‘If I Die Tomorrow,’ off FM’s May 22 release, Dirty Bass, is ‘a song about losing yourself.’ By Jocelyn Vena Far East Movement Photo: MTV News Ever wondered what it would sound like if the Far East Movement enlisted Tokio Hotel ‘s glammy, gothy lead singer Bill Kaulitz for a track? Well, wonder no more, because now we have “If I Die Tomorrow.” The collaboration, which dropped Friday (May 18), leans more on FM’s love for partying than Kaulitz’s love for rocking. While FM rap all about bumping trunks, killing bottles and going crazy in the club, Kaulitz, in full auto-tuned, falsetto mode, proclaims, “If I die tomorrow, that means we had the night of our lives/ If tomorrow never comes, then tonight we lose control.” “If I Die Tomorrow” is off FM’s new album, Dirty Bass, out May 22. When MTV News caught up with Far East Movement recently, Kev Nish told us that fans will see plenty of “unexpected collaborations” like this on the upcoming album. “When we first signed to Cherrytree [Records], we went on the website and see who’s on the roster … and we saw Tokio Hotel, and we were like ‘Yo, this band is wild,’ ” Nish said of working with the Musical March Madness winner and Tokio Hotel’s leading man. “We were on a bus watching them on the MTV Europe Awards, winning, and we were like, ‘We need to do a song with those dudes.’ “So we got in with Bill Kaulitz and we just wanted to do a song about losing yourself, about possibly losing your mind, because you might die the next day,” he added. The album also features Justin Bieber on the song “Live My Life.” The same day the album drops, the group also kicks off their tour with the kings of party rocking, LMFAO . What do you think of “If I Die Tomorrow”? Leave your review in the comments section! Related Artists Tokio Hotel Far East Movement
‘This is my favorite place in the mother—-in’ world!’ Drizzy declares. By Maurice Bobb Drake Photo: MTV News HOUSTON — Drake’s ties to Houston run deep. It was the city made famous by Rap-a-Lot Records, the Geto Boys, UGK, DJ Screw and a litany of chopped-and-screwed odes to purple syrup that sired, cultivated and ultimately catapulted the Toronto native into the stratosphere of chart-topping, award-winning artists, so it was only fitting that the MC born Aubrey Graham would pour more of his heart and soul into Thursday night’s Toyota Center performance, an earmarked leg on his mammoth Club Paradise Tour. Before Drizzy took the stage for his nearly two-hour set, he was preceded by a coterie of hip-hop radio fixtures: French Montana, 2 Chainz, Meek Mill, Waka Flocka Flame and J. Cole. Each artist was allotted an average of 30 minutes to run through their budding catalog of hits as the crowd — an amalgamation of ages, races and backgrounds — filed into the expansive arena to see the YMCMB MC. Dressed in a simple black T-shirt and jeans — sans garish bejeweled pendant, necklace or watch — and backed by a five-piece band, the Canadian spitter took the stage just before 10 p.m., bursting with nostalgia and reverence for H-Town. “I love Toronto, but this (Houston) is my favorite place in the mother—-in’ world!” he declared. Drake jumpstarted the throng with last year’s undisputed summer anthem, “I’m on One,” before igniting the crowd with the Weeknd-assisted “Crew Love” from his critically and commercially successful sophomore opus, Take Care . In between sips of mystery drank from a grande-sized Styrofoam cup, Drake bounced across the stage like a whirling dervish, looking as if he were unchained from the restrictions and restraints of the criticism he’s faced since solidifying his brand of moody, self-reflective braggadocio in the hardened, self-policing pantheon of hip-hop. Songs like “She Will” and “Up All Night” flowed from the multiplatinum MC’s happy place like an unrelenting wave crashing on a sandy beach. Drake was having so much fun onstage he felt compelled to share it with his co-stars. “Every n—a you wanna hear is right f—ing here!” Drake said before bringing out 2 Chainz for the newly released banger “No Lie.” The record has yet to gain the kind of traction it deserves, but one thing is clear: You haven’t heard “No Lie” until you’ve heard it in a live arena setting. Next up was Waka Flocka, whose high-energy flow on “Round of Applause” was punctuated by pyrotechnics on the “Baby make that ass clap” refrain. Drizzy briefly put his parade of guest stars on hold to offer up his current crossover hit “Take Care” before Meek Mill stepped into the cypher for “House Party” and “I’m a Boss.” The biggest surprise — literally and figuratively — of the night emerged from stage right to thunderous applause: Rick Ross. The Teflon Don and French Montana joined Drake and Meek Mill for the first-ever all-hands-on-deck live performance of “Stay Schemin” from Rozay’s groundbreaking mixtape Rich Forever . Drake’s growth as a live performer was evident as he took time to single out fans for various compliments, comments and jokes, making 15,000 fans feel as though they were in a small, intimate venue meant for 1,500. Drizzy crooned and pandered to the shrieking females in the audience as a prelude to “Make Me Proud,” but the exuberant pirouettes and middle-fingered Mazel tovs were back with “HYFR” and “The Motto.” The only blemish on the evening came when a young fan managed to hop onstage ala Lil Mama before being promptly removed by herculean security guards. “Shout out to that f— ass n—a that ran onstage,” Drake said. “He probably getting his ass beat right now.” To close out his set, Drizzy thanked the fans for their unyielding support and offered up the defiantly brazen “Headlines,” lest there were any haters left in the building — or in the industry, for that matter — “overdosed on confidence” enough to think they can keep Drake from being Drizzy. Because, as he so eloquently put it on this night, Drake doesn’t care about what the naysayers have to say: He only cares about making music for his fans. Have you seen the Club Paradise Tour? Share your review below! Related Videos Drake Kicks Off His Tour In Houston Related Artists Drake
‘This is my favorite place in the mother—-in’ world!’ Drizzy declares. By Maurice Bobb Drake Photo: MTV News HOUSTON — Drake’s ties to Houston run deep. It was the city made famous by Rap-a-Lot Records, the Geto Boys, UGK, DJ Screw and a litany of chopped-and-screwed odes to purple syrup that sired, cultivated and ultimately catapulted the Toronto native into the stratosphere of chart-topping, award-winning artists, so it was only fitting that the MC born Aubrey Graham would pour more of his heart and soul into Thursday night’s Toyota Center performance, an earmarked leg on his mammoth Club Paradise Tour. Before Drizzy took the stage for his nearly two-hour set, he was preceded by a coterie of hip-hop radio fixtures: French Montana, 2 Chainz, Meek Mill, Waka Flocka Flame and J. Cole. Each artist was allotted an average of 30 minutes to run through their budding catalog of hits as the crowd — an amalgamation of ages, races and backgrounds — filed into the expansive arena to see the YMCMB MC. Dressed in a simple black T-shirt and jeans — sans garish bejeweled pendant, necklace or watch — and backed by a five-piece band, the Canadian spitter took the stage just before 10 p.m., bursting with nostalgia and reverence for H-Town. “I love Toronto, but this (Houston) is my favorite place in the mother—-in’ world!” he declared. Drake jumpstarted the throng with last year’s undisputed summer anthem, “I’m on One,” before igniting the crowd with the Weeknd-assisted “Crew Love” from his critically and commercially successful sophomore opus, Take Care . In between sips of mystery drank from a grande-sized Styrofoam cup, Drake bounced across the stage like a whirling dervish, looking as if he were unchained from the restrictions and restraints of the criticism he’s faced since solidifying his brand of moody, self-reflective braggadocio in the hardened, self-policing pantheon of hip-hop. Songs like “She Will” and “Up All Night” flowed from the multiplatinum MC’s happy place like an unrelenting wave crashing on a sandy beach. Drake was having so much fun onstage he felt compelled to share it with his co-stars. “Every n—a you wanna hear is right f—ing here!” Drake said before bringing out 2 Chainz for the newly released banger “No Lie.” The record has yet to gain the kind of traction it deserves, but one thing is clear: You haven’t heard “No Lie” until you’ve heard it in a live arena setting. Next up was Waka Flocka, whose high-energy flow on “Round of Applause” was punctuated by pyrotechnics on the “Baby make that ass clap” refrain. Drizzy briefly put his parade of guest stars on hold to offer up his current crossover hit “Take Care” before Meek Mill stepped into the cypher for “House Party” and “I’m a Boss.” The biggest surprise — literally and figuratively — of the night emerged from stage right to thunderous applause: Rick Ross. The Teflon Don and French Montana joined Drake and Meek Mill for the first-ever all-hands-on-deck live performance of “Stay Schemin” from Rozay’s groundbreaking mixtape Rich Forever . Drake’s growth as a live performer was evident as he took time to single out fans for various compliments, comments and jokes, making 15,000 fans feel as though they were in a small, intimate venue meant for 1,500. Drizzy crooned and pandered to the shrieking females in the audience as a prelude to “Make Me Proud,” but the exuberant pirouettes and middle-fingered Mazel tovs were back with “HYFR” and “The Motto.” The only blemish on the evening came when a young fan managed to hop onstage ala Lil Mama before being promptly removed by herculean security guards. “Shout out to that f— ass n—a that ran onstage,” Drake said. “He probably getting his ass beat right now.” To close out his set, Drizzy thanked the fans for their unyielding support and offered up the defiantly brazen “Headlines,” lest there were any haters left in the building — or in the industry, for that matter — “overdosed on confidence” enough to think they can keep Drake from being Drizzy. Because, as he so eloquently put it on this night, Drake doesn’t care about what the naysayers have to say: He only cares about making music for his fans. Have you seen the Club Paradise Tour? Share your review below! Related Videos Drake Kicks Off His Tour In Houston Related Artists Drake
While the first trailer for James Bond pic Skyfall won’t hit until next week (!), official site 007.com has a treat in the form of a teaser poster for the November release. And while there’s precious little to glean from the black and white composition, there’s something surprisingly compelling in the simplicity of Daniel Craig , front and center, striding towards us from inside the Bond gun barrel . The juxtaposition of what looks like a drainage tunnel with Craig’s dapper, Tom Ford-tailored coolness gives us the sense that he’s unafraid to walk into the world’s dirtiest, grimiest underbelly in his fancy lad haberdashery. What’s more: He’s not shooting at us in the classic Bond gun barrel scenario, which traditionally envisioned the suave spy aiming and firing at the camera; look at his placement and you see he is the bullet. By my count this is the first of the Craig Bond flicks to use the iconic gun barrel motif in its poster designs; some form of it was employed here and there in the Bond films of Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan, though not so much in the artwork of the golden era of Bond (i.e. the Connery-Moore years). That said, this 1980 German re-release poster from the O.G. Bond pic Dr. No utilized what you might consider a variant of the gun barrel motif. (Side note: Is there another gun in Connery’s pocket or is he happy to see us?) Skyfall hits theaters November 9. [via 007.com ]
Some days you just need to see, as SCTV’s Farm Film Report guys Big Jim McBob and Billy Sol Hurok used to put it, stuff blowed up real good. If you’re having one of those days, Peter Berg’s Battleship is as good a choice as any. Beyond that, you should know a few things going in: Battleship is allegedly based on the Hasbro game of the same name, but never in the film is the line “You sunk my battleship!” uttered, so don’t expect a refund. Also, one of the invading aliens – spoiler, sorry! – looks a little like the guy from that ’90s Swedish band Stakka Bo . Now you’re ready for Battleship . Or maybe you’re not. Actually, the picture is perhaps not quite as painful as you might be expecting, though probably not as enjoyable, either. Plotwise, it’s as reasonably well-executed as these messes generally are. Actor-director Berg has made a few not wholly uninteresting films in the past ( Hancock , The Kingdom ), and while it’s easy enough to compare Battleship cavalierly with a Michael Bay movie, Berg does have a few more brain cells to work with, and here and there in Battleship they twinkle admirably. Also, the picture features a not entirely soulless specimen of beefcake, Taylor Kitsch, veteran of the TV show Friday Night Lights (which was created by Berg, adapted from the movie of the same name, which he directed). Kitsch wasn’t half-bad in the unjustly maligned John Carter , which only proves that we prefer to blast aliens to oblivion rather than land inexplicably on their planets and fall in love with their princesses. What that says about us as a people I prefer not to contemplate. Kitsch is quite winning in Battleship , a believable human presence in the midst of lots of metal stuff getting blasted to smithereens. His character is a young ne’er-do-well named Alex Hopper who, in one of the movie’s early scenes, scores a burrito for a good-looking (and hungry) blonde after the local watering hole has closed its kitchen. That blonde, played by Brooklyn Decker, also happens to be the daughter of stern bigwig Admiral Shane (played, with convincing stoniness, by Liam Neeson). And when Alex is forced by his more responsible brother Stone (Alexander Skarsgård) to join the Navy – Stone hopes it’ll straighten his goofball brother out – Alex of course runs afoul of Admiral Shane. All of this is before alien forces from an Earth-a-like planet called Planet G send their well-armed minions to wreak death and destruction, focusing chiefly on Hawaii, where they hope to take over a state-of-the-art interplanetary communications outpost. Dizzy yet? Just wait until the big graphite Planet G thingie lands in the ocean just off Hawaii, where Alex’s ship is engaged in some fun-for-all, low-risk naval maneuvers. Alex actually boards the thingie as Petty Officer Cora “Weps” Raikes (Rihanna) looks on, training a big gun on it just in case. It’s not giving too much away to tell you that massive kabooms ensue – among the weapons in the alien arsenal are flaming rondelles that saw through metal as if it were chunks of butter – to the point where the explosions become an abstraction: There are so many of them they begin to mean nothing. Have I mentioned the subplot in which a veteran with two prosthetic legs — played by Gregory D. Gadson, a real-life soldier and double amputee — reclaims his lost pride? Gadson brings a great deal of conviction to the role, and Berg uses his metal limbs as a great punchline to an alien-related joke. Other supporting players don’t fare as well: Rihanna has the face of a tough little streetcat, appealing and self-reliant, but the movie gives her very little to do (other than hold that big gun). The finest section of Battleship may be the last 20 minutes, the point at which the movie’s title begins to make some semblance of sense. It’s at that point that a real-life World War II-era ship, the U.S.S. Missouri , stationed at Pearl Harbor, is pressed into action against the alien forces. The hotshot young soldiers do not, of course, know how to work the thing — it’s all analog, and they’re digital as heck. Luckily, there are a bunch of geezer vets on hand, and they’re thrilled to have a chance to spring to action. The last section of Battleship is sort of like Antiques Roadshow meets Armageddon , albeit with way too much of the latter and not nearly enough of the former. But at least it brings a low-tech, human touch to a picture whose special effects, skillful as they are, are so excessive that after a while they just stop registering. Early in the film, a character makes a distinction between a battleship and a destroyer. A destroyer is designed to “dish it out like the Terminator.” Battleships, on the other hand, are “dinosaurs.” It’s funny that Battleship is ostensibly based on such a supremely simple, elegant and satisfying board game. As movies go, it’s really more of a destroyer. It’s entertainment as punishment, or perhaps the other way around. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Anyone who’s ever seen or used a rabbit vibrator can attest to the device’s utter adorableness as a totem. Whoever designed this miraculous pink rubbery thing, with its Peter Cottontail-worthy quivering ears, probably thought, Why does a vibrator have to be ugly? Why not make it cute? Tanya Wexler may have had the same idea when she was making Hysteria , a romantic comedy and highly fictionalized history of the vibrator. The picture is, in places, too adorable for words, and when it’s not adorable, it suffers from an excess of neo-suffragette preachiness. But the picture is at least spirited, a jaunty trifle that’s low on eroticism but high on cartoony coquettishness. Like the little motorized whatsit that is its subject, it does have its charms. The picture is set in Victorian London, a time and place where the women’s ailment known as hysteria — caused, allegedly, by an overactive uterus — was treated by some rather, um, direct and interesting methods. (According to the movie, they involve two kinds of oil and a doctor’s fingers.) Hugh Dancy plays Mortimer Granville, a physician who, unlike his whiskery colleagues, keeps up with all the latest developments in modern medicine — he’s hip to the idea of germs while all the other docs are still hung up on leeches. Because of his radical beliefs in these invisible microscopic destroyers, no hospital will have him, and he feels lucky to land a job in the office of one Dr. Robert Dalrymple (Jonathan Pryce), who specializes in de-overactivating the uteruses of his patients. “It’s the plague of our time!” he tells his young colleague. “Half the women in London are afflicted!” Only half? Anyway, many of the afflicted make their way to the good doctor’s office, including an opera singer who’s too sad to sing (Kim Criswell) and a minxlike sexagenarian (Georgie Glen), all clamoring for treatment. In fact, handsome young Dr. Granville attracts so many new patients that he begins suffering desperately from hand cramps. Luckily, his closest friend, a layabout aristocrat played by a marvelously louche Rupert Everett, has invented an electric feather duster that, with a few tweaks, actually serves as a handy hysteria treatment device. The thing catches on like wildfire, and everybody’s happy. Well, not quite. There’s plenty of trouble in Dr. Granville’s paradise, mostly in the love department: He thinks he’s attracted to Dr. Dalrymple’s brainy but meek daughter Emily (Felicity Jones), but his real match is her sister, headstrong Charlotte (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who works with the poor and has some very progressive ideas about the equality of women, which she spouts freely at every turn. The script, by Stephen and Jonah Lisa Dyer, give Charlotte’s ideas free rein, and enough is enough already. Their grinding insistence only weighs the movie down, preventing it from getting on with the business of getting it on. But Wexler — director of two previous features, Ball in the House and Finding North — strives to keep things buoyant, and her efforts mostly pay off. Gyllenhaal’s presence helps — with that bright, expressive, acorn-shaped face, she carries on valiantly, despite the pedantic nature of the material. The movie’s offhand moments are the most fun, as when the two doctors, plus Everett, try the device on their first patient: They put a drape across her legs and don swimming goggles, peering expectantly into the abyss before — huzzah! — achieving victory. Hysteria is most delightful when it slips into its naughtiest groove and just purrs. Editor’s note: Portions of this review appeared earlier, in a different form, in Stephanie Zacharek’s Toronto Film Festival coverage . Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
‘I think that you should be able to do whatever you want to do,’ T.I. tells ‘RapFix Live’ about his stance on same-sex marriage. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway T.I. on “RapFix Live” Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News President Obama is no stranger to hip-hop’s support. Not only have MCs dedicated songs to the 44th U.S. Prez, but guys like Jay-Z , Diddy and Ludacris have openly backed Barack. While many criticized Obama for his support of same-sex marriage , Hov backs him, and so does T.I. “Just to speak honestly and being frank, I don’t care,” the “Live Your Life” MC said about the non-stop debate on same-sex marriage when he appeared on Wednesday’s “RapFix Live.” “I think that if a matter doesn’t affect your daily life, you shouldn’t take a hard stand on it. If it’s not something that directly affects you, if it doesn’t affect you, what difference does it make to you what other people are doing with their lives?” Tip, who is currently serving probation stemming from his 2007 weapons arrest, is unable to vote, but once his probation is lifted in September he revealed that he plans to vote for Obama, who will be looking to secure a second term as head of state. “I don’t think that’s a hard question,” he said. During an interview with CNN on Monday, Jay applauded the president for speaking out in support of the gay-rights movement. “I’ve always thought it as something that was still holding the country back,” Jay-Z said. “What people do in their own homes is their business, and you can choose to love whoever you love. That’s their business. It’s no different than discriminating against blacks. It’s discrimination, plain and simple.” “I think that you should be able to do whatever you want to do,” T.I. remarked. “I don’t see how it matters one way or another.” Related Videos T.I. Brings The Grand Hustle To ‘RapFix Live’ Related Artists T.I.
Looking 4 Myself track featuring Pharrell is classic R&B but ‘very relevant,’ superstar says on ‘MTV First.’ By John Mitchell, with reporting by Sway Calloway Usher Photo: Jessica Hyndman / MTV News Usher sat down for an exclusive “MTV First” interview about his hotly anticipated upcoming release, Looking 4 Myself , his unconventional album-listening experience with the off-Broadway show “Fuerza Bruta” and to give fans a first listen to the Myself track “Twisted” featuring Pharrell. He told MTV News’ Sway Calloway the song is a “nostalgic record” that reflects the album’s ambitious aim to represent the variety of musical experiences that have impacted the R&B superstar. ” ‘Twisted’ is more of a nostalgic record, so when you think about the classic R&B record, we managed a way to modernize it, even though that’s very relevant,” the singer said. “You hear records like Cee Lo, you hear Bruno Mars and also Andre 3000, and that sound is very relevant in this time. So this was kind of our way to tie it all together and give you something different that you probably wouldn’t normally get from me.” Adapting current sounds and making them his own is a theme Usher is bringing in earnest to Looking 4 Myself and also reflects his philosophy of how to stay in the game. The star released his self-titled debut in 1994, when he was just 16, and has gone on to sell over 65 million records worldwide and score nine #1 songs and six more top 10 hits. As for how he’s managed to stay on top for so long, Usher revealed that it’s important to never be insular when it comes to music. “Life is a workout, man, it’s like a treadmill, and you gotta be with it, you gotta just stay with it,” he said. “For me, I’ve had the fortunate ability to always be mindful of other things and other people. I’m not so caught up in what I’m doing that I can’t be cognizant of what other people enjoy. … Now, I think music should be used as a channel to really allow people to have different experiences. So, this album is all about bottling up those different experiences.” The connecting tissue that’s given Usher the ability to explore world music — from full-on dance tracks like his new single “Scream” and his collaboration with David Guetta, “Without You,” to more classic R&B slow jams like “Climax” and the old-school spare drum beat of “Twisted” — while delivering cohesive records has been his voice, which he said brings “the essence of soul and emotion” to each record. “All of my career is kind of an unveiling, an unfolding story, and it ain’t done. There’s so much more that I’m going to do, so much that I’ve now just been interested in and been introduced to,” he continued. “I just want that experience of having this very monogamous relationship with entertainment and acting in a way where I can really, really focus and become better.” Usher’s commitment to tackling the changing face of music head-on and forging new roads in entertainment as he matures — he is currently training for a Sugar Ray Leonard biopic — is the key to his success, he said, concluding, “It’s all about evolution for me.” Share your review of “Twisted” in the comments below! Related Videos MTV First: Usher Related Artists Usher
Sacha Baron Cohen and Larry Charles’ The Dictator is indefensible and hilarious, an unruly thing that invites you to laugh at things you feel you shouldn’t. I’ve heard people — even some who like the picture — referring to The Dictator as offensive, and one of the guys sitting behind me at the screening laughed at some jokes and remained awkwardly mute during others. After one of these pauses — the vibrations of his uneasiness were traveling right through my seat back — I heard him say to his pal, “I’m not sure how I feel about this.” But as the end credits rolled he announced joyously, “That was great!” as if he’d endured an enema cleansing that made him feel a whole lot better afterward. Cohen has many gifts as a performer, and with The Dictator he reveals yet another one: He knows how to flush stuff right out of you. Cohen’s invented character du jour is a despot named General Admiral Haffaz Aladeen, ruler of the equally made-up North African state of Wadiya. Aladeen hates the West, hates Jews and regularly calls for the execution of anyone who undermines his authority, by, say, questioning his firm belief that nuclear missiles should be pointy and not rounded. His chief adviser is his Uncle Tamir (Ben Kingsley), who chafes under Aladeen’s authoritarian rule and seeks to undermine him. After Aladeen survives an assassination attempt, Tamir persuades him to go to New York to address the United Nations, which has been sticking its nose into his sordid doings. Once he gets to the city — he makes his grand entrance on the back of a decorated camel — he’s kidnapped, stripped of his protruding steel-wool beard and medal-and-scrambled-egg-encrusted uniform, and forced to live as an anonymous immigrant with a tenuous grasp of the English language. It’s at this point that he meets Zoey (Anna Faris), a peacenik mighty-mite who runs a whole-foods store and who, in her desire to be fair and generous to all peoples, attempts to understand his motivations as he spouts all sorts of racist and sexist invective. Meanwhile, Aladeen — who has adopted the name Alison Burgers, for reasons so ridiculous that they’re better left unexplained until you see the film — attempts to reclaim his stature with the help of scientist and Wadiyan exile Nadal (Jason Mantzoukas), who agrees to help him regain his mojo by bulking up in the nukes department. Cohen’s targets here include people who fly planes into buildings for religious reasons, people who hate Jews, and women with hair under their arms. As they used to say on Sesame Street , one of these things is not like the others, but those of you who like to cultivate fragrant jungles in your armpits will just have to deal. The satire in The Dictator is sharp but not exquisitely pointed, and the movie is better for it: It’s clear enough where Cohen’s sympathies lie — his jokes have a kind of sick buoyancy, instead of hammering you with their politics. Cohen’s humor is political, though in the end it may really only be humanitarian. At home in Wadiya, amongst his riches, his servants and his high-cost prostitutes (one of whom is Megan Fox, gamely playing herself), Aladeen likes to play video games, including a Wii-style amusement called “Munich Olympics.” I groaned, along with much of the audience, when he hit the “play” button, but there’s anger in the joke as well as audacity. Cohen doesn’t suffer bullies gladly, which makes a character like Aladeen an irresistible canvas for him. The Dictator is a written-and-rehearsed picture, unlike the extended prank Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan , and it’s probably the better film. As he did on that picture (and the more wayward Brüno ), Cohen again pairs with director Larry Charles, who’s acutely in tune with his rhythms. Charles — who has worked extensively in TV as a producer and/or writer on shows like Seinfeld , Entourage and Curb Your Enthusiasm , and who also directed the gloriously woolly 2003 Bob Dylan fever dream Masked and Anonymous — has by this point proved to be a great midwife for the ideas of oddball intellects. He gives some shape and heft even to Cohen’s silliest gags, like the one in which it’s explained that Aladeen amended the Wadiyan language so that “negative” and “positive” are the same word — this bit of silliness occasions a great little cameo for Aasif Mandvi as a doctor who’s trying to give a patient the result of his AIDS test. Add to that the pleasure of watching Cohen in all his long-legged, language-mangling glory: The Dictator works both as satire and as comedy, and the two don’t always mingle so easily. Cohen has a way of slinging lines that’s as casual as a cook flipping meat patties in a burger joint. “The police here are such fascists!” he says, aghast at the behavior of New York City cops, but he’s really just setting us up for the kicker: “And not in the good way!” By the time Aladeen has been in in New York for a while, his sartorial choices have been unduly influenced by crunchy-granola Zoey, to the point where he thinks nothing of wearing Crocs in public. When Nadal uses this footwear choice as evidence of how far Aladeen has fallen, the has-been tyrant can only agree: “Crocs,” he says dejectedly, “the universal symbol of men who have given up hope.” Cohen may be playing an autocrat, but he doesn’t let his ego run roughshod over his fellow actors. Anna Faris gets less screentime than Cohen does, but she stands up to him admirably, maybe because she’s willing to go just as far as he is for a laugh, even a painful one. As Zoey, a no-makeup martinet with firm ideas about equality among all peoples, she captures perfectly the tyrannical smugness of the tiny but powerful nation of white people known as Park Slope, Brooklyn. The Dictator , for all its liberal leanings, doesn’t let anyone off the hook, not even well-intentioned liberals. Cohen comes right out and says things that most of us, in polite conversation, wouldn’t dare. He knows it’s the impolite conversation that really gets things moving. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Welcome to THG’s Week in Review! Below, our staffers look back at the stories, stars and scandals that made the last seven days some of the craziest ALL MONTH. If you don’t already, FOLLOW THG on Twitter , Google+ and Facebook for 24/7/365 news. Every day, week and year, let us be your celebrity gossip source! Now, a rundown of the week that was at The Hollywood Gossip : A surprising John Travolta scandal involving two masseurs erupted. Both men have anonymously filed a lawsuit alleging sexual battery . President Obama supported gay marriage publicly for the first time. Bristol Palin went off on him for that, and a bunch of other things. Tanning Mom was parodied on SNL, and thought it was classic. Matthew Fox was arrested for DUI near his home in Oregon. Photos of Jenelle Evans nude “leaked” online. Most likely thanks to Jenelle. Before and after her boob job, of course. Gotta spread the good news. Amber Portwood was jailed for lying to get out of a drug test. Class. Just three singers remain on American Idol this season. Only four remain on Dancing With the Stars , as well. Vidal Sassoon died at the age of 84. The Avengers Trailer (Official) The Avengers posted the biggest opening weekend of all time. Ever. Kanye West wants to marry Kim Kardashian … in rap lyrics at least. Casper Smart , J. Lo’s man, is reportedly ALL about the singer. Britney Spears will join The X Factor for a record $15 million. Looks like Octomom’s adult film career is off to a flying start. Jaclyn Swedberg might have a leg up on her though. Chris Brown – Theraflu (Freestyle Remix) Is Chris Brown’s “Theraflu” remix (above) a slap at ex-girlfriend Rihanna? Are Rihanna’s Twitpics getting wilder and indicating she may be crashing? Time Magazine’s breastfeeding cover raised both eyebrows and debate. Kate Middleton’s “racy” dress during an evening event turned heads. Contrary to reports, Suge Knight was not arrested for murdering Tupac . Aubrey O’Day is not a slut, swears Aubrey O’Day . Justin Bieber – Boyfriend (Live on The Voice) Justin Bieber performed “Boyfriend” live on the finale of The Voice (above). Jermaine Paul was the Season 2 winner of the NBC singing competition. Sharon Simmons is trying out for the Cowboys’ cheerleaders at age 55. Kelly Thomas’ death has led to criminal charges for two police officers. George Zimmerman pleaded not guilty in the murder of Trayvon Martin. The Harvard baseball team rocked out to “Call Me Maybe” … Harvard Baseball Team – Call Me Maybe What was the highlight of the week for you? Did we leave anything out?
