Lady Gaga's 'Edge Of Glory': A Pop-Culture Cheat Sheet

In her newest video, Gaga pays homage to classic clips of the 1980s.
By James Montgomery


Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images

The first thing that strikes you about Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory" video is the fact that it's steeped in the rich, gauzy traditions of classic pop clips and noticeably missing any of the allegories, agendas or, uh, afterbirth of her previous work.

Simply put, "Edge" is an homage to an entire genre of videos that has since gone by the wayside — namely, the eternally soft-focused, ethereal mini-movies of the 1980s, (mostly) pop productions that reimagined cityscapes as dream-like fantasy worlds, where the just-wet streets shone like mirrors, the manholes frothed with steam and no piece of fabric was left un-billowed. These were decidedly big-budget, unapologetically Hollywood things, shot on studio backlots, glowing with million-dollar lighting budgets and given extra grandeur thanks to sweeping, soaring crane shots. They made no attempt to portray reality as anything of the sort — because, much like the songs they accompanied, there was rebellion in that fantasy — or of hiding their excesses. And, not surprisingly, as the decade came to a close, and earnestness began to reign supreme, they slowly disappeared (surely, their big budgets didn't help their fate either).

But with her new clip, Gaga resurrects the epic videos of the '80s once again. And, seemingly, all at once. There truly are too many nods to the classics to list individually, and really, that's beside the point. With "The Edge of Glory," LG is paying tribute not to individual artists, but to an entire genre. Still, there are some whose influence stands above the rest, and we've combined them into one handy cheat sheet. Of course, in keeping with her tradition, not all of them come from the 1980s. Because if there's anything Lady Gaga has proven, it's that she refuses to be fenced in. Here's our list:

Bonnie Tyler: Welsh-born belter whose better-known videos (like "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out for a Hero") practically set the standard for the fantastical pop videos of the 1980s. Soft focus, arching crane shots, achingly staged lighting — they're all there, and they're all on display in "Edge of Glory" too.

Blondie, "Rapture": One of the earliest examples of the ethereal '80s (it was released in 1981), the video follows Debbie Harry on a dream-like traipse through the streets of New York City, complete with guest appearances by Fab Five Freddy and a shuffling Uncle Sam (to name just a few). It makes no sense, because it's not supposed to.

Cyndi Lauper: Gaga's good friend and, along with Madonna, perhaps the premier '80s video star, Lauper's classics — be they the good-natured rebellion of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" or the moody, arty "True Colors" — both seem like spiritual successors to "Edge."

"Fame": Epochal tale of performing-arts students living and loving in NYC during the early '80s, it's spirit and style have long influenced Gaga's work. With its dance moves and dreamy, freedom-in-the-streets scenes, "Edge" is perhaps the best example of that.

"Flashdance": Prototypical "girl finds escape in dance" film from 1983, it stars Jennifer Beals as a steelworker/dancer who dreams of a better life. Not only are the same sentiments echoed in "Edge," but Gaga pays tribute to the film's most memorable scene — where Beals reclines in a chair and is doused in water — by striking a similar pose outside her apartment building.

George Michael: Before he became known for his various, uh, exploits, Michael was the biggest British pop star of the 1980s, and as such, he churned out some appropriately huge music videos. Two of his biggest — "Father Figure" and "Careless Whisper" — seem to have influenced Gaga with their gauzy, steamy portrayals of late-night life in the big city and, in the case of "Whisper," that balls-out sax wailing.

Michael Jackson: You can't write anything about videos from the 1980s without mentioning MJ, who took the art form to rarely duplicated heights. Usually, his clips were fantastical things, but occasionally, he also got gritty, and it's those moments (videos like "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Billie Jean") that seem to have stuck in Gaga's mind.

"Newsies": The 1992 Disney musical is most notable for its initial "flop" status and its subsequent rebirth as a cult classic. It tells the story of newsboys on strike in New York City, and in classic scenes like Christian Bale's performance of the song "Santa Fe," it takes that struggle to the twisting fire escapes of the city. Sort of like "Edge of Glory," really.

"Rent": Broadway retelling of Puccini's "La bohème," set in the Lower East Side in the early 1990s. As some have noted, Lady Gaga seems to be paying tribute to the choreography of one particular number ("Out Tonight") as she dances on the fire escape.

"West Side Story": One of the best-loved Broadway musicals of all time, "Story" was remade as a film in 1961 and went on to win a whopping 10 Oscars, including Best Picture. As you can expect, there are plenty of street scenes and fire escapes in both the film and the stage show, but perhaps the most famous is "Tonight," where the story's star-crossed lovers profess their love for one another high above the city. Sure, Maria never tears off her Versace silk, but you seemingly cannot film a scene on a fire escape without recalling this classic, and, in "Edge," there's certainly a lot of the former.

Did we miss any influences? Let us know in the comments below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1665991/lady-gaga-edge-of-glory.jhtml

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Joe Jonas Covers Lady Gaga!


Joe Jonas played an acoustic set in Los Angeles yesterday, and the crowd when gaga for the singer. In return, he went Gaga for his fans!

In promotion of his upcoming solo album, Jonas helped open a new Microsoft store at the Westfield Century City with a live set of music. He did so by covering "Edge of Glory," a rendition that earned Joe the following Tweet from the Lady herself:

Swoon! Nick Jonas singing The Edge of Glory. On my way to press conference in Taichung, listening to it. So dreamy! X


Joe Jonas - Edge of Glory (Live)

Jonas also delivered a version of "See No More," the first single off his September 6 release. Check it out below.


Joe Jonas - See No More (Live)

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/07/joe-jonas-covers-lady-gaga/

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Les News, 070211

Harry Potter goes South Park. Deltra Goodrem cheers on solo Nick Jonas. Boba Fett in Mordor. THIS is the scariest thing ever created by human beings. So wait … you’re telling me Michael Bay is a hack who reuses the same scenes in different movies? The devil, you say! Cheryl Cole tries a new look. [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pinkisthenewblog/~3/Jb7RT_s6kk4/

Kelly Carlson Kelly Clarkson Kelly Hu Kelly Monaco Kelly Ripa

'Transformers' Stars Reveal Tricks Behind Filming Building-Escape Scene

'We all felt 12 again, sliding down the side of this building, shooting, screaming,' Tyrese Gibson tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner


Shia LaBeouf in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Photo: Jaimie Trueblood

For those who've seen "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," there is so much going on in the film that one could spend the next 12 months breaking down all the dirty details. We've already tackled the nods to "Star Trek" and the "Transformers"-specific Easter eggs, so today we turn our attention to one of the film's most impressive action sequences: the part when evil Decepticon Shockwave sends his massive, spinning, snakelike destroyer after our protagonists, who become trapped in the upper stories of a tall building. The Transformer proceeds to cut the building in half, leaving our heroes no option but to jump out of the windows and slide down the outside of the building to safety.

MTV News had the scene's stars, Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Tyrese Gibson, explain how they managed to pull off that sequence.

"The building comes up on what I can only describe as a crane," Whiteley explained of the rig used to support and move the specific set piece. "It tilts to about a 40-degree angle. It's built to look like the outside of a skyscraper," she said. "Shia, myself, Tyrese, the Marines, we all set at the top, Mike [director Michael Bay] would scream 'Action!' and then we would slide down this thing," she recalled. "And then flower pots, chairs, paper and fake glass, tennis balls, every office supply you could possibly think of would get thrown down after us."

Despite the gravity of that particular scene, it turns out that the boys thought of the tilting skyscraper set piece more like a ride at a county fair.

"This thing had to be 150 to 200 feet in the air. It was like a huge slide," Gibson said. "We all felt 12 again, sliding down the side of this building, shooting, screaming, doing everything we had to do in those scenes.

"It was scary stuff," he added with a smile. "It was scary with the idea that we are about to be eaten, eaten alive."

"We shot that for three weeks or so," LaBeouf said. "You're basically pulling yourself on rope to get to the top of the thing. It's like a big slide, you know those slides they have at fairs where you get the little brown bag? Brown bag slides, sort of like that."

Huntington-Whiteley added that in the midst of all the fun had while sliding, she learned very quickly to pay attention to her landing and get out of the way when she reached the bottom of the set piece. "I'd always hit the bottom first. It took one time to realize if I didn't get out of the way really quick, I was going to get flattened by a 300-pound man coming quite quickly after me!"

Check out everything we've got on "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."

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

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666768/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-building-escape.jhtml

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Beyonce Set To Perform At 2011 BET Awards

Singer joins performers Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Drake and others at the live June 26 show.
By Jocelyn Vena


Beyonce
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic

Two days after her album 4 is officially released, Beyoncé is set to perform at the 2011BET Awards, which air live from Los Angeles at the Shrine Auditorium on June 26.

The "Run the World (Girls)" singer, known for power--packed performances, hasn't announced what she'll sing yet, but as it turns out, she's also nominated for an award at the show. The singer is up against Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson, Keri Hilson and Marsha Ambrosius in the Best Female R&B Artist category.

According to EW.com, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Rowland and Trey Songz are also slated to perform on the awards show. And "The Voice" judge and "F--- You" singer Cee-Lo Green will make a special appearance on the show, the website reported. Previously announced performers include Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne, Drake and Chris Brown, who's up for six awards.

Other big nominees for the night include Lil Wayne with 5 nods, as well as Kanye West, Drake and Rihanna, each with four noms. There's a surprising mix of contenders in the Video of the Year category, including Willow Smith for "Whip My Hair," Marsha Ambrosius' "Far Away," B.o.B's "Airplanes," Brown's "Look at Me Now," Hilson's "Pretty Girl Rock" and West's "Runaway."

Fans will have their say that night when they'll be asked to decide on the Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Award. Competing in that category are Brown ("Look at Me Now," featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes), Rihanna ("What's My Name?"), Lil Wayne ("6 Foot 7 Foot," featuring Cory Gunz), Mindless Behavior ("My Girl"), Nicki Minaj ("Moment 4 Life," featuring Drake) and Trey Songz ("Bottoms Up," featuring Nicki Minaj).

Are you excited to see Beyoncé perform at the BET Awards? Tell us in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1665873/beyonce-set-perform-at-2011-bet-awards.jhtml

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Los Angeles

I'm here! I'm here! And I saw my first gang-banger get arrested yesterday so I feel like a total Angeleno.

I'm getting ready to go to the gym (again, like a total Angeleno!) so I will update later about my run-ins with Alexander Skarsgard, Pauly Shore, and Jeremy or Jason London (I'm not sure which one it was and seeing if I could force him to do drugs to find out seemed unfair. Besides, as it turned out, he was telling the truth?)

Anyhoo, I've got a lot to tell you about gardening! (Did you know if you get dirt wet it turns into mud? Yuck.)

And bumpers! (They don't bump off anything... they go, "Scraaaaaaaatch!")

And there's probably more but, again, I have to go because I have to get to the gym!

Source: http://www.prettyinthecity.com/blog/2011/6/9/los-angeles.html

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