Monday, April 30, 2012

MTV: Box Office Report

It was the calm before the storm at the box office over the weekend. "The Avengers" smashed records as the Marvel/Disney powerhouse flick began to open overseas, but in North America (where it has yet to open), "Think Like a Man" was able to top the box office for a second weekend with a relatively soft $18 million. CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

Friday, April 27, 2012

AP: Sleeping With Sirens Cover Story

I can't help but smile whenever there's an Alternative Press cover story carrying my byline.

They are the product of countless hours, edits, rewrites, conversations with interview subjects, handlers of all stripes and colleagues. There's almost certainly a compelling narrative at the center as we set about capturing a subject at some sort of pivotal juncture. Discerning the central components of that narrative, arranging the puzzle pieces and then ultimately sitting back and reading through the finished pages never gets old for me.

Dashboard Confessional (twice!), AFI, Coheed & Cambria, the oral history of Vans Warped Tour, The Devil Wears Prada, Falling In Reverse and now, Sleeping With Sirens.

MTV: 'The Secret Circle' Recap: 'Traitor'

If this show reveals any more secrets before the season finale, it may just have to change its name! Last week, we learned that Diana is the Secret Sibling. On last night's new episode of "The Secret Circle," we got some majorly shocking news about another sibling from the Circle. Nick Armstrong, Cassie's old next door neighbor last seen possessed by a worm demon and being drowned by Charles, is alive! CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

MTV: 'The Vampire Diaries' Spoilers

Executive producer Julie Plec told Hollywood Crush and a select handful of television press that she knows exactly how "The Vampire Diaries" will end someday.

During the writing process for season two, she and series co-creator Kevin Williamson sat in a hotel lobby and plotted the entire endgame. “Kevin and I came up with our end plan, sitting in the mall lobby of the W Midtown in Atlanta on a Sunday early in season two," she recalled. "We were tired, and stressed, and talked about the last moment of the show, the last character moments of the show, and both started to cry in the middle of the mall. We just felt like that was right. And so, assuming that he and I are both around...assuming that he and I are lucky enough to survive into season 20...then yeah. We know how we want it to end."

It was a lively and expressive Q&A session on The CW lot in Burbank, California, on Wednesday, which saw Julie chatting with press alongside Steven (Jeremy), Michael Trevino (Tyler), Candice Accola (Caroline) and Zach Roerig (Matt).CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

MTV: 'The Secret Circle' Star Shelley Hennig

Last week, "The Secret Circle" unwrapped one of the biggest surprises of the season: the identity of the other Blackwell in the crew. Cassie Blake's half-sister is none other than her one-time romantic rival, Diana. Shelley Hennig couldn't be more pleased about the revelation surrounding her character. Speaking to Hollywood Crush by phone, she also revealed how pleased she is with our longstanding use of the phrase "The Secret Sibling" in our blog. "I like how you worded that, 'The Secret Sibling,'" she said with a chuckle. "That's amazing." CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

Monday, April 23, 2012

MTV: Box Office Report

In the end, it wasn't any sort of dastardly villain who conquered the heroes of "The Hunger Games." No, the four-week box-office reign of the adaptation of the popular YA novel was ended by none other than Steve Harvey and Zac Efron, whose respective new movies performed quite impressively over the weekend. CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

Friday, April 20, 2012

MTV: 'The Secret Circle' Recap: 'Crystal'

The Secret Sibling revealed! After a short hiatus, "The Secret Circle" returned to the airwaves last night with the show's biggest revelation since the return of John Blackwell. Isaac told Jake there was another Blackwell kicking around in his circle and "Crystal" wrapped up with Cassie Blake breathlessly coming to this realization about one of her friends: "You're my sister." Yep, the episode ended with those three words. And boy, was it powerful! CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

Monday, April 16, 2012

MTV: Box Office Report

"The Hunger Games" is the first movie since "Avatar" to top the box office for four weekends in a row. The adaptation of the popular young adult novel fended off competition from the Farrelly brothers' "The Three Stooges," the positively reviewed "Cabin in the Woods" and sci-fi indie "Lockout" over the weekend, collecting another $21.5 million in North American theaters for an estimated domestic gross of $337.1 million. CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Billboard: Revolver Awards VIP Report

Johnny Depp stunned the crowd when he joined Marilyn Manson onstage on Wednesday at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards. As thrilling as it was for Depp to be playing guitar on "The Beautiful People" and "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" during a night that saw performances from hard rocking artists like Evanescence and Slash, Revolver Magazine creative director Josh Bernstein said there are still two dream bands they have yet to land for the annual event.

"The first year, we had Ozzy right off the bat. I don't think we would have had a show without him. Having him here was incredible. Last year, Lars [Ulrich] and Robert [Trujillo] from Metallica came. But I want the full bands and I want them performing," he said. "When that happens, that will be pretty good; Metallica and the original Black Sabbath. It's our fifth year next year, too, so it would be a good fifth year celebration. So, if [those two bands] are reading Billboard..."

CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

Monday, April 09, 2012

MTV: Box Office Report

"The Hunger Games" won the box office for a third consecutive weekend, fending off challenges from tried-and-true romance and raunchy humor alike. Neither "American Reunion," the latest installment of the "American Pie" franchise, nor the 3-D re-release of "Titanic" were able to knock Jennifer Lawrence and company from atop the box-office perch as "Games" collected another $33.5 million and passed the $300 million mark. CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

Friday, April 06, 2012

MTV: "American Reunion" Final "Pie" Movie?

"American Wedding" was billed as "the thrilling climax" of the "American Pie" franchise back in 2003. But as every fan knows, a handful of "American Pie Presents" direct-to-DVD movies followed, and this weekend, the original cast returns to theaters in the appropriately titled "American Reunion."

So what gives?

When MTV News posed this question, Eddie Kaye Thomas (better known to fans of the beloved comedy franchise as Finch) was quick with a killer response. "Jay-Z retired; he's back. Why don't you ask him that question?" he said with a wide smile, to much laughter from co-star Seann William Scott. CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

Billboard: How Warped Tour Keeps Rolling

Vans Warped Tour founder/producer Kevin Lyman has been working to keep his mobile gang of bands and backroom staff rumbling along since 1995. It's no small feat, keeping this longrunning institution shipshape in the face of a rapidly changing music industry. Aggressively streamlining the routing, gaining new sponsors and taking a look at the successes within the electronic circuit were all in the 4Fini, Inc. bossman's bag of tricks this year, but ultimately, as with his other branded touring events, the bands remain the most crucial component. CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.

Photo: MSO's Libby Coffey and Warped Tour's Kevin Lyman.

Thursday, April 05, 2012

MTV: "American Reunion" Interviews

Jason Biggs famously humped a dessert in what became the most memorable scene in "American Pie." Now, more than a dozen years later, an older (but obviously not much wiser) Jim Levenstein ups the ante in "American Reunion" by going full-frontal in that very same kitchen.

CLICK HERE to watch my interviews with Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Seann William Scott and more.

Monday, April 02, 2012

MTV: Box Office Report

"The Hunger Games" devoured "Wrath of the Titans" and "Mirror Mirror" at the box office this weekend. The opening-weekend numbers for the sequel to "Clash of the Titans" and the latest big-screen version of "Snow White" offered little competition to "Games," which made an estimated $61.1 million in North America in its second weekend. CLICK HERE to read the rest of my report.