Documentary airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on MTV.
By Eric Ditzian

Justin Timberlake

Photo: Michael Buckner/ Getty Images

Earlier this year, Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch, Lupe Fiasco, Santigold and others banded together to climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about the global clean-water crisis. Now Justin Timberlake has pitched in to support the effort.

The singer is set to provide a personal introduction to “Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro,”
the 90-minute documentary about the celebrities’ climb that will air on MTV on March 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Masterminded by Grammy-nominated musician Kenna, the team took a six-day, 50-mile trek
to the peak of the tallest mountain in Africa.

“It was a combination of the mental and the psychological aspects of the mountain, of the slow-but-steady pace that you had to go up it, and that sometimes made your brain just want to explode, because you just wanted to get there so badly,” Biel told MTV News Wednesday. “But then you’d get this rush of inspiration of ‘I’m not doing this for me. I’m doing this for something bigger than me, for people who don’t have a voice, for people that need water around the world,’ and then you’d power through.”

In addition to raising awareness about the clean-water crisis, the “Summit on the Summit” raises funds for P&G’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Water for People’s PlayPumps Technology. During the MTV broadcast, viewers will be able to text SEND to 90999 to donate $10 to the U.N. Foundation on behalf of “Summit on the Summit.” Each donation will send 1,000 liters of clean water to people in need.

“MTV has a long history of educating its audience to raise awareness on issues that are important to them,” said Dave Sirulnick, Executive Vice President, News and Docs. “More than 1 billion people worldwide do not have access to safe, clean drinking water. By airing this documentary, MTV hopes to mobilize a new generation of young people who may not be aware of this global cause and take action to get involved in helping find solutions to the water crisis.”

Don’t miss “Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro,” airing Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on MTV. And find out what you can do to help solve the global water crisis now at the “Summit on the Summit” Web site.

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‘At this point it is what it is, and we just gotta make the best of it,’ Antonia ‘Toya’ Johnson told Vibe magazine.
By Hillary Crosley

Lil Wayne arrives in court on March 8, 2010 in New York City

Photo: Louis Lanzano/ AP Images

After several postponements due to dental surgery, a courthouse fire and court-date rescheduling, Lil Wayne finally turned himself in on Monday to begin his one-year jail sentence at Rikers Island. However, he wasn’t the only one feeling the strain. The rapper’s ex-wife Antonia “Toya” Johnson and daughter Reginae shuttled back and forth to the New York City courthouse from Atlanta in anticipation of his incarceration.

“It was up and down, you know. One minute we thought he was going and she’d be sad, and then he don’t go,” Johnson told Vibe magazine recently. “We [were] in New York like two times and we ended up turning right back around because he didn’t go.”

Despite all of the back-and-forth, Reginae missed seeing her father on Monday when he began his sentence stemming from a July 2007 gun-possession charge.

“The last day he finally went in, we didn’t go, so my daughter was like, ‘I wish I would’ve went.’ It was just too much. I just didn’t want to let her see that again ’cause both times she took it real hard,” said Johnson. “So I was like, I’m not gon’ let her go this last time. I’m just gon’ make sure he talk to her ’cause I didn’t know if he was really gonna go. They kept pushing back.”

Wayne might be the biggest rapper on the planet, but he’s just “Dad” to Reginae, so Johnson said the time apart will be hard on the 11 year-old.

“He just told me to be strong and don’t really trip. Don’t let her see me down,” said Johnson. “At first my daughter would see me a little sad and you know kids they react off of your feelings sometimes, so he was just like, ‘Be strong, make sure you take care of her. Make sure she straight and keep her phone on all the time so I can call her. The time is gonna fly by.’

“The whole point of him being in jail is just not good for her — to say her dad’s in jail,” Johnson continued. “But at this point it is what it is, and we just gotta make the best of it. I’ma take her to visit him and talk to him and she’ll get through this eight months. It’ll fly by. I tell her all the time, ‘Just call daddy and tell him you love him,’ and he’ll be home soon.”

Lil Wayne and Johnson married in 2004 and divorced in 2006. In 2009, Johnson and her friend, T.I.’s fiancée Tiny, debuted their BET reality series “Tiny & Toya.” The second season premieres on April 13.

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Kelly Cutrone, Robert Verdi and more give us their opinions on the fashions worn by Gaga in her latest video.
By Jocelyn Vena

Lady Gaga in her video for “Telephone”

Photo: twitter.com/ladygaga

After an attempt to decode just what might happen in Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” video, it’s time to take a look at some of the fashion-forward ensembles Gaga has been sporting in the leaked photos leading up to the video’s Thursday (March 11) premiere. She’s worn everything (and nothing) from crime-scene tape to leather and studs and MTV News gathered a few fashion experts to weigh in on some of Gaga’s “Telephone” looks.

The Telephone Eye Patch Made of Hair

Kelly Cutrone, “The Hills” and “Kell on Earth”: “I just love this whole thing. It’s totally insane.”

Robert Verdi, celebrity stylist: “It’s interesting that Gaga is inspired by the telephone because it’s almost an object of yesteryear. There’s something really almost nostalgic already about a telephone, particularly in the way she’s using it in some of them. She’s deconstructing it and it’s somehow metaphoric for communication and it’s attached to her head, which is kind of the direction we’re going in.”

The American Flag Ensemble

Cutrone: “[This look is] a little like if a baton twirler had sex with David Lee Roth and Axl Rose.”

Verdi: “She’s wearing the American flag and her hair’s down kind of like a hippie. I think she’s inspired by Jimi Hendrix in that frame.”

Richie Rich, Heatherette designer: “It’s a little Guns N’ Roses and it’s cool.”

How the “Telephone” Look Fits Into Gaga’s Aesthetic

Cutrone: “I think she’s growing up nicely and starting to bust out on her own. I think she’s making much stronger pop-art statements.”

Richie: “As an artist she’s branching out a little bit more. I think now she’s actually showing herself off more.”

What Lady Gaga look do you love the most? Tell us in the comments!

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(S01E07) ‘Human Target’ returned to the tube with a fun episode packed with big explosions, clever gags, an exotic locale, and some femme fatale hotness. The hotness came courtesy of guest star Leonor Varela, the latest in a string of babes we’ve seen pair up with Chance during the show’s freshman season (according to star Mark Valley, she definitely won’t be the last).

Varela did a fine job playing Maria, one of Chance’s old flames - an old flame who could’ve turned out to be “the one” for Chance, if only he would’ve stuck around to find out. But, as our boy explained midway through this ep, he left her because everyone he’s ever gotten close to “has been taken away.”

Was Chance making a reference to Katherine Walters here, the woman we found out about a few episodes ago? The woman he was in love with? The woman whose death he might be responsible for?

Continue reading ‘Human Target’ - ‘Salvage & Reclamation’ Recap

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free, Episode Recaps

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(S01E16) Sometimes it’s important to realize that there are things going on in your kids lives that you know nothing about. It’s important, but horrible at the same time. It certainly makes me afraid for when my son becomes a teenager. If they can keep a relationship with a Hollywood superstar a secret, imagine what else you don’t know?

Okay, Alexa Vega, of ‘Spy Kids’ fame, wasn’t playing herself but she was playing Axl’s secret girlfriend. A girlfriend that on the surface seemed way too good to be true. I certainly didn’t trust her.

The remainder of the episode spotlighted an all too common phenomenon. What happens when kids watch scary movies at too young of an age. When I was Brick’s age, I made the mistake of walking into the living room to ask my mom a question during the wrong part of ‘The Exorcist.’ Later, an encounter with ‘Psycho’ had me showering with my eyes open for more than a decade.

Continue reading ‘The Middle’ - ‘The Break Up’ Recap

Filed under: OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free

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Deals. Scott Caan stars in Mercy, which has been picked up by IFC Films, according to indieWIRE. Caan, who also wrote and produced, plays a romance novelist “who doesn’t believe in love.” Until, I’m sure, he meets the right woman, possibly the beautiful and mysterious title character (Wendy Glenn). Caan’s real-life father, the legendary James Caan, plays his fictional father. Mercy will close this year’s Gen Art Film Festival, which Erik Davis recently explained is the coolest thing ever. The film will be available on demand on April 28 before opening theatrically in New York and Los Angeles.

Also due in theaters this spring: Jean-Luc Godard’s original, daring, influential Breathless. For the first time in its 50 years of existence, the film has been restored, making the new wave look new again. After debuting at the inaugural TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood next month, it will open at New York’s Film Forum on May 28 before rolling out nationally, courtesy of Rialto Pictures. I first saw Breathless at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles many moons ago, and it left me stunned, so I’m very happy that a new generation will be able to experience Breathless the way it was meant to be seen.

Online / On Demand Viewing. If you’re not ‘mock-doc’ averse, you’ll want to take a look at What the Funny?, a new web series by Lynn Shelton that’s debuting exclusively on Babelgum this week. Shelton made the bromance male relationship flick Humpday, so she knows a little bit about dry and humorous. The first episode is up, and if you like it, you can look forward to ten more episodes in the days ahead.

After the jump: a secret, a prophet, and dolphins.

Filed under: Classics, Drama, Foreign Language, Independent, Deals, Box Office, Distribution, Cinematical Indie

Continue reading Indie Roundup: ‘Mercy,’ ‘Breathless’ (Yeah, That One)

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Last night’s episode of Lost reminded me of something important: William Atherton is the man. It’s been a number of years since he’s really been able to shine in memorable a-hole-ness the way he did last night as the show’s “pervy” principal. Many years ago I spotlighted the scene-stealing actor, best known for dirtbag characters in Ghostbusters, Real Genius and the first two Die Hard movies, and Scott paid him similar respect again last fall. But unfortunately there aren’t enough people in Hollywood honoring him the way the Lost producers have.

So, here’s the deal for today’s pitch, Hollywood: cast Atherton in as much high-profile gigs as he’s able and willing to do. First, add him to Ghostbusters 3. He reprised his EPA jerk for the video game. I’m sure he’d come back for the threequel. Next, if God forbid you do make Die Hard 5, and you can’t do it the way I suggested, make Atherton’s sleazy TV reporter character the lead villain this time around. He’s been absent for the last two installments, but surely he’s ready for some kind of revenge on John and Holly McClane — yes, please get Bonnie Bedelia back, too, if only because she’s the best foil for Atherton’s Dick Thornburg.

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‘Lost Boys’ star pronounced dead after being found unresponsive in his Los Angeles-area home.
By Jocelyn Vena

Corey Haim

Photo: Jason Kempin/ FilmMagic

Actor Corey Haim, 38, was found dead early Wednesday (March 10), the Los Angeles County Coroner and the LAPD confirmed to MTV News. While neither would comment or speculate on the cause of death, a police source reportedly told KTLA that the actor, who rose to fame in the 1980s alongside longtime pal Corey Feldman, died of an apparent accidental drug overdose. The coroner’s office told MTV News that an autopsy is planned.

Haim was pronounced dead at Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank, police told MTV News.

Haim was born in Ontario in 1971 and as a teenager found fame in Hollywood. His first role was in 1984’s “Firstborn” with Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr. He was one of the best-known young actors of the decade, alongside other notable actors like C. Thomas Howell, Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson and Emilio Estevez. He starred in films like “Silver Bullet,” Lucas” and most famously 1987’s “The Lost Boys,” with Feldman as well as Kiefer Sutherland.

In the 1990s Haim played more obscure roles yet continued to work steadily in films like “National Lampoon’s Last Resort” and “Prayer of the Rollerboys.” Haim struggled with substance abuse through much of his career.

In the past decade, however, Haim made moves for a career comeback. He starred alongside Feldman on their A&E reality show, “The Two Coreys,” for two seasons. He also made a cameo in the “Lost Boys” sequel, “Lost Boys: The Tribe,” where he reprised his role as Sam Emerson, and had several films in production at the time of his death.

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Katie Stevens and Paige Miles appear to be headed home.
By Eric Ditzian, with additional reporting by Gil Kaufman

Crystal Bowersox on “American Idol” on Tuesday

Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images

The first grade in this week’s “American Idol” women’s report card goes to the producers for lopping 60 minutes off the show’s running time. A+ programming move, folks. The two-hour, filler-heavy live episodes we’ve seen in recent weeks will not be missed, even if the leaner, meaner show still managed to kick off with a painfully corny, too long bit involving the openly gay Ellen DeGeneres cuddling in the lap of the painfully heterosexual, recently engaged Simon Cowell as some sort of bid to convince us that the two talent adjudicators are BFFs.

Now about those contestants. A few will not be missed either next week, based on their subpar performances on Tuesday night. Others, meanwhile, continued to impress and had us thinking this season is not nearly as dull as we once feared. Who surprised us, who disappointed us and who’s in danger of going home? Let’s take a look at the top 12 women’s report card. (And don’t miss Jim Cantiello’s recap of their performances in the MTV Newsroom.)

Excellent
Didi Benami: Picking up the guitar for the first time since the Hollywood rounds, Benami wins the comeback-kid award for her acoustic folk take on Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon.” Her confident strumming and doleful camera stares made the judges fall in love with her again, with Cowell declaring that she’d had her first “wow” moment of the season.

Crystal Bowersox: After last week’s health scare, this season’s one to beat did it again, effortlessly killing it with a bluesy shuffle through Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason.” Though not as revelatory as last week’s Creedence Clearwater Revival cover, Bowersox’s confidence and chops inspired Cowell to absolutely guarantee she’d be in the top 12 next week.

Good
Lilly Scott: Performing in the prime final spot, Scott strummed an electric mandolin for Patsy Cline’s classic “I Fall to Pieces.” Kara loved how she made a 50-year-old song sound contemporary, and Cowell praised her unique personality and oddball delivery but wasn’t sure it was enough to get her through to the next round. Scott won’t hoist the trophy in May, but we beg to differ with Cowell: She will live to sing again next week, at least.

Siobhan Magnus: This season’s resident quirky girl paid homage to her dad with the Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun.” In place of last week’s soul-wail-heard-round-the-world, she kicked the retro tune off with a strong a cappella section and turned in a solid, if unexceptional, performance that should get her into the top 12 as well. DeGeneres said she was captivated and called the rendition spectacular. The glassblower’s apprentice may have kept it in check this week, but make no mistake: She can wail.

Lacey Brown: She’d had very little success mixing it up with Fleetwood Mac and Sixpence None the Richer up until now, so Texas’ Brown decided to chuck it all and just do what comes naturally, crooning countryish ballads. From her rooster-like hair to the animal-print cardigan, it was all a bit Beauty School Dropout, but Brown did just enough with Brandi Carlile’s “The Story” to impress most of the panel, with Simon giving her props for knowing how to seduce the camera. She’ll keep on keepin’ on, but just giving good camera face won’t get her that far.

Satisfactory
Katelyn Epperly: She wanted to up the energy, but with a disco-lite stumble through Carole King’s “I Feel the Earth Move,” all Epperly did was likely make voters second-guess their opinions after two strong weeks. Kara went so far as to say she didn’t think Kate had her game face on and was just going through the motions, while just about all Randy Jackson and Simon could compliment was her gorgeous head of blonde curls. She’s probably safe for another week, but just barely.

Unsatisfactory
Katie Stevens: We’ve hammered her for many things in the past, but never before for being pitchy. A new week, a new critique. After repeated criticism for picking songs that made her sound older than a 17-year-old high-schooler, Stevens smartly went with Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway” … but it still didn’t measure up. Her Benjamin Button-like qualities just make her incapable of communicating any sense of youthful energy. Jackson said the song was too big for her voice, while Cowell called it gloomy, complaining that she too didn’t know what kind of artist she wants to be. You could see it in her eyes: She knows she’s going home. Voters will likely agree.

Paige Miles: One of the most epic fails in “Idol” history. Miles, who despite scant screen time before the semi-finals has been tagged by the judges as having one of the best voices in the competition, butchered one of Michael Jackson’s favorite songs, “Smile,” turning it from inspiring to just plain sad and heavy in Ellen’s eyes. Cowell said it was like a Holiday Inn lounge-worthy effort and effectively signed her ticket home. Miles broke down and said she couldn’t keep her emotions in check during the performance, perhaps a precursor to Thursday night’s tears.

What did you think of the women’s performances? Who killed it? Who blew it? Who is definitely making it to the top 12? Let us know by leaving your comments below.

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Paige Miles and Katie Stevens, however, might not have done enough to make the top 12.
By Gil Kaufman

Didi Benami

Photo: Fox

With last week’s medical drama behind them, the top eight ladies took the “American Idol” stage Tuesday night (March 9) in the final performance before this year’s top 12 is chosen. In what is becoming an Adam Lambert-like bit of déjà vu, leading contender Crystal Bowersox nailed it again, while Siobhan Magnus, Lacey Brown and Didi Benami had solid enough nights to likely make it to next week.

First up, singing Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway,” was 17-year-old Katie Stevens, the high-schooler who smartly chose a contemporary artist to combat complaints from the judges that she was coming off as too old. The performance started off shaky with some flat spots as Stevens struggled to find the right notes, seemingly singing in too low a key. When she reached the midsection, Stevens began working the stage a bit and singing in a higher register that was more suited to her voice.

Randy Jackson wasn’t loving it, saying the tune by the first “Idol” winner was too big for the teen’s voice and making the dreaded karaoke comparison. Ellen was excited that Katie took their notes and went young, praising her voice, though she felt Stevens didn’t sell the lyrics. “I think what’s going on this year is we have people who really know themselves and people who don’t,” said Kara DioGuardi, who told Stevens she had a great radio voice. “I don’t think you know who you are yet as an artist.” To her credit, Cowell said, Katie has gotten a lot of confusing advice and taken it to heart, but like Kara, he said Stevens just doesn’t know what kind of singer she wants to be yet. Though he gave her a 10-out-of-10 for trying, he called the rendition “gloomy.”

Going retro, Siobhan Magnus went with a song she heard her dad sing growing up, the Animals’ 1964 hit “House of the Rising Sun.” Starting out with an almost operatic a cappella run, Magnus put rich emotion into the rootsy lament, singing it like a folk/blues anthem and proving again that she’s a real contender for the title.

“You are why I love music, because it’s supposed to move you, it’s supposed to do what you just did to me,” Ellen said. “I was captivated. I loved what you did with the song. You made it current. You’re spectacular.” Randy applauded the risks Magnus takes every week, even praising her for not taking the judges’ advice, and Kara was way into the a cappella bit at the beginning. “You are so unique and different,” she said, marveling at how surprised she is every week by Magnus’ choices. Simon, however, wasn’t feeling it. From the pre-interview where she talked about her dad to her kimono-like outfit and the performance, “It was all a bit weird” for Simon, who felt she didn’t really do anything interesting with the song. “I was under-impressed. I thought you were so much better where you had that really cool moment. There was no moment in that. It was all a bit ploddy, a bit boring.”

Getting back into her singer/songwriter sweet spot, Lacey Brown took on Brandi Carlile’s “The Story,” a country-ish ballad that suited her breathy voice and high, clear falsetto.

Though he didn’t love the song, Cowell said she sang it very, very well and felt he could hear it on the radio right now. He also noted that she worked the cameras very well but still felt like he hadn’t heard Brown’s definitive performance yet and that she hasn’t found the song that’s going to make her stand out.

With a standout performance of Coldplay last week, Katelyn Epperly went back in time again for Carole King’s “I Feel the Earth Move,” standing a bit awkwardly at a keyboard and giving the song a generic disco-boogie feel that at points still managed to highlight her scratchy, soulful voice.

DeGeneres wasn’t sure it was the right song choice to help get Epperly into the top 12, while Kara went a step further and said it didn’t really feel like Katelyn came to compete but was just going through the motions. “It just wasn’t enough,” she said. The hair and the Wurlitzer groove worked for Randy, but he didn’t think Epperly had a connection or vibe with the song. Simon also liked her golden crown of curls, but said, “On the downside, it was kind of like request night on a Friday night at a restaurant if you were working there.” Epperly explained she chose the tune to avoid repeat criticism from Simon about being corny. “On what is arguably the most important night of your career, you chose quite a simple song, didn’t do anything special with it, and I think other people look as if they’re trying harder. So this may have been a mistake for you tonight.”

	‘American Idol’ Season 9 Performances

Picking up her guitar for the first time since Hollywood, Didi Benami went torchy with an Adele-like folky ramble through Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon,” wrapping her supple voice around the song’s yearning lyrics and coming across as earnest and focused.

For Randy, it was way better than last week, even though it didn’t have a “wow” moment, and Ellen loved how Benami came back from being trashed last week with confidence and grace. For Kara, it was simply one of her favorite moments of the season so far and, in a rarity, Cowell agreed, saying, it was “head and shoulders above anything else we’ve heard tonight. For the first time, certainly since these live shows, you proved that you’re an artist, and I think, Randy, I disagree, she did have a ‘wow’ moment and the wow moment was the whole performance.”

The news was not so great for Paige Miles, who went with one of Michael Jackson’s favorite songs, the weepy ballad “Smile,” popularized by silent-film icon Charlie Chaplin. Miles never quite found her groove, as her quavering voice struggled to keep up with the song’s tricky arrangement.

The pained look on Ellen’s face said it all, as Randy called the tune too big for her. “That song is supposed to be inspiring, it’s supposed to be uplifting, and it was just sad and heavy … and you have such a great personality, and we didn’t get to see it, and we keep saying over and over, this is the time to shine. This is the time to show us who you are, and I don’t think that was the right song for you to choose,” DeGeneres said. From the horrible choice of song to the awful 1974 Holiday Inn lounge arrangement, Cowell said it was probably the end of the road for a good singer who just doesn’t seem to know what kind of artist she wants to be. Miles, a huge fan of the Jackson version, said she simply couldn’t hold her emotions in check during the performance.

Cementing her status as the one to beat, Crystal Bowersox strapped on an electric guitar for Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason,” reaching deep for a glimpse of the bluesy grit she learned in her hometown of Chicago. Bowersox imbued the song with just the right amount of hip-swaying sass and country swagger, drawing the biggest ovation of the night.

“You are 1 million, billion percent going to be in the top 12 next week,” Cowell promised, noting that Bowersox has clearly gained confidence during her run on the show and again dubbing her the one to beat. Ellen’s run out of adjectives to describe Bowersox’s talent, calling it the performance of the night. “This is what we talk about when people know who they are,” Kara said, pointing out that the song choice was perfect because it’s exactly what she could heard Crystal doing on her debut album. “Every time you step up there, it’s easy for you, because … you just know what to do.”

Lilly Scott closed the show with Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces,” giving the country classic a Hawaiian spin while strumming an electric mandolin and wrapping her kewpie-doll voice around the song’s sensual lyrics.

It was all good for Randy, who said Scott was in the zone, while DioGuardi marveled at how she found a way to make a 50-year-old song sound contemporary. “I think you’re very brave for choosing that song on a night like this,” Cowell said, before knocking Scott for lacking the ‘wow’ factor necessary to close the night with a bang. “It was cute, it was quirky, it plays into what you’re all about, but that could have been a risky thing to do.”

The top eight men are up next Wednesday night, and the final four semifinalists will go home Thursday.

What did you think of the women’s performances? Who killed it? Who blew it? Who is definitely making it to the top 12? Let us know by leaving your comments below.

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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