'The Dictator' Is A 'Comedy Feast,' Sir Ben Kingsley Says

Actor takes us behind Sacha Baron Cohen's 'scientific' approach to creating what he calls a 'great political satire.'
By Kevin P. Sullivan


Sacha Baron Cohen in "The Dictator"
Photo: Paramount

It's easy to imagine the set of a Sacha Baron Cohen film in a state of constant chaos, but according to Sir Ben Kingsley, working on "The Dictator" was anything but that.

MTV News spoke with the legendary actor about his time working on the latest Baron Cohen flick and how a scene moved from the page to what we eventually see on the screen.

Though Baron Cohen films are known for their highly improvised nature, Kingsley recalled starting each scene from a substantial script and working from there. "We would shoot the scripted scene thoroughly, printable, useable," Kingsley said. "Then Sacha, and very often the writers, the wonderful guys were on set, they would say, 'Can we shoot some alts (alternatives)?' I was primed for that, and I was up for that. They were at least an equally pleasant part of the day shooting as the script was."

Those alternative takes would come out of ideas occasionally thought up on the spot and spun from there. "We'd shoot our alts, and I see many of them on the screen. We'd have a version and then we would slightly flip the ending or slightly flip a line here or there," Kingsley said.

In Kingsley's opinion, this method of comedy was just a part of the systematic way Baron Cohen approaches his material. "Sacha does approach comedy scientifically. He doesn't fool around on the set," Kingsley said. "He's very focused. He's very committed to the film and the truths that are wrapped up in this great, amazing comedy experience are always intact."

It's those truths that make "The Dictator" something more than a summer comedy, a quality all of Baron Cohen's films have shared.

"The dictatorship is always abhorrent. The dictator is usually a collection of prejudices and bigotry. They loathe democracy," Kingsley said. "All of that is food for the enormous comedy feast that the film turns into, but it's rooted in certain truths. You get them, or you don't. What you do get is an amazing blockbuster, summer comedy, but then underneath that layer is a great political satire."

Are you planning on seeing "The Dictator"? Let us know in the comments!

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For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1685108/the-dictator-sacha-baron-cohen-ben-kingsley.jhtml

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Usher 'Trained Hard' For 'Fuerza Bruta': Watch A Sneak Peek!

'Climax' singer sits down for an intimate chat with fans during 'MTV First' tomorrow at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV!
By Jocelyn Vena


Usher's "Fuerza Bruta" performance
Photo: MTV News

Don't get it twisted: Just because Usher is known for smooth dance moves and rock-hard abs, it doesn't mean he didn't have to push himself for his short run in the trippy, off-Broadway show "Fuerza Bruta."

For one night last month, Ush played the show's lead, Running Man, and offered lucky attendees an advance listen to his June 12 album release, Looking 4 Myself.

As fans will see in the exclusive clip — and on Wednesday night's "MTV First: Usher" at 7:54 p.m. ET — "Fuerza" required Usher to use every muscle of his body as he danced, ran, jumped and tumbled his way through the show, where no one speaks, instead telling the story through bright lights, music and dance. MTV News had a front seat as Usher rehearsed for his onstage appearance in April, and when we chatted with him on set, he opened up about using the physicality of the show to tell the story of his album.

"It's not often that you're able to give somewhat of a visual or an emotional kind of basis of what your songs mean," he said. "A lot of times we're running through life and we're trying to find ourselves, and I feel like that was somewhat of what the messaging was with the show, but it was really artistic.

"This is more artistic an album than I've had in history and I felt like, yeah, it would be a physical challenge, yeah it would be a lot for me, but [I want to] at least try it," he added. "There are many times I'd seen the show and I'd only hoped that I would make it happen. It looked it really hard, they made it look easy, but it was obviously hard. But, of course, I've been training and it came at a perfect time."

Watching Usher do all those acrobatics may have had fans wondering whether it was all that difficult for him since he makes it look so easy. He joked, "I work hard, baby."

Usher will dish on the show, his album and more during "MTV First: Usher," all set to take place on Wednesday at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV and MTV.com. He will introduce exclusive footage and his new single, the Pharrell-produced "Twisted," and will stick around for a meaty interview with MTV News' Sway Calloway to discuss his new album and more on MTV.com.

The performances featured in "MTV First: Usher" were shot exclusively by MTV News during a special album-listening experience with the off-Broadway show "Fuerza Bruta" in New York City.

Be sure to catch "MTV First: Usher" tomorrow at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV and MTV.com!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1685172/usher-fuerza-bruta-rehearsal.jhtml

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David Beckham & L.A. Galaxy Receive Presidential Honor

Looking sharp after an honorary celebration from President Barack Obama, David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy left the White House in Washington, D.C. this afternoon (May 15).

The soccer star looked handsome in a suit with gold and silver tie as he walked with his sexy teammates down the streets of the nation?s capital.

In honor of the California team?s MLC Cup title, the President threw a party and joked around saying, ?We also have a young up-and-comer on the team, a guy named David Beckham. I have to say I gave David a hard time ? I said half his teammates could be his kids. We?re getting old, David. Although you?re holding up better than me.?

The Galaxy athletes also participated in the Let?s Move campaign, which is hosted by first lady Michelle Obama.

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/david-beckham/david-beckham-la-galaxy-receive-presidential-honor-641525

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Kim Kardashian's Fierce LAX Arrival

Looking hot in an all-black ensemble, Kim Kardashian made her way into LAX airport in Los Angeles, CA to catch a flight to Chicago, IL this afternoon (May 15).

The reality television starlet strutted her stuff in a pair of tan and black heels with her signature slicked back hair matched with a leather jacket, recently tweeting, ?Koko... @KhloeKardashian let's take chi town!!! RT @devaughnayers: @KimKardashian CHICAGO!!!?

In other news, the 32-year-old star spoke out about the upcoming season of her E! reality show ?Keeping up With the Kardashians? saying she won?t be showing off any intimate moments.

She added, "I'm not going to be taking a bubble bath and drinking champagne or on a sex swing [on camera] like Khloé and Lamar do. It's not going to be like that."

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/kim-kardashian/kim-kardashians-fierce-lax-arrival-641490

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Cannes Film Festival: Our Top 10 Must-See Movies

Films from Robert Pattinson ('Cosmopolis') and Kristen Stewart ('On the Road') have us pumped, along with eight others.
By Kevin P. Sullivan


Robert Pattinson in "Cosmopolis"
Photo: Alfama Films

Hollywood is officially headed to the French Riviera for the 65th Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off Wednesday. With so much of the attention Stateside focused squarely on the "Rob and Kristen Factor," we thought it would be helpful to take a look at the lineup and share the films we are most excited about at the upcoming festival.

Here are our top 10 most anticipated movies at the Cannes Film Festival:

10. "The Paperboy"
This adaptation of the Peter Dexter novel marks Lee Daniels' first film since making it big on the indie scene with "Precious." "The Paperboy" promises a different direction for Daniels, telling the story of a reporter (John Cusack) who travels back to his home town to investigate a death-row case.

9. "Reality"
Director Matteo Garrone made waves at Cannes in 2008 with his hyper-real look at Neapolitan organized crime, "Gomorrah," which won the Grand Jury Prize that year. For this year's festival, he returns with "Reality," a look at the way we perceive life since the dawn of reality television.

8. "Cosmopolis"
Robert Pattinson's name alone has drawn much attention to this in-competition film, but the true nature of its intrigue lies with its director, David Cronenberg. With his adaptation of Don DeLillo's novel, Cronenberg, with the help of Pattinson, of course, looks to be revisiting the bizarre aesthetics and subject matters that made him famous in the 1980s. We've been waiting for this one ever since it won the MTV Movie Brawl 2012 back in January.

7. "Like Someone in Love"
"Certified Copy," the previous film from Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami, earned Juliette Binoche a best actress award at Cannes in 2010, but the film itself is one of the best examples of pure art-house filmmaking in the past few years. With "Like Someone in Love," Kiarostami shifts his focus from Italy to Japan but keeps the same entry point of a man and a woman who may or may not know each other.

6. "Amour"
"The White Ribbon," Michael Haneke's previous film tangentially about the saplings of fascism in Germany, wowed audiences on the Croisette in 2009, and "Amour" seems poised to do the same. The film tells the story of Georges and Anne, an octogenarian couple whose bond comes under strain after one of them suffers an attack.

5. "On the Road"
Similar to "Cosmopolis," "On the Road" has drawn a great deal of attention because it features a "Twilight" star, in this case Kristen Stewart, but she only makes up an element of this insanely star-studded Jack Kerouac adaptation, which also stars Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen and Terrence Howard.

4. "Lawless"
Formerly known as "Wettest County," this Southern-set prohibition crime film boasts a cast featuring Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain, Gary Oldman and Guy Pearce and a critical darling of a director, John Hillcoat. The recently released trailer looks strong, and Hillcoat's pedigree alone (his previous films include "The Proposition" and "The Road") make this a must-see for the festival.

3. "Rust and Bone"
A film about a whale trainer who loses a leg to an orca doesn't necessary seem like Palme d'Or material, but "Rust and Bone" comes from director Jacques Audiard, who took the Grand Jury Prize in 2009 with the impressive "A Prophet," and it stars Marion Cotillard as the unfortunate trainer.

2. "Killing Them Softly"
It wouldn't be surprising if you haven't seen "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," but it would certainly be unfortunate. The western starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck debuted and left theaters quietly, but since 2007, the film has slowly gained a reputation as a modern classic. As director Andrew Dominik's first film since "Jesse James," "Killing Them Softly" stands out as both his reunion with Pitt and his much-anticipated follow-up.

1. "Mud"
A writer/director may take a few films to nail down their voice and storytelling identity, but with his first two movies, Jeff Nichols has not only established himself as a serious filmmaker, but also one of the most exciting auteurs working today. Those films, "Shotgun Stories" and "Take Shelter," are two genuine masterpieces of American filmmaking, and we look forward to his third feature film "Mud," starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1685146/cannes-film-festival-top-10-must-see-movies.jhtml

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5 Celebrity Moms Say: "Thanks Mom For..."

Happy Mother's Day from Celebrity Baby Scoop!

In celebration of mom's special day coming up on May 13, we've asked a few of our favorite celebrity mamas to complete this sentence: "Thanks mom for..."

Read on about Jenna Fischer's gratitude, Melissa Rivers' 'secret' thanks, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck's heartfelt message...

Top Story? (feature beneath menu): 
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Source: http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2012/05/02/5-celebrity-moms

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Watch: ?Batman: The Dark Knight Rises? Releases A Third Movie Trailer

Warner Bros. Pictures released the third video trailer for the upcoming sequel film Batman: The Dark Knight Rises after fans cooperated in an online game to unlock the trailer. While this new trailer isn’t as exciting and action-packed as the earlier trailers are (trailer #1 HERE, trailer #2 HERE), we do get to see more [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pinkisthenewblog/~3/fMNo9RWlzdo/

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Harry Styles Forced To Move Due to Wild Fans

Jet-setting out of his homeland, Harry Styles was spotted catching a flight to Los Angeles from Heathrow Airport in London, England on Tuesday (May 1).

The One Direction band member looked casual cool in skinny jeans, a classic white t-shirt and a navy pea coat with the collar popped while he sported his trademark shaggy locks for the time in the sky.

Shutterbugs and mobs of fans are starting to be something the 18-year-old is getting used to, however, Harry's family and neighbors in his hometown of Cheshire are not fond of the large groups of screaming girls loitering outside of their homes.

According to a recent report put out by The Sun, Styles and his family have temporarily moved out of their house while the pop star is back home before heading out for the band's US tour. A source says, "The family has moved out for a few days until Harry heads back south. It?s not fair for neighbors to have random girls standing outside their houses 24/7.?

The UK can expect the fan craziness to settle down soon, as the boys are set to kick off their US tour on June 13 in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/harry-styles/harry-styles-forced-move-due-wild-fans-623221

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