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Is Simon Cowell Jealous Of All The Attention L.A. Reid Is Getting?

Posted 10/12/11 3:00 pm EST by in reality tv, Television, Video

Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul may have been heavily featured in all the promos leading up to “The X Factor’s” premiere, but once the show debuted, a new TV star emerged: L.A. Reid.

From his steely stare to the way he grooves to his use of the word “ensemble” over the less-classy word “group,” TV viewers instantly fell in love. (As soon as host Steve Jones mentioned L.A.’s A-list resume, which includes Pink, Rihanna and Justin Bieber, he trended worldwide on Twitter.)

But how does Simon – whose ego is bigger than some continents – feel about being upstaged by a co-star during his triumphant return to American TV? And to be outshined by a TV television newbie?! That’s gotta sting.

Judging from Simon’s reaction when I asked him to ‘fess up to some jealousy, it did.

Check out the hilarious video below, in which I tell L.A. Reid to put on ear-muffs and get a delightfully honest answer from Mr. Cowell.

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Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman Rally Around Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Passion Project

Posted 10/11/11 8:56 pm EST by in art, Concerts, Miscellaneous, Photos, reviews, Video

For those who only know Joseph Gordon-Levitt from his excellent work in television and film over the past 20 years or so, do yourself a favor and expand your fandom by heading over to hitRECord.org, Gordon-Levitt's collaborative production company/community and passion project. On Monday night, the roughly seven-year-old operation celebrated its creative success with the 2011 Fall Formal, a live performance event at which Gordon-Levitt served as emcee and performer, along with guest appearances by supporters and friends Anne Hathaway, Neil Patrick Harris, Gary Oldman and Sia, along with an audience full of hitRECord members and enthusiasts.

The spirit of the evening was lighthearted and welcoming, with a vaudeville-esque lineup of readings, short films and musical numbers. Also, everyone in attendance was encouraged to record however much of the show they wanted. The video below, which features Gordon-Levitt, hitRECord artist the Metafictionis and Hathaway, will give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

Admittedly, I expected to be further charmed by Gordon-Levitt. He is just so darn talented and passionate and genuine, it's irresistible and inspiring watching him move smoothly from narrating to dancing, to singing, to drumming to improv'ing. He's an artist in every sense of the word, and while his name is attached to hitRECord and he emceed the program, it is obvious that Gordon-Levitt truly enjoys creating art that comes from a collaboration and collection of other equally talented individuals.

Also, when you get Oldman, Hathaway, Harris and Sia to come in and play with you during their time off, you know you are loved.

It was hard to pick a favorite moment, but when Oldman got up onstage to read a "Tiny Story" called "The Man With a Turnip for a Head," written by hitRECord artist Metaphorest, he brought down the house.

"It's going to be hard to top that," Gordon-Levitt told the crowd as Oldman left the stage. Yet somehow, I'm sure he will figure out a way to do just that for next year's event.

What do you think of Gordon-Levitt's passion project, hitRECord? Tell us in the comments!

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'X Factor' Judges Simon Cowell And L.A. Reid Answer Our Burning Questions

Posted 10/7/11 11:50 am EST by in reality tv, Television, Video

Were you dying to find out why “X Factor” host Steve Jones appears in a truck more than on a stage? Did you know that “The X Factor” judge L.A. Reid used to be a drummer in a Cincinatti R&B group called The Deele? (Think of them as The Whispers but with less awesome facial hair.) Wondering if Justin Bieber – who gets name-dropped approximately 53 times an episode – will ever make an appearance on the show? Well, then this video is for you!

I sat down with “X Factor” guru Simon Cowell and his judging cohort L.A. Reid and forced them to answer all my random, burning questions. Sure, we talked newsy stuff, too, but once I got the business out of the way, the fellas really loosened up and indulged my inner obsessive stan. Watch Cowell and L.A. giggle as we discuss the finer points of walking in slo-mo (a topic I seem to be obsessed with), exactly which part of Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road” L.A. Reid wrote and whether we can expect the original line-up of Deele to reunite on the “X Factor” stage.

This might be my favorite four minutes of my entire career.

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The Key Scene: Beyonce's 'Countdown'

Posted 10/7/11 8:49 am EST by in Beyonce, The Key Scene, Video

Beyonce's “Countdown” video shows the many sides of the eccentric and eclectic pop star: funny, stylish, happy, manic, sexy and pop culturally savvy.

With references to 60’s icons like Andy Warhol, Twiggy, Audrey Hepburn, Diana Ross, Brigitte Bardot, and even nods to “West Side Story,” it’s clear that Mamma B wanted to take her fans on a trip back in time.

Co-directed with Adria Petty, the clip is drenched in vintage-hued colors and retro clothes as the singer dances around various setups that not only pay homage to the '60s but also the '80s and '90s thanks to a good dash of “Fame,” “Flashdance” and even En Vogue thrown in for good measure. Beyonce looks characteristically flawless in varying degrees of pregnant. The video is the latest entry into the already iconic videography of the 30-year-old.

While much of it is memorable and eye-catching, the key scene comes at the 1:58 mark when a sassy, posin’ Beyonce army pans across the screen, putting into perspective all those aforementioned sides. She sashays, shimmies, swaggers and is generally sexy in her pop art dance studio. The scene really sums up that Beyonce is the sum of many super cool parts.

Check out the full video, as well as fan reaction to the clip, after the jump, and let us know which part of the video is your favorite in the comments! Read More...

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Two Truths & A Lie With Jason Derulo

Posted 9/30/11 12:15 pm EST by in Two Truths & A Lie, Video

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi

When Jason Derulo stopped by the MTV Newsroom this week to talk about his new album, Future History, we couldn't resist playing a little game of Two Truths & A Lie with the singer.

For those unfamiliar with the popular campfire game, a player states two facts and one lie about themselves and the other players have to guess which one of the statements is the lie. The lie shouldn't seem any more absurd than the facts – but if you've had some out-there experiences, this is a good place to share them to throw the other players off.

Derulo was both a good sport and the perfect player. The "It Girl" singer focused all three of his statements on food and kept things a little weird but not crazy. Are anchovies one of his favorite foods? Did he chow down on four bananas a day as a broke college student in NYC? Or did he go on a fitness kick that involved "salmon shakes" – a yummy blended mix of salmon, water, vinegar, hot sauce ("if you're feeling crazy") which he'd microwave for 30 seconds to make it more palatable? Check out the video below to see if you can read his body language and find out the answer after the jump.

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Recently Unearthed Footage Shows Baby Frances Bean Cobain On Set With Mom And Dad

Posted 9/23/11 8:36 am EST by in Courtney-Love, Music, Video

By Andréa Duncan-Mao

As the enigmatic leader of one of the most impactful rock acts in modern history, Kurt Cobain’s music touched a generation of fans. Just as we are moved by his dense, personal lyrics, raging guitar and outsider ethos, we are equally fascinated by his complex personality. He was a man who dreamt of fame but couldn’t cope with it, a performer who could move a crowd but couldn’t stand to be in one, someone we all heard of but never really knew.

But there was a chubby toddler with golden locks and crystal blue eyes who knew him in a way no one else would. Frances Bean Cobain, Kurt’s daughter with wife Courtney Love, was born 1992 and even as a newborn went everywhere with him. And in their interactions, we see a glimpse of Cobain as a father — patient, tender, in wonder.

In 1993, Kurt sat down with MTV to talk about his life since the explosive success of Nevermind, and brought Frances and Courtney along. As the camera rolled pre-interview, the happy — and somewhat frazzled — family were captured on tape. In this rare, unearthed footage of the Cobains, we see Courtney in a pre-Hollywood-makeover ripped dress, Kurt in the shadows, and Frances Bean, ready for her close-up at not even two years old.

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Exclusive: Britney Spears Video Director Curates Music Video-Based Art Show

Posted 9/6/11 12:00 pm EST by in art, Video

<em>Let\'s Make a Sandwich</em> by James Roper

Let's Make a Sandwich by James Roper

Music video auteur Chris Marrs Piliero (Britney Spears, the Black Keys, Taking Back Sunday) is mixing his love for the medium and his love for art with a new art show, aptly titled "I Want My Music Video Art Show." The director kindly provided MTV News with some insight on the project and some first looks at what music video lovers will see when the show kicks off this October in the City of Angels.

"I love art shows and have always wanted to put together one myself," he tells MTV News about the project, which features re-imaginings of videos by the Smashing Pumpkins, Lady Gaga and more. "I wanted to pay tribute to the art of the music video beyond just the musician and the song. Music videos have always provided us with really f---ing rad imagery. There's so many iconic visuals thanks to music videos and the medium has opened the door for so many amazingly talented directors that have gone on to influence television, commercials and movies. An art show like this needed to be created."

Of course, the show also pays some homage to MTV, which became the network and driving force for music video creation. "MTV changed the face of music with its creation and its devotion to the Music Video art form so it only made sense to give MTV a proper tribute," he says of the art show's title, an homage to MTV's old-school slogan, "I Want My MTV." Read More...

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Jay-Z And Kanye West’s Spike Jonze-Directed 'Otis' Video Set To Premiere Thursday

Posted 8/10/11 1:00 pm EST by in Jay-Z, Kanye West, Video

Earlier this week, one of the year’s most anticipated albums, the Jay-Z and Kanye West collaboration Watch the Throne, dropped to much fanfare, a bevy of positive reviews and a big opening on the iTunes charts, where it hit No. 1 in 23 countries.

The album is a rarity these days in that it didn’t leak online before its official release. Now, the video for the set’s first single, “Otis,” is poised to do the same. With the exception of two images that made their way online just days after the song was released, little is known about the “Otis” video.

What we do know is that it is directed by Spike Jonze, the mastermind director behind the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” Bjork’s “It’s Oh So Quiet” and Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs” as well as the award-winning films “Being John Malkovich,” “Adaptation” and “Where the Wild Things Are.”

We also know it will make its official debut tomorrow (Thursday, 8/11) at 8:56 PM on MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV.com and BET. Read More...

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'Teen Wolf' Tyler Posey Gushes About His Supervideo Director And Co-Star

Posted 8/10/11 10:30 am EST by in Celebrity, Music, Video

By Michael Steinkirchner

If you are anything like me, you couldn’t get enough of the star-studded supervideo for Best Coast’s “Our Deal.” Where else can you find “Arrested Development’s” Alia Shawkat and actor/comedian/rapper Donald Glover in a cleverly choreographed break-dancing gang war? Well for starters, in the extended version released today - and it does not disappoint.

Clocking in at ten minutes (a full six minutes longer than the original), the Drew Barrymore-directed video contains fresh dialogue from the convincingly fierce Shawkat, as well as a cutesy montage of “Teen Wolf’s” Tyler Posey and “Kick-Ass” star Chloe Moretz putting aside their differences in the name of infatuation ... err true love.

Also featured are extended scenes depicting Nickelodeon’s Miranda Cosgrove ("iCarly") being accosted by a rival graffiti gang and a short-but-humorous cameo from none other than Best Coast singer Bethany Cosentino, rolling dice in the street alongside Barrymore. And if that wasn’t enough, excerpts from additional Best Coast material have been added to story, which no doubt acts as a welcome plug for their debut album, Crazy For You.

Even the stars of the video are excited about the final result. “How cool is that supervideo!” exclaimed Tyler Posey. “I can’t stop watching it. Drew Barrymore is the coolest chick ever! Chloe Moretz is the coolest chick ever!”

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Britney Spears’ Leaked Original ‘Gimme More’ Video: What’s Different?

Posted 7/19/11 10:10 am EST by in Britney Spears, Video

Let’s just get it out there: the boobies. Those are definitely different.

The original cut of Britney Spears’ “Gimme More” music video has leaked online and includes never-before-seen footage that was edited out of the official video. Most of this footage revolves around Britney’s, um, assets.

The biggest structural change to the video comes at its beginning and end. In the official cut, Spears sits at the bar in a blonde wig and watches herself take the strip club stage. Here we get black and white clips from stripper Britney’s life. We see her get out of bed in the morning and walking down a Los Angeles side street, presumably on her way to her gig on the pole.

The blown out neon light effects that gave the original video a particularly seedy feel are less prominent here. In their place we get shots that linger on Britney as she bumps and grinds on a striper pole alongside backup dancers in a leather vest, fishnets and ill-fitting booty shorts.

Another change comes into play at 2:05 when Britney loses the vest. There’s really no delicate way to say this: There’s a lot more skin here. Shots of Britney’s booty bouncing abound and there’s plenty of side boob.

Check out the leaked original video after the jump. Read More...

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