Oscar 2012 Predictions: Best Actress

Viola Davis, Meryl Streep and Michelle Williams should continue their streak of awards-season love at Tuesday's announcement.
By Kara Warner


Michelle Williams in "My Week With Marilyn"
Photo: The Weinstein Company

After a fun-filled start to the 2012 awards season with the People's Choice Awards, Critics' Choice Movie Awards and Golden Globes, the nominations announcement for the 64th annual Academy Awards are upon us.

Before Tuesday morning's reveal, we're making a few predictions about which lucky leading ladies will get the good news. Here are our predictions for the nominees in the Best Actress category:

Viola Davis: Davis has been a shoo-in for awards-season love since early August, when audiences first experienced her critically acclaimed performance in "The Help." Davis has already won a Critics' Choice Movie Award and received a Globe nomination for her portrayal of sweet-natured maid Aibileen Clark; the Oscar nomination is next.

Meryl Streep: At this point in her illustrious career, it's basically a given that any year Streep makes an appearance in a film, she will be nominated. As the most-nominated actor in history, Streep has 16 Oscar nods under her belt, along with two wins, plus 26 Golden Globe nominations and eight wins — including this year's Globe for Best Actress in a Drama. And although the reviews of her film, "The Iron Lady," have been mixed, the praise for her performance is expectedly high.

Michelle Williams: Not many of those who first met Williams via her work on teen soap "Dawson's Creek" would have predicted that she would become one of the most talented, respected and critically acclaimed actresses of her generation, and yet, here we are. Following last year's nominations haul for her work in "Blue Valentine," the recent Globe winner should expect to hear her name called tomorrow.

Tilda Swinton: The nominating body within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is just as likely to recognize performances in films with mass audience appeal and success as it is to single out performers in films that push boundaries and step outside the box. Tilda Swinton is an actress who has done just that in several films, the most recent being the harrowing drama "We Need to Talk About Kevin," for which she will surely land an Oscar nomination.

Rooney Mara or Charlize Theron: Singling out a fifth nominee is a tough call given the number of strong performances by leading ladies this year. It's a toss-up between Oscar winner Charlize Theron's performance in the dark comedy "Young Adult" and Rooney Mara's bold, buzz-worthy transformation into Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."

Winner: Viola Davis. The woman is due; just check out her résumé for further proof.

Stick with MTV News as we cover the 2012 Oscar nominations — and snubs — on Tuesday, January 24!

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677771/oscar-predictions-best-actress-2012.jhtml

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Beyonce, Britney Spears And More: 25 Best Songs Of 2011

We count down the year's most memorable musical moments, in Bigger Than the Sound.
By James Montgomery


Britney Spears on the cover of "Till the World Ends"
Photo: Jive

<P>In 2011, we shuffled and shook it out. We found love and decided to dance until the world ends. We rolled in the deep and celebrated the boys with the booming systems. Shoot, at one point, we even went to Paris with Will Ferrell. It was, to say the very least, an <i>interesting</i> 12 months. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="id:1675898" width="240" height="211"></div><p> So, how else to sum up the year than with my picks for the 25 Best Songs of 2011: odes to partying and pumped-up kicks, songs of sadness and beauty, tunes about getting loaded and getting revenge. Pop, hip-hop, rock, bed-tronica, they're all here, and they're all important in some way, mostly because they all helped guide us through a rather tumultuous time. But that's enough from me, let's get to the songs. Oh, and I'd like to hear your picks too &#8212; drop me a line in the comments below. So now, on with the countdown. <b>25. Nicola Roberts, "Beat of My Drum"</b>: Supremely saccharine single from erstwhile Girls Aloud member mashes together every notable pop moment in recent history, yet somehow manages to be better that the sum of its parts. That's thanks mostly to the supercharged, sing-a-long chorus, where the whole thing comes together in a head-spinning rush. She should go solo more often. <b>24. Against Me!, "Russian Spies"</b>: Searing, surging punk from Gainesville lifers proves their time on Sire Records didn't soften them one bit. It only made them more resolute. And, strangely, sadder too. <b>23. Kreayshawn, "Gucci Gucci"</b>: Either the smartest song of 2011 or the dumbest, the beauty of "Gucci Gucci" &#8212; and Kreayshawn, for that matter &#8212; is that the answer is probably both. The goofy, horror-movie synth squiggle, the dollops of low-end whomp, the part where Kreay claims to have swag coming out her ovaries ... it's all good. Even if it's not. <b>22. Gospel Music, "This Town Doesn't Have Enough Bars for Both Of Us"</b>: Peppy, poppy, pocket-rock that laments the lack of quality drinking establishments in Owen Holmes' hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, and dares to ponder one of life's great post-breakup quandaries: When does <i>our</i> place become just <i>my</i> place? He's not smart enough to know the answer; instead, he spends his genius on barroom <i>bon mots</i> like, "I'm not drinking anymore/ But I'm not drinking any less." Works for me. <b>21. Demi Lovato, "Skyscraper"</b>: For about a week, this was the biggest song in the world (or the Internet), a fact that had nothing to do with irony, our nascent sense of superiority or kittens, and everything to do with the startling connection Lovato makes with the track itself. Oh, and the fact that she sings the absolute <i>beejezus</i> out of it. Given everything that's happened in Lovato's life, that connection makes sense, but it's the maturity she shows on the song &#8212; and that final, chill-inducing chorus &#8212; that opened eyes, and served notice. Welcome to the club, Demi. <b>20. Lykke Li, "Get Some"</b>: Overlooked, otherworldly single off Li's equally overlooked (and otherworldly) <i>Wounded Rhymes</i> album, this one is very much about sex. Thumping, bumping, panting ... and then Li pushes it all over the top with her smoldering, sumptuous vocals. The kind of song that requires a cigarette and a cold shower after repeat listens. <b>19. The Black Keys, "Lonely Boy"</b>: After spending portions of their breakout <i>Brothers</i> album getting slightly contemplative, the Keys roar back with "Lonely Boy," a song that only contemplates how best to make a guitar rev like a V-8 engine. A hard-charging, and even harder-chugging treat (with an equally hard-partying music video), it's the kind of classic claptrap you always knew they were capable of making. <b>18. Chris Brown, "Beautiful People"</b>: Folks can talk about Brown's hip-hop turn on "Look at Me Now," but this single represents his biggest reinvention to date. A slippery, shiny club track helmed by Benny Benassi, like most of Breezy's work it is undeniably sexy, but it's also subtly smart too. And that's where he made his biggest strides. Also, unlike "Look at Me Now," he doesn't even mention Mr. Miyagi once. <b>17. YACHT, "Dystopia (The Earth Is on Fire)"</b>: Every day the sky gets lower (lowerlowerlower!) And every day the flames get higher (higherhigherhigher!) So, with apologies to Georgina Grenville

Justin Bieber Should 'Stay Strong,' Usher Says

'All of this comes with the territory,' Ush tells MTV News of paternity-suit drama.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber and Usher
Photo: Ben Rose/ WireImage

<P>Usher might not have known how big Justin Bieber would become when he discovered him a few years back, but he was pretty sure he had found something special. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:712878" width="240" height="211"></div><p> Since Bieber burst on the scene with his <i>My World</i> EP back in 2009, the 17-year-old has grown up with the world watching. He's gone from up-and-comer to full-fledged pop sensation, racking up chart-topping albums and a box-office hit and becoming an all-around mega-heartthrob &#8212; all in two years. Of course, with the good does come negative attention as well. Recently, Bieber was hit with a paternity lawsuit, which has since been dropped. Usher, no stranger to his own controversies, had these words for the Biebs: "Stay strong. And know that all of this comes with the territory." Aside from the drama, Usher is especially proud of Bieber's charitable side. His mentor said he "absolutely" knew the kid from Stratford, Ontario, had a big heart from the start. "To write a check is only half of it, but when you truly take on a responsibility to be a philanthropist, you accept an effort, and I really think that Pencils of Promise is something that has a very bright future," Usher told MTV News at an event for the charity, noting that Bieber is a only a small part of it. Usher &#8212; who appears on Bieber's new Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe &#8212; gives credit to the folks surrounding the teen superstar, including manager Scooter Braun. "Just judging from the determination and the will power of the entire team around Justin, I see a very, very promising [future] for him as a philanthropist," Usher said.</p>

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1674705/justin-bieber-usher-advice.jhtml "> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1674705/justin-bieber-usher-advice.jhtml

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Rachel Bilson: Healthy lifestyle

Rachel Bilson

Rachel Bilson graces the cover of the December 2011 issue of Women's Health South Africa. Highlights from Miss Bilson's interview are as follows. For more, be sure to visit Women's Health South Africa! On maintaining a healthy lifestyle: ?Yoga is a great way to relax and get your body toned. You should enjoy food and enjoy life. Healthiness stems from being happy.? On turning 30 back in August: ?Everyone tells you that things are going to change, so I?m waiting for something to happen. Like I?m going to grow another boob! But it is a milestone. You?re coming into your own.? On her physical fitness regimen (or lack thereof) : ?I?m not the kind to go to the gym.? [gallery=795]

Source: http://www.celebritygossiphollywood.com/celebrities/rachel-bilson/rachel-bilson-healthy-lifestyle/

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No hay más Led Zeppelin


By



Photo:

<P>A pesar de lo dicho ayer, Peter Mensch, manager del guitarrista Jimmy Page, se retractó totalmente en eso que la banda buscaría un reemplazo al ultragenial Robert Plant para seguir rockeando y toureándola por el mundo tras su show de 2007 en el O2 Arena de Londres por el poder de la música más sexual de la historia. No habrá más Led Zeppelin, no hay planes de que lo haya. Mensch comentó: "Led Zeppelin se acabó. Si no los vieron en el 2007, se los perdieron. Probaron reemplazantes a Robert Plant, pero nada funcionó. Se acabó. No hay planes para continuar. Francamente, ojalá todos dejaran de hablar al respecto." Los fans no están nada contentos, especialmente los británicos, considerando los precios delirantes de las entradas del show reunión. ¿Y a ti? ¿Qué te parece todo esto?</p>

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1602369/no-hay-mas-led-zeppelin.jhtml "> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1602369/no-hay-mas-led-zeppelin.jhtml

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Concert Picks: Toys and Tiny Instruments, Har Mar Superstar, Fujiya & Miyagi?

Don’t worry, we’ll say it for you – the winter blues have officially hit. Whether it’s the colder, more inclement weather, the lull between semesters, the plateau after the holidays, or all of the above – there’s an itch that needs scratching and we suggest a show to lend a helping hand. It’s natural to [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/beatcrave/~3/hzFpv_VE4Ew/

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