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MPAA changes film's rating to an R after Weinstein Company appeal.
By Eric Ditzian 
Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in "Blue Valentine"
Photo: Weinstein Co. "Blue Valentine," the Ryan Gosling- and Michelle Williams-starring indie with a shot at a slew of Oscar nominations, was dealt a surprising blow in October when the Motion Picture Association of America slapped the drama with an NC-17 rating. Now, after a personal appeal from Weinstein Company co-founder Harvey Weinstein, the MPAA has reversed course and changed the film's rating to an R, according to Variety. The film had originally received the restrictive NC-17 rating due to what the MPAA termed a "shocking, gory depiction of a dying marriage." The most sexually explicit scene showed Gosling performing oral sex on Williams. But as observers pointed out in recent weeks, many films that feature oral sex — such as this year's "Black Swan," also an awards-season darling — nonetheless receive an R rating. The Weinstein Company, which bought "Blue Valentine" after a buzzy debut at the Sundance Film Festival, lodged an official complaint with the MPAA in October. "We respect the work of the MPAA and we hope, after having a chance to sit down with them, they will see that our appeal is reasonable, and the film, which is an honest and personal portrait of a relationship, would be significantly harmed by such a rating," the company said in a statement at the time. While the film, which is set to hit theaters December 31, would have seen its advertising opportunities and box-office potential adversely affected by the NC-17 rating, the publicity surrounding the rating also served as something of a PR tool. According to Deadline Hollywood, the MPAA's reversal came in a unanimous decision. In a recent interview, Gosling spoke out about what he saw as a ratings double standard when it came to sex scenes on the big screen. "There's plenty of oral sex scenes in a lot of movies, where it's a man receiving it from a woman — and they're R-rated," he said. " 'Black Swan' has an oral scene between two women and that's an R rating, but ours is between a husband and his wife and that's NC-17? ... It stigmatizes the movie in a big way." Check out everything we've got on "Blue Valentine." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653859/20101208/story.jhtml Amber Brkich Jessica Biel America Ferrera Lauren Conrad Tatiana Zavialova Preview shows astronauts encountering massive robot craft during 1969 moon landing.
By Mawuse Ziegbe 
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Photo: Paramount It's big and bad but with surprisingly few 'bots — the trailer to "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" finally premiered online Wednesday (December 8). The teaser for the latest installment in the high-tech robot saga actually features a lot of footage that many Americans have already seen from the U.S.' historic 1969 mission to the moon. Scientists in crew cuts and glasses mill about the space center while famed anchor Walter Cronkite narrates the revolutionary event via archival footage. However, in the preview, there is one significant moon discovery that the world didn't see. As the astronauts bop along glacially in zero gravity, they come across an enormous craft that has crashed, which dwarfs the moonmen's spaceship in size and sophistication. Sweeping shots of the vessel reveal an elaborately constructed enterprise as the astronauts gawk in wonder and confidently report back to the space station that there are no discernible signs of life. However, as the camera dives into the inner sanctum of the craft, the eye of a seemingly out-of-commission 'bot begins to light up. The franchise's stars have insisted that this is the must-see installment of the series. "This is, and I'm not just BS-ing you, it's the best movie we've made of the three by far," Shia LaBeouf told MTV News recently. "The script is the best script we've had. The second movie, we were in the middle of a writers' strike, writing on the go," he explained. "The first movie, we had the discovery, and this movie really is the fruition of the rhythm we've created out of five years working together. I'm super proud of this movie." Co-star Josh Duhamel, who got to check out some of the footage, also gave the flick early raves. "I've seen about 10 minutes of it — just the stuff we shot in Chicago — and it's pretty awesome," he said in October. "It's all in Michael Bay's head, so you never know what the film's going to turn out like, but judging by the script and what we've shot, it's, I think, every bit as good, if not better than, the first two." "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" is set to hit theaters in July. Check out everything we've got on "Transformers: Dark of the Moon." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Photos Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653868/20101208/story.jhtml Jennie Finch Foxy Brown Scarlett Chorvat Marla Sokoloff Kylie Bax Producing partner Graham King also tells MTV News that when he visited the set, first-time director Jolie had 'total command of that crew.'
By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz 
Angelina Jolie
Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images Last week, Angelina Jolie hit back against criticism of her still-untitled Bosnian War drama, which has been the focus of complaints by a women's group, by simply saying, "There's one person who has a gripe." Jolie's producing partner on the film, Graham King, echoed that sentiment when he told MTV News recently that the criticism has received too much attention. "Yeah, a little bit," he said, laughing. At issue has been a rumored plot line said to involve a rape victim falling in love with her captor. A rep for Jolie has already said there is no such story line, though the full plot remains shrouded in mystery. "There are many twists in the plot that address the sensitive nature of the relationship between the main characters, and that will be revealed once the film is released," Jolie said. Nonetheless, the controversy has persisted, with Bakira Hasecic, the president of the Association of Women Victims of War, filing a complaint about the movie with the United Nations refugee agency. When we sat down with King in Paris, where he was promoting "The Tourist" (another project of his in which Jolie stars), the producer was not only quick to dismiss the criticism but also to speak highly of Jolie's work on her directorial debut. "I went to that set two weeks ago, and she had total command of that crew," he said. "It was just a real joy to see her behind that monitor, and I think it's going to be a really good piece of material." Whether Brad Pitt will play a part remains to be seen. Recent reports have suggested Jolie's husband will pop up in a cameo. All Jolie would tell us in Paris was "Possibly," and King was similarly cagey: "We'll see," he said. For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654044/20101210/story.jhtml Maggie Gyllenhaal Padma Lakshmi Paz Vega Poppy Montgomery Drew Barrymore 'It's undeniable,' Travie McCoy says of the track that topped MTV News' Top 25 Songs of 2010.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Usher
Photo: Getty Images 2010 had some great jams, and all week, MTV News has been counting down some of its best. Everything from Lady Gaga's "Telephone" and Rick Ross' "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" to two of Kanye's West's killer My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy tracks, "Power" and "Runaway," made the top 10. But it was Usher's bombastic party jam "OMG" that rose to the top and came in at #1. So what made that song such a party anthem? "Oh my God! That's exactly what I would say! Oh my God!" Pauly D joked about 2010's top party jam. "Dope, dope track. I love playing it. The crowd goes crazy when I play it. Usher's the man!" Travie McCoy added: "It's a great song. It's undeniable, you know what I mean?" "Dancing With the Stars" pro Lacey Schwimmer admitted that "OMG" was the track that got dancers, both professional and amateur, on the dance floor. "You guys got a great dance anthem," she said. "So be prepared for people who do not know how to dance just going to town!" Producer Alex Da Kid gave props to will.i.am for the song's epic beat. "I love 'OMG.' I think it's definitely something different for Usher," he said. "And it still has all the dance performance elements Usher's known for, but it's something slightly different and done in a will.i.am kind of way, and it's different and that's why it connected to so many different people. It's a great song." Celebrities also weighed in on their favorite jams of 2010, choosing everything from Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" and Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair" to B.o.B and Hayley Williams' "Airplanes." Why did you love "OMG" in 2010? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653966/20101209/usher.jhtml Desiree Dymond Jamie Gunns Leslie Bega Asia Argento Mýa Keeping with the The Hollywood Foreign Press' tradition of choosing a child of a celebrity to hand out the trophies, TeenNick star Gia Mantegna has been picked as 2011's Miss Golden Globe. Daughter of Globe nominee Joe Mantegna, the 20-year-old already has her own acting career to speak of. She made her film debut at 13, alongside her famous dad, in the 2003 film Uncle Nino and currently stars on the TeenNick series Gigantic, alongside Grace Gummer, 24, who is the daughter of Meryl Streep. Mantegna has also appeared in episodes of Secret Life of the American Teenager and Criminal Minds. The starlet joins a long line of celeb kids who previously held the honor of being Miss Golden Globe, like Rumer Willis, Laura Dern, and Melanie Griffith. The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards will air live from Beverly Hills on Jan. 16 on NBC. What do you think of Gia Mantegna being picked as Miss Golden Globe? Chime in below! Source: http://www.ivillage.com/305386/1-a-305386 Rhona Mitra Nicole Richie Jolene Blalock Kasey Chambers Julie Benz  It's going to be a lot easier for movie-goers to catch Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine, now that the movie's rating has been changed from NC-17 to R. The film won its appeal to the MPAA, and will now be described as having "explicit sexual content" instead of "strong graphic sexual content," which makes the difference that will get this flick a much wider release. "'Explicit' is usually only used to describe NC-17 material,” Joan Graves, the head of Classification and Rating Administration, told The Hollywood Reporter. "'Graphic' means the sexuality is strong, even graphic in some areas, but seems to give the correct information to parents.” The original NC-17 rating came as a result of a particular scene between Gosling and Williams, in which oral sex is depicted (a little too well, according to some). "The essence of our film is that it's intimate and emotional and the sex doesn't feel fake. It's an honest relationship between two people, and it feels real because I have great actors," Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance told The Los Angeles Times. "It's as if the MPAA is saying, 'Your actors are good -- but they're too good.'" Blue Valentine hits theaters on Dec. 31. Will you be seeing Blue Valentine? Chime in below!
Source: http://www.ivillage.com/blue-valentine-wins-nc-17-appeal-gets-r-rating/1-a-304990 Cameron Richardson Ana Ivanovi Talisa Soto MÃa Maestro Kat Von D Hova discusses his formative years in an episode of the PBS chat show that premiered Wednesday.
By Jayson Rodriguez 
Jay-Z (file)
Photo: Eugene Gologursky/ WireImage If ever Jay-Z really decided to retire from the rap game, the witty MC should consider taking his talents to the talk-show circuit. On an episode of PBS' "Charlie Rose" that premiered Wednesday, the Brooklyn icon chatted it up with the veteran journalist, and once again Jay-Z drew laughter with his wry jokes and entertained with his engaging conversation. The program was taped at the Brooklyn Museum last month, when Jay-Z was in full promotional mode for his "Decoded" book. When Rose brought up the rapper's age, the host prefaced his inquiry by pointing out that most men raised in Jay-Z's Marcy Projects houses in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood didn't make it to 41. "My first album didn't come out 'til I was 26, so for so long I ignored that talent," Jay explained. "It took a bit of luck. The people I was with daily — a personal friend of mine went to jail for 12 years. And me and him would be together every single day. So I know that same fate was awaiting me. We would have got picked up the same day. If I wasn't pursuing music I would have been in jail for 12 years." As it turned out, The Blueprint 3 superstar was influenced by music from an early age, despite it taking some time before he would turn his passion into his profession. "We'd play music in the house, we'd clean up the house," he said of his childhood. "The house would smell like Pinesol. Windows open, drapes blowing, music playing. I was just enjoying the sounds — Prince, Michael Jackson, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder. I think my mom may have had the first rap record ever, [by] King James III." When Rose pressed the rapper about his relationship with his father, who abandoned Hova while he was still young, the host offered that at least the patriarch of the family left Jay the gift of music. "He didn't leave it to me, no," Jay corrected him. "There was never that conversation. I think it went like, 'Get out and leave the records.' " His comments drew laughs from the audience and Jay chuckled himself, then added, "I can't say for sure. I wasn't there." Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653890/20101209/jay_z.jhtml Molly Sims Heidi Montag Maria Bello Genelle Frenoy Eliza Dushku 'I can't tell you which one is my favorite. It's just too many,' singer tells MTV News.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Beyoncé arrives at her "I Am ... World Tour" DVD screening on Sunday
Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images Jay-Z is letting fans into his world with two major releases this month. He just published his book, "Decoded," in which he takes a closer look at his career, and on Monday (November 22), Hova is releasing a greatest-hits album, The Hits Collection, Volume 1. The album features Jay's most memorable tunes, including "Big Pimpin'," "Hard Knock Life," "99 Problems" and his collabo with his superstar wife, Beyoncé, "03' Bonnie & Clyde." But when MTV News caught up with Bey Sunday at a New York screening for her DVD concert special, "I Am ... World Tour," she admitted that "Bonnie & Clyde" isn't her favorite Jay-Z track. "God, that's not my favorite, even though I like it," she laughed. "I can't tell you which one is my favorite. It's just too many. You're putting me on the spot!" While the pair may be releasing fresh products at the same time, the singer insists there is no competition in the Carter-Knowles household. "No absolutely not, [there is no competition]," she told reporters at the DVD event, going on to praise "Decoded." "That book is unbelievable, and I think we're all really proud of it. And this DVD [out this] Thanksgiving — it's the holiday season of everyone's [material] coming out." The DVD shows a new, more intimate side of the usually private Beyoncé, and Jay-Z admits that his book also sheds new light on his persona and career. "A lot of people listen to music, but they don't really listen to it," he explained. "You may know the words and you may bop your head to it, but you don't really understand what you're singing." Open the floodgates! It's Mega-Release Week, with Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, Ke$ha, My Chemical Romance and Lloyd Banks all dropping new albums. Stick with MTV News for everything you need to know about the brand-new music. Related Videos Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1652801/20101122/knowles_beyonce.jhtml Rachel Weisz Shanna Moakler Estella Warren Nikki Cox Natalie Imbruglia |
