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21: Predictable, Generic Fun

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:32:04 PDT

Well, it turns out this writer was right: you could absolutely review 21 based on the trailer alone. Having seen previews for this movie (or even having seen a cinematic work put out by Hollywood once or twice), the movie is predictable from start to finish. But you can also probably predict how you'll feel about 21 from the trailer. If it looks entertaining to you, that's because it is, with its glittery Vegas backdrop and good-looking cast. If it looks predictable and cheesy, well, it's that, too. The "twists" come at you a mile away and the themes (searching for a father figure, defining oneself not by wealth, etc., etc.) rain down on your head like a plague. But at the same time, it's a PG-13 movie clearly trying to appeal to a younger audience, and it probably will. It's going to be flashy and obvious. It's going to be fond of montages and driving music. For what it is, it's a pretty fun time.

Jim Sturgess plays the endearingly geeky genius MIT senior Ben Campbell, whose ability to attend the school of his dreams, Harvard Medical School, is blocked by a pesky little $300,000 tuition. When the shady Professor Rosa (a disappointingly one-note villain's performance by Kevin Spacey) discovers Ben's ability to do math under pressure and keep his cool, he folds Ben into his secret little card-counting operation. This business, as Mickey Rosa calls it, consists of five MIT students who work together to scheme Vegas casinos out of some major cash - using math. To see what else happens and more of my take on it,

read more. At first, Ben is anxious about the whole thing, but of course, as he starts to succeed, it becomes easier and easier to enjoy the big money he's pocketing. Plus, "the prettiest girl at school," Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth, in a mostly forgettable role) is involved in the scam, giving Ben further incentive. Thus, the geeks become the gangsters. Yet when Ben has a falling-out with Rosa, his newfound pompousness moves him to suggest the students continue without the teacher. Only thing they don't count on is a casino security head (Lawrence Fishburne) with his own bitter vendetta against Rosa and his little "business." The movie is too long, has surprisingly little real action and lots of low moments that drag. There are, however, fast-paced montages (the Learning the Ropes montages, the Winning Big montages, the Spending Spree montages, the Generally Living the High Life montages) set to any number of the soundtrack's hipster tunes, and quick zooms onto cards and chips aplenty. Most of all, there is a fondness for the slow-motion. If I've learned anything from the movies, it's that you can take any group of average schlubs, make them walk toward the camera in a fan formation, employ some thumping bass and some slow-motion and suddenly it's Gangsta Paradise. This applies to MIT students, too, apparently. And yeah, it's generic. But it's fun, too. To see the trailer and more clips from 21 check out movies.ivillage.com. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig Take Their Blockbuster Home to Sweden

Allie Merriam — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:07:36 PST

Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig hit the red carpet in Stockholm last night for their latest premiere of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The international press tour for the film brought the duo to a screening in London earlier this week, and they're due for another event in NYC tonight. Rooney wore her latest trendy cutout getup for the occasion, donning a black number from UK designer Roksanda Ilincic.

There's just under one week to go until the movie arrives in theaters here in the US on Dec. 21. Early Girl With the Dragon Tattoo reviews look promising, so fans of Swedish author Stieg Larsson's books likely won't be disappointed with the English-language movie adaptation.

13 Signs You’re Too Busy

LearnVest — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:15:38 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

There’s busy.

Then there’s too busy.

Busy is running from one appointment to the next. Too busy is running over someone on your way to the next appointment (physically, vehicularly, whatever). Busy is leaving your cell phone behind at the grocery store. Too busy is leaving your kid behind at the grocery store.

And then there’s the biggest of all ironies-we want to cut back, but frankly, we just don’t have the time to figure out how to do it.

Sound familiar? Well, we’re here to do an intervention-a time intervention. Today, we’ll help you figure out if your life is starting to burst at the seams when it comes to your time. If it is, you need a wake-up call to reset priorities, because there is no shakier foundation for healthy, balanced living (and healthy, balanced money management) than not having the space and breathing room that time provides in our lives.

If you’ve crossed over the line into too busy, you’ll need to reset your foundation: Maybe it means taking a day off from work to reassess your life priorities. Maybe it means evaluating what your time is worth and outsourcing chores like housekeeping or laundry. Maybe it means taking a break from social engagements for a little while to focus on building the right foundation.

Here are 13 signs that you might need a time overhaul in your life-and easy tips on how to get started, today.

You Spend a Good Amount of Time Worrying About Your Time

If your time is preoccupied with, well, your time, you might be: endlessly cycling through your to-do list in your head, spending a lot of time arranging and rearranging your schedule, or wishing throughout the day that you had more time.

If you've worried about your schedule or wished you had more time more than three times a day, you need a break from time itself as a stressor in your life.

Try this: Take a mental break. Remove one thing from your schedule for today that is the least important-it might be putting off doing the laundry or postponing a work call. Spend that time instead totally luxuriating in something in the present moment (like eating a macaron or listening to your favorite song) and not thinking about your schedule, or future plans, at all.

Read on for more.

How Russell and Katy Celebrated One Year of Marriage

Allie Merriam — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:28:51 PDT

How Russell Brand and Katy Perry celebrated their wedding anniversary - Us Weekly
Find out who the new, gorgeous Cover Girl is! - People
Seems like John Travolta's wanting to reserve a table at KFC is true - Lainey Gossip
Do you think the salt and pepper look works for Daniel Craig? - Huffington Post
Jack Huston talks about stealing all his Boardwalk Empire scenes - The Daily Beast
What?! Jerry Maguire child star Johathan Lipnicki turned 21 in Vegas - TooFab
Paul Bettany shares his favorite movies - Rotten Tomatoes
Madonna booed at the London premiere of W.E. - Hollywood Reporter
Country star Loretta Lynn hospitalized - Wonderwall
John Mayer is on complete vocal rest after having surgery - Lifeline Live
Get the scoop on reviews for Coldplay's new album - Zap2It
Find out how dating George is good for Stacy Keibler's business - Celebitchy

Reader Buzz: What's Happening in OnSugar

BuzzSugar — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 06:00:00 PST

How do you feel about Willow Smith's new video? - Stimulation Status
A review of Adele's new music - Blake Von D
Learn more on how to get Aria's funky look on Pretty Little Liars - Kiss Me Carousel
Details on the Water for Elephants premiere - Dreams of Robert
Fashion tips from Blair Waldorf - Gossip Girl Fashion

Sarah Jessica Parker Loves "an Interesting, Complicated Life"

PopSugar — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 09:37:26 PDT

Sarah Jessica Parker chatted about I Don't Know How She Does It at a recent press day in NYC along with her costar Greg Kinnear. The duo, who play a married couple in the film, have great chemistry, and they joked about how they each do it all - and even suggested a silly drinking game for movie-watchers! The I Don't Know How She Does It reviews aren't the best of either SJP or Greg's careers, but they both brought plenty of enthusiasm to our chat.

PopSugar: The film addresses the idea of having it all. How do you relate to that notion?

Sarah Jessica Parker: You know, this idea of wanting to be all things to all people, I'm very familiar with that desire. And trying to be very much a part of a marriage and a part of a parent-child relationship, and also to be very much invested in work, and what that really means and how is it really possible. I love that I was given the opportunity to tell that story in this movie.

Greg Kinnear: I had to lift a lot of children [in the movie], and suffered a lot of back pain because of that, and I can relate to that . . . Harvey Weinstein will find out in his legal department in the next couple of months. It's the same thing, it's just the story of trying to balance - a lot of balancing in this movie for everybody. You know you pick up on this story of two people having this great thing happen in their life and trying to make everything in-between work, it's not easy.

PS: Do you have a secret to making it all work?

SJP: I don't. I wish I had some kind of really reliable blueprint but I don't. I think the truth of the matter is things change every single day and you sort of have some master plan, but children change and people get sick and schedules change and babysitters can't be there; all the planning in the world doesn't really allow humans to behave as humans and, so no. You do the best you can. I like an interesting, complicated life, I prefer it to almost anything else, so I have no one to blame but myself. Greg, who do you have to blame?

GK: I have no one to blame but Sarah Jessica Parker.

To read the rest of our chat, just read more

The Rising Cost of Graduate School: Is It Worth It?

LearnVest — Wed, 18 May 2011 00:15:10 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Graduate degrees are becoming like tattoos: you should think hard before getting one.

Tuition at graduate schools has been skyrocketing - for professional programs, it has jumped 60% in the last decade. In 2009, a year of grad school was $21,900 at a public school and $34,100 at a private one. These are serious numbers, especially considering that you’ll also pay living expenses and most grad school programs are two years long.

At the same time, traditional grad school funding options are vanishing. Cash-strapped companies are dropping tuition reimbursement and universities are cutting graduate fellowships. To cap it all off, a job afterwards is not guaranteed in this economy, while grad school debt is very, very real.

Deciding whether to spend the cash (and time) on a degree depends on the return on your investment. No single equation will determine this, but the following factors can help you make a smart decision.

Why Do You Want To Go?

Obviously, some career paths like psychology, medicine and law require an advanced degree to practice without getting arrested. And if you’re switching fields and don’t have relevant experience, then graduate school can make sense as well.

However, nowadays the more traditional appeal of graduate school - that it’s a safe bet to further your career and earning potential - should be questioned in light of rising costs. For instance, the University of California system will raise tuition 31% this year, and Stanford Law School’s planned tuition increase this fall – 5.75% – is higher than inflation.

It’s true that on average, holders of postgraduate degrees earn 23% to 55% more than those with bachelor’s degrees. But when you drill down into individual professions and financial situations, it’s unclear whether that increased earning potential will outweigh the real costs.

Watch, Pass, or Rent: Bridesmaids

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 May 2011 16:48:21 PDT

You've probably heard that the lady-heavy comedy Bridesmaids is coming to theaters this weekend. If you find yourself wondering if it's worth the price of a ticket, then let us be your guide - watch the video review below to find out if you should watch, pass, or rent the movie.

How to Survive a Cheap Manicure Experience

Emily Co — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 03:05:08 PDT

A while back, I was super stoked to find this shop near my workplace that offered $10 manicures. So far, I've been there a couple of times and shared this gem with my friends, and most of them have loved it. There are one or two people who didn't care for the lower prices, because they would rather pay more to ensure quality service, impeccable treatments, and a soothing atmosphere. I'm the kind that just likes to get the job done and can do without the extra frills. Before you take my lead, you gotta know what you're getting into. Read this quick guide to find out more on how to maximize your cheap spa experience:

Read Reviews: Don't walk into a store blindly and do your research on sites like Yelp. If hygiene is a question, do not risk your health for a cheap manicure! For example, if you learn that they don't clean the equipment, you're better off doing your nails yourself.
Lower Your Expectations: Don't go in expecting that your $10 will get you a $100 spa experience. Your dollar can't stretch that far. A deal is a deal and usually you get a little more than what you pay for. If you expect a five star treatment, you're going to be very disappointed. Go in with a realistic mindset.

For more tips, read after the jump.

25 Ways to Waste Your Money

Kiplinger — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:15:53 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

Has your budget sprung a leak?

Nearly everyone has spending holes. And as with other kinds of leaks, you may have hardly noticed them. But those small drips can quickly add up to big bucks. The trick is to find the holes and plug them so you can keep more money in your pocket. That extra cash could be the ticket to finally being able to save, invest, or break your cycle of living from paycheck to paycheck.

Here are 25 common ways people waste money. See if any of these sound familiar, then look for ways to plug your own leaks:

1. Carrying a balance. Debt is a shackle that holds you back. For instance, if you have a $1,000 balance on a credit card that charges an 18% rate, you blow $180 every year on interest. Get in the habit of paying off your balance in full each month.

2. Overspending on gas and oil for your car. There’s no need to spring for premium fuel if the manufacturer says regular is just fine. You should also check to make sure your tires are optimally inflated to get the best gas mileage. And are you still paying for an oil change every 3,000 miles? Many models nowadays can last 5,000 to 7,000 miles between changes, and some even have built-in sensors to tell you when it’s time to change the oil. Check your manual to find the best time for your car’s routine maintenance.

3. Keeping unhealthy habits. Smoking costs a lot more than just what you pay for a pack of cigarettes. It significantly increases the cost of life and health insurance. And you'll pay more for homeowners and auto insurance. Add in various other expenses, and the true cost of smoking adds up dramatically over a lifetime - $86,000 for a 24-year-old woman over a lifetime and $183,000 for a 24-year-old man over a lifetime, according to The Price of Smoking (The MIT Press).

Another habit to quit: indoor tanning. There is now a 10% tax on indoor tanning services. As with cigarettes, the true cost of tanning - which the World Health Organization lists among the worst-known carcinogens - is higher than just the price you pay each time you go to the salon.

Read on to find out what other budget leaks you should avoid.