My sister recently had a talk with my four-year-old nephew Jack about strangers. Here's how it went:
SISTER: Now, Jack, if a stranger says, "Come here, I want to show you something," what do you do?
JACK: I turn around and run!
SISTER: If a stranger says, "Come here, I want to give you some candy," what do you do?
JACK: I turn around and run!
SISTER: If a stranger says, "Come here, I want to show you my puppy," what do you do?
JACK: Oh, I love puppies...
Anna Paquin AnnaLynne McCord Anne Marie Kortright April Scott
As Jon Favreau's flick hits theaters, we lasso up all the details about the much-anticipated flick.
By Terri Schwartz
Daniel Craig in "Cowboys and Aliens"
Photo: Universal Pictures
"Cowboys & Aliens" may be lassoing its way into theaters on Friday (July 29), but the movie's journey to the big screen began a long time ago in a galaxy ... well, not so far away.
The current incarnation of Jon Favreau's adaptation of Scott Mitchell Rosenberg's 2006 graphic novel is a far cry from what the director had originally envisioned. When we first heard about the project back in '08, it seemed to be shaping up to be "Iron Man 2.0," with Favreau directing, "Iron Man" screenwriters penning the script and Robert Downey Jr. pegged as the flick's leading man.
"Cowboys & Aliens" was initially set to begin filming in 2009, but with Downey Jr. unsure about committing to the role and Favreau still not officially onboard, things were still up in the air.
Also by then, the "Cowboys & Aliens" script was in the capable hands of "Star Trek" writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who admitted that they had veered from the source material.
In January 2010, Downey Jr. parted ways with "Cowboys & Aliens." Fortunately, things started looking up only two days later, when it was announced that Daniel Craig was in talks to replace the "Iron Man" star as protagonist Zeke Johnson. In addition, the movie was set to start filming in July, potentially in 3-D.
The casting announcements continued flowing in, including Olivia Wilde who came onboard as the movie's leading lady. With the majority of the major players set to go, "Cowboys & Aliens" was given a July 2011 release date.
In April 2010, rumors began to swirl that Harrison Ford would join "Cowboys & Aliens". Favreau confirmed on Twitter that Han Solo himself would star opposite Craig and Wilde, making this one of the coolest casts around.
The casting news just kept coming, with Noah Ringer, Sam Rockwell, Adam Beach, Paul Dano, Keith Carradine, Clancy Brown and Walton Goggins added as well.
The buzz for the flick continued to grow right through to its 2010 Comic-Con presentation, where fanboys salivated at the news that Wilde had filmed a nude scene just days before the event.
But it wasn't until November that the rest of the world got a taste of what was in store. The first trailer arrived on November 17, and Favreau stopped by MTV's offices to offer his own commentary on it. Then in February, another exciting new trailer aired during the Super Bowl. MTV News was lucky enough to get Favreau back for more trailer dissection.
Plenty more "Cowboys" trailers followed, as well as clips.
In mid-July, MTV News headed to Montana, where we chatted with the cast, including Craig and Wilde. Not long after that trip, Favreau stopped by our San Diego headquarters to talk about the movie's big Comic-Con world premiere. It was the nerd event of the convention.
Check out everything we've got on "Cowboys & Aliens."
For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.
Related Videos Related PhotosGenelle Frenoy Georgianna Robertson Georgina Grenville Gina Carano
Friends and family gathered at Amy's favorite jazz club on Thursday night.
By Gil Kaufman
Amy Winehouse
Photo: Carlos Alvarez/ Getty Images
Amy Winehouse's father, Mitch, made another trip to the late singer's Camden, England, apartment this week, where fans have kept vigil since the news broke on Saturday that the "Rehab" singer had passed away at age 27.
After greeting those supporters on Monday and thanking them for their kind words and offerings to his troubled daughter's memory, Mitch, along with Amy's mother, Janis, brother Alex and boyfriend Reg Traviss, came by on Thursday to remove some of the singer's private effects from her apartment.
Read what experts say about the negative effects of the type of instant fame Winehouse received.
Mitch surprised some of those gathered outside by handing out a few of Amy's clothes and accessories, including several tank tops, sunglasses and other trinkets, according to The Sun. "There are Amy's T-shirts. This is what she would have wanted — for her fans to have her clothes," he told the stunned fans, as he walked away with a pair of Winehouse's signature ballet shoes in his back pocket. "God bless Amy Winehouse," he said before hopping into a taxi.
The family also carted off some other possessions, including Amy's guitars and her lyric books.
We explore what Winehouse's musical legacy will be, beyond "Rehab."
Some of Winehouse's pals and family got together to celebrate her life at her favorite jazz club on Thursday night. Her divorced parents were joined by Traviss and friends that included Kelly Osbourne and Eliza Doolittle at the Jazz After Dark club in London's Soho district. Also on hand was producer Mark Ronson, who paid tribute to his muse during a concert the night before, when he performed a selection of Amy's songs.
Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists... in Brooklyn!
Bev has decided to wear an asymmetrical fascinator to celebrate Kate and Wills' big day, while Mary opted for a hat with a little tropical flavor.
Cheerio!
(By the way, this wasn't an easy photo to get:)
Catherine Bell Chandra West Charisma Carpenter Charli Baltimore
'I have not been approached to fill in for Robert Plant on the Zeppelin tour, but that isn't to say I won't be,' singer says.
By Chris Harris
Chris Cornell
Photo: MTV News
Former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell has spoken out for the first time about rumors that he's been asked to fill in for Robert Plant on a proposed Led Zeppelin reunion tour. The trek would feature original guitarist Jimmy Page, original bassist John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham taking over on drums for his late father, John Bonham.
Cornell has been mentioned — along with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, White Stripes mastermind Jack White and Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy — as a potential Plant fill-in. Plant has already said that he wouldn't take part in the tour.
"I have not been approached so far to fill in for Robert Plant on the upcoming Zeppelin tour, but that isn't to say I won't be," Cornell told MTV News. "I've heard that from about 200 people now, and it might be one of those situations where it's just an online rumor or it might be true. But if you see anyone from Led Zeppelin around, let me know. I think I should actually fill in for Jimmy Page on the Robert Plant/ Alison Krauss tour."
Cornell's denial comes just a day after Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford confirmed reports that frontman Steven Tyler recently met with Zeppelin for an impromptu jam session. "They did it for fun," Whitford said during an appearance on the syndicated show "Todd N Tyler Radio Empire." "I actually think Jimmy wanted Steven to come over and play a little bit because I think he was trying to light a fire under Robert."
Rumors of a Zeppelin reunion tour have abounded since the iconic band played a single reunion set last year at London's O2 Arena. Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider added fuel to the fire last month when he revealed that the group was thinking of touring, with or without Plant.
According to Snider, the rest of the band told Plant, " 'We're all rehearsed, we're ready to go. Here's a gazillion dollars on the table. If you don't do it, we're going out with this kid [Myles Kennedy].' "
"And he can sing the sh-- out of Zeppelin," Snider added. "They're going to hope that Robert, at the last minute, will go, 'OK,' and step in."
In a recent interview, Jones told BBC Radio Devon that a new singer was being sought to take over for Plant. "We are trying out a couple of singers," he said. "We want to do it. It's sounding great, and we want to get on and get out there."
But Jones insists that he, Page and Bonham aren't interested in finding a Plant clone. "It's got to be right," he said. "There's no point in just finding another Robert. You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don't want to be our own tribute band. There would be a record and a tour, but everyone has to be onboard."
Of course, even if Zeppelin were to approach him, Cornell might be too busy to take over vocals for the band. His upcoming Timbaland-produced solo LP, Scream, will be released within the next few months. Cornell told MTV News last month that some of his fans might consider Scream something of a departure, but he doesn't see it that way.
"It makes me happy that there's this perception that I have a group of fans that I'm now sort of throwing a curve at and what their reaction will be," he said. "But I've been in this situation so many times already. When I put out [1999's] Euphoria Morning, my main goal was to create an album that sounded like nothing I'd done in Soundgarden, and I did that. I also had that with Temple of the Dog, where I showed up with songs that weren't necessarily riff-based. And then, of course, the pairing of me and members of Rage Against the Machine had everyone sort of speculating about what that would sound like.
"It feels like I've done this so many times that when it's presented to me as being a departure, I feel that's a misconception," he added. "I feel like that's my theme at this point."
Related ArtistsCo-star Daniel Craig had to 'look me up and down,' actress explains.
By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Eric Ditzian
Olivia Wilde in "Cowboys & Aliens"
Photo: Universal Pictures
Olivia Wilde might have been covered in dust and dirt while shooting "Cowboys & Aliens," but that didn't make shooting a mostly nude scene in front of her co-star Daniel Craig any less awkward.
"It was kind of strange because I was half-naked in front of a bunch of people, including the crew, a bunch of Apache warriors, a bunch of cowboys, and Daniel Craig, who I had to stand in front of basically naked," Wilde explained to MTV News. "He had to take a moment to sort of look me up and down before covering me in a blanket. And I was like, this is crazy."
It didn't help that after the long night of shooting, Wilde and the rest of the "Cowboys & Aliens" cast had to take an overnight flight to San Diego Comic-Con to make their Hall H presentation. So if fans remember her being a little frazzled, it probably has something to do with the fact Wilde had no sleep after filming a scene in which she was partially nude for the majority of it.
As fans will find out come Friday's release of "Cowboys & Aliens," the scene Wilde is talking about — which has been teased in the film's many trailers — happens at the climax. She said filming the sequence was an "honor" because it is such an important moment in the movie.
"It was really exciting because we knew we were creating something kind of spectacular in that scene," Wilde said. "It was a really cool effect happening, as people will see."
The actress said she didn't wear much make-up and required little hairstyling while filming because the style of the flick was "very bare." She said it was a very dirty shoot, and not just because she was almost naked.
"We were literally dirty because we were riding all day long out in the desert, and you get very dirty. But the dirtier everybody looked, the hotter they looked. It was a really good look, I think," she said.
"The people in the Old West were very dirty. The thing that's unrealistic about our movie is all our teeth: We have good teeth; they didn't have good teeth. So, logic police will call BS on that."
Check out everything we've got on "Cowboys & Aliens."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos Related Photos'Justin Bieber: Never Say Never' has outgrossed MJ's 'This Is It' in U.S.
By Gil Kaufman
Justin Bieber in "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never"
Photo: Paramount Pictures
Michael Jackson may have dubbed himself the King of Pop, but the late icon didn't hold the box-office crown for long. Less than a year after the posthumous MJ documentary "This Is It" became the most successful concert-themed film in U.S. history, Justin Bieber is poised to snatch the mantle.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" has earned $72.2 million in domestic box office so far, passing Jackson's $72.1 million haul. And while Bieber has racked up those impressive numbers in just six weeks, he's got a long way to go before he laps the global receipts for the MJ doc.
"This Is It" has grossed $189.1 million overseas for a global total of $261.2 million. Music films don't typically play well overseas, and THR noted that "Never Say Never" has grossed a more modest $10.8 million overseas so far, with Paramount executives predicting that it could top out around $20 million internationally.
The impressive U.S. numbers were likely goosed by the re-release of the film recently with 40 additional minutes of bonus footage from director Jon M. Chu. Bieber still has a little way to go to climb the list of the top-grossing documentaries of all time. "Never Say Never" is currently stalled out at the #3 position, around $5 million behind "March of the Penguins," according to Box Office Mojo, and well short of the all-time record held by Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," which has taken in $119.1 million to date.
Bieber set off a classic MJ-style fan frenzy a few weeks ago when he visited Liverpool, England, for his world tour. And just a week later, he posed with his new wax figure at London's Madame Tussauds, checking off another item on the list of milestones to an MJ-like career.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsHe plays a ladies' man in Crazy, Stupid, Love. -- and it’s not hard to see why people go crazy for the actor offscreen!
Jennie Finch Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Gareis Jennifer Garner
After spending time in Florida to support girlfriend Selena Gomez as she kicked off her tour, Justin Bieber hopped on a flight back to Los Angeles, California on Saturday night (July 30).
Looking sporty in a blue and white ensemble, the "One Time" hitmaker trekked through the terminal at LAX airport upon touching down in The Golden State.
The travels come as Bieber took to Twitter the previous day to post a TwitVid of himself pranking Wendy's and Burger King fast food restaurants.
Along with the video available below, Justin wrote a message to go with it reading: "looks like we should go #cone-ing. haha. #SWAG"
In one of the clips, the 17-year-old orders an ice cream cone - which he grabs by the ice cream before driving off. The other shows him purchasing a milkshake from Wendy's then heading to Burger King to return the treat while telling the manager that he wasn't satisfied with the chilly snack.
Genelle Frenoy Georgianna Robertson Georgina Grenville Gina Carano
Young Money MC tells MTV News the pair are working on a clip for single 'Wherever You Are.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Vanessa WhiteWolf
Lil Twist
Photo: MTV News
Late last year, Justin Bieber and his "homey" Lil Twist revealed they were working on a mixtape. Well, fans may soon get to hear a song and see a video from that mixtape.
When MTV News spoke to rapper Twist at 106 & Park's Closer to My Dreams tour stop in Los Angeles on Thursday, he told us that once his new single with Bieber reaches the masses, it would have a good chance at making a play in our race for Summer Jam of 2011.
"My third single, 'Wherever You Are,' " Twist said of his summer jam pick. "It features my little brother Justin Bieber and I believe that that record is going to really do it."
Twist went on to dish about the duo's plans to step up their game for the song's forthcoming video."We're gonna get some treatments [written]," he said. "We're not just gonna pick any treatment because that video could just be out of here. We got a few different ones; I don't mean to name any [directors], but a few different ones. It's going to turn out great."
The collaboration between the two young stars has been long-simmering, with Bieber and Twist teasing a full mixtape. For now, though, fans will have to settle for one track. Last November, Twist explained that Bieber had come up with the idea to work on some music together.
"Me and Justin, we actually met through a mutual friend and after that we got real cool actually," he recalled. "[We] started working in the studio, sending stuff through the MacBook and everything. And then he was like, 'Yo, bro, we should do a mixtape. Let's go.' We just started then."
Are you looking forward to the Bieber/Twist collabo? Tell us in the comments!
Related ArtistsEmma Watson Emmanuelle Chriqui Emmanuelle Vaugier Emmy Rossum
Critics single out memorable performances by Ryan Gosling and Steve Carell in this 'crazy smart film.'
By Kara Warner
Ryan Gosling in "Crazy, Stupid, Love."
Photo: WB
Although the summer season is packed with big, noisy, CGI-enhanced blockbusters, studio executives are wise to the fact that not everyone wants to see flashy, action-heavy films, so they smartly offer up counter-programming in the form of romantic comedies. This week's star-studded "Crazy, Stupid, Love." is a perfect example, underscored by its 74 percent "fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
The film revolves around Cal Weaver (Steve Carell), whose wife (Julianne Moore) has recently announced her infidelity (the "other man" is played by Kevin Bacon) and requested a divorce. Cal takes his sorrows to a singles' bar, where he's adopted by local ladies' man Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). Jacob educates Cal in the new ways of wooing the ladies, and although Cal picks up some decent skills, his heart is in the wrong place: He's looking for that elusive true love, a soul mate.
Cal is also dealing with the fact that his adolescent son Robbie (Jonah Bobo) is in love with his teenage babysitter (Analeigh Tipton), who in turn is in love with Cal. Meanwhile, Jacob eventually realizes that he's still pining for the woman (Emma Stone) who got away.
Critics seem to be most pleased with the film's ensemble cast, with only a few grumbles about clichéd plot twists and turns. Without further ado, let's dive into the "Crazy, Stupid, Love." reviews.
The Story
"Just because it stars smart actors and isn't aggressively dumb doesn't automatically make it good, and while 'Crazy, Stupid, Love.' works in fits and starts, its wildly inconsistent tone and Dan Fogelman's overwritten screenplay make it too frustrating to properly enjoy. Every time one of the many plot threads hits its stride, another careens wildly out of control, leading up to a conclusion so clichéd it seems the movie has moved into parody." — Katey Rich, Cinema Blend
Ensemble Cast and Performances
"Frequently, the zaniness stops and some genuinely impressive acting breaks out. The accomplished Moore is an obvious candidate and, even in a confined role, she delivers — here a nervous look, there a tender gesture. Cast against type, his customarily troubled characters, Gosling is all dressed up (and occasionally undressed) in a fashion guaranteed to set hearts aflutter. But the guy is too skilled to settle for a hunky stereotype; rather, he rescues the roué from cliché by adding a certain delicacy, a repressed yet palpable sensitivity. ... Although not in their performing league, Carell is blessed to have a faint hint of Buster Keaton in his otherwise handsome face — a mug whose deadpan stare is fraught with comic nuance. Even the kid actor is a cut above here. Jonah Bobo brings to Robbie that adolescent knack of travelling at warp speed from deep cynicism to idealistic innocence." — Rick Groen, The Globe and Mail
The Final Word
"It's hard to ignore the fact that very little in the movie feels true — no one clicks as a couple, and there are carefully contrived coincidences around every corner. ... But while the filmmakers bungle the romance, they handle the comedy with skillful precision. I laughed all the way through, thanks to both consistently clever dialogue and deft delivery from Carell and Gosling, who clearly relished a chance to flex his comic muscles." — Elizabeth Weitzman, Daily News
"This film is the total of all its parts, from the string-bean beauty Tipton to the sly adolescent Bobo and all the veterans. It's notable that no one — not even Bacon's character — is a villain in this film. They're all just people looking for, wrestling with and falling in love. ... This is the sort of film that Oscar generally ignores come awards season. It shouldn't. "Crazy, Stupid, Love," is a crazy smart film." — Tom Long, Detroit News
Check out everything we've got on "Crazy, Stupid, Love."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Photos
Yesterday, Diggy Simmons stopped by "106 & Park" to talk about the "Closer To My Dreams" tour and he dropped his debut video for "Copy, Paste." See both the pics and video inside...
Diggy Simmons stopped by "106 & Park" recently to promote 106 & Park Presents: The Closer To My Dreams Tour starring himself, Young Money’s Lil' Twist and Tyga, R&B group Mindless Behavior and special guests Jawan Harris and Trevante.
Talking about the tour, he recently said, "The way that people have been reacting every night and embracing me and knowing my songs... it's surreal. It's my first tour and I'm just grateful for the opportunity."
After posing with fans, Diggy dropped his debut video for "Copy, Paste".
In his debut video, directed by Phil the God, Diggy gets hooked up like a lab experiment as a few lady scientists attempt to "copy" him. The young rapper even gets his dance on during the video. Check it out above.
Photos via WireImage/Nunez
Christina Applegate Christina DaRe Christina Milian Christina Ricci
Jennifer Morrison Jennifer ODell Jennifer Scholle Jennifer Sky
Show, airing live on Fox on August 7, will be hosted by 'Big Bang Theory' star Kaley Cuoco.
By Jocelyn Vena
Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez
Photo: Getty Images
The Teen Choice Awards have found their host. "Big Bang Theory" star Kaley Cuoco has been tapped to MC the big night, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Cuoco herself is up for Choice TV Actress: Comedy. Her show is up for Choice TV Show: Comedy and her co-star, Jim Parsons, is up for Choice TV Actor: Comedy.
Keeping the girl-power theme going, five-time nominee Selena Gomez has been slated to perform on the show along with her band, the Scene. Jason Derülo has also been billed as one of the performers for the show, which airs live from Los Angeles on August 7 on Fox.
Gomez's boy, Justin Bieber (who is up for five surfboards at the show), will be in attendance, as will Cameron Diaz, Chris Hemsworth, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Victoria Justice, Ed Helms, Lucy Hale, Shaun White, Rose Byrne, Paul Wesley, "Harry Potter" star Tom Felton, Kat Graham, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Shane West.
In addition to the already announced set of Teen Choice Awards nominees, which were released in two batches in June and again earlier this month, the nominees for the final category of Choice Vampire have also been announced. "Vampire Diaries" stars Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley face off against "Twilight" stars Robert Pattinson and Nikki Reed as well as the only nominee from "True Blood," Alexander Skarsgård.
"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" is the big nominee at the show with 12 nods, including Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy for both Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner and Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy for Kristen Stewart.
For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.
Related Photos Related ArtistsMTV News goes straight to the source to discuss recent pop-culture mermaid trends and beefs.
By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Beyoncé declared her love for mermaids during her MTV special "The Year of 4," while Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Bette Midler have all dressed up like the mythical sea creatures onstage or in videos. Madonna has surrounded herself with mermen during a past tour, and mermaids also show up in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and in several new novels, including a forthcoming book by "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Florida is famous for its mermaid shows, so MTV News decided to go right to the source and get a real-deal mermaid on the phone. It's no surprise that "mermaid" Carli Goodworth told us it's officially the Year of the Mermaid.
"It used to be really popular, like, 60 years ago and everybody was all about mermaids, and now today, it's coming back again," Goodworth told MTV News. "The stars are starting to use it, and the people from outside are loving it, and hopefully it'll draw more people to our attraction as well."
So why are pop stars taking on mermaid alter egos? Goodworth said the public persona of mermaids has shifted from the cute and cuddly Disney version to the more accurate version of mermaids who are mysterious, dangerous and sexy.
And the mermaid trend hasn't been free from controversy: There has already been beef between fans of Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, accusing the pop stars of lifting the idea, and then between Lady Gaga and Bette Midler, who did the mermaid-in-a-wheelchair routine decades before Gaga did.
"It's becoming so popular," Goodworth laughed about the mermaid beefs. "I think it's awesome. We're used to the few people around here, because we are known as the mermaid country, and it's neat to see all these other people battling it out to be the only mermaid. It's just different."
Being that Goodworth has performed as a mermaid for quite some time now, she's happy to see other people getting excited about it. "We love mermaids, so it's fun to see other people doing stuff with mermaids besides us," she said, adding her advice: "Be creative, do your own thing, really do your research."
What do you think about the pop-culture mermaid trend? Let us know in the comments!
Related Videos Related ArtistsAlbum art from Pink Floyd, Blur and David Bowie also included.
By James Montgomery
Coldplay's new British stamps
Photo: Royal Mail
On Thursday (January 7), the U.K.'s Royal Mail unveiled a series of 10 new stamps, honoring the most iconic album covers of the past 40 years.
The albums featured in the new series are the Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed, Led Zeppelin's IV, David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, The Clash's London Calling, New Order's Power, Corruption and Lies, Primal Scream's Screamadelica, Pink Floyd's The Division Bell, Blur's Parklife and — the most recent album on to make the cut — Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head.
Meant to honor "the most potent graphic images of modern times, many of which have provided a visual soundtrack to people's lives," the series is the end result of a lengthy research process by the Royal Mail, who looked through thousands of album covers by British artists before deciding on the final list. And, during a Wednesday night BBC Radio broadcast, it was revealed that the queen herself actually approved each design.
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page — who helped design the cover for IV — was on hand to celebrate the release of the stamps and recalled the mysterious nature of the album's iconic imagery.
"Almost 40 years after the album came out, nobody knows the old man who featured on the cover, nor the artist who painted him," he said. "That sort of sums up what we wanted to achieve with the album cover, which has remained both anonymous and enigmatic at the same time."
Of course, any great honor is befitting of an equally great contest, so, on the same day the stamps were made available to the general public, Coldplay decided to give one of their Rush of Blood stamps away. In a message on their official site, the band held a contest to send one lucky fan "a letter using a Coldplay stamp, postmarked with today's issue date."
"We visited our local post office earlier today and bought some of the Coldplay stamps," the message read. "Very nice they are too."
Related Photos Related ArtistsFollow-up to smash 'Friday, titled 'My Moment,' will be released July 18.
By Jocelyn Vena
Rebecca Black
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Thanks to her ubiquitous hit "Friday," Rebecca Black quickly went from YouTube sensation to starring in a Katy Perry video for that singer's equally ubiquitous hit "Last Friday Night." Now Black is ready to take her career to the next level.
She'll release a new song, "My Moment," on July 18, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The song was written by Brandon "Blue" Hamilton (Justin Bieber) and Quinton Tolbert and the production credits include Charlton Pettus.
The video is reportedly less kitschy than her "Friday" video (but perhaps just as literal). It will include footage of her attending red-carpet events and receiving an award at her junior high school, telling "the story of her sudden rise to fame," according to a statement. "It's a fairy tale story, but it happened in real life."
Black is also working on finishing up her five-track EP, which will be released in August. "We're thinking about it; we have so many different options right now. We're trying to decide which route we should take," Black told MTV News earlier this year about her career plans and following up her viral smash.
"I really like Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Selena Gomez; all just the fun upbeat stuff, teenager songs," she said of her musical inspirations. "My dream duet would be Justin Bieber. Even just doing something with Taylor Swift, or any of my favorite artists would be so cool."
Are you looking forward to Rebecca Black's next single? Tell us in the comments!
Related ArtistsJennifer Gareis Jennifer Garner Jennifer Gimenez Jennifer Love Hewitt
Showing off her posing prowess, Amber Heard is looking hot in the new Guess Jeans Fall 2011 photo shoot.
The ?Joneses? babe takes a retro-chic turn in the black-and-white images, making a cute cowboy very happy in the process.
In related news, Amber?s new NBC drama ?The Playboy Club? is getting all kinds of static from the Parents Television Council.
Additionally, a Salt Lake City NBC affiliate has declined to run the show, stating, "The Playboy brand is known internationally. Everyone is clear what it stands for. We want to be sure everyone is clear what the KSL brand stands for, which is completely inconsistent with the Playboy brand."
Giuliana DePandi Giulianna Ramirez Grace Park Gretha Cavazzoni
Pop star joins new campaign to encourage fans to download PhoneGuard app that locks smartphone when car is in motion.
By Gil Kaufman
Justin Bieber
Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
Justin Bieber likely spends way more time on private jets and international flights than behind the wheel of a car. But the teen pop sensation knows one thing about driving: You shouldn't text when you're behind the wheel. That's why Bieber, 17, has signed on to a campaign urging his fans to lay off the smartphone while they drive.
"We need to change the attitudes in our society toward texting and driving and I am making it one of my personal goals to make this happen," said Bieber in a statement released as part of his endorsement of PhoneGuard's Drive Safe software, which disables the texting, email and keyboard functions of mobile phones while a car is in motion. "Every night we perform, we have a banner that goes up that says 'Don't Text and Drive' so it really means a lot to me," he said.
Bieber has been pushing his fans to give up texting while driving since earlier this year when he made a surprise appearance on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to promote the efforts of Wellman, Texas' Brown family, who have been raising awareness about the dangers of the practice since their daughter, Alex, was killed in a texting-while-driving incident. Bieber's anti-texting campaign will provide some funds to the Remember Alex Brown Foundation charity.
The singer joins a number of other major figures who've been working to get the word out about the dangerous practice, including the Jonas Brothers, who have been outspoken advocates with Allstate's "X the Text" campaign. Others who've signed on for that effort include former "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks and "Camp Rock" star Meaghan Martin. "Glee" actress Jane Lynch has also filmed public service announcements, as her TV alter ego Sue Sylvester, on behalf of LG Mobile Phones to highlight the dangers of texting while driving.
Among the biggest names to endorse the end of the practice is Oprah Winfrey, who has been asking her followers to take the No Phone Zone Pledge since 2009, in which more than 423,000 people to date have vowed not to text while behind the wheel.
Related ArtistsDuring band's rehearsal break for Sunday's Movie Awards, we put Foos to the test.
By Ryan J. Downey, with reporting by Jim Cantiello
The Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl
Photo: MTV News
UNIVERSAL CITY, California — Hard rock, heavy metal, hardcore and punk have long gone hand-in-hand with evil wizards, magic, vampires and werewolves. And with a collective sub-cultural pedigree that includes stints in the Germs, No Use for a Name, Sunny Day Real Estate, Scream and some band called Nirvana, you'd think the Foo Fighters — set to perform at Sunday's Movie Awards — would know their "Potter" from their Zeppelin. Certainly they can recognize a "wand" reference and pinpoint its origin?
Right? Before we put MTV News' magically crafted trivia to the band, it seemed safe to assume the Foos would accurately distinguish between the words of Harry Potter, a "Twilight" character and Led Zeppelin. But was their underground nerd cred blown to shreds? Read on — and click the video! — to see how the Foo Fighters fared when we caught up with them on the Universal Studios lot, shortly after they finished rehearsing their Movie Awards performance.
Our own Jim Cantiello played dungeon master as Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins, Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear were given a series of semi-famous lines and asked whether they originated with "Harry Potter," the "Twilight Saga" or the lyrics of hard-rock pioneers Led Zeppelin.
Here's a sampling of a few of those one-liners:
» "The elder wand, the most powerful wand ever made."
» "Why don't you let me be yours ever truly? Can I make your garden grow?"
» "You're lying, Dolores! You mustn't tell lies!"
Can you guess whether the lines above came from the "Potter" flicks, "Twilight" or Robert Plant?
Watch as the Foos try their best to do exactly that. Then tune in to the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday to catch the Foo Fighters rock the stage with their new single, "Walk."
Will wizards, vampires or dream thieves steal the 2011 MTV Movie Awards? Find out June 5, when the 20th annual show airs live at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Tune in at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT that night for the "America's Best Dance Crew" finale and Movie Awards pre-show, loaded with live action from the red carpet, exclusive movie clips and a special edition of "After Hours."
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