Aah, the Fourth of July. It’s the perfect weekend for barbecuing, enjoying your family… and watching Rambo rip a man’s Adam’s Apple out with his bare hands?

We have tons of Christmas movies, Halloween movies; hell, there’s even a “Groundhog’s Day” film. But what do we watch when we gather around the TV on Independence Day? To help solve the problem, here are the top 10 films we’d recommend as must-see holiday viewing. Read more…

Last week’s sad death of Michael Jackson has all of us in the MTV newsroom working overtime these days, for obvious reasons. We already ran a story on MJ’s direct influence in movies and TV including “The Wiz” and “The Simpsons.” What’s even more impressive is the movies he inspired without even appearing in them.

Below are ten classic film moments that would not exist if Michael Jackson never moonwalked across our planet and into out hearts. What’s your favorite? Read more…

It’s a vampire movie, the lead character is named Edward and it arrives in theaters this winter. Um no, not that one. But hey Twilighters… maybe we should keep an eye on this “Daybreakers” movie too, don’t ya think?

Starring Ethan Hawke (as Edward), Willem Dafoe, Sam Neil and “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” breakout Isabel Lucas, “Daybreakers” sounds like a less romantic, bloodier alternative to the “Twilight” craze. Lucas, an Australian native, sat down with MTV recently to spill the beans on the vampire flick’s hot new trailer, and how the flick is aiming to draw new blood out of the crowded genre. Read more…

FROM MTV.COM: If you’re like many “Twilight” fans, you cherish every word of Stephenie Meyer’s novels, gush each time Robert Pattinson runs his fingers through his hair and celebrate the birthdays of the Cullens as if you’re part of the family. But if you haven’t been to Forks, you’re missing out on a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

After all the time that I’ve spent covering the “Twilight” beat for MTV, I was extremely honored to be asked to attend Summer School in Forks: A “Twilight” Symposium, a real-life fan event that allowed Twilighters to attend classes, go to a prom and enjoy field trips around the real-life town that Meyer immortalized by making it home to her beloved characters.

Continue reading ‘Twilight’ World Comes To Life In Forks, Washington

For my money, the best director out there right now is Quentin Tarantino. And for exactly that reason, the number one most-anticipated film for me in 2009 has always been “Inglourious Basterds.” When I caught up with leading man/director/Tarantino bud Eli Roth, he clued me in on some secret “winks” for the fans of “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pulp Fiction” and the rest – and naturally, now I’m just even more stoked.

“We have the ‘40’s version of Red Apple cigarettes,” Roth revealed, making reference to the fictional cancer sticks smoked by characters in Tarantino’s films. “Quentin had all of his products transported back in time.” Read more…

Remember those end credits in “Grumpy Old Men” that had Burgess Meredith reciting a hilarious laundry list of sexual double-entendres? Well, now I have a new favorite perverse phrase – thanks to the biggest movie star in the world.

As we all remember, Johnny Depp was announced not too long ago as the star of a “Lone Ranger” movie – but instead of playing the man in the mask, he was set to play the Ranger’s Kemo Sabe. So naturally, when I spoke to Depp recently at the premiere of his new film “Public Enemies,” I had to get a status report. My question came out thusly: “So, are you workin’ on your Tonto?” Read more…

Director Zack Snyder, the eye-popping filmmaker behind “300” and “Watchmen,” has hired none other than Vanessa Hudgens to star in his next action flick, “Sucker Punch.” But without any real action-hero experience, was it just a matter of assuming the singing/dancing “High School Musical” star can do anything that’s physically demanding if she’s already twirled around a dance floor with Troy Bolton?

“No, I didn’t even look at it that way at first,” Snyder explained, echoing Hudgens’ own excitement for the film about a group of institutionalized young girls using fantasy to escape. “She rehearsed, she did the audition for the scene. I wasn’t sure at first – [the casting people] were like ‘Oh, Vanessa’s coming’ and I was ‘Oh, okay - that sounds cool’ but I didn’t know what to think.” Read more…

It’s the bold news that all of Hollywood is still buzzing about, as well as weighing its implications: 10 movies will be nominated for Best Picture at the next Oscars, double the usual amount. But when I caught up with Zack Snyder this week, he had yet to hear the news.

“10?” marveled the “Watchmen” and “300” director, who had been tied up all day doing interviews for those films’ upcoming Blu-Ray releases. “No way!”

Yes way. And, since we had the unique opportunity to break the news to one of Hollywood’s top filmmakers, we were also able to get his unfiltered thoughts as he processed the Academy’s bold decision – and what it meant for his profession. Read more…

FROM MTV.COM: Conventional wisdom says that if you want to watch a great artistic achievement, you look to accomplished filmmakers. If you just want to have a good time and eat some popcorn, you choose something loud, gory and unapologetically exploitative. But somewhere in the middle are the “Piranha” films — and when we recently visited the set of the franchise reboot, we found a unique mix of blood, babes and bona-fide actors.

“The movie is going to be insane, because as much blood as it has, it has the equal amount of boobies,” grinned Paul Scheer, the “Human Giant” funnyman who stars in “Piranha 3-D” alongside a huge cast that includes Elisabeth Shue, Richard Dreyfuss (in a nod to his “Jaws” role), Christopher Lloyd, Eli Roth and Ving Rhames. “It’s boobies and blood. And we supply the boobies!”

Continue reading ‘Piranha 3-D’ Employs Real Actors For Gory Popcorn Flick

FROM MTV.COM: When Robert Pattinson was grazed by a moving taxicab recently, the news rocked legions of “Twilight” fans who feared for their favorite actor’s life. His series co-star Michael Welch, however, was surprised to hear the news when he sat down with MTV News on Tuesday.

“No,” marveled the actor, who plays Mike Newton in the films. “You are how I stay in touch with this stuff.”

Once we briefed Mike on the recent near-tragedy, the affable actor expressed concern for RPattz’s health — and a hope that the star’s skyrocketing fame crests soon.

Continue reading ‘Twilight’ Actor Michael Welch ‘Concerned’ About Robert Pattinson