May 18, 2024

Review Category : TMZ Music News

‘The LEGO Movie’ Will Snap Together More Bucks Than Bricks

"The Transformers" franchise has made over $2 billion. But now it's another toy's chance to build the big bucks at the box office.

After the box office misfire of "Battleship," the commercial success but critical drubbing of the "G.I. Joe," the live action "Smurfs" films and all of the rest of the Hollywood stories mining childhood nostalgia, it was easy to be cynical when plans were unveiled for a big studio picture based on LEGO.

The San Francisco Chronicle's review of "The LEGO Movie" called it a "good film built on low expectations," demonstrative of a wave of stunned critical praise culminating in a near perfect Rotten Tomatoes score (98 percent!) as "The Lego Movie" rolled into theaters. Box office watchers predicted a huge opening in the $70 million range. Fandango reported "The LEGO Movie" had their second biggest ticket pre-sales for animated movie ever, behind only "Toy Story 3."

"Frozen" has made $865 million for Disney since it opened in November, 2013 and "Despicable Me 2" is $30 million away from $1 billion. "The LEGO Movie" boasts a similar strength in that it appeals to kids and parents alike. The Lego brand has been going strong since it launched in Denmark in the 1930s. The movie is stuffed with a pop culture hodgepodge of everyone from Batman to Han Solo to Abraham Lincoln (!), voiced by "it" comedic actors like Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett and Will Ferrell (added bonus: Channing Tatum is Superman). Plus, it's directed by the duo that made "21 Jump Street."

It's Been 'One ...

Read More →

Does Dakota Johnson Capture Ana Steele’s ‘Inner Goddess’ In ’50 Shades’ Snaps? [Poll]

Anticipation is the name of the game when it comes the antics depicted in — as well the rollout of the 2015 film.

We may be one year out from the film gracing theaters, but this week we saw snaps of actress Dakota Johnson kitted out in full Anastasia Steele regalia, the reveal of which begs the question: What do fans think?

Johnson graces the cover of the March issue of Elle magazine, kneeling bedside in modest green dress and less-than-modest thigh highs and red heels.

Elle also revealed a few more snaps from her spread before the magazine hits stands later this month, including the actress pulling up her stockings while sporting a long coat, kneeling in a black bandeau top and reclining by a window in a white bra and jacket.

"I don't have any problem doing anything," the actress told Elle with regard to some of the more explicit aspects of the book and film. "The secret is I have no shame."

So what do you think now that you've seen Johnson in character? She certainly seems to be channeling Ana's "inner goddess" in these snaps, the freer side of a shy woman previously unaware of her own sexuality.

I wonder what looks she'll don as she treads deeper and deeper into a B&D relationship with the handsome, rich Christian Grey (played by Jamie Dornan)?

All will be revealed come February 13, 2015, but in the meantime, tell us what you think of Johnson's look in the poll below.

What do you think of Dakota's ...

Read More →

Why Leonardo DiCaprio Is Either The Greatest Actor Of His Generation Or A Huge Liar

Spoiler alert: When Seth Rogen seems super high in, well, most of his movies, he's not (as far as we know). In fact, whether it's vitamin B powder, herbal cigarettes or some other drug stand-in, actors in movies are never really doing drugs.

Perhaps they have done some drugs in real life and have a sense of what it's like to be high, but what if they haven't?

We give you the undeniably greatest actor of his generation: Leonardo DiCaprio.

"Never done it," Oscar nominee DiCaprio told the Los Angeles Times about his experience taking drugs.

Though known for decades as one of Hollywood's most eligible, most party-ready bachelors, DiCaprio, 39, "emphatically" denied every trying drugs, a statement that is even more incredible if you've seen his work in ? which earned him a Best Actor nod at the upcoming Oscars.

Because in that film Leo gives what can only be called one of the greatest stoned performances in recent cinema history. Whether he's supplying a so-wrong straw-full of cocaine to a prostitute's unmentionables, snorting endless lines on his yacht and office or joining Jonah Hill for a epic Quaalude meltdown that should earn him a special Oscar, Leo is great at acting high.

"That's because I saw this stuff literally every day when I was 3 or 4 years old. So Hollywood was a walk in the park for me," DiCaprio explained about the evils he saw growing up poor in Los Angeles. "I'd go to parties and it was there and, yeah, there's that temptation. Hollywood is a very volatile ...

Read More →

What Surprises Are Imagine Dragons Planning For ‘Into The Night’ Tour?

Last year, Imagine Dragons joked that their Into The Night tour — meant as one final victory lap for their breakout Night Visions debut — was so far away that it almost seemed like an impossibility ... a metaphorical finish line they never thought they'd reach.

"This is the part of the race where the marathon runner starts having the physical breakdown at the end," bassist Ben McKee added. "[Your] body's failing, collapsing in a pile of twitching limbs."

Well, somehow, they made it. Into The Night kicks off Saturday in Boise, Idaho, and despite those twitching, tired limbs, the Dragons are still working on making their last run of shows their best.

"We've really changed everything, in a lot of ways, for this final tour, because there are probably quite a few people who have seen us on previous runs of this tour, so we wanted to bring something fresh for them ... and also for us," frontman Dan Reynolds told MTV News. "We've played these songs a lot of times now over the past two years, so we are going to be playing some different songs [on this tour]; the setup's all different, electronically there are things going on that are different.

"It's a much bigger scale," he added. "We've never played arenas, so it's a different realm for us."

Of course, Reynolds wouldn't reveal what he meant by "different songs" — McKee would only go so far as calling them "songs we have never played live before" — but, from the sound of things, fans can expect a few covers ...

Read More →

‘The LEGO Movie’: The Reviews Are In

That feeling of nostalgia that's building inside of you right now? That's the feeling of somebody who knows has finally arrived.

Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller's big-screen take on the small-blocked LEGO brand hits theaters today, equipped with a star-studded cast including the likes of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks and more. Here's what else it's equipped with: glowing praise from critics. Reviewers have given "The LEGO Movie" two thumbs up at nearly every turn. By all accounts, the animated comedy is a block-for-block success.

Read on for our round-up of "The LEGO Movie" reviews:

The Story
"Our everyman hero, Emmet (Chris Pratt), is the happiest guy in Bricksville: He's gainfully employed as a construction worker (what else?), he adores his coworkers, and he knows that mighty President Business (Will Ferrell) has his best interests at heart. So when he's thrown into an epic conflict between Business's robot clones and the forces of creativity and invention (led, of course, by Batman and Abraham Lincoln), all Emmet wants is to get back to normality." — Tom Huddleston, Time Out New York

The Target Audience
"Take a moment to remember the spaz. The hyperactive, highly-excitable enthusiast who can barely stay in one place for longer than sixty seconds and makes a little bit of a mess of things with his chaotic energy. 'The LEGO Movie' is the film for that person. From its opening frame to its surprisingly heartfelt conclusion, 'The LEGO Movie' has a bright and brash, candy-colored go go go dynamism that crackles with a glorious alacrity set to the ...

Read More →

Demi Lovato Will Make Like Queen Bey On Neon Lights Tour: Watch

Demi Lovato has made it no secret that she is ready to hit the road for her Neon Lights tour, kicking off this Sunday.

MTV News recently caught up with Demi during one of her final tour rehearsals, along with creative and musical director, Nick Jonas, who gave us a preview of what you can expect. The tour also includes opening acts Fifth Harmony, Little Mix and Cher Lloyd.

They'll Debut Music Videos On Tour
Earlier this week, Demi released a short teaser for the tour, and Nick admits that there's a lot more where that came from. "There's a lot of exclusive content for this tour," he told us.

"Demi came to the whole team just on the creative side both video and music," Nick said. "And she said I want to give fans something special for every bit of the show."

Demi's idea to do something a little different for her fans this time around was sparked by none other than the Queen B herself.

"I was also really inspired by Beyonc—, who had a music video for every single song on the album," Demi said. "And some of these I had music video ideas for a while and...I'm excited for people to see it."

Giving The Songs A Makeover
If you're expecting Demi to just hit play on all her albums, think again, because you may have to listen very closely to even recognize some of your favorite songs.

"What we did, we looked online to what her fans wanted to hear and what she's played on the last couple tours and just ...

Read More →

Bill Murray Surprises Audience At Berlin Premiere Of ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’

Ralph Fiennes doesn't know how to clap. The accomplished, prolific actor is the de facto star attraction at the Berlin International Film Festival's opening night, as he's anchoring the premiere of "The Grand Budapest Hotel." But if one thing is clear from a shot mid-way through the very long opening ceremonies, he hasn't quite mastered applause just yet.

A few hours earlier, stars, press and fans started gathering outside the venue to catch a glimpse of Fiennes, director Wes Anderson, Tilda Swinton, and Bill Murray among others. A group of Germans dressed as Ghostbusters ("Die Geisterjäger") drew a fairly steady crowd of press and fans who wanted to chat with them about one of Murray's most famous and enduring roles. And as anticipation built for the Festival's opening ceremonies and the premiere of the film... well, we were about 15 minutes away across town at the "overflow theater."

Before you think the press, media and fans were jammed into a tiny, dirty theater, the overflow venue was the Friedrichstadt-Palast, boasting 1,891 seats and the largest stage in the entire world. Here we were greeted to a delayed replay of the opening ceremonies, which was... surreal, to say the least.

Imagine crowding into a gorgeous theater with thousands of other audience members dressed to the nines. You sit down in your seats. The moderator announces the beginning of the opening ceremonies. And then onscreen, you cut to a gorgeous theater with thousands of other audience members dressed to the nines, with a moderator announcing the beginning of the ...

Read More →