Glover Manning's blog: July 2010

Zac Efron Says 'Charlie St. Cloud' Is Not 'Sappy'

'[Director Burr Steers] doesn't do sappy, you know what I mean? Burr is very grounded,' actor says of his new movie.
By Kara Warner

Zac Efron as Charlie St. Cloud
Photo: Universal Pictures

Zac Efron's new movie "Charlie St. Cloud," out Friday, is certainly a far cry from his shiny, sugar-coated "High School Musical" trilogy. But judging from the film's trailers, there are some similarities to a few other recent films with an emotional/romantic theme, namely "Dear John," "Remember Me" and "The Last Song." When MTV News spoke with Efron, we asked him why this film is different, and how the story toes the line between sappy and sentimental.

"I didn't think it was going to be sappy," Efron said. "Because [director Burr Steers] doesn't do sappy, you know what I mean? Burr is very grounded. He is all about story and dialogue and plot and all about real."

Efron added that Steers, whom he also worked with on "17 Again," will quickly put the kibosh on superficiality if he sees it in an actor's performance. "If he sees [superficial] acting, he would come in and just, psshhhhh [He pantomimes an explosion with his hands]. So I've really had to trust him with that. And we all do, we all did. And you know, it turned out right."

The 22-year-old went on to say that he doesn't think "Charlie St. Cloud" gets too sentimental. "But at the same time, I wanted to make sure the audience got what they needed from it," he said. "Hopefully they are fulfilled and leave asking some cool questions."

It will be interesting to see how well fans receive Efron in his "St. Cloud" role, especially since it was recently announced that Efron has been pegged to star in "The Lucky One," the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' novel about an American marine who credits his survival in the Iraq War to a photograph of a woman he's never met. "Lucky One" adds to the already lengthy list of projects to which Efron is reportedly attached.

What do you think of Efron taking on different, more grown-up roles? Will you go to see "Charlie St. Cloud" and "The Lucky One"? Tell us in the comments.

Check out everything we've got on "Charlie St. Cloud."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Related Videos

'Charlie St. Cloud' Clips

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Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, More At 'Charlie St. Cloud' Premiere

Nicole Scherzinger Katie Cassidy Arielle Kebbel

Jul 31, 2010 9:00:43 PM

Ke$ha Strips Down And Glitters Up In 'Take It Off' Video

Singer says getting naked in the new clip is all about being 'raw and real.'
By James Montgomery

Ke$ha in her "Take it Off" music video
Photo: RCA

Ke$ha recently told MTV News that during downtime on tour with Rihanna, the pop princesses "have slumber parties and pillow fights and ... talk about boys, naked." And it sounds like that stripped-down sensibility has carried over to her upcoming "Take It Off" video.

"It's my favorite video, I think, ever, that I've done because I get to get really dirty in glitter sand, and we all get naked because we're just, like, taking it all off," she said.

But the "Take It Off" clip isn't just about taking off your clothes and rolling in glitter. "It's also about taking off your inhibitions and being raw and real," Ke$ha said. "And then we start tearing each other apart into pieces, and we're all made out of glittery magic dust ... star dust."

OK, so maybe it is mostly about getting naked. Either way, Ke$ha says the video is still her favorite. Not even the recent clip of Israeli soldiers dancing to her hit "Tik Tok" or the May 2 episode of "The Simpsons" that used the song in its opening sequence could top it.

And yet those were pretty cool. "It's amazing ... I love it," she sad. "Having Israeli soldiers dancing to 'Tik Tok' and landing the opening of 'The Simpsons' ... [they're] dreams. It's been a pretty good year."

Related Photos

Ke$ha On The Set Of Her Video For 'Take It Off'

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Avril Lavigne Fergie

Jul 31, 2010 9:00:42 PM

Rock N Jock | The Best So Far

Join Dirty as he looks back at his favorite Rock N Jock moments from this year.

Lily Allen Nadine Velazquez

Jul 31, 2010 7:00:45 PM

Lady Gaga - Bad Romance

Bad Romance

Artist: Lady Gaga
Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive
Director: Francis Lawrence
Album: Bad Romance

Anna Kournikova Hayden Panettiere Cameron Diaz

Jul 31, 2010 5:01:11 PM

Eames La Chaise

I would like to get an Eames La Chaise.

I've never been a big fan of the way they look, but I sat in one a few days ago and it was fantastic. It totally molds to your body; I could write in it. (So maybe the $9,500 price tag could be a business expense?)

Charlize Theron Anna Faris

Jul 31, 2010 3:00:49 PM

Joss Whedon Is The 'Right Thing' For 'Avengers,' Marvel Boss Says

'We hire directors who have the potential to do great things,' Kevin Feige tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner

Kevin Feige
Photo: MTV News

For comic book fans, and those who love comic book movies in general, Marvel Studio's major "Avengers" announcement and cast unveiling at last week's San Diego Comic-Con still has heads reeling. From the unveiling of Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye to seeing director Joss Whedon smiling with his star-studded cast — there was a lot to take in.

When MTV News caught up with Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige during our Comic-Con live stream, no one was more excited to talk about the highly anticipated film and, specifically, the qualifications of fan-favorite director Joss Whedon. We asked him how they made the decision to hire Joss despite his having only directed one feature film (2005's "Serenity").

"I've known Joss for many years. We were looking for the right thing and he came in and met on it," Feige explained. "As you've already heard him say on his panels, he's incredibly intelligent, he's got great things to say about it, and if you look at the directors we've worked with, we hire directors who have the potential to do great things and we want our film to be that great thing."

Feige cited "Thor" helmer Kenneth Branagh and "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau as perfect examples of Marvel's hiring decisions. "Whether it's Branagh who of course has done some great things, whether it's Favreau, who did some fun movies prior to 'Iron Man,' we want to find a director that's on the verge of doing something great, as we think Joss is."

"The Avengers," starring Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner is slated for release in 2012.

What do you think of Joss in the "Avengers" driver's seat? Tell us in the comments!

For breaking comic book movie news, columns and more — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

Anna Kournikova Hayden Panettiere Cameron Diaz

Jul 31, 2010 3:00:48 PM

Metal Bullets: Clips From the Front

Metal Bullets: Clips From the Front
Rockstar Energy Drink is getting ready to corner the metal touring market. On July 10 in San Bernardino, California they’ll launch this year’s Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival, which features Korn, Rob Zombie, Lamb of God, Five Finger Death Punch, Atreyu and others. And three days after the tour ends in Aug 14 in Oklahoma City, [...]

Rockstar Energy Drink is getting ready to corner the metal touring market. On July 10 in San Bernardino, California they’ll launch this year’s Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival, which features Korn, Rob Zombie, Lamb of God, Five Finger Death Punch, Atreyu and others. And three days after the tour ends in Aug 14 in Oklahoma City, Rockstar Energy Drink will launch the Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival in Minneapolis, Minnesota with a lineup that includes Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, HaleStorm, Hellyeah, Airborne and others. Dates run through October 4 in Madison, Wisconsin. Take that wimpy, wing-flapping Red Bull drinkers.

It's not exactly on the scale of Rob Halford rejoining Judas Priest or Bruce Dickinson coming back to Iron Maiden, but squealy-voiced original Agent Steel singer John Cyriis has returned to the band following a 22-year absence. The teary reunion was made possible by the departure of Bruce Hall, who waved the Steel for the past 12 years before landing a job that pays.

Now that SPV Records has started up again like a rusty lawnmower, German thrash pioneers Sodom are back in action -- which officially makes the German label renewed Sodomites. The band members are currently looking for a studio to record their next album, the follow-up to 2006's original full-length 'Sodom.' "There has never been a Sodom album which is so wide-ranged, as powerful and as typically Sodom as this one," says frontman Tom Angelripper." The band plans to start recording this summer so they can get the yet-untitled album out by Christmas. Hey, it beats a lump of coal.

'Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage," the illuminating rockumentary of Canadian power trio Rush has won the Heineken Audience Award at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Good job and all guys, but shouldn't a movie about a Canadian band at least win an award sponsored by a Canadian brewery?

Ex-Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera and his brother and former Sepultura drummer Igor have finished recording the second album by their band Cavalera Conspiracy. The disc, the follow-up to 2008's 'Inflikted,' was produced with Logan Mader (ex-Machine Head, Soulfly) and is scheduled for late 2010. All we have to say is Roooooots, bloody roooots!

Ciara Blake Lively Scarlett Johansson

Jul 31, 2010 1:00:42 PM

Photos | Lady Gaga's Homecoming Show At Madison Square Garden

Lady Gaga's Homecoming Show At Madison Square Garden

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Lady Gaga

Angelina Jolie Vanessa Hudgens Danneel Harris Zoe Saldana

Jul 31, 2010 11:00:47 AM

My Gap Jacket

Justine, my sugar mama, sent me this lovely sun bleached denim jacket from Gap:

I'm going to be honest, I never would've bought this in the store and I didn't think it was going to look cute on me, but then I put it on and it so is!

In fact, I wore it when I went to Boston for the "What's Your Number?" wrap party (which was so. much. fun.) and now I have it with me in LA, too. Here I am wearing it in my "Adventures on the Amtrak" post:

So anyway, telling you about my jacket leads me to three things:

You can get 30% off your online Gap purchase today and tomorrow (ends 7/27) by entering the code SAVE30 at checkout.
I'm also going to send a lucky reader a gift certificate to get some sun bleached denim of their own from Gap. All you have to do is comment on this post (make sure you enter your email address in the email field; I'm the only person who will see it) and then tonight, around midnight LA time, I'll print out all the comments, cut them up, put them in a fish bowl and pick a winner.
I'm a BAD Gap Brand Enthusiast because I never gave away all those jeans they sent me a year ago. But I still have all of them in a pile in my apartment (along with a couple $50 gift certificates and some more gift certificates for free jeans) and I'm going to give them away when I get back from LA, I swear! (Also, I'm not making this up, but the new Gap jeans are the only jeans I wear nowadays. I like the Long & Lean the best and have gone through four pairs since they came out.)