SXSW 2012 Kicks Off With 'Cabin In The Woods'

On the South by Southwest film festival red carpet, Joss Whedon tells MTV News the flick had 'a very weirdly organic genesis.'
By Kara Warner


Joss Whedon at SXSW
Photo: Michael Buckner/ Getty Images

The annual South by Southwest film festival kicked off in splendid, if slightly soggy, fashion Friday night with the world premiere of "Cabin in the Woods."

Amidst unseasonably chilly temperatures and intermittent downpours in Austin, Texas, the film's cast and crew braved the elements to walk the red carpet ahead of the highly anticipated horror film's packed screening.

"We are so excited to be premiering at South by Southwest: We really couldn't have asked for a better place to premiere this film," first-time director Drew Goddard told MTV News. "We feel like we're a South by Southwest film, so we're happy to be here. It worked out well for us.

"I feel like South by Southwest has a swagger, a rock and roll feel to it. When you hear those words, you feel like they're pushing the edge of what's acceptable in society and I feel like — I hope — that we did the same," Goddard added, speaking to the film's intrigue and appeal.

"Apparently, South by Southwest is a really rad festival, and I think this is a really rad film, so it's a good fit," star Anna Hutchison said. "Also Joss is really excited about it, so if he's excited, you know that it's a good thing."

Speaking of co-writer and fan-boy favorite Joss Whedon, the "Avengers" director and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" mastermind said that the long-delayed and slightly troubled backstory surrounding "Cabin" makes it even more perfect for a SXSW showing.

"It was created very independently, and it came up very organically," Whedon said. "It wasn't churned out of a studio system. The fact that MGM, Mary Parent was taking a lot of risks. She let us shoot word-for-word exactly what we wrote. That's the movie we made. Then obviously it had some troubles, and Lionsgate came in, and it had a very weirdly organic genesis."

Co-star Bradley Whitford summed up his SXSW excitement with his love for its host city: "I love, love, love Austin — even when it feels like Iceland," he said with a smile from under an umbrella. "I love this town, so I was thrilled to be able to come here." He said "Cabin" has "a very young, hip, humorous, smart, astute thing going on."

Kristen Connolly added: "It's awesome to know that people are excited about the movie, and it's awesome to be here. It's such a cool festival, I've wanted to come to it for ages, so I'm thrilled to be here."

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/1680856/sxsw-joss-whedon-cabin-in-the-woods.jhtml

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'The Lone Ranger' -- Multi-Million Dollar Set ... In the Middle of Nowhere

The Lone Ranger is gonna have to travel a LOOOOONG way to catch bad guys ... 'cause brand new video shows the set for the new movie is MILES from any sort of civilization. Producers have erected an authentic-looking old west town in the middle of…

Source: http://www.tmz.com/2012/03/09/lone-ranger-set-johnny-depp-armie-hammer/

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Lil Wayne Lands Cover Of CCS Skateboard Magazine

'I just want to introduce my world to their world,' Wayne says in exclusive video from set with pro skateboarders in California.
By Nadeska Alexis


Lil Wayne
Photo: MTV News

Over the past year, Lil Wayne's growing passion for skateboarding has been more than apparent. His favorite new accessory accompanied him to Australia on tour in December, and the New Orleans native even sustained a recent shoulder injury from an ollie gone wrong. Now all of those sessions on his board have paid off, because Wayne will land on the May cover of popular skateboard magazine CCS.

Wayne shot his cover story for CCS in Canoga Park, California, on Saturday, and his videographer DJ Scoob Doo captured intimate moments on the set as he bonded with skateboard stars Paul Rodriguez, Shane O'Neill, Torey Pudwill, Theotis Beasley and Chance Eldridge. In the rare footage, Wayne gives his fans a closer look at the new environment that he's become very comfortable in. "I just want to introduce my world to their world," Wayne says as he individually acquaints us with each of the skateboarders mentioned above. "I'm trying to bring you into their world so you can see why I wanna do this and I why I love this so much."

DJ Scoob Doo hopes that the clip will help Wayne's fans understand how deeply his passion for skateboarding runs. "Wayne is on the cover of this magazine with professional skateboarders because he's taken it so seriously," Scoob said. "They were so happy to have him associated with it because he's bringing light to the skateboard world and because he's genuinely taken a liking to skateboarding.

"These professional skateboarders are not looking at him as an 'artist' — they're looking at him as one of their own. They see the dedication that he's given to it, and they see that he's not taking it lightly," he added

In addition to Lil Wayne's cover story in the May issue of CCS, the magazine will also feature an extended spread of his new Trukfit skateboard clothing line, which debuted in January. Trukfit is available for purchase on the CCS website.

Consider this your official introduction to Wayne's world of skateboarding. "The same way the skateboarders are introducing Lil Wayne to their world, he found an opportunity to introduce his world to them," Scoob said.

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Does Britney Spears Have 'The X Factor'?

MTV News takes a look at the pros and cons of bringing Spears onboard as a judge for the reality singing competition.
By John Mitchell


Britney Spears
Photo: MTV News & Docs

The news that Britney Spears is reportedly in final negotiations to join "The X Factor" has set the MTV Newsroom on fire. Opinion on whether the pop star is a good fit for the reality singing competition has been sharply divided, so we decided to take on the topic the way we're sure Simon Cowell did before making Spears a reported $10 million offer: a good, old-fashioned pros and cons list.

Pro: She'll attract viewers
The debut season of "The X Factor" performed well below expectations. Its heavily hyped premiere pulled in 12.1 million total viewers and a meager 4.4/12 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18 to 49 demographic. That's about half of what the 2011 season of "American Idol" averaged ("Idol" is having its own ratings woes this season), and it didn't even win the night: Emmy-winning sitcom "Modern Family" drew 14.3 million viewers and a 6.0/15 for its season premiere.

The poor ratings precipitated the overhaul that saw judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones fired from the show.

There's no question that Spears would bring viewers to "The X Factor." She enjoys a large and devout fanbase who will basically follow her just about anywhere. And beyond her own fans, Spears' celebrity would also likely draw attention from the general public, who will tune in simply to see how she does.

Con: She's become nervous on camera

Though she can still wow a crowd live in concert, as evidenced by last year's successful tour behind her hit album Femme Fatale, Spears has become increasingly tentative during interviews. She rarely grants on-camera sit-downs, and when she does, she seems nervous and uncomfortable.

To be a strong judge or mentor on a reality show, you have to be very comfortable on camera. Part of what made Jennifer Lopez click last season on "Idol" was that she came across as confident, direct and often empathetic. She even broke down in tears after sending home contestant Chris Medina, whose fiancée suffered a severe brain injury in a car accident. The key word here is after. It's hard to imagine Spears being able to keep it together and deliver such difficult news in similar circumstances. It's worth noting that a high-drama situation arose on the first season of "The X Factor" -- one that left contestant Rachel Crow sobbing onstage and Scherzinger a wreck ... a wreck who received death threats. Producers should also consider whether it's wise to send Spears, who has dealt with emotional issues in the past, into a genre that thrives when the emotional stakes are high.

Pro: she is a contemporary artist
One of the things we like most about "The Voice" is that its judges — Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton — are all active artists. They are all still hitting the studio to make hit records, and that lends a great deal of credibility to their opinions when they critique a contestant's performance. We don't mean to slight Abdul or Scherzinger, but you could argue that a legacy singer who hasn't released an album in over 17 years and a performer who has had a difficult time getting her own solo singing career off the ground aren't the best judges of who does and does not have "The X Factor."

On the other hand, Spears may be. Last year's Femme Fatale gave Spears three top-10 singles — the most of any of her seven albums — and earned some of the best reviews of her career. While it's true that she did not write or produce much of the record, she was most certainly involved in picking her collaborators, which actually could speak well of her ability to know talent when she sees it. Spears also smartly chose red-hot rapper Nicki Minaj to open on the North American leg of her tour.

When it comes to the contemporary pop music scene, Spears knows what works.

Con: She's not known for her singing
Unlike Aguilera, whose talent as a vocalist is indisputable, Spears is not known for her singing. By signing her to judge and mentor a singing competition, "X Factor" producers are setting themselves up for inevitable criticism. "Who is Britney Spears to judge a singing competition?" critics will scream (and they won't be wrong).

When Aguilera critiques a performer's vocals, she speaks with authority — and her ear for singing proved to make her the most discerning judge on the "Voice" panel during the blind auditions. Spears' judging style will likely be based on liking what's already there, but she's not going to have much insight on missed notes or pitch, which will cripple her ability to further mentor her team. How can she help them improve as vocalists when it's a truth universally acknowledged that she's not really a vocalist herself?

Do you think Britney Spears is a good choice for "The X Factor"? Let us know in the comments below.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1680800/britney-spears-x-factor-judge-singing.jhtml

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10 Celebrity Moms Who Make A Difference

Three cheers for the following 10 celebrity moms who are making a big difference!

From donating to the relief efforts after natural disasters, to advocating for autism awareness, to building an all-girls school in Africa, take a look through our list of 10 celebrity moms who are giving back and making our world a better place.

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Source: http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2012/02/12/10-celebrity-moms-who-make-a-difference-

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