Christian Bale Roughed Up In China

'Dark Knight Rises' actor barred from visiting quarantined activist.
By Jeremy Gordon


Christian Bale
Photo: ChinaFotoPress

Christian Bale intended to raise awareness about the plight of human-rights activist Chen Guangcheng — who has been under a form of house arrest since 2010 — when he invited a CNN camera crew on a trip to China.

"The Dark Knight Rises" star was there to visit the quarantined Chen when local guards rebuffed his attempt to enter the Chinese dissident's village, forcing the entire party off the premises. Chen has been under house arrest along with his family since his release from jail in September 2010. After speaking out against China's forced abortion policy, he was imprisoned in 2006 on charges of damaging property and disrupting traffic in a protest. Chen's supporters maintained that the blind, self-taught lawyer was detained on false charges, but he served the full four years of his sentence.

A CNN video captured a plainclothes guard pushing Bale around as he and the crew attempted to enter the tiny village in eastern China. Eventually, they were surrounded and corralled back to the main road. As the actor and the camera crew left the area, the guards got in a gray minivan and began to follow them.

Inside the CNN car, Bale said, "I don't feel brave doing this. The local people who stand up to authorities [and] insist on visiting Chen and his family are getting beaten up for it, and to my understanding, getting detained for it. I want to support what they're doing."

Bale first learned of Chen's plight while filming "The Flowers of War," a drama set during the Nanking Massacre. Despite pleas from U.S. officials for Chen's freedom, China's state media has given the story little coverage.

Chinese security chased Bale and CNN for more than a half hour before giving up, according to the cable news outlet. On the way back to Beijing, Bale speculated to CNN about whether he would be banned from entering the country, even as "The Flowers of War" becomes China's official entry at the 2012 Academy Awards.

"Really, what else can I do to help Chen?" he asked.

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

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676132/dark-knight-rises-christian-bale.jhtml

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Don Trip Raps From The Heart On Cee Lo Collabo

'In real life, I cry too,' Memphis upstart tells Mixtape Daily of revealing family drama on 'Letter to My Son.'
By Rob Markman


Don Trip
Photo: MTV News

Fire Starter: Don Trip
Don Trip would rather make music from his heart than chase a hit, and sure enough, trusting his instincts led the 26-year-old Memphis, Tennessee MC, to his biggest song yet. Trip wrote and recorded the Cee Lo-assisted "Letter to My Son" two years ago after quarreling with his son's mother fought over visitation rights.

"That's my whole aim as an artist, the fact that I'm human," Trip told Mixtape Daily. "We become artists and once we get a celebrity status, we start to act as if we are machines, and we're not. In real life, I cry too.

Now, thanks to the popularity of the track, Trip has signed a record deal with producers Cool & Dre and Interscope Records. " 'Letter to My Son' is 110 percent true — I'm still going through it," he admitted. "It isn't as bad as it was at first, it's a little better, but I gotta take it one day at a time."

Trip first developed an interest in rapping when he was 11; by 16, he realized he was actually good at it. During his very first studio session, Trip recorded a song in one take, a task that even veteran rappers can find daunting. The Memphis rapper had no doubt he was on to something. Trip soon began distributing his music, personally handing out free mixtapes until he built enough of a buzz to get booked for shows. Eventually, a mutual friend would connect the up-and-coming spitter with production duo Cool & Dre, who took Trip to Interscope earlier this year. There was no denying the appeal of "Letter," but the original version of the song didn't have a chorus. "Jimmy Iovine personally asked for a hook to be added to the record," Trip revealed.

Still, Don was initially reluctant to tamper with his art and argued that the record should stay as is. After some thought, however, he realized the Interscope chairman was right; the MC suggested getting someone soulful, like Cee Lo, for the song. The decision proved to be a good call because the Goodie Mob singer's feature has given "Letter to My Son" a sound that's ripe for radio without losing its emotion and integrity.

Things are definitely looking up for Don these days. He has a bubbling single, a debut album slated for a 2012 release and he's finally getting quality time with his son. And he did it all by following his gut and baring his soul on record.

Trip added, "I feel like that's what music is missing: honesty, especially in rap music."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676166/don-trip-cee-lo-collabo.jhtml

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PotatOS Kit Turns a Portal 2 Gag Into a Science Fair Project [Gaming]

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