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Today is Fat Tuesday, the last day of Mardi Gras -- French words which translate literally to "fat Tuesday" -- festivities, before Ash Wednesday arrives to usher in the period of the year known to Christians as Lent. The time between Ash Wednesday and Easter is a time to repent, but the entire lead-up to tomorrow's holiday is known in New Orleans as Mardi Gras.

Have you ever been to Mardi Gras? It's actually a little overrated; the streets are crammed with drunken lunatics and the much-publicized nudity is not all that people might hope it would be. Jazzfest is a much better time. However, there's one staple that can be counted on to amaze every year: the parades. Hollywood also has a long history of kickass parades and parade scenes. So while the revelry continues for one last surge in NOLA today, let's try to channel some of that bacchanalian spirit here on MTV Movies Blog with some fondly recalled fictional parades. Read more...

Tags Easy Rider, ferris bueller's day off, Jingle All the Way, the fugitive, The Pelican Brief

I don't know if you heard, but over the weekend "A Couple of Dicks" "Cop Out" director Kevin Smith had a little bit of a row with Southwest Airlines. Smith was kicked off of a flight before it left the ground because he was deemed "too fat to fly" (as he put it). A Twitter-fueled storm of outrage ensued; not because Smith is particularly touchy about his weight, but rather because of the absurdity of the situation.

Really, the filmmaker has never been shy about poking a little fun at himself and his stature. He's frequently been heard referring to himself as a "fat f--k" and other such seeming aspersions, always with a smile on his face and good humor in his voice. We've selected a few highlights from the MTV archives. Not to poke fun at Smith; we love him here. But for a guy who is so quick to mock himself, it makes you wonder just how ridiculous the situation Southwest created was that it drove him to such an impassioned response.

Tags kevin smith, Video

Some of you might agree with me, some of you might not, but in this reporter’s humble opinion “Terminator Salvation” was the saddest movie of 2009. Not because it packed powerful emotional depth, mind you. Quite the opposite. The sadness was in watching the continued tumble of what was once the epitome of science fiction cinema, and the fact that by the end of the movie you didn’t care who lived or died-- you just wanted it to end.

In my imagination, the great white knight is James Cameron, riding in someday on his noble steed and returning “Terminator” to the glory of the first two films. With all the movement of the last few weeks, some have speculated that the selling of the franchise could potentially bring The King of the World back into the fold. But when we caught up with his producing partner recently, he had a message for people like me: Don’t hold your breath. Read more...

Tags avatar, Jon Landau, terminator, terminator salvation

Not since Kevin Smith's epic Labor Day Q&A of 2009 has the "Clerks" and "Cop Out" director ridden Twitter as hard as he did over Presidents Day Weekend 2010. When Southwest Airlines removed him from a flight from Oakland to Burbank on Saturday because he was deemed "too fat to fly" (Smith's words), they kicked off an ongoing discussion and rant session that will go down as the stuff of legend in Twitter-Wood.

Since 5:52 PM PST on Saturday, Smith has been diligently sounding off and responding to inquiries on his Twitter account about his weight, how Southwest treated him and what he hopes will happen as a result of his experience. It's a Twitter-Wood story for the ages, and I've retweeted the highlights and edited-together mega-tweets after the jump in a timeline of Smith's weekend of rage. Read more...

Tags kevin smith, southwest air

FROM SPLASH PAGE: Following the smash success of “Avatar,” James Cameron is Hollywood’s new guru of greatness. It’s no surprise, then, that filmmakers looking to master the complexities of 3-D, science-fiction and state-of-the-art special effects are seeking him out for guidance as if he were a bearded man sitting atop a mountain.

Now, in a new development that should thrill fans of our friendly neighborhood webslinger, MTV News has learned the name of the latest filmmaker to meet with Cameron: "Spider-Man" director Marc Webb.

“Last [week] we met the director of [the next ‘Spider-Man’ film],” Cameron’s producing partner Jon Landau revealed to us when he stopped by the MTV studio, explaining that the “Avatar” filmmaker and Spider-Man’s new gatekeeper compared notes Wednesday evening. “[Webb] wants to do the next one in 3-D, which they’ve announced that they want to do. So, we want to try to support that as much as possible.”

Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: James Cameron And Marc Webb Meet, Discuss 3-D 'Spider-Man'

When a great director and a great actor team together repeatedly, the rapport and trust between them can yield masterpieces that last generations. Think Johns Ford and Wayne (“Rio Grande,” “The Searchers”) Alfred Hitchcock and Jimmy Stewart (“Vertigo,” “Rear Window”) or Tim Burton and Johnny Depp (“Edward Scissorhands,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”). Now, after several films together, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio can certainly be included in such a conversation – and if the duo have their druthers, they’ll be including a third legendary figure into their equation: The Chairman of the Board.

Last year, Universal Pictures and Mandalay Pictures announced that Scorsese was going to direct a biopic based on the life of Frank Sinatra, teaming with Warner Music Group and Sinatra’s estate to ensure that his song catalog could be included. Writer Phil Alden Robinson (“Field of Dreams”) is reportedly hard at work on a screenplay, and DiCaprio is one of the top choices to play Ol’ Blue Eyes.

“I don’t know [if I’ll play him],” DiCaprio Read more...

Tags Frank Sinatra, leonardo dicaprio, martin scorsese, shutter island

If you think the Academy Awards should be more entertaining and less introspective, the producers of this year's Oscars telecast have made another favorable change to the big show. Fearing that viewers at home tune out during lengthy acceptance speeches with numerous thank yous, with winners sounding off on professional and personal names that few of us know or care about, the nominees have been asked to prepare something more ratings friendly.

Basically the winners will be allowed 45 seconds with which to tell the world what the award means to them. As for shout-outs to agents and parents (and spouses if they're remembered), there will be a separate forum for such gratitude backstage via a "Thank You Cam." These videos will be available online afterward for anyone to see, rather than aired during the television broadcast of the ceremony. Read more...

You may recall the news from last summer's Comic-Con that Disney planned to re-release "Beauty and the Beast" enhanced in digital 3-D on February 12, 2010. Obviously, the Oscar-nominated classic did not make it to theaters last Friday. Instead it is reportedly due out sometime next year for the film's 20th anniversary.

But when exactly? And will there be more films retro-fitted, as was done recently with "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2?" Over the weekend, MTV had a chance to talk with Disney Animation and Pixar head John Lasseter about the upcoming project and the very good chance of someday re-releasing Disney's other films in 3-D. Read more...

Tags beauty and the beast, cars 2, toy story 3

FROM HOLLYWOOD CRUSH: We shared with you earlier this week that the title of the Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy "The Baster" is ripe to be changed very soon, but screenwriter Allan Loeb said audiences should still keep track of the movie from here. During his recent interview with MTV News, Allan shared that the chemistry between Jason and Jennifer is something fans of both should look forward to.

"The chemistry between them isn't as much they're going to rip each others' clothes off and you want to see them go to town on each other. It's much more 'Harry Met Sally'," Allan explained. "It's much more fun. It's a lot of good banter, if I do say so myself as I wrote it. But it's a lot of good banter and it's real short-hand between them."

Continue reading 'The Baster' Stars Jennifer Aniston And Jason Bateman Have 'When Harry Met Sally' Chemistry

Tags jason bateman, jennifer aniston, the baster

Last week the MTV readers spoke, naming "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" as their top choice for the weekend's new releases. The big winner ended up being (unsurprisingly) "Valentine's Day," its $67 million in box office sales easily eclipsing the $38.8 million "Percy" take. Still not a bad haul, all things considered.

This week, your options are far more limited. In addition to what's already out -- and really, how many times can you see "Avatar"? -- only one wide release will hit screens, as well as a handful of limited releases. If you'd like for your voice to be heard in our new weekly video feature #NowPlaying, tweet your thoughts @MTVMoviesBlog with the "nowplaying" hash tag. Hit the jump to vote on your pick for the week. Read more...

Tags shutter island