I was daydreaming at the office one recent afternoon when I started to notice all the “Star Wars” stuff I?ve got at my desk. Alongside representations of John McClane, Mal Reynolds and Kevin Costner as Robin Hood are: three Yodas (cute plush Yoda, figurine Yoda and Magic 8 Ball-type Yoda), one talking Yoda keychain, three flash drives (my favorite being the Han Solo which sleeps in a little ?carbonite? case), one Ewok action figure (Wicket, I think), two different types of lightsaber, one Darth Vader talking pen that neither talks nor writes anymore and a 2012 mini calendar. At home I have a set of Star Wars linens from Pottery Barn.

The way I see it, there are three types of people who buy Star Wars stuff nowadays: There?s the obliging parent whose kid drags her through the aisles of Toys R Us so they can pick out a trinket from “The Clone Wars,” the hardcore collector who spends most of his waking hours searching for That One Piece that might cost him much more than a week?s paycheck, and me ? just a regular Star Wars fan who fondly remembers all the cool toys Mom and Dad threw away ages ago.

The first group shows up in force when there?s a new movie release or another cable TV season starts. The second and third groups fill the gap in between. Together we?ve spent $20 billion on “Star Wars” related merchandise since the franchise began, and there are no signs of slowing down.

According to Philip Wise of Rebelscum.com, the “Star Wars” collecting news site is busier than it?s ever been. ?[The collectors] are all talking about what they got last week, what they?re getting today, what?s the value, what should I expect to pay for this,? Wise said. ?And I see these transactions people talk about ? tens of thousands of dollars.?

It all began back in 1977 with the release of the first film. ?People wanted stuff from that movie from the start,? said Daniel Pickett of ActionFigureInsider.com. Pickett related the merchandising origin story that has become a well-known part of Star Wars lore: ?The movie opened, every toy company had passed on it, with the exception of Kenner, which primarily had done a lot of board games and stuff.?

Kenner wasn?t prepared for the overwhelming demand. ?When kids went out looking for the figures, none existed,? Pickett explained. ?They literally sold a box with a certificate in it, saying, ?We?re going to make figures and when we do, we?ll mail them to you.? And so that?s what kids opened on Christmas morning in 1977.?

Thirty-five years later, Lucasfilm is still providing collectors new and exciting items to drool over. ?They keep releasing new stuff,? said Pickett. ?That one cantina band member or someone from Jabba?s palace or Imperial Soldier #13 — and then they keep improving on all the main cast too. So [a collection] just never feels complete.?

Those poor people, always searching, yearning, coveting, never getting a moment?s rest. I?m glad I?m not one of them. I?m happy with my desk ornaments and retro linens and comfy Darth Vader t-shirts and Wookiee cookie cookbooks.

OK, there is just one more thing I want…

In The Comlink, “Star Wars” fan and MTV News producer Tami Katzoff explores the glory days of a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Whether you’re Team Jedi or Team Sith, friend of Wookiees or wanted by bounty hunters, any and all “Star Wars” fans are welcome along for the ride.

Tags star wars, The Comlink

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/02/21/star-wars-gifts-george-lucas/

Ashley Scott Ashley Tappin Ashley Tisdale Asia Argento Aubrey ODay Audrina Patridge Autumn Reeser

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678680/a-guide-to-the-grammys-2012.jhtml

Ashley Greene Ashley Olsen Ashley Scott Ashley Tappin Ashley Tisdale Asia Argento Aubrey ODay

I was daydreaming at the office one recent afternoon when I started to notice all the “Star Wars” stuff I?ve got at my desk. Alongside representations of John McClane, Mal Reynolds and Kevin Costner as Robin Hood are: three Yodas (cute plush Yoda, figurine Yoda and Magic 8 Ball-type Yoda), one talking Yoda keychain, three flash drives (my favorite being the Han Solo which sleeps in a little ?carbonite? case), one Ewok action figure (Wicket, I think), two different types of lightsaber, one Darth Vader talking pen that neither talks nor writes anymore and a 2012 mini calendar. At home I have a set of Star Wars linens from Pottery Barn.

The way I see it, there are three types of people who buy Star Wars stuff nowadays: There?s the obliging parent whose kid drags her through the aisles of Toys R Us so they can pick out a trinket from “The Clone Wars,” the hardcore collector who spends most of his waking hours searching for That One Piece that might cost him much more than a week?s paycheck, and me ? just a regular Star Wars fan who fondly remembers all the cool toys Mom and Dad threw away ages ago.

The first group shows up in force when there?s a new movie release or another cable TV season starts. The second and third groups fill the gap in between. Together we?ve spent $20 billion on “Star Wars” related merchandise since the franchise began, and there are no signs of slowing down.

According to Philip Wise of Rebelscum.com, the “Star Wars” collecting news site is busier than it?s ever been. ?[The collectors] are all talking about what they got last week, what they?re getting today, what?s the value, what should I expect to pay for this,? Wise said. ?And I see these transactions people talk about ? tens of thousands of dollars.?

It all began back in 1977 with the release of the first film. ?People wanted stuff from that movie from the start,? said Daniel Pickett of ActionFigureInsider.com. Pickett related the merchandising origin story that has become a well-known part of Star Wars lore: ?The movie opened, every toy company had passed on it, with the exception of Kenner, which primarily had done a lot of board games and stuff.?

Kenner wasn?t prepared for the overwhelming demand. ?When kids went out looking for the figures, none existed,? Pickett explained. ?They literally sold a box with a certificate in it, saying, ?We?re going to make figures and when we do, we?ll mail them to you.? And so that?s what kids opened on Christmas morning in 1977.?

Thirty-five years later, Lucasfilm is still providing collectors new and exciting items to drool over. ?They keep releasing new stuff,? said Pickett. ?That one cantina band member or someone from Jabba?s palace or Imperial Soldier #13 — and then they keep improving on all the main cast too. So [a collection] just never feels complete.?

Those poor people, always searching, yearning, coveting, never getting a moment?s rest. I?m glad I?m not one of them. I?m happy with my desk ornaments and retro linens and comfy Darth Vader t-shirts and Wookiee cookie cookbooks.

OK, there is just one more thing I want…

In The Comlink, “Star Wars” fan and MTV News producer Tami Katzoff explores the glory days of a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Whether you’re Team Jedi or Team Sith, friend of Wookiees or wanted by bounty hunters, any and all “Star Wars” fans are welcome along for the ride.

Tags star wars, The Comlink

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/02/21/star-wars-gifts-george-lucas/

Amanda Bynes Amanda Detmer Amanda Marcum Amanda Peet Amanda Righetti Amanda Swisten Amber Arbucci

The singer and former talk-show host will be joined by Mother Monster’s own mother, Cynthia Germanotta, at the Harvard University event to kick off the foundation, which aims to inspire young people. The affair will be captured for a future episode of “Oprah’s Next Chapter” on her OWN network.

“My mother and I have initiated a passion project. We call it the Born This Way Foundation,” Gaga said in a statement last November about the foundation, which takes its name from her hit single and album. “Together we hope to establish a standard of Bravery and Kindness, as well as a community worldwide that protects and nurtures others in the face of bullying and abandonment.”

The foundation will work with a number of partners, including the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the California Endowment and the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. According to the statement, the foundation will focus on “youth empowerment and equality by addressing issues like self-confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, mentoring and career development and will utilize digital mobilization as one of the means to create positive change.”

“My daughter’s foundation was born out of her passion to create a better world where people are kinder and nicer to one another and are accepted for who they are, regardless of how different they may be,” Mama Germanotta said. “She has experienced many of the struggles that our youth encounter today, and identifies with the lasting effects they can have without proper support. Together, we look forward to creating a new movement that will engage and empower youth and accept them as valuable members of our society.”

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679223/lady-gaga-oprah-winfrey-foundation.jhtml

Hilary Swank Isla Fisher Ivana Bozilovic Ivanka Trump Izabella Miko Izabella Scorupco Jaime King

Clooney’s journey to Sunday night’s 2012 Oscars took a familiar path through the festival circuit with releases in the second half of the year, one carefully engineered to spell awards success, but the two films that got him there and the work he did cover a wide spectrum in filmmaking.

“Ides of March” took shape late in 2010, when Clooney signed on to wear three hats for the film: actor, producer and director. His fourth directorial effort to date, the political drama follows a young junior campaign manager (Ryan Gosling) as he struggles with the moral dilemmas of supporting a presidential candidate, played by Clooney.

Based on Beau Willimon’s play “Farragut North,” the script for “Ides of March” earned Best Adapted Screenplay nominations for the original author, Clooney and his frequent collaborator Grant Heslov. Though Clooney’s well-known political affiliations and beliefs stood in the foreground, the man himself took more of a backseat, limiting his onscreen role to a few keys scenes.

During awards season, the film made a small mark, after debuting to only mildly positive reviews. It did, however, take a spot on the National Board of Review’s top 10 of the year and earned four Golden Globes nominations, including Best Picture (Drama) and Best Director.

In “The Descendants,” Clooney took a familiar spot as leading man, but the role of Matt King required him to be anything but his usual model of suave confidence. As a soon-to-be widow, Clooney fully adopted the dopey mantel of an Alexander Payne hero in the tradition of Paul Giamatti in “Sideways” and Matthew Broderick in “Election.”

But unlike his predecessors as a lead in one of Payne’s films, Clooney’s character remained almost entirely sympathetic throughout the film, thanks in large part to the believability of the acting. He effortlessly took on the role of an utterly clueless father with good intentions, helping make “Descendants” such a true and touching film.

In the week leading up to Oscar night, Clooney stands neck and neck with fellow nominee Jean Dujardin as the favorite. It would be Clooney’s second win for acting, his first coming in 2006 as supporting actor in Stephen Gaghan’s “Syriana.”

However Sunday’s ceremony might shake out for Clooney, he has proven himself a mainstay for the Academy Awards, and ? whether he’s acting, directing, writing or producing ? someone who will continue to appear on shortlists for years to come.

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 26, tune into MTV.com at 5:30 p.m. ET for our three-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night’s big winners.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679640/george-clooney-2012-oscars-path.jhtml

America Ferrera Amerie Amy Cobb Amy Smart Ana Beatriz Barros Ana Hickmann Ana Ivanovi

I say troubling because, really, the Grammys have never been cool (and there is something like five decades of empirical evidence to back up that claim), and voters bestowing the night’s top award on an indie act ? instead of Eminem, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, each of whom were also nominated ? was a hip, hip move. So it stood to reason that, if one of the stuffiest of award shows could get with the times, then perhaps everyone could. Perhaps the Arcade Fire’s AOTY win fractured the space-time continuum itself, sort of like on “Lost,” when Benjamin Linus turned that wheel and the island started skipping through time and there were actually two islands, one existing in current time and one that was stuck in the 1970s, and that old woman had a pendulum and Jack ended up detonating a hydrogen bomb with a rock or something (“Lost” definitely got confusing for a while there).

What I am trying to say is that it is not entirely inconceivable that, post Arcade Fire, there now exist two Grammy Awards: the one where Led Zeppelin has zero wins (but Sheryl Crow has nine) and the one where cool bands take home the biggest awards. You know, the actual Grammys versus the bizarro Grammys.

It’s an insane theory, yes, and yet, it is also (sort of) backed up by this year’s Grammy nominations. In actuality ? given she had one of the best-selling albums of the past decade and almost single-handedly saved the industry in 2011 ? Adele is not only one of the night’s most-nominated artists, but she’ll probably end up walking away with the most golden gramophones, too. In fantasy, Bon Iver stuns the Dog the Bounty Hunters of the world and takes home three-quarters of the “Big Four” awards. In the grand cosmic scheme of things, I suppose either is probable.

Shoot, at the very least, the theory makes the Grammys a lot more interesting … and impossible to predict. Still, I’m going to try my best. So here are my theoretical picks for the 54th Grammy Awards, where I’ve weighed the actual against the bizarro in a misguided attempt to predict just who will triumph in the night’s biggest categories. Hey, it’s better than just saying “Adele is gonna win everything.” Even though she probably will. It is just a theory, after all.

Album of the Year
» Adele, 21
» Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
» Lady Gaga, Born This Way
» Bruno Mars, Doo-Wops & Hooligans
» Rihanna, Loud

“Actual” Grammys: Dude, come on, Adele wins this one by a mile.

“Bizarro” Grammys: The most bizarro winner would probably be Rihanna, who’s not exactly celebrated as an “album artist,” or maybe Bruno Mars, though, thanks to “F— You” (much-nominated at last-year’s Grammys) and his string of hits this year, he seems to be a favorite among voters.

Continuum-Uniting Winner: Remember in 2009, when Taylor Swift’s Fearless won AOTY and everyone got all upset? Well, it was the year’s best-selling album, too, and at the time, Swift was credited with keeping a sinking industry afloat. Adele’s 21 has sold nearly as many copies as Fearless … and has done so in less than a year. So, uh, yeah, she’ll win this.

Record of the Year
» Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”
» Bon Iver, “Holocene”
» Bruno Mars, “Grenade”
» Mumford & Sons, “The Cave”
» Katy Perry, “Firework”

“Actual” Grammys: It’s Adele’s to lose, though she may face a tough challenge from Mumford & Sons, who not only landed nominations last year, but had 2011′s best-selling rock album based mainly on the strength of “The Cave.” Still, a win by them here would be an upset in every sense of the word.

“Bizarro” Grammys: Got to be “Holocene,” which on the surface, doesn’t stand much of a chance. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that Bon Iver wins something on Sunday, and so, much like Arcade Fire’s Album of the Year win last year …

Continuum-Uniting Winner: … I’m going with the bearded dude from Wisconsin. Look, voters aren’t going to give Adele everything, most likely because they don’t want to deal with the backlash. There’s also the Arcade Fire momentum from last year, not to mention the fact that since this award goes to not only the artist, but the producer, recording engineer and mixer, too, it tends to go to classically constructed tunes (Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody,” Alison Krauss’ and Robert Plant’s “Please Read the Letter”) as opposed to songs with massive commercial appeal. So I’m taking “Holocene” for the upset.

Song of the Year
» Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”
» Bon Iver, “Holocene”
» Bruno Mars, “Grenade”
» Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie, “All of the Lights”
» Mumford & Sons, “The Cave”

“Actual” Grammys: Again, Adele.

“Bizarro” Grammys: “Holocene,” though how amazing would it be if “All of the Lights” actually won here? Would Kanye even let anyone else talk during his acceptance speech?

Continuum-Uniting Winner: “Rolling in the Deep.” It was 2011′s biggest song, and one look at previous SOTY winners ? massive hits like “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” “Rehab,” “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own” ? well, you can see which way this one tends to go.

Best New Artist
» The Band Perry
» Bon Iver
» J. Cole
» Nicki Minaj
» Skrillex

“Actual” Grammys: Adele. Oh, wait, this is the only category she’s not nominated in (though she did win it in 2009). OK, well, then how about the Band Perry? They’re a country act, and over the past decade, when nominated, country acts tend to win BNA (Shelby Lynne in 2001, Carrie Underwood in 2007, the Zac Brown Band in 2010). Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that their “If I Die Young” was a certified crossover smash, either.

“Bizarro” Grammys: It actually wouldn’t be all that odd if Bon Iver wins here (since, even though I picked him to take Song of the Year, there’s a pretty good shot this is the “Big Four” award he wins), so, can I interest you in some Skrillex?

Continuum-Uniting Winner: Barbz rejoice, I’m taking Nicki Minaj! Why? Well, after a massive year, she was ignored everywhere else in the “Big Four,” so a BNA win would be a nice olive branch extended by Grammy voters. Also, no hip-hop artist (male or female) has won this award since Lauryn Hill in 1999, and how bizarro is that?!? So fittingly, Best New Artist is hers.

Make your predictions for the Grammy Awards in the comments section below!

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678745/2012-grammy-winner-predictions.jhtml

Danica Patrick Daniella Alonso Danneel Harris Deanna Russo Denise Richards Desiree Dymond Diane Kruger

I say troubling because, really, the Grammys have never been cool (and there is something like five decades of empirical evidence to back up that claim), and voters bestowing the night’s top award on an indie act ? instead of Eminem, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, each of whom were also nominated ? was a hip, hip move. So it stood to reason that, if one of the stuffiest of award shows could get with the times, then perhaps everyone could. Perhaps the Arcade Fire’s AOTY win fractured the space-time continuum itself, sort of like on “Lost,” when Benjamin Linus turned that wheel and the island started skipping through time and there were actually two islands, one existing in current time and one that was stuck in the 1970s, and that old woman had a pendulum and Jack ended up detonating a hydrogen bomb with a rock or something (“Lost” definitely got confusing for a while there).

What I am trying to say is that it is not entirely inconceivable that, post Arcade Fire, there now exist two Grammy Awards: the one where Led Zeppelin has zero wins (but Sheryl Crow has nine) and the one where cool bands take home the biggest awards. You know, the actual Grammys versus the bizarro Grammys.

It’s an insane theory, yes, and yet, it is also (sort of) backed up by this year’s Grammy nominations. In actuality ? given she had one of the best-selling albums of the past decade and almost single-handedly saved the industry in 2011 ? Adele is not only one of the night’s most-nominated artists, but she’ll probably end up walking away with the most golden gramophones, too. In fantasy, Bon Iver stuns the Dog the Bounty Hunters of the world and takes home three-quarters of the “Big Four” awards. In the grand cosmic scheme of things, I suppose either is probable.

Shoot, at the very least, the theory makes the Grammys a lot more interesting … and impossible to predict. Still, I’m going to try my best. So here are my theoretical picks for the 54th Grammy Awards, where I’ve weighed the actual against the bizarro in a misguided attempt to predict just who will triumph in the night’s biggest categories. Hey, it’s better than just saying “Adele is gonna win everything.” Even though she probably will. It is just a theory, after all.

Album of the Year
» Adele, 21
» Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
» Lady Gaga, Born This Way
» Bruno Mars, Doo-Wops & Hooligans
» Rihanna, Loud

“Actual” Grammys: Dude, come on, Adele wins this one by a mile.

“Bizarro” Grammys: The most bizarro winner would probably be Rihanna, who’s not exactly celebrated as an “album artist,” or maybe Bruno Mars, though, thanks to “F— You” (much-nominated at last-year’s Grammys) and his string of hits this year, he seems to be a favorite among voters.

Continuum-Uniting Winner: Remember in 2009, when Taylor Swift’s Fearless won AOTY and everyone got all upset? Well, it was the year’s best-selling album, too, and at the time, Swift was credited with keeping a sinking industry afloat. Adele’s 21 has sold nearly as many copies as Fearless … and has done so in less than a year. So, uh, yeah, she’ll win this.

Record of the Year
» Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”
» Bon Iver, “Holocene”
» Bruno Mars, “Grenade”
» Mumford & Sons, “The Cave”
» Katy Perry, “Firework”

“Actual” Grammys: It’s Adele’s to lose, though she may face a tough challenge from Mumford & Sons, who not only landed nominations last year, but had 2011′s best-selling rock album based mainly on the strength of “The Cave.” Still, a win by them here would be an upset in every sense of the word.

“Bizarro” Grammys: Got to be “Holocene,” which on the surface, doesn’t stand much of a chance. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that Bon Iver wins something on Sunday, and so, much like Arcade Fire’s Album of the Year win last year …

Continuum-Uniting Winner: … I’m going with the bearded dude from Wisconsin. Look, voters aren’t going to give Adele everything, most likely because they don’t want to deal with the backlash. There’s also the Arcade Fire momentum from last year, not to mention the fact that since this award goes to not only the artist, but the producer, recording engineer and mixer, too, it tends to go to classically constructed tunes (Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody,” Alison Krauss’ and Robert Plant’s “Please Read the Letter”) as opposed to songs with massive commercial appeal. So I’m taking “Holocene” for the upset.

Song of the Year
» Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”
» Bon Iver, “Holocene”
» Bruno Mars, “Grenade”
» Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie, “All of the Lights”
» Mumford & Sons, “The Cave”

“Actual” Grammys: Again, Adele.

“Bizarro” Grammys: “Holocene,” though how amazing would it be if “All of the Lights” actually won here? Would Kanye even let anyone else talk during his acceptance speech?

Continuum-Uniting Winner: “Rolling in the Deep.” It was 2011′s biggest song, and one look at previous SOTY winners ? massive hits like “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” “Rehab,” “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own” ? well, you can see which way this one tends to go.

Best New Artist
» The Band Perry
» Bon Iver
» J. Cole
» Nicki Minaj
» Skrillex

“Actual” Grammys: Adele. Oh, wait, this is the only category she’s not nominated in (though she did win it in 2009). OK, well, then how about the Band Perry? They’re a country act, and over the past decade, when nominated, country acts tend to win BNA (Shelby Lynne in 2001, Carrie Underwood in 2007, the Zac Brown Band in 2010). Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that their “If I Die Young” was a certified crossover smash, either.

“Bizarro” Grammys: It actually wouldn’t be all that odd if Bon Iver wins here (since, even though I picked him to take Song of the Year, there’s a pretty good shot this is the “Big Four” award he wins), so, can I interest you in some Skrillex?

Continuum-Uniting Winner: Barbz rejoice, I’m taking Nicki Minaj! Why? Well, after a massive year, she was ignored everywhere else in the “Big Four,” so a BNA win would be a nice olive branch extended by Grammy voters. Also, no hip-hop artist (male or female) has won this award since Lauryn Hill in 1999, and how bizarro is that?!? So fittingly, Best New Artist is hers.

Make your predictions for the Grammy Awards in the comments section below!

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678745/2012-grammy-winner-predictions.jhtml

Hilary Duff Hilary Swank Isla Fisher Ivana Bozilovic Ivanka Trump Izabella Miko Izabella Scorupco

Nine films are nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards this year, begging the question: who deserved a tenth spot on that list? “Oscars 2012: 10 Spot” answers that question, as the MTV Movies team highlights some of 2011′s greatest films and argues why they deserved a nod as the tenth Best Picture nominee.

My colleagues have made wonderful cases for several other qualified Best Picture nominees this year; “50/50,” “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” and “Bridesmaids” are definitely deserving of recognition, but none of them top the cinematic achievements of the “Harry Potter” franchise, specifically “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.”

To be clear, I’m lamenting the lack of recognition for the nearly perfect eighth and final Potter film, but we Potter fans cannot deny the fact that the franchise as a whole deserved Best Picture consideration. With “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” having paved the way for fantasy films to resonate with Academy voters as well as the general public, and the fact that 10 films can be nominated, it seemed very likely that The Boy Who Lived had a chance at that nomination.

So why does “Deathly Hallows – Part 2″ deserve the 10 Spot? It is the best of the bunch, hitting all the notes that those rare four-quadrant films need to hit. There is action, romance, solid character development with emotional, sweeping arcs, a killer cast, game-changing visual effects… the list goes on.

Speaking of the killer cast, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that we will never see another franchise do what “Potter” did with its actors. Not only did the casting directors select the most perfect talent for the lengthy list of characters, they were able to keep the core cast members signed on for eight  films over the course of a decade of filming! That just does NOT happen in this day and age of studios and agents wanting to make a quick buck and flash-in-the-pan fame. We got to see Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton et al actually grow up onscreen and grow as actors. Time will tell with regard to their futures in Hollywood, but their performances in “Deathly Hallows – Part 2″ were their best work to date.

And then there’s Alan Rickman. Just thinking about J.K. Rowling’s heartbreakingly brilliant arc for Severus Snape – that flashback to Lily’s death! Woe is me re-living the heartbreak pains I suffered alongside Snape in that moving, defining moment! – almost has me tearing up at my keyboard. Rickman knew about Severus’ story long before any of us did, which makes his amazingly nuanced and controlled performance over the years (and in this film especially) that much more amazing. Severus Snape wasn’t voted the best Harry Potter character ever by our MTV readers for nothing, after all.

Finally, let’s take a moment to appreciate director David Yates, as well as all the other award-winning folks who took turns helming Potter films: Christopher Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, and Mike Newell. Rarely do book-to-film adaptations translate so well and so successfully and each and every director who tackled a “Potter” film added something special to the franchise under their direction.

Again, when will such amazing and dramatic achievements occur again in cinema? The “Harry Potter” franchise is a perfect storm of so many elements, the proverbial lightning in a bottle that can not be duplicated. A Best Picture nomination was more than a little bit deserved.

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 25, tune into MTV.com at 5:30 p.m. ET for our three-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night’s big winners.

Tags harry potter and the deathly hallows part 2, Oscars 10 Spot, Oscars 2012

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/02/17/oscars-2012-best-picture-harry-potter/

Gina Carano Gina Gershon Gina Philips Gisele B¸ndchen Giuliana DePandi Giulianna Ramirez Grace Park

Nine films are nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards this year, begging the question: who deserved a tenth spot on that list? “Oscars 2012: 10 Spot” answers that question, as the MTV Movies team highlights some of 2011′s greatest films and argues why they deserved a nod as the tenth Best Picture nominee.

My colleagues have made wonderful cases for several other qualified Best Picture nominees this year; “50/50,” “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” and “Bridesmaids” are definitely deserving of recognition, but none of them top the cinematic achievements of the “Harry Potter” franchise, specifically “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.”

To be clear, I’m lamenting the lack of recognition for the nearly perfect eighth and final Potter film, but we Potter fans cannot deny the fact that the franchise as a whole deserved Best Picture consideration. With “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” having paved the way for fantasy films to resonate with Academy voters as well as the general public, and the fact that 10 films can be nominated, it seemed very likely that The Boy Who Lived had a chance at that nomination.

So why does “Deathly Hallows – Part 2″ deserve the 10 Spot? It is the best of the bunch, hitting all the notes that those rare four-quadrant films need to hit. There is action, romance, solid character development with emotional, sweeping arcs, a killer cast, game-changing visual effects… the list goes on.

Speaking of the killer cast, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that we will never see another franchise do what “Potter” did with its actors. Not only did the casting directors select the most perfect talent for the lengthy list of characters, they were able to keep the core cast members signed on for eight  films over the course of a decade of filming! That just does NOT happen in this day and age of studios and agents wanting to make a quick buck and flash-in-the-pan fame. We got to see Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton et al actually grow up onscreen and grow as actors. Time will tell with regard to their futures in Hollywood, but their performances in “Deathly Hallows – Part 2″ were their best work to date.

And then there’s Alan Rickman. Just thinking about J.K. Rowling’s heartbreakingly brilliant arc for Severus Snape – that flashback to Lily’s death! Woe is me re-living the heartbreak pains I suffered alongside Snape in that moving, defining moment! – almost has me tearing up at my keyboard. Rickman knew about Severus’ story long before any of us did, which makes his amazingly nuanced and controlled performance over the years (and in this film especially) that much more amazing. Severus Snape wasn’t voted the best Harry Potter character ever by our MTV readers for nothing, after all.

Finally, let’s take a moment to appreciate director David Yates, as well as all the other award-winning folks who took turns helming Potter films: Christopher Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, and Mike Newell. Rarely do book-to-film adaptations translate so well and so successfully and each and every director who tackled a “Potter” film added something special to the franchise under their direction.

Again, when will such amazing and dramatic achievements occur again in cinema? The “Harry Potter” franchise is a perfect storm of so many elements, the proverbial lightning in a bottle that can not be duplicated. A Best Picture nomination was more than a little bit deserved.

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 25, tune into MTV.com at 5:30 p.m. ET for our three-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night’s big winners.

Tags harry potter and the deathly hallows part 2, Oscars 10 Spot, Oscars 2012

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/02/17/oscars-2012-best-picture-harry-potter/

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A-list artists brought both subdued, glamorous looks and the typical over-the-top statement-making Grammy styles.

The lady of the night, Adele, sparkled from head to toe on the red carpet in a black Armani gown, showing off a lighter hair color in her first performance since having vocal-cord surgery.

MTV Style picks their best-dressed at the Grammys.

Fellow British artist Jessie J shined on her first Grammy red carpet, turning heads in a gray Julien Macdonald gown. “I just wanted to wear something that I don’t usually wear, which is silver, something long and very heavy,” Jessie told MTV News. “I feel like a disco ball at the event.”

Katy Perry was feeling blue at the Grammys, matching her blue hairstyle to a light-blue, long-sleeved Elie Saab gown. “One of my absolute favorites of the night was Katy Perry,” Celebuzz producer Rachel Maresca told MTV News. “She paired her bold, blue hair with a very light-blue Elie Saab lace gown. She looked stunning, and it’s a more subdued look for her. We don’t always see that out of her, but it is very glamorous.”

Another statement dress belonged to Fergie, who called her Jean Paul Gaultier couture gown her “safe choice,” which it was far from. The vibrant orange lace gown allowed her black bra and panties to see through, but according to Fergie, when Gaultier gives you a custom look, you have to wear it.

“When Jean Paul Gaultier couture gown comes and it’s shipped to you and it fits, you wear it,” Fergie told our own Sway Calloway.

Yet, out of all these amazing artists, it seems the fashion night belonged to Rihanna. Jaws dropped as she worked the carpet in a one-of-a-kind Armani dress that she helped design. With a plunging neckline and a deep halter, this dress hugged every curve to perfection.

Stick with MTV News for all the news on Whitney Houston’s tribute, the Grammy red-carpet fashion, Grammy winners and more until the hangover wears off!

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679153/grammys-2012-fashion-adele-minaj.jhtml

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