invisioner | Trance producer

Lil' Kim Is Coming To 'RapFix Live' This Thursday At 4 p.m. ET On MTV.com

The Queen Bee will be sitting down with Sway to talk all things hip-hop this Thursday at 4pm ET on MTV.com

Details are beginning to fall in place for director's 'Inglourious Basterds' follow-up.
By Eric Ditzian

Quentin Tarantino
Photo: Charles Eshelman/ FilmMagic

For years, Quentin Tarantino has been talking about the kooky idea of making a spaghetti western-esque film that explores American slavery. Now multiple reports suggest he might be moving forward with a project in a similar vein.

Nothing's confirmed yet, of course, but all this chatter does seem to indicate that Tarantino's next production following the Oscar-winning, $300 million-grossing success of 2009's "Inglourious Basterds" will, in fact, be a spaghetti western. There have been, until now, numerous projects the filmmaker was said to be considering, though he has long stated a desire to explore the western genre.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time," Tarantino told us late in '09 of the slavery pic. "That's definitely in the garden, for lack of a better metaphor. That is definitely one of my roses."

So what do we know so far? Back in 2007, Tarantino spoke at length to Britain's Telegraph about that project, calling it the Southern equivalent of a western. "I want to do movies that deal with America's horrible past with slavery and stuff but do them like spaghetti westerns, not like big issue movies," he said. "I want to do them like they're genre films, but they deal with everything that America has never dealt with because it's ashamed of it, and other countries don't really deal with because they don't feel they have the right to."

Tarantino, instead, chose to explore an alt-history take on World War II with "Basterds." When MTV News caught up with him late last year, he confessed that he still hadn't committed to his next project, though he did say that rumors of taking on an adaptation of "The Shadow" were untrue. Only in recent days has talk of a spaghetti western, devoid of a connection to slavery, picked up steam.

Deadline reported that Tarantino said he has completed the script for the new movie and that the writing, unlike his work on "Basterds" and "Kill Bill," came together quite quickly. Meanwhile, the actor Franco Nero gave an Italian-language interview at the Los Angeles Italia festival in which he said that talent has already been coalescing around the project, including himself, Keith Carradine and Treat Williams.

"It's a movie that contains humor, lots of action, but also a great plot," Nero said.

Ain't It Cool News picked up on the news and added some intriguing details — most intriguingly that Christoph Waltz, who won an Oscar for his turn as a cold-blooded Nazi in "Basterds," would also star in the flick. According to AICN, the script is not based on any existing material but is an original script and will potentially begin production in Spain and Italy later this year.

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

'With the New Kids, I loved the ballads. I was all about ballads. I'm not really into ballads anymore,' Knight says.
By Jocelyn Vena

Jordan Knight
Photo: Kevork Djansezian/ Getty Images

Jordan Knight's new single "Let's Go Higher" was released Tuesday (March 1), and it's a chugging club tune about hitting the dance floor with that special someone. The New Kids on the Block singer hooked up with onetime Lady Gaga collaborator Colby O'Donis, who wrote the song with the Knight in mind and felt it was the perfect track to re-launch his solo career.

"I had a track and I really liked this track. I needed a writer to see if they could put some good idea over it," Knight said of another song he had been working on. "I was always talking about Colby O'Donis. He's got a great vibe," he recalled, adding that O'Donis had something else in mind for the pop star.

"He sent [it] and it was produced by him in his studio, so the production wasn't exactly where I wanted it. But I could recognize the song as being a really good song with a great hook and great message," he said. Knight first hooked up with the songwriter a year ago before reworking the track with Marcus Siskind.

"I've been kind of working on a solo record for a year and a half and it just didn't feel like it was all put together," Knight explained. "It all fell together now at a great time."

Knight is soaking up the fun, pop vibe that has taken over mainstream radio and will certainly find its way onto his next album. "Higher" is the lead single off Knight's May solo album release, Unfinished, which drops the same month that New Kids on the Block is set to hit the road with the Backstreet Boys on their highly anticipated joint venture.

"There's a few ballads. It's not ballad heavy. It does represent well the tone of the album," he said. "The tone is definitely upbeat. I think a lot of people thought that I would do mid-tempos — Jordan's the crooner romantic guy — but it's not really that kind of music. I honestly prefer upbeat music. I prefer doing upbeat music. With the New Kids, I loved the ballads. I was all about ballads. I'm not really into ballads anymore," he laughed.

• Jordan Knight

Bodog.com also ranks Paul McDonald and Casey Abrams as tentative favorites.
By James Montgomery

The "American Idol" top 24
Photo: FOX

They've already survived Hollywood Week, Las Vegas and even that very long walk down the airplane hangar, but now, the real competition begins. On Tuesday night (March 1), the "American Idol" Top 24 will sing for their lives — guys first, followed by the girls on Wednesday — and it will be up to viewers at home to determine just who moves on.

And though there's still a long way to go until we reach the finals in May, that hasn't stopped some "Idol" hopefuls from already surging to the front of the field ... at least, according to the oddsmakers, that is.

With the Top 24 set to tip off, the folks at Bodog.com have just released their odds for each of the remaining contestants, a list that's topped by early frontrunner (and Steven Tyler favorite) Lauren Alaina, who is a 7/1 favorite to win the season-10 crown.

The bubbly teen edges out Julie Zorrilla, whom Bodog has given 15/2 odds; soulful singer Paul McDonald (8/1); and Casey Abrams (9/1). Deep-voiced country crooner Scotty McCreery and Tim Halperin round out the Bodog top five, each getting 10/1 odds.

The Bodog oddsmakers were lukewarm on a few other frontrunners, giving big-voiced gospel standout Jacob Lusk only 12/1 odds to win the season-10 title, followed by likeable heartthrob Stefano Langone and polished, poised Pia Toscano (14/1 odds) and Kendra Chantelle at 15/1.

And if you're a fan of folks like TaTynisa Wilson, Jordan Dorsey or Rachel Zevita, well, you probably won't be tuning in to "Idol" for very long. Bodog has those three as the biggest long-shots to win the title, with Wilson and Dorsey each getting 40/1 odds and Zevita bringing up the rear at 50/1.

The odds to win "American Idol" season 10, according to Bodog.com:

» Lauren Alaina, 7/1
» Julie Zorrilla, 15/2
» Paul McDonald, 8/1
» Casey Abrams, 9/1
» Scotty McCreery, 10/1
» Tim Halperin, 10/1
» Jacob Lusk, 12/1
» Stefano Langone, 14/1
» Pia Toscano, 14/1
» Kendra Chantelle, 15/1
» Robbie Rosen, 18/1
» Naima Adedapo, 20/1
» James Durbin, 20/1
» Lauren Turner, 25/1
» Haley Reinhart, 25/1
» Jovany Barreto, 25/1
» Karen Rodriguez, 25/1
» Ashthon Jones, 25/1
» Thia Megia, 30/1
» Brett Loewenstern, 35/1
» Clint Jun Gamboa, 35/1
» TaTynisa Wilson, 40/1
» Jordan Dorsey, 40/1
» Rachel Zevita, 50/1

Don't miss "Idol Party Live" at 10 p.m. Thursday on MTV.com, following the "American Idol" results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke. In the meantime, get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

• 'American Idol' Season 10 Top 24