Tag Archives: Effie Trinket

Best Of 2012: 15 Totally Quotable Movie Lines

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When looking back on an entire year of movies, there are many different ways to try to encapsulate the ups and down, the blockbusters and the flops, but few roundups can capture the essence of 52 weeks of cinema quite like the best quotes.

As we learned this year, a memorable line can grow into something much bigger. It can spawn a series of memes and its own Internet culture, sum up an entire movie, or even make you see an iconic character in an entirely different light. They’re the lines that will stick with us and ultimately help us remember the year in movies.

These are the 15 best quotes from the movies of 2012:

“That’s my secret, Cap: I’m always angry.” — Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner in “The Avengers“

“Call it ‘The Slut and the Falcon.’ Make us solve crimes.” — Ezra Miller as Patrick in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower“

“I’m the mother—-er that found this place.” — Jessica Chastain as Maya in “Zero Dark Thirty“

“So that’s what that feels like.” — Christian Bale as Batman in “The Dark Knight Rises“

From “who’s that?” to “who’s who”: The best breakthrough stars of 2012!

“Cleanse them. Cleanse the world of their ignorance and sin. Bathe them in the crimson of … am I on speakerphone?” — Tim De Zarn as Mordecai in “The Cabin in the Woods“

“That is mahogany!” — Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket in “The Hunger Games“

“What makes you think this is my first time?” — Daniel Craig as James Bond in “Skyfall“

“I am the president of the United State of America, clothed in immense power. You will procure me these votes.” — Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in “Lincoln“

“In a million years, when kids go to school, they gonna know: Once there was a Hushpuppy, and she lived with her daddy in the Bathtub.” — Quvenzhané Wallis as Hushpuppy in “Beasts of the Southern Wild“

“Argo f— yourself.” — Alan Arkin as Lester Siegel in “Argo“

“One particle of unobtainium has a nuclear reaction with the flux capacitor — carry the ’2′ — changing its atomic isotoner into a radioactive spider. F— you, science!” — Channing Tatum as Jenko in “21 Jump Street“

“Fact is, the law says you cannot touch, but I think I see a lot of lawbreakers up in this house tonight.” — Matthew McConaughey as Dallas in “Magic Mike“

“I don’t want to talk about time travel, because if we start talking about it then we’re going to be here all day talking about it, making diagrams with straws.” — Bruce Willis as Old Joe in “Looper“

“The ‘D’ is silent.” — Jamie Foxx as Django in “Django Unchained“

“Take a whiff.” — Taylor Lautner in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2“

Share your favorite 2012 movie lines in the comments!

“Big Best of 2012: A Year End Celebration Presented by T-Mobile” goes LIVE at 12 p.m. ET on 12/12/12. Watch at bigandbestof2012.com for eight hours of live performances, surprise guest appearances, prize giveaways and special editions of “RapFix Live,” “Big Morning Buzz Live,” “You Oughta Know” and much more!

When ‘Pitch Perfect’ Met ‘Hunger Games’

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With “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” not set to light up theaters until November 22, 2013, we’ve had to satisfy our saga cravings in other ways. Lucky for us, the film’s stars have graciously served up a veritable feast of fall films to snack on, including Jennifer Lawrence’s “House at the End of the Street,” Josh Hutcherson’s “Red Dawn” and, opening in limited release on September 28, Elizabeth Bank‘s a cappella comedy “Pitch Perfect.”

The film stars Anna Kendrick as a reluctant recruit of the Barden University Bellas — an all-girl singing group facing off against their campus rivals, the all-boy Treblemakers. Banks (who also produced) plays a former-a-cappella-er-turned-commentator, and our friends at NextMovie are not wrong dubbing it a very Effie Trinket-like role.

In fact, it got us thinking: If our favorite Panem people were in an a cappella group, what solo songs would they sing? (Yes, we think about such things while drinking our pumpkin spice lattes in the morning.) So, without further ado, here is a sneak peek at the performance set list for the aptly named Mockingjays:

Katniss: Mash-up of Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire” and Destiny Child’s “Survivor”
We’ve already made our plea for Keys’ latest single to blaze the “Catching Fire” soundtrack, so of course it would be our District 12 diva’s theme song. With Destiny Child’s 2001 hit interwoven, this could be the girl-power anthem of the millennium.

Peeta: Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You”
Peeta is a sensitive soul, so we have no doubt his performance number would be some sort of ballad. This mellow jam from the “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” soundtrack perfectly sums up the baker boy’s feelings for his fellow District 12 tribute. We can already see Katniss perched on a stool as Peeta croons to her like a dystopian Backstreet Boy. Swoon!

Gale: Police’s “Every Breath You Take”
As deep as Gale’s affections run for Katniss, he’s powerless to help her once she’s stepped foot inside the deadly arena. All he can do is watch the televised death match unfold on the Jumbotron — a sentiment perfectly expressed in this 1983 hit. “Every breath you take / And every move you make / Every bond you break, every step you take / I’ll be watching you.” Yep, sounds like Gale.

Haymitch: Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It (On the Alcohol)”
A no-brainer for Panem’s most infamous drunk, right? Just blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol!

Effie: Diana Ross’ “Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To?)”
Sure, the lyrics don’t really resonate with our idea of the District 12 mentor, but we know how much she adores the luxury hardwood…

Special Guest President Snow: Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose”
The dictator of the districts would never deign to join the Mockingjays as a full-fledged member, but there’s no denying he would use a guest appearance to spread his propaganda. President Snow is never without is rot-ridding rose boutonniere, so it only stands to reason he’d happily sing its praises.

What songs do you think the Mockingjays should sing? Sound off in the comments below and tweet me @amymwilk with your thoughts and suggestions for future columns!

Earlier “Hunger Games” columns:
» ‘Catching Fire‘ Soundtrack: A Wish List
» ‘Catching Fire‘ Ignites: The Scenes We’re Anticipating Most
» Fall Movie Preview: ‘Hunger Games’ Edition
» ‘Hunger Games’ DVD Viewing Party: Foxface Has Tips!
» ‘Catching Fire‘: Finnick Is Just One Casting Mystery

2012 MTV Movie Awards Glory Shared By ‘Hunger Games,’ ‘Twilight’

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UNIVERSAL CITY, California — When you promise to fuel your third hosting go-round of the MTV Movie Awards with flatulence, where is there, really, to climb from there? Luckily, veteran MC Russell Brand had plenty of rope, taking the stage for the 2012 edition of the awards dressed like a punk-rock preacher and skewering friends and fellow celebrities on a night when three of the most iconic casts of the generation duked it out for supremacy.

There were some wins for the new kids on the block from “The Hunger Games” and the O.G. “Harry Potter” cast, but the night belonged to the cool kids from “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1,” who snagged the Best Movie prize.

“Thank you so much you guys,” said a humble Kristen Stewart, surrounded by much of her cast, before telling all those who think she’s elated to be finally stepping away from the iconic role of Bella Swan to just “shut up.”

The serious business couldn’t get under way, though, until Brand had his way.

Dinged in the past for piling on the Jonas Brothers, the tart-tongued English comedian turned the beat around and thanked the newest member of the paparazzi-scuffle fraternity to the fold: “Well done, Justin!” he said of young Bieber, before imagining what jail might be like for the boy wonder. Brand hit the hard stuff early, joking that if you think after recent events, “It’s hypocritical of me to joke about a celebrity beating up a paparazzi, wait till you hear what I have to say about short-lived celebrity marriages.” Ouch.

And then it was time to get to business. It takes some serious screen mojo to beat out Ryan Gosling, Daniel Radcliffe and Channing Tatum, but “Hunger Games” star Josh Hutcherson battled his way into a win in the Best Male Performance category for the night’s first prize. “Oh my God,” he exclaimed when he got his hands on the hardware. “I’ve wanted to hold a Golden Popcorn since I was, like, 4 years old,” he said.

It looked like it was going to be a “Hunger Games” night, and who better than “Twilight” star Stewart to announce a win for Katniss herself, Jennifer Lawrence, in the Best Female Performance category? “I want to thank Suzanne Collins for creating such an iconic, powerful character in Katniss Everdeen. It’s been an absolute honor to portray her,” an absent Lawrence said.

“Horrible Bosses” star Jennifer Aniston
 scooped up the Best Onscreen Dirtbag honor for a part of her acting portfolio she said she’s been waiting forever to unleash. The ladies were in the house early, as Shailene Woodley snagged Breakthrough Performance for her totally believable turn as a sullen, frustrated teen in “The Descendants.”

No actor of this generation has brought more twisted, unforgettable characters to life than Johnny Depp. From Captain Jack Sparrow, to Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, Hunter S. Thompson and Willy Wonka, Johnny Depp is the reason the MTV Generation Award exists: to honor actors whose fearlessness is matched only by their coolness. He proved it by sitting in on rhythm guitar with the Black Keys for a rumble through “Gold on the Ceiling” and then jokingly comparing the Golden Popcorn honor to a “get out of the business” trophy. “All right, you’ve done too much and clearly based on the clips there’s obviously something wrong with me,” he said, guitar still dangling around his neck.

Another career kudos went to Emma Stone, recipient of the first Trailblazer Award, for her wide comedic and dramatic range in everything from “Super Bad” to “Easy A,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love” and “The Help.” Admittedly weepy and armed with the dictionary definition of “trailblazer,” Stone said, “the only thing I can hope that something like this award inspires is originality.”

Harry Potter, the “21 Jump Street” kid gang, the brutal “Warrior” beat down and the high-flying “Mission Impossible — Ghost Protocol,” all duked it out for Best Fight, but it was Lawrence, Huthcherson and their “Hunger Games” co-star, Alexander Ludwig, who were left standing when the popcorn was handed out.

In a rare break with historic protocol, Best Kiss went to, so weird, an opposite-sex couple. You can’t knock the Romeo and Juliet of dysfunctional vampire love, Stewart and Robert Pattinson
, though. RPattz was elsewhere, so Kristen had to fly solo, calling out for her new “Snow White” beau, huntsman Chris Helmsworth, to kindly do the honors. Or at the very least Charlize Theron, Taylor Lautner, or anyone, really. “This really means a lot and thank you guys very much for giving us best kiss again,” she said.

You can eat all the pie you want, battle as many mythical creatures as CGI artists can cook up, infiltrate any high school in the country or battle to the death, but if anyone thought they were going to hunt down the ensemble of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ in the Best Cast category, well, chill with the butter beer, will ya? Emma Watson accepted the award for her castmates, giving them all shout-outs, with special ones reserved for her two main men, Radcliffe and Rupert Grint.

There’s a first time for everything and Elizabeth Banks broke the seal on the Best On-Screen Transformation category, for her role as brightly-hued, morally suspect Capitol “Hunger Games” chaperone Effie Trinket.

The night also featured the enshrining of “Project X” into the instant cult classic movie category, honoring the party-out-of-control flick released earlier this year for ticking off all the degenerate prerequisites to join the likes “Animal House,” “The Hangover,” “Revenge of the Nerds,” “American Pie” and “Get Him to the Greek” in midnight movie heaven.

The festivities opened with a majestic sugar pop sing-along with fun. to their megahit “We Are Young,” which had stars from Elizabeth Banks and Jennifer Aniston to Vanilla Ice and Channing Tatum bopping along.

Jaw-dropping, heart-pounding, gut-busting moments galore. See what just happened at the 21st annual MTV Movie Awards!

‘Magic Mike’ Stars Give Elizabeth Banks Movie Award … And More

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UNIVERSAL CITY, California — The cast of “Magic Mike” made the Best On-Screen Transformation award all about the presentation. It was Elizabeth Banks who took home the Golden Popcorn for her phenomenal (and almost unrecognizable) turn as Effie Trinket in “The Hunger Games,” but it was Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey and surprise announcer Joe Manganiello who caught our — and Banks’ — attention.

In the middle of their revelation, Manganiello took to the stage half-naked wearing a firefighter stripper outfit and sporting an axe, which he tended to use in a very phallic manner. He presented his “Magic Mike” co-stars with the winner card, and it was then that the three of them presented Banks with her Movie Award.

Turns out, Banks was more excited about the way her award was presented than the actual one that she won.

“I just want to thank MTV for this moment right here. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, MTV,” she said as Tatum, Manganiello and McConaughey danced against her. “This is just the best moment of my life.”

Banks went on to thank director Gary Ross, her “transformation team” — Ve Neill, Linda Flowers and Judianna Makovsky — and her husband.

“[He] comes with me everywhere and is really upset right now, probably,” she said with a laugh. “Sweet. Thank you!”

He probably was even more upset about the fact that she was carried off the stage in Manganiello’s arms.

Banks beat out Colin Farrell (“Horrible Bosses”), Johnny Depp (“21 Jump Street”), Michelle Williams (“My Week with Marilyn”) and Rooney Mara (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo“) for the award. This is one of four wins “The Hunger Games,” including Best Male and Female Performances and Best Fight.

Jaw-dropping, heart-pounding, gut-busting moments galore. See what just happened at the 21st annual MTV Movie Awards!

WATCH: ‘Hunger Games’: Stars Who Didn’t Make The Final Cut Revealed!

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“The Hunger Games” is nominated in several categories, including Best Movie, at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards tonight (June 3). Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and the rest of the cast have surely gotten massive career boosts from the runaway success of the box-office phenomenon. We can only imagine, then, how badly some of the actors who didn’t make the cut must feel.

What sort of choices did they make in their own careers that caused filmmakers to excise them from the flick? Elizabeth Banks, of course, won the coveted role of Effie Trinket. In this exclusive MTV “After Hours” episode, the “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” and “40 Year Old Virgin” veteran revealed some never-before-seen footage to MTV News.

“It was an amazing experience [making 'The Hunger Games']. We had such a great cast. But, you know, there were so many really great actors who had to be cut because of time,” Banks explained. “We had to cut some people out of the film. It’s not because they were terrible in the film.”

Certainly, the army of “Gleeks” would have loved to have seen Chris Colfer in “The Hunger Games,” right? Chloë Grace Moretz turned up in last month’s “Dark Shadows” but who’s to say she couldn’t have had time in her schedule for the “Games” a little before? This previously lost footage reveals how, for instance, Jeanne-Claude Van Damme would have approached a role in “The Hunger Games.” (Here’s a hint: It doesn’t involve a shirt.)

“Actors make choices; that’s what we do. Unfortunately, there are some actors who make really, really bad choices,” Banks said.

“New Girl” star Max Greenfield really gave his performance his all, from what this “After Hours” footage revealed. Colfer tried more than one approach to the line “I volunteer!” Moretz had her own ideas about the movie’s subject matter and ?uestlove had a great character name. Vinny Guadagnino, from MTV‘s own “Jersey Shore,” had some unique ideas, as did singer Robin Thicke. Clark Gregg from “The Avengers?” Creative, as well.

“There was a bit of improv. Some would say too much,” Banks said. “I would say that.”

“Of course, I’m so proud of this film,” she added. “Mostly, I’m proud that the editor cut all the deadweight.”

Check out this unearthed footage cut from “The Hunger Games” and then judge for yourself whether it should have stayed in the movie.

Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to cast your vote for Best Hero and Best Movie now! The “Movie Awards Punk’d Pre-Party” starts at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the 21st annual MTV Movie Awards live tonight at 9 p.m. ET!

Harry Potter’s Final Spell: Best Cast At Movie Awards?

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A great cast can take a relatively average script and turn it into a fun movie, but when a perfect cast meets the right material, then you have something worthy of the Golden Popcorn. The five nominees for Best Cast fall into the latter category, and each has a good shot at taking the podium this Sunday at the MTV Movie Awards.

But you get to decide which ensemble takes home the award. Voting is still open over at MovieAwards.MTV.com, so head there and tune in on Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET to see who claims the Popcorn as their own.

“21 Jump Street”
By all accounts, “21 Jump Street” should have sucked. The characters in the film even joke about the less than impressive track record for TV remakes for the big screen. But despite every bad remake that came before it, “21 Jump Street” proved to be a hilarious surprise, no doubt thanks to the outrageous cast led by Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Hill was the same potty-mouthed smart-ass that we know and love, while Tatum was way more lovable than we’ve ever seen him before.

“Bridesmaids”
In comedy, you just have to go for it. The cast of “Bridesmaids” understood that better than probably any other ensemble in the past year. Whether having explosive diarrhea in a bridal boutique or getting freaky with a

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″

When you grow up with a set of actors, like many “Harry Potter” fans did with Daniel, Emma, Rupert and Tom, it’s almost impossible not to feel the sting of a goodbye, even if it’s just a movie. “Deathly Hallows, Part 2″ became much more than the final movie in the series, simply because we had been there with these real-life people every step of the way. The audience, the actors and the characters they played reached their happy endings last summer, and all was well.

“The Help”
It takes a talented group of actors to translate a story that depicts an ugly time in American history and portray the real, human emotions of both the victims and their oppressors. Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain earned Academy Award nominations for their roles in “The Help.” Emma Stone did what she does best and was the honest, relatable anchor to the story, and despite all her evil, Bryce Dallas Howard made Miss Hilly an actual person, instead of a caricature.

“The Hunger Games”
Just as Daniel, Emma and Rupert had before them, Jennifer, Josh and Liam quickly assumed the personas of characters that had already won over the readers and brought them to life in a way that was faithful yet refreshing. Even an outrageous character like Effie Trinket became believable thanks to a typically pitch-perfect turn from Elizabeth Banks. Add in Woody Harrelson’s loveable Haymitch, Lenny Kravitz’s Cinna and Amandla Stenberg’s tragic Rue, and you have a classic movie cast.

Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET.

Johnny Depp Vs. Rooney Mara: Movie Awards Transformers

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On-screen transformations aren’t purely dominated by Autobots and Decepticons. Actors can undergo their own forms of cinematic overhauls too, from makeup-heavy makeovers to complete 180-degree turns against type to — as the case may be — shocking returns to one’s original form.

All of these and more are represented in the Best On-Screen Transformation category at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards. This year’s nominees include the twice-nominated Colin Farrell for his dirtbaggy turn in “Horrible Bosses” and “Hunger Games” favorite Elizabeth Banks‘ perfectly pink metamorphosis as the irrepressible Effie Trinket, among others.

There’s no shortage of worthy candidates for the Best On-Screen Transformation award, but which nominee will walk away feasting on Golden Popcorn? You can make that choice for yourself by voting over at MovieAwards.MTV.com — but first, let’s re-examine each of the nominees, shall we?

Colin Farrell, “Horrible Bosses”
The Irish actor is the epitome of the leading man: dark-haired, dark-eyed, smoky-voiced, with an enormous list of credits to his name including “S.W.A.T.” and his Golden Globe-winning turn in “In Bruges.” None of those qualities are on display in Farrell’s “Horrible Bosses” performance as coke fiend Bobby Pellitt, a balding, overweight son of a you-know-what. His physical transformation is as shocking as Tom Cruise’s Les Grossman of “Tropic Thunder” fame. It’s no less award-worthy, either.

Elizabeth Banks, “The Hunger Games”
Banks was a huge “Hunger Games” fan well before the movie ever got into motion, and her adoration for the world of Panem shines brightly through her performance as the bubbly Effie. It’s no easy task trying to recognize the “Zack and Miri” actress beneath the layers upon layers of pink-and-pale powder, but trust us, she’s there — and she’ll be there for many years to come, thanks to the huge success of the first “Hunger Games” film.

Johnny Depp, “21 Jump Street”
We did it, guys! No, seriously, we did — MTV News long championed for a Depp cameo in Jonah Hill’s “21 Jump Street,” and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star delivered with flying colors. Aside from the fact that Depp is virtually unrecognizable in the role, it’s the hilarious and astonishing way that his part plays out that proves just how much of a transformation this “Jump Street” throwback really was for the Oscar-nominated actor.

Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
As Jamie Foxx and Philip Seymour Hoffman will happily tell you, getting under the skin of real-life historical figures is a great way to win yourself an Oscar. That tactic didn’t work for Williams at this year’s Academy Awards, but it could very easily lead to a Golden Popcorn trophy at the Movie Awards on Sunday. Williams is virtually unrecognizable as Monroe, slipping into the iconic entertainer’s tragic life with ease.

Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
If I were a betting man, I’d put money on Mara taking home the Best On-Screen Transformation award. Seriously, did any of these other candidates get their no-no parts pierced for their roles? I didn’t think so! Beyond the long-term physical adjustments she made to her own body, Mara embraced punk-hacker Lisbeth Salander’s cold and calculating personality wholeheartedly, convincing us beyond a shadow of a doubt that she truly was the girl who played with fire.

Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET.

Chris Evans, Liam Hemsworth Rise Up For Movie Awards Promo

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Movie fans from around the world, have you heard the call?

It’s not a time to idly let your favorite movies go unrecognized. Is it time for Rupert Grint and Emma Watson to steal the Best Kiss glory away from repeat winners Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson? Was Jon Hamm a bigger dirtbag than Jennifer Aniston?

You have to rise up, sit down and make your voice heard for the 2012 MTV Movie Awards, and this isn’t just us telling you. A new promo for the awards features the likes of Captain America himself, Chris Evans, and someone you may know as Effie Trinket, Elizabeth Banks, and they have the very same message for you.

A number of stars have assembled to spread the message of this year’s MTV Movie Awards. Not only are Evans and Banks on hand, but Chloë Moretz, Kristen Bell, Liam Hemsworth and Anna Kendrick want you to get up as well.

But obviously, every movement must have a fearless leader, and this year, host Russell Brand is just the man for the job. After two stints as host of the Video Music Awards, Brand will lead the charge and encourage everyone to rise up and sit down for the 21st annual MTV Movie Awards.

The MTV Movie Awards is your awards show, and it’s up to you to make sure the winners reflect that. The awesomeness begins on Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET and will air live on MTV. Voting will be open in all
12 categories until Saturday, June 2, the night before the show.

Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET.

Solange Knowles, Cameron Diaz, Nina Dobrev Dazzle At Met Gala

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The annual Costume Institute Gala in New York has been called the Oscars of the East, but the “Super Bowl of Fashion” might be more appropriate. Fashion’s finest collided with Hollywood’s A-list at New York‘s Metropolitan Museum of Art to honor renowned designers Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli. And of course, the fashion-forward event did not disappoint. Dramatic dresses, which were paired with feather accents, see-through lace and overwhelming trains, seemed to be the trend.

It’s a night to take risks, make a statement and get noticed, so who did it best and who maybe missed the mark? We break down the night’s showstopping looks as well as the most questionable gowns from the carpet.

Dazzling Fashionistas

Nina Dobrev in Donna Karan Atelier
Actress Nina Dobrev made her first Met Gala appearance in a stunning black-and-gold Donna Karan Atelier gown. The “Vampire Diaries” star turned heads in the chiffon one-shoulder number, which she accessorized with simple earrings and a swept-hair look. But it was the dramatic train and low back that made this an absolute win. “It was the low back and it was an absolutely stunning,” Celebuzz producer Rachel Maresca told MTV News. “The train — you couldn’t keep your eyes off her train.”

Solange Knowles in Rachel Roy
Of course, everyone was talking about Beyoncé in her stunning Givenchy haute couture gown, but little sister Solange Knowles definitely had her own moment at the annual event. Knowles wore a bold peplum-structured canary-yellow gown, with minimal accessories, and wore her hair in a sea of curls reminiscent of Diana Ross.

Cameron Diaz in Stella McCartney
Actress Cameron Diaz simply sparkled in one of the big trends of the night: a backless dress. Diaz strutted down the carpet in the champagne gown made of thousands of glass beads, hugging her gorgeous figure. “I loved it,” Maresca said. “It’s shiny, sparkly. When she walked up the red steps, her dress kind of flowed, she was shimmering and her hair looked great, it was swept up. She looked really beautiful.”

Stars That Didn’t Shine as Bright

Eva Mendes in Prada
Eva Mendes wore another big style of the night, the peplum-waisted gown. The tangerine silk dress could have been a best-dressed contender if not for the stone-embroidered bustier. “I didn’t love it. I loved the color. It was a great spring/May color. It was orange, it popped,” Maresca said. “But the top, whatever those accessories were, it looked like a science project. It was too much.”

Florence Welch in Alexander McQueen
From the runway to the red carpet, Florence Welch was head-to-toe in an Alexander McQueen Fall 2012 embroidered tiered dress that she accessorized with matching sandals. Even though Welch seemed to be having fun wearing the dress, it overpowered her with its massive amount of detail.

Elizabeth Banks in Mary Katrantzou
Elizabeth Banks may have thought she was dressing as her “Hunger Games” character, Effie Trinket, at the ball. The Katrantzou peplum gown created a multi-structured look with a high neckline and a thigh-high slit. “It was distracting, first and foremost. [It] had the peplum style but it was like a Judy Jetson style almost. It was like from the future — you could barely look at all the directions that the dress was going in,” Maresca said.

Who was your pick for best-dressed at the Met Gala? Let us know in the comments.

Get daily updates on the best red-carpet looks and the hottest Hollywood fashion at MTV Style!

Elizabeth Banks ‘Can’t Wait’ To Work With ‘Catching Fire’ Director

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Although “The Hunger Games” has been out in theaters for well over a month now, the $600 million behemoth is still making headlines via box-office records, a director change-up and casting speculation — not to mention the fact that the crowd-pleaser is set to make a fine showing at our 2012 MTV Movie Awards with its eight nominations.

When MTV News caught up with castmember Elizabeth Banks recently as she promoted her latest movie, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” we asked for an update on the “Catching Fire” casting rumors, as well as her thoughts on new director Francis Lawrence. More specifically, though, is there room in “Fire” for her “Expecting” husband Ben Falcone (of “Bridesmaids” fame)?

“Yes, he’s Finnick,” Effie Trinket herself joked. “I’m here to announce that he’s replacing President Snow.”

“Right,” agreed Falcone. “Yes.”

“You are the new president of the Capitol,” she informed her co-star.

“Yes. No thanks, Donald Sutherland,” Falcone joked of the actual President Snow.

Getting serious for a second, we then asked Banks what she thinks of Lawrence taking over directorial duties on the film’s sequel, “Catching Fire.”

“[I'm] very excited. I mean, I can’t wait,” Banks said. “I haven’t met him, but we’ll see. I think he’s going to do great.”

Banks’ fellow “Hunger Games” co-stars Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth have also weighed in on their new director, echoing Banks’ excitement.

“Francis is extremely talented, and everyone I’ve talked to says he’s the best guy in the world,” Hutcherson said. “So I think he’s going to bring a lot.”

Check out everything we’ve got on “Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”

For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.