MTV Movie Awards Show Goes On
In the grand showbiz tradition, the producers of the MTV Music Awards decided the show must go on, in spite of a serious fire in a nearby studio lot.
There was no mention at the beginning of the show of the disastrous fire at the adjacent Universal Studios, but MTV's Kim Stoltz and Tim Kash both made reference to it while hosting the preshow from the show's gold carpet.
"Transformers" was named the best movie of the year, beating out "Juno," "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," "I Am Legend," "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" and "Superbad," which led the pack this year with five nominations but ended up without a win.
The MTV Movie Awards format allowed viewers to vote online for categories such as best kiss and best villain.
Photos: On The Gold Carpet At The MTV Movie Awards
Host Mike Myers made fun of the endless plugs that were to follow in an "I Am The MTV Awards" montage which opened the show. "I am shameless promotion," he said in mock seriousness before shamelessly promoting his upcoming "The Love Guru," opening June 20.
Photos: Stars On Stage At The MTV Movie Awards
Almost all the presenters were there to promote current or upcoming films.
Will Smith, Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron from the upcoming "Hancock" gave out the first award, best female performance, which went to Ellen Page for "Juno."
Steve Carrell, Anne Hathaway, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson of the upcoming "Get Smart" presented the award for best comedic performance which went to Johnny Depp for "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." Depp also won for best villain for his role in "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street."
Jennifer Hudson and Sarah Jessica Parker from "Sex And The City" - this weekend's top movie - were on hand to give out the award for favorite male performance, which went to Will Smith for "I Am Legend".
"I remembered that I was on this stage in 1988. So, to be here today in 2008, I just really want to say thank you guys," Smith said after accepting the award. "I haven't always made great movies but I've been trying real hard."
During the ceremony, Adam Sandler received the Generation award for career achievement. Sandler performed his own version of Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better," before accepting his golden popcorn trophy.
"I wasn't good lookin', but somehow you liked me, even in movies where I cried," he sang in one verse.
There were a few awkward moments.
A Will Ferrell and Danny McBride shtick about promoting a literacy campaign - and then misreading the teleprompter - fell flat.
Presenters Seth Rogen and James Franco, stars of the upcoming stoner comedy "Pineapple Express," pretended to smoke marijuana - were they really pretending? - before presenting the award for best summer movie so far, a new category this year of movies curently in theaters. "Iron Man" won that award.
"Kids, don't really smoke fake weed like this," Rogen told the crowd at the Gibson Amphitheatre, with a degree of sarcasm to suggest that the only fake thing was the idea that it was fake.
As they pulled out the "contraband," the cameras pulled away to a wide angle, staying that way until Rogen and Franco had lit up their "fake fatty joint" and left the stage. The awkward moment made some in the audience laugh, but left Robert Downey Jr. - who accepted the award on behalf of "Iron Man" - with a puzzled look.
Backstage, Franco told The Associated Press that MTV put them up to the joke, even supplying the script, the fake marijuana and the fake joint - then had a last-second change of heart about the bit.
"MTV wrote it! ... Then backstage there was this big commotion: 'You guys can't say that.' It says right in the script: 'Lights fake joint,'" he said.
He liked the bit, saying: "that was the joke, because the No. 1 question we get about 'Pineapple Express' is, 'What kind of research did you guys do?"'
Franco said he was disappointed that the cameras went wide.
"I think they killed the joke," he said.
And what was in the bag?
"I don't know! MTV gave it to us."
Musical performances included Coldplay, who performed their new song "Livin' La Vida" live for the first time. The Pussycat Dolls performed their new single "When I Grow Up."