‘As a married person myself, I don’t know what it’s like to be told I can’t marry somebody I love,’ Underwood says. By Gil Kaufman Carrie Underwood Photo: Getty Images Carrie Underwood is the latest public figure to come out in support of gay marriage. Joining the likes of Jay-Z , Snooki and JWoww and the Wanted the country superstar told England’s The Independent that she believes same-sex couples should have the same rights as she does. “As a married person myself, I don’t know what it’s like to be told I can’t marry somebody I love, and want to marry,” she said. “I can’t imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love.” The paper noted that Underwood, who has just released a new album Blown Away has a large Evangelical Christian fanbase and has spoken frequently about her faith, making it the subject of one of her biggest hits, “Jesus, Take The Wheel.” She told the paper that her liberal attitude about same-sex marriage is actually a result of her Christian values, not in conflict with them. “Our church is gay friendly,” said Underwood, 29, who was raised as Baptist, a denomination that tends to condemn homosexual behavior, but who now worships in a non-denominational congregation with hockey-player husband Mike Fisher. “Above all, God wanted us to love others. It’s not about setting rules, or [saying] ‘everyone has to be like me’. No. We’re all different. That’s what makes us special. We have to love each other and get on with each other. It’s not up to me to judge anybody.” Underwood’s comments come in the midst of a presidential campaign in which gay marriage is likely to be a hot-button issue. President Barack Obama recently said that he personally supports same-sex unions while rival Republican Mitt Romney has spoken out against gay marriage. Related Artists Carrie Underwood
Total Film has the first look at Idris Elba in Guillermo del Toro’s alien invasion flick Pacific Rim , for which he built — and destroyed — replica sets, kaiju style. Elba stars alongside Charlie Hunnam , Ron Perlman, Charlie Day and Rinko Kikuchi in the mecha-epic, which pits robot-piloting humans in battle against interplanetary monsters. In the magazine’s latest issue, Del Toro spills about the process of destroying entire city blocks and rigging robot hydraulic rigs on the set: When we’re talking about the physicality of the fight, we ended up building several blocks of Hong Kong. And literally demolished them. We built a building and then we took down the buildings. We built command centres of the robots that were the size of the house. We started them on hydraulic rigs that shoot and elevated them and moved them round so you could really get a sense of the physical nature driving a robot like this. “The thing I love most in the world is monsters, and we are creating great monsters,” del Toro told Movieline last year , when he was just starting on the film. Pacific Rim is set for release on July 13, 2013. [ Total Film via Moviehole ]
The troubled actress was rushed to an L.A. hospital Friday following a collision in her black Porsche along Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica. Her car slammed into the rear of an 18-wheeler at approximately noon local time, totaling her car in a mishap that TMZ described as a “bad car accident.” She apparently did not go to hospital via an ambulance and word on her condition is pending. A Witness told the website that Lohan was driving the car.
Both of the trailers that preceded the screening I attended of Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted featured burps as punchlines. Like, each one built to and then peaked with a bug-eyed animated creature’s belch. After the first burp the little kids a few rows ahead of me erupted in jubilant, little kid laughter; the second was met with bored silence. If even your short-limbed target audience doesn’t like being played for a chump, how to keep them entertained across two previews, much less two sequels? The Madagascar franchise offers a unique response to this problem in that it consistently borrows enough from the modern children’s movie playbook to get your guard up (or your eyes glazed), and yet it just as consistently manages to surprise with a charm and wit all its own. Which is to say: Nobody burps in Europe’s Most Wanted . I felt pretty sure nobody would, having been drawn into the first movie, which I watched on a babysitting assignment back in 2005, despite myself. That movie had the shamelessly Shrek -derivative zebra voiced by Chris Rock and the reliance on pop-dance montages to fill the gaps, but there was also sharp writing, an actual storyline, and clean, distinctive computer animation. For its third installment, in addition to going 3-D, DreamWorks added Conrad Vernon ( Shrek 2 , Monsters Vs. Aliens ) to the franchise’s directing team of Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, and Noah Baumbach, of all cats, was brought in to co-write the script with Darnell. The result is almost exactly as good as it needs to be – no better and no worse. Where the norm is grimly assembled factory line products, that counts as a success. Structured more explicitly as a serial than most franchises, Europe’s Most Wanted begins right where the second film ended – with Alex the congenial lion (Ben Stiller) and his posse of Central Park zoo refugees re-installed in Africa, and the penguins and chimps headed to Monte Carlo with a windfall of loot. Alex soon becomes wistful about New York, and he and Marty the zebra (Rock), Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer), Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and the trio of lemurs (Sacha Baron Cohen, Andy Richter, and Cedric the Entertainer) plan to head to follow the others and re-group for a voyage “home.” The first twenty minutes or so don’t bode well: Action and kids’ movies that lead with an elaborate chase tend to feel a little desperate, even if, as in this case, they serve to introduce an unkillable gendarme deliciously voiced by Frances McDormand. Captain Chantal DuBois is a nightmarish villain, from her rocket boobs and Gallic sneer to her ghoulishly sharp nose. Once Alex and Co. attract the wrong kind of attention in a Monte Carlo casino, DuBois and her crew (whom she rallies at one point, quite hilariously, with a quivering rendition of “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien”) are on their scent for the rest of the film. Once the enervating pace lets up a little, Europe’s Most Wanted settles into the engaging silliness that keeps ‘em coming back for more. In a clutch, Alex and Co. take refuge on a circus train, where they try to pass as performing animals. Vitaly the Siberian tiger (Bryan Cranston playing the proud, damaged Russian), Gia the cheetah (Jessica Chastain in a silky, indeterminately European accent), and Stefano the Italian sea lion (the genius Martin Short with a touch of Topo Gigio) lead a circus stuck licking old wounds and adhering to old ways. Circumstance leads Alex to take over the circus, with the hope that it might take him back to New York, and there ensues a solid stretch of involving character work (Vitaly, devastated by an old injury, needs to regain confidence; Stefano and Marty bond over finding their bliss) and an intriguing (if slightly outdated) storyline that challenges the group to re-inject passion into the same old song and dance and pits the liberating, American way of doing things against constraining European tradition. But it’s the details that wind up sustaining adults through these things: The sequence in which Cohen’s King Julien strikes up a romance with a massive bear in a tutu is so silly it hurts, and all along there are little gifts – throwaway lines involving a borscht dependence, fleeting sight gags, and consistently inspired line readings – to keep you feeling goofy. Were it to calm down even half a notch, the moments in Europe’s Most Wanted that threaten to make it more than a fun way to suck back a soda might have room to bust a few moves of their own. Follow Michelle Orange on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
The week ends with the “Billboard Music Awards” where Justin Bieber , The Wanted, Kelly Clarkson, LMFAO, Usher and more perform. NEW ALBUM RELEASES. Tuesday, May 15. + Adam Lambert, Trespassing: It's finally … See the article here: Adam Lambert, Rye Rye Release New Albums; The Wanted, Justin …
‘Vampire Diaries’ star tells MTV News, ‘I’m glad that he’s supporting gay marriage, and hopefully others will follow suit.’ By Jocelyn Vena, with additional reporting by Audrey Kim The Wanted Photo: Getty Images In the days since President Obama spoke up in support of same-sex marriage , celebrities have applauded the leader of the free world for his stance on the issue. Since the president’s interview with ABC News on Wednesday, many celebs ranging from Neil Patrick Harris to George Clooney have made it clear that they are pro-Obama. And, it seems, Obama’s message is spreading internationally, as famous people around the world are also giving him props. “I didn’t see the announcement when he made it, but I’ve heard obviously a lot about it, and I think it’s great that that man, the President of the United States, who is influential, who people really admire and listen to, is making such a statement, such a sort of controversial statement,” “Vampire Diaries” star Nina Dobrev shared at the launch of the “Like Her, Like Me” Seventeen magazine campaign where she debuted her “got milk?” ad. The Canadian native added, “I don’t think [it] should be controversial at this point because we’re living in the 21st Century, but I’m glad that he’s supporting gay marriage, and hopefully others will follow suit.” Much like Dobrev, British boy banders the Wanted are also giving two thumbs up to Obama. “I think it was a logical step, about time,” Jay McGuiness said. “I wish it was church-led in my opinion, but I don’t care, it’s out there now. Well done, Obama and Co! Even if it was for the right or wrong reasons, it’s definitely the right outcome.” McGuiness is referring to some criticism that the president made the announcement hot on the heels of his re-election campaign, after years of not taking a firm stance on the issue. At a press conference for “America’s Got Talent” on Thursday, judge Howard Stern noted that he wishes more will come from Obama’s declaration. “My feelings are very clear on this,” he said. “I wish the president actually had gone further. I wish he had said he was going to back some legislation on the national level.” Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton mirrored Stern’s sentiments when he spoke to MTV News the same day. “It was definitely happy news, but I almost don’t want to applaud him too much, because I wish he would have done this a long time ago,” Hilton said. “Having said that, it’s better that he did it than not. He could have waited until after the election. However, it’s clearly a calculated move in that he felt confident that this won’t hurt his chances at getting re-elected, and that’s why he did it.” Share your thoughts on this story in the comments below! Related Artists The Wanted
Siva Kaneswaran says the band was not allowed to look at Britney Spears backstage at a Manchester show. By Gil Kaufman The Wanted Photo: Getty Images If you’re having trouble keeping the latest wave of British boy bands straight, just remember this one simple trick: The Wanted are the ones who talk tons of smack. After tearing into “The Voice” coach Christina Aguilera by calling her a “total bitch” last week, and then kind of apologizing , the boys turned their verbal cannons on another ex-Mouseketeer. Sitting down for another radio interview in New York on Monday (their people should really consider keeping the boys off N.Y. radio, just sayin’), the lads opened up about a rather unpleasant interaction with Britney Spears’ security team in November. They said they were personally invited to open Brit’s show in Manchester and by all accounts the hook-up went swimmingly, with a cute photo op and a follow-up tweet from Spears in which she wrote, “So the boys from @thewantedmusic came to my Wembley show & we hung out backstage! Love them!” But member Tom Parker revealed that, “We signed a confidentiality thing that we should never say anything about what happened, but let’s tell it anyway.” That prompted Siva Kaneswaran to open up the legal Pandora’s box and spill, “I was in the hallway with my tour manager. Basically we were looking with a laptop, trying to get WiFi … facing the middle of the hallway. [Britney’s] bouncers came down with her and told us to face the wall.” “As Miss Spears is walking through,” added Parker. “We’re like come on!” But, since they are nice boys, Kaneswaran said, “We turned around and I faced a wall for about 10 seconds until she got really far away.” They didn’t wait long to walk this one back a bit, though. Jay McGuiness quickly followed-up with another patented Wanted semi-apology, explaining, “But honestly when we actually met her person to person, she was so down to earth. You can tell she’s a total Southern girl and Nathan [Sykes], when he was a kid, won a singing competition. She was one of the judges or something. And she gave him a kiss, it was one of his first kisses as a kid. So he got to meet her again and support her.” Last week, when MTV News’ Sway spoke to the boys they were in a similarly feisty mood, with Parker claiming that Justin Bieber had smacked Kaneswaran in his crown jewels when they performed with the “Boyfriend” singer. “He [Kaneswaran] came up to me in the dressing room and said, ‘Why’s he picking on me?'” Parker joked. As for Spears, at the time, Sykes said, “She’s lovely as well. We haven’t really met people who aren’t very nice and Britney was just very, very nice. She was kind of what you’d expect her to be, very happy and American.” And, Parker said, even though her bodyguards were kind of scary, Britney, he said, had “lovely teeth.” Related Videos MTV First: The Wanted Exclusive: Follow The Wanted Around NYC! Related Photos The Wanted Take Over NYC, MTV News Tags Along! Related Artists Britney Spears The Wanted
‘We shouldn’t have said it,’ says Tom Parker. By Gil Kaufman The Wanted Photo: Derek Storm/ Splash News Sometimes, sorry is the hardest word to say. That’s the tough new celebrity lesson learned by The Wanted member Tom Parker, who got hit pretty hard by Christina Aguilera’s fans last week after he went on a New York radio station and tore into “The Voice” coach Christina Aguilera , calling her a “total bitch.” After dropping the b-bomb several more times and claiming that the singer-turned-reality competition judge refused to look at or speak to the British lad band, fellow member Siva Kaneswaran added, “she was quite rude.” Well, Xtina’s fans were not impressed and started flaming the group, and two days after dissing her, Parker walked the comments back a bit, according to TMZ . Caught by the gossip site’s cameras outside Hollywood’s Mondrian hotel on Sunday, Parker said, “We shouldn’t have said it, to be honest with you. We just think manners cost nothing, you know what I mean? The rest of the judges were really nice, and she didn’t even walk over to us and talk to us. We apologize for the comment.” Told that the original dis was all over Google when The Wanted’s name was searched, Parker shook his head and lamented, “I know!” During the original radio appearance, The Wanted were also asked to compare their interactions with Aguilera on “The Voice” with an earlier meeting with “American Idol” judge Jennifer Lopez, when Max George planted a kiss on J.Lo and then the boys openly pined for her hand in marriage backstage . And, as you can probably expect, they definitely preferred one experience to the other. “[Aguilera] was a bit scary, to be honest,” George said. Then, when asked about smooching Lopez, he laughed: “Yeah, well J.Lo’s hot, Christina’s nothing special.” Related Videos MTV First: The Wanted Exclusive: Follow The Wanted Around NYC! Related Artists The Wanted Christina Aguilera
‘She’s a total bitch,’ Tom Parker says of Aguilera, who supposedly snubbed the Wanted during an appearance on ‘The Voice.’ By James Montgomery The Wanted Photo: Derek Storm/ Splash News Any diehard fan of the Wanted can surely list innumerable reasons why the rippling, randy group is totally different from any of their Boy Band predecessors — they are British- Irish, they sing about booze, etc — but… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : VH1’s Today In Music Discovery Date : 27/04/2012 01:27 Number of articles : 2
‘It’s all up for discussion,’ British boy band tells MTV News of potential collabos. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Sway Calloway The Wanted Photo: MTV News With the Wanted already poised to become internationally acclaimed superstars, it makes sense that they would consider pooling their popularity to make music with some equally potent musical forces, like, say, Justin Bieber and Chris Brown. When the band stopped by Tuesday for “MTV First: The Wanted,” Sway brought up the band’s onetime tourmate and asked the boys what they thought of the “Boyfriend” singer. “He was really nice. A really, really nice guy,” Tom Parker said with sincerity, adding that the band and Bieber became so friendly during their joint tour that the Biebs started joking around and ended up playfully smacking bandmate Siva Kaneswaran in a rather — ahem — uncomfortable place. The natural follow-up to that question was whether the fivesome would consider collaborating with Bieber or if they’d discussed music during the tour. The guys all agreed that a collaboration would be fun and even admitted to having a song in mind for them to work on. “We talked about it, and we have a song that we think he’d sound great on,” Jay McGuiness teased. “We’ve talked to Chris Brown as well, which would be really good,” Kaneswaran revealed. “We talked to Chris actually at ‘The Voice,’ and he said he was down as well.” “It’s all up for discussion,” Parker added, as the rest of the guys chimed in: “You never know.” “We have got a song we think would be perfect,” Max George said of Brown. Fingers crossed we can get those guys all in a studio together to crank out their next chart-topper! Stick with MTV News as we roll out more from our exclusive interview with the Wanted! And don’t forget to vote for them in our Battle of the Boy Bands . Voting is now open and runs until noon ET on Thursday, April 26. Winners are determined by fan votes, so if your favorite band made the cut, make sure you keep voting. Spread the word on Twitter using the hashtag #BBB and like us on Facebook for updates! Related Videos MTV First: The Wanted Related Artists The Wanted
