Lindsay Lohan Locks Role In 'Gotti' Flick

Actress is set to play mob wife Kim Gotti in the film.
By Jocelyn Vena


Lindsay Lohan
Photo: Jeff Vespa/ WireImage

After some momentary drama on Wednesday, when it seemed that Lindsay Lohan's role in the mob family biopic "Gotti: Three Generations" was in jeopardy, it was confirmed later that the embattled starlet would still be in the film.

Originally up for the role of Victoria Gotti, Lohan is now set to play the wife of John Gotti Jr., Kim Gotti. "I'm really excited to be back on set and clear up all the misinterpretations about me and show this is what I love to do," Lohan said about the casting, according to The Associated Press. "I think it's such an iconic story. I think it's a great story to be told. I'm honored to be working with John Travolta and Joe Pesci."

The movie's producer, Marc Fiore, explained to People.com that it was Lohan herself who managed to make sure she got cast in the flick. "She was definitely out as of earlier today, but she really wanted the part," he said. "She not only is back in the movie, but she single-handedly put it all together. She called me personally and put her team on it, and we came to an agreement."

Lohan, who was originally rumored to be a part of the movie earlier this month, said that she looks forward to playing the role because "you don't get to see the heart behind the story and the real side of people. I can relate to that because I think that I've been portrayed in a certain light. I just want to do my best to show what their family really went through."

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

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Janet Jackson Thrills Fans With Greatest Hits, Michael Tribute At Radio City

Singer covered songs ranging from classic 'Pleasure Principle' to 2008's 'Feedback' at New York show.
By Vaughn Schoonmaker


Janet Jackson (file)
Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — Often imitated, never duplicated, Janet Jackson's outbursts of meticulous choreography, sassy exclamations and smoldering gazes into the audience kept them on their feet for the entire two-hour set of her greatest hits at Radio City Music Hall. Monday night marked the last of three sold-out shows at the historic venue on her monumental Number Ones: Up Close and Personal Tour.

Up-and-coming boy band Mindless Behavior opened the show with songs including "#1 Girl," "Future" and their debut single, "My Girl." With their Usher-esque dance moves and shouts like "Where the ladies at?" the boys brought the tween girls out of hiding, judging by the shrill screams escaping various corner of the music hall.

At 9:00 sharp, the lights went down and Janet's fans were on the edge of their seats, watching music videos for "The Best Things in Life Are Free" and "Rhythm Nation" projected on big screens across the venue. A small shadow drifted toward center stage, and when the colorful lights came up, Jackson, wrapped in a shoulder-padded catsuit, complete with slick short hair, blasted into "The Pleasure Principle," dancing as hard and intensely choreographed as she did when the song first came out in the 1980s.

With barely a spare second between songs, Janet dazzled her way through her biggest hits, including "Miss You Much," "All for You" and "Nasty," and more recent hits like 2008's "Feedback."

Videos displayed during Jackson's costume changes included vintage clips from "Diff'rent Strokes," a funny scene from "Poetic Justice" where Jackson slyly rejects the advances of Tupac Shakur's character, and a rather heavy scene, as Jackson's character in "Why Did I Get Married" destroys her husband's house with a golf club, screaming hysterically.

Considering the tough couple of years the Jackson family has faced, the dark moments in the video seemed fitting, and everyone was beside themselves with bittersweet joy when Michael Jackson's face popped up on the big screen and she performed their hit single "Scream."

Janet emerged for her encore in a tight white one-piece disco suit, and performed "Diamonds," "Make Me" and "Together Again," which appeared to be the biggest hit of the evening. As Jackson graciously bowed out, her straight face transitioned into a smirk, suggesting that despite the hard times she has experienced recently, we can expect to see this singing and dancing pop legend shine far into the future.

"Its amazing!" Janet fan Elena Mercantini gleamed afterward. "It's like she's still 20 years old!"

"She's hot, she's amazing and she's still got it after all these years" added Alison Klinger of Long Island. "Best concert I've ever been to!"

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1660385/janet-jackson-radio-city-concert.jhtml

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'American Idol' Report Card: Haley Reinhart Rules The 21st Century!

Watch 'Idol Party Live' for more of our thoughts on the top seven's performances.
By Eric Ditzian


Haley Reinhart performs on "American Idol" on Wednesday
Photo: Fox

What a bizarre "American Idol" evening it was! Kisses were bestowed, curses were hurled, tongues were wagged, and — wait, what? — the singers actually took on contemporary tunes rather than ones penned decades before they were born.

It's nice to know that, 10 seasons in, the show can still surprise us. And the contestants too! Haley Reinhart bounced back. James Durbin didn't make us want to flip over to another channel and endure the comparatively less-grating stylings of Guy Fieri on "Minute to Win It." And suddenly the Scotty McCreery love fest came to a close for reasons we still can't comprehend.

Yes, it was a new dawn and a new day during 21st-century night on "Idol." Who will be granted new life? Who won't be feeling very good on Thursday's elimination show? Our "Idol" report card knows all.

Excellent

Haley Reinhart: The season's resident growler was back in fine form on Wednesday, following a clunker of a performance last week that we hope didn't permanently dent crooner-on-the-rise Haley's fanbase. She landed in the bottom three last week. If that happens again on Thursday, we'll be mega-pissed. Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" was simply a perfect fit for Haley, which really is saying something, considering song choice has been an ongoing problem for the contestant. The tune had a finger-snapping pulse to it, yet also left Haley room to explore. And explore she did (though she didn't hit every note along the way), seeking out every emotional corner of the tune, mixing that growly power with angelic vocal flights.

Good

Scotty McCreery: Scotty deserves an apology from the judges. Old Faithful stepped up and belted out essentially the same competent country ditty he's been doing for months, and suddenly Randy and Co. have a problem with it? The decision to critique him now, after a no-better-and-no-worse-than-before take on "Swingin'," seemed utterly arbitrary. The judges suddenly want Scotty to grow after telling him for so long he has no need to? Strange. (And conspiracy theorists might spot an attempt to construct an artificial reality-show narrative with a payoff next week: Scotty's back, y'all!) In any case, the truth is that his artistry has never been about growth. He's a fully-formed country singer. You either accept him for that, or you become bored to tears of the kid. You can't have it both ways.

James Durbin: Our colleague Jim Cantiello compared Durbin's take on Muse to a violation of fundamental human rights, but here's why we're giving it a thumbs-up. We loathe James' contrived heavy metal impulses: The least rock-and-rock thing a singer can ever do is point out how damn rock-and-roll he is; his performance alongside Zakk Wylde last week served only to highlight James' schoolboy metalhead persona. This time around, the singer toned down the clamor and left his vocals with room to breathe. Were those vocals always on point? Did that squeal of his work out very well? No and no. Yet credit is due: James is learning what works on stage and, potentially, in a recording studio.

Satisfactory

Jacob Lusk: Wait! Just hold up a second! Jimmy Iovine thinks that America knows Jacob can sing but isn't sure if he can feel? The 23-year-old, in fact, has exactly the opposite problem: Everyone knows he can feel — he can hardly step on stage without seeming to burst into tears; it's Jacob's singing that has been consistently unreliable. On Wednesday, shoddy inner-ear monitor or not, Jacob again struggled. We have to give him points for restraint, however; it's never pretty to see the guy reach for vocal abandon and end up looking like he's on a 747 plunging into the ocean. Oh, and one more thing, Jacob: Ignore everything Randy said! Don't hold back? Go wild? Randy, dog, are you loco?

Lauren Alaina: Lauren is confusing us. There was a time when we felt she was one of the most comfortable stage performers on "Idol." She lap-danced for Steven Tyler, for chrissake! But the pressures of reality-showdom seem to have gotten to her. Her confidence is shot. She desperately needed the backup singers to support her meek vocals. The country was back (hooray!), but the Lauren we dig is still missing in action.

Unsatisfactory

Casey Abrams: Question! How can Casey be such a lovable goofball off-stage and then deliver such creeptastic stares on it? Follow up! Is Casey the most frenetic showman in "Idol" memory (or does that ignominious honor go to Naima Adedapo, who looked like she was trying out for Manchester United during that reunion performance)? Hmmm. Whatever the answers are, there can be no doubting that Casey's Maroon 5 cover was a mess. A trip to the bottom three is a definite possibility this week, though that J. Lo smooch could work in his favor (if not hers).

Stefano Langone: If there's a difference between being sexy and being whiney, Stefano doesn't understand it. As usual, his performance suffered from pitch and phrasing problems; there were times when he seemed to abandon singing altogether and just started shouting. It looked like he was trying so damn hard. Great performers are supposed to make singing seem effortless and graceful. Neither of those things were happening for Stefano during "Closer." We'll just pretend he wasn't actually attempting some Ne-Yo-esque dance moves at the end. But it would take powers of make-believe we don't possess to imagine Stefano won't land in the bottom-three.

Don't miss "Idol Party Live" every Thursday at noon on MTV.com for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! In the meantime, get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662437/american-idol-haley-reinhart.jhtml

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Justin Bieber's Grammy Performance Will Be 'A Crossover,' Usher Says

The 'O.M.G.' singer looks forward to sharing the stage with his protégé on Sunday night.
By James Montgomery


Usher
Photo: Amanda Edwards/ Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD — At Sunday's 53rd Grammy Awards, Usher will be pulling double duty as both a nominee and a performer. Of course, given the massive year he just completed — with the success of his smash single "O.M.G." and as a mentor to rising phenom Justin Bieber — Ush's Grammy plans seem rather fitting.

Especially since he'll be performing with Bieber (and Bieber's pal Jaden Smith), a move that's just as much about celebrating Usher's successes as it is the successes of his young protégé.

"Having been through [the Grammys] so many times, you couldn't want for anything more than for your young protégé to have the opportunity to have one, so, in support of him having his moment, I wanted to be here," Usher told MTV News on Thursday, hours before his performance at the (Belvedere) RED launch party in Hollywood. "And also to be there to perform, to kind of tell the story of how we came together. This music business has definitely been good to both of us, and this year we have a lot to be happy for."

And just how will the dynamic duo tell that story? Well, Usher wasn't about to reveal all the details, but he did say that he's hoping their performance will show another side of Bieber ... a side most tend to overlook.

"The performance will be fun," Usher explained. "We want to get up there and just do what we do. Be comfortable, and have a great time. ... This is kind of a crossover for Justin. Having performed on so many different stages, this is the way that I wanted him to be seen and an opportunity to show the industry — a lot of the industry, that didn't believe [in him] — some of his other talents. He's going to play acoustically, and also, we'll get down a little bit."

And though Ush is up for a pair of Grammy awards on Sunday — Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary R&B Album for Raymond v. Raymond — he's most looking forward to sharing the stage with Bieber and giving fans a look at where the young artist will be heading next.

"I'm very proud, man. I definitely saw it from the beginning, but thanks to the team that we have around us, it was made to happen. And that story has only just begun," Usher said. "The story of Justin Bieber doesn't stop with screaming girls; we need screaming fans all around the world ... a cultural experience that's much more than just fanfare. And that's what this is. That's what the Grammys will be; that's what my next phase for Justin is. This is the way I found him: I found him with a guitar in his hand, so I want him to be seen that way."

Don't miss "Snooki & Sway: Live From the Grammys," a red-carpet live stream kicking off Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And stick with us all Grammy night for coverage of the red carpet, the show, the afterparties and beyond!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1657728/usher-justin-bieber-grammy-performance.jhtml

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Ke$ha Touched By Fan's Tattoo

Singer tells MTV News about gay fan inspired by her song 'Animal.'
By Gil Kaufman


Ke$ha
Photo: MTV News

Ke$ha knows all about the perks of being a headliner. On her Get $leazy Tour, the singer gets to call all the shots, blast her fans in the face with tons of glitter and handpick which dudes she wants to party and share the stage with.

But it's not all backstage shenanigans and groupie love. When MTV News sat down with the "Blow" singer in New York earlier this week before her gig at Roseland Ballroom, Ke$ha said that amid the nightly onstage parties there have also been some poignant moments on her first headlining outing.

"Best moment? There are so many. Every night's amazing. I have kids outside right now chanting my name and it's awesome," she said of the first leg of the tour. "There was one night a fan came onstage, I invited him onstage, and he had a tattoo of the dollar sign. I was like, 'Oh, that's awesome! Badass. You're part of the cult, man.' "

And then, she said, he began to cry and explained that he was able to come out of the closet to his friends and family thanks to her song "Animal."

"And I'm standing onstage about to sing a song about growing back a pair of testicles ["Grow a Pear"] and I had tears rolling down my face and chills all over my body," she said. "Because that's really the reason I do music, to inspire people to be themselves."

Ke$ha has been a vocal supporter of the "It Gets Better" video project, which aims to help gay, bisexual and transgender youth find hope in the face of teasing and bullying.

The "Get $leazy" juggernaut continues on Saturday night with a show at Clarion University in Clarion, Pennsylvania.

Are you planning to see Ke$ha on her Get $leazy Tour? Tell us in the comments.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662061/kesha-get-sleazy-tour.jhtml

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