'Milk': Gone, Not Forgotten, By Kurt Loder

Sean Penn gives one of his most fearless and thrilling performances in "Milk," director Gus Van Sant's recounting of the life and violent death of the first openly gay man to be elected to a significant municipal position in America. The year was 1977, the position was on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and the man was Harvey Milk, a disarmingly cheerful but determined gay-rights activist. Milk was a major figure in the battle against social intolerance, but he never lived to see the major changes his modest political triumph helped facilitate. After being sworn into office, he had less than one year to live before being murdered by an unbalanced fellow supervisor.

Van Sant takes up Milk's story in 1970, in New York, where he's a closeted gay man (and a Republican) working for an insurance company. It's his fortieth birthday, and down in a subway station he strikes up a conversation with a younger man named Scott (James Franco), who's friendly, but not especially available. "You're cute," he tells Harvey, "but I don't date guys over forty." Since Harvey comes in just under that particular wire, they return to his apartment and eventually make love.

Scott is surprised that Harvey is still in the closet. He suggests they relocate to San Francisco, where a new gay neighborhood is coming together in the Castro district. The '60s hippie era is definitively dead, but Harvey, flushed with liberation, goes longhair anyway. Now completely out of the closet, he organizes a gay boycott of homophobic businesses. "We can change things," he says, "but we have to start with our neighborhood." Next, he strikes an unlikely alliance with the Teamsters for a gay boycott of the non-unionized Coors beer company, in return for which the Teamsters agree to accept gay truck drivers as members. Now thoroughly hooked on politics, Harvey cuts his hair and takes to wearing three-piece suits. He runs for various offices and keeps losing, but by smaller margins each time. His self-deprecating demeanor is hard to resist: "I know I'm not what you expected," he tells one group of potential straight supporters, "but I left my high heels at home."

Milk is sworn into office in January of 1978, along with another new supervisor named Dan White, a conservative ex-fireman. White is a man of deep and unpredictable dark moods; he seems obscurely conflicted, and Harvey is intrigued: "I think he may be one of us," he tells some friends. Maybe, maybe not. One day in November of 1978, in a spasm of rage at a perceived political injustice, White goes to City Hall with a gun, shoots the mayor, George Moscone, in his office, then seeks out Milk, luring him into another office and shooting him, too. (White served just five years in jail for this double homicide; a year and a half after his release, he committed suicide.)

The most striking thing about Van Sant's film is the carefully muted dignity with which it presents Milk's story, never descending into melodrama or gay-rights boosterism (except at the very end, which perhaps should have been re-thought). Instead, he builds up an intimate portrait of the man through an accretion of simple human details. (He makes little attempt to canonize his subject, either, scrupulously highlighting Milk's distasteful insistence on outing closeted gays, and his unattractive desire to impose his liberal political agenda in every direction.) And in Penn, the director has a near-perfect star: a straight actor capable of playing a gay man without holding back in depicting Milk's mannerisms, but without treading anywhere near gay caricature, either.

Penn receives extraordinary support from the rest of the film's cast. Franco, especially, conveys a luminous affection for the man who'll eventually drive him away in his obsession with politics; Diego Luna is alternately hilarious and heartbreaking as Milk's new boyfriend, the loveably whacked-out Jack Lira; and Emile Hirsch, as a street-cruising Castro kid converted to Milk's political activism, and Alison Pill, as the candidate's pretty but hard-nosed lesbian campaign manager, create fully inhabited, memorable characters. But Penn presides over the movie with complete and unforgettable conviction. When he tells a friend who's asked if it'd be all right to visit him in City Hall that he certainly should, "and wear the tightest jeans possible -- don't blend in," you marvel at the precision of his tone and delivery. He's a wonder to watch.

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'Australia' Star Hugh Jackman Laughs Off Gay Rumors, Wants To Take Wolverine To Japan

Baz Luhrmann doesn't bother to give Hugh Jackman's character a name in his new, unabashedly old-fashioned romantic epic, "Australia." Then again, the man the "X-Men" star plays doesn't really need one. His dramatic entrances — whether on horseback, through a crowded bar or wearing the kind of white tux only a select few can pull off — tell it all. This guy is a hero cut from the same cloth of Bogart and Gable (indeed "The African Queen" and "Gone With the Wind" are just two of the films "Australia" recalls).

In Luhrmann's latest, Jackman and Nicole Kidman play a seemingly mismatched pair whose love affair plays out against the huge backdrop of a real-life World War II sneak attack that decimated the town of Darwin in 1942.

MTV News caught up with Jackman just hours after he was anointed the "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine. We took the opportunity to grill him about that weighty responsibility, whether he's been bothered by rumors about his sexuality and where he wants to send Wolverine on the antihero's next adventure.

MTV: How do you plan on enjoying your reign as the Sexiest Man Alive?

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Actors (And Movie Moments) We Are Thankful For This Year

The leaves are falling, and the turkey is practically in the oven. Yes, according to the calendar, it's time to take stock and give thanks. So that's precisely what we're doing by talking to the actors and filmmakers that made 2008 a memorable year at the movies -- a year filled with self-loathing kick-ass superheroes, scene-stealing Brits, Manolo-wearing women and the return of a very familiar man in a hat.

For the past week we've profiled five of the men and women who made 2008 what it was with brand-new conversations with each. In case you missed it...

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Beyonce, Etta James And 'Cadillac Records' Stars Come Out For Movie's Premiere

The cast boasts Oscar, Golden Globe, Emmy and Tony winners — and a group of up-and-comers that's a veritable Who's Who of young Hollywood — but it was for the producer of the flick that traffic stopped last night outside the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, where "Cadillac Records" held its world premiere.

OK, it doesn't hurt when you're a producer that also stars in the film — and it really doesn't hurt when your name is Beyoncé Knowles.

But if she was the highlight of a red carpet which also included co-stars Jeffrey Wright, Columbus Short, Adrien Brody and Gabrielle Union, chances are Beyoncé didn't see it that way — which was exactly what made her so much fun to work with in the first place.

"Beyoncй came to get down, like everyone else did. She came in with no ego," Wright beamed of Mrs. Carter to MTV News. "She just was so willing to let it out and be vulnerable and emotionally present. We were all part of an ensemble that came to smoke — that came to celebrate that music."

"I think she really did the work, and it shows," added Short. "She deserves kudos for it. She deserves a round of applause."

She'll likely get much, much more — already being pegged as a possible Oscar nominee for her performance as Etta James, a role for which she reportedly gained 15 pounds.

As Short explained to MTV News last February, the film follows the flood of musicians who populated and made famous the hallowed halls of Chess Records, where singers like Chuck Berry (Mos Def), Muddy Waters (Wright) and, yes, Miss James got their start.

But while the many who walked the carpet couldn't hold back their praise for her, the 27-year-old superstar told MTV she was waiting for the good news from just one more spectator before she could call it a day.

Luckily for her, that one person — Etta James herself — was in attendance.

"She is! Just imagine!" a nervous Beyoncй squealed, half in delight, half in fear. "She's one of my heroes, and I always loved her voice, but now knowing what she's been through, she's one of my heroes. I'm not sure if she thought [I would be good] as her. I'm very, very nervous.

And now?

"I actually spoke with her and she told me, 'I loved you from the first time you sung,' " Beyoncй beamed.

Judging from the fans who dotted the red carpet for a glimpse of their favorite chanteuse, that makes Etta James just like the rest of us.

"Cadillac Records" opens December 5.

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'Australia': Oz Test, By Kurt Loder

There's a truly heartbreaking moment about two-thirds of the way through "Australia," director Baz Luhrmann's cinematic tribute to his Antipodean homeland. Although the story is set Down Under, the picture is essentially — in fact proudly — an old-fashioned Western, complete with plucky widow trying to save her ranch from an evil cattle baron and handsome cowboy helping her do it. After sitting through about two hours of campfires, cattle drives and mad stampedes, we feel that the movie must soon come to an end. But then — this is the heartbreaking part — it suddenly turns into a World War II battle film and it just keeps going. For almost another hour. I nearly cried.

It's hard to imagine what Luhrmann thought he was doing with this picture. Clearly he intended to make an epic; and if we were to judge only by the film's interminable running time and its blockbusting budget (reported to be north of $120 million, but heavily discounted by Australian tax breaks), he might be said to have succeeded. But while the movie is packed with ravishing vistas — palm trees, billabongs, towering red cliffs and of course the vast, sunblasted Outback — its story is such a fusty mйlange of Western-movie clichйs that we might as well be camped out in the old cowpoke canyons of Utah, listening to the ghost of John Ford wonder who forgot to shoot the writers.

Briefly — to employ a word that's clearly not a part of Luhrmann's professional lexicon — it's September of 1939, the year Australia joined the U.K. in declaring war on Germany. Oblivious to this development, the posh Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) has pursued her wandering husband from England to the Australian cattle ranch he owns in the parched Outback. Upon arrival, she discovers he's been murdered, allegedly by an Aboriginal shaman called King George (David Gulpilil). The cattle baron, Carney (Bryan Brown), makes an oily offer of assistance: He'll take the ranch off the widow's hands for a price, and in the process complete his monopoly of the country's beef supply. Sarah decides to make a go of the place herself, but the only way to raise enough money to do so is to herd the 1,500 resident livestock off to Darwin, hundreds of miles away, to be sold. This seems an unlikely possibility — until a master cattle drover named, well, Drover (Hugh Jackman) turns up.

Naturally, these two are an ill-matched pair. Sarah is a prissy tenderfoot (Kidman might be auditioning for the Katharine Hepburn role in a remake of "The African Queen"), while Drover is a rough-hewn natural man, most at home under the sun and the stars, venturing into town only for an occasional round of hearty barroom fistfights. (Jackman's matey charisma is at full voltage here, but it's no match for the picture's energy-draining sprawl.) After Sarah fires her late husband's devious ranch foreman, Fletcher (David Wenham), who takes his best men along on his way out the gate, Drover is forced to assemble a new crew of cowpunchers from a very slim list of candidates. He winds up with an alcoholic accountant (Jack Thompson), a pair of Aboriginal ranch hands, a mixed-race boy named Nullah (13-year-old first-time actor Brandon Walters, who narrates the picture and is a real find), and, of course, Sarah herself. ("I will have you know, I'm as capable as any man!") So off they ride, into the flatlands of cowboy banality.

It is the tiniest of surprises that Fletcher and his nasty-looking henchman are in league with Carney — thus the stampedes and water-hole poisonings as they harass Sarah's party from every perimeter in an effort to prevent her from reaching Darwin. And at this point, it's heavily inevitable that Sarah and Drover should come together in the desert wastes for a silent waltz and a chaste kiss — although the very Spielbergian starry sky under which they do so is a little unexpected. What I couldn't figure out was how the skeletal King George — Nullah's grandfather, we learn — kept turning up at various far-removed locations saying things like, "I will sing you to the place where the rivers meet," when Drover and company were all on horseback and he was on foot. (This is probably unremarkable in the Aboriginal worldview.) As for the strange, incessant references to "The Wizard of Oz," I'm sure they're a small salute to the transcendent magic of movies, and not to the director himself.

In any event, Drover gets the cattle to Darwin, scotching Carney's nefarious schemes and saving Sarah's ranch. In any sane picture, credits would now roll. But no. Having secured the money to keep her ranch, Sarah suddenly decides to sell it. Then she decides not to. Then she invites Drover to accompany her to a fancy-dress ball. He refuses to go; then he changes his mind, and and eventually makes an entrance amid the party lights in a blindingly elegant white dinner jacket. Then Nullah is snatched by missionaries and taken to a nearby island reserved for the forced housing of mixed-race children (a social issue that may be too singularly Australian to resonate here). Then the Japanese Navy, fresh from its assault on Pearl Harbor, unleashes a fleet of bombers on Darwin, enveloping the city in a transparently digital conflagration. Then Drover disappears. Sarah thinks he's been killed. Then he returns, and he thinks Sarah's been killed. Then they realize they both were wrong. Then it looks like they may finally come together for good, with Nullah — who's not dead either — as their honorary offspring. But no. And still no credits are rolling.

Luhrmann's highly operatic sensibility (he directed his own production of "La Bohиme" on Broadway a few years back) seems best-suited to over-the-top pop material like "Moulin Rouge." Here, his attempted blendering of some of the hoariest elements of old cowboy and war movies with sloshes of historical instruction and squirts of social consciousness lacks the wild style of that earlier film; it's just ungainly. Did he really think there'd be a large audience for nearly three hours of this? If so, his wish seems unlikely to become many people's command.

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'Twilight' Stars Kristen Stewart, Cam Gigandet, Nikki Reed, More Talk About What's Next

When you're an actor and fans are shrieking and rioting every time you go out in public, it's a good indication that your career is taking a turn for the better.

When folks like "South Park" and "The Soup" — and even Kathie Lee Gifford — are all talking about your movie, you know you've become a pop-culture phenomenon. And, oh yeah, $70 million doesn't hurt either.

Even the haters wouldn't dare debate the notion that a bright, shining spotlight is now focused on the young stars of "Twilight." The question is: Where do they go from here? On Tuesday (November 25), we took a peek into the immediate future of Robert Pattinson. Looking at his co-stars' calendars, we find a similarly intriguing mix — this time filled with pet projects, 3-D slasher flicks and gender-bending dramas.

"I'm doing a movie called 'K-11' in January with Kristen Stewart," Nikki Reed revealed to us recently, talking about her plans to be covered in tattoos and facial hair until "New Moon" starts shooting in the spring. ""It's about a little-known section of the men's county jail. I'm playing a man, and Kristen's playing a boy."

As if that project (to be directed by Stewart's mother Jules) doesn't seem daring enough, the woman otherwise known as Bella Swan has spent the past few months visiting locales like New Orleans' Dixie Divas, immersing herself in the world of exotic dancers. "It's called 'Welcome to the Rileys,' " Stewart told us of the film she's currently shooting, in which she portrays a teen stripper. "I play a really broken little child. She's 16. James Gandolfini comes in to try and pick up the pieces [after his daughter dies], and she reawakens him. It's a really sweet movie."

Another sweet film is the road-trip romance flick "The Yellow Handkerchief," which impressed crowds at Sundance last January and features Stewart in a touching role that should appeal to her new "Twilight" fans. Co-starring William Hurt and Maria Bello, the film premieres in Los Angeles this week and will open for a small Oscar-qualifying run in December.

One of the hottest "Twilight" stars is the one who we won't be seeing in the series anymore: Mr. Cam Gigandet. We've already spent the past few months chronicling his impressive slate of upcoming films, including January's "The Unborn," but as if the ab-flaunting actor weren't busy enough already, we then got word of a new project that casts him opposite Jena Malone.

"It's called 'Five Star Day,' and oh, it's awesome," Gigandet told us last week when we asked about the script, to be directed by newcomer Danny Buday. "It's about astrology, really, and how this guy is going through a bad day when he should have had a five-star day.

"It's a great movie," added Gigandet, memorable as a villain in "Twilight," "Never Back Down" and "The O.C." "And I'm finally a good guy!"

Speak with any of the "Twilight" talents, from Pattinson and Stewart to director Catherine Hardwicke, and they all agree on the greatest fringe benefit of their newfound fame: The ability to help get good movies made. That sentiment was echoed again by Peter Facinelli, who revealed that the "Twilight" momentum may finally allow him to write and star in a movie he's been trying to make for quite some time.

"I have one movie that I'm looking to do next year, trying to squeeze that in next year sometime. It's a movie about a kid in New York that's a pickpocket," Facinelli said of "Lucy's," a film that will mark his screenwriting debut and was built on a desire to create the type of role a cinematic icon once played regularly. "I love Steve McQueen. ... I wrote this, and I'm just working on putting the financing together and maybe shoot it in [2009] in New York. ... It's about a pickpocket in New York who basically lives this free lifestyle. It's kind of a Steve McQueen kind of character."

Shifting gears dramatically, we come to the next flick from versatile actor Edi Gathegi, which might just feature the single greatest movie trailer of 2008. "On January 16th, I've got 'My Bloody Valentine 3-D,' " he grinned, referring to the upcoming slasher flick with a tagline he is all too eager to quote: "Nothing says date movie like a 3-D ride to hell!"

"There's a specific audience for horror films, and I think that tagline is just perfect for that audience. The movie is funny and exciting, and you see axes coming through the screen," he promised of the film, a remake of the 1981 cult classic "My Bloody Valentine." "I play Deputy Martin, and I'm the deputy of the sheriff, who is Kerr Smith ('Final Destination'). Jaime King ('Sin City') is in it, and she plays Sarah Palmer, the wife of Kerr Smith. Basically, the character of Jensen Ackles ('Supernatural') comes back into town, and he's being accused of these murders that are happening. And we are trying to solve the case, trying to figure out who this murderer is."

Meanwhile, Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz are preparing to reunite on the drama "Strife," with the latter also preparing to shoot "Warrior" in Connecticut next month. Anna Kendrick just landed a high-profile role in Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air," leading some to already dub her the next Ellen Page. Michael Welch has a slew of small films about everything from high-schoolers to Samurai warriors in various states of development.

Then there's one of our personal favorites, Mr. Jackson Rathbone. Sure, he just got back from London, where he was shooting the Clive Barker horror film "Dread," and also has the sequel to "Donnie Darko" in the can. But more than anything else, he told us, he just wants to make like Eric Yorkie and chillax.

"I've been working on my band firmly, 100 Monkeys," he said of his other passion. "We're releasing our first EP in the next two weeks, as well as our full-length improv album in a month, and then we're going to be playing regular shows in L.A. for the next three or four months. We're basically like jazz music, but with normal rock too."

While filming "Twilight," Rathbone remembered that many people in the cast found music to be a great way to relax between takes. "There were a lot of nights where I would play guitar, Nikki Reed and Kristen Stewart would sing along, or Rob would play guitar and sing, and we'd all sing with him, and I'd add a little harmonica here and there," he smiled. "We were the Cullen Family Band."

Where their solo careers go from here is anybody's guess, but this much is certain: Millions of Twilighters hope these stars will be making beautiful music for many years to come.

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Peter Facinelli Excited To Play Carlisle Cullen Again In 'New Moon'

This past weekend, millions of moviegoers found themselves coming down with a fever for "Twilight" — and the only prescription was more Facinelli.

That's Peter Facinelli for the uninitiated, a Hollywood veteran who discovered the most iconic character in his decade-and-a-half career when he signed up to play charismatic, compassionate, vegetarian vampire/ town physician Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Now that news of a "Twilight" sequel has given the fans just what the doctor ordered, Facinelli was eager to talk to us about Team Carlisle, his "New Moon" family reunion, and grabbing a celebratory drink with Robert Pattinson.

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Robert Downey Jr. Is The Actor We're Most Thankful For In 2008

The leaves are falling, and the turkey is practically in the oven. Yes, according to the calendar, it's time to take stock and give thanks. So that's precisely what we're doing by talking to the actors and filmmakers that made 2008 a memorable year at the movies — a year filled with self-loathing kick-ass superheroes, scene-stealing Brits, Manolo-wearing women and the return of a very familiar man in a hat.

When the movies brain trust here at MTV News bandied about names for the one actor we are ultimately most thankful for in 2008 it was a no-brainer. Which actor energized and elevated two blockbusters to heights above and beyond what any of us expected? We knew he was an amazing actor but ... a superhero? A dude playing the dude disguised as another dude? For those reasons and more, Robert Downey Jr. is the actor we are most thankful for.

MTV News caught up with Downey as he took a break during the production of his next presumptive blockbuster, the Guy Ritchie-directed "Sherlock Holmes." He reflected on a year of triumphs and looked ahead to a 2009 that will see him donning the Holmes guise and playing Tony Stark once again in "Iron Man 2."

MTV: Congratulations, Robert. It's been quite a year. Do you have a speech prepared?

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What's Next For 'Twilight' Star Robert Pattinson?

When he was cast in "Twilight," few people outside of die-hard "Harry Potter" fans had heard of him. As of last week, media outlets like this one, this one and a half-dozen others were still misspelling his name. But after a $70.55 million opening weekend, the stars of "Twilight" are the new kings of Hollywood.

And no actor is dazzling the studios quite like freshly minted heartthrob Robert Pattinson. But now that "Twilight" has exploded on to the scene, the time has come for RPattz to answer what might be the most significant question of his career: Where does he go from here?

Surely, the 22-year-old Pattinson could take the road of Ben Affleck, Eric Bana, Tobey Maguire and others by using his newfound fame to land a high-paying gig as a superhero. He's even said in the past that he would love to play Gambit in an "X-Men" movie, which Hollywood is coincidentally enough attempting to put together at this very moment.

Or the star could go the route of actors like Russell Crowe, Sean Penn and others who've been known to overlook potential franchises for projects with artistic merit.

Then there's option #3: Pull a Joaquin Phoenix and abandon acting altogether to embrace his musical talents.

"I think if I did it, I'd do it under a different name and not promote it. ... Maybe I could just do it under 'Edward Cullen,' and we'll see what happens," Rob laughed when we asked him recently if he would ever put out a full-length album. "That would be pretty obvious. But, maybe? I don't like to look like I'm cashing in on stuff, so I probably won't do it for a while. I'm not really interested in having a music career. I don't care if people buy my stuff or not."

Instead, Pattinson will pass the time until "New Moon" by taking meetings and carefully selecting his next project. And his fans can bide their time with a few small films he already has in the proverbial can.

"I did it before 'Twilight,' and I assume it will come out at some point next year," he said recently when we asked him about "Little Ashes," a movie about the early days of surrealist painter Salvador Dalн. "It's a tiny, tiny movie, and I don't know what would have happened [to it] if 'Twilight' hadn't happened."

Remembering that shoot opposite young actors Javier Beltran and Matthew McNulty, Pattinson said "Ashes" taught him several lessons he'd eventually bring to his work as Edward Cullen. "It was the first job I had where I had an opportunity to really obsess over something, and I brought that mentality into 'Twilight,' doing that as well. When I was working in Spain doing ['Ashes'], no one spoke English. I was the only one that spoke English on the whole set most of the time. So all I did was read about Dalн and just think about the script a lot. ... I realized that if you fight enough to find what the story is, it will start to form how you want it to form. So many actors are so subservient to their directors, they forget they are human beings — a director can't know everything."

The 2009 flick might also raise eyebrows among Pattinson's devout female fanbase, as it depicts a love affair between Pattinson's Dalн and Beltran's Federico Garcнa Lorca. "There was tons and tons of letters. There's a book of letters between Lorca and Dalн, where they make obvious references to their relationship, which is obviously more than just a friendship," Pattinson said. "Dalн says, like, 'Lorca tried to have sex with me.' ... It's a very complicated script, and before anyone would see it, I recommend that you read a biography of Dalн. Otherwise, you wouldn't get too much out of it."

Also sometime in early 2009, audiences may finally have the opportunity to see "How to Be," a tiny film in which Pattinson stars as an introspective young man seeking to better himself by hiring his own personal life coach. Co-starring Rebecca Pidgeon ("Redbelt"), the film has been making the rounds at film festivals all year, most recently making a stop at the Lone Star International Film Festival in Fort Worth, Texas.

Beyond those two films, Pattinson is due to wrap up his "Twilight" media blitz by taking a brief respite over the holidays and then reporting to work on "Parts Per Billion," a drama that will put him alongside heavy-hitters such as Dennis Hopper, Rosario Dawson and fast-rising "Juno" star Olivia Thirlby. That project is due to begin filming in January, Pattinson will once again embrace an American accent — and where he goes after that is anybody's guess.

This much, however, is certain: Wherever RPattz's career leads, he now has tens of millions of new fans who'll be watching.

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'Twilight' Fans React To The Film They Helped Make A Box-Office Hit

After the huge opening of "Twilight" over the weekend, the rest of the world is realizing what we've known for some time: There's no stopping the Twilighters. During the past year, fans have weighed in on the trailers, the exclusive clip on the Movie Awards preshow, and the cast's appearance on the Video Music Awards, all on MTV's YouRHere site — and now that the film is finally here, of course they've taken their reactions online.

Not surprisingly, the majority of reactions were positive. "I absolutely loved the whole entire thing," dstewart1017 said. "It's one of my favorite movies ever." Extra-big love went out to star Robert Pattinson, who "played Edward perfectly." Most of the fans echoed that sentiment; hazelnut4o6 said Pattinson "just comes in like some male underwear model or something, he was gorgeous." Fans reported hearing much squealing and screaming upon his entrance, but some kept their feelings to themselves. "I had a guy sitting next to me on this side, and a guy sitting next to me on this side, and they didn't have the same expressions as I did because they don't think Edward's hot," said bluefrosting44.

Other members of the "Twilight" cast got shout-outs as well. "I think that Kristen Stewart did a really good job," said dstewart1017. Roxxie567 raved that Jackson Rathbone [as Jasper] is "the sexiest man alive," and madisonpattinson said that "even though I'm Team Edward, Jacob [Taylor Lautner] was still pretty cool."

The film's director, Catherine Hardwicke, got major praise from the Twilighters for bringing their beloved novel to life onscreen. "Seriously, she's awesome," gushed GilgunnsloveCullens. "She understands the fans. She understands what we're looking for... and it was incredible." Hazelnut4o6 thanked everyone involved "for making this movie as good as it is."

But there were some fans of the book that felt the film didn't do it justice. "It wasn't horrible, but it could have been better," said KaitSyd, wondering why some key moments — "like the blood-testing scene" — were missing from the movie. KaitSyd also found the character of Jasper slightly ridiculous ("His face was all weird. It was hard not to laugh.") and gave the film an overall grade of C+. "I think they should get a different screenwriter for 'New Moon.'"

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'Twilight' Tuesday Finale: Director Catherine Hardwicke Raves About Film's Success — 'Unbelievable!'

SANTA MONICA, California — As she walked into our studio Monday afternoon wearing shiny red shoes and a vintage Boy Scout shirt, the new queen of Hollywood worked up some fake tears and asked incredulously, "This is the last 'Twilight' Tuesday?" Like millions of Twilighters all over the world, however, Catherine Hardwicke has $70.55 million reasons to smile.

"It's pretty crazy; it's pretty cool," she said of the record-breaking opening for her fourth film as a director, "Twilight," this past weekend. "When I think that we're going to be bigger than the biggest [James] Bond opening weekend? That blows my mind!"

Hardwicke spent Monday afternoon recording a commentary track in Hollywood for the spring 2009 "Twilight" DVD, alongside her lead actors Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. As soon as she was finished, however, she rushed over to MTV to bid a temporary farewell to our weekly ritual that has spent a year tracking the film from small-budget cult flick to certified blockbuster.

"A week ago, when I was talking to the people at Summit, they were like, 'If we make into the 30s [millions] opening weekend, we're really happy,' " Hardwicke recalled of her mind-blowing last seven days. "Well, we made that in the first night! Then, the 40s would be great, the 50s would be great. The 60s — unbelievable!"

Remembering the last few days, she added, "I was in Austin on Thursday night; we did a screening for the Austin Film Society, which Richard Linklater started, like, 20 years ago. We did a premiere screening [of 'Twilight'] and a lot of people came to that, and a lot of people left the premiere screening and then went to a midnight show. The same people doubled up! I went with the owner of this crazy ale house in Austin where they had six theaters, all sold out, and they had 'blood bags' full of sangria for all the vampire lovers. You could eat — and drink your blood — all while watching 'Twilight.' "

Hardwicke visited each of those six theaters in her home state to introduce the film before returning to Los Angeles on Saturday to do the same at Hollywood's Arclight Cinemas, where she met the heartiest of Twi-Hards. "During the Q&A, the [host] asked everybody, 'How many of you are seeing "Twilight" for the second time?' And half the hands went up," she remembered, saying hands were still being raised for fans having already seen the film three or four times. "The winner was a woman who was 40, and she'd seen it eight times! This was on Saturday at 5:00!"

"You always hope that people get your little nuances and details," Hardwicke said of her time and effort as a director. "I'm pretty sure she saw them, after eight times!"

Clearly, this past weekend meant a lot to the loyal Twilighters — but it had an extra-special meaning for Hardwicke, who passed "Deep Impact" director Mimi Leder to become the female director with the biggest opening weekend in history. "It's so cool," she grinned. "What I hope it means is — that almost every time I talk to the fans there are some [women] who want to be directors and want to be writers — this will encourage people to say, 'Hey man, if she can do it, I can do it.' "

It also means a lot to her soul sister Stephenie Meyer, who Hardwicke was eager to speak with Monday evening. "I haven't called her, because if she's like me, she's gotten nine trillion calls and e-mails from people who never were your friend until suddenly they saw the opening weekend," she laughed. "So, I'll chill out and leave her alone for a minute — then I might call her, right after this."

Hardwicke was also quick to praise her young leads, who have seemingly spent the last few weeks appearing on every talk show known to man. "I did the DVD commentary today with Rob and Kristen, and everybody is just in a daze," she said of her stars. "It's all so surreal, but it's exciting. Because now, some of the projects we love and care about may have a better chance at getting made. I think everybody looks at it in a really positive, pretty grounded way. Nobody is running out and buying a Rolls."

Keep your eyes on MTV over the next few days, as we'll roll out Catherine's thoughts on the "New Moon" green-light, the likelihood that she'll return to direct and more exclusive DVD details.

"I want to give a big shout-out, and a super thank you to MTV for doing 'Twilight' Tuesdays. You guys rock!" said the affable director before heading back out into the night. "You've been a big helper, a big friend to our movie."

"Stay tuned, because there's more to come!" she promised all the Twilighters who've already begun asking when "Twilight" Tuesdays or "New Moon" Mondays (or whatever) will start back up again. Over the last few days, Hardwicke's little indie-film-that-could has been embraced with a lot of love, and she said all the "Twilight" stars are eager to take the roller-coaster ride again.

"The [encounters] that have meant the most is meeting the real fans in Austin and at the Arclight, who were just, like, 'I'm so excited!' and they like to get a hug — they really like their hugs," Hardwicke laughed. "I've had so many hugs. I could be transported to heaven with all the love I've gotten so far. It's pretty cool."

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‘Twilight’ Takes A Big Bite Out Of The Box Office With Record-Breaking Opening Weekend

'Twilight' Takes A Big Bite Out Of The Box Office With Record-Breaking Opening Weekend

A huge weekend for "Twilight" fans has drawn to a close, and star-crossed lovers Edward and Bella are now rolling around on top of a pile of $70.55 million instead of in a flowery field.

That estimated total is enough to nearly double the film's budget in its first three days, making it 2008's biggest surprise blockbuster. A sequel, in the form of Stephenie Meyer's best-selling "New Moon," has already been green-lit. The film opened at the top spot in the box-office race, despite lukewarm reviews, capturing the fourth-best November opening of all time and the best opening weekend since "The Dark Knight" this past July. "Twilight" is also on pace to become the highest-grossing vampire film of all time and has already set a record for Catherine Hardwicke as the biggest opening for a solo-directing female.

For those of you who've been living under a rock the size of Bella Swan's '53 Chevy truck, "Twilight" is based on the best-selling novel by Meyer, which tells the story of a klutzy human (Kristen Stewart) and a sexy vampire (Robert Pattinson) who find themselves falling recklessly into a forbidden love affair. Fans have been breathlessly counting down the days to the film for more than a year, making headlines as they swarmed the movie's young stars, launched the film's soundtrack to #1, and blew out eardrums last week at the jam-packed premiere.

The "Twilight" opening is one of the most successful ever recorded for an independent film. The film's average Cinema Score grade was "A-." The audience skewed 75 percent female, and 55 percent of the moviegoers were under the age of 25. According to polling by Fandango.com, 63 percent of the "Twilight" audience plans to see the film again.

The cultural phenomenon simply proved to be too much for Disney's action-hero talking dog "Bolt," whose film of the same name earned itself a disappointing $27 million. The movie, which features the vocal talents of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, was expected to open stronger but may have been caught up in the "Twilight" crossfire, as both films were counting heavily on attracting a teen audience.

The bad news for "Bolt" was good news for Bond, James Bond. In its second weekend, 007's "Quantum of Solace" was able to shake and stir $27.4 million from the box office, giving it a whisker-thin lead over the Disney flick for second place. With the gap between the two films being so close, however, the official silver medalist might not be sorted out for a few days.

Similarly holding strong in their follow-up weekends were the Ben Stiller cartoon "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" ($16 million) and the Paul Rudd/ Seann William Scott comedy "Role Models" ($7.2 million). Other films filling out the top 10 were "Changeling" ($2.6 million), "High School Musical 3" ($2 million) and "The Secret Life of Bees" ($1.2 million). Looking past "Twilight," however, the most eyebrows may have been raised by limited-release Oscar hopefuls "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" ($1.6 million, ninth place) and Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire," which should enter the top 10 next week after pulling in a huge per-screen average of $31,063 — nearly 50 percent more than the enormous total for "Twilight."

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Sarah Jessica Parker Says 'Sex And The City' Cast Is 'Talking About' A Sequel

The leaves are falling, and the turkey is practically in the oven. Yes, according to the calendar, it's time to take stock and give thanks. So that's precisely what we're doing by talking to the actors and filmmakers that made 2008 a memorable year at the movies — a year filled with self-loathing kick-ass superheroes, Manolo-wearing women and the return of a very familiar man in a hat.

How does a TV series 10 years past its premiere and four years past its final episode become the film event of the year for virtually every woman in the country? Credit Sarah Jessica Parker and "Sex and the City" writer/director Michael Patrick King. After a series of false starts and an abandoned script meant to film immediately after the conclusion of the HBO series, "Sex and the City" returned triumphantly to the forefront of popular culture thanks to a film that broke box-office records right from the start: biggest romantic-comedy opening of all time, biggest R-rated opening of all time and biggest opening for any film starring a woman, to rattle off just a few of the impressive feats.

MTV News looked back with that very woman, Sarah Jessica Parker, for an exclusive conversation about the year that was 2008 and to get a sneak peak at the plans for a "Sex and the City" sequel.

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‘Twilight’ Takes A Big Bite Out Of The Box Office With Record-Breaking Opening Weekend
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The 'Twilight' Reviews Are In!

OK, so our own Kurt Loder isn't a big fan of Stephenie Meyer's novel and suspects that Edward Cullen might be gay — regardless, his review of "Twilight" is mostly positive. And judging by the utterly unscientific method of reading status updates on my Facebook, most Twilighters who have seen early showings of the film seem to like it.

But even if the box-office receipts for this weekend's most anticipated movie are strong, the fact of the matter is that the reviews are not. So, is this a classic case of middle-aged male reviewers forgetting what it's like to be a teenager craving escapism, or can it really be true that the Cullens aren't the only things in "Twilight" that suck? To investigate further, we've compiled the best and worst movie reviews below.

Our own esteemed film critic and MTV legend says in his review, "The movie version of 'Twilight' is a considerable improvement over the windy bestseller on which it's based." But Loder then adds, "[The film] gives the story a desperately needed kick in its saggy pants. Unfortunately, all the snappy pacing and swooping camera movement in the world can't finesse the novel's sillier conceits; and bringing some of them into the light only makes them seem a lot sillier."

To a die-hard Twilighter, such words are on the same heretic level as telling the pope he wears a silly hat; as such, a fan named sara_radke has already replied to Kurt in our comments section, asking, "Are you insane?? Did you even read the book??"

Sara might have a busy day ahead of her posting those "Are you insane??" diatribes, as "Twilight" is currently ranked at a lowly 44 percent "fresh" rating on RottenTomatoes.com.

"Meyer is said to have been involved in the production of 'Twilight,' but her novel was substantially more absorbing than the unintentionally funny and quickly forgettable film," remarks Claudia Puig in her USA Today review. Justin Chang at Variety agrees, saying, "[Director Catherine] Hardwicke can't get inside the head of her young protagonist, Isabella 'Bella' Swan (Kristen Stewart); consequently, Bella's decision to get hot and heavy with a hot-and-hungry vampire, far from seeming like an act of mad, transgressive passion, comes across as merely stupid and ill-considered. The result is a supernatural romance in which the supernatural and romantic elements feel rushed, unformed and insufficiently motivated, leaving audiences with little to do but shrug and focus on the eye-candy."

Which would be fine for most RPattz-loving-ladies who simply want their fix of big-haired beefcake — but some critics even went to far as to question Robert Pattinson's skills as a thespian. "Stewart, in particular, delivers her lines as if simultaneously confused and half asleep. At least Pattinson gives emoting a shot, but in the end he doesn't fare much better either," pans Marco Cerritos at Boxoffice Magazine, giving the film two stars. "These aren't vampires," says Eugene Novikov of FilmBlather.com, dismissing Edward and the other Cullens. "These are fairies."

"Much of what made the relationship between Edward and the smitten Bella Swan work in Meyer's breezy book has been stripped away on screen," says Christy Lemire at The Associated Press, observing that the chemistry between Pattinson and Stewart simmers rather than boils. "The funny, lively banter — the way in which Edward and Bella teased and toyed with one another about their respective immortality and humanity — is pretty much completely gone, and all that's left is a slog of adolescent angst." Luke Y. Thompson asks, "What the hell was that I just watched?" and says Edward "chooses to dress like a whiny-sexy emo-boy." Then again, you might not want to put much stock into the fashion advice of a man who'd dye his own hair red, white and blue.

But cheer up, Twilighters, because the world's greatest movie critic is on your side. "The movie is lush and beautiful, and the actors are well-chosen," writes Roger Ebert. " 'Twilight' will mesmerize its target audience, 16-year-old girls and their grandmothers. Their mothers know all too much about boys like this. I saw it at a sneak preview. Last time I saw a movie in that same theater, the audience welcomed it as an opportunity to catch up on gossip, texting, and laughing at private jokes. This time the audience was rapt with attention — I understand who 'Twilight' appeals to, and it sure will."

Entertainment Weekly reviewer Owen Gleiberman perhaps sums things up best, reminding us that if you're a grown-up who doesn't enjoy Stephenie Meyer's prose — big surprise! — you probably won't dig the film either. "[Hardwicke] has reconjured Meyer's novel as a cloudburst mood piece filled with stormy skies, rippling hormones, and understated visual effects," Gleiberman writes. "What Hardwicke can't quite triumph over is the book's lackluster plot. On screen, 'Twilight' is repetitive and a tad sodden, too prosaic to really soar. But Hardwicke stirs this teen pulp to a pleasing simmer."

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'Twilight' Co-Stars Edi Gathegi, Taylor Lautner And Rachelle Lefevre Talk 'Vampire Camp,' Potential Sequels

BEVERLY HILLS, California — When you see "Twilight" on Friday night, be sure to try and occasionally look beyond beautiful people Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart), and take note of the series' supporting stars, particularly Taylor Lautner (Jacob), Rachelle Lefevre (Victoria) and Edi Gathegi (Laurent). As die-hard Twilighters know, the seeds they plant in the first film will pay off mightily in future installments, and these three rising stars are eager to sink their teeth into the increased screen time like a vampire with a fresh neck.

In real life, the "Twilight" trio are the best of friends — and, like your buddies, they love teasing each other, giggling over in-jokes and reminiscing about the good old days. Recently, we took some fan questions straight to them, and the results proved to be more fun than a baseball game during a thunderstorm.

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'X-Men: First Class' Casting Call: We See Rihanna And Others As The Junior Heroes

There are two ways "Gossip Girl" creator Josh Schwartz can go with his just-announced film featuring younger versions of the X-Men: stick with the world the film franchise has already created or modify it to draw from the Marvel comic series of the same title, "X-Men: First Class."

A third (but trickier) possibility would be to combine the two directions, using the characters as established in the films but adapting them to the story from the comics.

All this back-and-forth isn't just fanboy/girl talk; it becomes necessary for casting "X-Men: First Class." If the film just focuses on the adventures of junior X-Men as established in the last film, "X-Men: The Last Stand," they have a team ready to go. But should the filmmakers want to steer closer to the comics, then those parts need to be recast, because Iceman and Angel would become contemporaries of Cyclops, Jean Grey and Beast — and all of them would need to be younger. Sorry, Kelsey.

"You couldn't use Kelsey Grammer as Beast," "First Class" writer Jeff Parker said. "He's supposed to be, like, 20."

Even though Parker would be thrilled if the film focused on the characters as established by his comic, he said they shouldn't feel beholden to his work. "To me, the heart of it is that young people who were different found others like themselves and for once, they didn't feel like freaks," Parker said.

Which means the characters could be anyone. It could be Kitty Pryde, Angel, Iceman and Colossus from "X-Men: The Last Stand" (and you could keep Ellen Page, Ben Foster, Shawn Ashmore and Daniel Cudmore). It could be all twentysomething versions of Jean Grey, Cyclops, Beast, Iceman and Angel. Or it could be a combo of characters from the "First Class" comic and the movies — so you could drop Angel and make room for Storm.

Here are our suggestions for whichever way the filmmakers decide to go:

Jean Grey

Famke Janssen is too old; Haley Ramm (who played a teen Jean) is too young. They need someone in between, and that someone is right under Josh Schwartz's nose on "Gossip Girl": Leighton Meester, otherwise known as Blair Waldorf. She'd be believable as someone who could use a little help handling her extraordinary position, which sometimes gets her into trouble.

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'Twilight' Star Robert Pattinson Has A Request For His Fans: 'Throw Yourselves At Me!'

BEVERLY HILLS, California — If you're like us, you're finding it hard to believe that after all these months of talking about it, having fun with it and counting down the days to it, "Twilight" is finally here.

Come to think of it, you might also find it hard to believe that Robert Pattinson wants to be your president. Or that he hasn't kissed a girl in ages. Or that he secretly longs to "do" Jessica the cheerleader.

To celebrate the arrival of Stephenie Meyer's vision to movie theaters, we present our most recent and most revealing interview with one of the newly minted Sexiest Men Alive. To some, he's RPattz. To others, he's Spunk Ransom. But to true Twilighters, he'll always be the most charmingly self-deprecating and immensely talented vampire we'd ever want to watch on the big screen.

MTV: You were a big hit with the crowd at the "Spoilers" taping. When you told the audience to "shut up," they loved it.

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Miley Cyrus: Oscar Nominee? Her 'Bolt' Song Could Pave The Way

She's a truly cross-platform sensation — a TV star, platinum recording artist and a burgeoning big-screen playmaker — but you'll never guess what Miley Cyrus is potentially poised to do next: win an Academy Award?

For the song "I Thought I Lost You," which Cyrus wrote with Jeffrey Steele and performs with John Travolta in the movie "Bolt," the 15-year-old "Hannah Montana" star is listed as a presumptive favorite in the category of Best Original Song by several Oscar handicappers, most notably The Los Angeles Times.

Surprised? Never thought it could happen? Don't worry, neither did John Travolta.

"I knew she was writing it with her partner, and I thought, 'Well, it will be a cute song, whatever it is. I'd agreed to sing it, so whatever it is I'm going to sing it, ' " Travolta recalled of early trepidation when he heard Cyrus herself was penning the song, which plays over the end credits of the new Disney animated movie. "Well, it was something great. I mean, those lyrics, the melody, those choruses are A-plus stuff, you know? She's really gifted at writing, and she really wanted to write something good for me as the character Bolt, so she went out of her way with her writing partner to come up with something good, and I really think they pulled it off. I know something about music, and I'm telling ya, I was blown away."

The movie follows a Hollywood dog who finds himself in New York after escaping from his padlocked trailer. Desperate to reunite with his owner, the dog joins forces with a cat and hamster team to make his way across the country and find his way home.

For Cyrus, capturing that cross-country journey was the key to making the song work, she said, and it was the reason she chose Nashville songwriter Steele as her collaborator.

"Because this isn't just a movie that takes place in L.A. — it takes place all across the country — so, I think it's a really cool way that we could get that feeling, not just make it something that sounds from Hollywood and really produced, but we could add a little country twang to it," she said. "I thought it was fun."

The lyrics and melody evoke a somewhat melancholy notion of getting lost and getting found, with an overarching theme of loyalty, Cyrus explained.

"Like how you wish so badly that someone won't change, and not only do you lose them physically, you know, he gets lost cross-country, but he feels like he's lost his little puppy-ness," she said of Bolt — who, thanks to being the star of his own TV show, actually thinks he has superpowers. "Like, he really doesn't feel like a dog anymore. [He] feels more just like an actor."

But is it enough to lead Cyrus to the red carpet at the Kodak Theatre as a nominee in a year full of strong contenders, which also include songs from other Disney films like "WALL-E" and "High School Musical 3: Senior Year"?

It wouldn't surprise executive producer John Lasseter in the least.

"[The song] so sums up the theme of this film. You know, a dog and its owner and they both were separated, but they love each other so much — there's such an emotional payoff when these characters get reunited, and I think that's what this song's about," he said. "When [Miley and John] sang it, it just really, really works. I mean, it's a great song unto itself, but it really works in the movie."

You can judge for yourself when "Bolt" opens Friday.

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Miley Cyrus Wants ‘Hannah Montana’ TV Show To Continue ‘As Long As It Can’
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Josh Brolin Calls Playing George W. Bush The 'Ultimate Risk' And 'Ultimate Reward'

The leaves are falling, and the turkey is practically in the oven. Yes, according to the calendar, it's time to take stock and give thanks. So that's precisely what we're doing by talking to the actors and filmmakers that made 2008 a memorable year at the movies — a year filled with self-loathing kick-ass superheroes, Manolo-wearing women and the return of a very familiar man in a hat.

How did Josh Brolin get here? Two years ago, he was best known as Sean Astin's big brother in "The Goonies" and Barbra Streisand's stepson. Today, he's sitting on a body of work that in the last two years is virtually unmatched by any other film actor alive. Sure, 2007 was great too, with scene-stealing supporting turns in "American Gangster" and "Grindhouse" and a captivating (if nearly wordless) leading performance in "No Country for Old Men," but 2008 took it to another level.

First, he took on the unenviable task of portraying a sitting president in Oliver Stone's "W." and crafted a full-bodied, complex and, yes, thoughtful performance. And next week, he brings more of that humanity and complexity to what could have been an easy target in "Milk" as Dan White, the man who murdered the famed San Francisco politician in 1978.

Brolin took a look back at the year that was 2008 with MTV News, revealing how his friends and famous family felt about his role in "W.," whether that infamous bar fight in Louisiana was a regret, and why 2009 might see him become an action hero.

MTV: I'm guessing taking on a role like George W. Bush came with some skepticism among your friends and family.

Kingston Trio’s Nick Reynolds, 75, dies in SD
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Eddie Van Halen Pops the Question
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‘W.’ Star Josh Brolin Says Portraying A Sitting President Made The Project ‘More Attractive’

'Valkyrie' Director Bryan Singer Finally Speaks Out About Tom Cruise Film

A lot has been written about Bryan Singer's "Valkyrie" without a lot of information from the makers themselves. For months, controversies and whispers have surrounded the project, which stars Tom Cruise.

The German government, objecting to Cruise's religious beliefs, initially refused to let the production film in their country. Early photos of the star wearing an eye patch were met with a healthy dose of mocking on the web. And then there are the release-date changes (no fewer than four), never an encouraging sign for a film, much less one with as much riding on it as this.

"Valkyrie" tells the remarkable true story of a group of German officers who, in 1944, plotted to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Cruise leads an impressive ensemble of actors (including Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy and Terrence Stamp) in the thriller, set for release at long last on December 26.

A few days ago, Singer — the much-lauded director of "The Usual Suspects" and "X-Men" — agreed to speak with MTV News for one of his first interviews since completing the film. Here, he weighs in on the controversies that have plagued the production and deftly dodges talk of a rumored "Superman" follow-up.

MTV: Is "Valkyrie" done?

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Jennifer Hudson’s old dream, music, is a new dream
(AP)

Harrison Ford Says Fifth 'Indiana Jones' Is In 'Primary Stages,' Though 'Crystal Skull' Wore Him Out

The leaves are falling, and the turkey is practically in the oven. Yes, according to the calendar, it's time to take stock and give thanks. So that's precisely what we're doing by talking to the actors and filmmakers that made 2008 a memorable year at the movies — a year filled with self-loathing kick-ass superheroes, Manolo-wearing women and the return of a very familiar man in a hat.

Sure, we all cringed a little when Shia swung through the trees like a monkey, and Ray Winstone is clearly no John Rhys-Davies, but after 19 long years away, didn't everything just seem a little better when Indiana Jones graced the big screen again? Audiences and critics may have bickered over the worth of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," but we came out in droves to watch Harrison Ford whip his young competitors at the box office one more time.

Ford joined MTV News to look back with at the summer of "Indiana Jones," and he even gave us some hope for one more triumphant adventure for Henry Jones Jr. John Williams, fire up the orchestra!

MTV: You must have gotten a kick out of seeing "Indiana Jones" at the heart of our popular culture again after all these years.

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Miley Cyrus Wants 'Hannah Montana' TV Show To Continue 'As Long As It Can'

Recent reports about the death of Miley Cyrus might not be true, but what's the status of her alter ego, Hannah Montana? Cyrus insists that she's eager for the popular Disney Channel show to continue into the indefinite future.

Maybe.

"I can't really tell exactly what the future will be like, because I didn't think that at the beginning [the show would be the phenomenon] that it was. I like letting life do its own thing," the 15-year-old performer said. "[But] I definitely want the TV show to continue as long as it can."

"As long as it can" reads like the beginning of a sentence in need of a conclusion. As long as it can ... remain profitable? Stay fun? Not get in the way of other projects? For her part, Cyrus doesn't say, or doesn't know, confessing she adopts a roll-with-the-punches mentality to her own career.

"I think I've matured a lot [over the last year], and I'm really happy. I haven't really let my career be super planned out. I never really thought too much into it. I just kinda let life take its toll, and it's done pretty well so far," said the star, who lends her voice to the upcoming animated film "Bolt." "I think the more you think about it too much, it just becomes so rehearsed. I just like how [my whole career] has been very spontaneous."

In late September, reports surfaced on TMZ.com that Cyrus was angling to get fired from her contractual commitment to the program, which is currently in the middle of its third season. Persistent rumors of the show's demise have plagued the starlet since.

Before she can think about future seasons for the TV show, of course, Cyrus is concentrating on the upcoming release of her "Hannah Montana" movie, set to hit theaters April 10. But is the film the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end?

Who knows, Cyrus said — adamant that, unlike other Disney Channel alumni, she doesn't view the movie as necessarily the culmination or last step on the "Hannah Montana" train. "Hopefully it's successful and everyone's happy with it," she said of the movie. "We don't really know what'll happen after that."

In the meantime, Cyrus has several projects in development, she said. Although coy on details, she stressed that one of those projects was not "Further Adventures in Babysitting," the long-rumored update of the '80s comedy starring Elisabeth Shue.

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Will Paul Newman's Character Return For 'Cars 2'?

Three years out from taking the checkered flag as Pixar's big summer tent pole of 2011, the highly anticipated sequel "Cars 2" is entering the starting gate without one of the most iconic voices behind the original. Ьber-producer and Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation John Lasseter revealed exclusively to MTV News that Paul Newman was unable to record any dialogue for the film before dying from cancer at his home in September.

"No," Lasseter said when asked if Newman was able to schedule a return as Doc Hudson, the former champion racecar turned small-town burgomaster, before his death. "It's been really sad because I had a great friendship with Paul, and he was so impressive to work with in 'Cars' — [he] really made that character. So I have fond, fond memories of him. Not only did he make a great character, but he became a great friend of mine too, so I'm gonna really miss him."

Speaking with MTV News from the "WALL-E" red carpet this past June, Lasseter said that the character of Doc Hudson was very much in the mix for the sequel, insisting, without a doubt, that the "character is coming back."

Given his earlier statement and the fact that "Cars 2" recently shifted its release from 2012 to summer 2011, it's somewhat odd, perhaps, that Lasseter now says it's "unclear" whether the character will be seen (or heard), confessing that they'll have to "see how the story goes with Doc Hudson."

Lasseter is adamant, however, that the decision will ultimately be beholden to story, and not tradition, confessing he's not averse to recasting the role with a sound-alike actor, similar to what the company decided to do with Slinky Dog, a character voiced by Jim Varney in "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" before the actor's death in 2000.

"In 'Toy Story 3,' for instance ... we found actually an old friend of [Varney's] who sounds an awful lot like him — another actor that's going to be doing that voice," Lasseter said of the character's return. "It'll be hard to replace Paul Newman, but we don't know yet."

"Cars" voice star George Carlin also died this year, in June. His character, Fillmore, was a much smaller role than Newman's. It is unclear if he will be replaced as well, or if Fillmore will simply be written out of the sequel.

What do you think? Should "Cars 2" include Doc Hudson, and if so, who should they get to record the voice? A Newman sound-alike, or possibly a friend of the actor? (Wouldn't hiring Robert Redford be a perfect way to honor the man and character?) Sound off below.

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'Twilight' Actor Edi Gathegi Defends Laurent, Teases 'Lone Ranger' Cam Gigandet

SANTA MONICA, California — How did we get this far along in our "Twilight" coverage and somehow not yet feature Edi Gathegi?

After missing the increasingly in-demand actor while on set, we've been trying to line him up for his very own "Twilight" Tuesday for a while. Finally, the same weekend he appeared at the taping for our "MTV Spoilers" special, he came into our studio for his first official interview with us.

The bad news is, it's a Monday (sorry, Edi, we had to save tomorrow for something huge!). The good news is, we're in the middle of 10 Days of "Twilight," so every day is a Tuesday around here at this point.

And boy, are we glad we finally arranged a visit with the 29-year-old actor who plays the bad-but-good Laurent in the vampire flick (out this Friday! OME!) and will play an important part in the upcoming sequels. In person, he is an affable, smart guy who does one hell of a Michael Jackson imitation. Read on for Edi's thoughts concerning the joys of teasing Cam Gigandet, the movie set he snuck onto as a teen, and why he wants Kate Beckinsale to bite him.

MTV: How did you get started in this crazy business?

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'Twilight' Actor Edi Gathegi Defends Laurent, Teases 'Lone Ranger' Cam Gigandet

SANTA MONICA, California — How did we get this far along in our "Twilight" coverage and somehow not yet feature Edi Gathegi?

After missing the increasingly in-demand actor while on set, we've been trying to line him up for his very own "Twilight" Tuesday for a while. Finally, the same weekend he appeared at the taping for our "MTV Spoilers" special, he came into our studio for his first official interview with us.

The bad news is, it's a Monday (sorry, Edi, we had to save tomorrow for something huge!). The good news is, we're in the middle of 10 Days of "Twilight," so every day is a Tuesday around here at this point.

And boy, are we glad we finally arranged a visit with the 29-year-old actor who plays the bad-but-good Laurent in the vampire flick (out this Friday! OME!) and will play an important part in the upcoming sequels. In person, he is an affable, smart guy who does one hell of a Michael Jackson imitation. Read on for Edi's thoughts concerning the joys of teasing Cam Gigandet, the movie set he snuck onto as a teen, and why he wants Kate Beckinsale to bite him.

MTV: How did you get started in this crazy business?

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'Star Trek' Trailer, Shot By Shot: Captain Kirk Gets Some Action, Spock Gets Angry

As you read this, the Internet is once again ablaze with a hot new trailer, this time for J.J. Abrams' highly anticipated reboot of the "Star Trek" franchise. Boldly going where no trailer has gone before, it's stuffed with drama, explosions and passion — as well as the revelation that futuristic bras and tighty-whities look quite similar to those we wear in present day.

But what can really be learned from these rapid-fire images? Much like the "Twilight" and "Harry Potter" sneak peeks, and so many other major trailers before it, your MTV Movies team has abused our computer mouses so you don't have to, and as we place our "pause-play-rewind" fingers on ice, we offer up this shot-by-shot breakdown. (Follow along with our shot-by-shot analysis here.)

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'Star Trek' Trailer, Shot By Shot: Captain Kirk Gets Some Action, Spock Gets Angry

As you read this, the Internet is once again ablaze with a hot new trailer, this time for J.J. Abrams' highly anticipated reboot of the "Star Trek" franchise. Boldly going where no trailer has gone before, it's stuffed with drama, explosions and passion — as well as the revelation that futuristic bras and tighty-whities look quite similar to those we wear in present day.

But what can really be learned from these rapid-fire images? Much like the "Twilight" and "Harry Potter" sneak peeks, and so many other major trailers before it, your MTV Movies team has abused our computer mouses so you don't have to, and as we place our "pause-play-rewind" fingers on ice, we offer up this shot-by-shot breakdown. (Follow along with our shot-by-shot analysis here.)

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Final ‘Twilight’ Trailer, Shot By Shot: Romance, Violence … And Prom!
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(Reuters)

'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas': Sympathy For The Devil, By Kurt Loder

"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" is an unusual movie that offers a child's eye view of the Holocaust. It's also unusually offensive on a couple of levels. The child in question isn't the boy of the title — that would be Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), a doomed, eight-year-old Jewish inmate of a German concentration camp, who, what with the slave labor, starvation and general brutality, isn't especially photogenic. No, the picture's focus is on eight-year-old Bruno (Asa Butterfield), the conspicuously cute, coddled and well-fed son of the camp's Nazi commandant (David Thewlis). There's that.

Then there's Bruno's mom, Elsa (Vera Farmiga). Her husband has moved her and Bruno and his older sister, Gretel (Amber Beattie), from their stately home in Berlin to take charge of a "farm," as he deviously describes it, somewhere outside the city. Despite the fact that her husband is not just a Nazi, but an officer of the irredeemably subhuman SS (David Thewlis? Professor Lupin?), and that she has only to glance up in the sky to see smoke pouring from the chimneys of the nearby crematoria, and can smell the stink of burning human flesh in the air ("They smell even worse when they burn," her husband's driver cheerily tells her), Elsa has no idea what's going on at this place. (In the film's production notes, director Mark Herman insists this could have been the case. "The commandant's wife at Auschwitz," he says, "was living virtually on top of the camp without knowing it was a death camp for two years." To which one can only reply, "Or so she said.")

With his sister enthusiastically boning up on Nazi ideology (she's tacked a big Hitler poster on the wall in her bedroom), Bruno is left to his own devices. Curious, he wanders off toward the "farm." He comes to an electrified fence and, on the other side of it, the unhappy Shmuel, pottering about in some rubble. They begin talking. Bruno tells Shmuel he has a weird name. Shmuel says "Bruno" is a new one on him, too. Later, when Shmuel is brought into Bruno's house as a trusty, to help tidy up, Bruno offers him a cake. When the driver, Lieutenant Kotler (Rupert Friend), catches him eating it, Bruno immediately rats Shmuel out and swears that he stole it. Their friendship continues to blossom nevertheless, and they continue meeting at the fence, without any of the camp's guards — who were known to be attentive to such things — noticing.

The movie is tastefully shot in the manner of a BBC production (in fact, BBC Films had a hand in producing it), and all of the actors speak with refined British accents (even Farmiga, who's American). The film thus has an odd "Masterpiece Theatre" tone that seems wrong for this material. The picture's most gaping flaw, however, is its conclusion, which flirts with the unspeakable. David Heyman, one of the producers of this movie (and of the Harry Potter films), positions the movie as a Holocaust lesson for children, and hopes they will come away from it "with a greater understanding of the personal cost of such tragedy and their kinship with the participants — perpetrators and victims alike." Certainly it would be educational to point out how average people can be swept up by vile ideologies. But the Nazis themselves weren't misguided souls; they knew exactly what they were doing — especially the SS — and they did it with vile determination. Any suggestion that we ought to empathize with Hitler's minions as much as with their Jewish victims would be an appalling moral equivalence, with a stink of its own.

‘Filth and Wisdom’: Absolute Beginner, By Kurt Loder
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