By Cory Midgarden

With all the excitement surrounding the release of the "Hunger Games" Blu-Ray and DVD this Saturday (August 18) and in celebration of Jennifer Lawrence's birthday (August 15) we dug through our archives and pulled out two retro MTV commercials you will not want to miss!

Back in 2005, way before she volunteered as tribute, Lawrence played a very sassy Sweet Sixteener in a couple of on-air promos for MTV. The now-22-year-old actress was just 15 at the time, but clearly caught our eye as a star-in-the-making.

Do you have a favorite throwback MTV memory? Let us know in the comments below!

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Amanda Bynes

By Adrian Prelvukaj

Amanda Bynes and her black BMW are making headlines again!

The actress reportedly got into another hit-and-run accident over the weekend, according to TMZ. A Los Angeles woman filed a police report yesterday (August 5) claiming that Bynes rear-ended her, damaging her back bumper. Following a brief conversation, the "Easy A" starlet allegedly drove off without exchanging any insurance information.

The woman stated that when she got out her insurance information Bynes "seemed nervous about that." The 26-year-old actress proceeded to tell her that the damage to her vehicle didn’t seem too bad, so she attempted to push her bumper back into place.

According to the woman, Bynes' BMW was significantly damaged, but the actress drove off without exchanging information.

The actress has been involved in several accidents this summer, including an April 6 collision with a Los Angeles police car that resulted in a DUI charge. TMZ reports she was also involved in hit-and-run incidents on May 5 and May 27.

Bynes has said that she does not drink and even tweeted at President Obama in what seemed like an attempt to get the police officer who arrested her for DUI fired. "Hey @BarackObama... I don't drink," she wrote. "Please fire the cop who arrested me. I also don't hit and run. The end."

Unfortunately for the actress, those earlier incidents were not the end of her vehicular troubles.

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Justin T

By Zachary Swickey

It seems a tad bit ridiculous that one of the most naturally talented musicians of my generation, Justin Timberlake, has not released an album in nearly six years (his last being ‘06’s FutureSex/ LoveSounds, of course). The guy is missing out on what would be the prime of his music career. With that said, there’s got to be something to this acting business that keeps driving musicians – rockers and rappers alike – to the medium.

Timberlake’s undeniable good looks and wealth of talent help make him a perfect candidate for a career in film career, but there are plenty of other rockers who we feel would be right at home on the silver screen.

Here are the six rock musicians that we want to see take up the acting game the most. Read More...

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R. Kelly

Gary Oldman is one of the most respected actors on the planet. He's also one of the most serious-seeming guys around and has played some pretty intense roles (um, "Sid & Nancy" anyone?). While he's lightened up in recent years, appearing as Harry Potter's good-hearted godfather Sirius Black in several "Potter" films, he still exudes the kind of classically trained bravado of a man who is all about his craft.

So it's surprising (and awesome) when he shows up to a late night talk show and gives a dramatic reading of a decidedly non-classical work – specifically R. Kelly's new autobiography "Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me." But you do what you gotta when you have a movie to sell, so you might as well have fun with it, right?

With "The Dark Knight Rises" landing in theaters next Friday (have you heard? We bet you've heard), Oldman appeared last night on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to read a passage from soul man Kelly's bio, and as you'd expect, it was pretty hilarious. (As these types of things tend to be … Anderson Cooper did a fantastic job with Snooki's novel, for example.)

Check it out:

For the latest on "The Dark Knight Rises," check out MTV Splash Page and Movies Blog!

What did you think of Oldman's dramatic reading of Kelly's "Soulacoaster"? Let us know in the comments below!

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TomKat

Katie Holmes was not messing around when it came to her divorce from Tom Cruise.

The details behind the end of TomKat remain pretty sketchy. There are million rumors, but nothing much has been confirmed – except that the former couple reached a secretive divorce settlement in record time. But now that the dust is starting to settle, some alleged details are spilling out, including what has to be the most telling detail of all: Holmes reportedly used a disposable cell phone provided by a friend to plan and initiate her divorce from Cruise, according to a source close the divorce (via the Los Angeles Times).

Using the throwaway phone – instead of, say, her own cell phone or one of the telephones in her home – allowed her to prepare her build her legal case without Cruise or his staff discovering her plans before she was ready to act.

Of course, Holmes feeling she needed a pay-and-use phone comes with some implications. She presumably felt she was being monitored, an accusation many wouldn't consider unrealistic given the allegations that she was being tailed by people affiliated with the Church of Scientology in the lead-up to her separation from Cruise as well as after her divorce filing. (The church has denied the allegations.)

Her secretive planning paid off, of course. By the time she filed to end her marriage, she had taken on three law firms in three states without Cruise's knowledge (he was reportedly shocked by her filing) and ultimately got exactly what she reportedly wanted – primary physical custody of the couple's daughter, Suri, and power over how she will be educated.

Cruise's devotion to Scientology and how the church would factor into Suri's education and upbringing were reportedly major factors in Holmes' decision to file for divorce. The couple even appeared to address that well-known fact in the joint statement they released after reaching their divorce settlement, saying, "We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other's commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other's roles as parents."

Related:
>> Katie Holmes Speaks On Tom Cruise Divorce
>> Katie Holmes' Career Comeback: Experts Weigh In
>> Tom Cruise And Katie Holmes Divorce: A Timeline
>> Tom Cruise And Katie Holmes Were Plagued By Rumors

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Matthew Lewis

By Kara Warner

This one is for all of you Matthew Lewis and "Harry Potter" fans. Our favorite surprise dreamboat has been busy working to establish himself outside the "Potter" franchise and in addition to that grownup photo shoot he did a while back, Lewis recently spread his actorly wings into the world of music videos.

Lewis stars alongside actress Lily Loveless ("Skins" and "The Fades") in the artistic, maudlin and ultimately depressing clip for "Filth," the title track off the new album by British alternative folk group A Band of Buriers, which is out today (July 10). Before we give away all the details, we strongly suggest that you peep the six-minute vid for yourselves and then come back to give us your thoughts and interpretations.

Watch:

For those who want to go ahead with our take on Lewis' work in "Filth," we'll give you the nuts and bolts by way of a quick summary. Lewis and Loveless play a couple that is involved in a tumultuous relationship. Sometimes we see them being sweet and loving toward one another, but most of the time they are having heated arguments. Throughout the video they are fixated on the placement, care and attention to what seems to be a human bone, which they pass between each other and Lewis' character eventually loses, which leads to more fighting and a totally shocking and unexpectedly violent climax that really should be seen in order to be believed.

It's obvious that there are a lot of metaphors and symbols at work here, all designed to represent or magnify the extreme care, selflessness and effort that is required to sustain relationships. It is not at all what we expected from Lewis, which is a great thing. And although it's going to take some time for us to get over those final graphic moments, Lewis' performance here shows that he's capable of a lot more onscreen magic than that of the Hogwarts educated variety.

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Jessica Stroup

By Zachary Swickey

Actress Jessica Stroup is best known for playing Erin Silver on “90210” – The CW’s revitalization of '90s fave “Beverly Hills, 90210 – and being a modern day scream queen after starring in a string of horror flicks: “Prom Night,” “Vampire Bats” and “The Hills Have Eyes 2.” Stroup's latest role, however, comes in a comedy and it's a high-profile one at that – "Family Guy" Guy creator Seth MacFarlane’s feature directorial debut, "Ted," hitting theaters June 29.

The kind folks at AXE Hair have partnered with the film and hooked MTV News up with Stroup for a quick phone chat about her new role, the R-rated nature of the flick and what’s goin’ on in the 90210.

So tell us about your character in 'Ted.' You're Mila's co-worker/gal-pal in the movie, correct?

Yes. Well, there’s a lot of underlying storyline with my character. It was more about the fact that Seth MacFarlane is one of my best friends and I knew he was coming up with this idea for this project and I just wanted to be involved however I could. So, I got to go up to Boston for a month and watch them film and got to play a little part. It’s definitely one of the funniest scripts and movies I’ve seen in a while.

What was it like working with Kunis and the rest of the hilarious cast (Mark Wahlberg, Joel McHale, Patrick Warburton, Giovanni Ribisi)?

Mila is just such a normal, down-to-earth, chill, cool girl and we were already friends. So it was a good experience to hang out with her in her downtime. But watching Seth, Mark, Patrick, Joel and Giovanni was inspiring you know? You get around kind of a boy’s club and you’re dancing around getting let in or whatever, but I got really close with a lot of the writers and with Seth being a good friend, he would just let me sit behind him and watch him at work. I had to do everything I could to contain my laughter and not get kicked off the set.

Read More...

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Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg is a pretty successful guy. At 41, he has an Oscar nomination, five hundred million-plus grossing blockbusters and a slew of other critical and box office hits under his buff belt. What he doesn't have is a high school diploma, but the father of four is looking to set an example and is returning to school to get his high school diploma.

The actor dropped out of school in the ninth grade, and on "The Late Show with David Letterman" last night announced that he's going back to high school beginning later this month. Wahlberg will complete his education courtesy of a new online program.

"It's an actual diploma," Wahlberg told Letterman. "I've got to take up all the courses that I missed, and I'm a little nervous. … They're going to give me whatever credits I already have, which is probably like one or two. But I'm going to make it happen."

Wahlberg's announcement is no doubt linked to his involvement with Taco Bell’s Graduate-To-Go program as an ambassador. The actor has been involved with the program, which seeks to help at-risk teens graduate high school, for three years.

"Participating in this campaign with Mona [a student helped by the program] inspired me, and I hope it will inspire others to help teens like her achieve greatness against all odds," Wahlberg said in a recent press release announcing his continued involvement.

He told Letterman that he has "a lot of downtime on sets in the trailer and stuff," so he hopes to "blast through [his course work]—hopefully do it within six to eight months."

Wahlberg isn't the only celebrity who, despite fame and fortune, has put a premium on education, seeking out their high school diploma or GED after dropping out of school for one reason or another.

Check out four more after the jump!

Read More...

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Skrillex

By Zachary Swickey

Dubstep icon Skrillex is still riding his insane wave of success following the continuing rise of electronic dance music and it appears even our favorite green friend, Kermit the Frog, is eager to work with the musician.

While Kermit is generally known for more subdued numbers like “Bein’ Green” and the classic “Rainbow Connection,” he’s itching to collaborate with an electronic artist.

"I'd love to collaborate with an electronic artist ... and I'd love to work with Skrillex, even though I've never heard his music," he told the Telegraph. "We don’t get electronic music in the swamp. There’s something about electricity and water that just doesn't mix."

The fuzzy legend and leader of the Muppets posse mentioned has an affinity for dubstep, although he admitted that he’s truly more of a hip-hop head.

"I'm more of a hip-hop frog, but I do like dubstep," he continued. His fellow Muppet and muse Miss Piggy, however, is especially fond of the genre. "Moi simply can't sit still when Moi hears dubstep," she explained. "The bass is so powerful and the whole effect is so mesmerizing and overwhelming! If I were a kind of music, I'd be dubstep."

Although Miss Piggy is clearly quite taken with EDM, she also discussed her love of female vocalists, saying, “I love Lana Del Rey ... Right now, my current fave is, of course, Adele! Beauty, talent, a natural singer – she reminds me of Moi!"

When asked how the Muppet crew celebrated after winning the Oscar for Best Original Song for “Man or Muppet” at this year’s awards, some hijinks apparently ensued: “We all congratulated Bret McKenzie who won the Oscar for writing ‘Man or Muppet."

Then Gonzo spilled the beans on his crew, saying, “And then one of us asked to hold Bret’s Oscar,” to which Fozzie Bear added, “And never gave it back.”

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Because he doesn't have enough to do as leader of the free world, actress Amanda Bynes would like President Obama to step in and rescue her from DUI charges.

The actress was arrested in Los Angeles in the early morning hours of April 6 on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence after reportedly getting into a minor accident with a Los Angeles Police Department officer. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department report indicates that Bynes, who was last featured (quite wonderfully, it's worth noting) in Emma Stone's hit 2010 comedy "Easy A," was attempting to pass a police car as it prepared to make a right turn at around 3 a.m. in West Hollywood when her black BMW collided with the right rear panel of the police cruiser, causing minor damage to both vehicles.

On May 27 she tweeted, "I can't help but laugh at all of you writing fake stories about me. I was not in any hit and runs. I don't drink so the DUI is false."

Charges were officially filed yesterday (June 5), prompting Bynes to return to the social network last night to make a plea that the president save her from this injustice: "Hey @BarackObama... I don't drink. Please fire the cop who arrested me. I also don't hit and run. The end."

You know, because the President of the United States jumps in often to dismiss terrible police officers who tell lies about former teen actresses.

Bynes is set to appear before Beverly Hills Superior Court Judge Elden Fox, one of the many judges who famously tried to get Lindsay Lohan back on the straight and narrow when she oversaw much of her years-long DUI extravaganza. (Ultimately, Judge Stephanie Sautner proved to be the most successful in that regard, guiding the actress through to the end of her probation.)

The "What a Girl Wants" starlet is also charged with refusing a breathalyzer or blood-alcohol test.

Should the president step in and rescue Bynes from this bind? Let us know in the comments below!

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