Beyonce's 'Countdown' Video A Unanimous Hit With Fans

Singer doesn't disappoint with her dance moves and costume changes, baby bump and all.
By Matt Elias


Beyonce in her video for "Countdown"
Photo: Columbia

Just as Beyoncé's "Countdown" music video hit the airwaves on Thursday night (October 6), MTV News took to the streets of Los Angeles to see what people thought about it. And judging by the reactions, B has pulled off another memorable performance.

The overall consensus was positive. Many people commented on the simplicity of the clip, and of course, her bumpin' belly. "I thought maybe having a baby bump would stop her from doing a lot of dance moves, but she was still moving around [and] still looking good," Justin Abello said.

"I thought it was beautiful," Amethyst Franklin said, referring to B's pregnant belly. "I think it's great that she's showing it off. I think she should be super-proud of it and she is, and that's awesome."

Find out what the "Countdown" director had to say about B's video shoot!

"I think [the video] was super-fun, super-dance-y, lots of energy — I think a lot of people will like it and it's super-simple too," Franklin continued. She pointed out that her favorite part of the video was at the end when Beyoncé sports a striped shirt while posturing in a chair.

"Plain, simple, but not too much simple," Cameron Adams said after watching the video. "I feel like it caters more to the women audience — women that can dance — especially nowadays, like the whole dance scene is kinda big nowadays, so I would say it caters more to that. But then again, it is a Beyoncé [video,] so with her it's art, dancing, colors, things of that sort."

But there was at least one thing that Beyoncé threw in for the fellas, according to Adams. "That men's shirt on, with the butt cheeks out, I like that part — that was my favorite part," he said with a smile.

Adams friend had a similar opinion. "I thought it was simple yet sexy, as always — she knows how to make a good video," Darren Ford said. "She knows what her fans are looking for. Her dance moves are always on point."

Check out what we spotted, and let us know what we missed!

Taylor Hodges couldn't agree more. "It was really cool! She dances really, really well. Gosh, I wish I could dance like her!"

Hodges mentioned that she would love to snag a few of Beyoncé's moves next time she hits a dance floor. She also thought "Countdown" stands strong in Beyoncé's lineage of videos, rating it a nine out of 10.

Her friend Taji McKinley bumped that number up one notch, saying the video was definitely a 10.

"I like the parts when they're snapping and I just like how all the dancers are moving super-fast but it looks slow at the same time. I like that," McKinley said.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1672140/beyonce-countdown-video-reactions.jhtml

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Kim Kardashian Celebrates Birthday in Vegas: Pictures! Details!


Kim Kardashian turned 31 on Friday and celebrated quietly with friends and family members, choosing to remain out of the spotlight and actually turn down a sponsorship opportunity for once in her life.

JUST KIDDING! Kim used the birthday as a way to make money off Marquee Nightclub in Las Vegas, as she was joined there Saturday night by Kris Humphries, Kris Jenner, Khloe Kardashian, Lamar Odom and and former Dancing with the Stars partner Mark Ballas.

Kardashians in Vegas

Near Khlomar KissKim and a ReporterKim and Kris in VegasMark Ballas and Kris JennerKhloe and Lamar on the Red Carpet

The group first dined at Italian eatery LAVO before walking the red carpet of the proceeding event, at which Jenner said of the occasion:

"I feel like she's still my 5-year-old little girl with pigtails. I get very emotional when it's their birthdays. You know I feel so close to them but the time is going by so fast."

Once inside the club, Kim was presented with a cake that featured representations of her and Humphries inside a white Ferrari. Khloe then led the crown in a version of "Happy Birthday" before the group departed around 2 a.m.

"Tonight was so much fun!!! Yummy meal at Lavo then fun night at Marquee! Thanks to everyone who came out! Now jetting back to LA!" Kim Tweeted yesterday morning.

For the record, Kardashian made about $50,000 for that single Tweet.

[Photos: WENN.com]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/10/kim-kardashian-celebrates-birthday-in-vegas-pictures-details/

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?Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 3D? Trailer: Watch Now!

With the overwhelming popularity of 3D filmmaking as of late, George Lucas wasn?t about to be left out of the trend.

And his trailer for ?Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace 3D? has just been released as a preview with ?The Three Musketeers.?

Industrial Light & Magic supervised the 3D conversion of the original film, which has grossed $924.3 million so far in sales.

Due out February 10, 2012, ?Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace? stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Liam Neeson, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/movies/%E2%80%9Cstar-wars-phantom-menace-3d%E2%80%9D-trailer-watch-now-555266

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Robert Pattinson and Ashley Greene Meet & Greet in Paris


Robert Pattinson and Ashley Greene took promotional efforts for Breaking Dawn overseas this weekend.

The Twilight Saga hotties attended a fan event at Cinema Gaumont Capucine in Paris, France, signing autographs for adoring fans and posing for photographers on the red carpet. Click through the following pics from the event now:

Robert Pattinson in Paris

Ashley Greene in ParisAt an Autograph SigningExcited to SignAll Smiles, All HotnessAshley Greene in France

Have no fear, though, Americans: the cast will soon arrive stateside.

On November 3, in fact, Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner will receive one of the biggest honors in Hollywood. Look for them to take part in a ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theater in which the stars have their handprints and footprints immortalized.

We have a feeling this will instantly become the most popular tourist attraction in Los Angeles. In the meantime, go behind the scenes of the upcoming Breaking Dawn wedding NOW.

[Photos: Fame, Pacific Coast News]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/10/robert-pattinson-and-ashley-greene-meet-and-greet-in-paris/

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Justin Bieber Treats Selena Gomez To Private 'Real Steel' Screening

Just a month after Staples Center date night, Bieber rents out a Winnipeg movie theater.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez (file)
Photo: FilmMagic

Remember that Titanic-size date Justin Bieber took Selena Gomez on? The one he likely dropped about $500,000 on? Well, weeks after renting out Staples Center so he and Gomez could view "Titanic" in private, Bieber is back to his old tricks.

The Winnipeg Free Press reports that the couple headed to the SilverCity Polo Park Cinemas in Winnipeg, where they enjoyed a private screening of the Hugh Jackman-starring robot-boxing flick "Real Steel." The newspaper reports that the duo rented out one of the theaters and enjoyed pizza. OK, so it's not on the scale of steak dinners at a place that seats 20,000 people and is home to the L.A. Lakers, but the pair still got to chill out without being bothered.

A rep for the theater could not confirm or deny the report when MTV News called for further comment on the headline-making date night.

When Bieber brought his brand-new "Mistletoe" video to MTV News this week, he revealed some film plans of his own. "Hopefully next summer I can start on a movie or something," he told us of his future plans, adding that his team is already "working on the script."

Bieber is home in Canada now after wrapping up his My World Tour, and Gomez is currently on tour in the Great White North. She has a show in the area Friday night, and judging by her Twitter feed, she can't wait for it. "I had a great day here in Winnipeg. I can't wait to see y'all tomorrow!!" she tweeted Thursday night.

Bieber, meanwhile, is enjoying the rest and relaxation. He tweeted, "Feels good to be back in #CANADA - missed home." Despite the downtime, he's still expected to release a new track, "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)," featuring Usher, from his November 1 holiday album, Under the Mistletoe, on Tuesday.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1672989/justin-bieber-selena-gomez-real-steel-private-screening.jhtml

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Ke$ha Is Channeling 'Sexiness' Of '70s Rock For New Album

Glitter-heavy pop star tells MTV News she's going for 'balls-out, irreverent rock and roll.'
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias


Ke$ha
Photo: MTV News

Ke$ha's already got the face paint down pat, and, during recent live sets, she's even taken to guzzling blood out of a human heart, so it should come as no surprise that, on her upcoming album, the pop star is taking things back to the most theatrical era of rock: the prop-heavy, arena-spanning heyday of the 1970s.

Ke$h revealed her plans over the weekend in Los Angeles, on the red carpet of KIIS FM's annual Wango Tango concert, where she told MTV News that the follow-up to her breakout Animal album (and, we suppose, Cannibal too) would be heavy on hard riffs and light on pretty much everything else.

"The next album ... I've been working on writing on the road, but as far as a sound, I just know it's gonna be balls-out, irreverent rock and roll," she said. "I've been pretty much in this '70s rock and roll kick and I just want to capture some of the true essence of what rock and roll is, and that's just irreverence and sexiness and fun and not giving a f---, so we'll definitely put a bit of rock and roll in it."

So, does that mean that fans can expect the likes of Alice Cooper or Peter Frampton to show up on her new album? Perhaps. Because while Ke$ha's new album is still a ways off, she's already begun calling in favors, hoping to line up a killer collabo for the new disc.

"I'm trying, trust me," she laughed. "I really would love to connect with one of my idols, I mean, that's my dream. I'm working on it."

What do you think of Ke$ha going rock for her next album? Tell us in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1663946/kesha-new-album.jhtml

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Kristin Cavallari Hides Party Evidence, On 'When I Was 17'

Next episode, also featuring Lenny Kravitz and Bryan Greenberg, airs Saturday at 11 a.m. on MTV.
By Lauren Kearney


Kristin Cavallari
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images

We all remember party girl and badass Kristin Cavallari from "The Hills," and the die-hard "Hills" fans remember where it all began: "Laguna Beach." On this week's episode of "When I Was 17," Kristin takes us back in time to her "Laguna Beach" days, rehashing a Halloween rager that almost went off without a hitch.

"When I was 17, my Dad got remarried and went away on his honeymoon, so I threw a huge Halloween party," Kristin recalls on the latest episode, premiering Saturday at 11 a.m. on MTV and also featuring Lenny Kravitz and Bryan Greenberg. "Everyone was dressed up for Halloween, which makes it that much more fun. We were definitely dancing. We were drinking. My house was filled with people."

The next day, Kristin cleaned the entire house until it was spotless, leaving no evidence of the party the night before. Or so she thought.

"I thought I did such a good job. And then my dad and my stepmom came home, and apparently I just missed one beer can under the couch, and that's what my Dad found."

Busted! But we're glad Kristin decided not to change her partying ways. After all, what would "Laguna Beach" have been without the party girl?

Don't miss this week's episode of "When I Was 17," featuring Kristin Cavallari, Lenny Kravitz and Bryan Greenberg, at 11 a.m. Saturday on MTV.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1672955/kristin-cavallari-when-i-was-17.jhtml

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Beyonce Flaunts Baby Bump In 'Countdown' Video

New clip, released Thursday (October 6), references iconic dance films.
By John Mitchell


Beyonce in her video for "Countdown"
Photo: Columbia

Beyoncé has an affinity for recalling the past in her videos — from the "Mexican Breakfast" Bob Fosse/Gwen Verdon routine that inspired the "Single Ladies" video to her tortured '50s homemaker character in "Why Don't You Love Me" — and her latest clip for the horn-heavy "Countdown" jam is no exception.

The video is a feast for the eyes, with Beyoncé taking on a variety of iconic looks. Her makeup when the video opens recalls the mod styling of Twiggy, but soon enough, she segues into full-on Audrey Hepburn mode, taking both her look and dance cues from the 1957 film "Funny Face."

From there, we see the pop star in a variety of bold, brightly colored bathing suits and a black-and-white hat, set against a constantly changing background of vivid colors. It's an iconic image that brings to mind the classic Vogue photo shoots of yesteryear.

Find out what the "Countdown" director had to say about B's video shoot!

The pregnant diva's baby bump is less visible in the bathing suit scenes but is featured prominently earlier in the clip and is rubbed lovingly later in a scene that features 10 different incarnations of Beyoncé in a loft space. The visibility of Beyoncé's pregnancy varies throughout the video, indicating she likely shot a great deal of the footage for "Countdown" earlier in her pregnancy and more recently re-shot or re-conceptualized the clip to reflect her growing belly.

Viewers also see that even pregnancy can't stop Beyoncé from dancing. The clip cuts quickly from the bathing suit sequence to shots of the star in an audition space straight out of the film "Fame." The sequence features the kind of seamlessly choreographed moves that Beyoncé is famous for — moves that would be at home in an early-'80s dance film or onstage in 2011.

It's a perfect mix of classic and modern, which seems to be what Beyoncé is aiming for in this era of her career. It's a feeling reflected in the smooth, '90s vibe and reliance on live instruments that sets her album 4 apart from her previous work as well as other artists on the charts right now.

Breaking Down "Countdown," Look By Look

The "Countdown" clip is loaded with other references as well, including a wink to "West Side Story" as dancers snap in unison and a nod to Bridget Bardot when the video cuts to and from shots of Beyoncé in a men's dress shirt with her hair styled up with a scarf.

Check out what we spotted, and let us know what we missed!

She also briefly references her film "Dreamgirls" — or, more likely, that film's inspiration: Diana Ross — during a few brief scenes in which she rocks a short, sparkly dress and bob hairstyle.

The clip then sequences from "Fame" to "Flashdance," with Beyoncé and her dancers in another open warehouse-like space sporting the iconic off-the-shoulder look from the 1983 drama starring Jennifer Beals.

The video ends with the superstar in a chair, grooving to her uptempo track. Throughout the clip, which bubbles with excitement, she is all smiles, perhaps reflecting her joy at beginning a new phase in her life.

Share your thoughts on the "Countdown" video in the comments below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1672134/beyonce-countdown-video.jhtml

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