It’s officially Spike Lee Day here at Movieline! On the heels of the rumor that Lee is directing some sort of spiritual cousin to Do the Right Thing! comes an official confirmation of the last Lee rumor : Mandate Pictures has announced that the director will take over duties on an American remake of Oldboy , the 2003 Chan-wook Park film that Steven Spielberg and Will Smith were once discussing. Kinda awesome! Click through for the press release, and start fantasy casting in the comments section.
An undated picture released in March 2007 through Jiji Press shows 22-year-old British teacher Lindsay Ann Hawker in Chiba, Japan. A Japanese man accused of raping and murdering Hawker, whose battered body was found in a sand-filled bathtub, on Monday admitted the killing but said it was accidental. Lindsay Ann Hawker (30 December 1984 – 24 March 2007) was a 22-year-old British citizen who was killed in Japan in early 2007. The man seen fleeing the apartment where she was killed, Tatsuya Ichiha
Shelly-O took to Massachusetts to rally up support for her husband’s second term. The lovely First Lady expressed her loving concern for her husband and highlighted Obama’s dedication to the nation and somehow flawlessly fused concern and support. Like the POTUS, she’s equally powerful with her words … and convincing. First lady Michelle Obama gave a fascinating insight into just how heavily the weight of office rests on her husband’s shoulders and how the job of president has taken it’s toll. Speaking at a fund-raiser for the Democratic National Committee in Massachusetts she told of his total dedication to the job and told how she worries about the increasing number of lines on his face She said: ‘I see the worry creasing his face. I hear the passion and determination in his voice. ‘You won’t believe what these folks are going through;’ he told me that last night. “‘Michelle, it is not right. We’ve got to fix this. We have to do more,’”‘Barack always reminds me that we are playing a long game.’ He reminds me, as I said to you, too, that change is slow.’He reminds me that change doesn’t happen all at once, but that if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight, doing what we know is right, then eventually we will get there, because the truth is we always have in this country. We always have.’ Michelle Obama said that when her husband first told her he was planning to run for president she had serious doubts about how it would affect their young family. She added: ‘I was proud of the work that he was doing in the Senate. And I thought that he would make a phenomenal president. ‘That wasn’t the issue. ‘But, like a lot of folks, I still had some cynicism about politics. And with two young daughters at home, I was worried about the toll that a presidential campaign would take on our family. ‘So it took some convincing on Barack’s part. And by ‘some,’ I mean a lot; he’s still paying back.’ Mrs Obama said that it was going on the campaign trail in 2008 and getting out an meeting voters – that led to her having a change of heart. She added: ‘It’s about meeting people one-on-one, hearing what’s going on in their lives.’ ‘But I think that the last four years have shown us the truth of what Barack has always said: That if any child in this country is left behind, then that matters to all of us, even if she’s not our daughter, and even if he’s not our son. ‘If any family in this country struggles, then we cannot be fully content with our own family’s good fortune, because that is not what we do in this country.’ Awe, she loves her some him! It’s clear that she supports him and holds him down when the press and Capitol Hill politicians are trying to sabotage his agenda. Every good man needs a Shelly-O. Source
Shelly-O took to Massachusetts to rally up support for her husband’s second term. The lovely First Lady expressed her loving concern for her husband and highlighted Obama’s dedication to the nation and somehow flawlessly fused concern and support. Like the POTUS, she’s equally powerful with her words … and convincing. First lady Michelle Obama gave a fascinating insight into just how heavily the weight of office rests on her husband’s shoulders and how the job of president has taken it’s toll. Speaking at a fund-raiser for the Democratic National Committee in Massachusetts she told of his total dedication to the job and told how she worries about the increasing number of lines on his face She said: ‘I see the worry creasing his face. I hear the passion and determination in his voice. ‘You won’t believe what these folks are going through;’ he told me that last night. “‘Michelle, it is not right. We’ve got to fix this. We have to do more,’”‘Barack always reminds me that we are playing a long game.’ He reminds me, as I said to you, too, that change is slow.’He reminds me that change doesn’t happen all at once, but that if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight, doing what we know is right, then eventually we will get there, because the truth is we always have in this country. We always have.’ Michelle Obama said that when her husband first told her he was planning to run for president she had serious doubts about how it would affect their young family. She added: ‘I was proud of the work that he was doing in the Senate. And I thought that he would make a phenomenal president. ‘That wasn’t the issue. ‘But, like a lot of folks, I still had some cynicism about politics. And with two young daughters at home, I was worried about the toll that a presidential campaign would take on our family. ‘So it took some convincing on Barack’s part. And by ‘some,’ I mean a lot; he’s still paying back.’ Mrs Obama said that it was going on the campaign trail in 2008 and getting out an meeting voters – that led to her having a change of heart. She added: ‘It’s about meeting people one-on-one, hearing what’s going on in their lives.’ ‘But I think that the last four years have shown us the truth of what Barack has always said: That if any child in this country is left behind, then that matters to all of us, even if she’s not our daughter, and even if he’s not our son. ‘If any family in this country struggles, then we cannot be fully content with our own family’s good fortune, because that is not what we do in this country.’ Awe, she loves her some him! It’s clear that she supports him and holds him down when the press and Capitol Hill politicians are trying to sabotage his agenda. Every good man needs a Shelly-O. Source
Shelly-O took to Massachusetts to rally up support for her husband’s second term. The lovely First Lady expressed her loving concern for her husband and highlighted Obama’s dedication to the nation and somehow flawlessly fused concern and support. Like the POTUS, she’s equally powerful with her words … and convincing. First lady Michelle Obama gave a fascinating insight into just how heavily the weight of office rests on her husband’s shoulders and how the job of president has taken it’s toll. Speaking at a fund-raiser for the Democratic National Committee in Massachusetts she told of his total dedication to the job and told how she worries about the increasing number of lines on his face She said: ‘I see the worry creasing his face. I hear the passion and determination in his voice. ‘You won’t believe what these folks are going through;’ he told me that last night. “‘Michelle, it is not right. We’ve got to fix this. We have to do more,’”‘Barack always reminds me that we are playing a long game.’ He reminds me, as I said to you, too, that change is slow.’He reminds me that change doesn’t happen all at once, but that if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight, doing what we know is right, then eventually we will get there, because the truth is we always have in this country. We always have.’ Michelle Obama said that when her husband first told her he was planning to run for president she had serious doubts about how it would affect their young family. She added: ‘I was proud of the work that he was doing in the Senate. And I thought that he would make a phenomenal president. ‘That wasn’t the issue. ‘But, like a lot of folks, I still had some cynicism about politics. And with two young daughters at home, I was worried about the toll that a presidential campaign would take on our family. ‘So it took some convincing on Barack’s part. And by ‘some,’ I mean a lot; he’s still paying back.’ Mrs Obama said that it was going on the campaign trail in 2008 and getting out an meeting voters – that led to her having a change of heart. She added: ‘It’s about meeting people one-on-one, hearing what’s going on in their lives.’ ‘But I think that the last four years have shown us the truth of what Barack has always said: That if any child in this country is left behind, then that matters to all of us, even if she’s not our daughter, and even if he’s not our son. ‘If any family in this country struggles, then we cannot be fully content with our own family’s good fortune, because that is not what we do in this country.’ Awe, she loves her some him! It’s clear that she supports him and holds him down when the press and Capitol Hill politicians are trying to sabotage his agenda. Every good man needs a Shelly-O. Source
‘I miss VJs,’ stars tell MTV News. By Kara Warner Tom Hanks Photo: MTV News Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts’ new movie, “Larry Crowne,” is, in a nutshell, about a middle-aged man who, after constantly being looked over for managerial promotions at work due to his lack of college degree, enrolls himself in his local community college, where he finds himself being taught by and falling in love with the lovely Mercedes Tainot (Roberts). When MTV News caught up with Hanks and Roberts at the press day for the film, we attempted to discuss Hanks’ return to the director’s chair after a 15-year hiatus (the last film he helmed was 1996’s “That Thing You Do!”), but first the two superstars took a moment to talk about us. “I miss VJs,” Roberts lamented of MTV’s onetime team of on-camera personalities. “I miss VJs, too,” Hanks agreed. “I miss, you know, ‘The Rock Hour!’ ” he added, likely meaning “120 Minutes,” hosted by Matt Pinfield, which has been resurrected over at MTV2. “What’s on MTV now?” Roberts asked. “Pregnant teenagers,” quipped Hanks. Hanks and Roberts then briefly discussed MTV’s current slate of programs, citing “The Real World,” “Jersey Shore” and “16 and Pregnant,” but admitted only to hearing stories about them, not to having watched any of those shows themselves. Once we were able to bring the focus to the topic at hand, we asked Hanks about his return to the director’s chair, and what inspired him to take on so many roles for this film — he directed, acted in, co-wrote and produced “Crowne.” “Somewhere I think in 2009 a switch just goes off in my head that goes, ‘I really want to direct this,’ ” he recalled, equating his passion for the project to a fever he had to have cooked out of him. “It takes you out of the marketplace for a long time, which is fine. I have a lot of things going on, but it ends up being like this personal letter that you’re writing to your mom where you want it to be right, you want it to be authentic, you want it to actually reflect who you are and where you are at this point, and so that’s why you end up directing a movie and being in it.” For Roberts, signing on to the film was mostly about working with her good friend. She and Hanks worked together once before in “Charlie Wilson’s War,” which, according to Roberts, cemented their friendship for life. “I knew I had a friend for the rest of my life,” she said, recalling one specific day on the “Wilson’s War” set that involved Hanks, Roberts and some joke with a little box. “He [makes] me want to live a longer life,” she gushed. “What a great answer!” Hanks said with a big smile. “It’s true, I love Tom. It’s kind of retarded for us sitting here trying to be professionals because we’re friends,” she said. “I love his wife, I love his kids.” “This is what we’d be doing if we were sitting around or having lunch,” Hanks added, speaking to the pair’s easy rapport. “We’ll laugh for three hours together.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Larry Crowne.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
‘Dark of the Moon’ might not make as much as ‘Revenge of the Fallen,’ but that doesn’t make it a failure. By Eric Ditzian Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Photo: Paramount Pictures Last month, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” corralled $92.2 million over its opening weekend — the highest total of 2011. How could Jack Sparrow possibly complain? Well, that lofty sum was still well below the openings of both 2006’s “Dead Man’s Chest” ($135.6 million) and 2007’s “At World’s End” ($114.7). The fact is, even the most robust of movie franchises tend to wane in terms of box-office bucks; the familiar pattern is a first film that sets the stage, a second installment that cashes in on the anticipation and then subsequent offerings that can’t continue the upward trend. Such is the case with “Transformers.” There’s much to celebrate with “Dark of the Moon,” which enjoyed a first-day gross on Wednesday of $42.5 million (when you count midnight screenings), beating the first-day pull of “On Stranger Tides” (a Friday release, no less). That puts the third “Transformers” film on track for a seven-day debut of as much as $200 million or more. So why might Optimus Prime be dissatisfied with that opening? “Revenge of the Fallen” opened to $62 million on a Wednesday in 2009, on its way to a one-week total of almost $240 million. Yet any dissatisfaction must be tempered with historical box-office perspective. “The fact that ‘T3’ didn’t measure up to ‘T2’ isn’t really a surprise, as the fatigue factor finally caught up to the franchise,” said Jeff Bock, box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. “This is the case for most films series as they reach the threequel. Plus, it didn’t help ‘Transformers’ that the second film was, for the most part, trashed by critics, fans and even the filmmakers.” While “Dark of the Moon” is off to a comparatively slow start, some industry observers believe it could pick up over the holiday weekend. “Everything we’re seeing on Facebook and Twitter indicates that word-of-mouth is extremely positive,” said Phil Contrino, editor of Boxoffice.com. “It’s still a bit early to rush to judgment on how well this is going to hold up over the holiday frame. It could explode in a big way over the weekend.” Perhaps. Or not. There’s no doubt the franchise took a public-opinion hit after the second film. And while the third one offers perhaps the finest use of 3-D since “Avatar,” it comes at a time when audiences are battling back against a host of shoddy 3-D offerings by simply not paying the extra bucks for another dimension. “Dark of the Moon” is a victim of the three-dimensional failings of “Clash of the Titans.” At the same time, we can’t ignore the worldwide situation. Globally, “Dark of the Moon” might well eclipse the $836 million total of “Revenge of the Fallen” (just as “On Stranger Tides” could end up being the biggest “Pirates” flick when international grosses are factored in). Thus, Optimus rejoices! So where does all this leave “Transformers” going forward? Both star Shia LaBeouf and director Michael Bay have declared, in no uncertain terms, that they plan to end their involvement with the series after three films. Both creatively and financially, that might not be such a bad thing. “This franchise needs new blood and a new angle going forward,” Bock said, going on to suggest the fourth film needs to leave the familiar environs of Earth behind and deeply explore the robot alien’s home planet. “Maybe a trip to Cybertron will be the spark ‘Transformers 4’ needs. Don’t bring it to us, we’ll come to you! But we will likely have to wait three to four years.” 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 Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Transformers: Dark Of The Moon’ Related Photos ‘Transformers: Dark Of The Moon’ Crashes Into New York City
NYPD commissioner tells MTV News that officers ‘used appropriate force’ when breaking up the Smif-N-Wessun album-release party Tuesday. By Rob Markman Pete Rock Photo: MTV News What was supposed to be a week of celebration for hip-hop group Smif-N-Wessun and veteran producer Pete Rock turned violently wrong on Tuesday after cops busted up their Monumental album-release party in New York City. Concertgoers were attacked by cops, and for Rock, the drama hit especially close to home as police struck his wife and stepdaughter, he told MTV News on Thursday (June 30). “We were coming out and someone was screaming, ‘Yo, Pete, your wife, your wife.’ So I ran out to make sure they were OK and to make sure the cop would stop hitting them,” the Mount Vernon, New York, hitmaker told MTV News. “My stepdaughter said the cop was hitting her leg and she jumped in the way for her mother, which is my wife, to take the hits. And then my cameraman tried to jump in front of her, to take her hits. I was going bananas.” A press release issued Thursday by the group stated that 30 minutes after “a minor argument” that “eventually was defused by the bouncers,” approximately 15 to 20 uniformed police officers from the 7th Precinct in downtown Manhattan arrived at Tammany Hall. “The officers then hurried into the club and began macing and assaulting individuals inside the club, dragging one of them out and pummeling him directly in front of the club,” the press release said. The group’s attorney, Kenneth Montgomery, who was present at the concert, said the police “behavior was unjustified, unprovoked, and simply barbaric considering there was no provocation.” When MTV News reached out to the NYPD for comment, we received this statement from Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly: “Police officers had every right to defend themselves against individuals assaulting them, and used appropriate force in doing so. They also protected civilians who were being pelted with bottles at the outset, as they responded to the location at the request of the club’s own security.” Various portions of the incident were captured on film by bystanders, who recorded the melee on their cell phones and video cameras and uploaded footage to YouTube and other social-networking sites. Tek and Steele (the two members of Smif-N-Wessun) and Rock weren’t harmed physically, but for the producer, who witnessed his wife and stepdaughter being assaulted by police, it was difficult to exercise restraint. “I have to say that I’m very proud of myself that I held every bit of anger I had inside when that was happening,” he said. “I’m very proud of myself.”
Chris Marrs Piliero explains the video’s ‘Half Baked’ and ‘Terminator’ homages, but what about those elusive seashells? By Kara Warner Britney Spears in her “I Wanna Go” music video Photo: Jive Britney Spears’ video for “I Wanna Go” — a dream-sequence-y, pop-culture-reference-packed tongue-in-cheek attack on the paparazzi — is so fun, it’s quickly becoming one of our favorites. And because we can’t get enough of it, MTV News sought out the vid’s creative mastermind, director Chris Marrs Piliero (who also directed Ke$ha’s “Blow”), to explain it to us, frame by frame. “This opening scene poked fun at the ridiculous rumors that surround Britney,” Piliero said of the clip’s opening press conference, during which Britney tells off a room of reporters. “That is our homage to ‘Half Baked.’ I was really stoked that we were able to include that little parody homage in the video and that Guillermo Diaz, who is the guy [in the scene] giving the thumbs up, is from the movie.” After strutting out of the press conference and squeezing the butt of an autograph-seeking fan (played by one of her dancers), Spears strolls down the street, passing by a baby in a stroller who whistles at her. “We were actually going to have three babies,” Piliero revealed. “But the other two were just crying and crying. and I was like ‘F— it, get ’em outta there,’ and the one baby, he ruled and was super cute, so we went with him.” Spears’ next saucy move is to flash a bunch of guys on the street: a young boy, his dad, a male driver getting a ticket and the cop writing it. “That little kid was awesome,” Piliero said of the young redheaded boy. “If you look closely, he’s actually squeezing his juice box all over this shirt. The cop is another one of Britney’s dancers. You might recognize him from the ‘Hold It Against Me’ video, he had blue hair.” Next up, Spears encounters a paparazzo on the street and grabs his camera and throws it to the ground. “That was a very genuine performance from Britney,” Piliero said of the scene. “I felt like she was letting out her inner emotion toward paparazzi. It was also really cold. I think she just went for it.” Cut to Spears on top of a taxi, microphone in hand with a long cord, which she uses to take out the various photographers who have surrounded her. “A lot of people think this was inspired by ‘Kill Bill,’ because I’m a huge Quentin Tarantino fan. I would totally own up to that if it was true,” he admitted. “But I actually intended for her to always having her performance with the microphone [throughout the video] for her performance setup, so I thought that was a good way to tie it all together and I didn’t want to give her a real weapon.” But Piliero was making an intentional pop-culture reference with the wording on the movie theater marquee in the background of the scene that reads “Crossroads 2: Cross Harder.” “I’ve always thought that ‘Die Hard 2: Die Harder’ is one of the most ridiculously awesome titles for a sequel ,” he said. “And I needed to put something in the marquee, and I thought it would be a really fun Easter egg for fans.” Now something odd happens with the paparazzi who’ve been hit by Spears’ microphone weapon — they are revealed to be robots or androids. “I love pop culture and this whole video is kind of a dream sequence,” Piliero said. “I think it’s natural to have fantasies and dreams with stuff inspired by pop culture, so that’s why the robot guys kind of have a ‘Terminator’-ish feel.” Before the “Terminator” ‘bots can move in on Spears, Diaz drives up in a sports car and whisks her away, where he celebrates by pouring a carton of milk all over himself. “Guillermo kills it in the scene with the milk, he’s hilarious,” Piliero enthused. “And I love Britney’s reaction there; both her reactions where she’s laughing are so good. A lot of people ask about the milk and what the deal with it is, a lot of people have theories too, I don’t need to say what the point is, because I love hearing what people say, so I’ll leave it at that. Same goes with the seashells too.” Cut to the final scene, where we realize that it was all a dream. Spears is at the press conference, shaken out of a daze when Guillermo steps in and tells the reporters, “No more questions,” then hands Spears a handful of those seashells that Piliero won’t explain. He looks back at the camera at the last moment and we see his eyes are robot red, an obvious nod to Michael Jackson’s zombie-green eyes in the last shot of “Thriller.” ” ‘Thriller is one of my favorite music videos ever,” Piliero said. “I remember watching it when I was five, that was what inspired me to become a music video director so I wanted to pay homage to it.” What do you think the milk and the seashells signify in “I Wanna Go”? Share your theories in the comments below. 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‘You’re gonna kill yourself, man,’ Margera recalled warning ‘Jackass’ co-star about his driving. By Gil Kaufman Ryan Dunn and Bam Margera Photo: Peter Kramer/ Getty Images A week after attending a memorial service for his friend and “Jackass” co-star Ryan Dunn , Bam Margera sat down for an interview with E! Online to discuss the car accident that took the lives of Dunn and friend Zachary Hartwell and talk about the final message he got from his fellow daredevil. “He was my best f—ing friend in the world. It’s been five days now, and I can’t stop crying, man,” Margera said. “I just don’t think it should’ve been him.” Looking drawn and tired, with wife Melissa Rothstein by his side holding his hand, Margera said the phone call he received about the accident was “pretty much the worst news I’ve ever heard in my life.” The call came while he was asleep in Arizona, with Margera’s friends urging him to get on the line with his brother right away to discuss the news. Sounding and looking a bit woozy, Margera remembered that he was a passenger in a car Dunn was driving in 1996 that flew off the road in the same spot. “He flipped me in a car eight times at the same exact spot in 1996,” Margera recalled. “Thank God I had my seat belt on, because [“Jackass” contributor] Chris Raab put one on me, but my brother didn’t have one on. He flew 40 feet. Thank God he’s alive. But like, Dunn was always a maniac at driving.” Asked to recall the final words he spoke with Dunn, Margera pulled out his phone and read a series of texts the pals exchanged on the night that Dunn drank with friends at a Pennsylvania bar. “Are you all right, need me to come over there and get people out of there?” he read, laughing about a string of jokes the two had shared over the legal travails of former baseball star Lenny Dykstra. “Stopping for a beer, be there when I can,” read the final message he got from Dunn, who was annoyed by the local traffic in West Chester, Pennsylvania, that night due to a local running event. He also revealed that the high-speed crash — police estimate that Dunn was driving in excess of 130 m.p.h. in a 55 zone and had a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit at the time — was just a block or so from Hartwell’s house. “And he must have just missed the exit,” Margera speculated. “He should have just f—ing turned around, but he skidded out and ran right into a thing … and seeing all these burnt, f—ing pieces of tree … that was tough for me. I went twice.” Asked if the press focus on Dunn’s blood-alcohol level is a “disservice” to the stuntman’s memory, Margera said, “That doesn’t really matter at all. … First of all, I’ll say it about myself, it will take me three beers to even feel normal. If you drink three beers and then three girlie shots, whatever, it has nothing to do with that. He is a maniac in a car. He has a goddamn Porsche and he drives fast.” Margera went on to explain that Dunn’s Porsche was the “lightest one possible,” outfitted with a Lamborghini engine, a turbo booster and nitro boosts, which he said caused the car to fishtail when it sped down the road. “I said, ‘You’re gonna go right into a pole, dude,’ ” he recalled warning Dunn. ” ‘You’re gonna kill yourself, man,’ ” he responded when Dunn joked that he was a race car driver. If he could go back to that night, Margera said he would have told Dunn, “Give me your goddamn keys, you idiot.” Related Videos Remembering Ryan Dunn Related Photos Fans Pay Tribute To Ryan Dunn Ryan Dunn: A Career In Photos
