by Judd Apatow

As arguably the biggest comedy director working in Hollywood today, Judd Apatow is a funny guy and almost as importantly, he’s been a longtime friend to the MTV Movies Blog, acting as one of our first guest contributors way back when “Knocked Up” was coming out. Well, the big guy is back. Apatow’s next project, of course, is “Funny People.” And lucky for us Judd’s re-joining the MTV Movies Blog gang with a series of exclusive columns hitting every single Thursday between now and the film’s release. So without further ado, here’s Judd…

Judd Apatow’s Answers to Questions You Haven’t Asked About “Funny People”

Will I like “Funny People” more than any other movie I see this summer including the kick ass Star Trek?

You definitely will. You will like it way more than every movie that comes out this summer, and it will be a tie with “Star Trek.”

What is the movie about? Read more…

FROM HOLLYWOOD CRUSH: Today begins the official two-week mark until “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” hits theaters, so keep checking back to all of MTV’s blogs for daily coverage to keep your spirits high!

Speaking of… the sixth edition is definitely going to give moviegoers something juicy to look forward to. Not only have we all been waiting a long, long time for this movie, but many of us hard-core “Harry Potter” fans are getting very anxious about — you guessed it! — intimate scenes!

For a hot second, these dueling wizards will be trading in their wands for some onscreen love as “Half Blood Prince” turns the heat up a notch! Expect there to be some really “organic” chemistry — and consistent smooching — between the characters you’re fond of. After all, these “Harry Potter” romances started as early as day three of filming. Check out the video below to see for yourself!

Continue reading ‘Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince’: EXCLUSIVE Look At The Onscreen Romances!

FROM HOLLYWOOD CRUSH: She may be best know as Tara Meers on the series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” but Amber Benson (left, with Sarah Michelle Gellar) has since become an accomplished writer. She has written and produced her own films, written several comics and she and co-writer Christopher Golden created the popular BBC series “Albion.” Now, she’s taking her first solo-flight as a novelist with “Death’s Daughter,” which is book one of a trilogy.

During a book signing at Midtown Comics in Times Square, we had the chance to about her new book and its interesting protagonist, a sarcastic young woman named Calliope Reaper-Jones. Amber told Hollywood Crush, “Basically, it’s about a girl who’s father is Death. [Death as a force] is run like a corporation. He’s the president and CEO. And he gets kidnapped and [Calliope] has to come and run the company and find out what happened to her dad. But she’s like a normal girl and she doesn’t want any part of the supernatural world.”

Continue reading ‘Buffy’ Star Amber Benson Talks New Book & The ‘Buffy’ Movie

by Ayana Allen

As three of the world’s most beloved chipmunks — Alvin, Simon and Theodore — prepare to take the big stage again for “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel,” set to premiere on Christmas day, the MTV intern newsroom is swirling with ideas for the opening song in their second outing. The 2007 original drew viewers in when the pint-sized mammals laid down some high-pitched harmonizing to Daniel Powter’s “Bad Day” while gathering nuts for the winter season.

It’s a tough opening to beat. Powter’s #1 hit has echoed across radios and televisions internationally since its release in 2005. Some might even argue that season five of Fox’s “American Idol” overused the song. Well now we have a few suggestions of our own to share. Take a look at what we came up with… Read more…

Here are a few words on Michael Jackson from Diane Fredel-Weis, a Los Angeles-based writer. Diane worked on the marketing for Jackson’s “Captain EO,” a 3-D sci-fi short featured as an attraction at Disney theme parks. The film was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, produced by George Lucas and starred Jackson alongside Anjelica Huston and Dick Shawn. Diane, who met the late pop star while working on “EO,” was kind enough to detail some of her experiences for MTV readers.

by Diane Fredel-Weis

When I walked onto the Culver City soundstage of “Captain EO” in early 1986, it was a thrill on many levels. The sets were mind-blowing. Dark, complex, coiled metal environments. Actors walking around in alien costumes. Dozens of people busy with the production. And of course, the star of the film, Michael Jackson, was there. Read more…

FROM HOLLYWOOD CRUSH: Getting sick of scavenging across the Internet to get your daily dose of Rob, Kristen and Taylor? Us Weekly is helping to make satiating your “Twilight” addiction easier by releasing “Sexy Stars of Twilight,” a 72-page homage to the vampire, his love and their pals.

The book, available today for $9.99 on newsstands and for order on Barnes & Noble, features posters, photos, cast interviews and “New Moon” secrets.

The seven pull-out posters included will feature four posters of heartthrob Robert Pattinson, one of Taylor Lautner, one of Rob and Kristen Stewart and one of the cast.

Continue reading ‘Twilight’: Get Your Fangs On A New Special-Edition Book Out Today!

by Alan Kistler

Over the years, the Transformers have occasionally crossed over with other fun franchises. There have been Transformers/”Star Wars” toys. The Autobots teamed up with Marvel’s New Avengers team. There have been several comics in which the Transformers worked against or alongside the G.I. Joe team. In one of the early comic issues, the Autobot called Cliffjumper even teamed up with the amazing Spider-Man.

In the movie world, plenty have enjoyed similar team-ups. Look at “Freddy Vs. Jason” or “Aliens Vs. Predator.” With “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” freshly released in theaters, why not push the envelope a bit further? Here’s a list of some crossovers that I think would be a lot fun to watch, each supplied with my own idea of how the story could bring the characters together. Enjoy! Read more…

FROM HOLLYWOOD CRUSH: OK, well maybe IMDb’s STARmeter isn’t saying that Zach Galifianakis is technically hotter than Taylor Lautner, but it is saying that, this week, “The Hangover” star is beating out Taylor, Johnny Depp and Christian Bale as Hollywood’s sixth most popular star.

The STARmeter is determined by how many views certain stars receive each week, and then ranks them accordingly. Unsurprisingly, Taylor’s fellow “Twilight” stud Robert Pattinson is #1 on the chart (he has been in the top 10 for the past 36 weeks and #1 for 22 of them — wow!), followed by Zach’s “Hangover” co-star Bradley Cooper at #2 and “The Proposal” hottie Ryan Reynolds at #5.

Continue reading Zach Galifianakis’ ‘Hangover’ Makes Him Hotter Than ‘Twilight’ Star Taylor Lautner

by John Constantine

I hear the same complaint every summer: why are there so many sequels!? Don’t these movie-maker people have any original ideas? How about some new movies already? Look, everyone. Sequels are awesome. We’ve known this about popular fiction since popular fiction was invented. Long before Optimus Prime rolled out in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” creators and audiences have been itching to return to their favorite characters and stories.

Just look at Cervantes. The guy created the modern novel. His “Don Quixote” was the 17th century equivalent to the summer blockbuster. Know what the guy did ten years after writing it? He wrote part two! Continuing adventures are coded into the very DNA of modern entertainment. The only problem is that they rarely live up to their predecessors. Here are the five movie sequels that not only met expectations, but exceeded them. Read more…

by Alan Kistler

The Transformers are known for being butt-kicking, gun-wielding giant robots able to disguise themselves as really cool vehicles and robotic animals. Still, some of these “robots in disguise” have not always had the best or most practical disguises. Especially compared to enemies who still have mobility when they turn into cars or planes and such. Seriously… what is a boom box supposed to do against a mac truck?

Michael Bay’s “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” is out today. Finally. So for your amusement, I’ve prepared a list of classic Transformers who have obviously been short-changed in life. At least Soundwave gets some redemption in the new movie. Confused? Don’t worry… you’ll see… Read more…