Tuesday, September 29, 2009


Zac Efron is the king of the tweens! They fell in love with the floppy-haired cutie as singing jock Troy Bolton in the Disney Channel megahit High School Musical. After its premiere in January 2006, the TV movie became the most-watched program in Disney's history.

In the summer of 2007, Efron laced up his b-ball sneakers again for HSM 2 with his costar and real-life girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens. He also jumped to the big-screen in the star-studded remake of Hairspray and landed a sexy cover of Rolling Stone, which proclaimed him, "The New American Heartthrob."

After smashing the box office with the final installment of the HSM franchise, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Efron prepped for non-Disney roles opposite Matthew Perry in 17 Again and Claire Danes in Me and Orson Welles.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Miley Cyrus’s Party inspiration: her parents

Miley Cyrus had a vision when she went to make her “Party In The U.S.A.” music video and director Chris Applebaum was all ears.

He dished to MTV News about the 16-year-old’s inspiration. Chris shared, “Miley did have an idea — one of her favorite movies is Grease. Everything kind of sprang forward from that scene in Grease where John Travolta is singing … and he gets out of the car and goes to jungle gym and sits in one of the swings and sings the song at night as projections go in the background — she came to me [with that].”

Miley also wanted to feature a bit of her parents in the vid. Do you spy a Corral Drive In? Chris revealed: “Interesting enough, Miley’s parents Tish and Billy Ray, when they were first dating they went to a drive-in in Kentucky, I think, called the Corral Drive-In — so we named the drive-in after that as an homage to them. In addition, Miley’s mom Tish used to drive ‘79 black Pontiac Trans Am, Smokey and the Bandit style, and obviously that’s the car that Miley arrives in.”

Monday, September 7, 2009

I'm A Celebrity stars will all get paid £60k to stop bickering


I'm A Celebrity... contestants will all get the same fee to avoid bickering over pay.

ITV bosses have told stars auditioning for the series, which returns in November, they will be paid a flat rate of £60,000 for the three-week stint in the jungle - with no room for negotiation.

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It means big name stars tipped to join this year's line-up, including Michael Jackson's friend Mark Lester (above), will be on the same as lesser-known hopefuls, would could include footballer Jason Cundy, his wife Lizzie and former Liberty X singer Kelli Young.

An ITV source said: "Everyone has been warned the fee is not up for discussion. This year it's £60,000 and the view from the top is take it or leave it."

Last year glamour model Nicola McLean was furious to find her £7,500 fee was less than a fifth of the £40,000 TV star Dani Behr got.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Exclusive: Jay-Z's Next LP Will Be 'The Most Experimental I Ever Made' Plus: Bun B expands record label, plans joint tape with Young Jeezy, in Mixtape


"I've always said I believe in good music and bad music. ... I like music. The second Blueprint, the reason it was all over the place is because I like music so much. You have tracks with Lenny Kravitz then Sean Paul. Dr. Dre. It's all over the place because of my taste in music. I like music.

"My next album, which I'm working on now -- that's exclusive, no one knows that -- is gonna be the album that really ... it's not gonna be a #1 album. That's where I'm at right now. I wanna make the most experimental album I ever made. But let's not deal with that now; I want to deal with The Blueprint 3."

Streets Is Talking: News and Notes From the Underground

Bun B is working on his next solo album, expanding his record company and, yes, is in talks for a major mixtape. The underground CD, if it comes to fruition, will be a whole project co-starring Young Jeezy.

Bun said both members of UGK were cool with Jeezy prior to Pimp C's death despite Pimp and Young having a public falling-out.

"Young and I have had the opportunity to sit down and talk about all the great things we've been through. ... We still got a lot of love for each other," Bun said. "Now we're in a position to get back making great music together like we used to.

"We're going to take the tape back to the Streets Is Talking days when he was hungry, trying to get in the game. When I was hungry trying to tear up the game with Pimp still in prison and keep the UGK name out there heavily. Don't be surprised if you have a II Trill and CTE project in the stocking this holiday season. Hopefully, it will open the doors for a lot of other brothers to make a movement. He's still got his CTE crew he has to put out music with. I still got my obligations. At some point before the year is out, we're gonna try to do the mixtape this year. I guess now that I've said it, we gotta do it."

Bun is also expanding his II Trill Entertainment label in the very near future with more mixtapes.

"The mixtape we're getting ready to do is a partnership with Big Kap with Paper Chase entertainment. It's the beginning of II Trill West, and the tape is called American Made: Article 1. We're pushing new artists from the West Coast. The Gutta Boy Family is the first group."

When Bun and Kap talked, they said worst-case scenario, the Texas legend would lend a co-sign. Best case, he would be fully involved.

Bun also has a cat out of Dallas named Young J.R., then there's the launch of II Trill East with Manhood Entertainment. First up for that faction? Uncle Murda.

"The talent is there, the opportunity is there. I'm associating myself with artists I feel who have great talent."

Bun is gearing up for his solo LP. He said he just wants to take time and evaluate.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Travis Barker, DJ AM's Family Attend Funeral


DJ AM was laid to rest Wednesday in a small funeral attended by family members and close friend Travis Barker.

Mourners were seen entering Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in West Los Angeles for the private ceremony for the celebrity deejay – real name Adam Goldstein – who died last week in New York.

A memorial for Goldstein will also be held Thursday evening at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.

"The format of the evening will be in the style of an open 12-step meeting," reads an invite for Thursday's memorial, which will be "a gathering to celebrate the life of our friend Adam Goldstein."

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Jay-Z Remembers DJ AM As 'Someone That Really Loved What He Did' 'He had a bandage on his head, and he was ready to go,' Jay says of performing with A

NEW YORK — DJ AM was resilient as both a person and a professional, Jay-Z recalled of the late DJ.

The Brooklyn rapper tapped AM last September to back him for a gig in Los Angeles to help christen the reopening of the Hollywood Palladium the following month. When word broke the very next day that AM — along with Travis Barker — were critically injured in a plane crash, though, the Blueprint superstar wasn't concerned about AM making the show anymore; he just wanted him to tend to his health.

The celebrity DJ, however, did everything in his power to make the date. Less than a month after surviving the crash, which took the lives of the four other passengers aboard, AM announced he would honor his commitment to Jay-Z. The DJ told People magazine at the time that the show with the iconic MC was "the biggest thing that's happened in my career."

His resolve definitely impressed Jay-Z, who was introduced to the DJ the day before his tragic plane crash.

"I met him the day before the plane crash," Jay told MTV News on Monday, days after AM was found dead in his New York apartment. "We were doing the concert, and he told me that he had to go down to South Carolina to do a show with Travis, and then we'd go and do our show.

"The plane crash happened, and I'm thinking, 'Let him recover. We'll talk about that some other time,' " Jay continued. "He called, like, 'Nah, man, I'm still ready to go.' I was shocked by that at first. He came, he had a bandage on his head, and he was ready to go. He was someone that really loved what he did. That's passion: to love what you do and still go forward."

The two impressed the crowd throughout their performance together. At one point, Jay ventured behind the turntables while AM hammed it up for the crowd. "Make some noise for DJ AM," Jay ordered the crowd.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher has announced he's quitting the band, citing "violent and verbal intimidation" and a "lack of support" from management and band mates.

In a statement Friday, Gallagher said he was leaving the group -- "with some sadness and great relief" -- because he couldn't work with his brother and band mate, Liam, "a day longer." Earlier, the band had canceled a performance at a Paris festival, reportedly after a fight backstage.

On Saturday, Noel Gallagher further explained his decision to leave the group in a letter to fans on the band's Web site.

"I feel you have the right to know that the level of verbal and violent intimidation towards me, my family, friends and comrades has become intolerable," the guitarist said. "And the lack of support and understanding from my management and band mates has left me with no other option than to get me cape and seek pastures new."
Dave Hogan/GettyNoel Gallagher

The letter reportedly doesn't detail exactly what the intimidation was, or who was specifically responsible. He also doesn't directly write about his brother.

"It's obviously the worst fall-out that they've ever had, and they've had some pretty bad ones," Alan McGee, who discovered the band, told BBC News. "But they love each other. They'll come back together."

A spokeswoman for Oasis told BBC News that Liam Gallagher and the remaining Oasis members would announce a decision soon on whether to continue the band. Noel was the lead guitarist and chief songwriter. Liam is the lead singer.


Betrothed
"The Office" star John Krasinski, 29, and "The Devil Wears Prada" breakout star Emily Blunt, 26, are engaged, according to reports. His publicist confirmed the news Friday without elaborating.


Legal matters
Charges have been dropped against Japanese pop artist Yoshitomo Nara, who was arrested in February after police say he scrawled a smiley face with a marker on a New York City subway-station wall.

He had been charged with making graffiti and criminal mischief, and spent a night in jail, the Associated Press reported.

The incident occurred before an exhibit of his work opened in the city. Nara lives in Japan.

His works have sold for as much as $1.5 million.


Evan Agostini/APDaniel Craig

Haunting Craig
Daniel Craig has signed on to star in the psychological thriller "Dream House," to be directed by six-time Oscar nominee Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot").

Craig will play a successful publishing executive who quits his job in New York City to relocate his family and two daughters to a small New England town. They soon discover that their new house was once the murder scene of a mother and her children, believed to be at the hands of the husband who survived.

Craig will make his Broadway debut this fall in "A Steady Rain," co-starring Hugh Jackman.

Sheridan's latest film, "Brothers," stars Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman, and will be released in December.