Video for first Cruel Summer single is a stylized hip-hop stunt fest featuring Yeezy, Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz. By Rob Markman Big Sean and Kanye West in the “Mercy” music video Photo: G.O.O.D. Music They say less is more, but Kanye West could’ve used a couple more Lamborghinis in his “Mercy” video, because there’s no way all those G.O.O.D. MCs will fit in the clip’s lone Murci
After watching a man blast himself out of a cannon and then witnessing an overweight pole dancer on America’s Got Talent , one thing became painfully evident last night: A high level of strange was featured throughout day two in Austin. Read through our previous AGT recap for all the acts from opening night here and then get caught up with the latest below… Andrew De Leon America’s Got Talent Audition Mind-Blowing Aurora light Painting – First a sand artist, now light artists? The leader claimed to live in a commune which probably was the first question mark popping up in my head, his hair was the second. The performance was interesting, but it reminded me of the Disney Channel promotions where the actors would wave the mouse ear shape with their magic wand. The obvious point was that this really seems like a really artistic telestrator. Eric & Olivia – The non-daters from the University of Texas had a cute vibe together but it really was Olivia’s voice that was the winner. She had great jazz-soul diction. Once in a while it got a bit too froggy, but I think with the right arrangements the duo would be great. I’m shocked that Howie said no because there’s a lot of potential in this act. Eric Diddleman – Eric claimed to be a “professional mind reader” but I think the better part was him wrapping duct tape around his eyes. His guesses were great considering that Sharon was the only one to draw something hard (Howard and Howie basically drew themselves). I’d love to see this trick a second time with a few more bells and whistles. Summer Lacey – We only saw a few seconds of her but she chose to use chains instead of silks as she did some creative acrobatics. According to Sharon, Summer was also a lot higher than we must have seen as she dropped for one trick. She should join several of the acts this season as a more Punk/Accessible version of Cirque. Andrew De Leon (Above) – The closet-opera singer wasn’t bad. The biggest problem is that now he doesn’t have that surprise factor in future performances. Let’s hope that he has a stronger repertoire of songs and a bit more confidence in the future. I hope he wears prescription contacts because those contacts could scar his eyes if he’s not careful. Mind-Boggling Doppelganger Circus Sideshow – Take one part geeky/goth couple, one chainsaw and apple, and a small jaw and you get a silly performance. The girlfriend got a dislocated jaw because she didn’t listen to him when he said, “Do you have a preference for apple size?” Jada – While we only saw this group of women for a few seconds, it must have been for the mercy of the audience’s ears. It’s called synchronization; Jada didn’t have that. Also, four girls singing “Only Girl in the World” makes no sense. Which one was the only girl? Richard Grossman – The opera singer from New York, who sub-sings as practice was ahead of his song and choked. It was kind of embarrassing. That’s someone’s delusional uncle who called Howard rude. The fact that Andrew followed him with a great opera performance made him seem even sourer.
Stop. Collaborate and listen. Ice is back with a brand new invention. No, really! He is. Rob Van Winkle, who you know as ‘90s rap sensation Vanilla Ice, has a major role in this summer’s new Adam Sandler comedy That’s My Boy , in which he plays himself, Vanilla Ice. The set-up: Donny Berger (Sandler) became famous in the ‘80s for having an affair with his hot teacher. Donny knew Ice from the flash in the pan/has-been circuit, and goes back to hang out with Ice when he reunites with the grown son ( Andy Samberg ) he fathered. Winkle joined the stars of That’s My Boy at a press conference over the weekend, and he stole the panel right from Sandler and Samberg. He’s still dropping mad rhymes, and they’re full of wisdom from his 20 years of growing up and self-reflection on the Vanilla Ice days. We could all take a lesson from Vanilla Ice, so start with some of these. 1. No slippin’ on your pimpin’. “You keep your hustle tight and you never get caught slippin’ on your pimpin’,” Winkle said when the panel was asked how they deal with failures in their careers. Our takeaway is that he has not been slippin’ on his pimpin’, since Winkle keeps working, even on reality shows like Surreal Life and Celebrity Bull Riding . “If you get caught slippin’ on your pimpin’ you’re up sh*t creek without a paddle.” 2. Well, just in case you need that paddle… If you end up paddle-less in a creek, all is not lost. “Learn how to swim through the trenches and get to the other side and when you get there it’ll be paradise for you. I was in the trenches, trying to get to the other side. Sh*t creek, I found a paddle. [Sandler] helped me with the other paddle and here we are.” 3. Embrace the past. “We are who we are because of who we were, which I had to accept, and there’s a little truth to that,” Winkle said when we asked if he’s always thinking in deep wisdom and mad rhymes. 4. Look to the future. “Yesterday’s history, tomorrow is a mystery,” Winkle said when asked if this movie comeback could lead to a Cool As Ice 2. Not only would a Cool as Ice sequel be awesome, it’s also good advice in general. “Take it day by day, man. Get in where you fit in and enjoy the ride. You never know about it.” 5. These mad rhymes matter. These slogans kept the press laughing, but Winkle explained he truly uses them to get through life. “That’s one thing I’ve learned, I live off these little phrases. It’s not all jokes, but these little phrases, they’re more valuable than thousands of dollars worth of therapy to me. They make sense.” 6. Love yourself. “Be yourself, enjoy yourself,” was another one of Winkle’s life lessons. More specifically, find the place that’s right for you, whether it’s rapping or starring in an Adam Sandler movie. “I just get in where I fit in.” 7. Be happy. In a genre of music that can often spiral into anger and violence, positivity is important. “Show me a smile and I’ll show you one back. They’re contagious. So, it works for me. Stay positive, good things happen. Look where I’m at.” 8. Mind the company you keep. It also matters who you let in your life. The Sandler crew was good for Winkle, but be careful of your entourage. “Show me who your friends are and I’ll show you who you are. Karma, believe in it. It’s real. It comes back to you.” 9. Listen to your mother (and word to her!) Since the film is about an embarrassing parent, the panel was asked what they learned from their parents. Winkle shared his mother’s lesson. Maybe mad wisdom runs in the family. “My mom always told me, ‘Act smarter than you are. Always know where your exit is in case you get into too much trouble.’” To borrow from the immortal popular words of Mr. Van Winkle: If there was a problem, yo, he’ll solve it. That’s My Boy opens June 15.
Also in Tuesday afternoon’s news round-up, Participant Media picks up Mexican actor/filmmaker Diego Luna’s latest project starring Michael Peña and America Ferrera, Relativity scores Alberto Iglesias for its latest project, indie thriller Backgammon gets rolling, meeting young Hollywood’s “It-Photographer” and Moscow’s Bolshoi to hit U.S. theaters. Participant Takes Rights to Diego Luna’s Chavez Participant Media has taken North American rights to the film which stars Crash actor Michael Peña as the famed California labor organizer Cesar Chavez. Currently filming in Sonora, Mexico, the film also stars America Ferrera, Rosario Dawson and Wes Bentley in a script by Hotel Rwanda writer Keir Pearson. The story revolves around “Chavez’s fearless determination in organizing the largest non-violent protest in U.S. history to accomplish his ultimate goal of obtaining basic human rights for over 50,000 farm workers in California.” Relativity Taps Alberto Iglesias to Score Scott Cooper’s Out of the Furnace The three-time Oscar®-nominated composer Alberto Iglesias ( Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ) to score the gritty drama currently-titled Out of the Furnace , written and directed Scott Cooper ( Crazy Heart ). The film stars Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe and Sam Shepard. Indie Thriller Backgammon Begins Shoot 3:1 Cinema and Fischer Productions have begun production on the project, based on the cult novel Bloody Baudelaire by R.B. Russell. Directed by Francisco Orvañanos stars group of up-and-comers including Noah Silver ( The Borgias ), Brittany Allen ( The Rocker ) Alex Beh ( Sugar ), Olivia Crocicchia ( Terri ) and Christian Alexander ( The Lying Game ). Around the ‘net… Jon Favreau May Be Heading to Jersey Boys The Iron Man director is apparently the frontrunner to direct GK Films’ Jersey Boys , Graham King’s feature adaptation of the Broadway musical “Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons.” The story revolves around Valli and the other members of pop group Four Seasons during their meteoric rise to stardom, Variety reports . Police Academy Reboot Taps Jeremy Garelick Garelick, who wrote The Break-up is joining New Line’s revival of the Police Academy franchise which produced seven versions of the comedy beginning in the ’80s, Deadline reports . Extreme Photographer of Lindsay Lohan & Young Hollywood Gets Notoriety and Threats Tyler Shields, who photographed Lindsay Lohan with a gun in her mouth, is getting death threats with his new series, which shows his g/f Francesca Eastwood (daughter of Clint) destroying a $100K Hermès Birkin bag. Shields is young Hollywood’s de factor house photographer, The Daily Beast reports . Six Ballets to Emerge at Cinemark Theaters: Summer Emerging Pictures will present “Ballet in Cinema” at 50 Cinemark Theatres beginning in June. The six recently recorded live ballets will play across the U.S. through August inkling performances from Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet, Thompson on Hollywood reports .
Nicki Minaj has some NSFW words for 97.1 FM. The rapper appeared opposite Funk Master Flex on that New York radio station this morning and addressed the beef she has with another station DJ, Peter Rosenberg, that led to her canceling her appearance at the Hot 97 Summer Jam on Sunday. That last-minute decision stemmed from Rosenberg’s remarks to open the concert two days ago, when he introduced the first act by saying: “I know there are some chicks in here waiting to sing along with Starships later. I’m not talking to y’all now. F–k that bulls–t.” Encouraged by Lil Wayne, who was on hand to hear Rosenberg slam his friend, Minaj pulled out of her appearance and says in the interview it was a matter of “respect.” She also says many other naughty words. Take a listen: Nicki Minaj Slams Radio Station, Funk Master Flex
The Cannes premiere of West’s film was held inside a tented pyramid designed to create an effect of ‘levitation,’ according to designers. By James Montgomery Kanye West and Kim Kardashian attend the “Cruel Summer” premiere at the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival Photo: Getty Images When Kanye West premiered his “Cruel Summer” film last week at Cannes, he did so in his usual, uh, understated manner: projected on seven video screens inside a tented pyramid on the Mediterranean Sea. It was a stylistic choice meant to represent “a post-Steve Jobs, post-Windows era … where your mind puts the screen back together, the way you put memories together … like the experience of life” (so said West in a speech before the premiere). But if you weren’t lucky enough to attend the film’s gala opening — which is to say, if you weren’t Kim Kardashian or Jay-Z — those words probably don’t hold much meaning to you. But now, you can get a glimpse at what it was like to be inside that tented pyramid, as a series of photos of the venue — and the multitude of strategically placed video screens — have hit the Web. Designed by international firm OMA , who have built eye-popping venues in cities like Beijing, Montreal and, uh, Syracuse, the “temporary pavilion” featured seven screens “of cinematic proportions,” and was envisioned as “a constellation of projections that wrap around the audience.” The pyramid itself was created “to create an effect of levitation above the red carpet,” and attendees “ascend[ed] into the pyramid along a continuous red carpet that widen[ed] into the 200-seat auditorium.” The entire projected was site-specific collaboration between OMA, West’s own DONDA collective and Cannes-based production team Ar’Scene. “Cruel Summer,” inspired by West’s upcoming G.O.O.D Music compilation of the same name, stars Kid Cudi as a car thief who falls in love with a blind Arabian princess. The 30-minute film was co-directed by Alexandre Moors, who previously worked with West on his videos for “Runaway” and “N—as in Paris,” and was shot entirely in Qatar in the Middle East. Related Photos 2012 Cannes Film Festival Related Artists Kanye West
Casey Anthony wants to leave Florida as soon as legally possible and is eyeing a move to the central American paradise of Costa Rica, according to reports. Anthony has been in hiding since she was acquitted of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, but has recently been making forays back into the public. Virtually unrecognizable due to the amount of weight she has gained sitting around doing nothing, she is soon planning on leaving the U.S., and for good. She would have fled already, but Anthony is on probation for one year after pleading guilty to check fraud and is required to live in Florida during that time. Once Casey’s probation ends later this summer, she plans on ditching the sunshine state for Costa Rica. She is “counting the days,” according to sources. “She has been researching countries that she could move to and Costa Rica is at the top of the list,” a source close to the situation tells Radar Online . “Casey wants to live in a tropical setting and the cost of living is extremely low in Costa Rica. She wants to put as much distance as possible from Florida.” “She feels this is the best possibly place to start a new life. Costa Rica also appeals to her because Americans are warmly embraced by the locals.” Not sure that applies to accused child-murderers, but whatever. There’s one additional holdup, of course. She is still being sued by Zanaida Gonzalez for defamation after Casey said a woman with that name kidnapped Caylee. According to reports, Casey Anthony is “annoyed” and dreading that she has to testify at the upcoming trial, even if she can blame only herself.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower stars Three Musketeers cutie Logan Lerman as introverted-but-adorbs high school freshman Charlie (Lerman), who enters teen society searching for like-minded “misfits” and finds Emma Watson and Ezra Miller (last seen making a very different impression on his classmates in We Need to Talk About Kevin ). Is Charlie going to go all Angela Chase, narrating the brave new world of busting weird dance moves at Homecoming and standing up to bullies and shouting ironically at cheerleaders? If you’ve read Stephen Chbosky’s source novel of the same name, you already know what to expect — and it’s not quite as My So-Called Life -y as the trailer suggests. (Chbosky also writes and directs the film, with John Malkovich among producers who are onboard.) While we get a glimpse here of Paul Rudd as Charlie’s teacher, there’s not much of a peek at the rest of the cast, including Nicholas Braun, Johnny Simmons, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, and Melanie Lynskey. Still… Verdict: In for the triple threat of young talent that is Lerman, Watson, and Miller alone. Bring the angst, kids. The Perks of Being a Wallflower hits theaters on September 14.
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