joefrenagan: June 2011

Thursday 30 June 2011

New Led Zeppelin On The Way? Jason Bonham Hints At 'Jam' Sessions With Jimmy Page -- But Not Robert Plant

Drummer admits he doesn't know what will come of 'new material.'
By Chris Harris

Jason Bonham
Photo: Larry Marano/ Getty Images

On Friday morning, mere hours before he was due to take the stage with classic rockers Foreigner at Detroit's GM Renaissance Center, drummer Jason Bonham — the son of late Led Zeppelin kitman John Bonham — told Jim Johnson and Lynne Woodison of local rock station 94.7 WCSX that he'd be an ex-member of Foreigner as of September 1. But that's not the only thing he said.

Much to the delight of Led Zeppelin fans everywhere, Bonham revealed that he's been meeting up with Led Zep guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones in recent months and that they've been "trying to do some new material and writing."

It was the first time since Led Zeppelin announced they would re-form for a single performance (which happened late last year at London's O2 Arena, in honor of the late Ahmet Ertegün, who signed the band to Atlantic Records in 1969) that anyone connected to the band has confirmed publicly that new music could be on the horizon for the iconic rockers. While the bandmembers have stopped short of definitively ruling out such a reunion, singer Robert Plant insisted in the wake of last year's show that he intended to focus on promoting and touring behind his critically lauded album with bluegrass artist Alison Krauss, Raising Sand.

Not that Bonham knows what — if anything — will happen with the new material he's been working on with Page (who collaborated with pop singer Leona Lewis on an uneven version of Zep's "Whole Lotta Love" at the Olympic closing ceremonies in Beijing on Sunday night) and Jones. He said he just shows up and takes his seat behind the kit.

"I've been over [to England] a couple of times," Bonham said. "I've been working with Jimmy and John Paul and trying to do ... some new material and some writing. I don't know what it will be, but it will be something. At the moment, all I know is I have the great pleasure to go and jam with the two guys and start work on some material. When I get there, I never ask any questions. If I get a phone call to go and play, I enjoy every moment of it. Whatever it ends up as, to ever get a chance to jam with two people like that, it is a phenomenal thing for me. It's my life. It's what I've dreamed about doing."

He said it's still too early to tell what will become of these "jam" sessions, but admitted that the "possibility of doing something is in the cards. I really felt it was in the cards from the moment we walked offstage at the O2." Bonham also explained that, before there could be a Led Zep LP, "lots of politics [would need to] get ironed out," but added that recording with Zep is "something I've always wanted to do."

Bonham noticeably didn't mention frontman Plant's name during the discussion. A spokesperson for Page's management had no comment on the matter, and a spokesperson for Jones' management could not be reached by press time.

Jamie Chung Jamie Gunns Jamie Lynn Sigler Janet Jackson January Jones

Britney Spears - Break the Ice

Break the Ice

Artist: Britney Spears
Label: Jive/Zomba Label Group
Director: Robert Hales
Album: Blackout

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=501686&vid=215555

Emma Stone Emma Watson Emmanuelle Chriqui Emmanuelle Vaugier Emmy Rossum

'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon': The Reviews Are In

Michael Bay's summer blockbuster has critics praising his deft handling of eye-popping 3-D.
By Eric Ditzian

Sentinel Prime in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Photo: Paramount Pictures

As even Michael Bay has admitted, "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" had almost nowhere to go but up after the writers' strike-affected, audience-alienating previous installment.

And insofar as Bay and company had something to prove — and to improve — this time around, they've succeeded. While "Dark of the Moon" isn't currently the highest rated film in the franchise, according to the Rotten Tomatoes review aggregator, the general consensus among critics is that the new 3-D flick is best of the "Transformers" bunch.

That's not to suggest reviews have been universally positive; many have been as brutal to the film as the film's robots have been to certain American cities. Reviewers have taken issue with poor plotting, weak characters and brain-scrambling action set pieces. But then there are a slew of reviewers utterly onboard with what Bay has created, celebrating some of the finest 3-D visuals since "Avatar" and a story that is the most fully fleshed out of the series. For those opinions and others, take a deep dive into the "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" reviews.

The Story
"A sweet prologue (marred only by a phony-looking digital JFK) recounts the war for Cybertron and the real reason behind the U.S.-Soviet space race of the 1960s. Cut to the present where Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) struggles to find his first post-college job, while the Autobots led by Optimus Prime and the U.S. military's NEST team led by Lt. Col. Lennox (Josh Duhamel) work in tandem to take out the remaining Decepticons around the world. However, the evil 'bots eventually get the upper hand and begin an invasion to conquer the Earth with Chicago as Ground Zero in this final war between the Autobots/humans and Decepticons. There's more going on, but for the sake of spoilers we'll keep it at that. Transformers: Dark of the Moon definitely has more of a plot than either of its predecessors. There are genuine stakes this time." — Jim Vejvoda, IGN

The 3-D
"[For] the first time since 'Avatar,' I am going to recommend that you find the biggest and best 3-D theater you can find and buy yourself a ticket, because 'Transformers: Dark Of the Moon,' especially seen in IMAX 3-D, is an overwhelming sensory experience. The sound mix alone is more exciting than anything in the billion-dollar-bore of 'Pirates 4.' This is gigantic action we've never seen before, and Bay's reaction to shooting and cutting his film for 3-D is to get better at what he does. It raised his game, and as a result, I feel like we just saw a dare thrown down by one of Hollywood's biggest action specialists: 'Top this.' — Drew McWeeny, HitFix

The Comparisons
"Bay's hammering technique works, in a commercial sense. Executive producer Steven Spielberg is the richer for it. But it's telling to compare any good minute in Spielberg's 'War of the Worlds,' for example, with any of the 153 minutes in 'Dark of the Moon.' The former, which isn't even Spielberg at his best, offers the thrill and the uneasy, complicated spectacle of destruction you get from a first-rate entertainer. Bay's endless love of nastiness and chrome and aggression offers less. And that's the only 'less' about it." — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

The Characters
"All that matters is the long, slow slog to the Chicago-set, theater-rattling finale, which seems to last about four hours. That's not a compliment, by the way. There's so much potential in a Transformer, which can, after all, transform into anything. But Bay misses every opportunity to make something interesting out of his characters; instead, he's content to spend his enormous budget on grinding destruction so generic and visually convoluted, it's often hard to tell who we're supposed to be rooting for." — Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

The Final Word
"More than either of the previous films, this 'Transformers 3' feels like an ultra-violent version of the two-dimensional cartoon it's based on. I think I'm almost alright with that, when it's done this well, in this kind of summer blockbuster. We'd probably all be happier watching another movie like 'Inception,' but as long as those movies still get made, I guess there's nothing wrong in sitting down with a 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon,' once in awhile." — Josh Tyler, Cinema Blend

Check out everything we've got on "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."

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

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666542/transformers-dark-moon-movie-reviews.jhtml

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Britney Spears? Beyonce? Fans Pick Their Best Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

You can vote for your favorite album of the year over on the Newsroom blog!
By James Montgomery

Britney Spears' Femme Fatale
Photo: Jive

On Wednesday, I published my picks for the Best Albums of 2011 (So Far), a list that included the likes of Lady Gaga, Eminem, the Foo Fighters and Adele, but not Beyoncé, Britney Spears or Chris Brown.

And while I definitely heard some complaints about the albums I did include (Born This Way was too low, 21 was too high, Hell: The Sequel should've been in the top 10, etc.), it seems that the overwhelming majority of folks out there had a bigger problem with the albums I didn't — namely, Femme Fatale, 4 and F.A.M.E.

So, in the interest of fairness, we launched a poll over on our Newsroom blog and asked you to vote for your favorite album from the first-half of 2011; so far, more than 18,000 votes have been cast, and Born This Way leads Femme Fatale by a slim margin. But if you haven't cast your ballot yet, don't fret, because the poll will remain open until Thursday (June 30) at midnight ET.

Vote for your favorite 2011 album right now in our Newsroom poll!

But if you remain undecided, well, then we've got some compelling arguments for you: Comments and — very open — campaigning (plus some actual compliments) from MTV.com readers and Facebook users, each making a case for their favorite album of 2011. Of course, if you feel like sounding off with your picks, do it in the comments section below. And now, on with the acrimony!

"How could you forget Britney Spears? Femme Fatale was the most anticipated album of the year. The thing I hate is that Britney doesn't get recognized enough. Femme Fatale is the best album!" — IfUSeekPeanut:)

"You guys would put Lady Gaga [on the list] and not include Britney's Femme Fatale album! I'm sorry, but despite all of the Auto-Tune and lack of song writing, it's still one of the best dance albums of the new millennium! Gaga ... OMFG, don't even get me started, her album is NOT all that! JUST 'cause she writes her own songs doesn't make them the best songs lyrically! [And] Beyoncél's 4 is not even included? Completely DELUSIONAL list!" — Tony Moreira

"Wow. Femme Fatale gets praises from pretty much everyone in the music industry and it doesn't make the list. Lady Gaga makes sales ... okay, [but] she has yet to top Britney's records (even when she pretty much gave away Born This Way)." — Jdtgu

"Adele is good but all her songs are about breakups, which is depressing, She does deserve some Grammys. And where the f--- is FEMME FATALE? Britney Spears is NOWHERE HERE? That's insane!" — jonny A.

"I was listenin' to Adele back in '07 and never looked back and I always kinda thought maybe she will be the big star she deserves to be. Her album 21 is so honest and real and vulnerable. I'm sorry but I don't think there is any album out or coming out that will be able to compare. [Also], so glad y'all shed a light on Lykke Li's album. She is a very underrated artist. I didn't think she could do better than Youth Novels, but, damn she did the damn thing on Wounded Rhymes. [It's] another classic from Lykke Li." — Mark Anthony Sanchez

"I love that there aren't just mainstream artists on this list, but I will say Femme Fatale doesn't deserve to be on it. I'm not bashing the girl because some of her songs are good (they still weren't written or conceived by her) but it's not anywhere close to these albums. I do love Adele, but I think Gaga basically murdered everyone with her album." — L3M0NAQUA

"I loved Adele's new album! Also I loved Chris Brown's new album too! Britney's was awesome!" — Kayla Copes

"Okay, so let's start voting for people with some real talent, not people that can put on a show. FOO FIGHTERS AND ADELE. There's the talent." — Carrie Heuberger

"Sorry, but you obviously placed Adele's voice at #2 and NOT her mediocre album. Yes, it WILL get the Grammys it deserves BUT it would be a dead-boring album without her strong voice ... In my opinion Adele is ranked too high, but can you blame [the writer] for ranking a HUGE voice at #2 ? Born This Way, well, it could be higher BUT it is a COMPLETE honor that it is the ONLY album from a mainstream pop artist that made it to NUMBER FREAKING FOUR!" — Spyros Venturis

What do you think? Let us know in the comments or vote in our Newsroom poll.

Brittany Lee Brittany Murphy Brittany Snow Brittny Gastineau Brody Dalle

Harry Potter World Cup: The Second Round!

Welcome to MTV's Harry Potter World Cup! We've selected 64 of the best "Harry Potter" characters and matched them up in a series of duels for a chance at magical glory, but it's up to YOU to decide who the greatest "Potter" character of all time is in this pool of wizards and witches. Will [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/06/30/harry-potter-world-cup-second-round/

Charisma Carpenter Charli Baltimore Charlies Angels Charlize Theron Chelsea Handler

First Look: Bj�rk, ?Crystalline?

Last weekend we got our first listen of Bj�rk‘s new single Crystalline, which is taken from her upcoming new album Biophilia. Today we get to check out the single cover artwork for Crystalline as the song has been released for sale on iTunes. Click below to see the cover photo for Crystalline … and take [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pinkisthenewblog/~3/61yc0emjNac/

Carla Gugino Carmen Electra Carol Grow Carrie Underwood Cat Power

'Harry Potter' World Cup: Muggles Target Robert Pattinson

Keep voting over on the MTV Movies Blog to determine the best 'Potter' character of all time.
By Eric Ditzian

Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
Photo: Warner Bros.

The second round of MTV News' "Harry Potter" World Cup — the fan-voted tournament to pick the greatest character in the fantasy franchise — is already under way, but we'd like to pause for a minute to say how damn impressed we are. We offered up this momentous task to you, and you came through in a big way over the first round, voting more than 1.2 million times to make sure your favorite wizards and witches, heroes and villains, owls, elves and werewolves made it through to the next round.

Magical stuff! And it's only just beginning. Round two is shaping up to deliver us some blowouts, some neck-and-neck competitions and one upset that could have fans of another supernatural series up in arms.

On that last point, we're talking about Mr. Robert Pattinson. Before RPattz got mixed up in the "Twilight" madness, he took on the role of Cedric Diggory, a wizard who was only featured in "Goblet of Fire" but whose death changed the course of Hogwarts history and earned the character a #3 seed in our tournament. Cedric coasted through the first round and seemed to have a path cleared for him in future rounds by "Twilight" fans, who knocked Luna Lovegood out in a shocking round-one defeat.

Yet "Potter" fans seem to be fighting back in round two. Cedric now finds himself in a fierce battle with Narcissa Malfoy, the Dark Lord ally who squeaked by Lovegood in round one and could make it two upsets in a row. As of this writing, Narcissa leads the voting 53 percent to Cedric's 47 percent. All this makes for one of round two's most exciting matchups.

And a lot can happen before voting ends July 1 at 12:01 p.m. ET. Will the throw-down between brother/sister tandem George and Ginny Weasley, for example, go down to the wire? Right now, they're locked in a virtual tie. And can Professor Minerva McGonagall, the head honcho of Gryffindor, maintain a razor-thin margin of victory over timid-yet-ultimately heroic Neville Longbottom? Don't count that dude out yet.

Other matches seem already decided. Ron Weasley holds a commanding lead over Quidditch top dog Oliver Wood. Ron's gal pal Hermione and best friend Harry Potter, meanwhile, have each also raced out to nearly impossible-to-overcome leads. Big shock there, right? The big three are going to coast safely into the Sweet 16.

There they'll no doubt greet Severus Snape, the is-he-really-bad-or-maybe-kinda-good wizard who is deservedly a fan favorite. He's far ahead in his face-off with itty-bitty Professor Flitwick. We'll go ahead now and call it: Snape for the win! And let's cross our fingers that Dobby the House Elf, he of the adorable voice and self-sacrificing worldview, maintains his hefty lead over Kingsley Shacklebolt, who honestly is on borrowed time after a round-one upset of Mad-Eye Moody.

So that's where we stand about halfway through the second round. Don't let your personal fave pull a Mad-Eye Moody. Make sure he, she or it gets your support. With millions of votes coming through, it's up to you to vote and vote and vote. And then vote some more before we anoint the greatest character of all time in MTV News' Harry Potter World Cup.

Who is the best "Harry Potter" character of all time? The "Harry Potter" World Cup will find out! Voting is going on now over on the MTV Movies Blog, and you can also get the debate going on Twitter with the hashtag #mtvpottercup.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666628/harry-potter-robert-pattinson.jhtml

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Justin Bieber Passes Michael Jackson's Box-Office Record

'Justin Bieber: Never Say Never' has outgrossed MJ's 'This Is It' in U.S.
By Gil Kaufman

Justin Bieber in "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never"
Photo: Paramount Pictures

Michael Jackson may have dubbed himself the King of Pop, but the late icon didn't hold the box-office crown for long. Less than a year after the posthumous MJ documentary "This Is It" became the most successful concert-themed film in U.S. history, Justin Bieber is poised to snatch the mantle.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" has earned $72.2 million in domestic box office so far, passing Jackson's $72.1 million haul. And while Bieber has racked up those impressive numbers in just six weeks, he's got a long way to go before he laps the global receipts for the MJ doc.

"This Is It" has grossed $189.1 million overseas for a global total of $261.2 million. Music films don't typically play well overseas, and THR noted that "Never Say Never" has grossed a more modest $10.8 million overseas so far, with Paramount executives predicting that it could top out around $20 million internationally.

The impressive U.S. numbers were likely goosed by the re-release of the film recently with 40 additional minutes of bonus footage from director Jon M. Chu. Bieber still has a little way to go to climb the list of the top-grossing documentaries of all time. "Never Say Never" is currently stalled out at the #3 position, around $5 million behind "March of the Penguins," according to Box Office Mojo, and well short of the all-time record held by Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," which has taken in $119.1 million to date.

Bieber set off a classic MJ-style fan frenzy a few weeks ago when he visited Liverpool, England, for his world tour. And just a week later, he posed with his new wax figure at London's Madame Tussauds, checking off another item on the list of milestones to an MJ-like career.

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Coldplay, Led Zeppelin Album Covers Featured On New British Stamps

Album art from Pink Floyd, Blur and David Bowie also included.
By James Montgomery

Coldplay's new British stamps
Photo: Royal Mail

On Thursday (January 7), the U.K.'s Royal Mail unveiled a series of 10 new stamps, honoring the most iconic album covers of the past 40 years.

The albums featured in the new series are the Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed, Led Zeppelin's IV, David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, The Clash's London Calling, New Order's Power, Corruption and Lies, Primal Scream's Screamadelica, Pink Floyd's The Division Bell, Blur's Parklife and — the most recent album on to make the cut — Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head.

Meant to honor "the most potent graphic images of modern times, many of which have provided a visual soundtrack to people's lives," the series is the end result of a lengthy research process by the Royal Mail, who looked through thousands of album covers by British artists before deciding on the final list. And, during a Wednesday night BBC Radio broadcast, it was revealed that the queen herself actually approved each design.

Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page — who helped design the cover for IV — was on hand to celebrate the release of the stamps and recalled the mysterious nature of the album's iconic imagery.

"Almost 40 years after the album came out, nobody knows the old man who featured on the cover, nor the artist who painted him," he said. "That sort of sums up what we wanted to achieve with the album cover, which has remained both anonymous and enigmatic at the same time."

Of course, any great honor is befitting of an equally great contest, so, on the same day the stamps were made available to the general public, Coldplay decided to give one of their Rush of Blood stamps away. In a message on their official site, the band held a contest to send one lucky fan "a letter using a Coldplay stamp, postmarked with today's issue date."

"We visited our local post office earlier today and bought some of the Coldplay stamps," the message read. "Very nice they are too."

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Celebrity Babies 2011

The Sister, Sister star and hubby Cory Hardrict are new parents! Plus, see more stars who welcomed new bundles of joy

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/celebrity-babies-2011/1-b-16266

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Photos | Britney Gets Angelic In These Femme Fatale Promo Shots

Britney Gets Angelic In These Femme Fatale Promo Shots

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1659847

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Wednesday 29 June 2011

Britney Spears Fights Cyborg Paparazzi In 'I Wanna Go' Video

Chris Marrs Piliero-directed clip features 'Weeds' actor Guillermo Diaz.
By Jocelyn Vena

Britney Spears in her "I Wanna Go" music video
Photo: Jive

Britney Spears proved her comedic chops on the small screen in her cameo on "How I Met Your Mother," and now she's once again displaying her funny bone in the video for "I Wanna Go," which dropped Wednesday (June 22).

Like he did with Ke$ha before, director Chris Marrs Piliero makes off-kilter pop culture references and pokes fun at the idea of the sexy pop star. There's a number of Spears-related references, including a polka dot bikini top as an homage, perhaps, to Minnie Mouse, her skull-wearing Mickey Mouse ears T-shirt and a movie theater marquee that reads "Crossroads 2: Cross Harder."

Spears has touched on her relationship with the media in the past, but perhaps not with this much humor or self-deprecation.

The video opens with a press conference, where reporters ask the superstar crazy questions such as, "Is it true you banned junk food, smiles, candy, sunshine and laughter from your Femme Fatale Tour?" The answer: Yes, obviously.

"Can you confirm reports that you're pregnant with Brad Pitt's love child?" The answer: "That is false: It's quintuplets."

Eventually annoyed by the onslaught of increasingly dumb questions, Britney declares, "F--- you" to the reporters in the room. The only person who passes the test is "Weeds" and "Half Baked" star Guillermo Diaz, who is hanging out, wearing a hat that only the Burger King could love. She then dashes out onto the streets in her Avril Lavigne-worthy, pop-punk princess finest.

It seems Britney has decided to live life on her own terms. She grabs the bum of an autograph-seeking fan. Then, she flashes a group of men, and as a cop tries to arrest her, she has her way with him right there on the street. Britney just doesn't care anymore, and why should she? She's finally having fun.

Britney displays the sass and charm fans fell in love with a decade ago during performance shots, where she flirts with the camera, her eyes as big and wide as her smile.

Fans are back with her as she makes her way around town and, of course, the paparazzi have found her. For one photographer, she gives an impromptu fashion shoot before smashing his camera. And when she finds herself surrounded by more of his cronies, she takes them out one by one with any singer's best weapon: her microphone.

There's a surprising turn, however: As the mic slams itself against the photogs, pulling the skin off their bodies, it reveals that they are cyborgs, much to Brit's dismay. So, what's a girl to do?

She's rescued by Guillermo, who drives her through the desert. She dances in the car, wearing only a bikini top and miniskirt. And just when she thinks she's safe, it's revealed that he too is a cyborg. Can't Brit ever catch a break?

The video returns to the press conference, where the pop star awakes from a daydream and reveals, "Guillermo, I had the strangest dream."

"I love dreams," he tells her. "And seashells," he says, placing several in her hand. "Come on, let's get out of here."

But, is Britney truly safe with Guillermo? In an homage to the final frame of Michael Jackson's classic "Thriller" video, the clip closes with Diaz turning his head toward the camera to reveal his red, glowing robot eyes.

Share your review of the "I Wanna Go" video in the comments below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666219/britney-spears-i-wanna-go-music-video.jhtml

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Shia LaBeouf Compares 'Transformers' Gals Megan Fox, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

'You went from a biker-machine-shop chick to a woman who's fresh out of college,' LaBeouf tells MTV News about his onscreen romances.
By Kara Warner

Shia LaBeouf and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Photo: Mark Fellman/Paramount Pictures

Unless you've been living under a rock and/or have avoided all news related to "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," you're likely well aware that there was much ado about actress Megan Fox leaving the franchise and, subsequently, being replaced with model/first-time actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

With the film in theaters this week, fans have moved beyond guessing about the circumstances that led to the alleged firing and hiring of Fox and Huntington-Whiteley, respectively, and turned their attention to another pressing question: How are the two characters addressed in the film? Specifically, how does one gorgeous girlfriend exit to leave room for a new one? And while we know this is a summer movie full of fantasy, is it really believable that a guy like Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) could wind up with the likes of Mikaela Banes (Fox) and Carly (Huntington-Whiteley)?

MTV News went straight to the source and enlisted LaBeouf and Huntington-Whiteley to explain the appeal and attraction of their characters, Sam and Carly, and to compare the "Dark of the Moon" relationship to the one between Sam and Mikaela, established in the first two installments.

"The relationship the first time was a person chasing after a woman that he envied out of pure vanity," LaBeouf told us. "He didn't even know her, and he gets burned by it," he added, hinting at a "Dark of the Moon" scene where his character admits to being flat-out dumped by girlfriend #1.

"[In this film], you find him with a woman who's more nurturing, who has a more maternal-type vibe; she's lighter," LaBeouf explained. "You went from a biker-machine-shop chick, which is a totally different sentiment, to a woman who's fresh out of college working for the British embassy as a diplomatic aide; it's a very different personality."

LaBeouf also revealed that before Huntington-Whiteley was cast, he suggested to director Michael Bay that they go for a girl who was the exact opposite of Megan Fox's Mikaela. "I remember pitching to Mike, 'Maybe we should go with a more bookish type,' " he recalled.

"Mike said to me — and there's two faces to this that are hilarious and insane and also genius, so three sides. I remember him saying to me, 'Shia, we're not going with any bookish anything. This is a summer movie — we need a summer girl.' To his credit, Mike really understands his audience. There's a certain audience that goes to see these movies that has certain requirements that it needs out of its summer movies."

From Huntington-Whiteley's perspective, her character sees something different in Sam than Mikaela did.

"She is so in love with him. He as a character, he's so funny, Sam, and he has such a great family in the movies," she said. "As the movie goes on, it kind of unfolds that she's had a hard time with her family. She's worked really hard, she's come from England. I think she finds him and he's the first person who adores her, as he should, and she loves that he adores her and they have this really lovely relationship," she explained. "It's a sweet thing. Shia was great to play that, with of course."

Check out everything we've got on "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."

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

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666625/transformers-dark-moon-shia-labeouf-megan-fox-rosie-huntington-whiteley.jhtml

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'Transformers' Reviews: How Do The Three Movies Stack Up?

Third installment of the Shia LaBeouf-starring 'Bot franchise is getting the best notices yet.
By Eric Ditzian

Sentinel Prime in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Photo: Paramount Pictures

We've now seen "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" — during a raucous pre-release IMAX screening that left our ears ringing and our senses tingling — and can vouch for the consensus critical opinion surrounding the summer blockbuster: It's the finest film in the franchise.

That's the overall take. But how do the three films — including the 2007 original and 2009's "Revenge of the Fallen" — stack up when you're gauging various cinematic elements? To get to the bottom of that question, we have to dive back into the historical record.

The Story
"T1": "The screenwriters, Alex Kurtzmann and Robert Orci, don't bother to explain as they go along; they just pile up the bang-crash action sequences and, when things get too confusing, screech to a halt for some plodding explanatory dialogue." — Dana Stevens, Slate

"T2": "There is much absurd backstory and crammed-in explanation for what is going on and despite much of it being voiced by the thunderous Peter Cullen ... it still gets annoying." — Jordan Hoffman, UGO

"T3": "Writer Ehren Kruger ... had script duties all to himself, and he has fashioned a narrative of ornate silliness — which is to say, pretty good pulpy fun." — Kurt Loder, Reason

The Visuals
"T1": "The visuals are the real stars here. Though they grow repetitive, the robots' transforming scenes — joints bending, appendages stretching, gears whirling — are too cool to ever become boring." — David Germain, The Associated Press

"T2": "The battle scenes are bewildering. A Bot makes no visual sense anyway, but two or three tangled up together create an incomprehensible confusion." — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

"T3": "By showing a measure of restraint and using 3-D to excellent effect, Bay finally enables the Transformers to emerge as players in their own right, with hopes and dreams, declaiming their philosophies of fate, humankind and the universe in grand Shakespearean style." — Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

The Performances
"T1": "LaBeouf has the hefty job of single-handedly injecting the action with personality, and he brings it off, though without offering much variation on his nervous, hipster-squirt charm." — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

"T2": "Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, who are definitely the stars as far as how much of the movie they're in compared to anyone else, both throw themselves into the physical demands of the film with admirable zeal, which is good, since there's nothing else to the roles." — Drew McWeeny, HitFix

"T3": "LaBeouf is highly physical and crowd-pleasingly jerky as the little man and the franchise's centerpiece, Sam Witwicky. If all Tom Cruise consumed were juice boxes of Red Bull, LaBoeuf is who he'd be." — Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

The Bottom Line
"T1": "We knew it would be dumb. But we had no idea it would be so much dumb fun." — Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinal

"T2": "[Though] it has plenty of popcorn moments that can be big, dumb fun (alien secrets under a pyramid, sexy girls who sprout mechanical tails at the worst moments), director Michael Bay's sequel is louder and more illogical than the megasuccessful 2007 original." — Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News

"T3": "'Dark of the Moon' is hardly a fleet production, but here Bay makes his best, most flexible use yet of all the flamboyant bigness at his command: computer-drawn characters and human actors seem to occupy the same narrative for once." — Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

Check out everything we've got on "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."

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

Brittany Daniel Brittany Lee Brittany Murphy Brittany Snow Brittny Gastineau

Charlize Theron Talks Marriage with Piers Morgan

Even though she has no plans herself to ever walk down the aisle, Charlize Theron is angered that most states still won?t allow same-sex marriages.

The South African beauty opened up about the issue during an appearance on ?Piers Morgan Tonight" - which airs at 9PM ET on CNN.

Of the matter, Theron said, "It's a divine right, and when government starts to tell us who can love and what is good love...I do have a problem with that. I do have a problem with the fact that our government has not stepped up to make this federal."

As for her decision to avoid exchanging nuptials, Charlize first said, "Some would say because I came from a very troubled marriage, my parents did not have a good marriage, but I don't think it's that."

The actress continued to tell that she prefers longterm, committed relationships, saying, "That's the kind of union that I want. The actual ceremony is not something that's important for me."

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/charlize-theron/charlize-theron-talks-marriage-piers-morgan-519464

Diora Baird Dita Von Teese Dominique Swain Donna Feldman Drea de Matteo

Emma Watson Had a Crush on Tom Felton

Emma Watson's Harry Potter alter-ego Hermione Granger only has eyes for Rupert Grint's goofy Ron Weasly -- but off screen it was another of Watson's Potter costars that set her heart aflutter. In an interview in the August issue of Seventeen magazine, Watson admits that during the filming of the first two Potter movies she had a "huge crush" on... Tom Felton! That's right, Potterheads -- Hermione had major thing for her nemesis, the villainous Draco Malfoy!

"He was my first crush," the stylish 21-year-old actress tells Seventeen. "He totally knows. We talked about it -- we still laugh about it. We are really good friends now, and that's cool."

In the interview, Watson also fesses up to being a terrible "game player" in the dating arena. "I'm so impatient -- It's one of my worst traits," Watson says. "If I want to see someone, I want to see them, and if I don't, then I don't. My friends are always telling me I have to play hard to get because I'll pretty much say to a guy, 'I like you -- let's go hang out.' But my friends are like, 'You can't do that! You have to string this guy along.'"

The straightforward young woman -- who recently dropped out of Brown University and plans to transfer to a new college in the fall -- says, "It's a nightmare. I definitely haven't figured it out yet." If we might offer a bit of advice: Stay away from Draco; dude is bad news!

The eighth and final movie in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2, hits theaters July 15.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/emma-watson-crush-harry-potter-costar-tom-felton/1-a-361052

Janet Jackson January Jones Jennie Finch Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Gareis

Selena Gomez Meets Shia LaBeouf And Freaks Out! (VIDEO)

� I think this just might be the cutest thing I have seen! Selena Gomez was preparing for a television appearance the other day when she was told she was going to meet some fans. Her handlers took her to … Continue reading →

Source: http://www.imnotobsessed.com/2011/06/29/selena-gomez-meets-shia-labeouf-and-freaks-out-video/

Cameron Diaz Cameron Richardson Camilla Belle Carla Campbell Carla Gugino

Emma Watson Had a Crush on Tom Felton

"He was my first crush," the stylish 21-year-old actress tells Seventeen. "He totally knows. We talked about it -- we still laugh about it. We are really good friends now, and that's cool."

The eighth and final movie in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2, hits theaters July 15.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/emma-watson-crush-harry-potter-costar-tom-felton/1-a-361052

Alice Dodd Alicia Keys Alicia Witt Amanda Bynes Amanda Detmer

Karolina Kurkova Goes For A Stroll In NYC

Another day, another supermodel strutting her stuff around the city that never sleeps. Victoria’s Secret model Karolina Kurkova stepped out in sunny NYC on Tuesday, June 28. Flashing her million-dollar smile, the glamazon may not have sported a fancy ensemble … Continue reading →

Source: http://www.imnotobsessed.com/2011/06/29/karolina-kurkova-goes-for-a-stroll-in-nyc/

Cameron Richardson Camilla Belle Carla Campbell Carla Gugino Carmen Electra

?Newsweek? Magazine Imagines What Princess Diana Might Look Like At Age 50

Diana, the Princess of Wales would’ve been 50 years old this Friday had she not died in that tragic car accident back in 1997 and this week the US magazine Newsweek imagines what her life would be like today if she had lived. For their coverphoto, Newsweek has even gone so far as to Photoshop [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pinkisthenewblog/~3/5IO8FKDthCE/

Donna Feldman Drea de Matteo Drew Barrymore Ehrinn Cummings Elena Lyons