Roger Ebert's Post Cancer Prosthesis

After battling jaw cancer, photos of Roger Ebert's reconstructed face have just been released.

Of the new look, the 68-year-old wrote on his blog, that it was a "two-year process that has now resulted with my coming into possession of a silicone prosthesis." This device [fits] over my lower face and neck and colored to match my skin."

He went on to say, "I will wear the prosthesis on the new television show ? that's not to fool anyone, because my appearance is widely known. It will be a pleasant reminder of the person I was for 64 years."

"Symbolically, it's as if my illness never happened and, hey, here I still am, on the show with these new kids," he added. "When people see the 'Roger's Office' segment, they'll notice my voice more than my appearance."

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Stone Temple Pilots Reunited In Hopes Of Opening For Led Zeppelin, Bassist Says

'If time allows, there will definitely be new music,' Robert DeLeo adds of STP's future.
By Chris Harris


Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo and Scott Weiland
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images

There are a number of reasons why Stone Temple Pilots decided to reunite after nearly five years apart — some are obvious, and others, not so much.

Of course, the financial windfall of reviving the grunge stalwarts for an extensive U.S. tour was too good to pass up, and bassist Robert DeLeo readily admits as much. And then there are the fans, the ones who had been with STP since the very beginning as well as those who discovered the band only after it first split back in 2003 and who, woefully, have yet to catch the Pilots live.

On a more personal level, though, Stone Temple Pilots' resurrection was purely selfish, and very much an anticipatory (not to mention optimistic) move on the band's part: If, after the months and months of rumors and denials, there ever is a full-on Led Zeppelin reunion tour, STP wanted to be ready to offer their services as an opening act.

"Believe me, that was one of the reasons," laughed DeLeo. "We thought, 'We should get together now, in case Zeppelin does tour.' I'm serious, man. That would be one hell of a bill: STP and Led Zeppelin. I mean, we could play a doghouse, out in the middle of the ocean, and if I got to play with Zeppelin, that would be a highlight of my life."

Yes, DeLeo — and the rest of the band — had several reservations about raising STP from the dead — a feat DeLeo jokingly referred to as "Mission Impossible." For the band's members, the idea of regrouping was terrifying at first, but with time, the boys settled their differences and tried to think positive.

"For me, it was about putting down some of the things that I was used to getting bitten by," explained the bassist — who, with guitar-playing brother Dean DeLeo, has been collaborating with Peter Frampton on material for his next LP. "After you get bitten, it's hard to go back. I wanted to go into this with an open frame of mind and a positive attitude and just have fun with it. We should have fun with it, which God knows we didn't always have with our career when we were younger. If that's all I can say, and that's what I can get out of this reunion, great.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say there's a lot of unfinished business that we didn't get around to the first go," he continued. "Enough time has gone by, and it feels really good to be back. I don't really want to put too much thought into how it feels — I'm just kind of going with it and keeping a good positive attitude about it. I just needed to get over the things that we all needed to get over, and that's been working so far. If everyone shows up and does this thing, I think it's going to be really amazing."

DeLeo claims that during recent rehearsals, STP were "sounding as good as ever," and he credits sobriety as part of the reason the band's in tip-top shape.

"My brother's going on four years of sobriety," he said. "We have a lot more clarity in the band now, and I think with clarity comes appreciation. I saw that the other night, when we played [a secret gig in Los Angeles]. I saw it in my eyes, and in the eyes of the rest of the band. There's a lot more rock in this band now."

As for an STP record, DeLeo is not 100 percent sure that's going to happen. The goal for STP over the next few weeks, he said, is to reacquaint themselves with their songbook and prepare for their return to the road. Once the band is back in that mindset, the bassist said new STP material is very possible.

"I've always got stuff written, and there's always a long list of songs that are always there — it's a matter of timing," DeLeo said. "If time allows, there will definitely be new music. I think it would be silly not to release new music. I'd like to believe we still have a writing relationship, but the first step is getting reacquainted with what we know."

While STP were on hiatus, frontman Scott Weiland teamed up with Velvet Revolver, and the DeLeo brothers joined forces with Filter's Richard Patrick for Army of Anyone — who are now on hiatus after releasing a poorly received self-titled LP. Does DeLeo foresee an AOA reunion somewhere down the line?

"You never know," he said. "It's just like STP — I didn't know if I was going to return. Whether we get back together and do anything, I think we made a great record, bottom line. That's all that matters to me. If we make another one, I want to make sure it's great, and that applies to STP and anything I do. But I was pretty heartbroken over [the feeble response to AOA's album]."

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Katy Perry to Hit the Road in North America This Summer

Married life hasn’t gotten in the way of Katy Perry’s career. The pop star, who wed comedian Russell Brand last October, is ready to begin touring again. She’ll start things off in Portugal, USA Today reports, spending most of the spring abroad. The tour, called “California Dreams,” will hit the States in June. She starts the American [...]

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Exclusive: Ashley Greene's 'Skateland' Trailer Debuts

Indie drama features 'Twilight' star in '80s-era coming-of-age story.
By Eric Ditzian


Shiloh Fernandez and Ashley Greene in "Skateland"
Photo: Freestyle Releasing

Around this time last year, in the run-up to the Sundance Film Festival, the first official photos for Ashley Greene's '80s-era drama "Skateland" hit the Web. Almost a year later, as Sundance once again approaches, the first official trailer from the indie is here — and MTV News has got the exclusive.

Hitting theaters on March 25, the film tells a coming-of-age story about a group of teens killing time and drinking beer in a dusty Texas town, attempting to push off the looming responsibilities of adulthood. But both an out-of-nowhere tragedy and the impending closure of the local hangout that gives the film its name interrupt the friends' lazy lifestyles, forcing them to re-evaluate their choices.

"It was a time when life was easy," the title cards read. "Sometimes the party has to end, before real life begins."

"It follows us through all the trials and errors of becoming an adult and figuring out who you are and what you want," Greene explained to MTV News last year. "You see love and you see loss and everything in between."

What you also see is Greene as you may never have viewed her before: Stripped of the pale skin and golden eyes her character possesses in the "Twilight" series, she's able to play a normal, relatable teen, albeit one whose teenage years took place several decades in the past and who rocks some old-school duds.

"Every time I look at it, what I notice the most is how much I look like my mom," Greene said. "Because, you know, it's set in the '80s and so I've got pictures of her and my dad from the '80s and it's kind of creepy how much we look alike."

Check out everything we've got on "Skateland."

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

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