'I respect her and her decision to leave,' the season-nine runner-up says of the talk show host's 'Idol' exit.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Crystal Bowersox
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

"American Idol" contender Crystal Bowersox responds to the news that funnywoman Ellen DeGeneres has left her gig as an "Idol" judge after one season. Bowersox, who scored the runner-up slot on the show's ninth season, took feedback from the talk show host during her brief stint on the Fox hit and wished the comedienne well in the wake of DeGeneres' recent departure.

"Ellen is an amazing and kind human being, and I respect her and her decision to leave 'American Idol'," Bowersox said in a statement to MTV News. "She brought a smile to the show and so much more, and I am very happy to have been a part of her time there. I wish nothing but the best for her, and also to 'American Idol'."

With DeGeneres gone from the show, speculation regarding how the judging panel will shape up for the next season of "Idol" has spiked. Reports have suggested that singer, dancer and actress Jennifer Lopez has been locked in as a new judge. When contacted by MTV News regarding whether J.Lo would take a seat on the judges' panel, a Fox representative had no comment.

The fate of the remaining "Idol" judges, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, has come under scrutiny as well. Songwriter DioGuardi has been reportedly ousted from her post and, according to TMZ, the show's producers are overhauling the entire panel and Jackson may be the only judge to survive the revamp.

Before Ellen's departure, the talent showcase had already been mulling replacements for longtime "Idol" critic Simon Cowell who announced earlier this year that he would be moving on after the star-making competition's ninth season. Several celebrities have been tossed around as possible replacements, including Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, country-pop diva Jessica Simpson and crooners Chris Isaak and Harry Connick Jr.

What do you think of Ellen DeGeneres leaving "American Idol" and who do you think would be a good replacement for her and Simon Cowell? Sound off in the comments below!

• Ellen DeGeneres Leaves 'American Idol'

• Crystal Bowersox's 'American Idol' Experience
• Ellen DeGeneres' 'Idol' Run

• Ellen Degeneres

Levine's PSA promotes 'Countdown to Zero' anti-nuclear documentary from the producers of 'An Inconvenient Truth.'
By James Montgomery

Maroon 5's Adam Levine and Michael Madden
Photo: MTV News

Maroon 5's Adam Levine never thought he'd be talking about a topic like nuclear proliferation, because, well, he's the lead singer of a world-famous rock band. Discussing the finer points of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty wasn't exactly on the job description.

And yet, when he was approached by the folks behind "Countdown to Zero" — the harrowing new documentary from the producers of "An Inconvenient Truth" that investigates the perilous state of global politics and the spread of nuclear weapons — about helping promote the film, he said yes.

"It's one of those issues where it's really easy to establish a stance on," Levine said. "It's more of a human issue, and it makes no sense whatsoever to me. I mean, I'm pretty certain it was a terrible idea to invent nuclear weapons in the first place."

So along with M5 bassist Mickey Madden, Levine shot a PSA that urges people to read — and, hopefully, sign — an anti-nuclear weapons petition co-sponsored by Take Part, an online community aimed at engaging members with social issues (find it here). The petition asks the U.S. Senate to ratify the recently-signed START agreement, which will remove a significant number of nuclear weapons from the arsenals of both the U.S. and Russia. And, in doing so, it may be the first step towards accomplishing what the "Countdown to Zero" film dares to ask: Why does any country need nuclear weapons in this day and age?

"The best way to do things with a delicate issue like this is just to present the facts, and that's what this film does," Levine said. "There are 'X' amount of weapons, and 'Y' amount of people have died because of them, and, oh, by the way, 'Z' amount of those nuclear weapons have gone missing over the years. To me, that was the most staggering stat. I mean, these are not cherry bombs! So while I'm not going to get on the soapbox, I do think that most people will admit that missing nuclear weapons is a bad thing — so why bother having them at all?"

And though he sounds like a well-trained expert now, things didn't quite go as smoothly in the Take Part PSA — which, by the way, is making its world premiere right here — as you can probably tell from the end result. Because unlike some other musicians who lent a hand (a list that includes Pearl Jam, Trent Reznor, R.E.M., Tom Morello and OK Go), Levine is still getting the hang of this whole "spokesperson" thing.

"Oh man, when we shot [the PSA], it was early and I wasn't really good at reading scripts, so I cursed a lot," he laughed.

"Countdown to Zero" opens in theaters nationwide on Friday (July 30).

• Maroon 5

'It symbolizes how I've had to remove myself from society,' Em says of 'glass-cube' cover.
By James Montgomery

Eminem (file)
Photo: Michael Caulfield/ WireImage

It was, to say the very least, unseasonably cold in Detroit back in April — like, 33 degrees cold — but that didn't stop Eminem from ditching his down coat to shoot the cover for his Recovery album.

Of course, he wasn't exactly happy about doing it, but at the request of photographer Nigel Parry, he shed his coat and sat in a makeshift living room in Detroit's Hart Plaza, joking, "Oh man, listen, take your time, listen, I am enjoying the weather so f---ing much!" while Parry snapped away.

All of this occurs within the first minute of a brand-new, behind-the-scenes video posted late Thursday on Em's official site. The video gives fans an exclusive look at the creation of Recovery's two iconic covers. In part one, we watch him shoot the so-called "glass-cube" cover, which, as Em explains, has a lot more symbolism than you'd think.

"It symbolizes, like, what my life is like right now because of the fame, but also kind of how I've had to remove myself from society a little bit, pull back to conquer my demons, my addiction and that whole thing," he says in the video. "It also symbolizes me never leaving Detroit, you know? I'm kinda just sitting in the middle of Detroit, watching TV. And it's kind of my living room, where people are just walking by."

The first clip ends with Eminem, Parry and a team of art directors piling into vans to go shoot the second album cover, which Em describes as "the road to Recovery." And then, in an extended gag — designed to make the rest of his crew as cold and miserable as he is — Em goes on a lengthy rant where he spouts self-help mantras ("You gotta take it one day at a time," etc.) while everyone huddles by a van, laughing.

At the end of the video, we see a quick scene of Eminem wandering down a deserted stretch of highway, and a title card promises that episode two of the Recovery behind-the-scenes footage will be coming soon.

• The Evolution Of: Eminem

• Eminem

'She's always been in control of her own destiny,' Cowell says.
By James Dinh

Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell
Photo: Kevin Parry/ WireImage

Fans and bloggers aren't the only ones sharing their reactions to the news that Ellen DeGeneres is leaving "American Idol" after just one season. Fellow departed judge Simon Cowell and current host Ryan Seacrest have also revealed their feelings about the news.

Cowell, who left the show after last season, seemed to imply that he thinks DeGeneres is making the right move. "As I got to know Ellen, I grew to really, really like her," Cowell said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. "I have huge respect for her because she's always been in control of her own destiny."

Ryan Seacrest also dished his two cents on the comedian's unexpected exit. The host took to Twitter on Thursday night with nothing but kind words for his colleague. "Spoke with ellen d tonight aka @theellenshow‬. I will miss her on Idol. She's one of the kindest and most talented people in Hollywood," he tweeted.

On Thursday, Ellen announced her departure from the show in a statement she posted on her website. "It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for," she wrote. "I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings. I loved the experience working on 'Idol' and I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be."

What do you think about Ellen's departure from "Idol"? Will you miss her? Let us know in the comments!

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

• Ellen DeGeneres Leaves 'American Idol'

• Ellen DeGeneres' 'Idol' Run

Pittsburgh MC admits Rick Ross' own label offer was 'a huge honor' and opens up about Twitter, tattoos and more on our live stream sit-down.
By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Wiz Khalifa
Photo: MTV News

Wiz Khalifa was voted by fans as MTV's "Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010" and he opened up to his Taylor Gang following during the "RapFive Live" broadcast on Friday (July 30). The Pittsburgh MC addressed everything from his relationship with Rick Ross to his new major-label deal to living at home with moms.

Sporting a gray-and-white tank and showing hometown love in a Pittsburgh Kings cap, the MC kicked off the live stream by accepting the actual trophy for his "Hottest Breakthrough" win and shouted out his fans saying, "Y'all did this." Khalifa then broke down the Taylor Gang movement and urged other rising rappers to utilize social media to build a hard-core fanbase. Wiz even gave some social media tips to Twitter newbie Kanye West.

"Just totally be yourself, 'Ye. Don't hold nothin' back," Khalifa said. "Be careful but just be a character. Have fun — people love that."

Khalifa fielded questions via Twitter and video uploads throughout the show and broke down his favorite ink to one fan: a wrist tattoo in the shape of a stamp imprinted with the words "self made" which he said represents how he built his career from humble beginnings.

"There's neighborhoods that look like third-world countries," Khalifa said of growing up in Pittsburgh. "We didn't have a lot but my mom made sure that we didn't worry about all that stuff. We was rich in love and I had my music and everything that I wanted. Of course, we didn't have food in the house, we had to make stuff out of other things. I had two pairs of pants to wear to school. To me, it was bigger than that and I think that's where I'm at now, because I took those times and I made the best out of it."

Even though he's selling out tours, turning heads in the industry and cultivating a rabid fanbase, the MC revealed that he lives with his mother in his hometown in a spot the rapper dubs "The Bakery."

"That's where the goods are stashed," Khalifa smiled. "You come through and smell the aroma from down the street."

The MC also revealed that he doesn't hide his weed use from his mother, who has apparently influenced the Kush-toking star in several ways.

"She knows about the bakery and she's a master chef herself," Khalifa grinned. "I had to get my recipes from somewhere." However, Wiz insisted he picked up his habit on his own. "She never forced baking on me," Khalifa said.

His penchant for marijuana is a major theme in his music but the artist quickly squashed any notions that he would pick up and move just to have legal access to his favored herb. "I love the fact that kush is legal in Cali but if I move out there it won't just be to [smoke] weed," Khalifa said. "It'll be for work and business and that'll be a perk."

Work has been on the uptick since the MC struck out on his own in 2009 after a deal with Warner Bros. failed to result in a major-label release. The rapper described a nonstop hustle that includes everything from grinding in the studio to editing his YouTube videos. To his dedicated Taylor Gang, Khalifa has been owning the indie hip-hop scene and the lyricist said he has witnessed amped-up fans jump out of cars, tail him across town and even kiss his hand. But Wiz admitted that he's surprised by all of the attention.

"If I go to a show ...I'm just expecting it to be a couple hundred. Then they're like, 'It's sold out. There's people passed out in the street crying with their knees bleeding because they can't get in. I'm like, 'What?' " Khalifa said. "There's ambulances at every one of my shows before I get there. For what, I don't know."

In a move that probably frustrated many of his female followers, Khalifa sidestepped a fan question about his romantic life.

"As far as ladies, go, I keep my options open. I keep my business to myself, though, so if ... I was with someone nobody would know," Khalifa said. "For me, as young as I am, I gotta stay single. I gotta stay focused, I gotta stay working. I gotta look available because chicks like you to look available."

Wiz was much more forthcoming about his favorite rappers and called out Rick Ross and frequent collaborator Curren$y as artists he's really into. Khalifa also talked about how he first hooked up with Curren$y.

"I hit him on MySpace ... I'm like, 'Yo, I see what you doing, let's link up.' It was when I was working on Flight School I think ... and he was working on This Ain't No Mixtape," Khalifa said. "With me and Spitta, it was like, he had his brain and I had my brain. With the Jets, he had his thing, and I got my thing with the Taylors so it was like, 'Let's combine or at least just do a song and see how people like it.' I flew down to New Orleans and we ended up being the same dude, smoking and rapping about the same stuff."

On the subject of possibly inking a deal with his other favorite rapper and fellow "RapFix Live" alum, Rick Ross, the P-Town MC was flattered that the Miami Bawse had considered bringing him into the Maybach Music fold.

"It's a huge honor for him to even extend a hand like that," Wiz said after seeing a video of Ross asking what it would take for Khalifa to sign to his label. "Even if it ain't no paperwork between me and Ross, it's gonna be work done between me and Ross."

Khalifa did have news about his record label home and confirmed that he is signing a deal with Atlantic Records. "I wanted to make sure that I had records that I was comfortable with before I went to any label or any situation."

What was your favorite part of Wiz's "RapFix Live" appearance? Let us know in the comments!

• 'RapFix Live' With Wiz Khalifa

• Wiz Khalifa

'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.

'She'd be new and fresh,' fan says of 'Jersey Shore' star joining 'American Idol.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Ignacio Guzman

"Jersey Shore" star Angelina
Photo: Emily Shur

After news broke late Thursday that Ellen DeGeneres will not be returning as one of the judges on "American Idol" next season, "Jersey Shore" fans were partying and celebrating the premiere of the show's second season at a viewing party held by "Jersey Shore" star Angelina in Staten Island. And, while the chatter was all about the action-filled season premiere, they also had a ton of opinions on who should fill DeGeneres' now vacant seat.

"Ellen [is my favorite]! No, Ellen, no!!!" Linda told MTV News after learning that DeGeneres would not be returning. "I would recommend Christina Aguilera! I love Jessica [Simpson]!"

Her pal Alana agreed that Simpson could make a great judge on the show. "If I were a lesbian, Ellen would be mine! She'd get the business! She would be mine!" she laughed. "Jessica is an all-American, Southern chick. She can sing."

However, Amanda made the case to bring a little "Jersey Shore" to the judges' table. "My favorite judge on 'American Idol' is actually Simon because he tells the truth, and most of the time he's usually right. I did hear that Ellen DeGeneres was leaving. [I thought] she was a guest judge [anyway]. I thought she was only going to be there for a season," she said. "You know what? I think Angelina would be the perfect replacement for her. She'd be new and fresh."

Someone who has been vying for a spot on "Idol" for quite some time now is Perez Hilton, who was not at the viewing party, but did send MTV News an e-mail reacting to DeGeneres' departure. "She knew — and the audience knew — that 'Idol' was not the right fit for her, so she wisely extricated herself from the show," he wrote. "Obviously I think I'd be great in that role. Plus, if they hire Jessica Simpson too, there'd definitely be lots of fireworks between us! She'd be my Paula!"

Who do you think should be a new judge on "American Idol"? Sound off in the comments below!

"Jersey Shore" airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Be there!

• Ellen DeGeneres Leaves 'American Idol'

• Ellen DeGeneres' 'Idol' Run

Khalifa tells 'RapFix Live' that although he won't sign to Rick Ross' Maybach Music, there's 'gonna be work done' with the Miami MC.
By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Wiz Khalifa
Photo: MTV News

Last year, Wiz Khalifa parted ways with Warner Bros. and hit the independent scene hard. This year, after selling out shows and boosting his Taylor Gang following with the standout mixtape Kush & OJ, the "Hottest Breakthough MC of 2010" has kept the hip-hop scene buzzing about whether he's ready to call another major label home. During his "RapFix Live" interview with MTV News' Sway on Friday (July 30), the upstart rapper put all of the rumors to rest and confirmed that he is inking a deal with Atlantic Records.

"Yeah, I'm signing to Atlantic," Khalifa said. "We've been working on it for a minute. I wanted to make sure that I had records that I was comfortable with before I went to any label or any situation. I wanted to make sure I had my direction so when I take it to them it's like, 'Let's go.' "

Although Khalifa languished on the shelf during his last stint as a major-label artist, the MC assured fans that he's ready to tackle any setbacks that may delay his music this time around.

"I'm pretty sure all those kinks are worked out and I don't think I'm [going to have] any problem with working out any kinks that could present themselves," Khalifa said. "Since I was younger I've been making the best out of nothing."

The lyricist revealed that while he's already got some songs in the can, he and his label are still hammering out which track will be the first single. "We got like two or three records that [we're] tossing around. It's just the order of it," Khalifa said. "Right now there's one ["Black and Yellow"] that's gonna be real big for Pittsburgh. That's gonna be the Steelers anthem," Khalifa said confidently.

Hip-hop fans have also been buzzing about a possible matchup between Khalifa and Rick Ross. The Miami Bawse handpicked the rising star, along with his sometime partner-in-rhyme Curren$y, to jump on a remix of his track "Super High" and even propositioned Wiz about joining the Maybach Music family. When Ross stopped by the MTV Newsroom for his "RapFix Live" broadcast on July 23, Ricky Rozay asked Khalifa about coming to his label in a "Pass the Mic" segment.

"What would it take for us to close the deal, Wiz Khalifa, Maybach Music?" Ross asked via video.

After checking out the tape, Khalifa appeared floored by Ross' offer but nimbly skirted the question.

"It's a huge honor for him to even extend a hand like that. [It's] crazy for him to even look out like that. Me and Ross is always gonna be working, I think," Khalifa said. "He sees my vision. I think he gets what I'm trying to do. Even if it ain't no paperwork between me and Ross, it's gonna be work done between me and Ross."

Regardless of how any potential business partnership pans out, Khalifa applauded Ross' progressive approach to the next wave of hip-hop artists and said the Bawse's Wiz co-sign puts him ahead of the game.

"There's a lot of people, I think, who had a chance to be like, 'Wiz is my man. I'm messing with Wiz.' I think a lot of people had that opportunity to really capitalize off of the newer generation and the younger audience and that whole influence and Ross sees that," Khalifa said. "[He's] like, 'I'm [going to] rock with Wiz' so [I'm] like, 'I rock with Ross.' "

What do you think about Wiz Khalifa signing with Atlantic Records? Should he collaborate with Ross? Let us know in the comments below!

• 'RapFix Live' With Wiz Khalifa

'She makes the show a lot better, and I don't think she should leave,' one fan says.
By Kyle Anderson, with reporting by Kara Warner and James Lacsina

Ellen DeGeneres
Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/ WireImage

With Simon Cowell's exit from "American Idol," there were already a lot of questions surrounding the future of the show before Ellen DeGeneres announced on Thursday that she would not be returning for the coming season. "This didn't feel like the right fit for me," DeGeneres wrote in a statement on her official website. "It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for."

The DeGeneres experiment was considered problematic by many fans, as she was often seen as too ambivalent about performances and was sometimes swallowed up by fellow judges Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, who is also reportedly leaving the show. Still, there are fans who will miss Ellen.

"No!" fan Tiffany Chung told MTV News. "I think she has become one of the best parts of 'American Idol,' but that's because I love her to death. Anything she is a part of is that much greater."

"I really like Ellen, because she's really funny," Los Angeles' Montana Yao chimed in. "She makes the show a lot better, and I don't think she should leave."

Other fans supported DeGeneres but didn't think that "Idol" was right for her. "I liked her and I'm sad that she's leaving because she brought a sense of humor to the show, but I think that she picked favorites and that she didn't know enough about music," said Ryan Hines of Charlotte, North Carolina.

"It wasn't a good fit for her," Justin Mathew Denis of San Bernardino, California, said. "All she ever said was 'Good job.' Just like Paula. Or worse than Paula!"

No matter what fans thought of Ellen as a judge, most agreed that her departure would hurt the show as a whole. "She brought so much hype to the show," Asante Williams of Dallas, Texas, said. "I wish she would stay, but if she gotta go, then she should do her. Ellen, if you're watching this, you did a great job on the show and we're going to miss you."

Do you think Ellen DeGeneres' exit on "American Idol" will help or hurt the show? Let us know in the comments!

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

• Ellen DeGeneres Leaves 'American Idol'

• Ellen DeGeneres' 'Idol' Run

Paul Rudd and Steve Carell make the most of a very light comedy.

Steve Carell and Jemaine Clement in "Dinner for Schmucks"
Photo: Paramount Pictures

"Dinner for Schmucks" is as light as a fistful of feathers — as a comedy in the age of Apatow, it's barely there. But the sharp cast is smart enough not to weigh down the airy tale with heavy shtick (which might have been a temptation), and director Jay Roach lays out the story with straightforward simplicity. The movie becomes funnier than you might expect at the beginning; as summer comedies go, it's a small surprise.

Paul Rudd plays Tim, an upwardly mobile finance hotshot at an L.A. investment firm. After he reels in a wealthy new client, an enormously snooty Swiss moneybags named Mueller (David Walliams, of "Little Britain"), Tim's boss (Bruce Greenwood) tantalizes him with the prospect of a big promotion — but on one condition: Tim will have to attend an annual company dinner to which each top executive is expected to bring an idiot — the most pathetic specimen of humanity he can find. The exec with the biggest idiot wins.

Tim's girlfriend, a gallery owner named Julie (Stephanie Szostak), is so appalled by this idea that he promises her he won't take part. For one thing, he's starting to worry that Julie might fall into the clutches of her hottest new artist, the egomaniacal Kieran (Jemaine Clement), whose outsize paintings all feature him in dementedly heroic poses. Finally, though, Tim is overcome by ambition and decides to attend the dinner. Now he just has to find an idiot.

Fortuitously, while driving down the street in his pricey sports car, Tim accidentally runs into Barry (Steve Carell), who turns out to be a perfect goofus. ("I've been hit by a Datsun before," he says excitedly, "but never a Porsche.") Barry is an IRS drone by day, but his real passion is creative taxidermy: collecting dead mice, stuffing them, outfitting them with handmade clothing and then arranging them in elaborate tableaux. (One of these, meticulously housed in a display case, is an all-rodent restaging of the Last Supper.)

Here, unfortunately, the movie, which is a remake of a 1998 French film, hits an unpleasant bump. Barry is supposed to be a complete moron (Carell seems to have derived this toothy nutcake from the Jerry Lewis canon, minus Lewis' abrasive whininess), but his "mouster-pieces," as he calls them, really are inspired. When Tim fails to realize this at first, and pushes ahead with his dinner plan, we begin to question his character in an unsmiling way. He'll eventually have a change of heart — that's the preordained point of the story — but a sour taste lingers.

The movie is naturally pointed like an arrow toward the concluding idiot dinner. Along the way to it, though, we meet some fine daffy characters, among them Barry's IRS boss, Therman (Zach Galifianakis), who has a private passion of his own for mind control (he's written a book called "Your Mind Is My Puppet"); and a lunatic party girl named Darla (Lucy Punch), who has been stalking Tim ever since he drunkenly went to bed with her three years earlier. (She comes on to men tongue-first.)

Additional oddballs turn up at the idiot dinner itself, of course: a blind fencing enthusiast, a lonely ventriloquist with his wooden-headed "wife," and a dead-pet psychic who disrupts the feast when she starts receiving messages from the main course (broiled lobster). It's no surprise that the dinner collapses into a slapstick fiasco (which goes on a little too long), or that in the end the sleazy guys all get their comeuppance and the idiots emerge as misunderstood sweethearts whose obsessions make sense in the context of their eccentric lives. As Barry puts it, more or less quoting John Lennon: "You may say I'm a dreamer. But I'm not."

("Dinner for Schmucks" is a Paramount Pictures presentation. Paramount and MTV are both subsidiaries of Viacom.)

Check out everything we've got on "Dinner for Schmucks."

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

• MTV Rough Cut: 'Dinner For Schmucks'

• 'Dinner For Schmucks' Exclusive Images Are Here!