Mireille Enos also addresses controversy swirling around upcoming ‘World War Z.’ By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Mireille Enos in “The Killing” Photo: AMC Mireille Enos can’t seem to stay away from controversy these days. Two of her biggest projects, AMC’s “The Killing” and this year’s “World War Z” have recently come under heavy scrutiny from fans, but at Sunday’s Golden Globes , Enos assured MTV News that both projects are headed in the right direction. Fans of Max Brooks’ novel recently lashed out when word came down from the set of “World War Z” that significant changes had been made to the overall structure of the story. In what may be a relief to fans, Enos admitted that liberties were taken but said that the core remains the same. “I definitely found the book very important, just to get into the mind of Max Brooks and the kind of story that he was trying to tell,” she told MTV News’ Josh Horowitz. “Actually, the book is about human nature in the midst of crisis. Even though the context is different in the film, that’s still the heart of it, and I’m so glad that was carried over.” She also expanded on the part she plays, as well as Brad Pitt ‘s role, and how those characters factor into the changes made to the story. “The book is narrated by a character who is now in the film, and I play that character’s wife,” she said. When “The Killing” season finale aired last June, fans cried foul that the show ended without revealing Rosie Larsen’s killer. Enos told us on Sunday that she couldn’t understand the outrage. “I was so baffled, actually, by people not liking the ending. A cliffhanger is such a classic writing device,” she said. “If you’re enjoying the journey, why not want more?” For season two, however, Enos promised a quicker show with much higher stakes. “The pace accelerates. The stakes jump by tenfold. Everything gets more and more personal, and the writing is so exceptional,” she said. “We shot the first three episodes, and our eyes are like this [ makes bulging eye motion ] at the end of every episode. It’s really going to be awesome.” Check out everything we’ve got on “World War Z.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes
W.E. wasn’t just an undertaking for Madonna, who directed her Wallis Simpson/Edward VIII biopic with all the lavish heft of a gigantic watercolor landscape. It was also a labor of love for Andrea Riseborough, the 30-year-old actress playing Simpson, the American socialite whose romance with Edward led to his abdication of the throne in 1936. The film’s most enjoyable asset, Riseborough was saddled with making the polarizing Simpson a wholly charismatic figure — an Evita without the benefit of torch songs. She succeeds, and with her thoroughly photogenic Edward (James D’Arcy) in tow, she softens W.E. ‘s melodrama with fantastic ease. We caught up with Riseborough to discuss her fascinating director , her feelings about the subject matter, and the zaniness of the Venice Film Festival . You’ve been promoting this movie nonstop for months! Are you sick of corsets and gorgeous costuming at this point? Are the constraints of the couture caving in on you, so to speak? That’s very funny! No, I’m very much enamored with every different period. It’s so funny because people often say — or people talk about period pieces — and I never really faction different periods or divide them from one another. I just think that really everything is of a specific period whether it be 2016 or 1810. It was extraordinary, the architectural feats that some of the couture gowns entailed on W.E. entailed. You have no idea. It was extraordinary. But is it daunting to think of committing so much to the look and feel of a period piece again? It’s something I’m very familiar with. Because whether it is 2016 or 1810, it’s very arduous. Specificity in any project, even if it exists in the abstract [Laughs] or it exists in an alternate reality, there’s always a vision that everybody adheres to. Everybody very much passionately leans toward expressing that vision and the way we share it with the world. It’s something that’s very familiar to me, actually, I suppose is the answer to that. It’s something I enjoy very much. It’s transporting. You are stunning in this movie. You really have the face of a beautiful silent screen star, or a young Bette Davis. Have you seen Dark Victory ? Oh I have, yes! Very much a part of my lexicon as a child. Did you think your throwback looks would aid you in getting cast? Because you would definitely fit in with the stars of Wallis Simpson’s time. Not really, because when I’d been sent the script, I thought it was very unique. I wanted to explore a little more and was interested certainly in the character that was Wallis Simpson, when I went to meet with the director — but when I met her, I actually had what could only be described as sandy blonde hair and a false tan. I was playing a modern character elsewhere. I’d never seen myself in one particular period. I know that my face is pretty plain and can look reasonably attractive but can also look horribly unattractive, and it’s been something that’s been a real benefit to me — being a blank canvas. Muscularly, I can mold it anyway that I want to, if need be. Or I can completely relax it! So, no, I didn’t think that — no. What I saw ahead was like with any role, the journey of a transformation that was something so utterly far away from myself. It was something and is something I’m very fulfilled by. For the record, James D’Arcy also looks just like Anthony Perkins. You can tell him I said so. [Laughs.] Nobody’s ever told him, but I can e-mail him if you like! [Laughs again.] E-mailing him now. Madonna is known for being able to choose forthcoming trends, own them, and bring them to the pop culture fore. Before you met her, did you have any idea what would impress her, based solely on your knowledge of her before W.E.? Did you use that insight to get cast in the film? My desire was not to impress; I wanted to see what fueled her passion for the story. I wanted to know what her vision was for it, and whether she would respond to what I could her offer her as a potential duchess. I think it would’ve been — I would’ve been somebody else, actually. It’s not who I am, I suppose. I was interested to see what our complicit working relationship would be. That was exciting to me. The story of the duchess was something I thought would be potentially interesting to excavate. I wanted to see within what framework that might possibly happen. She, very fortunately, responded to what I had to bring to her. Really, we were artistically complicit from that point on, from the outset really. She’d seen me play Margaret Thatcher and this other character before, so she had a good grasp on the reality that I could inhabit somebody who existed and somebody who was young and innocent — this other character was young and innocent. One interesting thing about W.E. is the sheer continental difference in knowledge about Wallis Simpson. In the U.K., everyone knows. In the U.S., plenty of people know nothing about that era of British history. Oh, don’t do yourself down! I’m trying not to! But there’s definitely a gap in awareness about who Wallis Simpson was. How do you feel addressing that with different markets for the film? I think, really, the story transcends any historical context you might feel you need to put it in. Interestingly, of course, it was a reality. But what we have portrayed is our perception or version of the truth, Madonna’s version and vision of a woman who really existed. The heart of the piece is the thing that’ll tap on the door of the common man, if you will. Because, I hope, that was the thing that originally tapped on the door of the common man — every one of the working class areas that Edward visited, the working men so very much appreciated him, took him into their homes in a way that a prince had not been taken in before. It’s that same honesty and love and truth, I think, that people will feel and respond to. Wallis, she’d seen the writing on the wall. She ended up being as trapped as she imagined she would be, if he should abdicate, which he did as you know. It’s impossible for any one person — I mean, let’s not even reduce it to gender — it’s impossible for any one person to live up to the responsibility of the kingdom. How does one man fulfill a partner who has given up such an awful, awful lot for their relationship? Do you find yourself sorting out the fair criticism of W.E. from what might be considered a biased response to your director? Has the criticism been fair? I really believe that people have their own relationship with it. And I say “with it,” I mean everything that the film is. We were all part of making it. They can choose to absorb it and gain what is valuable from it any which way. I really have no opinion on it, to be truly honest, Louis. I know I’m incredibly honest to be part of something I found beautiful. That’s really all I know. Talk about the Venice Film Festival, where the world got its first taste of W.E. and the first swarm of responses to the film hit. Seemed pretty manic at the time. How do you remember it? It felt incredibly special. It was almost like our first offering at something we’d been so lovingly baking. The explosion that then ensued was quite breathtaking. It was almost funny being so surrounded by love. I’m just speaking as honestly as I felt it! Lastly, I heard you say that you and Madonna connected deeply in researching the “geeky” minutia of Wallis Simpson’s life. How deeply did that fixation go? Oh my gosh, that is such a long answer, Louis. Her fastidious research has no bounds! And that’s where the answer lies. When you approach something that you’re ignited by and are passionate about in such a way, really, until it seems to you’re getting to the point where no stone is unturned, only then can you stop. When you imagine chronicling an entire woman’s life from age 29 to 70, everything that went before 29 — since it must be taken into account — and everything that went after, you can imagine that’s no small feat. I ferociously lapped that up. I enjoyed it so much. But none of that is worth anything if you can’t just trust that it’s been inside of you so you can be present when you’re living out what might’ve been their life. Follow Louis Virtel on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter . [Top Photo: WireImage]
Since it’s inception, hip-hop has infiltrated more than neighborhood boomboxes. As of late, hip-hop has turned it’s eye towards dominating the literary world. Decoded written by Jay-Z and dream hampton hit the New York Times’ Best Sellers List in the fourth quarter of last year and remained there for quite some time. Following the trend, rappers have started putting out their own literary works. XXL Magazine took notice and created a list of the Top 10 Hip-Hop Books. The Urban Daily is especially proud because our Chief Content Officer Smokey D. Fontaine co-authored an entry. He and DMX collaborated on E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX . Here’s what XXL had to say about our friend and boss: It was DMX’s passion and revealing honesty that helped the Ruff Ryder thrive as an artist in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and those same factors ensured that his book, E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX (Harper Collins), was as gripping as the emotional prayers heard on his albums. The autobiography focuses more on the man than on his music, with the Dark Man opening up about violence, imprisonment, familial neglect and building his family during his formative years. The unpredictability that has marked much of the Yonkers rapper’s career was, unsurprisingly, also present during the writing process. What ensued for co-author Smokey D. Fontaine was months on the road, hundreds of hours of tape and full immersion in DMX’s everyday life. “I carried a micro-cassette [recorder] in my pocket everywhere we went. Had my hand in my pocket. We’d be in conversation, whenever we started getting into it, I’d press record,” Fontaine says. “We never had one scheduled time to sit down and talk about his life. It was all fly-on-the-wall. It was all completely organic.” Like X. Check out the rest of the list at XXL.com . RELATED POSTS: DMX: From Inmate To Good Samaritan In A Year Big Boi On His Rhyme Skills: “I’m A Jedi” [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO] Is Common The New King Of All Media? [EXCLUSIVE]
For some reason, Forbes.com thought it was a good idea to post an article called “If I Were A Poor Black Kid.” Check out a few excerpts and let us know your thoughts: President Obama gave an excellent speech last week in Kansas about inequality in America. “This is the defining issue of our time.” He said. “This is a make-or-break moment for the middle class, and for all those who are fighting to get into the middle class. Because what’s at stake is whether this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home, secure their retirement.” He’s right. The spread between rich and poor has gotten wider over the decades. And the opportunities for the 99% have become harder to realize. The President’s speech got me thinking. My kids are no smarter than similar kids their age from the inner city. My kids have it much easier than their counterparts from West Philadelphia. The world is not fair to those kids mainly because they had the misfortune of being born two miles away into a more difficult part of the world and with a skin color that makes realizing the opportunities that the President spoke about that much harder. This is a fact. In 2011. I am not a poor black kid. I am a middle aged white guy who comes from a middle class white background. So life was easier for me. But that doesn’t mean that the prospects are impossible for those kids from the inner city. It doesn’t mean that there are no opportunities for them. Or that the 1% control the world and the rest of us have to fight over the scraps left behind. I don’t believe that. I believe that everyone in this country has a chance to succeed. Still. In 2011. Even a poor black kid in West Philadelphia. If I was a poor black kid I would first and most importantly work to make sure I got the best grades possible. I would make it my #1 priority to be able to read sufficiently. I wouldn’t care if I was a student at the worst public middle school in the worst inner city. Even the worst have their best. And the very best students, even at the worst schools, have more opportunities. Getting good grades is the key to having more options. With good grades you can choose different, better paths. If you do poorly in school, particularly in a lousy school, you’re severely limiting the limited opportunities you have. And I would use the technology available to me as a student. I know a few school teachers and they tell me that many inner city parents usually have or can afford cheap computers and internet service nowadays. That because (and sadly) it’s oftentimes a necessary thing to keep their kids safe at home then on the streets. If I was a poor black kid I’d use the free technology available to help me study. I’d become expert at Google Scholar. I’d visit study sites like SparkNotes and CliffsNotes to help me understand books. I’d watch relevant teachings on Academic Earth, TED and the Khan Academy. (I say relevant because some of these lectures may not be related to my work or too advanced for my age. Is this easy? No it’s not. It’s hard. It takes a special kind of kid to succeed. And to succeed even with these tools is much harder for a black kid from West Philadelphia than a white kid from the suburbs. But it’s not impossible. The tools are there. The technology is there. And the opportunities there. In Philadelphia, there are nationally recognized magnet schools like Central, Girls High and Masterman. These schools are free. But they are hard to get in to. You need good grades and good test scores. And there are also other good magnet and charter schools in the city. If I was a poor black kid I would get technical. I would learn software. I would learn how to write code. I would seek out courses in my high school that teaches these skills or figure out where to learn more online. I would study on my own. I would make sure my writing and communication skills stay polished. Because a poor black kid who gets good grades, has a part time job and becomes proficient with a technical skill will go to college. There is financial aid available. There are programs available. And no matter what he or she majors in that person will have opportunities. They will find jobs in a country of business owners like me who are starved for smart, skilled people. They will succeed. President Obama was right in his speech last week. The division between rich and poor is a national problem. But the biggest challenge we face isn’t inequality. It’s ignorance. So many kids from West Philadelphia don’t even know these opportunities exist for them. Many come from single-parent families whose mom or dad (or in many cases their grand mom) is working two jobs to survive and are just (understandably) too plain tired to do anything else in the few short hours they’re home. Technology can help these kids. But only if the kids want to be helped. Yes, there is much inequality. But the opportunity is still there in this country for those that are smart enough to go for it. Discuss… Source
‘I generally get behind everything Ron does, no matter how extreme,’ Nick Offerman tells MTV News of his ‘Parks and Recreation’ antihero. By Josh Wigler Nick Offerman in “Parks and Recreation” Photo: NBC If ever there were a man deserving of all the eggs and bacon you have, it’s Ron Swanson. The Parks Department director of Pawnee, Indiana, is perhaps the manliest man on television, complete with what is indisputably the manliest mustache on TV today. There’s something else you should know about Mr. Swanson too: He’s the best television character of 2011! Swanson won the highest honor in our Top 50 TV Characters of 2011 countdown over the likes of cancer-stricken chemistry teacher-turned-murderous meth cook Walter White of “Breaking Bad” and our very own “Jersey Shore” favorite Snooki. All three could have easily earned that top prize, but in the end, there’s just no resisting the raw, hilarious awesome that is Ron Swanson. But Ron would be nothing without Nick Offerman, the actor, comedian and professional woodworker who has played the staunch anti-government government employee for four seasons of “Parks and Recreation.” Offerman spoke with MTV News about his status as 2011’s top television character, why Ron is such an appealing figure, his battle with the terrible Tammys and much, much more. MTV : Congratulations! Ron Swanson is our #1 pick for the best TV character of the year. It goes without saying that we’re all very big fans over here! Nick Offerman : Well, thank you. I’m over the moon. I’m so flattered. It’s crazy! MTV : When did it dawn on you that Ron was such a big hit? We’ve seen countless Internet memes about him, and he’s always the topic of conversation after a “Parks and Rec” episode airs. When did it hit you that Ron had really arrived? Offerman : It sort of came out of the blue around the holidays two years ago. It was the fall of our season two. My wife [Megan Mullally, who plays Tammy Two] and I don’t really cotton to the Internet too much, so people started saying to me, “You’re getting a lot of attention on the Internet. You might want to think about getting a publicist. I think you might have something here.” I said, “OK, that sounds like hogwash to me, but I’ll go along with it.” And I haven’t looked back. It’s been incredibly gratifying and astonishing. See our Top 50 TV Characters of 2011, 50 to 41, including a masked bachelor and dashing novelist/crime-fighter. MTV : You spend so much time playing this character, four seasons deep now. For you, what’s the appeal of Ron? What is it about this character that you love playing so much? Offerman : Well, I guess I spent so many years of my career utilizing a sense of humor that we see in Ron and being rejected for it. For so many years, people have been telling me to talk faster. “Try not to be so scary.” [ Laughs. ] To finally find writers that have such simpatico with me and my sense of humor has got to be my favorite thing about Ron. They write me a scene where the most important thing I can do is remain silent and immobile, and that’s the hilarious part. [ Laughs. ] It kind of feels like coming home after all these years. MTV : It’s been a big year for the character. Right out the gate in season four, we got to meet the other two Tammys in Ron’s life, Tammy One and Tammy Zero. What was it like finally getting to interact with all these legendary women in Ron’s life? Offerman : For me the actor, it’s such an embarrassment of riches to do an episode with Megan, Patricia Clarkson and Paula Pell. It’s like being told that you’re going to play in the World Series with the most incredible all-star team assembled as your teammates. I was really traumatized by the effects all these women had on Ron. His face was denuded of his mustache, much like Samson having his locks snipped off by Delilah, as well as his family jewels. It really felt like I was being simultaneously raped and fed a delicious meal. [ Laughs. ] See our Top 50 TV Characters of 2011, 40 to 31, including a “hootie hoo!”-hollering chef and funnyman talk-show host. MTV : Do you think we’ve seen the last of the Tammys? As in, are there any other Tammys lurking about out there in Ron’s life? Offerman : I can’t imagine. I think the power of this triumvirate is so all-encompassing. I think we have more than enough fuel for many more seasons with the Tammys we’ve established. MTV : You brought up something that I was going to touch on: Ron losing his mustache really was a Samson moment. Could Ron ever truly be Ron Swanson without that mustache, or is it critical to who he is? Offerman : I think if, God forbid, Ron was in some sort of disfiguring accident that disallowed him to grow whiskers anymore, I don’t think he could bounce back. I think Ron is an accessory to the mustache, or the mustache is an accessory to Ron. My friend is this genius artist named Pat Roberts, and he has a painting of a wimpy-looking sheriff with a sheriff’s badge on, and there’s a balloon with this mean look on its face, hanging next to the sheriff. It says: “For obvious reasons, Staticky Pete wore the badge, but everyone knew the balloon was the sheriff.” I think everyone knows that the mustache carries the thunder for Ron. Check out our Top 50 TV Characters of 2011, 30-21, including a depressed meth cook and a football coach with a heart of gold. MTV : One of the reasons we love Ron so much is that he gets away with things that we only wish we could get away with in our life. For example, when he discovers how much personal information can be learned about him through Google — that you can see a satellite image of his property — his response is to throw his computer in the trash. I can certainly relate to that. Do you relate to Ron’s view of the world? Offerman : Absolutely. I’m very much a Luddite by choice. I grew up on a farm out in the middle of a cornfield. You’d go for days without being reached by people. Now, in the information age, you have everyone at your beck and call — or, more to the point, to be at the beck and call of the world — on a device in your pocket, and it’s incredibly distasteful. I often fantasize about throwing the whole thing in the ocean. Unfortunately, I’m in a business where my agent tells me I have a meeting with Patricia Roberts next week. MTV : You’re hooked in, sir. There’s very little you can do. Offerman : There is, but look, what my wife and I do is eschew as much as we can. We don’t do Twitter, we don’t do Facebook. It’s all we can do to answer our e-mails; that already takes up too much time, so we don’t do much [Web] surfing. MTV : On the flipside, is there anything about Ron that you can’t relate to? Are there things he does that you just can’t see yourself pulling off in your life? Offerman : In principle, no. I generally get behind everything Ron does, no matter how extreme. But when Ron exhibits superhuman abilities, that’s when it crosses the line. We shot an episode recently where I have to jam an entire hamburger into my mouth. We did a take and it was obviously really hard — bun and all, I had to shove the whole thing into my mouth! We did a take, and the director said to the prop lady, “Was that the small, medium or large burger?” It was the small. “Can we get another one?” And I go, “Hey! I understand that Ron could get the whole slab of a cow in his mouth and pull out a bone like Fred Flintstone, but I’m an actor in the physical world!” [ Laughs. ] There’s only so much grub I can cram into my mouth! Check out our Top 50 TV Characters, 20-11, featuring a sword-wielding 9-year-old and a Trouble Tones teen. People will also ask me … there’s this one episode where Ron makes an Irish harp in one night after drinking an enormous amount of whiskey. People will say to me — and this is the power of TV — did you really do that? [ Laughs. ] No! No one can really do that! That’s ridiculous! It’s a hilarious comedy! Even my brother who works in my shop with me, there’s one episode where I’m carving a chunk of wood, and in the next scene there’s a big, wooden swan that I’ve ostensibly carved in about 40 minutes. And my brother said, “Did you really carve that?” [ Laughs. ] He’s familiar with my work! He’s familiar with my method! It would take me a day and a half if I hustled. For shame! MTV : “Parks and Rec” is one of the funniest shows on TV. I think a lot of that owes to the fact that, obviously, the writing is incredible, but the cast is so strong. These characters play off each other so well. What’s that dynamic like on set, four seasons into the game? Offerman : It’s so fun. We never stop talking about how lucky we are that we get to do this for pay. We’re shooting an episode this week where the whole cast is in a recording studio recording a song for Andy Dwyer. That situation is so goddamn enjoyable, and everybody gets to add their flavor to this incredibly steamy goulash that we’re serving. It’s so fun to look around and watch one person after another hit a home run. Don’t miss our Top 10 Characters of 2011, including a “Jersey Shore” guidette and a real daughter of New Jersey. MTV : Final question for you: We know what Ron’s capacity is … but what is the most bacon and eggs you’ve ever eaten? Offerman : Gosh … I’d have to go back to my youth when my dad and I would have bacon and eggs every morning. I’d say five eggs, and I take those over medium, and close to a pound of bacon. MTV : Wow. Offerman : I can pack it away, but my capacity pales in comparison to Mr. Swanson. Only Ron Swanson could stomach all of the eggs and bacon you have. MTV will reveal the best artists, songs and movies of the year. Come to MTV News each day to see more big reveals and check out more of MTV’s Best of 2011 music, TV, movies and news coverage.
MTV Push Artist of the Week’s July album is gaining steam on radio. By Jocelyn Vena Breathe Carolina Photo: MTV News The two guys of Colorado electronic-rock outfit Breathe Carolina have this message for their fans: Hell Is What You Make It. Their album of that name, which dropped back in July, has started to pick up steam with music lovers, and the guys hope fans — both new and old — really immerse themselves in the LP. “It’s amazing, honestly. I think getting the opportunity, that’s the best part. To be able to say, ‘Here.’ I hope people get to dive into the record a little bit and really see who we are,” Kyle Even told MTV News when they stopped by the newsroom a few weeks back. “[The single] ‘Blackout’ is one song that we created. We’re very eclectic, and we definitely do whatever we want. I think you’ll find that out as you go through our catalog of songs and see who we are and where we came from.” The guys approached the album in a whole new way, helping shape the sound for the aggressive release. “This album was different with the writing process, because we wrote it with our whole band that we play live with,” David Schmitt said. “That was awesome, having their minds in the writing process. The first two records, it was just me and Kyle. We found a producer in [Ian] Kirkpatrick, and it didn’t seem like we were working. He made it huge for us.” The buzz should continue to grow for the pair: They are MTV’s Push Artist of the Week , and starting next month, they’ll hit the road, playing small clubs all over the country. “It’s cool just reaching a new audience now too with the radio stuff,” Schmitt said. “I feel like it’s brought Breathe Carolina to other ears that may not have heard it.” Listening to the album, it’s clear the guys have one mission, which Even explained to us: “Making people move — that’s our favorite part about writing that kind of music,” Even said. “We get to get out there and move some people, like, literally sometimes we’ll get in the crowd. We’ll get rowdy.” Have you checked out Breathe Carolina? Share your thoughts in the comments! Related Artists Breathe Carolina
It’s a battle of the comedies on NextMovie’s new MovieTracker. By Eric Ditzian Ben Stiller and Gabourey Sidibe in “Tower Heist” Photo: Universal Pictures For the past few days, following an early Times Square screening, the MTV Newsroom has been buzzing about “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas.” “Can you believe it was actually damn funny?” one movie nerd would say to another. “I mean, the last one stunk.” That’s the buzz in here. And out there too, a fact that our friends at NextMovie have made abundantly clear with their new MovieTracker , a cool application boasting a fancy-schmancy algorithm that measures what people are saying on Twitter and Facebook and lets us know which movies people are psyched about. Think of it like a Billboard music chart, but instead of tracking album sales, it tracks Internet movie buzz in real time. As of this writing, “Harold & Kumar” has risen to the #2 slot, with loads of positive tweets coming in. The public seems to be in agreement with star John Cho, who told MTV News recently of his onscreen partnership with Kal Penn, “We are without a doubt the best Korean-Indian stoner comedy duo in cinematic history.” It’s going to be a very comedy-centric weekend at the multiplex, which is honestly a bit confounding from a programming standpoint. Yes, the hard-R “Harold & Kumar” and the PG-13 “Tower Heist” are targeting different moviegoers, but there’s undoubtedly some overlap between those two audiences. And “Tower Heist” is going to come out on top, even if it’s currently trending one notch below “Harold & Kumar” on the MovieTracker. (Last week’s big winner, “Paranormal Activity 3,” was planted at #1 at press time.) Expect “Tower Heist,” starring Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy, to reel in around $30 million this weekend. “Harold & Kumar” will probably fall shy of the $20 million mark. Will the MovieTracker adjust to reflect these box-office predictions? Keep checking back to see what’s up and what’s down, what’s buzzing and what’s bombing all weekend long. Check out everything we’ve got on “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas” and “Tower Heist.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos NextMovie’s ‘Movie Tracker’ Brings You Real-Time Buzz MTV Rough Cut: Tower Heist Related Photos ‘A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas’ Key Scenes From The Trailer
Sofia Vergara was on vacation in Mexico…instead of living in Mexico…..she’s was sitting on a luxury resort poolside chair…instead of working the luxury resort cleaning up after guests while they are at their poolside chair….and the whole thing makes no sense to me…I see how hard some girls struggle to make rent….girls born here who have big tits and hot bodies….who aren’t even single moms….but for some reason Vergara made it with all odds against her and all I can assume is that her drug cartel relatives had ties with some powerful people who had dirt on other powerful people that could ruin them…making them cast their fellow Colombian…allowing her to take her big tits on vacation in Mexico like she wasn’t an immigrant without papers like a California mexican just a few years ago…and who cares…she’s half naked…in her 40s and her pics are better than my writing….enjoy…cuz I know she is… To See The Rest of the Pics FOLLOW THIS LINK
Everybody can agree that music is a universal language. Many American musicians make note of the fact foreign audiences don’t understand what they’re saying when they are speaking, but the audience sings every word to their songs. Well, what happens when an audience speaks a musician’s native tongue fluently and they still don’t understand what the musician is talking about? I was at a party and the DJ had the beats knocking, until he threw Kriss Kross on . (Forgive him.) On “Jump,” the boys from the A rap, “‘Cause I’m the miggity, miggity, miggity, miggity Mac Daddy.” Can someone explain what a “miggity mac” is because I didn’t understand it then and still don’t. We will discuss a few of the most confusing lyrics in songs. If you think you can explain some of our selections, sound off in the comments. Labelle – “Lady Marmalade” This signature hit from the ladies of Labelle has it all–a racy subject matter, a funky groove, and a little bit of French thrown in there. The few lines in French translate to “Will you sleep with me tonight?” However, what in the world is a “gitchy gitchy ya ya?” I’ve heard of singers scatting, but that was never in the scat sounds dictionary. “Gitchy gitchy ya ya” sounds like a pause worthy slang term for a sexually transmitted disease. “ Yo, Son, you was messing with that girl around the block? You better get checked or something. I heard she got that gitchy gitchy ya ya, if you know what I mean!” To which a person would respond, “Pause. Damn, I’m going straight to the clinic!” Lady Marmalade Kanye West – “Roses” In 2005, Kanye West put out his sophomore album, Late Registration . The set was more introspective than his debut. His introspection was on full display on the track dedicated to his grandmother’s ordeal with being hospitalized. “Roses” documented how he had to deal with his popularity when he just wanted to be a human and look after his grandmother. While the song is remarkable, one line baffles even the most intellectual people I know. “So many aunties, we could have an auntie team.” Kanye , we know you like to act like you’re more forward thinking than the rest of us commoners. So could you explain what an auntie team is? To clarify, are we talking about a basketball team full of aunties? What kind of team are we talking here? Commoners, like myself, know you don’t write lyrics down. With lines like that, you might want to start putting the pen to paper again. Roses Whitney Houston – “Million Dollar Bill” When Whitney Houston was recording her comeback disc, I Look To You , she called upon some of today’s hottest songwriters to provide the material for her to reclaim her throne atop the music charts. The second single from the effort was the Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz confection, “Million Dollar Bill.” The disco-lite uptempo number had us in a groove until she sang, “I can see the way he’s making me feel this way about his love.” Honestly, I can’t blame Whitney. She was just looking for another hit song to flesh out her album. The real blame is on Alicia Keys . She’s a great artist and all, but for a woman who graduated high school at 16 and was accepted to Columbia University , she is all over the place with her writing. A few of her songs don’t make good use of a little thing we like to call subject-verb agreement . This line in “Million Dollar Bill” feels Mrs. Swizz Beatz threw some words at a wall and whichever stuck, she put in a song. No dice. Million Dollar Bill Lionel Richie – “All Night Long” In the 80s, light skinned fellas were all the rage. The leader of that light skinned male crusade was the crooner, Lionel Richie . One of his biggest hits is the party anthem, “All Night Long.” The word “party” is said in many different languages. The questionable thing about the song is about the chant at the end. If anyone has an explanation for “tom bol li de se de moi ya, hey jambo jumbo,” please holla at a player. Are those actual words in another language? I’m not too sure. My theory is baby Nicole Richie was learning to talk and she said this, instead of a real sentence and Poppa Richie just went with it. I could be wrong, but my theory is probably cooler than the actual story. At least, I’d like to think so. All Night Long Michael Jackson – “Wanna Be Startin Somethin” Michael Jackson released the seminal project, Thriller , in 1982. Though every song on there is a classic, one of the biggest fan favorites is “Wanna Be Startin Somethin.” When I was a kid, I was obsessed with this song. I played it so much my mom bought me a Walkman so she didn’t wind up breaking my tape. One thing about that song annoys me to this day. What the hell does “ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa” mean?! My mom told me it was Swahili and I believed her. Come to find out, she wasn’t far off. The King of Pop claimed the phrase was Swahili, in order to keep all royalties for himself. Apparently, the words come from a song by a Cameroonian artist, Dibango . Dibango’s words were, “ma ma ko, ma ma sa, ma ma ko sa.” Dibango sued Jackson in the 80s and sued him again in 2007 when Rihanna sampled the chant for her dance hit, “Don’t Stop The Music.” Rihanna got permission from Michael Jackson , but neglected to get permission from Dibango . They settled out of court for the second time before Rihanna’s album dropped. By the way, there is no clear translation of the chant, but it does have something to do with dancing. Wanna Be Startin Somethin Related Posts: Alicia Keys Or Beyonce: Battle Of The Baby Bumps Top 5 Worst Album Sequels Top 10 Freedom Fighters In Music
Most critics think the comedy about cancer proves anything can be funny. By Eric Ditzian Anna Kendrick and Joseph Gordon Levitt in “50/50” Photo: Summit Entertainment When Will Reiser first found out he had cancer, he and his comedy-writer buddies (including Seth Rogen and “Pineapple Express” scribe Evan Goldberg) would jokingly wonder if Reiser’s disease would bring them all a Make-a-Wish opportunity to hang with Led Zeppelin. That rock-and-roll dream never came true, but Reiser’s battle with, and eventual remission from, cancer did gift them all with one thing: “50/50,” a comedy (out now) that is drawing rave reviews from critics and is being discussed as a possible contender come awards season. Though not all reviewers have found it easy to find yuks in a deadly serious topic, far more point to the film as an example that nothing is out of bounds when it comes to art and comedy; handled deftly, anything can lead to laughter and learning. The Story “Adam Lerner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a nice guy with a great job at a Seattle NPR station, a promising relationship with up-and-coming artist Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard), a best-friend-since-high-school named Kyle (Seth Rogen) to hang with — and, as he learns to his horror in a doctor’s office, cancer. … Also woven deftly into the mixture is Anna Kendrick as a young (very young) therapist assigned to work with Adam; [Anjelica] Huston as the kind of mother who explains ‘I want you to know that I smothered him because I love him’ to anyone who will listen. … It’s not a perfect movie, but it doesn’t matter. ’50/50′ takes on a bold subject and makes us laugh and cry. I thought I didn’t want to see a cancer comedy; I was wrong.” — Moira McDonald, The Seattle Times The Laughs “Scenes where the pals trash a piece of once-important memorabilia in a backyard rampage and the after-effects of pot-laden cookies scored at the chemotherapy clinic show loopily grinning Gordon-Levitt at his best. Kudos to [director Jonathan] Levine for not letting Rogen’s very funny comedic bits overshadow the proceedings. The actor dials it down ever so slightly and isn’t afraid to be the butt of jokes — watch for Gordon-Levitt’s spot-on Rogen impersonation. The suggestion a bald head and a cancer diagnosis could be the ultimate pickup leverage leads Adam and Kyle into funny territory. But the hilarity turns with the exploration of deeper relationships as Adam finds new friends among the genial stoners of all ages at the chemo clinic.” — Linda Barnard, Toronto Star The Writing “[Reiser] draws on his personal battle with a rare form of that disease. His success rate in the delicate balance between comedy and the profound devastation of such an illness is much greater than 50/50, but the film is not without its tonal lapses. … Reiser has written his characters with an indelible sweetness and vulnerability, which allows the cast to deliver performances with some depth. So a situation such as Kyle insisting that Adam and he should cruise girls at a bar looking for sympathy lays — Cruisin’ with the Big C as it were — comes off as quite funny as does Adam’s first chemo session where he ingests weed-laced sweets created by a fellow patient’s wife and floats out of the hospital afterwards.” — Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter The Dissenters “In the pantheon of tastelessness designed to make you laugh at diarrhea, menstruation, masturbation, yeast infections, fellatio and worse, you can now add a stupid horror called ’50/50.’ Artificial, irresponsible, filthy and forgettable, it knocks itself cross-eyed trying to make you roar with laughter at chemotherapy, with the nauseating Seth Rogen milking most of the yuks. But a stoner comedy about cancer? I don’t think so.” — Rex Reed, The New York Observer The Final Word “The reason ’50/50′ works is it’s not trying to force us into any particular emotion. It fits in the emerging category of sad-man comedies such as ‘Up in the Air’ and ‘Crazy, Stupid Love,’ telling its downbeat tale with tenderness, sincerity and warmth. ’50/50′ isn’t a cancer buddy comedy or a male weepie but a message movie. The message is that you can tackle pretty much any subject matter and tell a story any way you want to onscreen as long as it’s absorbing.” — Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune Check out everything we’ve got on “50/50.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
