ! Or maybe it’s just Valtrex. Aug. 17 : Boldly leaping to the front of the Oscar-season line, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association moves up its awards-voting date to Aug. 20 after seeing The Expendables 2 . Sept. 28 : The year of Taylor Kitsch — previously comprising John Carter and Battleship — concludes with the only one of his films any grown-ass adult wants to actually see: The Oliver Stone pot-cartel thriller Savages , co-starring Beinicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Blake Lively and Emile Hirsch. Oct. 12 : From Kevin James and his Zookeeper director Frank Coraci comes the teacher-turned-MMA moonlighter comedy Here Comes the Boom . I only bring it up because Jesus will weep so copiously that you might start filling and stacking sandbags now . Oct. 19 : Ryan Gosling. Emma Stone. Josh Brolin. Sean Penn. Gangster Squad . That is all. Nov. 16 : The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 concludes the billion-dollar franchise, instantly prompting millions of prodigious sobbing binges. But enough about Taylor Lautner’s management team. Nov. 21 : The visionary filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron returns with Gravity , which draws a robust opening-weekend crowd with its promise of showing Sandra Bullock shot into space. Dec. 19 : Kathryn Bigelow’s as-yet-unnamed Osama bin Laden movie — working title: Banned in Pakistan — reaches theaters. Dec. 25 : A very DiCaprio Christmas gets underway with Django Unchained and The Great Gatsby . Enjoy 2012, everyone! Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
I’m Julia and I’m 18 years old! I never thought I’d get the chance to post an MBE as fast as this happened. This past February, Justin came to NML at MuchMusic in Toronto and I wasn’t able to get wristbands. I cried for so long, so I thought I’d try my luck! My friend and I ended up being 2nd in line so we got autographs when Justin came outside to see fans. All I wanted was a nice picture with Justin. So finally, the MMVA’s came around in June and I heard that Justin may be making an appearance. I freaked out. I went to a hotel and saw Kenny, Ryan Good and some of the crew around it. So obviously Justin was there too! I died inside. We waited about 3 hours until the red carpet time and we saw Justin leave his hotel in an escalade with Ryan Butler and Kenny. I got a cute picture of them in the car, but I wish he stopped! This past month, Bell Media announced that Justin would do a secret show in Toronto . The secret came out when Justin tweeted the location of it, Massey Hall, the Sunday before. Tickets came for sale and I managed to get 3 tickets with a pretty awesome view! I was happy I got tickets to the show. A lot of my friends didn’t get tickets because they sold out in minutes and the venue was small and intimate, so only a small number of tickets were released for sale. Wednesday, December 21st came around and I was so nervous and sick to my stomach this whole week before. I wanted to meet Justin soooooo bad! We thought it would be smart to go to his hotel in the morning early, so we did. My four friends and I were first there and waited over an hour in the rain. Right when we got to the hotel, we saw Jeremy was waiting for his friend to pick him up. A few minutes later we saw one of Justin’s bodyguards go to Starbucks. A few minutes later we saw Alfredo and Vanessa go to Starbucks and we said hi to Alfredo smiling, balancing a tray of coffees. We saw press start coming into the hotel so we didn’t think Justin would be leaving any time soon. All of a sudden we saw Allison, Chaz and Alfredo get into a car and then it parked closer to the doors. We saw the press start leaving so we were really confused because they just got there. Then we saw Scooter, Justin and Kenny come out of the elevators. Justin and Kenny waved at me and my friends and then pointed, directing us to come to the side door where Justin would be leaving to say hi. Unfortunately, at this point, other fans that came called all their friends to come so there was over 20 girls screaming so loud and freaking out. Us five were calm and content, but obviously dying inside. So then, the hotel security made sure no one went near the car. KENNY POINTED AT ME AND MY FRIENDS AND DIRECTED US TO COME TO HIM. HE MOVED THE CAR DOOR SO WE COULD GET BY AND HAVE A PICTURE WITH JUSTIN. MY DREAM CAME TRUE. I WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO GET A PICTURE. HE WAS SO SWEET. HE PUT HIS ARMS ON MY SIDE. I had my camera and Nicole C was taking our picture with hers so I put mine in my pocket and Justin arms were still around me. I was shaking inside because it was my first time I got to meet him!! I forget exactly how it went but I said thank you for doing a show for us or something like that. And he said something like, “I’m so happy to be here and excited for the show tonight”. My other two friends, Nicole C and Jenny got a picture as well. After that, no one else got a picture because Justin went right into his car. Vanessa and Nicole M really wanted a picture and Vanessa also had a gift to give Justin so Kenny grabbed her arm and pulled her through to talk to her. While Justin was in the car, Vanessa gave Kenny the gift. We’re hoping we see him wear the shirt and hat someday in pictures! I think I made Nicole and Jenny deaf after we met him because I screamed so loud of excitement. Vanessa and Nicole M obviously wanted a picture because they didn’t manage to get one at the hotel, so we thought we could go to the venue. There was so sign of Justin. We saw all of his Instagrams and were trying to figure out where he was. We went to eat lunch and walked around but then on Twitter, I saw a tweet that Justin was in the Maple Leafs dressing room . We couldn’t believe it. We went to the Air Canada Centre as fast as we could and waited at the private exit. After waiting only a few minutes, we saw a huge van with people inside leaving. We thought we recognized Scooter inside by his hat because the windows were tinted. He clearly saw us waving. THIS WAS A NEVER SAY NEVER MOMENT. I REGRET NOT RECORDING THIS . So there was traffic as they were turning out of the exit. We waited and kept watching the van. It slowed down when it turned at the lights and pulled over to the side. We saw the door open and bam, Scooter came out of the van and walked towards us . We tried our best not to run and freak out, but c’mon we were excited. So Scooter came and gave Vanessa and Nicole M tickets to the show! It made up for them not really meeting Justin earlier in the day, like Nicole C, Jenny and I did. We were so thankful and happy Scooter gave them tickets to the show! Scooter told us that Justin probably wouldn’t stop because he has to go straight to the venue when he leaves. They hugged and we were all so happy. We left the ACC and went to Massey Hall. We all got to go to the concert, which was amazing. It was my first Justin Bieber concert. I cried when he came out and was so happy! Justin brought up Jazzy on stage and it was the CUTEST thing ever!!!!! Justin also sang for us a new song that may be on the Believe album. It was amazing. I’m extremely thankful I got the opportunity to finally meet Justin. My friends and I had such a long day, but it was all worth it and we had a lot of fun. I love how everything worked out in the end. If you haven’t met Justin, don’t give up. Your chance will come someday, I promise you! -@juliaaa_xo Continued here: I’m Julia and I’m 18 years old! I never thought…
I’m Julia and I’m 18 years old! I never thought I’d get the chance to post an MBE as fast as this happened. This past February, Justin came to NML at MuchMusic in Toronto and I wasn’t able to get wristbands. I cried for so long, so I thought I’d try my luck! My friend and I ended up being 2nd in line so we got autographs when Justin came outside to see fans. All I wanted was a nice picture with Justin. So finally, the MMVA’s came around in June and I heard that Justin may be making an appearance. I freaked out. I went to a hotel and saw Kenny, Ryan Good and some of the crew around it. So obviously Justin was there too! I died inside. We waited about 3 hours until the red carpet time and we saw Justin leave his hotel in an escalade with Ryan Butler and Kenny. I got a cute picture of them in the car, but I wish he stopped! This past month, Bell Media announced that Justin would do a secret show in Toronto . The secret came out when Justin tweeted the location of it, Massey Hall, the Sunday before. Tickets came for sale and I managed to get 3 tickets with a pretty awesome view! I was happy I got tickets to the show. A lot of my friends didn’t get tickets because they sold out in minutes and the venue was small and intimate, so only a small number of tickets were released for sale. Wednesday, December 21st came around and I was so nervous and sick to my stomach this whole week before. I wanted to meet Justin soooooo bad! We thought it would be smart to go to his hotel in the morning early, so we did. My four friends and I were first there and waited over an hour in the rain. Right when we got to the hotel, we saw Jeremy was waiting for his friend to pick him up. A few minutes later we saw one of Justin’s bodyguards go to Starbucks. A few minutes later we saw Alfredo and Vanessa go to Starbucks and we said hi to Alfredo smiling, balancing a tray of coffees. We saw press start coming into the hotel so we didn’t think Justin would be leaving any time soon. All of a sudden we saw Allison, Chaz and Alfredo get into a car and then it parked closer to the doors. We saw the press start leaving so we were really confused because they just got there. Then we saw Scooter, Justin and Kenny come out of the elevators. Justin and Kenny waved at me and my friends and then pointed, directing us to come to the side door where Justin would be leaving to say hi. Unfortunately, at this point, other fans that came called all their friends to come so there was over 20 girls screaming so loud and freaking out. Us five were calm and content, but obviously dying inside. So then, the hotel security made sure no one went near the car. KENNY POINTED AT ME AND MY FRIENDS AND DIRECTED US TO COME TO HIM. HE MOVED THE CAR DOOR SO WE COULD GET BY AND HAVE A PICTURE WITH JUSTIN. MY DREAM CAME TRUE. I WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO GET A PICTURE. HE WAS SO SWEET. HE PUT HIS ARMS ON MY SIDE. I had my camera and Nicole C was taking our picture with hers so I put mine in my pocket and Justin arms were still around me. I was shaking inside because it was my first time I got to meet him!! I forget exactly how it went but I said thank you for doing a show for us or something like that. And he said something like, “I’m so happy to be here and excited for the show tonight”. My other two friends, Nicole C and Jenny got a picture as well. After that, no one else got a picture because Justin went right into his car. Vanessa and Nicole M really wanted a picture and Vanessa also had a gift to give Justin so Kenny grabbed her arm and pulled her through to talk to her. While Justin was in the car, Vanessa gave Kenny the gift. We’re hoping we see him wear the shirt and hat someday in pictures! I think I made Nicole and Jenny deaf after we met him because I screamed so loud of excitement. Vanessa and Nicole M obviously wanted a picture because they didn’t manage to get one at the hotel, so we thought we could go to the venue. There was so sign of Justin. We saw all of his Instagrams and were trying to figure out where he was. We went to eat lunch and walked around but then on Twitter, I saw a tweet that Justin was in the Maple Leafs dressing room . We couldn’t believe it. We went to the Air Canada Centre as fast as we could and waited at the private exit. After waiting only a few minutes, we saw a huge van with people inside leaving. We thought we recognized Scooter inside by his hat because the windows were tinted. He clearly saw us waving. THIS WAS A NEVER SAY NEVER MOMENT. I REGRET NOT RECORDING THIS . So there was traffic as they were turning out of the exit. We waited and kept watching the van. It slowed down when it turned at the lights and pulled over to the side. We saw the door open and bam, Scooter came out of the van and walked towards us . We tried our best not to run and freak out, but c’mon we were excited. So Scooter came and gave Vanessa and Nicole M tickets to the show! It made up for them not really meeting Justin earlier in the day, like Nicole C, Jenny and I did. We were so thankful and happy Scooter gave them tickets to the show! Scooter told us that Justin probably wouldn’t stop because he has to go straight to the venue when he leaves. They hugged and we were all so happy. We left the ACC and went to Massey Hall. We all got to go to the concert, which was amazing. It was my first Justin Bieber concert. I cried when he came out and was so happy! Justin brought up Jazzy on stage and it was the CUTEST thing ever!!!!! Justin also sang for us a new song that may be on the Believe album. It was amazing. I’m extremely thankful I got the opportunity to finally meet Justin. My friends and I had such a long day, but it was all worth it and we had a lot of fun. I love how everything worked out in the end. If you haven’t met Justin, don’t give up. Your chance will come someday, I promise you! -@juliaaa_xo Continued here: I’m Julia and I’m 18 years old! I never thought…
We’ve been following Tom Cruise’s road back to the ‘M:I’ series, leading up to the film’s release Wednesday (December 21). By Kara Warner Tom Cruise in “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” Photo: Paramount After a five-year hiatus, Tom Cruise is back as superspy Ethan Hunt in “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.” This is Cruise’s fourth foray into the world of fancy gadgetry, high-stakes missions and crazy action sequences, with “Incredibles” director Brad Bird at the helm of his first live-action film. To celebrate Cruise’s long and winding road back to Hunt and the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, here is everything you need to know about “Ghost Protocol,” which releases wide Wednesday (December 21). The Return of Ethan Hunt Although Cruise’s third “Mission” film was a bona fide box-office success following its $134 million gross in 2006, the green light for a fourth film was a long time coming. First, director J.J. Abrams confirmed that he would not be back to helm the film, though he would stay on as a producer, then in February 2010, Cruise announced he’d be back , and the hunt was on for a new director. New Blood In May 2010, Paramount announced that Pixar mastermind and director Brad Bird would take on the fourth “Mission” with Cruise , which was followed by casting announcements of new leading lady Paula Patton, Jeremy Renner and “Lost” alum Josh Holloway. Returning castmember Simon Pegg promised us that his character had an improved bag of tricks in the form of a “promotion” in IMF . We also soon learned the film’s proper title: “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.” Cruise Defies Death, Scales World’s Tallest Building As soon as photos emerged of Cruise scaling Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, interest in the film picked up considerably. How can you ignore one of the world’s most famous film stars dangling from and then standing atop the world’s tallest building? You can’t. Bird told us that people wouldn’t believe that it was actually Cruise performing the “crazy” stunts and assured us that no CG was needed for those scenes. Amped-Up Action Once the first trailer arrived , we put it through our expert analysis , and it was obvious that once again, Cruise and Co. had upped the ante with regard to ridiculously complicated action sequences. Even Cruise’s wife, Katie Holmes, admitted Cruise’s stunts were “intense,” alongside Guillermo Del Toro, who provided the very excellent bonus trailer reaction by humming the theme song and comparing “Mission: Impossible” to his diet . All Systems Go As we got closer to the film’s release date, more trailers , posters and clips started rolling in. Then it was time for the press junket, which, incredibly enough, Paramount hosted in Dubai, from where two members of our intrepid MTV News team sent in daily reports of their experiences and interviews , the highlights from which include a Tom Cruise “After Hours,” Cruise revealing the most interesting and mundane facts about himself, and just how many more “Mission” films Cruise has in him. 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 MTV Rough Cut: ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’
‘American Horror Story’ is another new show that received surprise nominations. By Jocelyn Vena Zooey Deschanel in “The New Girl” Photo: FOX Sure, “30 Rock,” “Modern Family” and “Glee” all received Golden Globe nominations on Thursday (December 15), but a bunch of brand-new shows also find themselves up for statues at the broadcast. “New Girl,” “American Horror Story” and even America’s newest guilty pleasure, “Revenge,” all nabbed some kind of nod. The Comedy/ Musical Series nomination for Fox’s Zooey Deschanel vehicle “New Girl” is a bit of a surprise. The rookie sitcom follows Actress – Comedy nominee Deschanel as she plays a recently heartbroken schoolteacher who moves in with three single guys. From there, wackiness ensues. A win for Deschanel (who goes up against heavy-hitters like Tina Fey, Laura Linney and Amy Poehler) would bring some fresh blood to the broadcast. While it’s commendable that new shows are getting recognized, it’s surprising that Poehler managed to earn a nomination for her turn as Leslie Knope but that “Parks and Recreation” wasn’t nominated in the Comedy/ Musical Series category. Living on the polar opposite spectrum, FX’s creepy, soapy “American Horror Story” is an unexpected contender in the Drama Series category. The show is a frightening look at relationships and suburbia, where sometimes the decisions made by the living turn out to be more frightening than the things that go bump in the night. Jessica Lange is up for Supporting Actress. Can the show beat out a show like “Boardwalk Empire” or “Game of Thrones”? Probably not, but it’s nice recognition for one of TV’s most compelling new series. If anything, Lange’s portrayal of L.A.’s nosiest neighbor, Constance, deserves some love. Madeleine Stowe probably won’t take home a trophy for her portrayal of the lovably evil Victoria Grayson on “Revenge” in the Best Actress – Television Series Drama category, but her nomination comes as a delightful acknowledgement of that show’s undeniable ability to keep viewers entertained week after week as they tune in to see what happens to the Hamptons’ richest and most powerful. The most predictable nods, perhaps, go to critical favorites and awards-show darlings like “30 Rock,” “Mildred Pierce,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “Modern Family.” But what does come as a surprise is the fact that “Breaking Bad” was snubbed in the Drama Series category, given the show’s critical praise and fan fervor. Hosted by Ricky Gervais for the third straight time, the Golden Globe Awards will air on Sunday, January 15, on NBC. Related Videos 2012 Golden Globe Nominations Related Photos 2012 Golden Globe Nominees
Nominations overlook ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’ ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Bridesmaids’ breakout Melissa McCarthy. By Josh Wigler Ryan Gosling in “Crazy Stupid Love” Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures The 2012 Golden Globes nominations are here, and as always, there are plenty of surprises of both the good and bad variety. Some of our favorite actors walked away with unexpected nominations, while others were shockingly left off the ballot. Movies we did not anticipate making the cut broke past our expectations, while several films we considered shoe-ins were shut out entirely. In other words, it’s just another year at the Globes! From Ryan Gosling to “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” here are 10 of the biggest shocks and snubs among this year’s Golden Globes nominees: Shock: Ryan Gosling Goes for Two There’s no question that this was a big year for the Gos. Not only did he break up a street fight in the viral video seen ’round the world, he also acted the heck out of three great movies: “Drive,” “The Ides of March” and “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” We’ve been on the Gosling train for years now, and it’s fantastic to see him getting recognized by the Globes this year. But it’s what he was nominated for that left us shocked. If the choice were up to us, Gosling would be nominated for “Drive,” not “Ides.” There’s not a lot of Globes love for Nicolas Winding Refn’s phenomenal thriller, save for a much-deserved Albert Brooks supporting nom. But, hey, beggars can’t be choosers. We’re more than happy with the double-header for our guy! Shock: “March” On While we’re on the topic, nobody here on the MTV Movies team would have predicted that “Ides of March” would get so much love at the Globes this year. It’s a strong movie by all accounts, but worthy of nominations in three major categories (Best Actor for Gosling, Best Director for George Clooney and Best Picture Drama)? We’re not so sure. Still, we love Clooney, and we love that he’s getting further awards attention besides his predestined “Descendants” nomination. And there’s no need to repeat our Gosling gush. Snub: Melissa McCarthy Misses Out It’s great to see “Bridesmaids” nominated for Best Picture Musical or Comedy and Kristen Wiig in the Best Actress category — the R-rated comedy was one of our very favorite movies of the year, after all — but we’re absolutely floored and disappointed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s snubbing of Melissa McCarthy. Wiig is wonderful in the film, and without her, “Bridesmaids” would not exist. But without McCarthy, “Bridesmaids” would not be excellent. She was the breakout star. She brought the thunder. She not only deserved a nomination, but arguably a win. Her absence from this year’s Globes is almost as embarrassing as what went down in the bridal shop. Snub: Globes Hates Tattoos We’re thrilled that Rooney Mara snagged a nomination for her transformative portrayal of punk-rock computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, but beyond that and recognition for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ score, “Dragon Tattoo” got left on the bench. After David Fincher and “Social Network” got burned toward the end of last year’s awards season, we really thought he’d at least score Director and Best Picture Drama nods this year. No such luck. Looking at the film on its own merits, “Dragon Tattoo” is just fantastic filmmaking. The Movies team is obsessed with the crime thriller, as you’ll hear in the coming days and weeks. Its lack of recognition at the Globes is more than deserving of some Salander-style revenge. Shock: Extremely Quiet And Incredibly Far “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” got nothing, nada, zip. We won’t call that a snub — it wasn’t our favorite movie of the year — but the fact that it got literally zero nominations is definitely a shock. Don’t count it out of the Oscar race just yet, though: An adapted screenplay nom is almost certainly in its future. Snub: No Nolte Not only was “Warrior” actor Nick Nolte expected to get nominated for Best Supporting Actor, many expected him to win. Surprise: He’s not going to win, because he’s not nominated! Nolte’s nowhere to be found this year, despite his recent SAG nomination . In fact, “Warrior” got absolutely nothing at the Globes. Nolte was really that movie’s best chance, frankly, so we’re starting to wonder about its awards season prospects. Shock: Michael Fassbender has “Shame” The Irish-German actor’s Best Actor nomination was one of the biggest surprises of all. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.) Fassbender’s fearless performance definitely deserved recognition, but we’re very surprised — and very heartened — to see “Shame” overcome the NC-17 stigma. Odds of a win aren’t in his favor, but Fassbender’s nomination is much deserved after the actor’s absolutely amazing year. Snub: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Snub Perhaps Gary Oldman’s road to Oscar just isn’t meant to be. The “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” got overlooked by Globes against all odds. It really is close to impossible to believe that Oldman has never been nominated for an Academy Award, and we thought “Tinker” would finally be his chance at not just a nom, but a win. But now that he’s been shut out by the Globes, does he really have any shot at all on Oscar night? We’re still hopeful, but not optimistic. Shock: “American” Success Story Before we go, a quick look at TV land. Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story” got nominated for Best Television Series (Drama), a move that’s sure to surprise a lot of people (even if that Jessica Lange nomination surprises precisely no one — she was one of our Top 10 TV Characters of 2011 , after all). “AHS” is one of the most thoroughly disgusting, unsettling shows on the small screen, now or ever: How many other programs this year showcased a school shooting in such gory detail, or stitched deceased fetuses together to create one terrible Franken-baby? That said, “Horror Story” also features one of the greatest casts on all of television, and it pushes its plot forward with a ferocity matched by few other series. Like all things on the FX thriller, the “Horror” nomination is a shock, but a welcome one. Snub: “Breaking” Bust No one’s going to argue that Bryan Cranston deserves that Best Performance nomination, but seriously, there’s not a single other “Breaking Bad” nom? That’s just flat-out ridiculous! “Breaking Bad” just came off its greatest season ever. Cranston nailed it as Walter White, but fellow actors Aaron Paul as reluctant assassin Jesse Pinkman and Giancarlo Esposito as meth kingpin Gustavo Fring also turned in marvelous performances worthy of not just nominations, but full-on awards. (While we’re at it, here’s my super-quick opportunity to say that “Sons of Anarchy” should have gotten some love as well. Like “Bad,” this season of “SOA” was not just its greatest one yet, but perhaps the greatest season of television all year.) Acting aside, “Breaking Bad” deserved a Best Television Series spot much more than newbie “Boss” or even “Horror Story,” much as we’re happy to see it on the list. Needless to say, we’re not happy about the oversight. Besides, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, didn’t you hear? Walter White is the danger! For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Ryan Gosling 2012 Golden Globe Nominations Related Photos 2012 Golden Globe Nominees ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ Five Key Scenes From The Trailer
Conrad Murray asks judge for a court-appointed attorney to appeal his involuntary manslaughter conviction. By Gil Kaufman Dr. Conrad Murray Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images Just weeks after being sent to jail for four years following a conviction on a felony involuntary manslaughter charge in the death of Michael Jackson , cardiologist Conrad Murray is throwing himself on the mercy of the court. The doctor had been slated to earn up to $150,000 a month to act as Jackson’s personal physician before the pop icon’s death in June 2009 from an overdose of the Murray-administered surgical anesthetic propofol. But on Tuesday E! News reported that Murray filed a notice of appeal in Los Angeles Superior Court in which he claimed that he is “indigent and respectfully requests the appointment of counsel on appeal.” Murray, 58, is planning to appeal both his conviction and his sentence, but has not year filed papers with the California Appeals Court. He had hired two lawyers to handle his manslaughter case, but is now seeking attorneys with appeal experience. One of those former lawyers, J. Michael Flanagan, told E! that he was shocked at how his client is being treated in jail. “It is crazy and unbelievable how [the sheriffs] are treating” Murray in jail, said Flanagan, who claimed he waited over an hour to see Murray, who was brought out in handcuffs and leg chains. Flanagan was further shocked to see Murray handcuffed to the table for their meeting, something the lawyer said he’d never seen before in the case of a low-level, non-violent offender. Charles Peckham, who is handling civil cases against Murray, told the Associated Press that his client is under tight security and isolation that is more intense than other inmates at the Los Angeles Men’s Central Jail. “Treating him like Hannibal Lecter is offensive,” said Peckham. Sheriff’s officials defended the tight security, saying it was for Murray’s safety. “This man who saved lives made a mistake, and they’re going to him pay like a mass-murderer.” Related Photos Michael Jackson: A Life In Photos Related Artists Michael Jackson
