East Sider keeps MTV film awards show fresh & funky

By Mark Ellwood

What viewers won't see is the born-and-bred New Yorker behind the extravaganza - MTV executive producer Lee Rolontz, helming the show for the second year. 

She executes fateful decisions such as when "The Hills" finale will air (before the awards) and how the red-carpet arrivals will be shown (interspersed with commercials). 

This year's show, airing at 9 p.m., is set to be a blockbuster. Online balloting hit 3 million a week before the event - six times last year's awards. 

Rolontz credits a smackdown between the two frontrunners. 

"It's the 'Twilight'-'Slumdog' slug-it-out year," she explains. 

While "Slumdog Millionaire" dominated the Oscars and has seven MTV nominations, Rolontz is excited about the focus on "Twilight," the vampire love story with six shots at the MTV statuette known as Popcorn Man. 

"It's courageous of MTV," she says. "'Twilight' is not an Oscar movie. It's a movie that audiences can rally around that hasn't been anywhere else." 

Winners in 11 categories - from Best Movie and Best Comedic Performance to Best Kiss and Best Villain - will be announced live. There are two new categories: Best Song from a Movie and Best WTF Moment. 

"On the production side, we said, 'OMG, there were all these crazy moments,'" Rolontz says. "So we looked at the movies of the year and sifted through for more examples." 

WTF nominees include a naked Jason Segel in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," one of the "Slumdog" kids jumping in an outhouse, Amy Poehler using the sink as a toilet in "Baby Mama," and Ben Stiller licking a decapitated head in "Tropic Thunder." 

Speaking of Stiller, the former host will be a recipient this time around. The 43-year-old comedic actor is taking home the MTV Generation Award. 

The host this year is "Saturday Night Live" fave Andy Samberg. "His ease at creating short-form films was a real plus," Rolontz says, noting that Samberg has already churned out a dozen short-film promos. "It's a lot more fun with him." 

Soft-spoken and genial, Rolontz quarterbacks every aspect of the mega-production. 

At a staff meeting 11 days before the big night, she discussed whether stars would bring reality-show crews on the red carpet and if there was room for MTV staffers at scaled-back post-show parties. 

Unlike the Oscars, the MTV show is more than a celebration of the past - it has a forward-looking component, too. 

A resurgent Eminem and rockers Kings of Leon will perform their new songs. There will be previews of new "Transformers" and "Harry Potter" movies. 

Straddling the two mediums isn't hard for Rolontz, who has roots in the music and film business. 

She grew up on the upper East Side, the daughter of an Atlantic Records executive. She got her big break following Wham! to China for a rockumentary. 

"All George Michael worried about was how to get his hairdryer working, the director broke his leg and the trumpeter in the band had a breakdown," she recalls. 

She spent 15 years producing music videos for the likes of Mariah Carey, then segued into longer form TV events like "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." 

In the days before the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, Rolontz was spending most of her time in L.A., where the show is held - mingling with presenters like Sandra Bullock, Cameron Diaz and Shia LaBeouf. 

Make no mistake: she's a hardened Manhattanite who will come home to the upper West Side when all the Popcorn Men have been handed out. 

"I've been to Studio 54 when I was 15. I remember the East Village when it was full of smashed-out cars," she says. "I'm a real New Yorker - even if I can drive."

Source: NY Daily News.

Transformers 2: New Info & Pic For ‘The Fallen’

By Rob Keyes 

Of the many new Cybertronian characters we’ll finally see next month, making their big screen debuts in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the title character is the one we’ve seen the least of and know the least about. MTV sought to address this by speaking with Shia LaBeouf who revealed some new info on the character and an exclusive still from the movie featuring The Fallen.

Back in February, we got our first look at The Fallen character design but this new image is the first clear shot of him in action from an actual scene in the movie. LaBeouf had quite a lot to say about the character and revealed quite a bit about him that we’ve not heard others who are involved with the film talk about yet:

“He is the king bee… He’s the patriarchal figure, he’s the main dude. He’s what all of this came from.”

“Basically, the Fallen is to them what cavemen, Neanderthals were to us… He’s the ancestor, the first version of this exoskeleton. He’s the first version of this sentient being. That’s what he is. He’s the origins of what they came from.”

While fans of the Transformers universe know the general stuff about the character, Shia then went on to talk about the more organic and demonic alien-like live-action adaptation of The Fallen.

“It’s the design of the Transformer you see in the symbol, almost — at least, that’s where the jump-off point of the idea was spawned from… That was the initial spark of his look, the actual Decepticon logo — which is cool.”

As for what role The Fallen will play in the movie, especially knowing that Megatron will be back in the sequel, Shia had this to say about their relationship and the Decepticon leadership structure:

“It’s the Emperor and Darth Vader — it’s that kind of situation… [The Fallen] is the main villain, so two and two makes four. He’s a badass. He has to be.

“The Fallen, his transportation method is really unlike any other robot’s transportation method… The way he fights is also very different. It’s spectacular, visually stunning, really incredible.”

It all sounds intriguing to me and I’m excited for this movie to finally debut. With the crazy rushed schedule of the film’s post-production and most notably, the special effects work, I really hope the film looks finished (unlike X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and the robots don’t come off looking too fake.

He certainly does look very organic compared to the other characters we’ve seen so far. Since he is one of the original Transformers, does that make him primitive in terms of his power and abilities? Doubtful. I’m thinking he’ll be more god-like in power and I’m curious about what he’ll transform into to travel as Shia referenced.

The star of the films also says the film is definitely of a darker tone compared to the first and he has yet to see the finished version of the character as we all know director Michael Bay is working some very long hours to get the film done in time for its release a mere few weeks away. He’ll be seeing it for the first time at its official premiere.

What do you think of the image and of what Mr. LaBeouf had to say about the character?

Source: http://screenrant.com

MTV Awards show to air 'New Moon' preview

United Press International - May 18, 2009 

New York -- Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner are to present a preview of their film "New Moon" at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards in Universal City, Calif.

"The never-before-seen clip is a first look at the much-anticipated next installment in the Summit Entertainment ('Twilight Saga') vampire film franchise that became a pop-culture phenomenon," MTV said in a news release Monday. "MTV will continue to increase the star power as movie megastars Sandra Bullock, Dwayne Johnson, Sienna Miller, Channing Tatum, Bradley Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Thomas Lennon, Danny McBride and Sofia Vassilieva are added to the growing list of Hollywood's hottest names to hand out popcorn awards this year."

The stars join the list of previously revealed presenters Denzel Washington, Cameron Diaz, Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell, Vanessa Hudgens, Leighton Meester, Jonah Hill and Lil Wayne. The prize presentation is to be broadcast live from the Gibson Amphitheatre May 31, MTV said.

Source: http://www.themoneytimes.com

Cyrus admits he’ll consider a movie career only if his films do well

Dipti Nagpaul D’Souza - May 12, 2009

You can never be prepared for Cyrus Broacha. We’re meeting at his Malabar Hill building for a toddle at the nearby Hanging Gardens and the funny man shows up in an old tee and boxers to walk his adopted stray. At the sight of our photographer, he quickly runs up and changes into a more respectable pair of shorts. “I think clothes are overrated. And I love the horrified look I get from guests when I turn up at events in jeans and loafers,” laughs Broacha as he feeds his pet a biscuit. 

The 38-year-old VJ, who shot to fame with his show Bakra on MTV, has explored theatre, live shows and radio. Now it is cinema, with his film 99 about to release. “It is supposed to be a fast-paced thriller with Kunal Khemu and me in the lead. But don’t ask me the story because I didn’t read the script beyond the first eight pages. All I remember is that I was made to wear a fat suit for the movie. But people don’t even realise I’m looking overweight; they think this is how I am!” 

Fruit N Nut, his next film, brings him together with his pal Kunal Vijaykar, who has directed the movie. “This one’s an infantile comedy — you’ll see us falling, cracking one-liners. Even Andaz Apna Apna seems serious when compared with it,” he blabbers on as he bribes Sandy, whom he adopted in 2000 after her injured mother delivered a litter, with another biscuit to pose for a picture. Broacha, however, isn’t too optimistic about either of the films. “I signed them in 2007 when anyone with Rs 5 crore became a filmmaker and there were more small directors than tigers in India. If even one of these films does well, I’ll seriously consider a career in acting. Else, I’ll work to make money till I can make my own film.” 

Despite having spent over a decade with MTV where he started his career as a VJ, the chap hasn’t moved on. Often, viewers hope that he would re-invent his brand of humour. But Broacha laughs off the suggestion, attributing it to his laziness and lack of ambition. “Besides, I’ve done some of my best interviews for MTV. I remember the first time I was to interview Amitabh Bachchan, we were all nervous because he was going through a low phase in career and was known to be moody. Upon introduction, he pulled out two pairs of glasses — one must have been from Shaan and the other from Yaarana — and asked me which one looked better. When I told him that both looked ugly, he said he thought so too and laughed out loud.” 

An avid cricket fan, Broacha gets animated when we start talking cricket. Even Sandy, who is now beginning to get bored, can sense it. So which team is he supporting? “Technically, I am supposed to promote Mumbai Indians but I haven’t even flown to South Africa, so I’m not sure I want to support them anymore,” he says, refusing to part with his wisecracks. “But I must say, Dr Vijay Mallya must be really happy. With his Royal Challengers in form, finally, something’s working out for him in sports.”

Source: http://www.screenindia.com

Slumdog' child star up for MTV's special award

Agencies / May 05, 2009

'Slumdog Millionaire' star Dev Patel is not the only cast member of the Oscar winning film who is up for an award at the upcoming MTV Movie Awards. 

Child star Ayush Khedekar who plays the young Jamal, has been nominated in a special category of the most shocking cinematic moments. Khedekar's 'Jumping in the Poop Shed' scene has been nominated for the Golden Popcorn, reported 'E!Online'. 

Other nominees in the same criteria are Angelina Jolie, Ben Stiller and Amy Poehler. The winner will be decided through public voting taking place on MTV's website. The award ceremony will be held at Universal City, California on May 31.

Source: http://www.screenindia.com

MTV’s 2009 Movie Award Nominations Are Packed With Comic Book Nods — Vote Now!

By Splash Page Team / May 4, 2009

Voting is officially open for the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, and you’ve never had more opportunities to let your votes do the talking when it comes to comic book movies.

Last year’s wealth of films based on comic book properties is indeed reflected in this year’s list of MTV Movie Award nominees, with 11 nominations spread over 7 categories — from the grand “Best Movie” all the way to the most head-scratching “Best WTF Moment.”

You can log in and cast your votes for all of the categories before Wednesday, May 27, but voting for “Best Movie” will remain open right up until the big show on Sunday, May 31. Read on for a roundup of the categories and nominees comic book fans should pay extra attention to this year.

BEST MOVIE: “The Dark Knight” takes on “Iron Man” in this category — but the real question is whether either film will be able to compete with “Twilight” in the MTV audience. Come on, comic book crew, give ‘em heck!

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE: Angelina Jolie’s role as the super-sexy Fox in “Wanted” nabbed her a nomination for best female performance. Are you going to be the one to deny Fox a vote (or anything else, for that matter)? I didn’t think so.

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE: It’s Batman vs. Iron Man as Christian Bale’s performance in “The Dark Knight” receives a nomination alongside Robert Downey Jr.’s “Iron Man,” Tony Stark. Can either of them beat Zac Efron, though?

BEST VILLAIN: Sure, the late, great Heath Ledger is likely to have his great performance as The Joker in “The Dark Knight” recognized by fans, but Luke Goss is also in the running for his “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” role.

BEST KISS: “Wanted” gets another nomination for its steamy lip-lock between Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy. But was it more memorable than the vampire-human makeout session in “Twilight”? Only you can decide!

BEST FIGHT: It’s another comic book twosome, but instead of locking lips, these comic book duets are fighting to be recognized as the best brawl of 2008. Christian Bale and Heath Ledger worked out their anger issues in “The Dark Knight,” but Ron Perlman and Luke Goss got downright supernatural in their “Hellboy II” battle. 

BEST WTF MOMENT: It’s a big ol’ spoiler, so we’ll understand if you refrain from checking this one out — but there’s a lot to be said for the “Wanted” moment that’s vying for this head-scratching award. Sure, it was a bit of a departure from the comic book story, but it was still a big part of this hit adaptation. If you’ve seen the film, go ahead and vote it up, folks.

Head over to the official MTV Movie Movie Awards page for all of the categories, as well as video nominations and information about this year’s big event.

Source: http://splashpage.mtv.com