Trishna star Freida Pinto with IFC Films’ Jonathan Sehring. Photo by Nick Hunt/Patrick McMullan Co. After a long festival run beginning at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall and stops ranging from tests in Abu Dhabi, Tokyo, London, Rome, Hong Kong and Provincetown here in the U.S. Michael Winterbottom’s India-set Trishna will open theatrically beginning this Friday. The Cinema Society hosted an event in New York kicking off its run with a screening and party Tuesday night. So a little bit about the event, which was also co-hosted by Circa and fashion maven Rachel Roy. The IFC Films release is based on the tragic romance novel Tess of the d’Urbevilles . Freida Pinto ( Slumdog Millionaire ) makes a splash in the film, playing eldest daughter, Trishna, in a poor family from Rajasthan, India. She meets Jay (played by Riz Ahmed – Four Lions ), the son of a wealthy property developer who takes up managing the resort at his father’s request. He swoons after meeting Trishna and hires her to work at the resort, slowly winning her affections. Eventually he wins her over, but things go awry and let’s just leave it at that… Pinto introduced the film Tuesday at IFC Center in downtown Manhattan, seemingly embarrassed after IFC Entertainment president Jonathan Sehring told a quick story about his sons who called her ‘the most beautiful woman in the world’ when he told them she’d be at the screening. “I realized how embarrassing it is to listen to someone talk about you,” Pinto said laughing as he came on stage. “Everyone knows how hard it is to get an indie film going. I learned from my first director [Danny Boyle] not to say too much about a film so not to raise expectations…” Following the screening, the party carried on at roof-top nightspot Jimmy at the James Hotel, greeted by D’Usse Cognac. Guests included: Meg Ryan, Dana Delany, Zosia Mamet ( Girls ), Alex Karpovsky ( Girls ), Calvin Klein, Billy Connolly, Russell Simmons, Rachel Roy, Jess Weixler, Tom McCarthy, Carlos Leon, Drena DeNiro, Irina Pantaeva, Sante D’Orazio, Fern Mallis, Daniel Benedict, Genevieve Jones, Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, Bettina Zilkha, CIRCA co-founder, Chairman & CEO Chris Del Gatto, and Cinema Society founder Andrew Saffir.
‘I would still have to be someone who could wisecrack,’ Clark Gregg tells MTV News about his future at Marvel. By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Kara Warner Clark Gregg Photo: MTV News Alas, poor Coulson — we knew him well. “Avengers” director Joss Whedon is known for killing off fan-favorite characters to heighten the stakes of his stories — we’re still pouring one out for Serenity flyboy Wash all these years later. In the Marvel superhero flick, it wasn’t one of Earth’s mightiest heroes who bit the bullet, but the much beloved S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson who lost his life at the hands of Asgardian bad boy Loki. Of course, this is a comic book property we’re talking about, and in comics, no one stays dead for long. That idea has kept Coulson fans feeling optimistic about the possible return of actor Clark Gregg to the Marvel movie universe at some point down the line, with his resurrection as popular character Vision the current leading theory. Speaking with MTV News in the lead-up to the 2012 MTV Movie Awards on Sunday (June 3), Gregg opened up about returning to the Marvel universe as the Avengers’ resident android . “Vision is cool,” he said. “But I would hate to be any AI life form. If I got to come back, I would need to still be somebody who could wisecrack, because my favorite part of the job was that if anybody was going to tease anybody about their diva superhero outfit or whatever, it would be me.” Indeed, while Gregg has “seen a lot of theories” about Coulson’s return — “I love what people are doing with that,” he said — he’s just as happy to let his character rest in peace. “I really love what Joss did with Agent Coulson in ‘The Avengers,’ ” he said. “It seems like an idea that was in the cards, not only from Joss but from Marvel, in that you needed to ground the movie in some real emotion and stakes. I loved playing that guy, and I’ll miss playing him, but I was glad to have that job.” Coulson’s fate will remain a hotly debated topic for many weeks to come, we’re sure. But even if the hard-nosed S.H.I.E.L.D. agent is gone for good, that doesn’t mean Gregg can’t visit the set of “Avengers 2,” right? “That might be hard. I might be sad,” he said. Then again … “I guess I would [visit the set] if I was dressed up as a sentient android,” he teased. Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET. Related Videos Behind The Scenes At The 2012 MTV Movie Awards Related Photos ‘Avengers’
‘Saddened to learn one of my precious fans; found tragically murdered in Japan,’ Minaj tweets Thursday of Nicola Furlong’s death. By Nadeska Alexis Nicki Minaj Photo: UMG Nicki Minaj ‘s Pink Friday Tour touched down in Tokyo, Japan, last week, and following one of the rapper’s colorful stage shows, things took a devastating turn: One of Minaj’s fans was murdered after attending the May 25 concert. On Thursday (May 31), Minaj took to Twitter to send condolences and deny allegations that her dancer was involved in the incident. “Saddened to learn one of my precious fans; found tragically murdered in Japan. My love & prayers are with the family of Nicola Furlong,” Nicki wrote . Saddened to learn one of my precious fans; found tragically murdered in Japan. My love & prayers are with the family of Nicola Furlong. — Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) May 31, 2012 The 21-year-old fan, a foreign exchange student from Dublin City University in Ireland, was found dead in a Tokyo hotel room after attending Minaj’s show at Zepp Tokyo a few hours earlier. An early report on PerezHilton.com stated that Furlong and her friend Sarah Maher linked up with Minaj’s backup dancer James Blackston and another musician, Larry Perry, after the show, heading to the men’s hotel rooms. Furlong was later found strangled to death in the room, while Maher reported that she was sexually assaulted by both men in a taxi. After sending her condolences to the slain fan’s family, Minaj addressed rumors that her dancer was involved, tweeting directly at the celebrity gossip blogger. “My dancers had nothing to do w/this tragedy. No one in my entourage was questioned or arrested. They all flew home from Japan,” she wrote. “That person on your [site] is NOT my dancer. We do NOT know the men in custody. Too much misleading information.” According to IrishCentral , Tokyo police have released a statement confirming that they arrested two American men in connection with the crime. James Blackston, 26, and an unidentified 19-year-old have been taken into custody. “These two men allegedly took advantage of a female unable to resist due to the fact she was in a comatose state from a highly alcoholic beverage,” the report states, adding, “As that is an indecent act, they have been charged with quasi forcible indecency.” The police also confirm Maher’s story of being harassed in the taxi, noting, “On a taxi ride between Shibuya and Shinjuku, they took advantage of a woman by touching her body.” Furlong’s body is expected to arrive in her hometown of Curracloe, Ireland, on Thursday, where she will be laid to rest. The 21-year-old was studying at the Takasaki City University of Economics in Takasaki, Japan. Related Artists Nicki Minaj
Tragic, shocking news out of New York just now: Adam Yauch — a.k.a. MCA, one-third of rap legends the Beastie Boys, influential filmmaker and music-video director, and founder of independent-film distributor Oscilloscope Laboratories — has died following his long battle with cancer. He was 47. Movieline will have more on Yauch’s passing, including official comment from Oscilloscope and appreciations of Yauch’s artistic legacy, throughout the day. Developing… [via Global Grind , Rolling Stone ] UPDATE [3:56 p.m. EDT]: Movieline received this statement from Yauch’s Oscilloscope Laboratories colleagues Dan Berger, David Fenkel and David Laub on behalf of the entire company: “We are deeply, deeply saddened by the passing of Adam Yauch – an amazing leader, a dear friend and an incredible human being. Today we are heartbroken at Oscilloscope as we take in this awful news and our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. Adam’s legacy will remain a driving force at Oscilloscope – his indomitable spirit and his great passion for film, people, and hard work – always with a sense of humor and a lot of heart.” And this followed from the Beastie Boys’ management company Nasty Little Man: It is with great sadness that we confirm that musician, rapper, activist and director Adam “MCA” Yauch, founding member of Beastie Boys and also of the Milarepa Foundation that produced the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits, and film production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories, passed away in his native New York City this morning after a near-three-year battle with cancer. He was 47 years old. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Yauch taught himself to play bass in high school, forming a band for his 17th birthday party that would later become known the world over as Beastie Boys. With fellow members Michael “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Adrock” Horovitz, Beastie Boys would go on to sell over 40 million records, release four #1 albums–including the first hip hop album ever to top the Billboard 200, the band’s 1986 debut full length, Licensed To Ill –win three Grammys, and the MTV Video Vanguard Lifetime Achievement award. Last month Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with Diamond and Horovitz reading an acceptance speech on behalf of Yauch, who was unable to attend. In addition to his hand in creating such historic Beastie Boys albums as Paul’s Boutique, Check Your Head, Ill Communication, Hello Nasty and more, Yauch was a founder of the Milarepa Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting awareness and activism regarding the injustices perpetrated on native Tibetans by Chinese occupational government and military forces. In 1996, Milarepa produced the first Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, which was attended by 100,000 people, making it the biggest benefit concert on U.S. soil since 1985’s Live Aid. The Tibetan Freedom Concert series would continue to stage some of the most significant benefit shows in the world for nearly a decade following in New York City, Washington DC, Tokyo, Sydney, Amsterdam, Taipei and other cities. In the wake of September 11, 2001, Milarepa organized New Yorkers Against Violence, a benefit headlined by Beastie Boys at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom, with net proceeds disbursed to the New York Women’s Foundation Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Association for New Americans (NYANA) September 11th Fund for New Americans–each chosen for their efforts on behalf of 9/11 victims least likely to receive help from other sources. Under the alias of Nathanial Hörnblowér, Yauch directed iconic Beastie Boys videos including ‘So Whatcha Want,’ ‘Intergalactic,’ ‘Body Movin’ and ‘Ch-Check It Out.’ Under his own name, Yauch directed last year’s Fight For Your Right Revisited , an extended video for ‘Make Some Noise’ from Beastie Boys’ Hot Sauce Committee Part Two , starring Elijah Wood, Danny McBride and Seth Rogen as the 1986 Beastie Boys, making their way through a half hour of cameo-studded misadventures before squaring off against Jack Black, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as Beastie Boys of the future. Yauch’s passion and talent for filmmaking led to his founding of Oscilloscope Laboratories, which in 2008 released his directorial film debut, the basketball documentary Gunnin’ For That #1 Spot and has since become a major force in independent video distribution, amassing a catalogue of such acclaimed titles as Kelly Reichardt’s Wendy and Lucy , Oren Moverman’s The Messenger , Banksy’s Exit Through The Gift Shop , Lance Bangs and Spike Jonze’s Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait Of Maurice Sendak , and many more. Yauch is survived by his wife Dechen and his daughter Tenzin Losel, as well as his parents Frances and Noel Yauch. UPDATE [5:20 p.m. EDT] Here’s Movieline partner ENTV ‘s dispatch on Yauch:
Tokyo Soil – Blanketed With Fukushima Radiation – Would Be Considered “Radioactive Waste” In the United States We noted in August that some parts of Tokyo have more radiation than existed in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zones. And see this and this . There are indications that radiation levels are increasing in Tokyo. Nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen took 5 random soil samples in Tokyo recently, and found… Broadcasting platform : Vimeo Source : zero hedge Discovery Date : 26/03/2012 21:56 Number of articles : 2
Tran Anh Hung’s Norwegian Wood is meticulously faithful to the book it’s based on, Haruki Murakami’s 1987 novel of the same name: It takes no significant liberties with the plot, and it captures the novel’s delicate, half-hopeful, half-mournful tone. So why, unlike its source material, does it feel only half-alive? It’s so easy, too easy, to get lost in the book-vs.-movie debate. But a movie like Norwegian Wood is a peculiar case – its intentions are sterling, and it’s hard to pinpoint any technical flaws. The problem, maybe, is that it’s trying too hard; Tran has such firm control over the storytelling that the resulting picture has no room to breathe. Watanabe (Kenichi Matsuyama) is an aimless young university student in late-1960s Tokyo. His closest friend, Kizuki, committed suicide at age 17, leaving behind his childhood love, the fragile Naoko (Rinko Kikuchi, the Japanese actress who made a splash in the 2006 Babel ). Watanabe “inherits” the friendship of Naoko, and it seems that the two might fall in love. But Naoko disappears – the intensity of the blossoming relationship is too much for her, sexually and emotionally, and she enters a retreat-like sanitorium in the country. Though Watanabe continues, sweetly, to pine for her, he also starts tagging along with his more sexually adventurous roommate, Nagasawa (Tetsuji Tamayama). He also embarks on a fledgling friendship with another student, Midori (Kiko Mizuhara) ,who, unlike Naoko, seems boldly certain about what she wants out of life. She is, perhaps, a little too bold for Watanabe: She outlines her idea of the ideal lover (essentially, a man who will be at her beck and call, so she can then turn him away). And she informs him that she already has a boyfriend, anyway. Watanabe continues to visit Naoko in her forest retreat, though his time with her is nearly always supervised by Noako’s half-protective, half-possessive roommate, Reiko (Reika Kirishima). The rest of Norwegian Wood outlines the rather delicate dance between the things Watanabe might think he wants and the things he may actually be able to have. Tran adapted the screenplay himself, with obvious care and precision (though the resulting movie doesn’t do much to address, as Murakami’s novel did, the social unrest among young people in late-‘60s Tokyo). His actors have plenty of moments of grace and subtlety, particularly Kikuchi – somehow, she makes us see a deeply troubled soul in Naoko, not just a wan, self-absorbed victim of circumstance. And there isn’t a single frame in Norwegian Wood that isn’t gorgeous to look at: The cinematographer is Mark Lee Ping Bin, who also shot In the Mood for Love (sharing credit with Kwan Pung-Leung and Christopher Doyle), and every inch of the movie’s surface fairly glows. Or, rather, every millimeter glows — the picture creeps along at a very leisurely pace, which shouldn’t by itself be a problem. Norwegian Wood is Tran’s fifth feature. (The director, who was born in Vietnam and who lives in Paris, is perhaps best known for the 1993 The Scent of Green Papaya .) I kept watching Norwegian Wood waiting for that pleasant, wide-awake state of hypnosis to kick in, the slipstream effect that a well-constructed, slow-moving picture sets into gear. But for reasons that are hard to pinpoint, Norwegian Wood seems to be hampered by its own integrity; it’s like a ghost wearing a trailing nightie that’s just too long. Would the movie be more effective if every lingering shot were cut by just a second or two, or if the dialogue between characters had just a little more energy and crackle? Maybe. But whatever it is that’s wrong with Norwegian Wood couldn’t possibly be remedied by any quick fix. That’s both its tragedy and its virtue. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
At ‘Saturday Night Live’ rehearsals, singer tells MTV News, ‘I didn’t expect to still be working and promoting’ Body Talk Pt. 3 . By Jocelyn Vena Robyn Photo: Getty Images As Swedish pop sensation Robyn wraps up 2011, there are a few accolades she still can’t quite believe she bagged by year’s end. One of those highlights was being the “Saturday Night Live” musical guest this past weekend, and another was being nominated not once, but twice, for a Grammy . Robyn is up for Best Dance/Electronica Album for Body Talk Pt. 3 (one of several installments from the Body Talk album cycle she launched in 2010), as well as Best Dance Recording for the album’s swirling “Call Your Girlfriend.” “I’m excited about the fact that I’m on this show [‘SNL’] and the fact that I’ve been Grammy-nominated two times for this last part of Body Talk at a point where I’m like, ‘I thought I was done with this album,’ ” she explained to MTV News last week during “SNL” rehearsals . “I did my last show at the Hollywood Bowl a month ago, and I didn’t expect to still be working and promoting this piece of music, so I’m very excited to end the year in this way. “I was surprised that I was nominated for two [Grammys],” she later added. “That’s a really nice thing for me; whether I win or not [is] not the important thing. It’s about being nominated and being in that group of people that gets the chance to win it. So, I’m cool.” In addition to still getting Grammy love for Body Talk , Robyn is also looking ahead at what’s next. And, yes, Robyn fans, that does include new tunes. “I’m going to go back into the studio soon, maybe next year, with this great feeling of ending the album this way,” she explained, before adding that she still has no idea how her next release will sound. “I’m trying to not think about working at the moment,” she said. “After [‘SNL’], I’m going to go home to Sweden and celebrate Christmas with my family and just take some time off and think about other things other than music for a while and reboot, eat food, sleep.” Did you see Robyn on “SNL”? Tell us below! Related Photos 2012 Grammy Nominees Related Artists Robyn
You — the fans — voted for your favorite performances of the year, from VMA spectacles to Buzzworthy sets. By MTV News staff Beyonce performs at the 2011 VMAs Photo: Getty Images As we continue our weeklong look back on the year in music — MTV kicked things off on Monday with a list of the Best EDM Artists of 2011 — it was hard not to notice that the biggest stars in pop, rock and hip-hop put on some of their most buzzed-about performances — right on our stages. From Adele’s spine-tingling ballad at the VMAs to Two Door Cinema Club’s rendition of the rollicking “What You Know” at Webster Hall, we culled 16 of the best performances of the last 12 months and you, the fans, voted for your favorites. Here, we present #10 to #3. Stay with us as we reveal who walked away with the top spots at 4:59 p.m. ET on MTV! 10. Odd Future, “Sandwitches,” mtvU Woodie Awards Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All Loiter Squad, or Odd Future, for short, were one of this year’s breakthrough acts. And when they hit the stage for this year’s mtvU Woodie Awards, it was clear why. The performance started out tame enough. Tyler, the Creator’s “Yonkers” kicked in and a little person impersonating Tyler approached the stage. The calm didn’t last long, though, as the real Wolf Haley emerged and confronted the pint-size imposter. From that moment on, the raw, rambunctious, rabid energy that got OF noticed took over as Tyler, Hodgy Beats and the rest of the group launched into an unforgettable performance of “Sandwitches.” — Steven Roberts 9. Adele, “Someone Like You,” VMAs Some artists surround themselves with dozens of dancers, seizure-inducing banks of flashing lights and other tricks when they take the stage. But when it comes to Adele’s take on the heartbreaking second single from 21 at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, all it took was a grand piano, a single spotlight and some emotive hand gestures. Perfect. — Gil Kaufman 8. Jack’s Mannequin, “Release Me,” Buzzworthy Live It doesn’t get much more epic than a stripped-down performance right above Times Square. Andrew McMahon of Jack’s Mannequin did exactly that with his ode to growing up and settling down, “Release Me,” for Buzzworthy ‘s special live series. It’s just McMahon, his shades and a piano, and we don’t need much else. — Kevin P. Sullivan 7. Chris Brown, “Yeah 3X/ Beautiful People,” VMAs The white suit, the swagger, the strobing VMA stage and some gravity-defying aerial tricks are what defined Breezy’s jaw-dropping dance clinic at this year’s VMAs. His high-stepping kung fu waltz through Wu-Tang Clan, head-banging ode to Nirvana and mid-air flips again showed that Brown is at his best on an awards-show stage. — G.K. 6. Lil Wayne, “Nightmares of the Bottom,” MTV2 “Unplugged” For his MTV2 “Unplugged” debut in June, Birdman Jr. took the stage wearing a black sweatshirt, black sunglasses and a red fitted baseball cap. Backed by a full band, Wayne launched into his catalog of hits, taking the crowd to musical heights. But one highlight in particular was the MC’s premiere of “Nightmares of the Bottom,” an instant smash-in-the-making that details Wayne’s rise to the top and unwillingness to fail. — Rob Markman 5. Two Door Cinema Club, “What You Know,” New York To say it was a big year for Two Door Cinema Club, the indie-rock group out of Northern Ireland, would be an enormous understatement. The band toured the U.S. for the first time, opening for Tokyo Police Club, and debuted on the American alternative charts with “What You Know.” Two Door Cinema played the song at an MTV Hive -hosted performance at the Studio at Webster Hall. The screaming NYC fans seemed to approve. — K.S. 4. Beyonc
Android Dreams by Samuel Cockedey is a beautiful time-lapse video of Tokyo set to the Blade Runner soundtrack. via MetaFilter Broadcasting platform : Vimeo Source : Laughing Squid Discovery Date : 25/10/2011 16:07 Number of articles : 3
Protesters from all walks of life share with MTV News what the movement means to them. By Tami Katzoff Protester Jenni Walkup at Occupy Wall Street on Wednesday Photo: MTV News One fact that quickly becomes apparent on a visit to Zuccotti Park, the center of activity for Occupy Wall Street, is that its current residents cannot be categorized or labeled or lumped together as a group. Of course they all believe that something in this country is broken and needs immediate attention. But after a few hours talking with a somewhat random sampling of protesters, one understands that the “something” is actually many different things. And the issues being discussed are as varied as the people doing the talking. Amber Phillips , 26, from Fulton, Illinois, spoke about workers’ rights, especially for females. She described a job where she was frequently harassed and denied a raise even after eight years of employment. “I just hope that because of this [protest] going on, more people start standing up for themselves,” Phillips said. Click through to “Voices From Occupy Wall Street” — our interactive photo gallery — and get to know 20 young demonstrators’ motivations, hopes and goals. Megan Blackburn , 33, from Brooklyn, talked about the need for healthy, chemical-free food to be available to everyone. Leon Pinsky , 28, originally from Israel, wanted to promote socialist ideas. And Tokyo native Takuro Higuchi , also 28, wanted to spread awareness of the nuclear crisis in Japan. Eighteen-year-old Benjamin Ashley Frost from Johnson City, Tennessee, was frustrated by the state of education in this country, saying No Child Left Behind is “an abomination.” And while volunteering on the food line, Emily Jira , a 23-year-old recent college graduate from Redondo Beach, California, spoke on behalf of skilled, educated young people who are not getting a return on their academic investment. “I feel like so many people who have really awesome skills are being screwed over right now,” she said. Also among the Occupiers are people who represent various religious and social groups. Sitting in a small sukkah erected at the edge of Zuccotti Park, 32-year-old Brooklynite Daniel Sieradski spoke about his Jewish heritage and the necessity to unify faith with action. And 32-year-old Jake Goodman, originally from Milwaukee, handed out pins that read “Hate is the Abomination” and stressed the importance of including queer voices in the OWS movement. Despite their varied experiences, causes and passions, the people spending their days and weeks in a small corner of downtown Manhattan have at least one thing in common: They’ve left their homes, towns and even countries to come together and speak out. “Because sitting on your couch watching TV,” said Amber Phillips, “clearly isn’t going to make a change.” What do you think about the Occupy Wall Street movement? Let us know in the comments. Click through to “Voices From Occupy Wall Street” — our interactive photo gallery — and get to know 20 young demonstrators’ motivations, hopes and goals. Related Videos Inside Occupy Wall Street
