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By Michael Lopez

This year brought us some very interesting "El Headliner" winners. There were colorful duos like Domino Saints, introspective songwriters like Bergman Pazs, and now an unconventional studio wiz named Galante. A true master of reggaeton and synthesized beats, "El Emperador" (as he's also called) shared his thoughts on what it's like to be 2011's final "El Headliner" champ.

"I feel great," he told us when reacting to his victory. "My manager called me up and said, 'You're the winner!' It took me completely by surprise."

Just 23-years-old, Galante has already established himself as a very powerful musical presence. Born in Puerto Rico, he grew up dividing his time between two very different passions: music and technology.

"I'm actually trained to be a computer programmer," Galante explained. "I've won awards for my networking designs."

Back in 2006, Galante beat out 6,000 students to win first place in a nationwide programming competition. And, as he explained to us, it was his passion for computers that helped give him an edge in the music biz.

"My computer abilities have helped me learn about engineering and studio production," he said. "That's kind of how I was able to get so much attention so fast. It had a lot to do with my skills behind the soundboard."

Indeed, Galante's music caught the ear of quite a few famous Puerto Ricans. In the past year alone, he's collaborated with heavy hitters like Jowell y Randy, Arcangel, and Daddy Yankee. Working with El Big Boss seemed to be the highlight so far, as Galante confessed to us.

"Daddy Yankee is a musical hero of mine. Being able to collaborate with him in the studio, it's like a dream come true!"

Though somewhat coy about his work with DY, Galante did openly discuss his upcoming single with Jowell y Randy. Set to come out next February, it’ll surely put this young music wiz on the map.

"I'm really hoping for big things in 2012," Galante said. "My song with Jowell y Randy should be out by February and by April, I hope to have my first solo studio album completed."

Obviously those are things we will definitely keep an eye out for. In the meantime, you catch up on all of the latest Galante happenings by visiting his official site (which he happened to have designed himself).

See you next year "El Headliner" fans!

Who was your favorite "El Headliner" of the year? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Daddy Yankee, El Emperador, El Headliner, Exclusive Entrevistas, Galante, Jowell y Randy, Música, Ourstage, Tr3s Exclusives

By Michael Lopez

Love it or hate it, it'll be hard to forget the imagery director David Fincher's cooking up in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Definitely not for the squeamish, this dark, brooding tale proves to be rather rewarding (for those who can stick it out) and features a brilliant performance by newcomer Rooney Mara.

Based on the popular Swedish book of the same name, Dragon Tattoo is a slow burning mystery, full of twists, turns, and an ending that will not disappoint. It's also extremely graphic and features subjects like incest, rape, and stuff that we doubt good old Sherlock Holmes would ever tackle.

But, we for one, enjoy a solid R-Rated outing every now and again, especially when it's as well crafted as Dragon Tattoo. Current James Bond Daniel Craig delivers a very subtle performance, which actually serves his character well. His role as journalist Mikael Blomkvist is the one most audience members will be able to relate to. He's not a larger-than-life, ass kicking detective. Instead, Blomkvist is an educated everyman, who finds himself entangled in a very engaging mystery.

It seems a Swedish billionaire by the name of Henrik Vanger has requested Mikael to help him pen his memoirs. But we soon discover that Vanger's family is holding some very dark secrets, including the possible murder of a missing young girl.

Blomkvist's research soon leads him on the path to the young girl's whereabouts, but he'll need a little help along the way. And that's where The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo comes in. Lisbeth Salander (Mara) is an inked, pierced, Swedish doppleganger for Kat Von D! But she's also a brilliant investigator and soon becomes a love interest for Mikael.

Together, the two amateur sleuths uncover clues that will crack the case, but not before an explosive finale (and one last twist that's certain to fool the audience). We've all seen cheesy whodunits on the big screen before (M. Night Shyamalan has built a career on it). But Dragon Tattoo is able to create an intricate plot that still feels fresh and original. Plus, Fincher's moody ambiance and the intriguing back story of Lisbeth adds even more icing to the Swedish cake.

Bottom line: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is no lighthearted piece of 90-minute fluff. This nearly three-hour epic requires quite a bit of serious concentration. But if you're willing to invest in these characters, you'll be more than amply rewarded. The mystery is intriguing, the performances are top-notch, and the final twist will keep you stirring long after the movie ends.

Are you planning on watching The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Daniel Craig, David Fincher, Movie Reviews, Movies & CineMás, Rooney Mara, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

By Horacio Garcia

Putting a story so complicated as the one in John Le Carre's classic espionage novel in a couple hours of condensed drama is one major task. Not for nothing BBC's version from 1979 is in seven parts and even then sometimes is difficult to follow the plot. So is natural that the film adaptation directed by Thomas Alfredson turns out to be the kind of movie that deserves our time and concentration.

Alfredson is the Swedish director of the brilliant and disturbing Let the Right One In, by far the best vampire movie of the decade, and he brought with him photographer Van Hoytema, who manages to capture the grey slowness of the early 70's very well. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is sometimes a very European movie, with that exasperating pace despite a pretty jumpy beginning.

Like most of the best Le Carre's works Tinker is a Cold War story but Alfredson doesn't involves himself in the great geopolitics of the time the way it happens in the original book and series; his Cold War is contemporary and personal, a timeless and current affair.

The action begins in London, where Control, the head of British Intelligence (played by John Hurt) sends Agent Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong) to Budapest to talk a Hungarian general into defecting. The mission rapidly goes awry for Prideaux and he has to flee followed by Soviet intelligence that finally shots him in the back. The aftermath of the operation is a political backslash that forces Control into retirement along with his right hand; George Smiley. In the last moment, Control realizes that there have to be a mole inside the upper echelon of the British Intelligence Service, familiarly known as The Circus.

After the shakeout, The Circus is controlled by a quartet of burocrats lead by Percy Alleline (Toby Jones) who got his promotion thanks to Operation Witchcraft, a high level source of information inside the Soviet Intelligence. Control, who is already ill, dies shortly after but in a funny turn of events, the civil officer that oversights The Circus calls George Smiley back from retirement because there is rumors of a "mole" in The Circus.

It was a brilliant move by the producers of Tinker to give the main character to Gary Oldman. Oldman in his younger years had a thing for oversized, very intense characters, but now that he's older, he's cultivating a low key style that was perfect for his Smiley. Of course he had a lot of practice playing the quiet Cpt. James Gordon in the Batman franchise.

Anyway, Oldman gets a lot of help from a magnificent cast, which includes Colin Firth, fresh from his Oscar last year, Ciaran Hinds and the excellent Benedict Cumberbatch, the actor from the latest British TV version of Sherlock Holmes.

A very cerebral movie, Tinker is sometimes a little cold, but the overall impression that produces is one of satisfaction with the elegant way in which the mystery is solved: an honestly displayed, well-acted puzzle.

Tags blogger: Horacio Garcia, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, John Le Carre, soldier, Spy, Tailor, Thomas Alfredson, Tinker

By Larry Yepez Jr.

Two years later, controversy persists over Brittany Murphy's death. The actress' mother, Sharon Murphy, has filed a lawsuit against the attorneys that represented her in a suit against the builders of the home where Murphy died. She claims the lawyers never told her about a possible wrongful death suit due to mold in the house.

The lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court comes nearly two years after the Dec. 20, 2009 death of Murphy, which was followed by the May 2010 death of her husband Simon Monjack in the same house. Sharon Murphy apparently was not aware that toxic mold was a cause in the death of her daughter and son-in-law until this past summer, when she was in the process of selling the Hollywood Hills Home.

Los Angeles County coroner's office did not find any evidence of mold during the autopsies on Murphy and Monjack, although it did find that pneumonia was part of their deaths.

The suit says that the law firm first hired in early 2009 "should have known that Brittany and Simon had died and that their deaths were the result of complications from conditions associated with the subject property". The law firm “had a duty to advise and/or inform (Sharon Murphy) that she may have had a wrongful death claim.”

Sharon and Brittany Murphy had purchased the five-bedroom home from singer Britney Spears in June 2003 for $3.85 million. Spears lived there with Justin Timberlake until their relationship ended.

Do you think this lawsuit will be successful?

Tags Blogger: Larry Yepez Jr, Britney Spears, Brittany Murphy, Justin Timberlake, Sharon Murphy, Simon Monjack

By Michael Lopez

A while back, NY Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez described his "ideal woman." And if the latest gossip stories are correct, he may have now found her. It seems the eligible NFL bachelor is hooking up with Victoria’s Secret model, Kate Upton.

Known for her curvaceous figure and stunning blue eyes, Kate's modeled for brands like Dooney & Burke and Guess? But it's her lingerie poses for Victoria’s Secret that have gotten her the most attention. And they seem to have caught the attention of Mark too.

Sanchez has been spotted in Upton's apartment building on more than one occasion. But interestingly, the paparazzi have yet to get a shot of the two of them together. As of right now, they both seem to be going to great lengths to hide their romance from the public.

But tabloid detectives have found a definite link between the two. It seems that Kate's sister works for the Jets' client relations. Perhaps she's lending a hand in the player matchmaking department too.

Do you think Mark and Kate make a cute couple? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chisme, Football, Kate Upton, Mark Sanchez, New York Jets, NFL, popnews, Sports, Victoria's Secret

By Michael Lopez

Too bad New Year's Eve doesn't fall on a "Friday." If it did, it'd give the world one more reason to embrace Rebecca Black. Our favorite one-hit-wonder did scored a pretty interesting stat in 2011. Her "Friday" video ranked as this year's most watched YouTube clip.

With over 180 million views, "Friday" became an overnight sensation and so did its 13-year-old singer. Rebecca (who's part Latina) got to make the rounds on The Tonight Show and even appeared in a Katy Perry video after her clip hit it big. But Black was just one of the many viral sensations who caught on this year.

The second most watched YouTube clip involved (you guessed it) a family pet. No it wasn't a piano-playing feline, but rather the unlucky pooch from "Ultimate Dog Tease." Though it’s just a little over a minute long, "Dog Tease" definitely stirred up laughs (and 74 million views) with its woof woof dialogue.

Saturday Night Live’s Andy Samberg got quite a lot of YouTube attention this year too. Two of his digital SNL skits made the site's annual Top 10. Our personal favorite was "Jack Sparrow" starring Michael Bolton in full Pirates Of The Caribbean garb. Seen by over 60 million fans, it definitely captured the web's attention.

Rounding out the YouTube Top 5 were "Talking Twin Babies" and "Nyan Cat." The first delivered major LOLs with its diaper-clad duo chit chatting in their own goo-goo gaga language. "Nyan" looked like something out of an 80's video game and featured a space bound kitty riding an 8-bit rainbow. Though fun at first glance, be warned! "Nyan's" soundtrack is incessant and may be tough to get out of your head.

Of course, the beauty of YouTube is that most of its videos are created by everyday people. And we're more than certain that these amateur filmmakers earned some serious cash off their millions of views.

Do you ever put your own videos on the web? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Andy Samberg, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Friday, Hot Stuff, Michael Bolton, Nyan Cat, Pets, Rebecca Black, Saturday Night Live, SNL, Talking Twin Babies, Ultimate Dog Tease, Videos, YouTube

By Michael Lopez

There's no denying that Naya Rivera has flawless skin. But she'll be one of the first people to admit that it doesn't come easily. What's her facial beauty secret? Proactiv, which Rivera will happily be endorsing in a series of new commercials.

"Exciting news to share with you all!," she recently tweeted. "I'm proud to be the new face of Proactiv Solution! Really excited for you all to see the commercial!"

The Proactiv facial products have actually had quite a few famous "faces" backing their campaigns. Stars like Jessica Simpson, Katy Perry, and Avril Lavigne have all praised its pimple-curing abilities.

You can see Naya's Proactiv ads in the beginning of the new year. And we're thinking, if it can keep her smooth and silky for all of those Glee HDTV cameras, it's got to be good!

Have you ever tried Proactiv solution? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Beauty, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, glee, Naya Rivera, Proactiv

By Michael Lopez

Its looks like Christmas has come early for Luis Fonsi. Yesterday, the Puerto Rican pop star became the proud parent of a little girl. And according to reports, both baby Mikaela and mama Agueda Lopez are doing just fine.

Fonsi first announced the news of Agueda's pregnancy back in July and since then, it's clear he's been enamored with the concept of fatherhood. Luis regularly Tweeted updates on the baby bump and made sure his followers were well aware of Mikaela's arrival.

"I want to officially the arrival of my princess Mikaela to the world!!!" he posted.

Fans hoping for a baby Twitpic may have to wait a little bit longer though. So far, Fonsi's kept images of Mikaela completely under wraps. But we're sure it's only a matter of time before she makes her paparazzi debut.

Congratulations to the new padres!

Are you excited about Luis' new baby? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Agueda López, Baby Chisme, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chisme, Luis Fonsi, Mikaela Fonsi, popnews

By Michael Lopez

Even though Pink Floyd has long broken up, one of their most famous albums continues to endure. 1979's The Wall sold over 23 million units and is coming back as part of an extravagant tour put together by Floyd mastermind Roger Waters. But what's most interesting is that Waters is giving Latin America a special "modified" live version.

Speaking with Rolling Stone, Roger explained that his new Wall experience will be specifically altered to fit in national fútbol stadiums. Waters plans to debut it when he plays Argentina, Chile, and Mexico.

"I desperately wanted to bring this tour to South America, but they don’t play basketball or ice hockey down there, and consequentially they don’t have arenas," he said. "I'm playing in soccer stadiums, and I've decided that the arena show that I produced of The Wall is not expansive enough to play in a soccer stadium. We'd made the wall a lot wider, and I've been working on the content. I've worked on ways that the audience can see that tiny bloke from a long way away."

Unfortunately that's all Roger would reveal to the magazine, leaving his "modifications" completely up to the imagination. But Latin American Floyd fans won't have to wait long to see what Wall he has in mind. The new tour kicks off on March 2.

Are you a fan of Pink Floyd? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Latin America, Música, Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, Rolling Stone, The Wall

By Michael Lopez

Travelers at Los Angeles' International Airport got quite an earful recently when Maria Conchita Alonso and Sean Penn traded verbal jabs at the luggage carousel. Screaming loudly, Maria called Sean "a communist," while he labeled her "a pig."

The root of the argument stemmed from the two stars' political beliefs. Alonso had publicly criticized Penn for appearing alongside controversial Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez. Clearly Sean didn't appreciate her remarks and let her know it when they came face to face at the airport.

"He goes, 'I don't want to talk to you. You speak badly about me,' " Maria recounted. "So I'm like, 'You are in favor of Hugo Chavez. And, you know, he's like 'You're a pig.' And I go to him, 'And you are a communist, Sean Penn!'"

Interestingly, Alonso and Penn played lovers in the 1988 film Colors. Though after this incident, we doubt they'll be getting together for any future onscreen flings.

Do you think Maria was right to criticize Sean? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Chisme, Hugo Chavez, Maria Conchita Alonso, Politics, popnews, Sean Penn