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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:30:00 PST

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to the titles below, 30 Days of Night is available if you have the need to get the bejesus scared out of you, and you can finally catch the emotional Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale on DVD.

The Darjeeling Limited
In the latest addition to director Wes Anderson's growing collection of movies that feature dysfunctional families, The Darjeeling Limited gives us Anderson's typically quirky characters, his stylized look and of course some witty, awkward dialogue. The movie stars Adrien Brody alongside Anderson regulars Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman as brothers who plan a road trip across India.

The first part of the film contains all the goofy and neurotic trademarks of this director's films, though the story takes an unexpected dark turn in the middle. While there are certainly problems with this movie, fans of Wes Anderson won't be disappointed. The DVD's special features include the film's prequel Hotel Chevalier which stars Natalie Portman.

Two more movies you might enjoy are out this week, so

read more Death at a Funeral I've been waiting for Death at a Funeral to come out on DVD as it was one of my Must-Haves this month and I never got to catch it in the theaters. The movie received a lot of great reviews from critics and audience members alike, and the tag line perfectly sums up what I've heard about it: "From director Frank Oz comes the story of a family that puts the F U in funeral." I'm a big fan of those find-humor-in-the-bleakest-of-situations stories so I'm really excited to see this one. Special features include a gag reel as well as commentaries by the film's writer, Dean Craig, and director Frank Oz.
Beowulf The epic English poem comes to life (albeit with some liberties taken) as a 3-D animated film thanks to director Robert Zemeckis. Voiced by big-time talent including Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins and John Malkovich, the movie tells the story of a Scandinavian warrior's journey to find and kill some terrifying monsters. In Beowulf, Zemeckis again employs the motion-capture process used in The Polar Express, which proves very impressive during the battle scenes. Today this title is also released in an unrated director's cut version which takes the chains off the film's scenes that include violence and nakedness. Special features include a treat for folks interested in animation with plenty of making-of featurettes, an extensive look behind the scenes, and an odd bit with Zemeckis discussing how much he hated the original poem.

Sugar Bits - Saw IV Takes Top Spot at Box Office

PopSugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:29:59 PDT

Saw IV took the top place at the box office this weekend, followed by Dan in Real Life and 30 Days of Night. Guess that means Saw V is unavoidable - BuzzSugar
Oprah tearfully apologized to the parents of students in her South African girls school after allegations of abuse against teachers and administrators. Hopefully the school will recover from this scandal and continue to bring education to the girls who need it. - South Africa News 24
Natalie Portman had a hard time getting a table at a top NYC restaurant even when she flashed her cute smile and asked them "Are you sure?" Apparently they couldn't totally resist and made some room for her and her boyfriend at the lounge. - Page Six
Michelle Williams is apparently thinking of leaving Brooklyn for Manhattan, as Heath Ledger has already done, because her townhouse is too big for her and Matilda alone. A fresh start is probably what's best for both of them. - Page Six
Another woman has spoken out about David Copperfield's "creepy" attempt to hit on her during one of his performances. Now would probably be a good time to perfect his disappearing act. - TMZ

Source

Box Office: Saw IV Takes No. 1 Spot

BuzzSugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 07:30:00 PDT

I would make some kind of "Saw IV slaughtered the competition!" pun here but I'm just not in the mood after hearing that this fourth installment of the Saw series took the No. 1 spot at the box office this weekend. The horror flick drew in an impressive $32 million, significantly more than the No. 2 movie, Dan in Real Life. Surely the proximity to Halloween helped get people in the theaters for Saw, but I'm still a little surprised by this. Most surprisingly, however, is that more women than men were in the audiences for Saw. Interesting, to say the least.

At No. 3 was 30 Days of Night, while The Game Plan continued to score big time at No. 4. Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? took fifth place, bumping Michael Clayton out of the top five.

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Box Office: 30 Days of Night Sucks Up All the Money

BuzzSugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:15:24 PDT

Not a lot of folks are going to the movie theaters lately, but those who are seem to be most interested in the super scary vampire flick 30 Days of Night, which came in at No. 1 at the box office with $16 million. What with all the highly dramatic dramas coming out, maybe it's understandable that people are drawn to the fun unreality rather than checking out movies that address the starkest aspects of human life.

Only one of the weekend's anticipated dramas even cracked the top five at the box office: Ben Affleck's Gone Baby Gone came in fifth place. At No. 2 was Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? while Disney's The Game Plan held steady at No. 3, and Michael Clayton followed up in fourth place. Rendition opened in ninth place to the tune of just over $4 million. The Halle Berry/Benicio Del Toro weepie Things We Lost in the Fire came in fifteenth place, while Reservation Road - only playing in a handful of theaters - came in at No. 39.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

30 Days of Night: Is Your Bejesus Packed and Ready to Go?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 06:30:00 PDT

Pop was right to suspect me of chickening out of seeing 30 Days of Night - I very nearly did. Normally I enjoy the opportunity to see a horror flick, even if it might give me the creeps for days afterward. However, the trailer for this movie terrified me enough, and I could only imagine what the movie itself would entail. But I bucked up, dragged a friend, and only spent maybe three-quarters of the time curled into a tight, unyielding ball. I'm glad I went, but I was totally right: this movie scared the bejesus out of me.

30 Days of Night brings us to Barrow: a sleepy, isolated town in the northern most part of Alaska on the last day of sunlight before being taken over by darkness for 30 days in the winter. Sheriff Eban Oleman (Mr. Manjoyment himself, Josh Hartnett) really shall we say, "sunk his teeth" into this role. Get it? Okay, to move on,

read more Director David Slade sure knows how to pile on the tension in this movie, as he did with his indie thriller Hard Candy. You know something is going to jump out at you but you just can't tell exactly when. Layer on the creepy soundtrack, crazy camera angles with all those shadows, amazing vampire makeup (along with a whole vampire language and utterly terrifying noises), and you have the prefect recipe for a scared-so-badly-I-almost-peed-my-pants movie. In many ways, this is your typical vampire genre movie. You know how it goes: quiet, tense moments quickly followed by loud action sequences and a hint of love story thrown in to keep you from vomiting long enough to get you to the next blood-soaked moment. But what sets it apart are the circumstances. Vampires in Alaska in the winter! No waiting it out for 12 measly hours - this time they're trapped there for a month. If that doesn't "suck" I don't know what does (sorry, had to sneak in one more of those). Eban (Hartnett) and Stella (Melissa George) are believably heroic, trying to keep the remaining survivors alive for the 30 days. Nothing is ever so over-the-top to that you'll chuckle with disbelief and lose interest. The movie also succeeds in showing us that blood-sucking vampires are part human too, not just raging crazies. They're smart and have definitely (definitely) planned ahead this time around. All in all, the movie taught me a few lessons:

Don't move to Alaska.
See this film in the daylight hours.
Preferably with someone that won't laugh at you too hard if you do in fact, wet yourself.

Photos courtesy of Sony

Josh Is the Man of the (30 Days of) Night

PopSugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:32:02 PDT

Josh Hartnett was back to his icky facial hair ways at the premiere of his new movie 30 Days of Night in LA last night. The black carpet was appropriately colored considering the movie looks absolutely horrifying, but we guess it comes with the spirit of the Halloween season. Sadly Josh didn't bring his new lady of the hour, Rihanna, to the premiere, but maybe that was a smart move considering his old flame Helena Christensen was in the house. Be sure to check Buzz next week to see her take on the movie - that is, of course, if she doesn't chicken out.

More pics including Bai Ling, Lucy Lawless and lots more so just read more

View 20 Photos ›

Images include Ben Foster, Josh Hartnett, Helena Christensen, Bai Ling, Lucy Lawless, Melissa George, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Amber Sainsbury, Abbey-May Wakefield, Danny Huston. Source

Fall Movie Preview: Oh, the Horror

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:30:00 PDT

Well it's September, folks, and the summertime movie season is officially over. Now we have a whole new crop of films to check out in the coming chillier months, so in preparation for that, I'm giving you little glimpses of this fall and winter's must-see movies with my Fall Movie Preview series. Today I'm bringing you three titles from the bloody, fright-filled horror genre.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
In this film version of the stage musical, Johnny Depp plays Sweeney Todd, a barber who is wrongfully imprisoned and seeks revenge on the judge (played by Alan Rickman) who sentenced him. Tim Burton directs (naturally) while Sacha Baron Cohen and the ever-commanding Helena Bonham Carter also star. Sweeney Todd's story begins with these ominous words: "Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd./His skin was pale and his eye was odd./He shaved the faces of gentlemen/Who never thereafter were heard of again." The movie, of which some parts were rumored to be cut because they were too gruesome, opens this Christmas.

For two more horrifying titles,

read more 30 Days of Night Josh Hartnett stars as the Sheriff of a small Alaskan town that naturally spends 30 days a year in darkness. As the last bit of sunlight fades, the town is overtaken by a gang of bloodthirsty vampires (I wonder if vampires are ever not bloodthirsty?). Hartnett and his Deputy wife are the town's last hope. Ben Foster stars as well, doing that creepy thing he does so well. 30 Days of Night opens October 19, just in time for Halloween, so in the meantime check out the scary-looking trailer. Saw IV And the Saw movies keep on coming. In this fourth installment, the plot description is this: "Jigsaw and his apprentice Amanda are dead. Now, upon the news of Detective Kerry's murder, two seasoned FBI profilers, Agent Strahm and Agent Perez, arrive in the terrified community to assist the veteran Detective Hoffman in sifting through Jigsaw's latest grizzly remains and piecing together the puzzle. However, when SWAT Commander Rigg is abducted and thrust into a game, the last officer untouched by Jigsaw has but ninety minutes to overcome a series of demented traps and save an old friend or face the deadly consequences. " If you're into these movies, check out Saw IV when it opens October 26. Source

4 Lazy Moves That Boost Your Health

Prevention — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:05:16 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

You don’t have to go on a deprivation diet or spend hours exercising to ward off disease and be your healthiest self! Instead, try these supersimple tips
By the editors of Prevention

Staying healthy can feel like so much, well, work (think: logging hours at the gym and whipping up nutritious meals from scratch). However, there are plenty of small moves that you can make in your everyday life that will have big health benefits. We’ve rounded up 15 practically zero-effort ways to fight disease, whittle your waist, lower stress, and more. Bonus: many of these good-for-you moves feel good, too. So say sayonara to the old adage “no pain, no gain” and try these tips today.

Lazy Move No. 1: Protect Your Ticker by Snoozing
Need a good excuse to grab your comfiest set of pajamas and hit the sack? Skimping on shut-eye may do more than make you cranky or unproductive - it also boosts your risk of a heart attack. According to one Norwegian study, people who reported that they did not wake up feeling refreshed in the morning had a 27 percent higher risk of a heart attack, those who had trouble staying asleep almost every night in the last month had a 30 percent higher risk, and those who had trouble falling asleep almost every night in the last month had odds that jumped to 45 percent.

Twenty Ways to Sleep Better Every Night

Some researchers speculate that insomnia might trigger your body to release more of the stress hormone cortisol. High levels of cortisol have been linked with high blood pressure and diabetes, which are both risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Plus when you’re exhausted, you may be more likely to make unhealthy choices that up your heart disease risk, such as skipping your workout or reaching for fatty or sugary snacks for a quick energy fix.

Keep reading for three more lazy ways to improve your health.

10 Things You Do to Save Money That End Up Costing You More

Wise Bread — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:15:37 PST

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

Have you heard of the expression “penny wise, pound foolish”? It’s something I heard a lot growing up, from my parents, and it can have multiple meanings:

You are very careful with small amounts of money, but throw caution to the wind with large amounts. This is akin to someone who eats from the dollar menu every day but then blows a hundred dollars every month on a gym membership that’s never used.
You do things to save money now, only to have those savings cost you more farther down the road.

The second definition is what I’m focusing on today, because it’s a lot easier to fall into the trap of saving money only to have it bite you later on. Here then are 10 things that you may be doing to save money that could actually cost you a lot more in the weeks, months, or years to come.

RELATED: The Case For Expensive Shoes

1. Avoiding Regular Checkups With the Doctor, Dentist, or Optician

It’s something I did in college when money was tight. “Aah, who needs to pay money to a dentist to have him tell me I should floss more?” Well, after leaving the dentist alone for a few years, I paid the price. Avoiding the regular cleanings and checkups left me facing a hefty bill later on when I needed a bunch of costly fillings. I was lucky that I didn’t need root canals or replacement teeth. Now I have a dental plan that covers free checkups twice a year, but even if you don’t, get to the dentist and doctor for health checks. It’s a lot better to pay a co-pay now than pay for major surgery later on. And worse still, it could even cost you your life, especially as so many conditions can be treated if they’re caught early enough.

Read on for more.

How Celeb Trainer Gunnar Peterson Keeps Sofia Looking Hot

Leta Shy — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:49:57 PST

Modern Family star Sofia Vergara is known both on and off the red carpet for her enviable figure, and award season is definitely a time when the actress can shine. Between her glamorous gowns and camera-ready makeup, Sofia always looks the part. But the self-described gym hater also works hard to keep fit. We spoke to her trainer Gunnar Peterson (whose clients have also included Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, and Angelina Jolie), to learn more about how Sofia gets award-season ready. Read his tips below.

Make it fun: How does Gunnar keep his celebrity clients sticking to their routine? "I try to keep it fun. I try and put a little bit of levity in it, but at the same time, I don’t sacrifice the work. We may goof around and stuff, but we’re definitely going to goof around while we’re working." A boring workout is one you won't want to stick to, so read our tips on how to keep a workout fun.

Whole-body workout: Gunnar doesn't like to waste time with isolated moves. Burn more calories and work more of your body at the same time instead. "I don’t do that many isolation movements, like single joint stuff," Gunnar says. "I do bigger movements. If we’re going to do a lunge, we’re probably going to add an upper body component to it, like a lunge with a wood chop, a side lunge with a wood chop, or a rear lunge with a lateral raise, or a forward lunge with a front raise." Try it yourself: incorporate this medicine ball wood chop the next time you do lunges, and check out Gunnar's cutting-edge double-duty gym equipment here.

Read on for more tips from celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson.