From the King of Pop to the Boss, the Super Bowl stage has played host to some memorable performances; MTV News looks back on the best.
By James Montgomery

Madonna
Photo: Martin Fraser/ Getty Images

On Sunday night, Madonna will join an exclusive club that includes the likes of Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Diana Ross and, uh, Up With People when she performs at halftime of Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.

Yes, you'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger stage than the big game — last year's Super Bowl was watched by some 111 million Americans — which is why the producers of the halftime festivities always recruit the biggest stars to perform (except for 1999, when Big Bad Voodoo Daddy inexplicably found their way into the proceedings). And Madonna most certainly fits that bill, which is why, while we're not quite sure what she'll bring to the Super Bowl stage — aside from her promise that it'll be "the greatest show on earth" — we're reasonably confident that it'll be a performance folks will be talking about on Monday. And probably Tuesday too.

Of course, if Madge wants to secure her spot among the all-time greatest Super Bowl halftime performances, well, she'll definitely have to deliver the goods. Over the years, some of the most prodigious talents have gotten lost in all of the ephemera that comes with a Super Bowl slot (lasers, explosions, confetti, marching bands, will.i.am), but still others have risen to the challenge, delivering performances that have thrilled, chilled and even made us forget about the game itself. Here's a look at our favorite Super Bowl halftime performances.

Check out photos of past Super Bowl halftime shows!

Diana Ross, Super Bowl XXX: The dynamic Diana stole the show in 1996 with a classy, brassy performance that featured nearly as many of her biggest hits as it did costume changes. Her voice was in prime form, powerful enough to outshine a full gospel choir, an army of tuxedo-clad dancers and, of course, end-zone pyrotechnics. But it was her exit — lifted from the stage via helicopter, while blowing kisses as the chorus of "Take Me Higher" blasted through the stadium — that truly put this one over the top.

Prince, Super Bowl XLI: Not even a near-constant downpour could dampen this 2007 performance from the Purple One, who stalked across a custom "symbol" stage (while wearing a kerchief tied around his head), wailed on approximately 46 guitar solos, begged the audience to "take my picture," out-watted the famed FAMU marching band, covered the Foo Fighters and even managed to freak out network censors by casting a lengthy (and quite phallic) shadow from behind a piece of fabric. So, you know, it was just your average Prince show. Oh, and then he did "Purple Rain" in the rain. Meta.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Super Bowl XLIII: They opened with Springsteen leaning on Clarence Clemons (a nod to the cover of 1975's Born to Run), begged the viewing audience to "put down the chicken fingers," and then absolutely, positively destroyed the stage in Tampa with a set that featured classics like "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," "Born to Run" and "Glory Days." And then Springsteen finished things off by shouting, "I'm going to Disneyland!"As several fans have come to say, this wasn't a halftime performance, it was a football game played around a Springsteen concert. As an added bonus, this is also the performance that gave us the now-immortal meme.

Michael Jackson, Super Bowl XXVII: It started with the late, great King of Pop magically leaping from the Rose Bowl scoreboards to his stage on the 50-yard line, featured a staggering 3,000 dancers, some killer choreography (the Moonwalk!) and a career-spanning medley of Jackson's hits (everything from "Billie Jean" to "Black or White"). And as if MJ's performance wasn't testament to his superstardom, how about the 90-second ovation he received before ever singing a word? It was almost enough to make one young writer forget the Bills were on their way to losing a third-straight Super Bowl. Almost.

U2, Super Bowl XXXVI: If there is another band on the planet more capable of seizing the moment than U2, well, we'd like to meet them. In this case, that meant performing at the first Super Bowl since the 9/11 attacks, before an audience of millions still reeling and recovering. And, in typical form, Bono and company didn't shrink from the spotlight. Though there were more than a few highlights, their solemn, spiritual performance of "Where the Streets Have No Name" — which saw the names of all the victims of 9/11 projected behind them — was not only the most memorable of the night, it's without a doubt the most memorable (and chill-inducing) in Super Bowl history. And then, to top it all off, Bono pulled back his jacket to reveal an American flag. Game over.

What songs do you want Madonna to perform during the halftime show? Leave your comments on our Facebook page!

• Madonna

Star of Nickelodeon's new show tells MTV News her dad was reluctant to let her enter 'this crazy business.'
By Christina Garibaldi

Cymphonique Miller
Photo: MTV News

Nickelodeon is getting ready to rock. On Saturday, the network will premiere its new show "How to Rock," starring rising teen star Cymphonique Miller. Miller is a familiar face at Nickelodeon, having guest starred on "True Jackson, VP" and "Big Time Rush," but this time she takes on the role as leading lady on the show, which is based on the book "How to Rock Braces and Glasses" by Meg Haston.

Miller plays high school student Kasey Simon (think Rachel McAdams' character in "Mean Girls"), leader of the Perfs, the most popular girls in school. But Miller's character quickly finds herself kicked out of the "cool crowd" after she gets braces and glasses.

But Kasey won't let the "make-under" get her down. She becomes friends with a new group of students and winds up as the lead singer of their new band, Gravity 5.

"[It's] almost kind of like a battle of the bands, and the Perfs are sort of like the mean girls." Miller recently told MTV News. "It's like the Perfs are always planning some certain way to stop Gravity 5. You can see lots of crazy physical comedy and crazy stunts in the show, 'cause every week we do something totally silly and outrageous."

Miller, who sings and co-wrote the show's theme song, "Only You Can Be You," is no stranger to the spotlight; her brother is actor/rapper Romeo, and her dad is hip-hop mogul Master P. Yet, that doesn't mean it was easy for Miller to persuade her dad to let her star in "How to Rock." She said he didn't want her to be involved in "this crazy business" until he realized how passionate she was about it. So he gave her his approval, on the condition that she keeps up her grades.

"We put education first in our family, and Romeo is like my inspiration because he was not only doing film and everything, but he also went to college, he went to USC," Miller said.

"They're always just constantly telling me to not get into this business for the wrong reasons like fame or money or else you will never be happy, so just do it because you love it." It seems like Miller certainly is loving what she is doing on "How to Rock" and hopes fans can relate to the show's positive message.

"I hope that fans and the viewers can just take from the show is to find friends who love you for who you are, because it's all about friendship with this show," Miller said. "What they should learn is that at the end of the day, there's nothing more important than being yourself."

"How to Rock" premieres Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on Nickelodeon.

Are you excited for "How to Rock"? Let us know in the comments.

Video directors Megaforce open up about working with Madge, Nicki and M.I.A. — and why the kiss didn't make the cut.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Rob Markman

M.I.A., Madonna and Nicki Minaj in "Give Me All Your Luvin' "
Photo: Interscope

After fans heard that Madonna had enlisted Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. for her single and video for "Give Me All Your Luvin'," it really felt like anything could happen with those three equally eccentric and visual artists all joining forces. What they ended up creating was an eye-catching clip full of masked cheerleaders, hot football players and lacy outfits (designed by Norma Kamali) that every fan of Madge's "Like a Virgin" era will go crazy over.

The video feels distinctly Madonna — she is the star, after all — but Nicki's and M.I.A.'s presences are felt between the cheerleader chant and their equally funky verses.

"[It was] quite intense but we had a lot of fun. ... It's like shooting three presidents or something like that," Clement Gallet, from video-directing team the Megaforce, told MTV News about the shoot. "I think everybody's a bit stressed. We had time to speak to discuss the idea, to do the fittings. So you have time to meet the people first. I think we maybe thought it would be harder to have these three famous women on set, and I think everything went quite well."

While the trio's collaboration made headlines, so did a kiss Nicki tweeted about that she shared with Madonna on the New York set back in December.

"That's funny, 'cause that's something we didn't really see," he added. "Basically, it was Nicki Minaj's birthday on the shoot, but we were — as always, as the directors — stressed about the next scene and whatever happens, that when the birthday cake arrived, we were already prepping the next scene and we didn't see what happened. And we learned about it on Twitter. So basically, we cannot tell you about the scene," he joked.

Do you wish Nicki and Madonna's kiss had made it into the video? Let us know in the comments!

• Five Key Moments In Madonna's 'Give Me All Your Luvin' Music Video

• Madonna
• Nicki Minaj
• M.I.A.

Drew Barrymore, John Krasinksi and Kristen Bell discuss their new film, which follows the rescue of three gray whales in Alaska.
By Kara Warner

John Krasinksi and Drew Barrymore in "Big Miracle"
Photo: Universal Pictures

If you're looking for a feel-good film to see this weekend, look no further than "Big Miracle," the story of the real-life rescue of three gray whales trapped in ice near Point Barrow, Alaska, in 1988. Incredibly, the effort became an international issue that involved a rare collaboration between the United States and the Soviet Union and garnered worldwide media attention.

MTV News recently caught up with the three stars of the film, Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski and Kristen Bell, who explained the multi-generational appeal and importance of the story and the cause presented in the film.

"The whales have Twitter accounts," Krasinski joked when asked how the film might specifically appeal to MTV viewers. "So, streamlined information, done deal. Don't ask us, ask them. They'll talk all about it," he said with a smile. "It's a big movie that deals with participation, and with the election coming up and all these different things, and everybody is divided over this, that and the other, and everybody is angry about something. It's one of those moments where you get to say, 'I could just step in and lend my voice to something.' And it really helps, it makes you feel important and special that you're doing something. This movie sort of focuses on that completely, about how when you get a bunch of people together you can kind of do anything."

Barrymore added that the film's setting in the late '80s provides for a unique look back at our media and political cultures at the time.

"It's an interesting look back at how if things were a little different maybe we wouldn't exactly be where we are. But, it's not in a patronizing way, it's in a really interesting way," she said. "And it's amazing historically, like, you know, environmentally and politically. But, I think it's very true to what's going on now, that if people work together, whether it's protesting via Twitter for an important movement to change their country or to do something wonderful and important like saving whales. It's working together, so I think actually in 1987 when this takes place and what's going on right now today, they definitely have a connection."

Kristen Bell also focused on the warm, fuzzy aspects of the film, particularly how its positive message compares to the continually multiplying "train wreck" elements involved in other films and TV.

"I think it's a very positive story as opposed to many of the unendingly interesting train wrecks that are put on television or in films these days, which believe me, I'm not poo-pooing, but there's something very inspiring about a story where a bunch of different people come together for a common goal and actually accomplish it," Bell explained. "It's very, very inspiring, I think. And often times, news headlines or things that are written about in blogs, you know, reality television, it's not as inspiring as you want it to be, at least not for me. And it actually happened. It's historical, so you'll get smarter watching it. You'll also be inspired, so you'll be happier. What's the downfall? See the movie!"

Are you planning on seeing "Big Miracle"? Leave your comment below.

'Once you rep the MMG flag, I'll never step on your feet,' Rick Ross tells MTV News of his former Maybach affiliate.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Rick Ross
Photo: MTV News

God Forgives, I Don't may be the name of Rick Ross' upcoming LP, but the Bawse isn't as coldhearted as his album title may suggest. When it comes to former Maybach Music affiliate Pill, Rozay wishes the Atlanta MC all the best.

"I'm a real dude and I'm a real boss and once you rep the MMG flag, I'll never step on your feet; I'mma give you a pass anyway," Ross told MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway of Pill while at French Montana's "Shot Caller" remix video shoot in Miami on Sunday.

In December, P-I-Double L took to Twitter to vent about his label situation with Warner Music Group, blaming WMG for his lack of radio and television support. Because of his prominent appearance on Maybach Music's Self Made Vol. 1 compilation, many believed that Pill was signed to Ross' label, but in an exclusive interview with MTV News in January, Pill revealed that he was never technically signed to Rozay and that his deal went strictly through MMG's parent company, Warner.

"Pill's situation was a special situation because he was already signed to Warner before I did my label deal at Warner. So when I did do my deal, it was a business opportunity that was presented where Pill could run with the team for a year," Ross confirmed. "I took that opportunity. That year ran its course and it was pretty much up to Warner what decisions they wanted to make with Pill as an artist after that point. I think they made it."

Pill told MTV News in January that he was working on getting a release from Warner and made it clear that he had no problems with anyone in MMG personally — though he did say that he and Ross didn't speak very often. "I ain't got nothing against none of them, nobody. It's just the situation don't work," Pill said matter-of-factly. "It's cool with us, I don't got nothing against Ross either. It's just I don't talk to him."

Some believed that Pill's outspokenness would anger the Boss, but Rozay didn't take any of it to heart. "He made sure he reached out to me and called me and clarified," Ross said. "He expressed that in no way was he disrespecting the team or the brand, because it's a great opportunity and a great look."

As far as why the "Trap Goin' Ham" rapper's situation didn't work out, Ross thought the young MC just needed a hit record and a little luck to build his momentum. He used the success of MMG's Meek Mill and Wale to exemplify his point. "Certain things happen for certain people at certain times and none of us could really predict that," he explained. "I couldn't predict that Meek Mill would bring 'Ima Boss' to me or we couldn't predict that Wale would bring 'That Way.' "

Even though Pill and WMG are now going their separate ways, Ross is looking forward to seeing his former Maybach affiliate rack up a win. "Hopefully, in the future he'll bring him a hit record, and get him some paper and do his thing," he said. "I wish him much success."

What do you hope to see from Pill in the future? Leave your comments below!

• Rick Ross

'I'm kind of living through them all over again,' new social media correspondent tells MTV News of the contestants.
By Kara Warner

Christina Milian
Photo: MTV News

In addition to a brand-new crop of talent and potential future stars, NBC's hit singing competition "The Voice" has added a familiar face to its cast for season two: new social media correspondent Christina Milian.

When MTV News caught up with the singer/actress recently, she explained how she got the gig and how excited she is for the show to premiere on Super Bowl Sunday.

"I'm heavily involved on Twitter, have always been involved with my Internet fanbase and find that that's the best way to connect with the fans," Milian told us during a photo shoot for Hydrogen magazine. "I guess the people at NBC had their eye on me and they paid attention to it. I got a call one day and met up with everyone at NBC and the folks from 'The Voice,' and next thing you know, a week later, I'm signing a contract and the following week I'm working."

Milian had nothing but praise for her "Voice" castmates and the experience working on the show thus far.

"It's been fabulous. I've had fun working with the cast already," she said. "Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Cee Lo, Carson Daly — it's an awesome super team they have, and from day one, they treated me like family."

The "Dip It Low" singer said she loves that the show is about music and chasing your dreams and that she's enjoyed watching the coaches take time to work with and help their contestants.

"This show is about music, it's about talent, and it's about this passion and this dream of becoming a star," Milian said. "Still to this day, every day that I wake up, I have that same dream, so to be involved with the show, [it's amazing] to watch what they incorporate and how the coaches act as advisers and mentors to the artists and really truthfully help them and push them and want them to be the best so they can win.

"There have been so many moments where I've thought, 'That's me on that stage! I remember that time,' " she added of enjoying watching the contestants. "Or you see their family sitting on the side of the stage crying or excited or jumping up and down, just so happy for them to even be there, I've felt that before, so I'm kind of living through them all over again."

Will you check out season two of "The Voice" when it returns Sunday? Let us know in the comments!

Check out everything we've got on "The Voice."

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

• Christina Milian

From 'Dick Tracy' to 'Like a Virgin,' MTV News spots the best winks to Queen of Pop's many reinventions in brand-new video.
By John Mitchell

Madonna in her "Give Me All Your Luvin' " music video
Photo: Interscope

Madonna dropped her "Give Me All Your Luvin' " video on Friday morning (February 3), and the eye-popping clip featuring Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. has fans even more excited for the Queen of Pop's halftime performance at Sunday's Super Bowl.

In the video, Madonna hits the streets flanked by Minaj, M.I.A. and a very protective football team for a tongue-in-cheek walk down memory lane. In scene after scene, the pop icon references her musical past. We combed through the cheeky clip for some of the best winks at Her Madgesty's numerous reinventions. Here are our top five:

1. Madonna Passes the Pom-Poms to Nicki, M.I.A.
Some of the most famous images of pre-fame Madonna are of the Michigan native in her high school cheerleading uniform, so it seems fitting that in "Your Luvin', " there's what seems to be a symbolic passing of the pom-poms to Minaj and M.I.A. The video opens with Minaj and M.I.A. flying high at the top of a cheerleading formation on a suburban street, just the way Madonna Louise Ciccone might have as a cheerleader at Rochester Adams High School.

2. Getting a Lift — "Material Girl"-Style
Not only does the uniformed football team guarding Madonna offer up umbrellas to shield her from raining sparks and throw down their letterman jackets to give her a makeshift red carpet to walk on, but the boys give the singer a lift in a move that feels straight out of her "Material Girl" video — but with a twist. As they help her to keep steady, viewers soon realize she's walking down the side of a building!

3. Dodging a "Dick Tracy" Gangster
As the pop queen parades down an alleyway, an old-school car pulls up alongside her, and then someone rolls down a window and opens fire. The mysterious villain employs a weapon that looks just like the vintage Colt M1921 Thompson submachine guns used by the baddies in Madonna's hit flick "Dick Tracy." Luckily, the ever-vigilant team guarding her leaps in front of the fire.

4. Kissing Cheerleaders ... That Seems Familiar
Madonna's never been shy about admitting she's kissed (many) girls — and liked it. But we think this little lingering look at two masked cheerleaders smooching is probably a direct reference to Madonna's infamous lip lock with Britney Spears at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. (For the record, that legendary moment made our list of Madonna's top five best MTV performances ever!)

5. Nicki and Madonna Have Blond Ambition
Madonna climbs over a pile of football players and straight into a dream sequence that's a smorgasbord of references to Madonna's past. When she emerges from the huddle, gone are her long, flowing locks and black leather ensemble, and in their place is a short white lace dress and curly platinum-blond wig that recalls her Blond Ambition/"Vogue" era. The nod to her "Like a Virgin" years is underscored the second the camera cuts to Minaj, who sports a wedding dress that (minus a few ruffles) looks like it came straight from Madonna's 1984 VMA performance. And while Minaj isn't wearing Madonna's famed "boy toy" belt, she does make a reference to it, rapping, "You can be my boy toy."

Are you luvin' Madonna's new video? Share your reviews on our Facebook page!

• Five Key Moments In Madonna's 'Give Me All Your Luvin' Music Video

• Madonna

Miller took MTV News back to the 'Burgh and introduced us to some of his city's hottest up-and-coming talent.
By Rob Markman

Mac Miller
Photo: MTV News

Yes, the world knows Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller, but Pittsburgh has a wealth of hip-hop talent. With the Steel City's two breakout stars already accounted for, MTV News took a trip to the 'Burgh to see who's got next.

"A lot of people are talented. There are just a million talented people out there," Miller told MTV News when he took us on a tour through his hometown in December.

Acts like Boaz, Chevy Woods, B White and Mayo of the 58's, Jabari X and Varsity Squad have been repping Pittsburgh locally for some time now, and while Mac supports all the city's homegrown talent, if he had to pick one act to break out nationwide, it would be the Come Up, a.k.a. the duo of Vinny Radio and Franchise.

"I brought them on tour and I plan on bringing them out on tour, so if it's up to me, they're gonna be the next people that come out the 'Burgh," Miller said. "But there's definitely a lot more people who could; it's not just Vinny and Fran."

Mac Miller introduces Pittsburgh's hottest producers.

The Come Up exist as a part of a larger hip-hop collective called the 58's, along with rappers B White and Mayo. That union exemplifies the type of unity that exists in Pittsburgh's rap scene.

"It's a small city ... so pretty much we've all been familiar with each other for a long time," Franchise said. "Everybody in this city who's pretty much doing it legit, we've all been trying to get it and put the city on."

Taylor Gang's Chevy Woods echoed a similar sentiment. "Everybody's hardworking, and it's not like a big music scene out there, so when you got somethin', you just go with it," he said. "Everybody sees the light that shines on [Wiz Khalifa] and Mac [Miller] and now it's trickling down to everybody else."

Wiz Khalifa motivates Pittsburgh's up-and-coming artists.

There is a pretty diverse group of rap characters that come out of Pittsburgh. Wiz is a hitmaker who dedicates a lot of his catalog to partying and getting high, while Mac embodies a youthful spirit. Boaz is street, and female MC Kellee Maize spits sociopolitical bars. "To be honest, I do think Boaz is right there on the cusp. I think I'm maybe close to the cusp too," Maize said, laughing.

"I just bring that underground feel," Boaz said, describing his deeply rooted street sound. "I embrace the culture of that poverty line that I'm speaking about."

For years, Time Bomb has been an epicenter for Pittsburgh hip-hop. More than just a clothing store, Time Bomb has become a place for local 'Burgh MCs to congregate and sling their mixtapes to hungry fans. The shop's owner, Brick, has seen many young artists walk through his doors, including Miller and Khalifa. When it comes to the future of Pittsburgh hip-hop, Brick is a wide-eyed optimist.

"I think Mac and Wiz opened the door, but there's gonna be an army of producers, an army of rappers, and they're gonna be all different. People know: Pittsburgh, it is what it is, it's a hardworking town," he said. "I can name 100 people, because I want everyone to make it from here, you understand? This is Pittsburgh."

Who do you believe will be the next rap act to emerge from Pittsburgh? Tell us in the comments!

Take a look back at MTV News' Back to the 'Burgh with Mac Miller and see how we spotlighted the city's vibrant hip-hop scene.

• Back To The 'Burgh With Mac Miller And Wiz Khalifa

• Mac Miller

The magic of Madonna's parallel romantic storytelling appears to have been lost on critics.
By Kara Warner

Madonna directing "W.E."
Photo: The Weinstein Co.

In addition to her heavily hyped performance at Super Bowl XLVI this weekend, Madonna has been busy writing and directing her second movie, "W.E.," which follows the real-life love story of American divorcée Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII during the '30s, as well as a parallel story of a fictional American woman set in 1998 who became obsessed with Simpson's story.

The film has received some early awards-season love, including a Golden Globe win for Best Original Song and another Globe nomination for Best Original Score, but judging by its 17 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, the magic of the romance seems to have been lost on critics. Read on as we sift through the "W.E." reviews:

The Parallel Storytelling
"Madonna and co-screenwriter Alek Keshishian try to fuse the threads of two very different tales, set several eras apart, to provide elucidation on the nature of love. But there's not much illumination to be had. There is, however, plenty of pretentious folderol. Clothes, jewelry and expensive trinkets are fraught with superficial symbolism. The more intriguing of the two stories centers on the 1930s romance and marriage of chic American divorcée Wallis Simpson and Great Britain's King Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne to marry her. (The title stands for Wallis and Edward.) ... Jumping forward to 1998, the second story is about Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish) and her fascination with Simpson. Married to a self-absorbed and abusive psychiatrist, Wally roams New York City in a state of gloomy reverie. She forges an unlikely bond with Evgeni (Oscar Isaac), a guard at Sotheby's, where she goes often to look at the royal paraphernalia about to be auctioned. The disparate strands of the two stories never make much sense the way they're braided together. Presumably, the more Wally learns about the sacrifices Wallis made, the more she is emboldened to follow her heart and leave her own unhappy marriage. Yet what she uncovers about the Duke and Duchess is not always pretty." — Claudia Puig, USA Today

Madonna as Writer/Director
"The upshot is that instead of a film about a love that conquered a king and nearly undid a kingdom, Madonna has come up with a female friendship movie, which would be fine if she weren't busy trying to prove her art-film bona fides. At her entertainer best, Madonna distilled ideas and emotions into solid pop gold, transmitting a worldview through songs, music videos and her shape-shifter persona. The movies, by contrast, have largely defeated her both as an actress and as a director. As a mystical female friendship movie, 'W.E.' has its pull, but it never coheres, shredded by its editing and its pretensions, like Mrs. Simpson dancing to the Sex Pistols with a woman in African tribal regalia because, I'm guessing, Madonna likes the way Sofia Coppola used New Order's music in 'Marie Antoinette.' " — Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

The Chick-Flick Factor
" 'W.E.' (which interlocks with 'The King's Speech' — Bertie pops up in a couple of scenes here just as David appeared in that one) is very much a woman's picture. The men, except the Sotheby's security guard, mainly serve as obstacles or targets. That viewpoint is daring and kind of refreshing; a recent study noted that some two-thirds of the dialogue in Hollywood movies is spoken by men (in my experience, that is a reversal of reality). In the Wallis portions, Madonna presents a frank, unashamed defense of gold-digging, though she does unconvincing penance for this in the Wally story, in which the bride proves lonely and bored in her Upper East Side castle. After more than 40 years of feminism, the gold-digging subtext remains as central to female fantasy as it is in Jane Austen novels, and it's implicit in most of those rom-coms in which, just by sheer coincidence, true love happens with the owner of a chain of bookstores, or the millionaire a gal meets while working the streets. If the woman virtuously chooses love over money, she gets the lucre anyway." — Kyle Smith, The New York Post

The Final Word, Pro-Con Style
"If anyone, Madonna certainly understands the crazy pull of celebrity obsession, and it's an intriguingly romantic premise she presents, interweaving Wally's story with the Duchess', often triggered by the modern woman's handling of certain artifacts belonging to the late, almost-Queen of England, who even begins to appear to her in hallucinations, to offer world-weary advice and/or disapproval. The director tells the Duchess' story with surprising verve, historical accuracy and style, a huge improvement over the nastily cartoonish way the couple was represented in the overrated 'The King's Speech' last year. There are a few clichéd missteps, as when Edward's mother, Queen Mary (Judy Parfitt), clucks, 'This is a pretty kettle of fish!' over her son's scandal, but, for the most part, the historical sequences have a thrilling élan, aided by the crack photography, art direction and especially Arianne Phillips' superbly accurate costume design for this most chic of fashion eras. Taking a cue, perhaps, from Sofia Coppola's 'Marie Antoinette,' Madonna has also effectively interpolated modern pop-rock music along with the usual Deco cocktail standards of the era." — David Noh, FilmJournal.com

"You can't call 'W.E.' a total disaster; it's too pretty, too nonsensical and finally too insignificant for that. Rather, it's a heavily decorated and overly complicated exercise in female narcissism, which in its plotless meandering fashion seeks to draw a mystical connection between an unhappy Manhattan wife and Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough), the Baltimore socialite who married King Edward VIII. Riseborough gives a richly enjoyable performance as the prickly, strange and not especially beautiful American who pulled a king and emperor from his throne, and some of the 1930s scenes are pretty fun, after the fashion of outtakes from 'The King's Speech' turned into music videos or haute couture shoots. Madonna and co-writer Alek Keshishian (who directed 'Truth or Dare' way back in 1991) go right at the historical reputation of Wallis and Edward as Nazi sympathizers, and to the extent that 'W.E.' is an attempt to rehabilitate them at least it has a clear agenda." — Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com

Check out everything we've got on "W.E."

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

• MTV Rough Cut: Madonna

• Madonna

Day after Decemberists withdrew support, breast cancer charity announces it has reinstated funding for PP health centers.
By Gil Kaufman

Much like Congress rethought its decision after the outpouring of public anger over the anti-piracy SOPA and PIPA (Personal Information Protection Act) acts, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation had a change of heart on Friday (February 3) after intense criticism for its decision to stop funding Planned Parenthood initiatives.

Komen, the organization behind the popular pink-ribbon campaign, announced on Tuesday that it would stop funding breast cancer prevention, screening and education at Planned Parenthood health centers — a decision Planned Parenthood claimed was in response to pressure from pro-life groups. Over the past five years, PP centers with Komen program funding have provided nearly 170,000 clinical breast exams out of the more than 4 million exams performed nationwide at PP health centers, as well as more than 6,400 mammogram referrals out of 70,000 total referrals, according to PP.

Following the firestorm of controversy over the decision, the founder and CEO of the nation's largest breast-cancer advocacy group said on Friday that the group would work to change the criteria that sparked the outcry.

"We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants," Nancy G. Brinker said in a statement. "We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives."

Brinker went further, acknowledging that the original decision to pull funding was done for "political reasons, or specifically to penalize Planned Parenthood." In the wake of the public furor, Komen's director of community health programs resigned in protest over the decision. In addition, 26 U.S. senators had signed a letter this week asking Komen to reconsider its withdrawal decision.

One of the leading artistic voices of dissent over the initial Komen withdrawal from Planned Parenthood were the Decemberists. The band had worked with Komen since the band's keyboardist, Jenny Conlee, had revealed her breast cancer diagnosis. When news broke on Tuesday that Komen had pulled funding for breast cancer examinations at PP, the Decemberists redirected the funds from their "Team Jenny" T-shirt to PP.

On their website, they explained, "The Decemberists are deeply troubled by Komen for the Cure's recent decision to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, a vital resource in the battle against breast cancer. Providing cancer screenings to low income women is integral to the prevention and defeat of breast cancer and it is unconscionable that Komen should politicize this very important issue by bowing to the fear campaign being waged against PP by the right."

On Friday, the band added an update to their initial posting, writing, "The Decemberists are pleased that Komen for the Cure reversed their decision."