Fantasy Wallpapers
Gallery
Relates News And Gossip
Admiral General Aladeen also confesses to the murders of Tupac and Biggie Smalls during MTV News interview.By Fallon Prinzivalli, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Sacha Baron Cohen as the Dictator at 2012 Cannes Film Festival Photo: Getty Images "Welcome! Death to the West!" That is how the Dictator greeted MTV News' Josh Horowitz when he sat down with him for an interview. latest infamous character is Admiral General Aladeen, a dictator who oppresses his people and dislikes democracy. In "The Dictator," he's mistaken for a refugee and taken under the wing of Zoey, played by Anna Faris. Aladeen's misadventures in America lead to an array of hilarious culture clashes. Thus, the interview was nothing less than we'd expect — offensive, outrageous and, yes, very, very funny. After inquiring about Horowitz's knowledge of the rapper Tupac Shakur, the Dictator reveals it was him who killed the MC. "He came to play at my birthday party and all the time he get on the microphone, and you know what he tell me?" Aladeen questioned. "You know what he tell me? He said, 'Put your hands' — he ordered me! — he ordered me to put my hands in the air and wave them like I just don't care. Why would I, Dictator, wave my hands like I don't care? I wave my hands like I do care, like this. I don't do it like I don't care. How dare he come to my palace and my birthday and tell me how to wave my hands like I don't care? I care about the hands!" Apparently someone forgot to inform the tyrant that it's a figure of speech here in America. "To put your hands in the air like you don't care?" he continued. "You think Hitler put his hands in the air like he don't care? It was a very careful gesture that he did. I won't do it here. And this Biggie Smalls, he then performed the next night for my weekend of birthday. That fat bastard ate all of the buffet. It cost over 120 Euros per head." When our correspondent noted that his phrase is not respectful to the dead, the admiral general replied, "It's not respectful to the people who wanted to eat the buffet." Note to self: Eat before heading to Aladeen's palace. Although, it's possible not much eating will take place on a trip to his home. Shortly after assuring Horowitz he has nothing to worry about and sliding a gun on the table between them, he talked of his latest tryst with reality-TV star Kim Kardashian. "I've had the opportunity to meet a lot of [stars in America] that come to the palace and negotiate with the pimps," he said. "Kim Kardashian, she came two weeks ago. I negotiated with her pimp, who is also her mother. Three-hundred-thousand dollars for one hour — not bad. Good rate." But Kardashian isn't the only American entertainer the Dictator is fond of. He happens to enjoy Snooki and has a list of movies he's enjoyed — one of which is definitely in the wrong category. "I am a huge supporter of your Snooki," he said. "I find him a very funny, little, orange man. And we have many of your sci-fi and fantasy films like 'Transformers' or 'Harry Potter' or 'Schindler's List.' " Check out everything we've got on "The Dictator." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Critics were surprised by how much they enjoyed Peter Berg's film, giving credit to its entertainment factor. By Fallon Prinzivalli
Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna in "Battleship"
Photo: Universal Pictures
Many movie fans have been wary as to whether director Peter Berg could successfully pull of "Battleship." Inspired by a Hasbro board game giving no hint of any type of plot, the sci-fi epic follows the adventures of an international Navy fleet when aliens begin to invade earth. As the two forces go to battle, each must rely on a crafty, cunning strategy in order to conquer their enemy. The all-star, insanely attractive cast includes Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Alexander Skarsgård, Liam Neeson and Rihanna, in her movie debut.
While some have written off "Battleship" as a lesser version of "Transformers," critics were surprised by how much they enjoyed the film. They praise the movie for not taking itself too seriously and give credit to its entertainment factor.
The Story
"The surprise, for this veteran of board games, is that Battleship is also the rousing, engaging, and emotionally complex action war picture the silly 2001 action war picture 'Pearl Harbor' only wished it could be. It's 'Pearl Harbor' with greater intelligence, less hokum, and more aliens. For every line of howler dialogue that should have been sunk, there's a nice little scene in which humans have to make a difficult decision. For every stretch of generic sci-fi-via-CGI moviemaking, there's a welcome bit of wit. Under the direction of Peter Berg — the talented, ever-maturing filmmaker behind 'Friday Night Lights' and 'The Kingdom' — 'Battleship' is a sound vessel floating in Hollywood's oil-slick sea of 'Transformers' sequels and vampire riffs." — Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
The Cast
"The attractive cast does no more than Berg and the script require, which is very little indeed. After 'John Carter,' Kitsch is still waiting for a film vehicle to make good on the easy, authentic charm he exhibits in TV's 'Friday Night Lights,' though he's physically up to the task here. Fans of pop megastar Rihanna, making her film debut, will be disappointed to find that the role of Raikes may as well be renamed Young Female Demographic for all the pertinence it has to the narrative, but she's a sparky enough presence." — Guy Lodge, Variety
"Kitsch, coming off the super-flop 'John Carter,' soft-pedals the charm, exuding just enough charisma to get by. The striking-looking Skarsgård ('True Blood') is ramrod-straight and impossibly grave throughout, while Decker's expression toggles between blank and very blank." — Megan Lehmann, The Hollywood Reporter
The Special Effects
"Tech credits are all polished, if not as metallically sleek as they would be with a Michael Bay-style craftsman at the helm. Tobias Schliesser's lensing covers the teal-and-orange palette seemingly mandatory for such adventures these days, while Steve Jablonsky's score thumps and drones away with nary a pause, little betraying the presence of rock super-producer Rick Rubin and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello on the music team. The bulk of the attention in this evidently expensive production has been lavished on Industrial Light & Magic's typically immaculate effects, which are firmly in the "Transformers" mold stylistically, with the added challenge of water simulation. That such state-of-the-art creations have been used to realize a story whose climax hinges on a true-life WWII battleship, USS Missouri, outlasting its newer, shinier rivals is an irony probably lost on all involved." — Lodge
The Final Word
"The creative team behind this ocean-bound thriller decided to fill the narrative black hole with a few ingredients all but absent from today's summer tent poles — namely mystery, nostalgia and a healthy dose of humility. Just as blockbusters have made the hard turn towards fantasy heroes who solemnly go about their business in high-def-but-low-impact 3D cage matches, Battleship is an unapologetically goofy, surprisingly enigmatic, refreshingly self-deprecating deviation from the norm. I hesitate to confess that I had more fun here than I did at 'The Avengers,' because low expectations surely had a lot to do with it, but it's the truth. Heck, I'd pay to see the thing again." — Steven James Snyder, TIME Magazine
Are you planning on seeing "Battleship"? Let us know in the comments!
Check out everything we've got on "Battleship."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos
MTV Rough Cut: 'Battleship'
MTV First: Battleship
Related Photos
'Battleship'
'The Avengers,' 'The Vow,' Katy Perry and Adele also land multiple nods.By John Mitchell Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder in "The Vampire Diaries" Photo: CW The
'Between the two of us, we probably got five or six records,' T.I. tells 'RapFix Live' about possible joint album with Jeezy.By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway T.I. on "RapFix Live" Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News After the success of Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne, fans are excited at the thought of two favorite MCs working in tandem. There's been talk of a Lil Wayne and Drake LP, a Rick Ross and Drake mixtape, and whispers of a T.I. and Young Jeezy full-length collaboration. We haven't received any updates from Wayne, Drake or Rozay in a minute, but Tip says he and the Snowman already have songs in the stash. "I got a few albums that I'm workin' on: the Man and the Martian project with B.o.B; me and Jeezy been talkin' about doin' this project for a minute," T.I. told Sway when he held court on "RapFix Live" on Wednesday. "It wouldn't take us long to do. We got records already in the can and it don't take us no time to put it together. It's just a matter of when they would be released." Right now Tip is focused on Trouble Man, his eighth solo album, which is slated for a September 4 release. Then there is the tag-team LP with B.o.B — considering that Bobby Ray is signed to T.I.'s Grand Hustle label, the pair's Man and the Martian album is more than a fantasy project. When it comes to a project with Jeezy, the King of the South says that the studio work isn't the problem: Getting the album out in stores is the tricky part. "It's not the recording, the recording is easy. It's a matter of when we would have time to market and promote 'em and release 'em," T.I. said. "We got maybe 30 or 40 [percent done]. Between the two of us, we probably got five or six records." How interested are you in a T.I. and Young Jeezy project? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos T.I. Brings The Grand Hustle To 'RapFix Live' Related Artists T.I. Young Jeezy
'It's giving us some ideas for future fantasies,' one reader tells MTV News.By Fallon Prinzivalli, with reporting by Uptin Saiidi "Fifty Shades of Grey" book cover Photo: The Writer's Coffee Shop "Fifty Shades of Grey" has become a worldwide, literary phenomenon. It's a #1 New York Times best-seller and the most talked-about book in media. The sadomasochistic relationship between characters Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele has made its way into the hands of a variety of readers and hooked them into their torrid love affair. It's become such a hit that Universal Pictures and Focus Features optioned the rights to the books after a massive bidding war, and fans are already campaigning for their favorite actors to land the lead roles. But what's the reason for the book's popularity? With countless erotic and romance stories on bookshelves, what makes "Fifty Shades" stand out? When author E L James headed to New York's Union Square for a signing at Barnes & Noble, MTV News asked fans to weigh in on why they thought the work was widely recognized. For one, buzz surrounded the novel because of its origins. James adapted Christian and Ana from Stephenie Meyer's Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, beginning the tale as "Twilight" fan fiction. "[James] took 'Twilight' to a next level, because as pure as [Edward and Bella's] love was, it was not like this book," one fan explained. "She took it to the next level and gave America something that they were waiting and looking for." Another reader told us the mystery behind a dominant/submissive relationship is what sparked the frenzy. "I think this book has become such a phenomenon because it's something that hasn't really been spoken about before," she said. "Women usually don't talk about these things." In agreement, another fan added: "Everyone has something that they want to enact. And they're just not able to express it, but they're able to read it." Put in simple terms: "Fifty Shades" turns readers on. "It's hot," one woman said. "It's totally sexy. I think we've got sex on the brain, and we want to read it. It's really enjoyable and it's giving us some ideas for future fantasies." It also helps that Christian is described as "so hot" in the book. He's a billionaire who takes Ana on helicopter rides and showers her in expensive clothing and gifts. He's a woman's fantasy, one of James' followers explains. "All women relate to Christian," she said. "They love him — all women, it doesn't matter who you talk to. They're like, 'I like that guy. I want to date that guy.' " Why do you like "Fifty Shades of Grey"? Let us know in the comments below!
'The song is really about kind of the crescendo of a relationship,' Usher says about the single in relation to his life.By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway Sway and Usher Photo: Jessica Hyndman / MTV News Usher admits that "over the last three years of my life, it's no secret I went through some heavy transitions." And he's not joking. In 2009, he filed for a divorce from his wife, Tameka Foster, after marrying her in 2007. In the lead-up to the split, their relationship certainly came with drama, including a rift with his mother and a major health scare for Foster during a 2009 trip to Brazil. And even with his divorce finalized, Usher is still in and out of court dealing with custody issues over their two sons, Usher and Naviyd. However, he is ready to put all that drama aside now that he's purged those emotions for his June 12 album release, the aptly titled Looking 4 Myself. "There's an emotional side to it. Over the last three years of my life, it's no secret I went through some heavy transitions and in that I really came out new," he told MTV News during "MTV First." "I came out feeling a sense of entitlement and a sense of ownership of all of that I went through to become better and in being able to survive it. "So I was looking for something in the music," he continued. "I was looking for something in life. I was looking for something in it has always been right here. It has always been there. So I kind of used the music as a dairy in a way, but a creative, artistic, art-in-motion diary." But, Usher is no stranger to putting his drama to music. With albums titled Confessions and Raymond v. Raymond, he has always put his personal business right where people can hear it. "Oddly, I've unfortunately left my life an open book," he said. "So every record people would assume that each and every detail is specific, even the videos." That includes his most recent clip for "Climax," which follows jilted lover Usher as he contemplates shooting his girl's other man. Soon, he charges in the house, and a gunshot is fired off. What's unclear is whether it's reality or just Usher's fantasy. "OK, I'm not sitting out in front of somebody's house and shoot up the crib, just so you know," he joked. " 'Climax' was an interpretation to really give people a better understanding cause I felt like people really looked at the record for what you heard first, which was 'Climax'. So, people thought 'sex.' It's not about sex. Well, climax is about sex, but not the song. Just so we're clear." The Diplo-produced track actually has more to do with the events of the last few years of his life than events in the bedroom. "The song is really about kind of the crescendo of a relationship, where you've reached a place where you're gonna dive in or let it go," he said. "And the 'Climax' is what it is." Related Videos MTV First: Usher
