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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Photos | 2010 American Music Awards Presenter, Nominee And Performer Highlights

Charlie Sheen Unsuccessful In Taking Custody Of Twins From Brooke Mueller

Charlie Sheen tried to persuade a judge today to grant him full custody of the twin sons he shares with ex-wife Brooke Mueller. Brooke reportedly fell off the wagon this week and Charlie hoped a judge would side with him … Continue reading

Source: http://www.imnotobsessed.com/2011/04/19/charlie-sheen-unsuccessful-in-taking-custody-of-twins-from-brooke-mueller/

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Adele Says Beyonce Helped Her Overcome Anxiety

British songstress talks stage fright and body image in Rolling Stone cover story.
By Gil Kaufman


Adele
Photo: Larry Busacca/ Getty Images

While she was besting Britney Spears on the American album charts and helping to lead a new British invasion, U.K. soul pop diva Adele also landed the cover of the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

And though the cover marks yet another milestone of her rising fame, Adele isn't immune to some of the same fears as the rest of us, say, stage fright. Despite her calm assurance in the studio and apparent ease at coping with her sudden success, the Grammy winner told the magazine that she still has nervous nights.

"I'm scared of audiences," she said. "One show in Amsterdam I was so nervous, I escaped out the fire exit. I've thrown up a couple of times. Once in Brussels, I projectile vomited on someone. I just gotta bear it. But I don't like touring. I have anxiety attacks a lot."

And it's not just audiences that freak her out, it's other celebrities. But the singer revealed that she has drawn some strength from an unlikely source: Beyoncé. "I was about to meet Beyoncé and I had a full-blown anxiety attack," Adele said. "Then she popped in looking gorgeous, and said, 'You're amazing! When I listen to you I feel like I'm listening to God.' "

When she later found herself on a balcony, crying hysterically, Adele asked herself, " 'What would [Beyoncé's alter ego] Sasha Fierce do?' That's when Sasha Carter was born." The composite of Sasha Fierce and late country icon June Carter is pulled out whenever Adele needs to give herself a shot of confidence.

The 22-year-old also said that in a world of size 0-2 pop divas, she has no problem being a bit more voluptuous than her peers. "My life is full of drama, and I won't have time to worry about something as petty as what I look like," she said. "I don't like going to the gym. I like eating fine foods and drinking nice wine."

That said, Adele noted that while she's not likely to do any nude photo shoots anytime soon, she can totally appreciate the sight of her fellow female pop stars' naughty bits.

"Even if I had a really good figure, I don't think I'd get my t--- and a-- out for no one," she said. "I love seeing Lady Gaga's boobs and bum. I love seeing Katy Perry's boobs and bum. Love it. But that's not what my music is about. I don't make music for eyes. I make music for ears."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661950/adele-beyonce-rolling-stone.jhtml

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Bristol Palin, Kyle Massey to Star in Reality Show

Bristol Palin, Kyle Massey to Star in Reality Show

What's a new TV season without a Palin-centric reality show? Bio Channel (A&E's sister network, formerly the Biography Channel) has announced that they're producing a new reality series starring Bristol Palin.

The premise of the show is that single mom Palin, 20, and her 2-year-old son Tripp move to L.A. To go into show business, perhaps? Nope -- to work at a small charity. (Because they don't have those in Arizona?)

It gets more random from there: Bristol -- who may or may not have had some recent plastic surgery -- and Tripp move in with two Disney Channel stars, Kyle Massey (That's So Raven!) and Chris Massey (Zooey 101). Never mind that Bristol can definitely afford her own place, or that the Massey brothers (who are 19 and 21, respectively) seem like unlikely candidates to take in a toddler. The network claims that Bristol and Kyle became best friends when they were working together on season 11 of Dancing With the Stars -- which is, we suppose, reason enough to live together.

"Bristol is the kind of personality Bio is drawn to," Bio's VP of programming told E! News. "Her personal life has been playing out in the media for several years, but this will be the first time she's opening up her real life, with her son and her friends the Massey brothers."

Last we heard, Bristol's real life involved doing media appearances and making a quarter of a million dollars a year as an abstinence speaker... but, hey, this is reality TV. The definition of "real" gets a little fuzzy.

The currently-untitled show will consist of 10 half-hour episodes and will premiere later this year -- possibly around the time that Sarah Palin starts campaigning for the presidential primary and Levi Johnston publishes his tell-all book.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/bristol-palin-kyle-massey-star-reality-show/1-a-348181

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Denise Richards Chats About Her Tense Relationship With Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards got involved in a lot of nasty back-and-forth war of words when they split, but seemed to be getting along fairly well in recent months – he even vacationed with her and their daughters in … Continue reading

Source: http://www.imnotobsessed.com/2011/04/22/denise-richards-chats-about-her-tense-relationship-with-charlie-sheen/

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Paula Abdul Is Back For X Factor

Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul are back together again, hoping to recapture their TV chemistry for a new Fox talent show. The network announced Sunday that the two former “American Idol” judges have reunited to assess would-be singing stars on Cowell’s “The X Factor,” debuting this fall. The Associated Press reported Saturday that Abdul had [...]

Source: http://www.celebritymound.com/paula-abdul-is-back-for-x-factor/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=paula-abdul-is-back-for-x-factor

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'The Beaver': The Reviews Are In!

Critics find it difficult to separate Mel Gibson's personal life from troubled character.
By Kara Warner


Mel Gibson in "The Beaver"
Photo: Summit Entertainment

After release date changes and several other unrelated misfortunes, "The Beaver" is finally bowing in New York City and Los Angeles, with other cities to follow May 20. Starring Mel Gibson, Anton Yelchin, Jodie Foster (who also directed) and Jennifer Lawrence (in a supporting role), the film revolves around Walter Black, a once stellar CEO suffering from severe depression, until he discovers a Beaver puppet he uses as a therapeutic tool to help him reclaim his former self.

So what do the critics think? Of the 70-plus reviews up on Rotten Tomatoes, 51 deemed it "fresh," giving it a 70 percent fresh rating. The most interesting aspect is how each reviewer chooses to address the subject of the "Gibson drama."

The Story
" 'The Beaver' is almost successful, despite the premise of its screenplay, which I was simply unable to accept. I concede it is possible that a man in depression might be able to heal himself by projecting his personality into a hand puppet. I am not sure it is possible, or even advisable, to make a serious movie about that. We go through the movie with Mel Gibson wearing a toothy beaver on his left hand, and that creates a whole lot of disbelief for us to suspend. — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times

The Performances
"So what's to recommend in 'The Beaver'? First but not least, Jennifer Lawrence playing Norah. I wish this hadn't been her first released film since 'Winter's Bone'; the role doesn't deserve her. Still, she fills every moment of it — even a manipulative graduation speech — with warmth and graceful intelligence. Then there's the man to the right of the puppet, by turns tortured, morose, animated or charming. When I first met Mel Gibson in Sydney almost 35 years ago, he was a handsome young actor with an open face, a winning smile, an abundant gift and a bright future, although no one could have imagined the extent of his success, or the depth of his fall. The gift remains." — Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal

Tiptoeing Around the Gibson Drama
"As someone observes in the movie, 'People love a train wreck when it's not happening to them.' How strange that this movie should seem to be commenting on Gibson himself, when it was filmed before his recent public scandals. Further, how strange that the movie should seem like an apology, recorded in advance — or that we should feel like accepting the apology, when we weren't the ones who were wronged." — Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

"I know I shouldn't allow my feelings about a performer in 'real life' to affect my view of him or her on film, but that's like a judge telling a jury to ignore damning evidence they've already heard. Gibson has always excelled at playing men on the edge — apparently for good reason — and this part takes that to an extreme, a place he's perfectly willing to go." — Leonard Maltin, for IndieWire

The Director
"Foster clearly knows she's telling a very messy, unmanageable story. The puppet seems to know it too: Sometimes its face looks cute and cheerful; other times, you catch a demented gleam in its eyes. Foster has crept out on a limb here, showing us a grown-up human being who's in terrible pain, and for whom there are no easy answers. And if 'The Beaver' isn't as effective as it ought to be, at least there's integrity in Foster's approach. She doesn't work the movie like a puppet; she lets it speak for itself." — Stephanie Zacharek, MovieLine

The Final Word, Pro-Con-Pro Style
"It's hard to imagine anyone other than Gibson, with his wounded gaze and eloquent variations of posture, bringing such resonance to this character. At one point Walter says, 'People seem to love a train wreck, as long as it's not them' — and the real-life overtone is unmistakable. The redemption the movie most strongly suggests is Mel Gibson's own." — Kurt Loder, Reason.com

"Maybe Ms. Foster thought she was doing Mr. Gibson a favor by showing that he could play a troubled man who simply needs help. The problem is that, as an actor, Mr. Gibson doesn't do normal anymore and is at his best playing men on the verge, as in 'Edge of Darkness,' a thriller about a cop hunting his daughter's murderer. It was a suitably blunt character for an actor who has become a blunt instrument and has a lock on loony tuners and angry patriarchs. That should make Walter a fine fit for Mr. Gibson, except that there's no there there to the character, just a puppet with a bad attitude and good timing. A raggedy rage-aholic, it steals the show, handily. Take away his puppet, and the man disappears." — Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

"Foster merits praise for putting her energy into a movie about mental illness that goes beyond the slickness of 'As Good as It Gets,' in which a happy ending can be spun from a patient's mere promise to take his medication. There is one element of 'The Beaver' that does reflect a Hollywood sensibility: Walter's breakdown never threatens the family financially. The narrative would have more tension if they didn't appear so comfortably padded in a Nancy Meyers-like milieu. (Meyers directed Gibson in 2000's 'What Women Want,' a feel-good movie that now seems very far in his past.) But despite that and the ludicrousness of the puppet prop, 'The Beaver' is serious about portraying mental illness. And whatever your opinion about Gibson the man, so is Gibson the actor." — Mary Pols, Time

Check out everything we've got on "The Beaver."

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

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1663458/mel-gibson-the-beaver-reviews.jhtml

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Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively: MTV Movie Awards Presenters!

With less than one month to go before the big event, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have been secured as presenters at the 20th annual MTV Movie Awards.

The two actors are the latest to join a trove of celebrities set to handout the Golden Popcorn trophies, such as Rosie Huntington Whiteley, Selena Gomez Cameron Diaz, who were already confirmed for the gig.

Sitting at the top of the 2011 nominee pack is "Eclipse," followed by "Inception," and ""Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1," receiving eight, seven, and six nods, respectively.

This year's show, which is hosted by comedian Jason Sudeikis, is set to are live from Gibson Amphitheater in Universal City, CA, June 5, at 9 p.m. ET.

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/ryan-reynolds/ryan-reynolds-blake-lively-mtv-movie-awards-presenters-504216

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