Saturday, March 5, 2011

James Franco Poses For Terry Richardson

James Franco hooked up with photographer Terry Richardson to pose for a few photos for posting on Richardson‘s official website. As you may know, Terry shoots photos of lots of celebs and many of those photos are, at the very least, kinda sorta interesting. These photos of James are, IMHO, pretty meh … but if [...]

Emma Stone Monet Mazur

Dimmu Borgir Release Live DVD; Plus Led Zeppelin, Brujeria, & More News That Rules, In Metal File

'It shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums,' guitarist says.
By Chris Harris


Dimmu Borgir's Silenoz
Photo: Nuclear Blast

On October 14, Dimmu Borgir — who just happen to be Demi Lovato's favorite black-metal band — will release a a three-disc DVD/CD set called "The Invaluable Darkness," the band's first visual offering since 2002's "World Misanthropy." Boasting live footage shot last year, during gigs in Norway, Germany and England, "The Invaluable Darkness" demonstrates the unbridled furor of seeing Dimmu live, guitarist Silenoz said.

"It shows the honest rawness and atmospheric darkness of our concerts," the Norwegian told Metal File last week, after dismissing recent online rumors that his band's next LP would be coming out through Roadrunner Records. "Basically, it shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums. It's just a different side to the band, basically."

Dimmu Borgir began thinking about "The Invaluable Darkness" two years ago, but didn't start capturing footage until last summer, Silenoz explained, adding that the band will use its current stint on the Blackest of the Black Tour — which got underway Thursday night in Miami Beach, Florida, and also features the tour's founder, Danzig, along with Moonspell, Winds of Plague and Skeletonwitch — to promote the DVD. Dimmu Borgir will not, however, use the tour to write material for their next LP.

"It's our first time on Blackest, but Glenn [Danzig] had wanted to bring us out before [on the tour], but we weren't available until now," Silenoz said. "We've done Ozzfest before, but we're looking forward to this tour more. We did the main stage on Ozzfest, playing in f--_ing broad daylight. This tour will let us play in bigger places, but at the same time showcase more of what the band's about, visually. We are going to concentrate on the tour for now. Some years ago, we tried putting [material] together on the road, but once we got home, we listened back to it, and were like, 'What the f--- is this?' So, we just scrapped it all. We find it's so much better to totally focus on one thing at a time, and then, when that's over, you move on to the next [thing]. We don't really feel like we need to rush things, anyway, so we'll just take our time, and it's going to be what it's going to be."

Dimmu Borgir hope to reconvene in late December to begin writing the follow-up to 2007's diabolically titled In Sorte Diaboli. "We have some ideas floating around already, but we haven't arranged any material yet," he said. "We'll start doing that once the touring for this DVD is over." The band's frontman, Shagrath, is also due to marry soon — he's engaged to actor Nicolas Cage's ex-girlfriend, Christina Fulton, so that may have an effect on when Dimmu finish their next album, which Silenoz said could be out this coming spring.

"I'm sure [Shagrath] won't let anything get in the way [of] the band — I think, I hope," the guitarist said. "We don't need a Yoko [Ono] situation."

While Dimmu have been at it going on 15 years now, Silenoz said he doesn't think their forthcoming material will be much of a departure from their previous black-metal offerings.

"And we have always been about more than just that term, 'black metal,' " he said. "Luckily for us, the older you get, the less concerned you get with the categorization and putting labels on your music. Things start getting more and more limitless with us, and we know that we operate within certain frames. But we try not to analyze things too much, because it's just going to be working against you in the end. When we write new stuff, we don't think about what we should write — we just get together, and put material together, and if we like it, we keep it. That's the formula, if we even have a formula."

Dimmu Borgir are definitely getting older — guitarist Galder will be missing Blackest because of a recent addition to his family, and Susperia's Cyrus will be filling in for him; while former Vader drummer Dariusz Brzozowski takes over for Hellhammer, who had to leave the band in 2007 after sustaining a neck injury that's now limited the use of his right arm. As Dimmu has gotten on in years, Silenoz admits they have failed to keep pace with some of the more extreme black-metal acts that have followed in their wake.

"We helped open doors for the more extreme bands out there," Silenoz said. "I'm sure we helped open doors for bands like Watain, [insomuch as] people that had maybe started listening to us first then went on to the more extreme stuff. Let's face it — we're not as extreme as Watain and other bands like that, but we're fine with that."

The Blackest of the Black Tour continues through November 10 in San Francisco.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Dimmu's tourmates on Blackest, Winds of Plague, have announced ex-Azusa drummer Art Cruz has joined their ranks — he replaced Jeff Tenney. According to the band's blog, "Art has already added a new spark to the band and has provided us with a solid backbone that will allow us to continue our rampage stronger than ever." ...

What the world really needs is another Led Zeppelin box set, so, on November 4, Rhino Records will issue the Led Zeppelin Definitive Collection Mini LP Replica CD box set. For just $200, you'll get 1969's Led Zeppelin, 1969's Led Zeppelin II, 1970's Led Zeppelin III, 1971's Led Zeppelin IV, 1973's Houses of the Holy, 1975's Physical Graffiti, 1976's Presence, 1976's The Song Remains the Same, 1979's In Through the Out Door and 1982's Coda, as mini-LP replicas, with artwork from the original U.K. LP sleeves. Now, you know what you can get your dad for Christmas. ...

Former Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach and current Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz have teamed up for a new project they're calling Times of Grace, and they've already started working on material for their debut album. According to Leach, "We have two songs to go and we will be finished with all of the vocals. Adam has taken lead vocals in three songs as of yet and he is doing a great job. We also worked on a track yesterday that is so epic — we trade vocals and do two different melodies at the same time. This album went from a melodic metal album to an epic mix of metal/rock/pop/shoegaze and punk. So all of your metal expectations will be incorrect — we are pushing genre boundaries." To quote "Meet the Parents," we'll look forward to that, Greg. ...

The Funeral Pyre and Early Graves will be hitting the road together next month, starting November 7 in South Lake Tahoe, California. Dates are booked through November 21 in Hollywood. ...

The latest incarnation of Brujeria, which features Carcass frontman Jeff Walker and Napalm Death's Shane Embury, have lined up several U.S. dates for this winter. The band will begin its brief trek November 28 in Denver, and wrap things up in Dallas on December 7. ... Demiricous will be touring with the Gates of Slumber starting November 9 in Denver, for a jaunt that's scheduled to run through December 6 in Indianapolis. ...

Nearly three years after Roadrunner Records' Roadrunner United concert, which took over the Nokia Theater in New York's Times Square, the label is now releasing footage from that special night as "Roadrunner United: The Concert." The DVD, which hits stores December 9, will boast two discs and 24 live tracks, including Life of Agony's "River Runs Red," King Diamond's "Abigail," Killswitch's "My Last Serenade," Type O Negative's "Black No. 1" and Sepultura's "Refuse/Resist." ...

According to Blabbermouth, Verrot, bassist for Swedish black-metal outfit Elimi, committed suicide on October 3. In a statement, the band said, "Verrot was a very good friend, brother, an excellent bass player/musician and an important part of Elimi; we respect his decision and hope he'll find his way with the dark gods of Chaos. Let your black flame be a part of what brings forth the day of wrath."

Related Artists

Charli Baltimore Katharine McPhee Kelly Hu Amerie Tamie Sheffield

Kelly McGillis Comes Out as Gay

She may have kept the boys on the “Top Gun” set drooling with her trademark hotness back in the day, but as it turns out Kelly McGillis is more interested in the fairer sex. According to a report, the “At First Sight” actress recently declared, “I’m done with the man thing,” though she has been [...]

Norah Jones Drew Barrymore T.A.T.u. Lacey Chabert Rihanna

Photos | 2011 Golden Globe Awards Red Carpet

2011 Golden Globe Awards Red Carpet

Related Artists

Coco Lee Nadine Velazquez Kristy Swanson Selita Ebanks Charli Baltimore

Justin Bieber's Grammy Performance Will Be 'A Crossover,' Usher Says

The 'O.M.G.' singer looks forward to sharing the stage with his protégé on Sunday night.
By James Montgomery


Usher
Photo: Amanda Edwards/ Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD — At Sunday's 53rd Grammy Awards, Usher will be pulling double duty as both a nominee and a performer. Of course, given the massive year he just completed — with the success of his smash single "O.M.G." and as a mentor to rising phenom Justin Bieber — Ush's Grammy plans seem rather fitting.

Especially since he'll be performing with Bieber (and Bieber's pal Jaden Smith), a move that's just as much about celebrating Usher's successes as it is the successes of his young protégé.

"Having been through [the Grammys] so many times, you couldn't want for anything more than for your young protégé to have the opportunity to have one, so, in support of him having his moment, I wanted to be here," Usher told MTV News on Thursday, hours before his performance at the (Belvedere) RED launch party in Hollywood. "And also to be there to perform, to kind of tell the story of how we came together. This music business has definitely been good to both of us, and this year we have a lot to be happy for."

And just how will the dynamic duo tell that story? Well, Usher wasn't about to reveal all the details, but he did say that he's hoping their performance will show another side of Bieber ... a side most tend to overlook.

"The performance will be fun," Usher explained. "We want to get up there and just do what we do. Be comfortable, and have a great time. ... This is kind of a crossover for Justin. Having performed on so many different stages, this is the way that I wanted him to be seen and an opportunity to show the industry — a lot of the industry, that didn't believe [in him] — some of his other talents. He's going to play acoustically, and also, we'll get down a little bit."

And though Ush is up for a pair of Grammy awards on Sunday — Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary R&B Album for Raymond v. Raymond — he's most looking forward to sharing the stage with Bieber and giving fans a look at where the young artist will be heading next.

"I'm very proud, man. I definitely saw it from the beginning, but thanks to the team that we have around us, it was made to happen. And that story has only just begun," Usher said. "The story of Justin Bieber doesn't stop with screaming girls; we need screaming fans all around the world ... a cultural experience that's much more than just fanfare. And that's what this is. That's what the Grammys will be; that's what my next phase for Justin is. This is the way I found him: I found him with a guitar in his hand, so I want him to be seen that way."

Don't miss "Snooki & Sway: Live From the Grammys," a red-carpet live stream kicking off Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And stick with us all Grammy night for coverage of the red carpet, the show, the afterparties and beyond!

Related Photos Related Artists

Kristin Kreuk Raquel Alessi Ashlee Simpson Lake Bell Gretha Cavazzoni

Quentin Tarantino's Spaghetti Western: What We Know So Far

Details are beginning to fall in place for director's 'Inglourious Basterds' follow-up.
By Eric Ditzian


Quentin Tarantino
Photo: Charles Eshelman/ FilmMagic

For years, Quentin Tarantino has been talking about the kooky idea of making a spaghetti western-esque film that explores American slavery. Now multiple reports suggest he might be moving forward with a project in a similar vein.

Nothing's confirmed yet, of course, but all this chatter does seem to indicate that Tarantino's next production following the Oscar-winning, $300 million-grossing success of 2009's "Inglourious Basterds" will, in fact, be a spaghetti western. There have been, until now, numerous projects the filmmaker was said to be considering, though he has long stated a desire to explore the western genre.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time," Tarantino told us late in '09 of the slavery pic. "That's definitely in the garden, for lack of a better metaphor. That is definitely one of my roses."

So what do we know so far? Back in 2007, Tarantino spoke at length to Britain's Telegraph about that project, calling it the Southern equivalent of a western. "I want to do movies that deal with America's horrible past with slavery and stuff but do them like spaghetti westerns, not like big issue movies," he said. "I want to do them like they're genre films, but they deal with everything that America has never dealt with because it's ashamed of it, and other countries don't really deal with because they don't feel they have the right to."

Tarantino, instead, chose to explore an alt-history take on World War II with "Basterds." When MTV News caught up with him late last year, he confessed that he still hadn't committed to his next project, though he did say that rumors of taking on an adaptation of "The Shadow" were untrue. Only in recent days has talk of a spaghetti western, devoid of a connection to slavery, picked up steam.

Deadline reported that Tarantino said he has completed the script for the new movie and that the writing, unlike his work on "Basterds" and "Kill Bill," came together quite quickly. Meanwhile, the actor Franco Nero gave an Italian-language interview at the Los Angeles Italia festival in which he said that talent has already been coalescing around the project, including himself, Keith Carradine and Treat Williams.

"It's a movie that contains humor, lots of action, but also a great plot," Nero said.

Ain't It Cool News picked up on the news and added some intriguing details — most intriguingly that Christoph Waltz, who won an Oscar for his turn as a cold-blooded Nazi in "Basterds," would also star in the flick. According to AICN, the script is not based on any existing material but is an original script and will potentially begin production in Spain and Italy later this year.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Amanda Swisten Eva Green Vanessa Simmons Samantha Morton Mia Kirshner

Usher - Trading Places

Trading Places

  • Artist: Usher
  • Label: Zomba/LaFace Records
  • Director: Chris Robinson
  • Album: Here I Stand

America Ferrera Julie Berry Samaire Armstrong Christina Ricci Cristina Dumitru

Britney Spears - Break the Ice

Break the Ice

Angelina Jolie Melissa Rycroft Freida Pinto Genelle Frenoy Claudette Ortiz

Has Charlie Sheen?s Obituary Already Been Written?

Despite Charlie Sheen‘s “winning” attitude, there are rumors going around that media outlets have already written up the man’s obituary should tragedy strike due to his behavior of late. For the past week, Charlie Sheen has been giving interviews left and right, seemingly exposing an unsettling craziness that he has managed to keep relatively hidden. [...]

Megan Ewing Izabella Scorupco Kelly Brook Mischa Barton Talisa Soto

Photos | 'Forbes' Top Earning Celebrities Of 2010

'Forbes' Top Earning Celebrities Of 2010

Related Artists

Malia Jones Anne Marie Kortright Xenia Seeberg Ana Hickmann Sienna Guillory

Usher - Moving Mountains

Moving Mountains

  • Artist: Usher
  • Label: LaFace Records/Zomba Label Group
  • Director: The Brothers Strauss
  • Album: Here I Stand

Kelly Hu Amerie Tamie Sheffield Maria Sharapova Whitney Able

Friday, March 4, 2011

Shanghai Restaurant Week 2011: Best places to dine

Whether you think it?s just another excuse to eat out or a way to infiltrate upper-class eating establishments, Shanghai Restaurant Week is here -- it runs March 7-13 and reservations already open -- so might as well score brownie points with your date, your boss, your parents and your friends.

Here's where to take them.

On a date

Kathleen's 5 Rooftop Restaurant (lunch/dinner)

read more

Hilary Swank Minki van der Westhuizen Tara Reed Paula Garcés Kate Hudson

Usher - There Goes My Baby

There Goes My Baby

  • Artist: Usher
  • Label: LaFace Records, JLG
  • Director: Anthony Mandler

Norah Jones Drew Barrymore T.A.T.u. Lacey Chabert Rihanna

Photos | MTV News' 2009 Women Of The Year: #6 Britney Spears

MTV News' 2009 Women Of The Year: #6 Britney Spears

Related Artists

Rebecca Romijn Gwen Stefani Tessie Santiago Daniella Alonso Tatiana Zavialova

Justin Bieber's Hair Gets $40,668 At Auction

Proceeds will benefit animal-rights group the Gentle Barn Foundation.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber
Photo: Michael Loccisano/ Getty Images

Last week, shortly after the haircut heard 'round the world, Justin Bieber gave a lock of his famous hair to Ellen DeGeneres. The talk-show host graciously took the gift and promised to auction if off and give all the proceeds to charity.

In addition to the lock of hair, Bieber also signed a plastic box in which the hair would be kept. On Wednesday (March 2), 98 bids later, the Bieber memorabilia had sold for $40,668. All the proceeds from the hair will go to the Gentle Barn Foundation, a California-based animal-rights organization.

When Bieber appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to give the talk-show host the hair, he reassured her that it was, in fact, his. "Yes, it's really my hair, but there's a perk: I wanted to do something good. I'm giving pieces of it to different people," he explained during the February 23 appearance. "The thing is, we're doing something special. We want you to donate it to whatever charity you want."

He also joked about what inspired him to cut off his signature locks. "I was inspired by yours," Bieber laughed. "Yeah [people were freaking out], but I was like, 'I don't really care.' "

Perez Hilton was also one of the lucky hair recipients. On February 22, the blogger wrote, "Not only did Justin Bieber get a haircut, but the teen phenom tells us that he is going to be divvying up his shorn locks to help raise money for different charities. And, he's giving Perez some of his hair to auction off! We're working it all out now, and we can't wait to tell you what good we hope to do with Bieber's hair!"

What do you think of the final price for Justin's hair? Let us know in the comments!

Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists

Christina Milian Michelle Behennah Nikki Cox Monika Kramlik Veronica Kay

Mena Suvari Bikini Pictures

Marley Shelton Leeann Tweeden America Ferrera Julie Berry Samaire Armstrong

Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, John Paul Jones Unveil Supergroup

Them Crooked Vultures make their debut with a post-Lollapalooza set.
By James Montgomery


Dave Grohl (file)
Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

Officially, Lollapalooza ended Sunday night in Chicago's Grant Park, with dueling sets from the Killers and Jane's Addiction. Unofficially, it ended very early Monday morning, across town at venerable rock club the Metro, with a surprise show by Them Crooked Vultures.

To the unfamiliar, the Vultures might seem like an odd choice to close out Lolla weekend ... until you realize that they're made up of Foo Fighters frontman/ former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age mastermind Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones. And their gig at the Metro was their world premiere.

According to some reports, the Vultures actually turned down Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell's request to replace the Beastie Boys as headliners at the festival, opting to debut in front of some 1,100 super-psyched fans at the Metro, rather than 75,000 in Grant Park (tickets for the gig were announced via Foo Fighter/ QOTSA fan clubs). Meaning that, in a lot of ways, this was the most sought-after ticket in town.

Taking the stage just after midnight, the Vultures — Grohl on drums (of course), Homme on guitar and vocals, Jones on bass and keys and frequent QOTSA contributor Alain Johannes on guitar — ripped through 12 songs in 80 minutes, all taken from their upcoming debut, which may or may not be called Never Deserved the Future, and may or may not be hitting stores on October 23 (early "promo" videos touting both those facts were revealed over the weekend to be hoaxes perpetrated by QOTSA fans).

The songs, with appropriately Homme-ian titles like "Scumbag Blues," "Mind Eraser (No Chaser)," "Caligulove" and "Interlude w/Ludes," sounded pretty much how you'd expect, given the band's pedigree. They rocked, hard — Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot described them as "fresh, invigorating and just plain nasty" — delving off into psychedelic, reverb-filled excursions and exploring proggy territory, "both of the old-school Yes variety, and the more modern Tool flavor," according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Jim DeRogatis.

It's not known if Monday's Metro performance was a one-off event for the Vultures — there have been whispers of a full-blown tour, but a spokesperson for Homme had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time. Nor was it clear whether or not they'll have an album out in October.

Early Monday, a Crooked Vultures Twitter account, which had previously posted links to the band's official-looking Web site and the Metro's online ticketing site — posted a link to what appears to be the group's first bit of official merchandise: a Deserve the Future T-shirt. Cost: $30.

Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists

Vogue Jessica Paré Alexis Bledel Lucy Liu Mila Kunis

Reported Plot Details From ?The Dark Knight? Rises Leak To The Internets

In January we learned that Anne Hathaway had been cast as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Tom Hardy as Bane in the upcoming Batman sequel film The Dark Knight Rises. A few weeks later we learned that Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard had also been cast in the film (tho their roles have not yet been announced). [...]

Saira Mohan Kate Moss Rosario Dawson Rose Byrne Cindy Crawford

Lindsay Lohan's Lawyer Says Arrest Warrant Is A 'Misunderstanding'

Leila Arcieri Samantha Mumba Laura Harring Kim Kardashian Elisha Cuthbert

Water for Elephants Movie Trailer: Fight for Love...


Robert Pattinson leaves Edward Cullen far behind in Water for Elephants.

In this April release, based on a best-selling novel by the same name, the Twilight Saga star portrays a student who runs away from home after his parents die. In search of a new life, he stumbles upon a traveling circus a beautiful woman (Reese Witherspoon) who works there.

The problem? She's the wife of the ruthless circus owner (Christoph Waltz).

Pattinson will be acting opposite a pair of Academy Award winners (and an elephant!) in the drama, one of whom has referred to Rob as really nice and handsome. Think he can match their talent? See for yourself in the following, extended trailer:


Water for Elephants Movie Trailer

Amy Smart Noureen DeWulf Emmy Rossum Portia de Rossi Rachel McAdams

JORDAN has hired 24-hour guards to protect her new home after burglars tried breaking in.

Liz Phair Lily Allen Kim Smith Sarah Wynter Emilie de Ravin

Britney Spears - Hold It Against Me

Hold It Against Me

  • Artist: Britney Spears
  • Label: Jive, Zomba Label Group
  • Director: Jonas Akerlund

Joss Stone Olivia Munn Malia Jones Anne Marie Kortright Xenia Seeberg

First Listen: Britney Spears, ?Till The World Ends? & ?Criminal? (Preview Clips)

Last night we got our first look at the single artwork for Britney Spears‘s second single Till the World Ends, which is due for release on March 14, and right now we get our first listen of the track. A short clip of the song has made its way online along with another new clip [...]

America Ferrera Julie Berry Samaire Armstrong Christina Ricci Cristina Dumitru

Thursday, March 3, 2011

And the American Idol Finalists Are...


... and then were a baker's dozen.

American Idol revealed its 13 finalists tonight, with five men and five women chosen by the viewers, and the final trio of wild card spots selected by the judges. Did your favorite make it? Find out now:

Pia Toscano on StageJacob Lusk Photo

  1. Scotty McCreery
  2. Lauren Alaina
  3. Pia Toscano (pictured)
  4. Karen Rodriguez
  5. Jacob Lusk (pictured)
  6. Casey Abrams
  7. Haley Reinhart
  8. James Durbin
  9. Thia Megia
  10. Paul McDonald
  11. Naima Adedapo
  12. Ashthon Jones
  13. Stefano Langone

Daniella Alonso Tatiana Zavialova Monica Potter Joanne Montanez Jennifer Sky

Thursday, January 27, 2011

New Dad Orlando Bloom Gets Back To Work

On Monday we got to see a few ADORABLE photos of new dad Orlando Bloom taking his newborn baby son Flynn for a visit to a park here in SoCal. Today we learn that daddy Orlando got himself back to work on the set of a new commercial which filmed in Santa Monica, CA yesterday [...]

Asia Argento Kate Bosworth Emmanuelle Chriqui

Video: Adrian Grenier and Jeremy Piven Talk Entourage, Exotic Dancing, and Miley Cyrus!

Entourage costars Adrian Grenier and Jeremy Piven reunited at Sundance yesterday for the Creative Coalition Teachers Making a Difference Awards Luncheon, presented by Bing.

Lil\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' Kim Paulina Rubio Jules Asner Hilarie Burton Leighton Meester

Paris Hilton Arriving Back At Her Hotel In London After An Afternoon Out

Connie Nielsen Cameron Richardson Bianca Kajlich Ashley Greene Marika Dominczyk

Audrina Patridge Begins Filming Her New Show

Audrina Patridge is ready to step into the spotlight on her very own show titled Dream Maker … and this week, she began filming scenes for the new show. Apparently, this new show will mix elements of reality TV with scripted TV … so essentially, it’ll be EXACTLY like The Hills — fake pretending to [...]

Dita Von Teese Julianne Hough Amber Arbucci Alice Dodd Michelle Trachtenberg

Photos | 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Premiere After Party

'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Premiere After Party

Related Artists

Natalie Portman Amanda Bynes Giuliana DePandi Radha Mitchell Lorri Bagley

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Kelsey Grammer becomes Reality TV producer

[HMG Celebrity News] – Kelsey Grammer has been on TV since the early 80′s but he’s now decided to expand his presence behind the camera. He’s just formed a company to create new reality shows, with himself as producer. The 55-year old actor has teamed up with long-time friend and reality maven Stella Bulochnikov-Stolper to [...]

Michael Michele Nicole Richie Autumn Reeser Aki Ross Gina Gershon

Halle Goes School Shopping For Nahla Following an Artsy Weekend With Olivier

Halle Berry hit the pavement in Hollywood today to visit potential schools for her daughter, Nahla. The mother and actress went casual in a baseball cap after making a sexy, showstopping red-carpet appearance at the Golden Globes. She was solo at the awards ceremony but is still going strong with boyfriend Olivier Martinez. The hot couple have been clocking some quality time together in LA this month. Halle recently threw him a special birthday party, and the pair were arm in arm as they visited an art show over the weekend.


View Slideshow ?

Nicky Hilton Jessica Cauffiel Rachel Nichols Chandra West Brooke Burke

Britney Spears Tweets First Look At 'Hold It Against Me' Video

Spears posted photo of herself surrounded by microphones after video shoot wrapped on Sunday.
By Jocelyn Vena


Britney Spears on the set of "Hold It Against Me"
Photo: Britney Spears

What will Britney Spears look like in the video for her smash hit "Hold It Against Me"? Well, the singer gave fans a sneak peek over the weekend when she tweeted a photo of herself on set.

In the lo-res pic, Spears is shown from the shoulders up, standing with her back to the camera and her face turned toward it. The singer is in a red outfit and surrounded by a wreath of microphones.

On Saturday, she tweeted, "Day 1 of the HIAM shoot with [director] Jonas Akerlund. Such an incredible experience. I think this will be one of the best videos I have ever done." On Sunday, the same day the photo was taken she wrote, "Day 2 is a wrap! #HIAM video coming soon...."

Choreographer Brian Friedman also kept fans updated on the video shoot via Twitter throughout the weekend. "Good luck 2 @britneyspears and all of my incredible dancers," he wrote on Saturday. "You all have surpassed my expectations and I am so thankful for ur hard work!"

And on Sunday, he continued the praise, tweeting, "What a fabulous day on set of HIAM! @britneyspears killed it! She danced her ass off! Great work 2 my dancers too... Y'all slayed!"

Meanwhile, fansite Breatheheavy.com reportedly obtained a call sheet for the video, which revealed that the video was shot at Paramount Studios. The sheet also indicates that sometime Lady Gaga stylist B Akerlund designed the costumes for the video and that "Project Runway" hairstylist Philip Carreon worked on the shoot.

What do you think this new photo suggests about Britney's new video? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists

Leighton Meester Maggie Gyllenhaal Lisa Snowdon Missy Peregrym Rebecca Romijn

Usher's 'OMG' Is MTV News' #1 Song Of 2010!

Club smash, featuring will.i.am, tops our list of the Top 25 Songs of the year.
By James Montgomery


Usher
Photo: Getty Images

MTV News' Top 25 Songs of 2010 has reached an end. We've already counted down the rest, and now it's time to get to the best: Usher's "OMG," the song that perfectly sums up the past 12 months of popular music — and makes you wanna move until you can't move no more.

If 2010 proved anything, it's that a DJ really can save your life ... or at least get you to #1 on the Hot 100. After years of staring at each other from across the room, hip-hop, pop and R&B all decided to finally get in bed with dance music, and the results weren't always pretty, but they were certainly successful. To date, only 17 songs have made it to the top spot of Billboard's singles chart in 2010, and nearly two-thirds of them — from Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" to Far East Movement's "Like a G6" — were, in some way, dance songs.

In that regard, no song better sums up 2010 pop music quite like Usher's "OMG," the dance song to end all dance songs. Sure, it may not have matched the swagger of Kanye West's "Power," the snarl of Rick Ross' "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" or the inbox-clogging spread of Cee Lo's "F--- You," but it didn't have to. None of those songs went to #1, after all. "OMG" did. Twice.

Even among songs that managed to snag that top spot — Eminem and Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie," Katy Perry's "California Gurls," B.o.B and Bruno Mars' "Nothin' on You" — "OMG" stood out from the pack, mostly because of its pedigree. It's not a stretch to say that any of those tracks could've (and probably would've) been #1 in any other year; "OMG" could only have done it in 2010, because it was crafted to do nothing else. No other song this year was as of the moment, as singular and shiny and downright undeniable. There's a reason it was named on more ballots than any other song on our countdown and justly takes the title of MTV News' #1 Song of 2010.

And while all that is important, it's largely beside the point. "OMG" is the kind of song that truly defies deep inspection, because it's not exactly headphone music. Rather, it was made for the clubs, designed to envelop you on the dance floor and not let go until the final "oh-ohh-oh-ooh-oh." And in that regard, it succeeds in spades. It is a masterful melding of R&B, and Euro dance, all icy synths and handclaps, starbursts and stutters and sing-along chants. It ebbs and flows, stops and starts, pumps and preens. Simply put, you cannot listen to it without moving in some way. (MTV's Dee Caligiuri, who voted on our countdown, probably put it best one night when she declared: "There are so many dances you can do to it!") And if that's not the definition of a success, well, then I don't know what is.

A large portion of the credit for "OMG" has to go to will.i.am, who not only produced the track (I know!), but was smart enough to see this whole dance thing coming when he teamed up with producer David Guetta last year. Those songs — "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling" — were, of course, massive, but neither of them are as good as this. Given full control, Will goes off the deep end, cramming the song with every dance trick in the book — and probably some new ones he just invented on the spot. And Usher, whose career, truth be told, was sort of in need of a shot in the arm, is the beneficiary. He floats and gloats above the mix, suave and cocksure, knowing that he is exactly the right man at the right time. That time, of course, had to be 2010.

Because in a year when so many big-name acts embraced the DJ, he flat-out did it better than any of them. "OMG" represents the peak of the dance-pop era in which we live, a song as undeniable as it is of the moment. We can only speculate as to what next year will bring, but there's really no denying that, as 2010 comes to a close, Usher stands above all else, reinvigorated and ready for more. It's enough to make you say "Oh My God," really.

How does Usher's "OMG" rank among the year's best songs? Let us know in the comments!

MTV News' Top 25 Songs of 2010 have all been counted down. But the fun isn't over yet: We still want to see your picks in the comments below!

Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists

Carmen Electra LeAnn Rimes Alicia Witt Natalie Imbruglia Sarah Gellman

Lady Gaga Or Britney Spears? RuPaul's Drag Queens Weigh In

'RuPaul's Drag Race' season three premieres Monday (January 24) on Logo.
By Damian Vaca


Lady Gaga and Britney Spears
Photo: Getty Images

WEST HOLLYWOOD, California — Reluctantly crouched behind the red carpet line, drag queens primping and taking their time, the flashbulbs go off and the cameras go up, all of them yearning for their chance at the cup!

On Tuesday night, we caught up with the stars of "RuPaul's Drag Race" as they head into battle to see who will be the top drag queen of season three. Amid the glam and sequins in the air, competition was definitely on everyone's mind, so what better time to find out who RuPaul's drag queens predict will rule 2011: Lady Gaga or Britney Spears?

"With Britney and Gaga coming out with new [albums] this year — it's going to be Gaga," Shangela, of season two, predicted. "Gaga runs the world, so Britney better take a seat and enjoy."

Tough words about a woman who has reached the #1 iTunes spot in 19 countries since her new single, "Hold it Against Me," was released a little over a week ago.

Season three's Venus D Lite, who could give Madonna a run for her money, stated, "I would probably say Britney — only because Gaga has had her spotlight moment."

However, Raja, also from season three, disagreed: "I'm going to say Gaga. ... She challenges everyone and really puts out new ideas, and I certainly appreciate that."

With both artists set to premiere highly anticipated videos in the next couple of months, fans are waiting to see what new creative visions the stars will bring to the world of pop culture.

"I would love to see [Gaga] just be an artist and not just a character," said Sonique of season two. "With Lady Gaga, you can't really expect anything other than something that is going to be controversial."

season three castmember Mimi Imfurst, who arrived on the red carpet in an epic "worldly" outfit, is definitely on Team Gaga: "Lady Gaga has all the creativity that Britney doesn't have, plus all the talent she doesn't have, so Lady Gaga all the way."

When all is said and done, one thing's for sure: RuPaul's drag queens definitely aren't shy about expressing their opinions. Season three of "RuPaul's Drag Race" premieres Monday (January 24) at 10 p.m. ET/PT, 9 p.m. Central on Logo.

Who do you think will conquer 2011: Britney or Gaga? Sound off below!

Related Artists

Miranda Kerr Thandie Newton Victoria Silvstedt Marisa Tomei Desiree Dymond

Timbaland Got Married !

Claudette Ortiz Natasha Bedingfield Lindsay Lohan Diane Kruger Olivia Wilde

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel: Running Mates

Out for a morning jog, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were spotted running around New York City on Thursday (April 30). The “Sexy Back” stud and his “Powder Blue” babe looked sporty in their black and white running gear, braving the chillier-than-usual springtime weather. Meanwhile, JT’s new business endeavor, a new brand of Tequila called [...]

Melissa Howard Angela Marcello Cameron Diaz Daisy Fuentes Carla Gugino

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson Still Going Strong!!!

Nikki Reed Lindsay Price Tamala Jones Emma Heming Susie Castillo

Photos | Justin Bieber's Lost Magazine Covers

Justin Bieber's Lost Magazine Covers

Related Artists

Brittany Murphy Cindy Taylor Sarah Shahi Paris Hilton Tyra Banks

Is Scarlett Johansson Single?.or Not?

Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds announced they were splitting up last week because they just couldn?t coordinate their schedules. Maybe they should have given it another week. They were seen out for dinner in New York City on Saturday night, laughing it up like they didn?t just break our hearts. No really, it?s fine. But [...]

Jordana Brewster Michelle Obama Kelly Clarkson Angelina Jolie Melissa Rycroft

Open Post: Hosted By Cousin Geri

This is siren blaring breaking news for those of you who learned everything you need to know about life by watching episodes of The Facts of Life. Geri Jewell, who played Blair Warner's cousin Geri for a few seasons, has fully come out as a labia-loving lesbian in her new memoir!!! Cousin Geri not only talks about being a gayelle, but she also writes about being the first person with a disability to play a recurring character on TV and how she hit rock bottom when she got into the bad shit.
I'm going to need Lisa Welchel to take a moment from blogging about "hot saucing" her kids to fully address Cousin Geri's coming out party. I'm also going to need another Facts of Life reunion special where we find out that Cousin Geri and Jo fell in love, moved to Massachusetts and opened up a bike shop/comedy club together.
via After Ellen (Thanks Karman)

Samantha Morton Mia Kirshner Jessica White Scarlett Johansson Julia Stiles

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Justin Bieber: Extreme Makeover Scream Edition!


This Sunday's edition of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will feature a special two-hour focus on a Texas family named Browns. Along with a 16-year old singer named Justin Bieber.

The singer makes an appearance because one of the causes closest to his heart is the prevention of individuals texting while driving - and, tragically, the Browns' oldest daughter, Alex, died in just such an incident.

In the following clip, Justin tells the family that one dollar from every concert ticket sold that night was donated to charity. He then invites 12-year-old Katrina Brown and her friends to a sound check party.


Justin Bieber on Extreme Makeover Home Edition

Malia Jones Anne Marie Kortright Xenia Seeberg Ana Hickmann Sienna Guillory

Paper Magazine's 25 Most Stylish Songbirds

Mýa Mary Elizabeth Winstead Adrianne Curry Kristanna Loken Diora Baird

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Kirstie Alley Packs on the Pounds

She underwent a massive overhaul when she lost 75 pounds as a spokesperson for the Jenny Craig weight loss system, but now Kirstie Alley is befuddled at her relapse into her old habits. The former “Cheers” actress told press, “I just said, ‘I’m going to cut myself some slack.’ Big mistake!” She continued, “I though, [...]

Larissa Meek Moon Bloodgood Emmanuelle Vaugier Dido Vanessa Marcil

Caught! Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher Cozy Up, and Not for the Cameras

Demi MooreAshton Kutcher and Demi Moore had a rocky 2010, what with the whole Brittany Jones scandal, but it seems the duo are handling their relationship a bit differently this year. Demi,...


The Pussycat Dolls Kelly Carlson Eva Longoria Jaime King Donna Feldman

Les News, 011811

Ryan Gosling + His Dog = Le Sigh Kristen Stewart is planning to open a string of half-way houses for troubled teens. Dick Cheney needs a heart. New American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez talks to ex-American Idol judge Ellen DeGeneres about American Idol. Things can only go down for Piers Morgan. So … The Cape [...]

Megan Ewing Izabella Scorupco Kelly Brook Mischa Barton Talisa Soto

Mumbai wallah's curated guide to New Delhi

Anish Kapoor Delhi

The sky in New Delhi seems as whitewashed as its bungalows, its sunsets are muted and its monuments silhouetted. But this fa�ade is exactly what makes New Delhi a literary and imaginative experiment.

There is a haze that veils every surface: culturally, socially and topographically. 

The first way to ride above or below the immediate surface is on the Metro. It glistens with the pride of a new house on Diwali, and makes up, in honesty and efficiency, for the disillusionment that came with the administration of the Commonwealth Games. 

So Mumbaiwallahs in Dilli for the India Art Summit or on their way to the Jaipur Literature Festival, here's a ride through New Delhi's culture corners: Connaught Place, Lodhi Road and Hauz Khas Village.

read more

Olivia Wilde Georgina Grenville Emma Watson Hilary Swank Minki van der Westhuizen