Saturday 26 July 2008

Britney Spears, Lil Wayne, Mariah Carey Among MTV VMA Nominees For Best Male, Female Video

We asked for your help, and you did not disappoint. You voted in record numbers, whittling the list of Moonman hopefuls for Best Male Video and Best Female Video at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards down to the final five, as the nominees were revealed Friday (July 25).

Lil Wayne Plays A Modern-Day Robin Hood In 'Got Money' Video -- Check Out A Clip Here!

Cash Money Millionaire Lil Wayne always has the dough, but in his new video for "Got Money," he's giving back to the community — just not with his own moolah.

'Twilight' Masterminds Catherine Hardwicke, Stephenie Meyer Take In Wild Comic-Con, Talk Movie's Music

SAN DIEGO — Many years ago, Leonard Cohen sang about "The Sisters of Mercy," who were "waiting for me, when I thought that I just can't go on."

On Thursday, that persona was taken on by writer Stephenie Meyer and director Catherine Hardwicke, who arrived at Comic-Con as surrogate mothers for the young stars of Hollywood's hottest new franchise. Thousands of die-hard fans screamed their names, and stars Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner expressed nervousness backstage about the largest public appearance of their young careers. But the Sisters of Mercy gave them pointers, shepherded them up the steps and aided them when they thought they just couldn't go on.

Britney Spears' Custody Agreement Finalized

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline's custody settlement is final, according to TMZ.com.

Under the settlement, which was filed Friday (July 25) in L.A. County Superior Court, Spears must pay $250,000 in Federline's legal fees. Also, Federline will get $20,000 a month for child support, up from his previous $15,000. The agreement doesn't mention visitation, TMZ reported.

On July 17, Spears agreed to give Federline sole legal and physical custody of their two sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, while she would retain visitation rights. Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, told E! News last week that the agreement had been signed by all parties but still needed to be approved by the court.

TMZ says Spears will have three days and one night a week with her sons, with more visitation possible in the future. The singer has only been allowed monitored visits with her children since late February, following her multiple hospitalizations. She was recently granted the right to have one overnight visit a week as well.

According to E!, the Federline camp credited Spears' father, Jamie — who was appointed the co-conservator of his daughter's estate in February — for helping to get the troubled 26-year-old singer back on the right path. The conservatorship is up for review at the end of July, at which point a court commissioner will decide whether to make the arrangement permanent. Kaplan said that there is language in the custody agreement that anticipates a possible end to the conservatorship, but he couldn't discuss what those terms are. "Nobody can predict what the future will bring, but ... to the extent possible, I think we have really anticipated how to proceed," he said.

'Watchmen' Scenes Of War, Murder And Transformation Draws Thunderous Response At Comic-Con

SAN DIEGO — If day one of Comic-Con belonged to "Twilight," then the second afternoon was the realm of "Watchmen." A comic book holy grail for three decades, the Alan Moore/ Dave Gibbons masterpiece is the only graphic novel ever to win science fiction's prestigious Hugo Award and the only comic to appear in Time magazine's list of the greatest novels of the 20th century. This supposedly unfilmable mix of philosophy, theology and heroism has caused such names as Gilliam, Aronofsky and Greengrass to throw their hands up in frustration.

But on Friday — one year after unveiling a "Watchmen" poster and promising he'd get the movie made — Comic-Con king Zack Snyder returned triumphant. Addressing a room full of people dressed like Rorschach, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre, he showed off new footage so amazing, the crowd insisted upon seeing it twice.

Snyder, Malin Akerman (Silk Spectre II), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (the Comedian), Carla Gugino (Silk Spectre I), Jackie Earle Haley (Rorschach), Billy Crudup (Dr. Manhattan), Patrick Wilson (Nite Owl II) and Matthew Goode (Ozymandias) were all in Hall H, but the fans went particularly nuts upon the revelation of a surprise guest: Gibbons himself.

Earlier, the "Watchmen" illustrator had revealed an eye-popping collaboration with Snyder: Comic-Con-exclusive posters featuring each of the major characters in their most iconic settings (Ozymandias in front of a wall of TVs, Rorschach roaming the dirty streets, the Comedian looking out the window of his apartment), along with quotes that demonstrated their unique outlooks on life. Snyder explained that the posters were based on old ads Gibbons had made to promote the graphic novel, and that he had the actors posing exactly as the artist had imagined.

But the big draw of the afternoon was when Snyder dimmed the lights and showed the extreme footage that he had cut out of the recently released MPAA-approved trailer.

Scored with an operatic track, the footage struck an intense, reverential tone. Fans saw extended moments from Dr. Manhattan's one-man war in Vietnam (the flesh of his enemies flies off their bones), the Comedian's murder (a great slow-motion shot has Morgan flying out his window, following him down to the city street while his smiley-face pin flies at the camera) and Manhattan's transformation (rather than merely raising the hair on his arms, Snyder shows Jon Osterman being torn apart). Brand-new standout stuff included a '70s-era shot of Wilson, Laurie and Nite Owl kissing in front of a mushroom cloud and a quick peek at a gray-haired, angry Richard Nixon.

Judging by the thunderous response, the crowd liked what they saw from the film, which hits theaters on March 6, 2009.

The cast then took questions from the crowd, providing several hilarious moments between earnest statements about the motivations of their iconic characters. At one point, two identical twins approached the mic and asked a question, with one creepily finishing the other's sentence. Another man, dressed in a homemade Rorschach costume, asked whether superhero movies were becoming more grown up. Laughing lovingly, Snyder pointed out the irony in receiving such a question from a grown man in a superhero costume.

After two rounds of red-carpet press interviews, the affable "Watchmen" cast jetted away like Nite Owl aboard Archie. For a series so defiantly unwilling to yield to the whims of Hollywood, it sure does seem like they're writing an inappropriately happy ending.

Check out everything we've got on "Watchmen."

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

'Punisher: War Zone' Shows The Cause And Effect Of Extreme Violence, Star Ray Stevenson Says

For comic book fans, this summer at the multiplex has been like Christmas in July, with adaptations of "Hellboy," "Batman," "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk." But Marvel Comics is making sure to leave at least one more present under the tree for fans to unwrap on December 5: "Punisher: War Zone."

It's the third big-screen interpretation for Frank Castle, but none have ever been as violent or sadistic as "War Zone," star Ray Stevenson told MTV News. In an exclusive chat, Stevenson talked about why Jigsaw is a classic comic villain, what lines from the film fans will geek out over, which comics influenced the film and why you're in trouble if you see a skull and crossbones. (Read about where Stevenson thinks the Punisher could go in sequels, and whether he expects he'll ever cross over into other Marvel films, in the Splash Page blog.)

MTV: What is the essential Frank Castle? Why does he continue to resonate with audiences?

Ray Stevenson: I think the thing about Frank, one thing we were very concerned about bringing out in the script, which is in the Max series, [is that] he doesn't pull his punches. He's in a world of pain. He's not a superhero; he's an antihero. There is no light at the end. When you commit to that, there's something heroically tragic about this lone warrior. You don't want to be him, but you're glad he's there. He stands out because of that.

MTV: You mentioned the Marvel Max series. Are there other comic books that fans should consider essential reading in preparation for your vision of Frank?

Stevenson: When I was doing the research, I didn't just read the Max series — I went [all the way] back. The character's been around for a long, long time, and there've been these metamorphoses and changes, but there are elements that have always kept the line through. So everything was relevant, everything had validity because you could see how it formed this lone vigilante nighttime predator. So my experience is based on that.

MTV: Is there a moment or a scene in the movie that you can point to as something real hard-core fans are going to geek out over?

Stevenson: They're gonna get the lines. There are terrific lines in there, lines we've taken from the novels themselves, classic Frank lines. There's one of them, there's a guy bleeding out, and the guy says, "I'll see you in hell." And because Frank actually likes the guy, he's been teaming up with him, he says, "I see you anywhere near hell and I'll kick your ass out." Frank knows exactly where he's going, and he says, you're not gonna be in hell. It's got that split of being touching and moving, and yet you know he knows where he's going.

MTV: Obviously, that's a huge part of this interpretation, the ultraviolence —

Stevenson: The movie is überviolence; it's about violent people. But it does show cause and effect. It doesn't pull back from showing you that there's a price to pay for this. The biggest price is being paid by Frank. I was always very concerned about people taking from this and wanting to walk out there to take out the bullies and the bad guys. Nobody wants another Columbine. So I was very, very keen on saying that we've got to make sure to get this side out that nobody wants to be him.

MTV: In what way is Jigsaw a great Punisher villain? How does he stack up as a comic book foe?

Stevenson: He's a great foe because he relishes what he does. He has a delight in what he does. He has a kind of theatricality as well. You're going to enjoy him. His relationship with his brother, LBJ, Looney Bin Jim, is ferocious and phenomenal, and it's actually quite touching.

MTV: In what way?

Stevenson: Well, his brother has been locked up in a psychiatric hospital for years, and he frees him up to wreak havoc. And he's just animalistic and feral. It's beyond.

MTV: Do we get a Jigsaw origin story?

Stevenson: Yeah, again, it's coming from our source material. Frank goes out to take out this Mafioso crew who are all meeting for this great don's birthday. They're on the list that night; that's his job in hand. Billy [Russo, a.k.a. the Jigsaw, is] there, [but] manages to escape. Frank continues from that place to hunt him down, winds up in a glass factory. And he ends up putting Billy inside a glass crusher, and it carves his face off. Frank leaves him for dead. He survives and gets it all patched up again, and that's the Jigsaw. And yet he comes smiling through, so that's darkly disturbing. And then he sets on a [course of] vengeance: "I'm gonna get the Punisher." That's his M.O. So you've got these two foes contriving to come against each other.

MTV: Does Frank stand for anything beyond pure vengeance? What is the symbolism of the skull and crossbones?

Stevenson: It's a very potent symbol. In some way, he wants [that to be] the last thing people will see. He'll stand in front of you and take you out. The symbol itself is uncompromising. It's black and white, there it is. Boom! He doesn't really stand for anything other than that there will be a price. You can buy the best lawyers available and get off trials and work [your] way around the justice system, but there's somebody else there that [you] can't buy off.

[It's like] another line from the books: "You work for the devil, you better be prepared to die for him."

Check out everything we've got on " Punisher: War Zone."

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

'The X-Files': That '90s Show. By Kurt Loder

Who didn't love "The X-Files," especially in the excitement of its early seasons? Each show was put together like a little movie, with witchy scripts, brooding photography, Scully and Mulder rootling around in the foggy woods. For a while in the mid-'90s, it was one of the best things on TV.

I was thinking about this while watching the new "X-Files" movie, which, I'm afraid, offers little else of its own to think about. Die-hard fans of the old series may be puzzled to find that the film (subtitled "I Want to Believe") is very light in the "X" department. There are no new mutations of the show's esoteric "mythology," and no monster-of-the-week cheap thrills, either. There's a modest dollop of paranormal activity — a psychic, big deal — and even that is presented as rather iffy. The truth may still be out there; the question is whether anyone apart from Fox Mulder still cares.

The movie opens in snowy West Virginia (snowy British Columbia, actually — why didn't they just set the story in Seattle or something?). A woman is attacked in her home by two scary men and dragged off into the night. Come daylight, we see a long line of FBI agents trudging across a field of ice behind a shambling gray-haired man who appears to be looking for something. When he drops to his knees, the agents gather round and begin digging. They soon unearth a human arm, minus the rest of its human. Aliens? People-eating ice creatures? Don't get your hopes up.

The gray-haired man is Father Joe (Billy Connolly). Joe is a complicated man: a defrocked priest, a convicted pedophile, a freelance psychic and an Irishman to boot. He's also a prominent cog in the movie's narrative design. This is a story about belief — "Belief," I mean. Joe still believes in a heavenly beneficence, despite his altar-boy-raping proclivities. Soon he's thrown together with ex-FBI agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who believes in very little, and exiled FBI agent Mulder (David Duchovny), who'll believe pretty much anything. Scully left the Bureau in disgust and has gone back to doctoring at a Catholic hospital. When a blustery FBI agent named Drummy (rapper Xzibit, saddled with a name I find hard to believe myself) approaches her in search of her old partner Mulder, she reluctantly agrees to seek him out in the remote cabin where he now lives, alone with his beard and his flying-saucer poster. Soon the chase is on. Keep those hopes curbed, though.

There follows a series of killer-snowplow encounters and a creepy maniac who loiters underwater in a public swimming pool (very odd). Bereft of any interesting extraterrestrial overtones, the movie is basically a murder mystery of a rather gruesome sort. In fact, with its sadistic foreigners and grisly surgical shenanigans, it resembles nothing so much as one of the "Hostel" pictures. Longtime "X" fans are unlikely to rejoice at this; "Hostel" kids, on the other hand, would surely be bored by the movie's lack of pure, bare-fanged bloodlust. In any case, the actors are too good for simple slaughter porn. The leads seem not to have aged much at all — Duchovny retains his tousled charm, Anderson is still a redhead. And the invaluable Billy Connolly brings notes of weary self-loathing to his performance that probably weren't all present in the script. "X-Files" creator Chris Carter, here directing his first feature, wobbles occasionally (he goes out of his way to score the lamest Bush joke in the short but populous history of that genre), but his excesses are finessed by cinematographer Bill Roe, a veteran of the TV series, who brings a chilly snap to the outdoor scenes and an infernal glow to the hideous lab sequences.

There are a few old-school "X-Files" touches. Bureau buddy Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) puts in a late-inning appearance. Scully and Mulder natter a bit about their doomed love child ("I think our son left both of us with an emptiness that can't be filled," says Mulder, possibly against his will). And there's a passing reference to Mulder's long-lost, alien-abducted sister, Samantha, who's still long-lost. These are just sops to "X-Files" fans, though. The movie has no real idea what it wants to be, and its confusion is illuminated by one of the most hilarious lines of the year. Attempting to assess what they've learned from this lackadaisical adventure, Mulder says to Scully, "If Father Joe were the Devil, why would he say the opposite of what the Devil would say? Maybe that's the answer."

What was the question again?

Don't miss Kurt Loder's review of "Step Brothers," also new in theaters this week.

Check out everything we've got on "X-Files: I Want to Believe."

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

'In Their Boots,' Iraq Vet's Web Doc, Takes A Look At The Battles At Home

A lot of young veterans feel lost when they return home from a war zone. They've often been trained for very specific combat jobs, which don't always translate well to civilian life.

But one 25-year-old former Marine, who was trained to cover fierce firefights in Iraq as a combat correspondent, has found an equally compelling calling as a civilian: He's telling war-related stories that are happening right here at home while the combat continues to rage in Iraq and Afghanistan.

'Twilight' Star Robert Pattinson Reveals His Inner Geek, Has Beatles Moment At Comic-Con

SAN DIEGO — Thus far, the toast of Comic-Con has been "Twilight," Stephenie Meyer's fast-growing franchise, which exploded into a true Hollywood phenomenon yesterday in Hall H, in front of the assembled media of the world and thousands of crazy fans who looked straight out of "Hard Day's Night."

MTV Video Music Awards Get Branded! Meet Your New Host: Russell Brand

Chris Rock, Jack Black, Jamie Foxx and Russell Brand ... yeah, Russell Brand!

The British comedian will take the reigns as host when the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards air live from Los Angeles on September 7.

Brand's big Stateside break came earlier this year, in his scene-stealing role as Brit rocker Aldous Snow in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." He recently did some standup work in Los Angeles, and next up he'll star alongside Adam Sandler in "Bedtime Stories."

"I am proud to be hosting the MTV VMAs," Brand said. "I'm going to celebrate by doing lesbian kisses with both Britney and Madonna, and I'll be giving Michael Jackson a special award to celebrate his birthday — which, coincidentally, is also a lesbian kiss."

He may be new to U.S. audiences, but Brand's a major comedy star in his native England, building a following with his stand-up and parlaying that success to various hosting and acting gigs. He's also found success as an author, columnist and radio host.

The VMA stint won't be Brand's first MTV paycheck — he's hosted various shows on MTV UK over the years. He's also played big stages before, hosting the Brit Awards in 2007 and the NME Awards in 2006, and appearing at the UK leg of the Live Earth concerts at London's Wembley Stadium.

Brand now joins a list of VMA hosts that includes acclaimed comedians (Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy), music moguls (Sean "Diddy" Combs), Oscar winners (Jamie Foxx) and, well, Christian Slater.

(Head here for an opinionated take on Brand's career.)

The VMAs air live from the Paramount Pictures Studios at 9 p.m. ET on September 7. The night begins with MTV News' live red carpet preshow at 8 p.m.

Guy Ritchie Plans To Turn Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes Into Action Hero

For more than 100 years, Sherlock Holmes has been the world's foremost detective mind; a profound genius capable of unlocking even the most intricate mysteries. So how would he unravel this minor puzzle: A man known for his brain is about to showcase his brawn?

Lawsuit Spells Bad News For Facebook's Scrabulous (But Still Gets You 38 Points)

As the Facebook phenomenon continues to tighten its grip on the social-networking universe, new applications are popping up more quickly than cheesy videos on your FunWall. So far, movie quotes, popular board games, even excerpts from books have all danced around potential copyright infringement, but after a year of heavy usage, one application has finally been challenged.

Scrabulous — one of the most highly used Facebook applications, boasting an average of more than a half-million daily users — is under legal fire from Hasbro and Mattel, both of whom hold copyrights to the popular board game Scrabble.

The possibility of a lawsuit has loomed since January, when Hasbro threatened to sue creators Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla. On Thursday, Hasbro moved forward with its threat, arguing in its suit that the application is an infringement upon Scrabble intellectual property.

Supporters of the wildly popular game argue that Scrabulous helps, not hurts, the Scrabble franchise by exposing more people to the game itself and have even gone so far as to create a Save Scrabulous application.

Vidya Wang, a supporter of Scrabulous, said, "I have bought tons of Hasbro original products, for myself and my students, friends and relatives, because of the free marketing done by people like the brothers who built Scrabulous."

The Save Scrabulous application lets users sign a petition stating they will not buy Scrabble if the suit follows through and that they will encourage their friends to do the same. So far, the app has more than 600 users.

Now that Facebook's popularity has become common knowledge, is this just the first of many applications that may be shut down due to legal issues? Let us know in the comment section.

Sir Paul McCartney reveals the mistake that gave the Beatles a hit

By hellomagazine.com

After a lifetime in showbusiness, Sir Paul McCartney is one of the world's most respected musicians. So his audience on Friday was surprised to hear him say a mistake gave the Beatles one of their biggest success stories.

Speaking to this year's graduates at his Liverpool Performing Arts Institute, the 66-year-old told the students how, when recording the Beatles' album Revolver in the 60s, a mistake led to a tape being played backwards. The sound led to the group creating the psychedelic effect which made the album one of the era's most defining records.

"We caught hold of the accident when it happened," he added, advising the audience they should do the same.

As well as passing on his wisdom, the Scouser presented the awards during the two-hour ceremony at Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall. The musician also handed over companionships – the institute's version of an honorary doctorate - to singer-songwriter Cathy Dennis and actor John Hurt, who said he was "thrilled to be here and part of it all".

Britney and Kevin agree their child custody settlement deal

By hellomagazine.com

Her professional life seems very much back on track and now, Britney Spear's has something to smile about in her personal life too. The pop princess has reached agreement with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, over the custody of their children.

Following last week's ruling allowing her more visits to sons Sean Preston, two, and 22-month-old Jayden James, the Piece of Me singer is to increase her child support payments to Kevin from £7,500 to £10,000 a month. She will also pay a one-off lump sum of £125,000 to the 30-year-old dancer's legal team.

The deal is good news after a troubled few months. Britney is now able to see her two little boys three times a week, with at least two overnight visits. And while Kevin retains full custody, the pop princess's lawyer says there may be expanded rights by the end of the year.

"She's thrilled," Britney's attorney revealed. "To have more time with her kids has been her motivation to get well… She couldn't have asked for anything more."

Blur Labour candidate loses

Blur's Dave Rowntree has been defeated in his bid to become a London councillor, it has been confirmed. Standing as a Labour candidate, the drummer lost to Conservative nominee Mehfuz Ahmed in the Church Street seat. Ahmed claimed the Westminster City Council role by 303 votes, scoring 955 votes from a turnout of 24 per cent. Rowntree has been chosen to be the prospective parliamentary Labour candidate for the Cities of London & Westminster constituency at the next general election. Watch Blur's music videos here... Search for the latest concerts tickets on Ticketmaster

Britney memorabilia sold

A collection of iconic Britney Spears memorabilia will go under the hammer next month, it has been announced. The Rock & Roll Pop Art Auction kicks-off on August 2 online and features one lot expected to fetch around $25,000. The "Mickey Mouse Club" t-shirt, signed by the entire cast including Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake when Spears was host, is thought to be the most wanted item. Other lots expected to sell include a series of costumes she has worn on tour during her pop career and a wedding dress costume borrowed from Madonna. Items belonging to Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Johnny Cash and Marilyn Monroe will also be made available, reports the BBC. Watch Britney Spears' music videos here... Search for the latest concerts tickets on Ticketmaster

Universal sign Stones

The Rolling Stones have left EMI Records, ending a relationship stretching back over three decades. The rock veterans today confirmed they have signed a new deal with Universal, which will cover all upcoming releases and back catalogue. They become the third high-profile act to leave the record company in recent months, following the departure of Radiohead and Sir Paul McCartney. In a statement, The Stones, who officially left EMI in March, explained how excited they are about the future. "Universal are forward thinking, creative and hands-on music people. We really look forward to working with them", they commented. Watch The Rolling Stones' music videos here... Search for the latest concerts tickets on Ticketmaster

Timbaland plans new Madonna

Madonna will feature on the new Timbaland album, the US super-producer has revealed. The duo hooked-up on her recent comeback record, "Hard Candy", much of which he produced. Timbaland is now working on the follow-up to "Shock Value 2" and says it will feature a host of star acts. Jay-Z, Beyonce, T.I. and Rihanna are amongst those expected to feature, as he explained in a new interview. He said: "Right now, I have a song with Madonna that I didn't put on her album. I saved (it) in case I wanna do one for me. "Of course I'mma do one with Beyoncé. Of course I'mma do one with Jordin Sparks, Rihanna. It's a lot of people. I'mma do one with Jonas Brothers. "I'mma try to have 10 major ones", confirmed Timbaland, who is also expected to produce the new Jay-Z album. Watch Timbaland's music videos here... Search for the latest concerts tickets on Ticketmaster

Lil Wayne sued

Lil Wayne is being sued over the likeness of one of his songs to a Rolling Stones track. The rap star has been named in a lawsuit filed on Thursday in Manhattan from the owners of their track "Play With Fire". Abkco Music Inc claim one of the songs on his acclaimed new album "Tha Carter III" has been based on Jagger and co's "Playing With Fire" without permission. The legal challenge also details the "explicit, sexist and offensive language" of Wayne's version. They claim it could lead the public to conclude that Abkco and The Stones had approved "Play With Fire". There has so far been no comment from Lil Wayne or his record label, Universal, about the court case. Watch Lil Wayne's music videos here... Search for the latest concerts tickets on Ticketmaster

Friday 25 July 2008

Fabolous, Clipse, Maino Weigh In On How Rick Ross' Alleged Prison-Guard Past Might Affect His Career

Rick Ross says he's laughing at the bloggers. Well, some bloggers certainly are taking liberties with the Miami MC's recent corrections-officer scandal .

Since TheSmokingGun.com reported earlier this week that the rapper was once a prison guard, some people have been posting Photoshopped pictures of Ross on various police-movie posters. There's Ross' head on RoboCop's body, Ross' head replacing Martin Lawrence on a fake "Big Momma's House" poster, Ross' face replacing Sylvester Stallone's on a faux "Cop Land" poster — you get the picture (no pun intended). Meanwhile, the message boards have been heating up with talk of rap's Biggest Boss. Some people are confused, while some have vilified him.

Game Says He Wasn't Taking A Shot At Eminem In Leaked Track

No more speculation necessary: The Game says he wasn't taking a shot at Eminem in a recently leaked track.

After a version of the L.A.X. song "My Life" hit the Web on Wednesday night, fans were confused by some lyrics that seemed to be aimed at Slim Shady: "All the pictures of me and Em, I burned them/ So there ain't no proof I walked through 8 Mile/ And so since it ain't no Proof, I'll never walk through 8 Mile."

The Compton rapper explained himself with a statement on Thursday afternoon (July 24). "When I originally wrote the song 'My Life,' I was trying to think back on events that affected my life and how they changed me," Game said. "When I first got signed to Aftermath and G-Unit, I was exposed to so many different people — from Dre to Em to 50 to Proof. I always identified with Proof. We were always cool, and he would reach out to me whenever I was going through something. I remember when Proof died vividly, and now every time I think about going to Detroit, I get depressed. That is what I was trying to say in that verse. And the more I looked at it, I realized that people would take it the wrong way."

Game went on in his statement to say that the references to Em and Proof have been taken out of the song. True to his word, a new version of "My Life" surfaced Thursday with new lyrics: "I ain't no preacher, but here's my Erick Sermon/ So eat this black music and tell me how it taste now/ And f--- Jesse Jackson because it ain't about race now."

"I decided to change it so that this bullsh-- wouldn't happen, and now it's happened anyway," Game continued in his statement. "For the record, this is not the version on my album, this is not the version that radio will get, and this is not the version that I just shot the video to. Furthermore, I apologize to anyone who took this the wrong way as that was never my intention."

Game and Lil Wayne have indeed finished the video for "My Life." Game and Travis Barker also have a video for "Dope Boys" that should be hitting soon. L.A.X. is due August 26.

Twilight' Cast, Crew Reveal Extended Scene, Confirm Robert Pattinson's 'Lullaby' At Comic-Con

SAN DIEGO — "Twilight" just rocked Hall H at Comic-Con, and MTV News was backstage as the film's cast and crew nervously prepared to meet the crowd of 6,500 fans who could only be descried as thundering.

Kanye West & Choose Or Lose's 'Homecoming': Check Out A Clip From The Show!

By Ocean MacAdams

Approximately 1.7 million soldiers and sailors have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a recent MTV poll, nearly six in ten (58 percent) 18-24-year-olds stated that they personally know someone who has served in Iraq.

MTV News believes that how these young veterans are re-integrated into society — how they cope with their wartime experiences and how they are treated by America — will be one of the stories of this generation. Because of that, MTV is dedicating its Choose Or Lose campaign this year to highlighting the issues of young veterans. We’ve already introduced you to a number of veterans (head
here and here) and we even brought a group of young vets to meet Senators Obama and Clinton.

On Monday, we’re going to do something new. Kanye West has been interested in the issue as well, and he’s decided to team up with MTV for a special called “Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming.” During his recent Glow in the Dark Tour, Kanye met up with three young veterans — one in Oklahoma City; one in Austin, Texas; and one in Charlotte, North Carolina. Each veteran had their own unique story, but all had two things in common: They served in Iraq and were now home and struggling. Whether it was dealing with family debt incurred while they were away or an inability to work while being treated for post traumatic stress disorder, these young vets were in danger of slipping through the cracks.

In each city, Kanye met with them and heard their stories. He brought them to his show and made sure they knew how thankful we all are for their service. More importantly, however, we tried to help. Whether it was money to pay off debt, help with finding a job or help with school bills, each vet was surprised by a gift from MTV and the Dr. Donda West Foundation, named in honor of Kanye’s late mother.

It’s a pretty special show — we hope you enjoy it. It airs Monday, September 28 at 10pm on MTV. Here’s a clip from the show.


'American Teen' Turns Five Indiana Students Into Unlikely Hollywood Stars

The jock, the princess, the rebel, the geek and the heartthrob — sound familiar?

While it may be reminiscent of the 1980s classic "The Breakfast Club," for five Indiana teens, this was much more than one Saturday detention. For 10 months during their final year in high school, filmmaker Nanette Burstein and her crew followed Colin Clemens, Megan Krizmanich, Hannah Bailey, Jake Tusing and Mitch Reinholt, documenting every moment of their senior year and all the drama that came along with it for the movie "American Teen."

Nas And Bill O'Reilly Take Their Beef To The Air, As Fox News Host Denies Charges Of Racism

The latest round in the ongoing fight between Nas and Fox News hit the airwaves Wednesday night (July 23). Shortly after Bill O'Reilly said on his show that protesters who called his network racist were "zombie followers," Nas appeared on "The Colbert Report" and performed his track "Sly Fox."

On the very day his Untitled topped the Billboard album chart, Nas joined members of the organization ColorofChange.org and others in front of Fox News' New York headquarters with a petition signed by over 620,000 people expressing concern over what they felt have been racist portrayals of Barack and Michelle Obama.

On Wednesday's episode of "The O'Reilly Factor," the host called Color of Change's parent company, MoveOn.org, "the new Klan" during his "Talking Points" segment.

"The Move On organization espouses a radical left agenda and attacks those who oppose that nonsense," O'Reilly said. "The latest smear from Move On is telling their Kool-Aid-drinking zombie followers that Fox News is smearing Barack Obama and is a racist concern. Of course, that's a lie. This broadcast and FNC in general have been exceedingly fair to Senator Obama. ... But in order to intimidate anyone from criticizing Obama in any way, Move On is playing the race card."

As a guest on Comedy Central's "Colbert Report," the show that makes its name parodying O'Reilly, Nas sat on boxes of the signed petitions, which he claimed Fox News would not accept.

"They refuse to see the petitions," he told MTV News earlier. "They don't want to deal with it. They want to try to act like they want to get away from it. I been getting a little word that people from Fox have been trying to call and talk to me and stuff like that, but right now it's about getting as many as people as we can [to sign]."

Nas also reaffirmed to Stephen Colbert that he is ready to engage in a debate with O'Reilly on neutral ground.

"Things he's saying are worse than the worst rap lyrics I've ever heard," he said.

'X-Files: I Want To Believe' Is For Loyal Fans <i>And</i> Newcomers, Cast And Crew Insist

If you pay close attention while watching the new film "The X-Files: I Want to Believe," you'll probably catch a few familiar names and faces buried in the heightened action — but only if you're super-familiar with the TV show.

Leaked Game Track -- Featuring Lil Wayne -- Causes Speculation With Curious Eminem Reference

Coming off his song "Game's Pain," it's clear the Game's mood isn't getting any brighter. "My Life," another track from his L.A.X. LP was leaked Wednesday night. It features Lil Wayne and showcases more of Game's wordplay and his very vocal torment.

"All the pictures of me and Em, I burned them," he raps, referencing Slim Shady. "So there ain't no proof I walked through 8 Mile/ And so since it ain't no Proof, I'll never walk through 8 Mile/ Sometimes I think about my life with my face down/ Then I see my sons and put on my Kanye smile."

Later, he references Notorious B.I.G. "Biggie, Brooklyn's Jesus, shot for no f---in' reason/ And you wonder why Kanye West wears his Jesus pieces."

Game also talks about his own troubles, rhyming over the slow, melancholy track. "Hated on so much, 'Passion of the Christ' needs a sequel/ Yeah, like Roc-A-Fella needs a [Beanie] Sigel."

"You ain't grindin' till you die," Wayne sings on the hook, with some help from the Auto-Tune. "So I'm grindin' with my eyes wide looking to find a way through the day/ ... Dear Lord, you have taken so many of my people/ I'm just wondering why you haven't taken my life."

Game's next video, however, is more upbeat. It's called "Dope Boys" and features Travis Barker. The two recently shot the clip in California. You'll see heavy performances as well as some explicit images of hustling. Game's L.A.X. is slated for release later this summer.

(What do you think Game is rapping about? Let us know on the Newsroom blog.)

'Watchmen' Exclusive: My Chemical Romance To Cover Bob Dylan For Film

Now that we’ve all seen the dazzling first trailer for next year’s “Watchmen” flick, it has officially become my most-anticipated movie of 2009. And the news just keeps getting better, as director Zack Snyder has revealed exclusively to MTV News that the only post-1985 song in the film will feature one of today’s hottest bands.

“My Chemical Romance is absolutely awesome,” the “300” director revealed. “And Gerard [Way] is a huge fan of ‘Watchmen’.”

Like the classic graphic novel, Snyder’s “Watchmen” film will span the decades utilizing a “Forrest Gump”-like soundtrack of period-evocative music from the turbulent Sixties, the me-decade Seventies and the awesome Eighties. But since the film ends in 1985, Snyder’s music needs to be capped after his Hendrix, Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel tracks have had their moments. Finding a way around the limitation, Snyder has launched plans to head into the studio with the emo-punk powergroup behind such hits as “Helena” and “Welcome to the Black Parade.”

“[Frontman Way] is a super-great guy, and an awesome musician, and so we’re trying to work with them right now to put together possibly a song for the end titles,” he revealed, adding that he wants MCR to revisit a classic Bob Dylan song. “[They’ll perform] like a cover of “Desolation Row,” or something like that.”

The track will close out the film, and will be the only modern composition making up the movie’s soundtrack. “I’ve talked with him and I’ve heard a little bit of some stuff that’s he’s done,” Snyder said of Way’s early attempts to take on Bob Dylan. “And it’s pretty freaking cool.”

The MCR singer is a lifelong comic book geek who attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City with plans to join the industry. Comic fans know him as the creator of “The Umbrella Academy,” a successful superhero series that he’s poured his spare time into recently, and could possibly be turned into its own movie eventually.

“Honestly, he contacted me, just as a fan,” Snyder remembered of his first contact with Gerard Way. “[He wanted] to say like: “I hope the movie’s cool.” And then we went, “Hey, maybe we can do something.” So it’s worked out pretty cool.”

For now, Snyder and Way will continue working on the Dylan cover for the film’s end titles; in the meantime, however, the director said he’s still being surprised every day as celebrities come out of the woodwork revealing themselves to be fans of the 20-year-old Alan Moore-Dave Gibbons classic. “You find out there’s a Watchmen geek in there somewhere, like in any organization,” he grinned. “It’s like a secret government group. You can sneak in by going, “Come on, I’m a ‘Watchmen’ fan.”

”Watchmen” + My Chemical Romance + a Bob Dylan classic. What do you think?

Miranda Cosgrove Plans Solo Album After Conquering TV And Web With 'iCarly'



It seems like just yesterday that Miranda Cosgrove was the sharp, witty 8-year-old manager of Jack Black's "School of Rock" band. Now, the actress is almost all grown up, and with the hit Nickelodeon show "iCarly," and a solo album in the works, she's on our list of girls who may just be hot on the heels of Miley Cyrus.

You've already heard her voice on the" iCarly" theme song and soundtrack, but this 15-year-old (who was discovered singing at the ripe age of 3) is eager to show some creativity with her upcoming album, which may include a collaboration with Boys Like Girls.

NFL Rookie Caleb Campbell Must Serve The Army Before Realizing Football Dreams

There's no crying in football — or in the Army, for that matter. But after being issued a helmet and gearing up for his first NFL practice with the Detroit Lions, Caleb Campbell admitted that he shed a few tears Wednesday when he learned he would be joining his fellow West Point graduates in either Afghanistan or Iraq instead of taking the field.

When Campbell was drafted in the seventh round by the Lions in April, it opened up a debate about whether it was fair that he'd be lacing up his cleats come fall, when his comrades would be lacing up their combat boots, thanks to a new rule that allowed military-academy grads to go straight to the NFL and delay their service.

According to ESPN, it also might have ruffled feathers at the Navy and Air Force, because their graduates were playing under different rules put down under a Department of Defense directive, which required them to serve two years of active duty before applying for a release to pursue their sports dreams.

Thanks to the Army's alternative-service-option policy created in 2005, Campbell would have been allowed to play football while completing his military service as a recruiter and then in the reserves. But the Army revised its interpretation of the policy on July 8, though word didn't reach Campbell and the Lions until just before training camp was to begin.

"When I got drafted, I told people that I was going to have the best of both worlds," Campbell told ESPN. "I was going to be in the United States Army and I was going to have a chance to play professional football. Now I have the best of one world, and I'm very positive about that. It's all going to work out. ... I'm in great shape, and I'm going to stay in great shape. I'm going to fulfill my duty to the United States Army and do what I've got to do. One day, hopefully, I'll get another opportunity to play in the NFL."

Campbell admitted that he was upset at first and cried when he learned of the change in the Army's policy, but an Army spokesperson told The Associated Press that the defensive back known for stuffing the run could still get a chance to shine.

"It's unfortunate, but it doesn't mean Caleb Campbell's dream is dead. It just means it will be delayed," Army spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Anne Edgecomb said. "We want to take care of soldiers, and dashing their hopes is not what we intend. But it is what it is."

While Campbell had agreed to contract terms with the Lions, he had not yet signed a deal with the team, which will retain his rights until next year's draft, though he won't be eligible to play until 2010.

Campbell, a second lieutenant who trained as an air defense artilleryman at West Point, isn't the first soldier/athlete to be impacted by the military's rules. Last month, according to ESPN, Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter ruled that 22-year-old pitcher and St. Louis Cardinals draftee Mitch Harris has to serve a five-year active-duty commitment before joining the team. Harris had said he was surprised by Winter's ruling considering that, at the time, Campbell was going to be allowed to play football.

But now, every former West Point athlete currently playing pro sports will have to serve two years of active duty, after which they can apply for their release.

"It's unfortunate that the timing of the new policy is happening at the same time that he was about to begin trying out, but that's not something we planned," Edgecomb told ESPN. "But he's been at West Point for four years, and he went there to be an officer. What he's accomplished on a football field has been outstanding, but what he'll accomplish as a soldier will be even greater."

It's not totally the end of the line for Campbell in terms of football. After attending summer and spring mini-camps with the Lions and moving from strong safety to linebacker, he will serve as a graduate assistant with the Army or at the Academy's prep school in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, according to New York's Times Herald-Record. After that year of service, he will report for officer training.

Miley Cyrus Auction -- The Price Of The Meet-And-Greet Is Climbing ...

Miley Cyrus is putting a lot of herself up for auction this week.

The "Hannah Montana" star — whose new LP, Breakout, hit stores on Tuesday — is currently auctioning herself on eBay for charity — sort of ...

While media reports have been billing the auction as a "date" with Miley, the wording on the site describes it as an opportunity to "meet" the star, detailing it as "a personal meet and greet and photo opp with Miley herself!"

The highest bidder gets that opportunity at the premiere of Disney's animated flick "Bolt," which features the voices of Cyrus, John Travolta, Malcolm McDowell (!) and others, on November 26. And what would a Disney premiere be without a trip to the magic kingdom? The winner will also get a three-day/ two-night stay at a Disneyland resort.

If you can't swing the rising price tag — which hit four figures within minutes of the bidding beginning on Tuesday, and was at $4,150 at press time — Miley is also selling a bunch of personal stuff. You can get clothes straight from Miley's closet, like a dress she wore at a Teen Vogue party and a T-shirt she wore in the "Start All Over" video. Other things up for grabs include autographed headshots, movie posters and albums.

All money from the auction goes straight to the Pappy Cyrus Family Foundation — named in honor of her grandfather — which supports underprivileged children.

There is, however, one catch: You need to be at least 18 years old to bid (blame eBay's policy for that one). Anyone under 18 can have their parents or legal guardian bid under their name.

The auction ends July 29. And for anyone interested in the "next Miley," check out our story on Demi Lovato!

Would you give to a worthy cause to meet Miley? Let us know!

Mariah world tour?

Mariah Carey is planning to go on the road later in 2008, she has revealed. The US pop superstar yesterday confirmed a September appearance at the Fashion Rocks event in New York City. She is also scheduled to appear at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles that month and is now also in talks about a full tour. The live jaunt is expected to showcase material from her new album, "E=Mc2" and will apparently be "elaborate". Mariah explained: "We're looking at November right now. Please don't hold me accountable if it turns out to be December 5th or December 7th or January 18th." "I like elaborate. We only do substantial. That's what my jeweller says. I haven't gotten the looks in mind just yet, but we're going to figure it out soon enough", she told MTV. Watch Mariah Carey's music videos here... Search for the latest concerts tickets on Ticketmaster

Mick Jagger hits pension age

LONDON (Reuters) - From Saturday, Mick Jagger will be entitled to a basic state pension of just under 91 pounds a week.

But he will have to wait another five years for free roof insulation -- that benefit is only available to Britons aged over 70.

The lead singer of British rock band The Rolling Stones turns 65 on Saturday, making him an old age pensioner, albeit in name only.

Jagger continues to turn back the clock with age-defying live performances, recently impressing cinema audiences with his energetic strutting and pouting captured by director Martin Scorsese in 2008 rock documentary "Shine a Light".

Although his off-stage antics no longer match the rock'n'roll excess of fellow Stone Ronnie Wood, recently admitted to rehab for a drinking problem, Jagger is clearly not about to rest on his laurels and tend to the garden.

He is increasingly involved in film production, acting as executive producer on "Shine a Light" and backing two other feature films since then. Rumours of a new Rolling Stones album and world tour also regularly surface in the news pages.

Should Jagger's estimated 225 million pound ($450 million) fortune, plus pension, prove insufficient, another tour would be a sure way of helping make ends meet.

The Rolling Stones' "A Bigger Bang" tour became the most successful of all time, grossing $558,255,524 from 2005 to 2007, according to Stones tour producer Michael Cohl.

Michael Philip Jagger was born in Dartford, in the south of England, on July 26, 1943, the son of a school teacher and a hairdresser.

He became lead singer of the Rolling Stones, formed in the early 1960s, and went on to perform a string of classic hits from "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" to "Ruby Tuesday" to "Angie".

The band is estimated to have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide and regularly features at or near the top of lists of the most influential acts in pop music history.

Jagger has had a string of high-profile relationships, including with Marianne Faithfull and Carla Bruni, now married to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

He was married twice, to Nicaraguan beauty Bianca Perez Macias in 1971 and Texan fashion model Jerry Hall in 1990. They divorced in 1999. He has seven children and is a grandfather.

The rock lothario was knighted at Buckingham Palace in 2003, when he rejected suggestions he had sold out to the British establishment against which he had railed for so long.

"I don't really think the establishment as we know it exists any more," he said at the time.

Jagger is likely to face renewed questions about his future and that of his band now that he has reached retirement age, but he should be used to it.

More than 45 years ago he was asked how long he could keep going with the Rolling Stones, and in a separate interview, his questioner said: "Can you picture yourself at the age of 60 doing what you're doing now?"

"Yeah, easily. Yeh," he replied.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

Bregenz Festival opens with hint of Hollywood glamour

By Simon Morgan

BREGENZ, Austria (AFP) - Lake Constance, which borders on Germany, Austria and Switzerland, forms the spectacular backdrop to the annual Bregenz Festival, where a huge open-air stage has been built out on to the lake itself.

A performance of Puccini's operatic thriller "Tosca" opened this year's festival, the 63rd edition, on Wednesday evening.

Austria's political elite -- President Heinz Fischer and Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer -- were among the 7,000 spectators armed with blankets and cushions against the cold wind.

But the proceedings had even looked set to take on a touch of Hollywood glamour, too, after the so-called "Seebuehne" or stage-on-the-lake was used during filming of the new James Bond film "Quantum of Solace" earlier this year.

Rumour had it that 007 himself, British film actor Daniel Craig, was to have been in the opening night audience, but he failed to make an appearance in the end.

Nevertheless, apart from the wind, the weather played along and "Tosca" began just as the sun was setting, in dramatic red and purple, over Lake Constance.

The stage, dominated throughout by a huge eye, could arguably be one of the most spectacular "Tosca" sets ever made, complete with laser beams, state-of-the-art video projections and a wondrous stage technology that allows the gigantic 200-tonne eye and towering backdrop to slide and glide around silently and effortlessly.

There are some breath-taking moments, as when Cavaradossi, shot by a firing squad, plummets tens of metres into the waters of Lake Constance itself.

Tosca, too, sings the final act vertiginously atop the iris of the eye: one slip and the heroine could easily have been sent tumbling, too.

The problem with an open-air venue, and particularly one as spectacular as this, was that voices need to be amplified. Orchestra and conductor are hidden away in the security and warmth of the nearby Festspielhaus theatre, with their contribution piped into the stage's vast sound system, rendering impossible the interaction that is so vital to good opera performance.

In some of the more intimate moments, the orchestra -- the otherwise excellent Vienna Symphony Orchestra -- sounded tinny, while the singers' voices were miked too loudly.

American soprano, Catherine Naglestad, was a vocally impressive Tosca, particularly in her famous aria "Vissi d'arte." Her compatriot Andrew Richards was adequate as Cavaradossi, but clearly had difficulty higher up in the register.

Austrian bass-baritone Claudio Otelli was visually dashing as the evil Scarpia, but less interesting vocally.

It was only really US bass Sebastien Soules in the small role of Angelotti who made you sit up and want to hear more.

German maestro Ulf Schirmer conducted without much subtlety, but in a production such as this, it is the stage and the dramatic setting of Lake Constance itself that are the stars of the show, anyway.

Musically, the Bregenz Festival is set to become much more interesting on Thursday night with the premiere of the rarely-performed 12-tone opera "Karl V" by Austrian composer Ernst Krenek (1900-1991).

Labelled by Krenek himself -- whose music was blacklisted by the Nazis and who emigrated to the United States in 1938 -- as a "theatre piece with music", "Karl V" tells the life story of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, in the form of flashbacks. On his deathbed, the emperor makes his confession to a young monk, explaining his actions, his motives in an attempt to obtain absolution.

Directed by German director and actor Uwe Eric Laufenberg, the new production will be staged indoors in Bregenz's Festspielhaus theatre.

It will star German baritone Dietrich Henschel in the title role with German conductor Lothar Koenigs in the pit.

The Bregenz Festival runs until August 23.

Fleetwood Mac back

Fleetwood Mac will record a new album and play live dates next year, they have revealed. The legendary rock act are expected to reconvene in January to begin work on their first material since 2003's "Say You Will". The news was announced by Lindsey Buckingham, who is about to release his latest solo album, in a new interview. However, he says there are currently no plans for Sheryl Crow to join the band, following much speculation earlier this year. Speaking about the latest Mac reformation, Buckingham told Billboard the itinerary is currently being put together, with rehearsals due at the start of 2009. On the subject of Crow, he said the idea of her becoming part of the touring group had "just kind of lost its momentum". Buckingham releases his new album, "Gift Of Screws", on September 16. Watch Fleetwood Mac's music videos here... Search for the latest concerts tickets on Ticketmaster

Thursday 24 July 2008

Liza sings for wealthy aristocrats at their Bavarian castle

By hellomagazine.com

There was a meeting of music aristocracy and the real thing this week when Liza Minnelli performed at a concert in southeast Germany organised by a wealthy local family.

The music legend had been invited to sing at magnificent St Emmeram Castle in the Bavarian city of Regensburg by Countess Gloria of Thurn und Taxis. A member of one of Germany's wealthiest families - they received their princely titles from Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I in 1695 - the countess was among the 30,000-strong crowd with her son Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis as Liza took to the stage.

And 25-year-old Albert - who's a keen motor racing driver - clearly shares the same sense of fun as his mother, who was dubbed the punk princess in the Eighties due to her lavish social life.

Every year the countess hosts the summer concert in the courtyard of her family home - which is open to members of the public - to encourage visitors to the grand neo-renaissance-style edifice.

Located on the outskirts of the historic town of Regensburg, the castle has a dramatic interior featuring a conservatory packed with exotic plants and a lavish baroque-style ballroom

Metallica reveal "Death Magnetic"

Metallica have announced the full tracklisting of their new album "Death Magnetic". The hard rock titans recently confirmed news of the long-awaited follow-up to 2003's "St Anger", which is due out later this year. They also revealed plans for a historic link-up with the latest edition of the Guitar Hero video game, which is expected to be released simultaneously. The tracklisting for "Death Magnetic" is as follows: "That Was Just Your Life" "The End of the Line" "Broken, Beat & Scarred" "The Day That Never Comes" "All Nightmare Long" "Cyanide" "The Unforgiven III" "The Judas Kiss" "Suicide & Redemption" "My Apocalypse" As previously reported, Metallica play the Reading & Leeds Festival in the UK next month. Watch Metallica's music videos here...

Early bird Glasto

Tickets for the 2009 Glastonbury Festival are to go on-sale six months in advance, Michael Eavis has announced. The news comes after a difficult year for the gathering, which failed to sell out this summer for the first time in recent memory. Festival chief Eavis today confirmed that 100,000 'early-bird' tickets will be made available in October, for a deposit of £50. The full amount will then be due on April 1, the traditional on-sale date, with a fine of £10 levied against those who do not complete their purchase. Eavis has also confirmed that ticket prices are to go up next year although he remains convinced that the demand is there to meet the hike. "Everybody wants to come - everywhere I go people say 'oh we should've been there and we're so fed up about it' because it was so good. "We actually did it (the 2008 festival) cheap - we couldn't cover the costs at that price. It wasn't a loss but it wasn't as good as it should've been", he explained.

Fashion Rocks Timberlake

Justin Timberlake heads the star-studded bill at this year's Fashion Rocks event in New York City. The US pop superstar will be joined at the September event by Beyonce, Rihanna, Fergie, Lily Wayne and Mariah Carey. Duffy, Kid Rock, Black Eyed Peas, Chris Brown and Keith Urban are also due to appear at the annual event. Funds raised at the get together will go to the 'Stand Up To Cancer' charity, a showbiz initiative funding research into the disease. Fashion Rocks 2008 takes place at Radio City Music Hall on September 5. Watch Justin Timberlake's music videos here... Search for the latest concerts tickets on Ticketmaster

Nana Mouskouri bids farewell with Athens concert

ATHENS (AFP) - Nana Mouskouri has bid adieu to a remarkable half-century in music with a farewell concert in her native Greece at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens.

Fans filled the ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus on Wednesday evening to hear the 73-year-old songstress -- one of the best-selling recording artists of all time -- perform from her wide repertoire.

Hours earlier, the city of Athens bestowed its gold medal on Mouskouri, who has been on a worldwide farewell tour since she announced her plans to retire three years ago.

Born on the island of Crete, the bespectacled Mouskouri has sold more than 300 million records in French, English, Germany, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Hebrew and Japanese, her record company Universal says.

She was also engaged in humanitarian work, serving as a UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) ambassador, and served as a Greek member of the European Parliament in the 1990s.

Wednesday 23 July 2008

'Twilight,' 'Watchmen' And 'Terminator Salvation' Panels Have Us Geeked For Comic-Con

It's the Super Bowl of Superheroes. The Running of the Geeks. Whatever you want to call the world's biggest genre convention, it's Comic-Con — and your MTV News team can't wait to head to San Diego again this week as we do every year.

Beginning Wednesday night (July 23), we'll be all over the show like a swarm of tooth fairies attempting to take down Hellboy. And with a diverse slate boasting everything from "Twilight" to "Watchmen," "Star Trek" to Sarah Silverman, "Pineapple Express" to a reunion of the kids who did the voices for the original "Peanuts" cartoons, 2008 is sure to be manna for the masses.

Stay tuned to MTV, MTV.com, the MTV Movies Blog and our newly launched comics blog Splash Page for the very latest. In the meantime, here are the 10 Comic-Con events we're most excited about:

Bow Wow Patches Things Up With Jermaine Dupri, Talks About His Role On 'Entourage'

Bow Wow drives the same car during his leisure time as Bruce Wayne does.

"They call me 'Lamborghini Moss,' " the young superstar laughed as he cruised down the street in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. He was being driven, by the way, on his way to the studio to work on his upcoming album, Pedigree. Now on LP number seven, Bow has taken full creative control — a duty once left to Jermaine Dupri. (Take a look back at Bow's career trajectory in the MTV Newsroom blog.)

"He's my father," Bow Wow explained of their musical bond. The two have butted heads over creative direction while working on Bow's past few projects. "He's the dude when you in the crib and have your arguments, you move out the crib. ... But me and Jermaine Dupri are back tight again. We hanging out every day. I'm putting him on this song Swizz Beatz did for me called 'Big Bank Take Little Bank.' I'm trying to throw him on there right now. Y'all gonna see JD on the album even if he just gets on there and says, 'Y'all know what this is!' He's gonna be a part of it even if I have to drag him."

In the fall, Bow is joining yet another family: HBO's "Entourage" crew. "I'm playing a character named Charlie who is an up-and-coming comedian, which is different for me, because I'm not really a comedian. But I can be a clown when I want to," he said. "I'm actually E's new client, and I signed on to their agency. I'm having fun this year. A lot of opportunities are being thrown my way."

Bow, whose cameo got extended while shooting, will be shown telling jokes.

"The dope thing about it, I've never liked to mix my acting stuff with the music," he said. "I've always been like that forever. Now, being that acting is my first [love] and I still love music with a passion, I wanted to find a way for me not to be stressed out and have fun with it. I wanted to bring the acting side to my music. When you see Bow Wow the musician, you see Bow Wow the actor. You'll be like, 'He's an entertaining little dude right here.' "

The actor and rapper said he also hopes to be a director someday. He's getting quite good on the editing side, at least. "That's my new hobby on my MacBook: editing," he said. "Editing on my computer, I found out that's my first hobby. I edit all my videos [for my video blog], put effects on it. I've gotten better. The 'Marco Polo' video, I directed it. I've been doing [videos] for so long, I know how it's supposed to be shot, how it's supposed to be done."

"Marco Polo" features Soulja Boy Tell'em and is the first single from Bow's Pedigree, which comes out later this year.

Dr. Dre Hopes To Drop <i>Detox</i> This Year, With Guest Spots From Lil Wayne, Nas, Jay-Z

He told us to "look out for Detox" on the Game's "Higher" — he just didn't say it would be in another four years. On Wednesday (July 23), Dr. Dre revealed to the world that the long-awaited LP could drop this year.

"I'm just now — over the last couple of months — starting to feel that it's going to be right and it's something I can be proud of, and everybody is going to love it," Dr. Dre told USA Today. "In a perfect world, I'm shooting for a November or December release."

This is the most Dre has said about the project in years. Since the famed producer announced the LP's existence in his onetime protégé's record, many people — including Bishop Lamont, Busta Rhymes and Jay-Z, as well as producers Warren G, Just Blaze, Hi-Tek and Scott Storch — have come forward with stories of being in the studio with the musical great.

"I'd describe it as the most advanced rap album musically and lyrically we'll probably ever have a chance to listen to," Storch told MTV News in 2004.

"The thing was that when Dre decided [to forget about] Detox, he was in his artist-molding mode," Game told us that same year about the first time Dre decided to push back the planned 2003 release date. "He was feeling like he just got Eve and Bus, he was real focused on my project, he was on some unselfishness. Like, 'I'mma put Detox to the side; I ain't gonna do Detox.' Dre just fell back and wanted to work on his artists. After he got me out of the way, Busta's album is almost wrapped, Eve is working her album, Dre is feeling vibrant. Dre got his groove back, and he's ready to do the Detox."

Dre explained to USA Today that his perfectionist ways have definitely played a part in the project's holdup. "I just make the music feel the way I want it to feel, and I don't put it out until I'm totally happy with it," the 43-year-old said.

"We have an entirely new thing going with the drums that's incredible, and we're still developing that," Dre added. He also confirmed that Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Nas are on the potential masterpiece. 50 Cent revealed to MTV News that he has made records for the project, and Snoop Dogg told Rolling Stone that he also completed tracks.

"That record is real, it's coming," Snoop Dogg told the magazine. "I was starting to doubt it myself, and then I went up in there and he played so much music for me it knocked my head off. ... I see what he got them waiting for. It's on and poppin'."

Could The Joker Return To Theaters? Find Out In Our Splash Page Blog

Heath Ledger as the Joker in 'The Dark Knight'The legend surrounding Heath Ledger’s Joker is already growing at a staggering rate, with some even calling it the best villain of all-time. But given Ledger’s untimely demise earlier this year, could it possibly be the last we’ll see of the Joker on the big-screen for a long, long time?

Absolutely not, insisted “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” scribe David Goyer, who already has plans to bring the Joker back to the big-screen, and soon. Just not in “Batman 3.”

“His name is a throwaway. He’s on a cell,” Goyer said of the Joker’s appearance in “Super Max,” the Green Arrow movie he’s written which takes place at a penitentiary for super villains in the DC Universe. “You don’t actually see him, just his name on a cell. It’s a real Easter Egg. That’s one cross-pollination we would stay away from [doing more with].”

In fact, a non-traditional superhero movie that centers on Green Arrow’s incarceration and eventual escape from prison, “Super Max” boasts a whole host of comic-crossovers, with everyone from “Superman villains, Green Lantern villains, and Wonder Woman villains,” making an appearance, Goyer said.

“I know Warner Brothers is having a big rethink about how they approach all their DC films and they’ve been taking a lot of meanings recently about it. And this is a script they like a lot because there are all sorts of characters in this prison. They like that idea,” Goyer said. “We’re fairly hopeful they’ll want to move forward in the next year or so.”

So given the opportunity for nearly unfettered play in the DC sandbox, which side character is Goyer’s favorite?

“The Tattoo Man is in there which seemed like a no brainer if you’re doing a movie about a super prison — having a character with super tattoos,” Goyer said. “Amanda Waller’s in there as well from the Suicide Squad. Those are probably the two I like the most, absent Green Arrow.”

What do you think? Is “Super Max” the next, great superhero movie you’re looking forward to? Is the Joker’s min-appearance a good idea? If you could choose any villain or hero to make an appearance, who would it be? Sound off below.

Nas Ends Lil Wayne's <i>Billboard</i> Reign With <i>Untitled</i>

After weeks of trading places at the top of the weekly Billboard albums chart, Lil Wayne and Coldplay have been vanquised by a new champion. Following months of hype about its original title and subsequent change, Nas' Untitled will cruise to the top spot on the chart on sales of 186,600. The Nas takeover will push Weezy's Tha Carter III down a notch to #2 on sales of 105,500, according to Nielsen SoundScan, just one week after Wayne had regained the pole position from Coldplay.

Nas' debut was strong, giving him his fourth #1 bow, but it paled in comparison to the first week for his previous album, Hip Hop Is Dead, which scanned 354,000 units back in 2006. The soundtrack to the ABBA-centric "Mamma Mia!" busts into the #3 slot on sales of 91,400, dropping Coldplay's Viva la Vida down to #4, with 90,300 more converts, and the "Camp Rock" soundtrack follows with another 78,000 units moved. The second wind for iTunes holdout Kid Rock's Rock N Roll Jesus continues unabated, as the album sees sales tick up almost 20 percent from last week with 73,500 more satisfied customers, landing it in the #6 spot.

The top 10 also features three other fresh faces: Rock Hall of Famer John Mellencamp's Life Death Love and Freedom at #7 with 56,200 in sales, David Banner's The Greatest Story Ever Told at #8 on 51,800 units and Taylor Swift's Wal-Mart-only album Beautiful Eyes at #9 with 44,700. The top 10 is rounded out by the expanded edition of Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad, which slipped two spots from last week with sales of 41,300.

There were plenty of other debuts in the mix, with jam band O.A.R.'s All Sides landing at #13 with 33,200 in sales; county veteran Randy Travis clocking 31,000 in sales for Around the Bend at #14; the soundtrack to "The Dark Knight," swooping into the #20 position on 24,700 in sales; and bar-rock heroes the Hold Steady grabbing the #30 slot with their latest chronicle of lovable losers, Stay Positive, which won over 17,400 big spenders.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Magic Tour Highlights EP appears at #48 with 11,800 units moved. Aussie rising star Delta Goodrem breaks through at #116 on 6,000 copies of Delta, and Atlanta rockers Rehab punch in at #132 with sales of 5,100 for Graffiti the World.

While both Coldplay and Weezy have seen their sales drop off slowly but steadily, a couple of acts that debuted in the top 10 recently took major falls, including Beck, whose Modern Guilt saw a 66 percent drop in sales, landing him at #16, and G-Unit's T.O.S. (Terminate on Sight), which skidded 40 percent in its third week on the chart, dropping from #9 to #24.

Nas shouldn't get too comfortable, since next week will bring the chart debut of Miley Cyrus' first full album under her own name, Breakout.

Pink's New LP Due In October, Video For 'So What' To Premiere On 'FNMTV' Next Month

Pink's seen a lot — she's had hits, misses, love and loss — and now she's saying, "So What"?

The singer, who separated from her husband Carey Hart earlier this year, has been hard at work recording a new album, which she's planning to release October 28, her record label announced Wednesday (July 23). There's no title yet for that album, Pink's fifth, but the first single and video are called "So What."

"So What" isn't just Pink's return to radio — it also marks her return to working with Max Martin, who produced the song (which Pink co-wrote). Martin teamed with the singer on her 2006 LP, I'm Not Dead, on the songs " 'Cuz I Can," "Who Knew" and "U + Ur Hand," the last two of which were hit singles.

Pink's also been writing and recording with much of her I'm Not Dead team, including Billy Mann (who co-wrote eight songs, including "Stupid Girls" on that album), Butch Walker (who co-wrote two songs) and EG White (who most recently worked with Duffy), among others.

For the "So What" video, Pink is also reteaming with director Dave Meyers, who shot the clips for "U + Ur Hand" and "Stupid Girls," the latter of which garnered scads of media attention for the singer for its spoofs of starlets such as Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson and Lindsay Lohan, and its encouragement for girls to be smart and rebellious.

"So What" is slated to hit radio in early August and will be available for sale digitally by the middle of that month, but MTV — or rather, "FNMTV" — will have the video first: "So What" will premiere on "FNMTV" later that month, after which MTV will have the exclusive broadcast of the video for 72 hours. Prior to that, Pink will be a guest commentator on the show July 25 and August 1.

What do you want to hear Pink sing about on her new LP? Let us know in the Newsroom Blog!

'Watchmen' Video Game Preview: Rorschach And Nite Owl Star In Subversive Prequel Set In 1970s

LOS ANGELES — In a somewhat secret room at the back of the Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment booth at the E3 show last week, we watched the "Watchmen" video game.

Under a cone of silence and the watchful eye of developers and WBIE studio head Martin Tremblay, we saw something entirely unexpected: "Watchmen" heroes Nite Owl and Rorschach beating up bad guys in a game that looked sharp enough to be a full-scale production built on a modern gaming graphics engine but which will actually be a downloadable, episodic game for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC next year.

In the gameplay demo MTV News witnessed, the ink-blotted anti-hero Rorschach bull-rushed a gang of attackers in a dark alley. A bronze-costumed Nite Owl backed him up with a more technological attack, using not just his fists but gadgets to electrify his foes. The developers first played the game for us as a single-player brawler and then in split-screen co-op.

The "Watchmen" game is a prequel to the saga first chronicled in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' legendary 1980s DC Comics miniseries. Its release will be timed to coincide with the March 2009 premiere of the film adaptation, directed by Zack Snyder. But how do you do a prequel as a video game without Moore's involvement?

Warner Bros. has brought in "Watchmen" comic editor Len Wein to write the game's story. The narrative is being kept secret for now, though we were told the game takes place in the '70s and will be "subversive." What are the '70s like in the world of the "Watchmen"? Readers of the comic will recall that Richard Nixon is president for life, there's no Watergate scandal, America wins in Vietnam, and there are riots in the streets of the U.S.

Game producer Andy Abramovici told MTV News that Nite Owl and Rorschach will be the main characters of the game, though he didn't rule out the possibility of other "Watchmen" icons appearing. The developers have tried to give Nite Owl and Rorschach distinctive fighting styles and mannerisms. One example: Rorschach skulked around part of a level with his hands stuffed in his trench-coat pockets. Nite Owl moved more like a hero. The story will be told between combat scenes, though in what manner is still being kept secret. The fighting scenes will be programmed to merit the game an M rating and, Abramovici said, the developer is striving to have players fight up to 20 onscreen enemies at a time.

Watching a "Watchmen" game brings all sorts of ideas to mind about how to turn trappings of the comic into a game. Maybe part of it could be depicted in a nine-panel grid? Maybe Rorschach could run around dropping or collecting sugar cubes? Abramovici said the developers have thought of it all, and while some aspects of the comic won't translate, he guarantees that any sugar cubes that do appear will be properly branded as "Sweet Chariot" sugar.

The "Watchmen" game is being developed by Danish development team Deadline Games, the studio behind "Chili Con Carnage" and "Total Overdose."

MTV News will be at the San Diego Comic-Con this week for even more "Watchmen" coverage, including interviews with the cast. Check out our brand-new comics blog Splash Page for updates.

And for a lot more E3 games coverage, check out our Multiplayer blog.

Kid Rock Sentenced To Year Of Probation For Waffle House Brawl

Kanye West might not need anger management, but Kid Rock is going to get it, whether he wants it or not. Rock (born Robert Ritchie) was sentenced to a year of probation and fined $1,000 for his role in a fight at an Atlanta Waffle House last year. The sentence, handed down on Tuesday, also includes six hours of anger-management counseling and 80 hours of community service, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The October incident involved a predawn fight at the suburban restaurant after Rock's gig at Atlanta's Tabernacle. According to reports, a man named Harlen Akins, 39, got into a verbal altercation with a female friend who was accompanying Rock's crew. The argument escalated into a physical scuffle in the parking lot with Rock and five members of his entourage, during which Akins allegedly broke a window at the restaurant. Rock and his crew allegedly hopped on their tour bus and drove off, but cops stopped them and arrested Rock and the five other men on misdemeanor battery charges.

After Rock pleaded no contest to one count of simple battery in the case, four other counts of battery were dropped. Guitarist Jason E. Krause and group member James W. Murphy pleaded no contest and got similar sentences, while charges were dropped against the other three men. Rock's attorney said his client was "not terribly unhappy" with the sentence, though he still didn't think the brawl was his fault.

"I think my client is satisfied," attorney Darryl Cohen said. "He would have liked to have tried it. He came within a hairbreadth of going to trial."

Britney Spears-Following Paparazzi Arrested For Loitering Near Singer's Los Angeles Home

For the past year, we'd gotten used to the nearly daily photos of Britney Spears tooling around Los Angeles aimlessly in her car. But on Monday, Los Angeles Police might have made it a bit harder for paparazzi to get those shots, arresting two photographers who staked out a spot on a fire-access road on a hillside near Spears' Studio City home on suspicion of loitering.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the two photogs, Alexandre Passos, 35, and Eduardo Ravalha, 35, were arrested after an unidentified person called police around 4 p.m. on Monday to report that the men were loitering on city-owned property that has restricted public access and is blocked by a chain-link fence.

Police told the two to leave the area, but when officers returned nearly an hour later, the photographers were still there. An LAPD spokesperson said the photographers were "detained, questioned and eventually arrested," before being released a few hours later. Ravalha's Mercedes was impounded. Police may have been so quick to respond because they were called to the same spot two weeks ago on a similar report and noticed that signs warning trespassers to stay off the property had been removed.

The arrests Monday were part of an initiative by the LAPD to crack down on aggressive celebrity photographers. In February, four paparazzi were arrested by the LAPD on suspicion of reckless driving after they followed Spears on a street in the San Fernando Valley, and police alleged that at least one had tried to run the singer off the road.

John Legend Says Synchronized Swimmers, Showgirls Set 'Green Light' Video Apart

For all those fans anticipating the latest from John Legend, the multiplatinum Grammy-winning R&B crooner has a gift: the video for "Green Light," the first single from his upcoming album, Evolver.

Legend probably never has to hunt for love, but the clip has him chasing after a beautiful starlet at a lavish Beverly Hills party. It may sound like it's been done before, but Legend insists that the visual experiments he and director Alan Ferguson used distinguish "Green Light" from past videos.

"The song is simple," Legend explained. "It's just me trying to pick up a girl at a club and convince her to come have some fun with me. [The video] definitely has that story line in it, but we just take it kind of different places to do some unexpected visual things. We have this surreal kind of dance sequence, and it features synchronized swimmers and showgirls. We just throw a little extra twist on it."

What exactly is that extra twist? Well, it's actually a reflection of the song itself — the video meshes vintage and contemporary elements and sends fans slipping through time.

"We wanted to mix a current, modern feel with an old-school, classic Hollywood feel because the song has kind of a big-band quality to it as well as a more modern dance-song quality," the singer said. "We wanted to mix the two different parts."

No stranger to star-studded collaborations, Legend tapped Outkast's Andre 3000 to make a cameo on "Green Light."

"Andre obviously blessed it," he said. "The tempo and the feel of the song are really perfect for Andre's style. So I felt like it was a perfect match, and then he came and gave a great verse. He really loved the song, and he really wanted to do it."

Though perfect for Andre, the quick tempo of "Green Light" is something new for Legend, who mixes it up on the upcoming LP.

"The album has a balance of uptempo, midtempo and ballad songs," Legend said. " 'Green Light' is the most uptempo, but there's a few other uptempos on the record. There's a couple reggae tunes, a couple of classic John Legend ballads and then a few midtempo songs as well."

Still, the singer isn't straying too far from what fans are used to hearing, so expect Legend's signature wooing.

"I think it's hard to find a general theme [for the album]," he said. "It's a lot of love and relationship songs, as people probably would expect from me. There's not an overarching lyrical theme that goes throughout. It's just a bunch of good songs, I think."

And a bunch of good collaborators as well. Legend got production help from Kanye West, Will.I.Am and Pharrell Williams, and a guest appearance from Estelle, whom he recently signed to his HomeSchool Records imprint.

Evolver hits stores in October.

Miley Cyrus Is Just Like You, Only With A Bigger Bank Account, In <i>Bigger Than The Sound</i>

On The Record: Saint Miley, The Conflicted

You might not be aware of this, given the bazillion-dollar empire she sits atop of or her two-pack-a-day voice, but Miley Cyrus is just 15 years old. She won't turn 16 until November, at which point she'll probably throw the superest, sweetest birthday party imaginable (with helicopters even!), then go out and buy Microsoft, just for fun.

Barack Obama, John McCain Get Superhero Treatment -- Minus Tights And Capes -- In New Comic Books

Back off, Batman! You may be big at the box office, but there are two new comic book heroes on the horizon: John McCain and Barack Obama.

The presidential candidates are getting the superhero treatment courtesy of IDW Publishing, the small graphic imprint behind "30 Days of Night" and the "Transformers" comic books. You'll have to wait until October 8 to get a copy, but we have a sneak peek inside the pages of both biographical books. (See the animated politicians for yourself here.)

Both comics feature key points in the candidates' lives that have played heavily into their campaigns. The excerpt from McCain's comic focuses on his years as a prisoner of war at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" during the Vietnam War. The Republican candidate's story is being written by comics veteran Andy Helfer and drawn by Stephen Thompson.

In Obama's excerpt, you'll see a graphic interpretation of his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and the immediate reaction to it. The Democratic candidate's story is being penned by Jeff Mariotte and drawn by Tom Morgan.

The issues have similar covers, with each candidate in the standard superheroic pose (sans cape and tights), by J. Scott Campbell of "Danger Girl" fame. And since this is 2008, you'll be able to download the comics to your iPhone or BlackBerry.

The comic books aim to tell both candidates' stories as they happened, so don't expect any radioactive spider bites or experimental serums yielding super-patriotic results. As for sequels, we'll have to wait until November to see which candidate deserves a second issue.

Rick Ross Reaffirms Gangster Past In New Freestyle, Despite Report That He Worked As Prison Guard

While his only response thus far is a freestyle sent to MTV News saying he's "laughing at [the] blogs," Rick Ross is apparently standing by his denial that he previously worked as a prison guard — in the wake of documents posted on the TheSmokingGun.com that purportedly expose the MC's past employment as an officer for the Florida Department of Corrections.

The Smoking Gun's report claims that in 1995, at the age of 19, Ross (born William Leonard Roberts) started a career as a prison guard, earning a salary of $22,913.54. He reportedly held the position for 18 months. The rapper's Social Security number is the same as the one listed for the jail guard on documents giving to the site by D.O.C. spokesperson Jo Ellyn Rackleff. A photo of what looks likes a younger Ross in full uniform was also posted on the Web site and is said to have been taken at his graduation from the D.O.C. academy.

A few days ago, a videotaped interview of Ross was leaked to the Internet where a male voice confronted Mr. "M.I. Yayo" about what until then had been loose rumors and urban-legend-type talk among some music industry insiders.

"It's no truth to it," Ross flatly denied in the video.

Early Tuesday morning (July 22), someone going by the name "Mr. 305" released a video claiming that he in fact was in possession of more photos from Ross' alleged security-guard days. The trailer included what appeared to be a D.O.C. class picture featuring a man who looks like Ross dressed in full prison-guard garb.

Neither Ross nor his rep were able to be reached for comment about the accusations. Late Monday night, however, a source within his camp told MTV News that he planned to respond with a song. Around 1 a.m., we received two new freestyles from Ross, though he barely touched on the controversy. Over Snoop Dogg's "Life of da Party," he rhymed, "B----, I'm the boss and I'm laughing at your blogs." Later he went on to brag, "I'm the glue in the streets, meaning I can get you stuck/ The world knows where the f--- I'm from/ Sell rock, 20 chains and I never lost one .../ Heavy on the block, never on the Net."

The other freestyle is over the instrumental to Alicia Keys' "Teenage Love Affair" and doesn't mention the rumors, but talks about hanging out with a close female friend.

After over a decade of having his music relegated to the underground scene in Florida, Ross finally broke through in 2006 with the monster street banger "Hustlin'." The song turned into a club anthem, easily making him a household name in the hip-hop community. That year, Ross released his debut LP, Port of Miami, which was filled with tales of his transition into a cartel kingpin. The record was #1 on the Billboard albums chart in its first week of release. While records such as "Hustlin'," "Push It" and "Blow" were undeniable, the key to Ross' success and strong following were that the fans believed that he lived all, or at least most, of what he rapped. This year, Ross' second LP, Trilla, also bowed in the #1 spot, fueled by his hit "The Boss," featuring T-Pain. Ross' current single is "Here I Am" with Nelly. During his last sit-down with MTV News, the Miami native said he was hoping to release another album later this year called Deeper Than Rap.

'Dark Knight' Star Christian Bale Arrested For Assault -- Denies Allegations By Mother, Sister

Christian Bale turned himself in to London police early Tuesday (July 22), after allegations of assault were made against him, and was released from custody several hours later. He was not charged.

The "Dark Knight" star, who was in London to promote the film, was allowed to attend the U.K. premiere at a Leicester Square theater Monday night because he made an appointment to turn himself in the following morning. The alleged incident took place on Sunday night at the actor's hotel, the Dorchester on Park Lane, and involved Bale's mother Jenny and his sister Sharon, who went to the police in Hampshire to make a report.

"Christian Bale attended a London police station today on a voluntary basis in order to assist with an allegation that has been made against him to the police by his mother and sister," the actor's spokesperson said in a statement. "Mr. Bale, who denies the allegation, co-operated throughout, gave his account in full of the events in question, and has left the station without any charge being made against him by the police."

After being held for more than four hours, Bale was released on the condition that he returns to the station at an unspecified date in September, a London Metropolitan Police spokesperson told MTV News. The spokesperson declined to reveal the conditions of his release, termed as "bail" in the U.K. — although no money is exchanged, as it would be in the U.S. "He has been bailed," a London Metropolitan Police spokesperson said, "pending further investigation into two separate inquiries," referring to the reports from Bale's mother and sister.

At Monday's premiere, Bale told MTV U.K. that the movie was a success because it is a "perfect storm."

"The hype has been good, the reviewers have responded, you've got great portrayals, you've got a great cast, and a great director in Christopher Nolan," Bale said. "And of course you've got Heath Ledger giving a fantastic portrayal of the Joker. He deserves all the credit that people are giving him."

Bale was slated to meet with journalists to promote the film further at his hotel on Tuesday.

'Twilight' Tuesday: Nikki Reed Hopes To Make Us Understand What's Beneath Rosalie's Beautiful, Hard Exterior

PORTLAND, Oregon — She's one of the most beautiful women in the world. She's struggling with the universal search for unconditional love. She really knows how to rock a pair of baseball pants.

At first glance, Nikki Reed and Rosalie Hale seem to have a lot in common. But when we visited the set of "Twilight" and caught up with the most well-known actor in the up-and-coming cast, the amiable 20-year-old was quick to point out where the bloodsucking stops and the flesh-and-blood begins. In a candid conversation about her fears, love and longtime friendship with "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke, Reed reminded MTV News about the acting talent behind the highly anticipated December flick. (By the way, Twilighters, author Stephenie Meyer has a special request for you over at the MTV Movies Blog.)

Dre readies "Detox"

Dr Dre will release his new album, "Detox", by the end of the year, the rap legend has confirmed. His first collection since 1999's "Dr Dre 2001" will feature guest appearances from Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Nas and others. Speaking about the record in a new interview, Dre revealed that "everybody is going to love it". "Detox" has taken around a year to put together and is now scheduled to come out in November or December. He explained: "I'm just now - over the last couple of months - starting to feel that it's going to be right and it's something I can be proud of, and everybody is going to love it." Dre also told USA Today he plans to go back to producing unknown acts and become "a hermit" once the album is out. Watch Dr Dre's music videos here... Search for the latest concerts tickets on Ticketmaster

France's first lady also first in record sales

PARIS (Reuters) - France's first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy shot to the top of the charts with her latest album in its first full week on sale, a music industry body said on Wednesday.

The album has generated massive interest because it is the first by the Italian-born former model turned pop star since her whirlwind romance with President Nicolas Sarkozy, whom she married in February less than three months after they met.

The new record, entitled "Comme si de rien n'etait" (As if nothing had happened) and released under the first lady's maiden name Carla Bruni, hit the shelves on July 11 in a blaze of publicity.

The SNEP, an industry group that tracks record sales, said that in the week starting July 13 the album knocked Viva la Vida, the latest offering from British band Coldplay, off the top spot in the charts.

The SNEP did not, however, specify how many copies of the album had been sold.

Bruni-Sarkozy has said she wrote the lyrics of the new songs partly before she met Sarkozy and partly since they fell in love. This has prompted intense scrutiny of the lyrics by French media obsessed with the presidential love life.

"You are my drug, more lethal than heroin from Afghanistan and more dangerous than Colombian cocaine," she sings in one of the songs that caused a minor diplomatic incident between France and Colombia.

In another song, she seems to dismiss criticism from some of her left-wing friends who were bewildered by her romance with the right-leaning Sarkozy.

"It's not correct, but it's good nonetheless. Let them curse me and I don't give a damn. I couldn't care less, I take all the blame, you need to know, you need to understand, you are my lord, you are my love, you are my orgy," she sings.

(Reporting by Joseph Tandy, editing by Estelle Shirbon)

Streets tour UK

The Streets have announced details of a full UK tour and confirmed the release date of their new album, "Everything Is Borrowed". Mike Skinner and co have been working on the follow-up to 2006's "The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living" in recent months. The record is now said to be complete and will be showcased at a series of live dates in October. The tour, which precedes shows at Ibiza Rocks and Rock En Seine next month, will call at: October 2008 04 Glasgow Barrowlands 05 Manchester Academy 06 Sheffield Plug 09 Birmingham Academy 10 Newcastle Academy 11 Oxford Academy 13 Southampton Guildhall 14 Preston 53 Degrees 16 Norwich UEA 17 Bristol Academy 18 Nottingham Rock City 19 Leeds Academy "Everything Is Borrowed" is due for release on September 15. Buy The Streets' Tickets

James Blunt unwinds with former 'CSI' star Gary in Formentera

By hellomagazine.com

He's famous for his easy-listening pop ballads and his wholesome image, but James Blunt certainly knows how to unwind like a rock star. The You're Beautiful singer was having fun with former CSI: Crime Scene Investigation actor Gary Dourdan and a bevy of bikini-clad beauties off the coast of the Balearic Island of Formentera this week.

The two bachelors were clearly in high spirits, somersaulting off the back of a yacht into the azure waters close to the Spanish isle's Sa Trincha beach.

James owns a £1.7 million villa on the neighbouring Island of Ibiza and is often spotted in the company of the likes of Jude Law, Linsday Lohan and fellow musicians Robbie Williams and P Diddy. And he's been an even bigger fixture on the social scene since splitting with model girlfriend Petra Nemcova last year.

For his part, American TV star Gary has been keeping a lower profile since his CSI contract was not renewed earlier this year. The 41-year-old was sentenced to complete a 16-class, drug-education programme after being arrested on substance related charges.

Amy's parents Janis and Mitch show off their model daughter

By hellomagazine.com

The beehive alone took ten weeks to create, not to speak of her sailor tattoos and distinctive eye makeup. And the effect was such that when Madame Tussauds in London presented its statue of Rehab star Amy Winehouse, onlookers would have found it hard to believe it wasn't her in real life.

The singer's parents Mitch and Janis were on hand to unveil the likeness of their daughter, which took a total of four months to make, with the finishing touches only added on Monday.

Although Amy wasn't able to pose for the waxwork herself - meaning the statue was based on photos and images taken at concerts - her dad is impressed by how lifelike the waxwork is. "It's just like she's been frozen in full song," he reveals. "It is really surreal to stand alongside her."

Grammy-winning Amy joins 375 other celebrities featured at the tourist attraction.