Hailee Steinfeld, James Franco, Nicole Kidman Grateful For Oscar Nominations

'It was very exciting. It's incredible. I'm in shock,' 'True Grit' teen star tells MTV News.
By Jocelyn Vena


Hailee Steinfeld
Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images

As more and more of Hollywood woke up to the news of the Oscar nominations on Tuesday morning (January 25), the nominees themselves opened up about the recognition they'd received from the Academy.

"What an extraordinary journey this film has taken me on! 'Rabbit Hole' has been a labor of love and I'm so thankful to John Cameron Mitchell, David Lindsay-Abaire and the brilliant cast," Nicole Kidman said in a statement to MTV News about her Best Actress nod. "This nomination reflects all of the heart and soul that these people have put into it, and I can't thank them enough."

Oscar host James Franco finds himself a nominee at the show as well. He's up for Actor in a Leading Role for his role in "127 Hours." "I'm about to go to class," Franco said on the "Today" show. "I've got my normal pre-class makeup on, and there are some lights here. It's great."

Hailee Steinfeld also spoke to the "Today" show about her nomination for Actress in a Supporting Role for her part in "True Grit." "I was asleep and I heard my mom and dad screaming in the other room. They came in my room with flowers," she said. "It was very exciting. It's incredible. I'm in shock. The film overall is incredible. To be a part of it all was amazing. I'm so proud of it all."

"True Grit" directors/producers/writers Joel and Ethan Coen are up for Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay), but they didn't want to seem greedy about it. "Ten [nominations] seems like an awful lot," they told AwardsDaily.com. "We don't want to take anyone else's."

"The Fighter" star Melissa Leo was the first to speak to "Good Morning America" after her Supporting Actress nomination was announced. "What a thrill to share it with all of America right now," she said. "Love to my family. Love to Alice Ward [the real-life woman I play in the film]. Thank you guys so much! Alice, we're going to the Oscars!"

Leo also commented on Mark Wahlberg not receiving a nomination for his part in the film. "Right now, Mark Wahlberg, the most generous man I've ever met, is receiving all sorts of nominations. Every nomination is a nomination for Mark Wahlberg. There would be nothing without him," she added. "It was just incredible. The proof is in the pudding."

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

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Social Network' Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin Calls Oscar Noms 'Cherry On Top

'It's a great way to start the morning,' Sorkin says of film's eight nominations.
By Jocelyn Vena


Jesse Eisenberg in "The Social Network"
Photo: Columbia Pictures

"The Social Network" has been friended by the Academy. On Tuesday when the Oscar nominations were announced, the David Fincher-directed, Aaron Sorkin-penned movie received eight nods from the Academy.

"It's a great way to start the morning," Sorkin told "Good Morning America" moments after he learned of his own nomination for Adapted Screenplay. "I love 'The King's Speech.' It was a great year for movies. It was the year for the screenplay too. I'm so happy for everyone involved. My recommendation for anyone who wants an Oscar nomination: Work with David Fincher."

The film is nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a leading role for Jesse Eisenberg, Achievement in Cinematography, Achievement in directing for David Fincher, Achievement in Film Editing, Original Score for Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Achievement in Sound Mixing, and Sorkin's own nomination for Adapted Screenplay.

Calling all the accolades "a triumph," Sorkin added, "I think it was the people I got to sit in the room with. I love the way audiences responded to this movie. They came out and saw it and they loved it. It's a special cherry on top."

When asked about future projects, Sorkin said, "This morning is about 'The Social Network.' I'm so happy. It's a great reward."

Sorkin is up against Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy for "127 Hours"; Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich for "Toy Story 3"; Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for "True Grit"; and Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini for "Winter's Bone."

Check out everything we've got on "The Social Network."

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

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Usher 'Got A Good Laugh' From Fan Kicking Him In The Face

'It looked worse than it actually was,' the 'OMG' singer laughs about accidental blow during concert serenade.
By Mawuse Ziegbe


Usher
Photo: Jordan Strauss/ Getty Images

Usher's club-rattling jam "OMG" may "kill it every night" according to tourmate Miguel, but when the Atlanta crooner hit Madison Square Garden earlier this week, he was almost taken out by a clumsy fan.

When the singer touched down in New York on Monday, he indulged a super amped fan's fantasy by pulling her onstage for an intimate flirty serenade of "Trading Places." As Usher and the concertgoer got cozy on a recliner, she swiveled around to face the crooner — knocking him squarely in his mug with her foot. She began apologizing profusely as Usher briefly paused to collect himself. But the superstar took the strike in stride, quipping, "We play rough in the bed. We kick each other in the face and all type of good stuff."

Although Usher brushed off the blow, the moment did make an impression on him.

"In all my years, this is one of the most interesting experiences. I got a kick out of it!" he told Us Weekly. The singer assured fans that the knock wasn't that bad. "It looked worse than it actually was. My audience and I got a good laugh."

As for the fan, the "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" star maintained everything is all good on that front too. "Wherever you are baby, don't feel bad," Usher said. "No hard feelings."

As Miguel has noted, Usher isn't one dwell on drama, whether it's cranking out another hit album or weathering an unexpected hit from a fan.

"He's such a tremendous example of perseverance and determination," Miguel recently told MTV News. "I was there throughout this album, so I've seen the adversity that he's had to overcome perception-wise."

What do you think of Usher's response to getting knocked in the head by a fan? Tell us in the comments!

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Dimmu Borgir Release Live DVD; Plus Led Zeppelin, Brujeria, & More News That Rules, In Metal File

'It shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums,' guitarist says.
By Chris Harris


Dimmu Borgir's Silenoz
Photo: Nuclear Blast

On October 14, Dimmu Borgir — who just happen to be Demi Lovato's favorite black-metal band — will release a a three-disc DVD/CD set called "The Invaluable Darkness," the band's first visual offering since 2002's "World Misanthropy." Boasting live footage shot last year, during gigs in Norway, Germany and England, "The Invaluable Darkness" demonstrates the unbridled furor of seeing Dimmu live, guitarist Silenoz said.

"It shows the honest rawness and atmospheric darkness of our concerts," the Norwegian told Metal File last week, after dismissing recent online rumors that his band's next LP would be coming out through Roadrunner Records. "Basically, it shows the intense live side of the band, as opposed to the perfection and the cleanness of how we sound on our albums. It's just a different side to the band, basically."

Dimmu Borgir began thinking about "The Invaluable Darkness" two years ago, but didn't start capturing footage until last summer, Silenoz explained, adding that the band will use its current stint on the Blackest of the Black Tour — which got underway Thursday night in Miami Beach, Florida, and also features the tour's founder, Danzig, along with Moonspell, Winds of Plague and Skeletonwitch — to promote the DVD. Dimmu Borgir will not, however, use the tour to write material for their next LP.

"It's our first time on Blackest, but Glenn [Danzig] had wanted to bring us out before [on the tour], but we weren't available until now," Silenoz said. "We've done Ozzfest before, but we're looking forward to this tour more. We did the main stage on Ozzfest, playing in f--_ing broad daylight. This tour will let us play in bigger places, but at the same time showcase more of what the band's about, visually. We are going to concentrate on the tour for now. Some years ago, we tried putting [material] together on the road, but once we got home, we listened back to it, and were like, 'What the f--- is this?' So, we just scrapped it all. We find it's so much better to totally focus on one thing at a time, and then, when that's over, you move on to the next [thing]. We don't really feel like we need to rush things, anyway, so we'll just take our time, and it's going to be what it's going to be."

Dimmu Borgir hope to reconvene in late December to begin writing the follow-up to 2007's diabolically titled In Sorte Diaboli. "We have some ideas floating around already, but we haven't arranged any material yet," he said. "We'll start doing that once the touring for this DVD is over." The band's frontman, Shagrath, is also due to marry soon — he's engaged to actor Nicolas Cage's ex-girlfriend, Christina Fulton, so that may have an effect on when Dimmu finish their next album, which Silenoz said could be out this coming spring.

"I'm sure [Shagrath] won't let anything get in the way [of] the band — I think, I hope," the guitarist said. "We don't need a Yoko [Ono] situation."

While Dimmu have been at it going on 15 years now, Silenoz said he doesn't think their forthcoming material will be much of a departure from their previous black-metal offerings.

"And we have always been about more than just that term, 'black metal,' " he said. "Luckily for us, the older you get, the less concerned you get with the categorization and putting labels on your music. Things start getting more and more limitless with us, and we know that we operate within certain frames. But we try not to analyze things too much, because it's just going to be working against you in the end. When we write new stuff, we don't think about what we should write — we just get together, and put material together, and if we like it, we keep it. That's the formula, if we even have a formula."

Dimmu Borgir are definitely getting older — guitarist Galder will be missing Blackest because of a recent addition to his family, and Susperia's Cyrus will be filling in for him; while former Vader drummer Dariusz Brzozowski takes over for Hellhammer, who had to leave the band in 2007 after sustaining a neck injury that's now limited the use of his right arm. As Dimmu has gotten on in years, Silenoz admits they have failed to keep pace with some of the more extreme black-metal acts that have followed in their wake.

"We helped open doors for the more extreme bands out there," Silenoz said. "I'm sure we helped open doors for bands like Watain, [insomuch as] people that had maybe started listening to us first then went on to the more extreme stuff. Let's face it — we're not as extreme as Watain and other bands like that, but we're fine with that."

The Blackest of the Black Tour continues through November 10 in San Francisco.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Dimmu's tourmates on Blackest, Winds of Plague, have announced ex-Azusa drummer Art Cruz has joined their ranks — he replaced Jeff Tenney. According to the band's blog, "Art has already added a new spark to the band and has provided us with a solid backbone that will allow us to continue our rampage stronger than ever." ...

What the world really needs is another Led Zeppelin box set, so, on November 4, Rhino Records will issue the Led Zeppelin Definitive Collection Mini LP Replica CD box set. For just $200, you'll get 1969's Led Zeppelin, 1969's Led Zeppelin II, 1970's Led Zeppelin III, 1971's Led Zeppelin IV, 1973's Houses of the Holy, 1975's Physical Graffiti, 1976's Presence, 1976's The Song Remains the Same, 1979's In Through the Out Door and 1982's Coda, as mini-LP replicas, with artwork from the original U.K. LP sleeves. Now, you know what you can get your dad for Christmas. ...

Former Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach and current Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz have teamed up for a new project they're calling Times of Grace, and they've already started working on material for their debut album. According to Leach, "We have two songs to go and we will be finished with all of the vocals. Adam has taken lead vocals in three songs as of yet and he is doing a great job. We also worked on a track yesterday that is so epic — we trade vocals and do two different melodies at the same time. This album went from a melodic metal album to an epic mix of metal/rock/pop/shoegaze and punk. So all of your metal expectations will be incorrect — we are pushing genre boundaries." To quote "Meet the Parents," we'll look forward to that, Greg. ...

The Funeral Pyre and Early Graves will be hitting the road together next month, starting November 7 in South Lake Tahoe, California. Dates are booked through November 21 in Hollywood. ...

The latest incarnation of Brujeria, which features Carcass frontman Jeff Walker and Napalm Death's Shane Embury, have lined up several U.S. dates for this winter. The band will begin its brief trek November 28 in Denver, and wrap things up in Dallas on December 7. ... Demiricous will be touring with the Gates of Slumber starting November 9 in Denver, for a jaunt that's scheduled to run through December 6 in Indianapolis. ...

Nearly three years after Roadrunner Records' Roadrunner United concert, which took over the Nokia Theater in New York's Times Square, the label is now releasing footage from that special night as "Roadrunner United: The Concert." The DVD, which hits stores December 9, will boast two discs and 24 live tracks, including Life of Agony's "River Runs Red," King Diamond's "Abigail," Killswitch's "My Last Serenade," Type O Negative's "Black No. 1" and Sepultura's "Refuse/Resist." ...

According to Blabbermouth, Verrot, bassist for Swedish black-metal outfit Elimi, committed suicide on October 3. In a statement, the band said, "Verrot was a very good friend, brother, an excellent bass player/musician and an important part of Elimi; we respect his decision and hope he'll find his way with the dark gods of Chaos. Let your black flame be a part of what brings forth the day of wrath."

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Usher's 'OMG' Gets Celeb Endorsement As Song Of The Year

'It's undeniable,' Travie McCoy says of the track that topped MTV News' Top 25 Songs of 2010.
By Jocelyn Vena


Usher
Photo: Getty Images

2010 had some great jams, and all week, MTV News has been counting down some of its best. Everything from Lady Gaga's "Telephone" and Rick Ross' "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" to two of Kanye's West's killer My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy tracks, "Power" and "Runaway," made the top 10. But it was Usher's bombastic party jam "OMG" that rose to the top and came in at #1.

So what made that song such a party anthem? "Oh my God! That's exactly what I would say! Oh my God!" Pauly D joked about 2010's top party jam. "Dope, dope track. I love playing it. The crowd goes crazy when I play it. Usher's the man!"

Travie McCoy added: "It's a great song. It's undeniable, you know what I mean?"

"Dancing With the Stars" pro Lacey Schwimmer admitted that "OMG" was the track that got dancers, both professional and amateur, on the dance floor. "You guys got a great dance anthem," she said. "So be prepared for people who do not know how to dance just going to town!"

Producer Alex Da Kid gave props to will.i.am for the song's epic beat. "I love 'OMG.' I think it's definitely something different for Usher," he said. "And it still has all the dance performance elements Usher's known for, but it's something slightly different and done in a will.i.am kind of way, and it's different and that's why it connected to so many different people. It's a great song."

Celebrities also weighed in on their favorite jams of 2010, choosing everything from Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" and Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair" to B.o.B and Hayley Williams' "Airplanes."

Why did you love "OMG" in 2010? Tell us in the comments!

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