Richard Linklater’s latest film, Bernie , makes its SXSW debut on Wednesday, but Movieline will save you a trip to Austin by showcasing one of its finer highlights here. Take it away, Kay McCabe! McCabe, the saucy delight otherwise known as Matthew McConaughey’s mother, drops in for one of the dark comedy’s documentary interludes. In this first-look clip, she has a few words for the titular local mortician (played by Jack Black) and the rich widow (Shirley MacLaine) whose wealth he pursues with deadly consequences. McConaughey co-stars as the district attorney investigating Bernie’s shenanigans. Bernie opens April 27 via Millennium Entertainment. Check out more from SXSW 2012 here . Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Shannon MaGrane and Phillip Phillips are in, while nine singers get the ax. By Adam Graham Shannon MaGrane on “American Idol” Photo: Fox Heejun’s in. So are Phillip Phillips, Skylar Laine and Shannon MaGrane. Adam Brock? Not so fast … “American Idol” revealed its top 13 finalists on Wednesday (March 1), swiftly dismissing half its field after this week’s live performance episodes. The cuts were harsh, as Ryan Seacrest delivered the news in typical no-nonsense fashion, crushing the dreams of some contestants while making others’ come true. A reported 33 million votes were cast, down from the 40 million made at this point in the competition last year. Phillip Phillips was the first one through to the voter-approved top 10 and got a few minutes to soak in the moment by himself before he was joined by Jessica Sanchez, whose purported vocal issues didn’t affect her performance on Wednesday one bit, and tiny Hollie Cavanagh, who “slayed the biggest dragon” when she sang Christina Aguilera’s “Reflection” on Wednesday. Joshua Ledet followed, and next up was Heejun Han, whose dry comic presence on the show was criticized sharply by “Idol” mentor Jimmy Iovine. “This isn’t ‘American Comedian,’ this is ‘American Idol,’ ” Iovine said in a taped reaction to Han’s performance. Han responded by pretending to not know who Iovine is. Shots fired! Shannon MaGrane — who was crying before she was even told her fate — was passed through, as was country spitfire Skylar Laine, who arguably turned in the week’s best performance with her spirited take on Faces’ “Stay With Me,” which played like “Reba mixed with Kelly Clarkson,” according to Randy Jackson. Elise Testone, one of two singers to take on Adele’s “One and Only” on Wednesday, made the top 10, as did Colton Dixon, who took his performance of Paramore’s “Decode” to the top of his piano on Tuesday. Gentle giant Jermaine Jones — who, in a surprise move, was brought back on Tuesday after being eliminated earlier in the competition — rounded out the top 10. Six singers then vied for three judge-selected Wild Card slots, with Erika Van Pelt’s version of Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory,” Jeremy Rosado’s take on Carrie Underwood’s “I Know You Won’t” and DeAndre Brackensick’s “Georgia on My Mind” earning them spots in the top 13. Jen Hirsh, Reed Grimm and Brielle Von Hugel competed for Wild Card positions but narrowly missed advancing to the next round. Meanwhile, nine contestants were dismissed without a chance to sing for their lives. So it’s so long, Chase Likens; see ya, Chelsea Sorrell; bye-bye, Baylie Brown; sayonara, Eben Franckewitz; hasta la vista, Haley Johnsen; peace out, Adam Brock; tootles, Aaron Marcellus; arrivederci, Hallie Day; and later, Creighton Fraker. The top 13 contestants perform live during Wednesday’s two-hour episode, and one will be kicked off on Thursday’s one-hour results show. What do you think of this year’s top 13? Who got cut that should have made it? Let us know in the comments!
No female has won since 2007, but the ladies proved on Wednesday that it may be their year to take back the crown. By Adam Graham Jessica Sanchez on “American Idol” Photo: Fox It was ladies’ night on “American Idol” Wednesday (February 29), and if the performances of the Top 12 females are any indication, it could be the ladies’ season as well. Indeed, Tuesday’s shaky performances from the guys may have had fans worried about this year’s installment of “Idol.” But several ladies turned in big, show-stealing songs on Wednesday that restored faith to the season at hand. And while no female has won “Idol” since Jordin Sparks took the crown back in 2007, this could be the year a woman puts an end to that dry spell. Fittingly, this potential female domination comes at a time when the biggest force in pop music is Adele, and the chart-topping diva’s presence loomed large over Wednesday’s show. Not only was Adele’s name was invoked several times, but two performers — Jen Hirsh and Elise Testone — took on the very same Adele song, “One and Only.” (What, one of them couldn’t switch to “Rolling in the Deep”?) With her take on “One and Only,” Hirsh hit some of the evening’s biggest notes, and Jennifer Lopez said she “felt the feeling of the song.” Steven Tyler, meanwhile, told Hirsh, “You’ve got what it takes.” Testone’s equally powerful “One and Only,” which closed the show, caused Randy Jackson to call her “a force to be reckoned with,” though both he and the other judges seemed concerned Testone could get lost in the mix with the other singers. “I hope America got it,” Lopez told her, somewhat worriedly. If America doesn’t “get it,” the judges have a chance to step in: On Thursday’s show, the five top males and the five top females will be passed on to the next round, and the judges will get a chance to choose wild card contestants. Whether that will result in a Top 13 or a Top 12 was not explained on the show. Other standouts included Skylar Laine, who threw down on the stage with a energetic, rockin’ take on Faces’ “Stay With Me.” “It’s like Tina Turner went country!” J. Lo gushed, while Jackson compared her to “Reba (McEntire) mixed with Kelly Clarkson.” Laine even took her own breath away; the Mississippi native complained at the end of her performance her dress was so tight she could hardly breathe. Jessica Sanchez said she suffered from swollen vocal chords earlier in the week and was worried she wouldn’t be able to perform up to her usual level, but she blew the judges away with her version of Dreamgirls’ “Love You I Do.” “That girl can sing!” said an enthusiastic Jackson, saying she turned in one of the best performances of the first two nights. Lopez praised her and said she’s beyond her years, while Sanchez herself seemed taken aback from the judges’ overwhelmingly positive reactions. Hollie Cavanagh “slayed the biggest dragon” of the evening by taking on Christina Aguilera’s “Reflection,” Jackson said, and she fared well, even if her combination of inspirational ballad and tight minidress read awkwardly on camera. “It wasn’t all perfect,” Jackson said, “but the parts that were brilliant were genius.” Lopez called her one of the competition’s frontrunners. Shannon MaGrane — whose baseball-player father seems to still have a bone to pick with Tyler over his comments toward his daughter during the auditions — sang “Go Light Your World,” a contemporary Christian song that was “in my soul and in my gut,” she explained, although it’s not well known. But the risk seemed to have paid off: Not only did Jackson and Tyler praise her powerful vocals, MaGrane gave Lopez her first “goosies” — that’s Lopez-speak for goosebumps — of the season. Hallie Day’s “Feeling Good” had her looking “like a star,” Lopez said, but Jackson said he wasn’t sure what direction she was headed in, awkwardly mentioning Adele and Lana Del Rey as would-be contemporaries. Day said she loves soul music and sees herself singing torch songs in the vein of — you guessed it — Adele. Brielle Von Hugel started out her version of Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” by sitting on the stage, surrounded by her male co-stars (including Phillip Phillips and Heejun Han). She stood up, marched across the stage and showed off what Jackson called a bit of Janis Joplin in her voice. Lopez called her “a true performer” and said people underestimate her as a contestant. Erika Von Pelt showed off her rock side (her words) with Heart’s “What About Love,” and Tyler called her confidence “magical.” Still, the judges knew she had more to give, and Lopez urged her, “next time, let loose on us.” Jackson said her mix of confidence and restraint recalled — wouldn’t you know it? — Adele. Baylie Brown had the misfortune of following Laine’s showstopper of a performance, and her static take on the Lonestar ballad “Amazed” felt safe and a bit boring. “I’ve heard you sing better,” Tyler told her, and Lopez called it “shaky all the way through.” Jackson said Brown “never seized control of the song.” With her take on Carrie Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova,” which opened the show, Chelsea Sorrell didn’t do much but recall Underwood’s more memorable version of the song. And the most stinging critique of the evening came when Jackson said Haley Johnsen’s version of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” “was a bit of a nightmare, for me, instead of a dream.” What did you think of Wednesday’s “Idol”? Do you think a female will win this year? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Top 24 And Wildcard Contestants
(CNN) – Ron Paul announced Wednesday he was launching television ads in Washington state and Vermont, two states he hopes will give him his first win in the 2012 GOP nominating process. The 60 second spot running in Washington slams his rivals as uniformly non-conservative, and includes a scathing critique of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Political Ticker Discovery Date : 29/02/2012 05:38 Number of articles : 4
But in a twist, it’s announced that one of four eliminated contestants will be welcomed back next week for the first Top 25. By Adam Graham Ryan Seacrest with the top 24 of “American Idol” Photo: Fox “American Idol” revealed its final 10 semifinalists Thursday (February 23), rounding out the Top 24 that will compete for America’s votes during season 11’s live episodes, which begin next week. The remaining 10 contestants were chosen from the pool of 42 sent to Las Vegas to compete for the chance to perform on the live shows. The first 14 , including Heejun Han ( Heejun Han! ), were unveiled during Wednesday’s episode. Thursday’s show picked up with the cliffhanger from Wednesday, regarding the fate of 27-year-old Adam Brock. The teary-eyed Brock made it, of course; “American Idol” can be cruel (see last week’s brutal “Gotcha!” twist), but it’s not cruel enough to let a contestant hang in the balance for a full day and then not let him through. Especially one with a cute little girl at home. The toughest cut Thursday was the one dealt to Jermaine Jones, the 25-year-old baritone-voiced “gentle giant” who took the news very hard, nearly collapsing in tears. Most shocking was the elimination of David Leathers Jr., the would-be heartthrob nicknamed “Mr. Steal Your Girl” who was thought early on to be one of the contestants to beat, despite the fact that the bow-tied 17-year-old looked like he was 12. But in a shocking final twist — “GOTCHA!” — it was revealed at the end of the episode that either Leathers, Jones, Richie Law or Johnny Keyser will return next week to join the show, making it a Top 25. Isn’t “Idol” fun? Here is the full list of the season’s Top 24 contestants:
Terrence Howard isn’t letting his personal problems keep him from a night on the town. Terrence was out to dinner at Beso on Ash Wednesday, looking stylish as only he can!!!
Eleven years after breakdancing in Zoolander , Justin Theroux ’s moves are sharper than ever. In fact, it’s one of the things girlfriend Jennifer Aniston loves about him, Theroux reveals on Wednesday’s ” Ellen DeGeneres Show.” Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Gossip Cop Discovery Date : 22/02/2012 04:42 Number of articles : 2
‘I think Armie Hammer was always their #1 choice,’ he says of ending up alongside Kristen Stewart in ‘Huntsman’ instead. By Jocelyn Vena Sam Claflin Photo: MTV News “Snow White and the Huntsman” star Sam Claflin apparently had enough charm to be up for the role of the prince in both big-screen adaptations of the classic Snow White fairy tale. In the end, the “Mirror Mirror” producers had their eye on a different young man. “I think Armie Hammer was always their #1 choice,” the “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” star told Teen.com . “But I kind of saw more similarities in their prince and the part I played in ‘Pirates,’ whereas [with this] I thought I wanted to pick up a sword and I wanted to do a bit of fighting and get a bit grittier and hopefully sort of open a few more doors for me.” Claflin isn’t the only one adding some grit to his part: Kristen Stewart’s version of Snow is light-years away from “Mirror” star Lily Collins’. “She tends to sort of not be in any princess-like costumes, which is good for her and kind of gives her that badass sort of fighting spirit, I suppose,” Claflin said of the armor-clad heroine . “But she looks pretty damned awesome. Thumbs up.” “Snow White and the Huntsman,” which also stars Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman and Charlize Theron as the film’s Evil Queen, opens this summer. A trailer for the darker take on the “Snow” story dropped back in November and gave fans an eyeful of what they should expect from the film, which includes snowy landscapes and even chillier emotions. “Snow White and the Huntsman” follows Stewart’s Snow White and her hunting mentor. After the evil queen, Ravenna, calls for her death, Hemsworth’s Huntsman takes it upon himself to train Snow to fight off the Evil Queen after he disobeys her and allows her to live against the queen’s orders. Check out everything we’ve got on “Snow White and the Huntsman.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com .
Majority of the 185 contestants were sent home on Wednesday night’s episode, while the few survivors went on to Las Vegas. By Adam Graham Randy Jackson in “American Idol” Photo: Fox After last week’s singing-free edition of “American Idol,” it was all singing on Wednesday’s (February 15) episode, which ran through highlights of Hollywood Week’s Group Night and Solo Day. The two-hour episode began with 185 contestants divvied into 42 groups; an hour later, only 98 contestants remained. And by the end of the episode, the field had been narrowed by another quarter, and the remaining contestants were on a bus to Las Vegas. The cuts came fast and furious, and among those dismissed during Group Night included “tent girl” Amy Brumfield, who seemed to infect everyone with whom she came in contact with some sort of illness; Symone Black, whose dramatic fall off the stage earlier in Hollywood Week provided “Idol” with a built-in cliffhanger during last week’s episodes; police officer Alisha Bernhardt, who struggled to find a group to sing with during Group Night and eventually ended up in a group where everyone was dismissed; and 17-year-old Imani Handy, who collapsed three times on Group Night. (That has to be some sort of “Idol” record.) By Solo Day, nearly every remaining contestant seemed to have Georgia on their mind, as the Ray Charles classic was belted out time and again. Standout renditions came from Jen Hirsh, 25, of Agoura Hills, California; Reed Grimm, 26, of Ellsworth, Wisconsin, who sang the song while playing drums; and 27-year-old Adam Brock, a self-described “white chocolate” singer from Washington, Pennsylvania, who ably wrapped his big pipes around the timeless anthem. Some of the other top contestants featured during the solo round, where singers were backed by the “Idol” band, were Joshua Ledet, who earned a standing ovation from the judges for his powerful version of Christina Perri’s “Jar of Hearts,” and 28-year-old Creighton Fraker from Queens, who too earned a standing O for his intensely soulful version of “What a Wonderful World,” which stands near the top on the shortlist of best “Idol” performances so far this year. Other notables included Shannon Magrane, the 16-year-old whose version of “What a Wonderful World” caused Jennifer Lopez to blurt, “What the hell was that!” and Skylar Laine, the 17-year-old from Brandon, Mississippi, whose take on the Band Perry’s “You Lie” had J. Lo making comparisons to Reba McEntire. So far the season’s standout personality continues to be Heejun Han, the wry 22-year-old from Flushing, New York, whose running feud with Richie Law, the would-be Scotty McCreery from Centennial, Colorado, has provided some of the season’s best laughs. Will these two finally have it out with each other in Las Vegas? We’ll find out soon. What did you think of Wednesday’s “Idol”? Let us know in the comments! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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