Sara Kelly Celebrity Updater

To commemorate the return of Star Wars to your local megaplex (you probably already know that “Episode I: The Phantom Menace” in 3D hits theaters next Friday) we at MTV Movies have chose to give you a very unique gift?a weekly blog devoted to all things “Star Wars.”

In this very space I will be reporting, ruminating and ranting about a diversity of topics relating to the film franchise that has always been near and dear to my heart. I?ll call this column The Comlink until I come up with something cooler ? suggestions are most certainly welcome.

Today?s topic is a character who?although not my personal favorite?has become so huge in the Expanded Universe that if he chose to enter the upcoming presidential election he?d probably win. He?s the guy who survived the belly of the Sarlacc and who legions of fans are hoping to see starring in the long-awaited live proceedings Star Wars TV show. I?m talking about The Man-of-Few-Words, The Disintegrator, The Killer from Kamino himself? Boba Fett.

I?ve often wondered why and how this particular bounty hunter, with his minimal presence in the original trilogy, became so darn well loved. Was it the impenetrable helmet? The rocket pack? The funky ship, Slave I, which transported the carbon-frozen Han Solo to that sonofabitch Jabba? MTV News posed the question to George Lucas back in 1997; he said, ?I don?t know why. I?m mystified by it.?

Actor/director/novelist/producer/outspoken geek Kevin Smith, who never fails to acknowledge his like of Star Wars, is similarly baffled. ?He looks cool and that?s it, and I guess appearance goes a long way,? he told MTV News recently. Smith went on to call Boba Fett “a loser.”

I didn’t necessarily share Kevin Smith’s low opinion of Boba, but I did need someone to provide more insight into his popularity. Eric Geller, social media director for TheForce.net, came to my rescue.

“It’s more than just the armor,” Geller clarified. “It?s about the actions that he takes, why he takes them, and how that distinguishes him from more archetypal characters.” In contrast to Luke Skywalker on one side and Darth Vader on the other, Boba Fett isn?t motivated by ideology? he?s in it for the money (Han Solo may say it but we know better.) In that way he stands out as a unique character in the ‘verse.

And his lack of screen time made Boba even more alluring, said Geller. ?It was basically a question of giving a bigwig just enough to make them want more. And I reckon that was one of the things that was really artfully done about the original trilogy with Boba Fett.”

And although haters like Kevin Smith might not choose, you?ve got to give props to a guy who stood toe-to-toe with Darth Vader and didn?t flinch. That’s worth a lot to me.

Got something to say about The Fett or anything else Star Wars related? Give us a shout in the comments section below, or on Chirrup!

Tags boba fett, comlink, kevin smith, star wars

Amber Arbucci Amber Brkich Amber Heard Amber Valletta America Ferrera Amerie Amy Cobb

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 finished up making 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 reckon every person’s a bit stressed. We had time to speak to discuss the thought, to do the fittings. So you have time to meet the people first. I reckon we maybe thought it would be harder to have these three well-known women on set, and I reckon 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 amusing, ’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 indoors, we were already prepping the next scene and we didn’t see what happened. And we learned about it on Chirrup. 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!

Alecia Elliott Alessandra Ambrosio Alexis Bledel Ali Campoverdi Ali Larter Alice Dodd Alicia Keys

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 anyhow,” 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 Chirrup to vent about his mark situation with Warner Music Group, blaming WMG for his lack of radio and television help. Because of his prominent appearance on Maybach Music’s Self Made Vol. 1 compilation, many believed that Pill was signed to Ross’ mark, but in an exclusive interview with MTV News in January, Pill exposed 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 unique situation because he was already signed to Warner before to I did my mark deal at Warner. So when I did do my deal, it was a affair 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 sweet much up to Warner what decisions they wanted to make with Pill as an artist after that point. I reckon they made it.”

Pill told MTV News in January that he was working on getting a relief 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 rage 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 fantastic opportunity and a fantastic 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 small 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 clarified. “I couldn’t predict that Meek Mill would result in ‘Ima Boss’ to me or we couldn’t predict that Wale would result in ‘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 result in 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!

Jamie Gunns Jamie Lynn Sigler Janet Jackson January Jones Jennie Finch Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Gareis

Tuesday morning’s (January 24) announcement of the 2012 Oscar nominations delivered plenty of surprises. Michael Fassbender (“Shame”), Albert Brooks (“Drive”) and Charlize Theron (“Young Adult”) were overlooked in the performing arts categories, while Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”), Rooney Mara (“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”) and Max von Sydow (“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”) scored surprise nominations. But perhaps no category was more head-scratching than Best Original Song.

Despite the fact that a small list of 39 tracks were eligible for nomination, only two were named ? “Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets” and “Real in Rio” from “Rio” ? leaving tunes from Elton John and Lady Gaga, Pink, will.i.am, Zooey Deschanel, Elvis Costello and Mary J. Blige shut out of the struggle.

Many Oscar-watchers were left wondering why the Academy would opt away from the traditional five contenders in favor of just two small-heard songs. Well, a closer look at the Oscar rule book shows it’s probably less a case of choosing to nominate only two songs than it is simply a case of a single song scoring enough points to secure a nod, and then bringing its closest struggle along for the ride.

Oscar nominations are indoors at using a very complicated weighted system in which members of the Academy, voting exclusively for members of their own branch (i.e. actors chose the performing arts nominees, directors vote for directors, etc.), rank contenders in order of preference. From there, a “magic number” is determined that relies on the number of ballots cast for a category, along with a specific mathematical equation. Ballots are tallied and contenders are eliminated through several rounds in a process that tabulates factors like first-place mentions and so on. Once a contender reaches the magic number, they are an Oscar nominee. (The those over at EW‘s PopWatch break down the selection steps in fantastic detail.)

So this is how the nominees are determined ? with one exception: Best Original Song. In 2009, when the Academy opted to up the number of Best Picture nominees to 10 (the voting body has since altered that number), it also changed the rules for Best Original Song. As Billboard points out, members of the Academy’s music branch now “assign each song a numerical score between 1 and 10, and if no song receives an average of more than 8.25, there are no nominees. If only one song tops the threshold, as clearly happened here, the next highest vote getter secures a nomination as well.”

This year’s Best Original Song category boils down to this: either Bret McKenzie’s “Man or Muppet” or “Real in Rio” by songwriting trio Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett secured a score of 8.25 or better, earning a nomination and pulling the #2 vote-getter into the fray. Simply place, members of the music branch didn’t award any other song, including John and Gaga’s duet “Hello Hello” or Blige’s “The Help” track “Living Proof,” a score high enough to secure a nomination.

But lest you reckon that this means the category is all but locked, reckon again. While selecting the Oscar nominees is an intensely mathematical process, picking the winners is much simpler. Once the nominations are chose, every member of the Academy can vote in each category and the nominee that receives the most votes wins. Simple enough. And since actors are the largest voting block of the Academy? and would have had nothing to do with the tracks selected to contend for Best Original Song ? it’s anyone’s game.

See the complete list of Academy Awards Nominations.

Brittany Lee Brittany Murphy Brittany Snow Brittny Gastineau Brody Dalle Brooke Burke Brooke Burns