Hollywood Popular Artists

Feb 15th 2013, 22:37

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Christopher Nolan's "Inception" is a stunning achievement of the modern blockbuster era. It began mostly as a favor to Nolan from Warner Bros. to keep him happy enough to stick around for a third Batman movie, but what the director did with that one round of backscratching is create the kind of film we may not see for a long time.

"Inception" is an action movie, but it's one based on an idea, which is, — you probably know — is the most resilient parasite. But Nolan's idea for "Inception" wasn't a high-concept, poster-ready elevator pitch. To try to tell someone what "Inception" is about neither does justice to the plot nor really let that person know what "Inception" is about.

So Nolan has his concept. For there, he weaves a story that is not only accessible and engagement, but intelligent and nuanced in a way that many movie execs would call "giving the audience way too much credit."

The film is bold, ambitious, and a wonder to behold. The imagery embodies the kind of magic that raised a generation of filmmakers like Nolan, and its scale is rarely matched at today's multiplex — outside of Christopher Nolan movies.

Over the course of nine days, MTV Movies Blog will be traveling through cinematic time and the nine decades of movies featured in the "Best of Warner Bros 50 Film Collection." Each day, we'll review one film from one decade of the box set and taking a look back at the history of the studio.

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Feb 15th 2013, 21:27

If you're a fan of British singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran, you're in good company. The Brit is in high demand these days, writing songs for Taylor Swift and One Direction. And if he couldn't get anymore legit, Sheeran can count Elton John as one of his biggest fans. Remember that Grammy performance? John is the one who set that up because he was so impressed with the 21-year-old musician.

Just because Sheeran loves words doesn't mean he's all talk -- he's also a fan of action. We caught up with the musician to find out why he's so passionate about fighting sex trafficking and homelessness as well as who inspired his hit single, "The A Team." Watch what he had to say in our videos below.

+ Watch Ed Sheeran Talks About Fighting Sex Trafficking

Sheeran explains why it's so important to support organizations that fight human trafficking and homelessness. "Subjects like sex trafficking and homelessness…they're not the most attractive subjects when it comes to charities. And I think people kind of wash over them." During his recent UK tour, Ed collected signatures and donations for Crisis (a UK charity for homeless people), and he performed a benefit concert for One25 (a non-profit that helps sex trafficking victims in Bristol, England). Is your heart melting yet?

+ Watch Ed Sheeran On The Meaning Of 'The A Team'

Wondering about the girl who inspired the song, "The A Team"? Ed explains: "I was 18. I did some volunteer work in a homeless shelter and met a woman called Angel. I was young; I had never really seen that side of life, and it just shocked and inspired me."  And to think, he probably would have never met Angel if he hadn't been so into volunteering!

YOU GUYS, what do you think? Is Sheeran even more swoon-worthy now that you know he has a heart of gold?

Even though issues like homelessness and sex trafficking are not easy to talk about, they ARE a serious epidemic, even in our own backyard. For ways to take action on these issues, check out the action widgets below.

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Feb 15th 2013, 20:47

So much for the plan for Brad Pitt to star in David Fincher's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." According to a new report, the actor is no longer a prospective part of the project.

The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed Pitt's departure (if he ever was attached), but it's not all bad news for the Jules Verne adaptation. Apparently the Australian government has offered Walt Disney Pictures a 30 percent rebate if the studio opts to film the movie down under.

According to THR, that rebate would be worth about $19.2 million, which is a big hunk of change considering how pricy "20,000 Leagues" is looking to be. This would be the biggest film to film shoot Australia. Disney scouts are said to be considering Queensland's Village Roadshow Studios or Sydney's Fox Studios (where "The Wolverine" filmed) to shoot this movie. It would apparently create more than 2,000 local jobs for Australian residents. Sounds like everyone would be a winner!

When "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" was about to hit theaters, Fincher told MTV News about his fascination with the "20,000 Leagues" novel.

"The idea of a post-Civil War version of science fiction and the notion of being able to breathe underwater was so radical in its thinking. That's pretty cool," he said. "If you're going to do big tent-pole teenage PG-13 summer movies, it's kind of cool that it would be this."

Who do you think should star in "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea"? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

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Feb 15th 2013, 19:33

Yup, we're still mourning the fact that "BUCKWILD" season one is over!! Until season 2 rolls around we know that the girls on the show are not sitting still though!

And they're doing more than just mudding in cars and swimming in dump truck pools! Case in point: Shae Bradley. The blonde-haired beauty is rolling up her sleeves up for the greater good of her home state, West Virginia!

Shae helps out at soup kitchens and Habitat for Humanity and she's a big believer that we could all use karma points! She's not alone in helping others out either. We talked to Katie about why she helps students with learning disabilities, Anna on her passion for helping shelter dogs including her dog, Lilly (Obvs!) and how Cara saves lives through music. Below is our interview with Shae in which she talks more about giving back, dating-dealbreakers and the types of people she won't pay ANY attention to!

Photo: Shae relaxing in Sissonville, WV. (MTV)

ACT: What makes you want to take action and give back to your community?

SHAE: I'm really blessed and want to help people who aren't as fortunate as I am. If the situation was reversed I would hope people would be kind to me, too.

ACT: Tell us about volunteering with soup kitchens and Habitat For Humanity. Why those causes?

SHAE: They are the most easily accessible volunteer opportunities in the area. I love that I am directly helping those in need when I volunteer at soup kitchens on holidays as well as at Habitat.

ACT: How do you convince friends and other young people to participate in volunteer activities?

SHAE: It's actually a lot of fun to give back! If that isn't enough for them then I would remind them we need all the karma points we can get!

ACT: Why was it important for you to continue your education as a nursing student?

SHAE: I'm taking a break from school now. I will definitely go back in the future. My education is very important to me and one of my passions.

ACT: How do you handle the haters and negativity in general about the show?

SHAE: People who force their negative views on the world are just sad people. I don't pay any attention to them.

ACT: Would you ever date someone who didn't volunteer?

SHAE: I would date someone who didn't volunteer but I would definitely prefer someone who values the community and wants to give back to it.

Related Content
[Interview] Buckwild's Cara Talks About Giving Back With Music + How To Handle Haters
[Interview] Buckwild's Anna On The Best Decision She's Ever Made
[Interview] Buckwild's Katie On Why Fame Is Fleeting But An Education Is Not

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Feb 15th 2013, 19:08

"Demi Lovato! Come on dowwwwn!" All next week (February 18-22) "The Price is Right" will feature Demi, Sharon Osbourne, NBA Hall of Fame inductee Charles Barkley, Real Housewife Nene Leakes, and 98 Degrees' Nick and Drew Lachey compete in the show's second annual "Celebrity Week" for charity.

Did you know that "The Price is Right" is the longest-running game show in television history?! "Celebrity Week" features big stars playing alongside contestants, with celebs' winnings going toward their favorite causes. Demi (whose episode airs February 22) is playing for Free The Children -- an organization that empowers kids in need around the world through education. Chatty Brit Sharon Osbourne is playing for her own Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program. Nick and Drew are playing for Camp Joy, Nene for Saving Our Daughters, and Charles for the Mustard Seed School, a free private school for homeless children aged 3-15.

Celebrities know a thing or two about spending, so it's my guess that the other contestants won't stand a chance. Since the show is pre-taped, CBS has already announced that celebs raised over $250,000 for charity. One even broke Snoop Dogg's previous individual record of $72,585! Which celeb was it? You'll have to watch to find out!

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Feb 15th 2013, 18:49

Hip hop queen MC Lyte recently revealed that Lil Mama will portray the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in a VH1 biopic about '90s R&B group TLC. From a similar wacky sense of style to appearing on Lisa's posthumous album Eye-Legacy, Lil Mama seems like a natural choice. Here are a few other things the two femcees have in common.

+ They Both Accessorize Uniquely

Pirates wear regular eye patches, but Lisa wore a condom over her eye. Lisa, T-Boz, and Chilli often wore condoms as clothing accessories, but it was about so much more than just odd fashion.

"By making it a fashion statement we're doing something more important -- making a social statement," said Lopes. "Kids listen to performers and we have a duty to give them certain critical information. We wanted something eye-catching, so when kids see the condoms, they ask why do we wear condoms and talk about condoms? That brings up the issue of safe sex. The point is to make condoms something kids aren't afraid of or ashamed of."

Lil Mama is no stranger to making unusual accesory choices either. Remember this baby binky?! Maybe she should rock a condom eye patch in prep for her movie role? Now that's method acting!

+ They Both Stand Up For Youth

Lisa created the Lisa Lopes Foundation to help kids in low-income communities around the world. Lisa wanted to be the voice of the young people, which is coincidentally the name of Lil Mama's first album.

+ The Both Have Poppin' Lip Gloss

I mean, seriously guys. Whether you like to bump Lil Mama's "Lip Gloss" or not, could you really see anyone but her playing Left Eye? Share your opinions on the casting decision in the comments below or Tweet us.

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Feb 15th 2013, 18:01

Joseph Gordon-Levitt recently played the heroic police officer John Blake in "The Dark Knight Rises," and IRL he's also heroically looking out for the well-being of others. Yesterday he shot off a not-sweet-but-informative Tweet about young people in solitary confinement.

JGL Tweeted:

Friends @aclu are working to protect kids by banning youth solitary confinement. Please READ this report by @ianmkysel: bit.ly/VQjE0W

— Joseph Gordon-Levitt (@hitRECordJoe) February 14, 2013

The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, works for the rights of individuals in the United States, including the rights of people under the age of 18 -- they believe they shouldn't be treated like adults and put in solitary confinement. In solitary confinement, a person spends 22 (or all 24!) hours a day by themselves in a small room, sometimes without even a window. They may or may not be allowed anything to pass their time, like a book. (If they're a student and would like to study, that also may or may not be allowed.)

Ian Kystel of the ACLU did a report on how kids in solitary confinement are treated, and you can see a vid at the link Joe gives. It includes interviews with teens who were kept in solitary confinement for months at a time. There's also talk of one boy with bipolar disorder being put in solitary confinement and having gas and pepper spray used on him.

"The solitary confinement of young people should be banned," Ian says at the end of the vid. "Young people should be held in specialized juvenile facilities, not in adult jails and prisons. But regardless of where they're held, children should never be held in solitary confinement."

What's your reaction to all this? Let us know in the poll below!

 

Should kids be put in solitary confinement?

 

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Feb 15th 2013, 17:00

After making a movie that raked in over $1 billion worldwide and is widely recognized as one of the best James Bond movies, is it any surprise that Sam Mendes is considering returning as director for the upcoming "Bond 24"? Not to us, and we're glad that he's finally realizing what a smart idea it is too.

Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye has learned that Mendes is "75 per cent" on board with directing the flick, so it's not set in stone. Still, that's better than zero percent, and it seems pretty likely that he'll helm the next 007 project if he and screenwriter John Logan can develop a movie worth making. "In theory, Mendes is on board, but wants to see the finished script before he fully commits," Bamigboye writes.

Apparently Logan is still outlining the movie's plot, and his thoughts for the flick are "in the form of two treatment papers outlining a rough idea of the plot." If you're wondering why we keep saying "movie" instead of "movies," it's because the plan to make "Bonds 24" and "25" have one story arc has been scrapped. Guess Daniel Craig was right about that after all.

The only people who have reportedly seen Logan's "Bond 24" plans are Mendes, Craig, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson and "a handful of key executives" at Sony and MGM. The plan is to have the flick head into pre-production late this year or in early 2014, which works well for Mendes because he's directing Simon Russell Beale in "King Lear," a production that opens at London's National Theatre in January 2014.

Would you like to see Mendes direct "Bond 24"? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Feb 15th 2013, 16:00

This Sunday, JGL will blow out 32 candles on his proverbial birthday cake, ending a banner year, what with the "The Dark Knight Rises," "Premium Rush," "Looper," and "Lincoln."

To celebrate, let's all close our eyes for a minute and imagine a world where Joseph Gordon-Levitt had never been born.

We couldn't fondly recall his adorable Cocoa Puffs commercial.

Tony Danza would never have learned to believe in himself.

The Big Giant Head would have had to hire a lesser Information Officer.

We'd never lay eyes on this luscious head of hair.

He'd never have made our dreams come true.

Or fallen in and out of love with Summer.

The hilarious, tragic genius of "50/50" would never be.

We wouldn't have a Robin this badass.

This would never have happened...

Or this...

It's a world, frankly, that we wouldn't want to live in.

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Feb 15th 2013, 16:01

What does a pop superstar do after a flawless inaugural performance and winning a shiny new Grammy? She goes home. Kelly Clarkson is giving her first hometown show in over a year on March 1st, and because there's not much else a singer could want after performing for the President and beating Florence and the Machine, Fun., Maroon 5 and Pink, it's all for charity!

Kelly will be performing at the Verizon Theater in Prarie, Texas, in support of the Opportunity Education Foundation. Since 2005, the foundation has supplied learning materials and curricula to 500,000 kids in 11 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Kelly has always been passionate about making disadvantaged kids "Stronger." She is a long-time supporter of March Of Dimes -- an organization that helps expecting mothers have healthy pregnancies and strong newborns.

+ Watch Kelly Clarkson "Stronger"

Take action below to score tickets to Kelly's concert, and to celebrate a lady who has won three Grammys and sold over 25 million albums worldwide, yet still finds the time to give back to the less fortunate.

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Feb 15th 2013, 15:00

While Steven Spielberg tries to figure out "Robopocalypse," his would-be leading man, Chris Hemsworth, may have found a project from another iconic director to keep himself busy.

According to Variety, Hemsworth is attached to a potential Michael Mann project set up at blockbuster-maker Legendary.

There essentially no details about the script other than a vague tip that the film "takes place in a world of cyber threats and attacks," which doesn't exactly clear things up. The script does, however, come from writer Morgan Davis Foehl, who's at work on a screenplay for an upcoming adaptation of the hit video game series "Mass Effect."

The combination of Legendary, Mann, and Hemsworth hints that whatever this thing is it will be fairly large, so expect to hear a lot more about the project if it comes to fruition.

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Feb 15th 2013, 14:57

Remember when "The Notebook" came out and everyone was all "if you're a bird, I'm a bird"? Well, Nicholas Sparks' latest movie adaptation hits theaters this Valentine's Day, which means we have a new relationship to swoon over. Or do we?

"Safe Haven" isn't just about another healthy, loving relationship. The movie, starring Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel, follows Katie, played by Julianne, as she escapes from her husband, who also happens to be her abuser. She meets Alex, Josh Duhamel's role, in a small beach town -- he and the distant location turn out to be her "safe haven" from her past.

Although movie execs probably wanted the movie to debut on Valentine's Day thinking it would be a great date movie, we have another suggestion.

With One Billion Rising and February being Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, we think this is the perfect time to take everyone -- your girlfriends, bros, non-boyfriend guy friends, etc. -- to see the movie. After all, the more people who learn and speak out about this issue, the better.

Still looking for inspiration? For Julianne Hough, this movie wasn't just another potential blockbuster hit: this was personal. The actress has spoken out about her past abuse, which means the role she played was one she knew all too well. Other celebs, including Kelly Rowland and AnnaLynne McCord, have also spoken out about the importance of fighting back against violence against women.

If you're wondering what to watch out for in your relationship (or a friend's), check out these warning signs from Love Is Respect. You can speak to someone anonymously now by calling (866) 331-9474 or texting "loveis" to 77054. Remember, getting help and getting out of an abusive relationship isn't just something that happens on the big screen.

For more resources, visit Break the Cycle or take action below to take a stand this month against violence against women.

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Feb 15th 2013, 14:00

We're still a little less than three months away from "Fast and Furious 6" — trust us, we're counting — and there is already a utterly fantastic rumor on the web about the sequel, specifically who will be the villain.

The rumor comes from Ain't It Cool News, who claim to know about a Marvel-style stinger at the end of "Fast and Furious 6." You should probably stop reading if you don't want to know the secret.

So, here it goes...

According to AICN, the final scene of "Fast and Furious 6" will not only reveal the villain for the seventh film, but also place "Tokyo Drift" firmly in the chronology of the series. (Thank God.)

After the newest movie's happy ending, we get a scene that seems unrelated. Some sort of elaborate car crash takes place, and one of the vehicles is the clear winner. The victor gets out and approaches the loser's over-turned wreck. It's Sung Kang's Han in the car, and the man above him is Jason Statham.

While the character is only played by Statham (dammit.), it's revealed that he's the brother of Luke Evans' character, so we'll have a nice revenge story for the seventh movie.

So they have found a way to get Statham into "Fast and Furious." He had been offered the villain role for "6," but turned it down.

What do you think of the rumor? Do you hope it's true? While we wait to find out if this is real or not, leave a comment below and check out the new theatrical trailer.

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Feb 14th 2013, 23:16

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Feb 14th 2013, 22:18

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Feb 14th 2013, 21:12

Can't get enough of the Grammys? The GRAMMY Foundation is auctioning off 100 exclusive items for charity, including VIP experiences with Lil Wayne and Miguel, and Grammy merchandise signed by Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, fun., and pretty much everyone else who prepped and partied backstage during the awards show.

All items are available on eBay, and all proceeds will benefit MusiCares and the GRAMMY Foundation, both of which are committed to bettering the world through service, art, and epic Justin Timberlake comebacks. (You know your life is better now that sexy is officially back!) Auction money will go to everything from school arts programs, to disaster relief concerts, to providing free dental care to struggling musicians.

Take action below to bid on your favorite items -- including VIP Coachella tix! -- between now and February 21.

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