Clip doesn’t premiere until Monday, but you can get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look right now! By James Montgomery Evanescence Amy Lee in her video for “My Heart Is Broken” Photo: Wind-Up Records Last month, Evanescence invited MTV News to the set of their “My Heart Is Broken” video, where frontwoman Amy Lee told us about the dreamlike inspiration behind the clip (the 1988 British horror film “Paperhouse”) and the nightmarish reasons she wrote the song in the first place: namely, the ongoing issue of sex trafficking. “A lot of times when I write, I just sort of make up words, and something will stick, and I’ll be like, ‘Oh, that’s from my subconscious. That’s what I need to write the song about,’ ” she explained. “And that’s sort of what happened [with the song]. I was like, ‘I think I’m writing about this thing; it’s on my heart,’ just imagining being in such a trapped place and how that might feel, so the song was actually inspired by that idea.” So obviously, the video means an awful lot to Lee and her bandmates — which is why they chose to work with noted director and photographer Dean Karr, who filled the video with imagery that recalls both dreams and nightmares. And though the full “My Heart Is Broken” video doesn’t premiere until Monday, Evanescence is giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the clip’s creation, with a making-of clip they sent exclusively to MTV News. As you’ll see — and hear — making “My Heart Is Broken” was a labor of love, for both the band and their director, one filled with fiber optics, elaborate costumes and, of course, striking, surreal imagery. But why don’t you just have a look for yourself: Above, direct from Evanescence to you, is an exclusive look at the making of “My Heart Is Broken.” What are you expecting from the new Evanescence video? Let us know in the comments below! Related Videos MTV First: Evanescence Related Artists Evanescence
Shorter audition episodes and less judge talk are among suggestions. By Gil Kaufman “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest and judges Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson Photo: Tony Duran/ FOX It’s hard to know what needs fixing on a show that has held the #1 spot in the ratings for seven consecutive seasons. But every year around this time, Monday morning quarterbacks line up to suggest ways for “American Idol” to get its groove back. Yes, “Idol” is starting to look gray around the temples in comparison to hipper, flashier competitors such as “X Factor” and “The Voice.” But maybe that’s the way producers want it, and unlike last season — when they dropped the age cutoff to 15, added new judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, took the top 60 to Las Vegas and returned the “wild card” round — there has been no hint yet that big changes are slated for season 11, which kicks off Wednesday night (January 18) with the first audition episode. Whether they take our advice or not, MTV News asked a few of our favorite “Idol” experts to make five suggestions for how “Idol” can keep the fire burning. Village Voice music editor Maura Johnston Shorten the audition period : “Something that gets people invested in the contestants earlier,” said Johnston, pointing to the quicker triggers on competing shows. “In any reality show where there’s more than 10 people competing, it does get confusing, so they really need to get to the point faster.” Shake up the results show : “It’s so long now. I know it does well in the ratings, but two minutes of content in a 60-minute bag creates its own viewer fatigue. They could put all the Ford ads and fake suspense in there in a half-hour and use the extra half-hour for something else.” Sing the same song : “When it gets down to 10 people, what if you had them all sing the same song to see the different ways they approach it?” Johnston wondered. “In the post-David Cook era, with its emphasis on artistry and transformation of songs, it would be great to see a side-by-side comparison [of the contestants’ styles] to see their strengths and weaknesses.” Less judges talk : “The judges should talk about themselves less. They would get mired in discussion about themselves and try to elevate themselves above the singers. The same thing happened on ‘The Voice,’ too, where ‘Moves Like Jagger’ [became bigger than the contestants]. It was great for Maroon 5 and Christina, but it took the shine off Javier [Colon]’s win.” On the road : “Maybe take the show on tour for a week and bring it to New York and set it up at Radio City Music Hall and have a live audience made up of completely different people. It would be special because it would be the first time in ‘Idol’ history they’ve done this, and you’d get the same vibe because it’s live on TV in front of an audience, but you’d also get a mystique surrounding it that would be a lot more charged.” Hollywood Reporter music editor Shirley Halperin had some similar ideas, with a few added twists to mix it up Real talk from judges : “I would like to see them talk to the contestants the way they were talked to coming up. I want them to give more constructive advice and be more critical, but not be mean for the sake of being mean. These kids are not perfect, and if you listen to the judges’ comments from last year, you would think they were.” Yes, she added, Tyler and Lopez are there to, respectively, entertain with flashy wordplay and outfits, but both have had heavy doses of the realities of the music industry that Halperin said they could and should share with the budding stars. More pizzazz? : While “The X Factor” had so much flash and bang that it looked like the Grammys or VMAs every week, “Idol” has long held the spectacle aspect of performances to a minimum. “If any show should have that kind of production, it’s ‘Idol,’ because it’s the moneymaker,” she said. “But ‘Idol’ doesn’t seem interested in [messing] with the formula. They could have kicked it up any time over the past five years, but they’ve let the audience dictate how far they’ll go. At this point, the performances still look good because they are focused on the performer, not distracting fire and dancers.” Pull back the curtain : “One reason people got to know the ‘X Factor’ contestants is because the press and bloggers had unfettered access to them early on and it was not limited or constricted in any of the ways ‘Idol’ is,” she said. “They’re very precious about it on ‘Idol,’ but when we did get access to [the contestants], it allowed us to get to know them better and tell their story and get excited about them because we were invested in their backstories.” While “Idol” has loosened the reins a bit over the past few years and allowed the contestants to have a light social-media presence and Twitter feeds, Halperin said the show needs to rethink their lockdown mentality. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ Finale Highlights Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Finale Performances ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Here’s my new favorite busty British hottie Amy Childs posing for some photoshoot just the way I like her, half naked on all fours or rolling around on the ground with her massive breasts falling out. Perfection. I think she and I need to get together for a drink or five, she’s got a new reality TV show, a sultry romance with a celebrity blogger with carpel tunnel syndrome could really help the ratings. Call me.
‘Adventures of Tintin’ and ‘War Horse’ director tells MTV News, ‘I don’t feel any different than when I was 12 years old making movies.’ By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Steven Spielberg Photo: MTV News In looking at Oscar-winner Steven Spielberg’s resume or IMDb page, it’s the stuff of two or three careers, not just one. Who knows when the man sleeps, as he has not one but two highly anticipated, expected-to-be-blockbuster films in theaters this holiday season: “The Adventures of Tintin” and “War Horse.” Not that we anticipate he’ll slow down anytime soon, with “Lincoln” and “Robopocalypse” set to hit theaters in 2012 and 2013, respectively — not to mention the slew of films on which he serves as a producer, plus the constant rumblings about the possibility of more “Indiana Jones” and “Jurassic Park” movies. When MTV News sat down with the prolific director recently during the press day for “Tintin,” we asked his thoughts about slowing down. “I never think about being tapped out or retiring. Even though I’m turning 65 in a matter of a week, I never think about that; it just doesn’t occur to me,” he replied. “I just love so much the work and the discovery: the whole process of discovering a new story, a new way to shoot a film, working with new actors I’ve always wanted to work with and never got a chance to until now. And so, for me, every day is a new day, every day is exciting. “And I don’t feel any different than when I was 12 years old making movies with my dad’s 8-millimeter movie camera: I’ve got that same kind of percolation every time I get onto a set.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Adventures of Tintin” and “War Horse.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘The Adventures Of Tintin’
Josh Krajcik appears to be the favorite going into the performance finale. By Gil Kaufman Josh Krajcik performs on “The X Factor” Wednesday Photo: Ray Mickshaw / FOX Sure, the ratings for “The X Factor” haven’t necessarily scaled the heights that creator/judge Simon Cowell had initially promised and hoped for. But by the time the giant flashing curtain falls on the show at the end of Wednesday night’s (December 21) performance finale, viewers will have tuned in to one of the most unpredictable finales in recent reality-singing show history. The three finalists could not be more different, and if you haven’t tuned in before now, what you’ve missed is nothing less than a master class in building the public persona and marketability of a potential singing star. While Paula Abdul’s groups didn’t last long on the show, the other three judges are still represented in the finale, with each having taken a very different path to Wednesday’s penultimate show. Record executive L.A. Reid has perhaps done the most impressive job building up his contestant, Chris Rene, into a post-millennial everyman. Rene arrived with one of the most compelling backstories of the season. The 28-year-old Santa Cruz, California, singer/songwriter emerged from auditions with the kind of hard-luck tale that you never hear on these kinds of shows. Fresh from rehab and newly sober after years of struggles with crystal meth addiction, Rene — with his heavily tattooed arms and bad-boy pin-up looks — quickly proved to be that rare hybrid rapper/singer who can carry a sweet melody while writing his own hook-filled rhymes. Plus, Rene did something else audiences almost never see: He played an original, the soulful folk/rap hybrid “Young Homie,” during his audition round, which brought the audience, and the judges, to their feet. As the weeks went on, trash collector Rene continued to show his versatility, last week pulling out a guitar and playing his second original song this season (“Where Do We Go From Here”) and unwinding his colorful background during Michael Jackson week as the grandson of Leon Rene, who wrote the Jackson 5 hit “Rockin’ Robin.” And when he revealed this week that he was still using as his father died of cancer and that his dad’s final request was to make him proud, Rene likely melted more hearts across the country. Nicole Scherzinger is represented by wooly bear of a man Josh Krajcik , the 30-year-old Columbus, Ohio, singer whose story line has mainly focused on his determination to not return to his old job rolling burritos. Krajcik, whose powerful, gravelly soul delivery is reminiscent of a young Michael Bolton/ Joe Cocker, has logged many years performing his original songs and covers in Ohio bars with the Josh Krajcik Band, with whom he’s released two albums of original songs. Unlike Rene, though, with the exception of playing piano and guitar on the show, Krajcik has not emphasized his musical chops. Instead, with a few deviations (including a Rihanna song that kind of went sideways on him), he’s covered a variety of songs that are staples on singing competitions, including Etta James’ “At Last,” the Cocker version of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends” and the ubiquitous “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. The serious, humble Krajcik appears less appealing to a pop audience, as he’s not adept at dancing and is unlikely to have the marketability of a more contemporary singer. His voice, though, is undeniable and fans appear to enjoy hunting out the generous amount of his original material available on the Internet. Plus, as “American Idol” has proven several seasons in a row, America loves a middle-of-the-road Midwestern/Southern dude. Cowell’s lone remaining female contestant, 19-year-old Florida-by-way-of-the-British-Virgin-Islands belter Melanie Amaro came pre-loaded with a crazy story. You see, despite having one of the strongest voices in the competition from the first time she auditioned, Cowell decided after the judge’s home rounds to let her go in favor of some of his other favorites. But in a scene nobody who has followed the almost pathologically self-confident career of Cowell could have predicted, the former “American Idol” judge did an about-face the next week and admitted a mistake and begged Amaro to return. She’s never looked back since, crushing just about any song thrown her way, from the Eagles’ “Desperado” to Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” and Adele’s “Someone Like You.” Yes, she’s a diva, but she doesn’t act like one, and like her fellow finalists, she’s never been in the bottom three. Which one will emerge victorious and win the much-vaunted $5 million prize? It’s your choice now, America. Who do you think will win “The X Factor?” Let us know in comments below.
Sad news for fans of Rebecca Creskoff and Lake Bell : you’ll never get to see them naked again…on their HBO shows, anyway. The cable network announced yesterday that after a subpar season for both series, they are canceling Hung and How to Make It in America , along with the Jason Schwartzman / Ilsa Fisher comedy Bored to Death . Hung and Bored to Death both saw their ratings drop by over half this year- 2.31 million people tuned in for the Hung Season 2 finale last year, while a relatively small 930,000 stuck around ’til the end of season 3. Similarly, Bored to Death saw a sharp drop from an average 1.1 million viewers per episode in season 2 to an average 240,000 for this year’s season 3. [Guess it really was boring.- SC] On the other hand, How to Make It in America was never really able to gather the following that propelled the similar HBO series Entourage through eight seasons; even as Lake Bell’ s nude debut spurred an (ahem) swell of interest here at Mr. Skin, the series topped out at 560,000 viewers per episode. In comparison, Game of Thrones was considered HBO’s breakout success this year; the season 1 finale drew 3.9 million viewers for its initial airing, with an average 8.3 million people taking in each episode across DVR, HBO GO, and regular ol’ cable. Are you bummed about Hung ? Wish How to Make It had made it? Or are you just looking forward to whatever nude tricks HBO has up its sleeve? Let us know in the comments!
Two and a Half Men lost a Sheen and gained a Kutcher, but it’s still king of the ratings. This may be due to the fact that the show continually has gorgeous female guest stars wearing bikinis or underwear. Today. MrSkin.com salutes the show with our list of the top 10 sexy celebrity guests on Two and a Half Men . With babes like Megan Fox , Jenny McCarthy , and Diora Baird , it’s more like Two and a Half MAMS.
With 12.1 million viewers, Simon Cowell’s show pulls half ‘American Idol’ season 10 premiere audience. By Gil Kaufman Simon Cowell on “The X Factor” Photo: FOX Simon Cowell has been talking all week about how he’d like his new reality singing show to bury the competition, which, in his case is his old reality singing stomping grounds, “American Idol.” Well, “The X Factor” is going to have to do a lot better than it did during its Wednesday night debut if it’s going to reach the “Idol” critical mass. According to overnight ratings, not only did “Factor” pull about half of the typical “Idol” market share, it wasn’t even the highest-rated show that aired last night. According to Nielsen, “Factor” pulled in 12.1 million viewers for its heavily hyped two-hour debut, with a 4.4/12 rating in the prized 18 to 49 demographic, which was far below the numbers for the night’s ratings champ, Emmy-winning sitcom “Modern Family,” which boasted 14.3 million viewers and a 6.0/15 for its season premiere. In fact, “Factor” was only the fourth most-watched show of the night. The Hollywood Reporter noted that overall “Factor” averaged an 8.7 rating, which was half of the 16.4 rating “Idol” pulled in earlier this year in its season 10 premiere, which drew 26.1 million eyeballs in January. The trade magazine called it a “quiet start” for a show with the richest prize on TV — a $5 million recording contract — and which the mag reported cost the Fox network $250 million to obtain the U.S. rights from NBC. That’s on top of the untold millions Fox spent promoting the show all summer and what we can only assume is Cowell’s hefty producer/judging fee. Before the “Factor” debut, Cowell told the Reporter he would view anything less than 20 million viewers for the first show as a “disappointment.” As with “Idol,” it’s likely the ratings for “X Factor” will grow as the season progresses and the competition becomes more intense among contestants to whom viewers have become attached. And judging from the first episode, while the show certainly has some glaring similarities to “Idol,” there are enough novel touches — a wider age range of contestants, singing groups and a live audience at auditions — that like the hit singing competition “The Voice,” Cowell’s latest might find its footing and end up with solid, but perhaps not record-shattering ratings. Or, it could be that no matter how much we love to hate Cowell, America doesn’t have enough room in its heart for three celebrity-packed singing shows . Only time will tell. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
French tells Mixtape Daily the joint album will drop in five weeks. By Rob Markman French Montana Photo: MTV News Celebrity Favorites: French Montana Don’t expect rap’s tag-team trend to die anytime soon. In its first week, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne moved more than 430,000 copies and snagged the #1 spot on the Billboard albums chart. Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame also charted, selling more than 16,000 copies of their Ferrari Boyz LP. New York City’s French Montana is up next. “I got an album coming out with me and Waka. It’s called Lock Out. It’s gonna be out in five weeks,” French told Mixtape Daily of his new project. “The first single is called ‘I Want It.’ It’s crazy. It’s some crunk, like some ‘Choppa Down,’ but on steroids.” French rose to prominence in an unconventional way, first by creating the “Cocaine City” street DVD series, in which he showcased his music and the music of others. He has since collaborated with Akon, Max B, Rick Ross, Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame, making a name for himself in rap’s underground. Last year, Montana dropped “Choppa Down” with Waka, and now his current single, “Shot Caller,” is heating up the streets. While he isn’t currently signed, the former Konvict Music MC is planning the release of his debut LP. “I got that Excuse My French joint — it’s coming like late this year or early next year — but for now I’m just doing the street album,” he said before talking about the different contracts being thrown his way. “I ain’t gonna let the cat out the bag, but it’s about seven labels right now. So we’re just workin’, lookin’ for the best one.” For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines . Related Artists French Montana Waka Flocka Flame
‘If somebody wants to say they’re gay, it’s up to them,’ Nigel Lythgoe tells Entertainment Weekly after ‘The Voice’ judge’s comments. By Kara Warner Adam Levine Photo: Getty Images Once Maroon 5 frontman and “The Voice” judge Adam Levine gave “American Idol” a tongue-lashing regarding what Levine deemed the “masking” of its gay contestants, it seemed only a matter of time before we’d hear a rebuttal from the “Idol” powers that be. Said rebuttal has arrived via executive producer Nigel Lythgoe in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “To be frank, I didn’t understand why we’re talking about contestants being gay or not gay,” Lythgoe told the magazine when asked about Levine’s complaint that the ratings juggernaut prefers that gay contestants don’t publicly disclose their sexuality. “I don’t go into my dentist and say, ‘Are you gay?’ I don’t say to contestants on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ [on which Lythgoe serves as a judge and executive producer], ‘Are you gay?’ What does it got to do with me? What does it got to do with anybody? When does privacy stop in this country? If somebody wants to say they’re gay, it’s up to them. You don’t expect us to turn around and say, ‘Are you gay?’ Why would we do that? — ‘By the way, he’s a Catholic and he supports Obama and here’s his sexuality’ — what does that have anything to do with singing talent? Maybe it does for Adam Levine, but not for me.” When asked by the interviewer if the reason why there have not been openly gay contestants on “Idol” is that it’s up to the individual, Lythgoe brought up season eight runner-up Adam Lambert, who is gay but never spoke about it on the show. “He must have come out before being on ‘Idol,’ he just didn’t talk about it on ‘Idol.’ And why should he? Is every actor going on television going to say, ‘I’m only playing the part of a straight man, I’m really gay’? There’s no reason that I would see why anybody that goes on television should start coming out with who they are, what they are, what their sexuality is, who they’re going to vote for or what their religion is.” Lythgoe made his point about personal choice and privacy, but he did not address whether the show has an official policy on the matter. Related Artists Adam Levine
