Katy Perry fans, mark March 27, 2012 on your calendars. That’s the date Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection will be available. And with a few new tracks (the titles of which haven’t been released yet), Perry fans won’t want to miss adding this release to their collections.
Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection will include three new songs, four new mixes of her Dream hits, and the 12 songs from the original album. Included on the special edition of Dream will be “E.T.” with Kanye West, the Missy Elliot mix of “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” as well as an acoustic version of “The One That Got Away.”
Stated Perry in the release announcing this special edition: “This is the complete story of Teenage Dream. It was an incredible honor to tie the King of Pop’s Billboard Hot 100 record, but I’m moving forward and had a few things left to get off my chest. So this is the complete special edition of my album for my fans.”
Perry is among the list of performers set to take the stage at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards on February 12, 2012.
The new Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield, admits he got a pirate copy of Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man because he was such a huge fan that he couldn’t wait until it opened in theaters. Garfield is a Spider-Man geek and went about tackling the role from a fan’s point of view.
Check out Garfield discussing tackling the lead role in 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man with MTV News:
And if you read that headline and have no idea what we’re talking about, then you’re not a big fan of The Hunger Games – yet. The first film to be based on Suzanne Collins’s bestselling trilogy of books is set to hit theaters on March 23, 2012, and Lionsgate Films has a lot riding on The Hunger Games‘ success. The most expensive film from the studio to date, The Hunger Games is a difficult story to bring to life due to the fact it centers on the death of kids in an arena (think Thunderdome), fighting on behalf of their ‘Districts’.
Hopefully, director Gary Ross and Lionsgate were able to bring the disturbing story to life without compromising Collins’s vision, and the most recent trailers seem to indicate the film’s tone is in keeping with the book.
In an interview with MTV, director Ross explained how the story is basically told from Katniss’ (played by Jennifer Lawrence) point of view and revealed that he won’t be using a voice-over to introduce audiences to this world.
“I’m not using voice-over for her. This thing is all from Katniss’ perspective. It is a first-person point of view. How do we put the viewer immediately and urgently in that experience they had when they read the book and they’re in Katniss Everdeen’s shoes? A lot of that is done cinematically. I spent a lot of time wondering and thinking about at the beginning of this process, ‘What does it really mean to be in the character’s point of view cinematically?’ I looked at a lot of really interesting references for that, but it comes down to: You don’t know more than the character knows,” said Ross.
The Plot: Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains.
Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
Coming off his Oscar-nominated role in The Artist, French actor Jean Dujardin is hot in Hollywood. And in this video from Funny or Die, his team tells him that now’s the time to go for the role of villain in some major Hollywood movies – just as past foreign actors have done following their Oscar nominations.
Check out Jean Dujardin showing how he’d handle the part of the villain in films such as Thor 2, The Smurfs 2, Die Hard 5, and the next Alvin and the Chipmunks movie:
Betty White and Elka – Photo Courtesy of the LA Zoo
The new baby orangutan at the Los Angeles Zoo has a name: Elka. Why Elka? It’s in honor of animal-lover Betty White’s 90th birthday and named for her character in Hot in Cleveland. TV Land and the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) teamed up to recognize White’s 50 years of support of the LA Zoo with a baby orangutan named in her honor.
White is the co-chairman of GLAZA and a passionate supporter of animal charities. “How appropriate that the most beautiful baby orangutan ever is named for my Hot in Cleveland character Elka Ostrovsky,” said White, tongue-in-cheek. “I’m truly thrilled that TV Land’s generous contribution is supporting my beloved Los Angeles Zoo.”
“TV Land’s generous birthday gift to Betty superbly acknowledges her work as a tireless animal advocate by supporting the GLAZA’s mission of nurturing wildlife and enriching the human experience,” stated GLAZA President Connie Morgan. “We are deeply grateful.”
Photo Courtesy of the LA Zoo
More on Elka:
“Elka, a Bornean orangutan, is the second baby for the Zoo’s female Bornean orangutan, Kalim and father Minyak, one of two orangutan males at the Zoo. Orangutans are native to the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra. In the Malay language orang means person and utan means forest. Decked out in long, shaggy, orange-red hair, orangutans are the largest tree-dwelling mammals. Bornean orangutans are endangered and Sumatran orangutans are critically endangered. In the last 60 years, it’s estimated that there has been more than a 50 percent decline in the orangutan population. This decline is primarily attributed to habitat loss.”
While it’s with much regret, and a lump in our throats, we respect the decision Hugh, David and Katie have made. A true original, on the page and amazingly brought to life by Hugh Laurie, there is only one Dr. House. For eight seasons, the entire HOUSE team has given us – and fans around the world – some of the most compelling characters and affecting stories ever seen on television. They have been creatively tenacious and collaborative throughout this incredible run, and they are amongst the most superior talents in the business. For all the above, we wholeheartedly thank them, and the fans who have supported the show.
House Executive Producers David Shore, Katie Jacobs and Hugh Laurie’s statement:
After much deliberation, the producers of House M.D. have decided that this season of the show, the 8th, should be the last. By April this year they will have completed 177 episodes, which is about 175 more than anyone expected back in 2004.
The decision to end the show now, or ever, is a painful one, as it risks putting asunder hundreds of close friendships that have developed over the last eight years – but also because the show itself has been a source of great pride to everyone involved.
Since it began, House has aspired to offer a coherent and satisfying world in which everlasting human questions of ethics and emotion, logic and truth, could be examined, played out, and occasionally answered. This sounds like fancy talk, but it really isn’t. House has, in its time, intrigued audiences around the world in vast numbers, and has shown that there is a strong appetite for television drama that relies on more than prettiness or gun play.
But now that time is drawing to a close. The producers have always imagined House as an enigmatic creature; he should never be the last one to leave the party. How much better to disappear before the music stops, while there is still some promise and mystique in the air.
The producers can never sufficiently express their gratitude to the hundreds of dedicated artists and technicians who have given so generously of their energy and talent to make House the show it has been – and perhaps will continue to be for some time, on one cable network or another.
The makers of House would also like to thank Fox Broadcasting and Universal Television for supporting the show with patience, imagination and large quantities of good taste. The Studio-As-Evil-Adversary is one of the many clichés that House has managed to avoid, and for that the cast and crew are deeply grateful.
Lastly, the audience: some have come and some have gone, obviously. This is to be expected in the life of any show. But over the course of the last eight years, the producers of House have felt immensely honored to be the subject of such close attention by an intelligent, discriminating, humane and thoughtful – not to mention numerous – audience. Even the show’s detractors have been flattering in their way.
Making the show has felt like a lively and passionate discussion about as many different subjects as could possibly be raised in 177 hours. The devotion and generosity of our viewers has been marvelous to behold.
So, finally, everyone at House will bid farewell to the audience and to each other with more than a few tears, but also with a deep feeling of gratitude for the grand adventure they have been privileged to enjoy for the last eight years. If the show lives on somewhere, with somebody, as a fond memory, then that is a precious feat, of which we will always be proud.
Can’t get enough of those sexy vampire, werewolf and ghost roommates? Well, Syfy agrees that we need more of the trio and has renewed Being Human for a third 13-episode season.
Apparently, this was a fairly easy decision for the network given the second season of Being Human‘s increase in viewership over season 1. According to Syfy, season two is up 27% in Adults 18-49, +35% in Adults 25-54, and +15% in total viewers. As with season one, season two viewers are 52% women making it Syfy’s “most female-skewing scripted series ever.”
Mark Stern, President of Original Content, Syfy and Co-Head of Original Content, Universal Cable Productions, announced the renewal, stating, “With the success of season two, Being Human has become a premier destination for Syfy viewers. Jeremy Carver and Anna Fricke have taken this series to new heights this year, and we’re excited to see where the third season will go.”
The Plot: Being Human stars Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath, and Sam Huntington as vampire Aidan, ghost Sally and werewolf Josh who share the creature comforts of home in a Boston brownstone. Together the three roommates struggle to keep their supernatural secrets and resist individual temptations as they strive to live lives that are as near to normal as possible.
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards broadcast has just gotten a bit cooler. Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks from The Beach Boys are going to be performing together live for the first time in more than 20 years at the 2012 Grammys. The iconic group will team up with Foster The People (nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Pumped Up Kicks” and Best Alternative Music Album for Torches) and Maroon 5 (nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Moves Like Jagger” [with Christina Aguilera]) for a special performance during the February 12th broadcast.
The Recording Academy also announced The Civil Wars (nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Barton Hollow” and Best Folk Album for Barton Hollow), Diana Krall, Maceo Parker, and Joe Walsh are the latest performers to be added to the line-up of those set to take the stage at the star-studded event. And Common, Taraji P. Henson, Reba McEntire, and Diana Ross have been added as presenters.
Zooey Deschanel’s She and Him group, Burt Bacharach, Randy Newman, David Crosby, Shawn Colvin, Kenny Loggins, Lisa Loeb, Katrina Carlson, Dave Koz and Jim Wilson all contribute tracks to the Everychild Within Us CD which goes to benefit the Everychild Foundation. The CD’s available for $15 at the Everychild Foundation website with all proceeds going to help meet the “critical unmet needs of children.”
“It is with great pleasure that I support the good work that the Everychild Foundation does helping children in need,” stated David Crosby in the announcement of the CD’s release in time for Mother’s Day.
“Some of America’s most legendary musicians have come together to make a difference for children in crisis right here in the United States,” says Jacqueline Caster, Founder and President of the Everychild Foundation. “This album not only provides an array of uplifting songs, but is also interspersed with the actual voices of kids from the gang-ridden neighborhoods of Los Angeles whose dreams of a better future are alive and strong. Proceeds from this compilation album support the work of the Everychild Foundation which works to make these dreams a reality by funding new projects to assist children suffering from disease, disability, abuse, neglect or poverty.”
The Mission:
“The dream of the Everychild Foundation is to have a society where no child suffers from disease, disability, abuse, neglect or poverty. Each year, Everychild annually seeks out and funds a new project directly serving children with tangible results. The goal is to launch new prototypes that can inspire replication across the nation and even worldwide, thus leveraging the grant.
The Foundation also advocates for legislative and public policy changes to assist unaccompanied homeless youth, children in the juvenile justice and foster care systems, and those in the zero to five age group. Everychild is a volunteer organization funded by member dues and contributions. It pays no salaries, no rent and does not host fundraising galas.”
Jeremy Renner takes over the lead role in this fourth film of the Bourne franchise, The Bourne Legacy. Directed by Tony Gilroy, this new film brings back returning Bourne players Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn, and introduces new characters played by Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac.
Watch the first trailer hosted on iTunes:
The Plot:
The narrative architect behind the Bourne film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise that has earned almost $1 billion at the global box office: The Bourne Legacy. The writer/director expands the Bourne universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films.
Katy Perry fans, mark March 27, 2012 on your calendars. That’s the date Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection will be available. And with a few new tracks (the titles of which haven’t been released yet), Perry fans won’t want to miss adding this release to their collections.
The 
