It’s been a busy weekend for Chad and Evelyn , but the events of the past few days have us loving them even more as a couple. First Evelyn braved the cold weather to support his man as his Patriots beat the Denver Broncos in the playoffs, then Chad had us rolling after stealing Evelyn’s phone and tweeting some pretty funny stuff… But we were sad to see them have to deal with the tragedy of losing Chad’s dad this morning. Peep the tweets when you continue.
Mickey (Michael Biehn), the paranoid building superintendent unwillingly responsible for allowing the characters in The Divide to survive the apocalypse, didn’t plan for or want company. And who can blame him? These people are awful . Like so many groups left in a survival situations (at least in movies, books and MTV reality shows), they shed their veneer of civilization with alarming rapidity as their lives take a turn for the worse. Written by Karl Mueller and Eron Sheean and directed by Xavier Gens, who earned a place for himself in the New French Extreme movement with his 2007 Frontier(s) before heading to Hollywood to make Hitman , The Divide is a stylish and would-be shocking variation on a familiar scenario, in which the horrors isolated survivors inflict on each other turn out to be worse than those lurking outside. Gens has talent, if also tendencies to steer the visuals into the music video realm, but he treats the characters here like mobile props and nothing more — the curve of a shaved skull or a tear trickling down a cheek just another bit of nice art direction on the gradual path toward the inevitable destruction of everyone on screen. What happened to the outside world is left to speculation — what looks like a bomb hits the city in the first scene, sending the inhabitants of a New York apartment building scrambling downstairs in search of shelter. Eight people force their way into Mickey’s shelter in the basement before he locks the door. There’s angular heroine Eva (Lauren German), her whiny French fiancé Sam (Iván González), Delvin (Courtney B. Vance), Bobby (Michael Eklund), brothers Josh (Milo Ventimiglia) and Adrien (Ashton Holmes), and Marilyn (Rosanna Arquette) and her daughter Wendy (Abbey Thickson). Mickey has food and water saved up, though not enough — at least not after strange men in hazmat suits barge into the underground shelter, kidnap the little girl, and weld the door shut on the remaining inhabitants. Hell may be other people, but it can also be scenarios in which people endlessly bicker their way to certain doom (this is why I find The Walking Dead so hard to watch). Power games, alliances and divisions break out as time passes with no hope of rescue or an end, and as the characters grow more unstable and unhealthy, teeth falling out, hair growing patchy as they sit in the dark. Josh establishes himself as the alpha male, sharing Marilyn with Bobby in a scenario that degrades into violent sexual slavery — Arquette deserves either kudos or condolences for the degree to which she surrenders to a role that finds her being chained up, continually degraded and humiliated, treated like a dog, and smearing makeup on her face like some kind of crazed goth dolly. Eva is forced to protect Sam, who’s at the bottom of the totem pole, though she’s drawn to Adrien, who holds on to his sanity as the situation falls apart. These characters are at best doodles, and none of the performances are able to tease more depth out of them — the hints at history between them, like how Sam and Eva met, or the strained relationship between Josh and Adrien, are so sparse that when they’re thrown in they confuse more than they illuminate. The sprinkles of political relevance are clunkier and more problematic. Any film these days that includes the destruction of the New York skyline is going to calls up echoes of 9/11, but The Divide strongly suggests that Mickey was a firefighter working that day whose issues and isolation are all related to that trauma, from his convictions that “the ragheads” are responsible for bombing the city to his creation of the underground bunker, decorated with an American flag. (Admittedly, Gens makes the Frenchman the least likable character — if the film’s a rough metaphor for a world in decline, the U.S. isn’t alone in taking on the chin.) At two hours, with its elegiac tone and deliberate pacing, The Divide may lose gorehounds before it gets around to the finger chopping and corpse dismemberment. While there certainly are moments that will have the sensitive covering their eyes, the film’s most disturbing imagery isn’t actually related to carnage. A segment in which Josh heads outside to attempt to figure out what the suited-up soldiers are up to has a hallucinatory, medical nightmare feel to it, rich with the promise of terrible things going on just beyond our comprehension. Later, two characters shave their heads and eyebrows and transform themselves into near-alien figures out of a Matthew Barney video. Gens’s deftness with these visuals, and with the claustrophobic glide of his camera through the dim warrens of the underground space in which The Divide is almost exclusively set, is undeniable. It’s his apparent disinterest in the people filling it that makes the film such an uphill battle, in which the world ends and you can’t wait for the survivors just kill each other off already. Follow Alison Wilmore on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
In 1865, actor and Confederate loyalist John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in the balcony of Ford’s Theatre, committing one of the most notorious crimes in American history. In 2013, Fox News talking head Bill O’Reilly will team up with Tony and Ridley Scott for a two-hour National Geographic documentary exploring the events surrounding Lincoln’s death, adapted from Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever , co-written by O’Reilly and Martin Dugard. But with so many previous Lincoln assassination projects in the ether, what new ground can O’Reilly and the Scott brothers tread in Killing Lincoln ? Lincoln’s death, of course, was so violent, tragic, and significant an event that it inspired many a filmmaker over the years. D.W. Griffith made a film in 1930 — his second screen depiction of the act — entitled simply Abraham Lincoln , that examined the president’s life, taking a few creative liberties along the way. (You can watch it here in its entirety, if you’re so inclined.) In the same decade, John Ford made two movies with ties to Lincoln: The Prisoner of Shark Island , about the doctor who tended to Booth after the attack on Lincoln, and Young Mr. Lincoln , which focused on the future president’s career as a young lawyer. And as the decades went on, scores more depictions of Lincoln’s life and death were committed to celluloid as generation after generation of filmmakers sought to mine the event for the social and historical significance it bore to the shaping of America. Unfortunately, other attempts, like Robert Redford’s recent The Conspirator , proved downright snoozeworthy. Hence, it seems, O’Reilly and the Scott brothers’ attempt to jazz up the Lincoln saga with “feature-like re-enactments, rare historical archives and CGI.” CGI! O’Reilly and Dugard’s 2011 nonfiction book promised “history that reads like a thriller.” Set your DVRs for high intrigue at Ford’s Theatre! (And if that’s not enough Honest Abe for ya, there’s also Steven Spielberg ‘s Daniel Day-Lewis-starring Lincoln biopic and the promising Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter coming up later this year.) Regardless of how much adrenaline the O’Reilly factor pumps into recreating Booth’s dastardly attack in Killing Lincoln , I’m not sure it could stand up to the rollicking menace of this recreation, as seen in the major motion picture National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets : Or: Might it unearth new theories regarding what motivated Booth to pull the trigger, a la Family Guy ? In any case, there’s no way Killing Lincoln can capture the truth of the event quite like this sketch from The Whitest Kids U Know . I’m pretty sure this is totally historically accurate .
Three Pretty Little Liars . One magical night in Hollywood. One red carpet. One chance to vote. Lucy Hale, Ashley Benson and Shay Mitchell were among the many famous attendees at the 2012 People’s Choice Awards last night, and each young star had reason to celebrate: their ABC Family hit won the title of Favorite Cable Drama. Congratulations to the trio, but now the real battle begins. Which of these actress shined brightest at the event, fashion-wise? Compare them below and then don’t forget to do the same for a couple Vampire Diaries hunks …
Vanessa Hudgens introduced Demi Lovato at the People’s Choice Awards last night, prior to the singing coming out and underwhelming us with a performance of “Give Your Heart a Break.” So it’s only appropriate that these two are linked here, in the latest edition of a THG Fashion Face-Off. Both stars chose a dress for the event that highlighted a certain section of their bodies; for Demi it was the chest region; for Vanessa, the back. Do you prefer one style over another? Did Lovato go too far with her cleavage accentuation? Which look do you like best? Decide now.
Vanessa Hudgens introduced Demi Lovato at the People’s Choice Awards last night, prior to the singing coming out and underwhelming us with a performance of “Give Your Heart a Break.” So it’s only appropriate that these two are linked here, in the latest edition of a THG Fashion Face-Off. Both stars chose a dress for the event that highlighted a certain section of their bodies; for Demi it was the chest region; for Vanessa, the back. Do you prefer one style over another? Did Lovato go too far with her cleavage accentuation? Which look do you like best? Decide now.
Reality star won’t appear in new Super Bowl ad but Skechers CEO says claims that Kardashian was replaced are ‘misleading.’ By James Montgomery Kim Kardashian Photo: Marianna Massey/ WireImage Kim Kardashian won’t be featured in Skechers’ upcoming Super Bowl ad — that honor goes to a French bulldog — but that doesn’t mean she’s been replaced. Earlier this week, reports surfaced that the shoe manufacturer had, uh, booted Kardashian as their spokesperson — she appeared in a steamy spot for Skechers’ Shape-Up shoe that aired during Super Bowl XLV — a move their president claimed was meant “to establish Skechers as more than a lifestyle company.” Of course, those reports also spawned a series of headlines suggesting Kardashian had been replaced in favor of the French bulldog (with some speculating her brief marriage to Kris Humphries was behind the decision). But according to Skechers’ CEO Robert Greenberg, that simply wasn’t the case. Instead (and less salaciously), the new commercial had everything to do with Kardashian’s contract with the company coming to an end. “Kim Kardashian has had a tremendously positive effect on the Skechers brand … she played a big part in Skechers moving up last year from 388 to 99 among companies with the highest brand trust,” Greenberg said in a statement . “While Kim’s contract with Skechers simply came to an end at the end of last year, we continue to have a great relationship with her … to say that she was ‘dropped’ or ‘replaced’ is misleading and untrue. Skechers has enjoyed and continues to enjoy the relationship with Kim, and in fact we continue to discuss ways that we may work together in the future.” Instead of Kardashian, this year’s Skechers Super Bowl spot features a French bulldog who dons the company’s new GOrun sneakers and races a pack of greyhounds. Strangely, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban reportedly also makes a cameo. What do you think of Skechers bumping Kim K. from their Super Bowl spot? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!
Pop queen’s rep confirms to MTV News that her next project will be called M.D.N.A. By John Mitchell Madonna Photo: Getty Images Madonna’s forthcoming album officially has a title. The pop queen’s 12th studio LP will be called M.D.N.A., representatives for the singer confirmed to MTV News on Wednesday (January 11). Madonna announced the album title during a taping of the U.K.’s “Graham Norton Show,” which will air Friday on BBC One. While making the press rounds in support of her film “W.E.” , she has offered up a few details on her much-anticipated album, which is reportedly due in late March. On Thursday, “Nightline” is set to air a “candid and revealing” interview with the singer, in which she answers fan questions and addresses talk about a rumored rivalry with Lady Gaga. The singer recently confirmed that “M.D.N.A.” will be released as part of her new three-record deal with Interscope. The first single from the project, “Gimme All Your Luvin” features Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.; it’s set for release later this month ahead of Madonna’s performance at the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show on February 5 in Indiana. “We couldn’t be happier to work with [Interscope’s] Jimmy Iovine, [Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Group] Lucian Grainge and the entire Interscope team,” Madonna’s longtime manager Guy Oseary said in a statement about the new label deal. “We anticipate a very bright future at our new home.” The Super Bowl performance will reportedly be “imagined” by Cirque du Soleil and Madonna’s longtime choreographer/ creative director Jamie King. The event may also feature appearances from her “Gimme All Your Luvin” collaborators. According to reports, the set list for the Super Bowl show will include “Luvin” as well as Madonna classics like “Ray of Light,” Vogue” and “Music.” A demo version of “Luvin” hit the Web last November and received positive advance buzz from critics and bloggers. with the leak, and Oseary took to Twitter to say that while they were “very happy with the positive reaction to the demo,” they were “very upset with whoever leaked the song.” That disappointment translated into legal action in late December, when a 31-year-old man in Zaragoza, Spain, was arrested for leaking the song. Share your thoughts on the title of Madonna’s next album on our Facebook page! Related Artists Madonna
Isabella Barrett is a five-year contestant on Toddlers & Tiaras who rose to fame for recently saying a competitor dresses like a “hooker.” Now Barrett has made headlines again: for reasons that defy comprehension, the tyke was a star attraction at NYC nightclub Libation Monday night, sitting in the DJ booth during a fundraiser and singing along to
