BuzzSugar

Link Time! Simon Baker Scores Surfer Role

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:30:40 -0800

Simon Baker attached to surfing drama Breath - Coming Soon
Eddie Murphy to star in R-rated animal comedy The Misadventures of Fluffy - Movieline
Anvil! The Story of Anvil and Capitalism: A Love Story both left off of Oscar documentary shortlist - Cinematical
Get a look at next week's annual Slapsgiving on How I Met Your Mother - PopWatch
All Songs Considered: The 50 most important recordings of the decade - NPR
Susan Boyle breaks Amazon's record for global CD pre-orders - Lifeline Live
Could Lost's Nestor Carbonell be Khan in the Star Trek sequel? - Moviefone
True Blood's Stephen Moyer signs on for thriller The Caller - MTV Movies Blog
Remember Chandler's awkward relationship with Thanksgiving? Share your own stories with Très - TrèsSugar
Interpol is prepping an album for next year - Pitchfork

Moneyball Movie Gets Another Chance Thanks to Aaron Sorkin

BuzzSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:30:25 -0700

The Moneyball movie that got grounded by Sony just days before it was supposed to start shooting may yet make it to a big screen near you. Aaron Sorkin has been hired to rewrite the script for the film, which is based on Michael Lewis's nonfiction book.

The script has been the major point of contention: Sony halted production on the film because it didn't like some changes Steven Soderbergh - who was then signed on to direct the film - had made. Soderbergh will no longer be involved with the movie in any capacity.

Brad Pitt is still signed on to star as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's who took an unusual approach to evaluating ballplayers' talent. One of Soderbergh's plans was to have actual ballplayers and managers appear in the film to talk about Beane, but it's unclear if that will still happen under Sorkin.

With Sports Night, Sorkin proved he can get inside a sports story. Will he be the one who can get Moneyball back off the ground? Or does this sound like a bad marriage between a dry subject and Sorkin's wordy writing? And if Sorkin's script does get the go-ahead, who should direct this thing?

Source and Getty

David Fincher Might Direct Aaron Sorkin's Facebook Movie

BuzzSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:30:21 -0700

The movie Aaron Sorkin is writing about Facebook looks to be getting even more bizarre: Word is Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button director David Fincher is in talks to direct the movie. Can I assume the first rule is to not talk about Facebook?

Actually, I probably can assume that when it comes to this top-secret project, the script of which has supposedly been printed on red paper so it would be harder to photocopy. (Seriously!) This is the first big news about the project since last year, when Sorkin joined Facebook for the first time to get familiar with the site while he was working on the script.

In addition to Fincher's possible involvement, there's also news of a possible title for the project: The Social Network. All we know plot-wise thus far is that it will "focus on the evolution of Facebook from its 2004 creation on the Harvard campus by sophomore Mark Zuckerberg to a juggernaut with more than 200 million members."

Could Sorkin and Fincher turn this into a project worth watching - or does it just seem baffling to you? And does this mean it's high time to get David Fincher on Facebook?

WireImage

Buzz News Roundup, 2/4

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:30:42 -0800

Al Pacino will play King Lear in a new film adaptation of the Shakespeare play. - ComingSoon
Steve Zahn is close to joining the cast of Treme, the New Orleans-set show from the creator of The Wire. - TV.com
Columbia Pictures and producer Scott Rudin will make a film based on the life of Henry Molaison, whose brain became the most studied gray matter in medical history. - Variety
The Hold Steady will release a documentary/live album combo in April. - Pitchfork
The creators of My So-Called Life are working on a pilot for CBS called A Marriage. - The Hollywood Reporter
Spike Lee is returning to a WWII setting, as he signs on to produce Brendan Koerner's manhunt tale Now the Hell Will Start. - Zap2it
A movie titled The Legend of Santa Claus is in the works, the first installment in a three-film series exploring the early days and mythology of the Christmas hero. - Variety
Warner Bros. Pictures has set Aaron Sorkin to write the movie The Challenge, a courtroom drama which George Clooney will produce. - ComingSoon
It's official: Bob Saget will return to ABC in Surviving Suburbia. - Zap2it

Source and source

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:30:14 -0700

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, the Oscar-winning documentary Taxi to the Dark Side is also now available on DVD.

Iron Man
Hurray! It feels like just yesterday the Summer box office was electrified by this superhero hit. I really loved it (and saw it twice in the theaters), mostly due to a super cool performance by Robert Downey Jr. and the skillful storytelling abilities of director Jon Favreau. Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, and Terrence Howard also do well in this fun action movie. It's a good way to go back in time and shake off those dark, depressing blues you may have caught from your 10th viewing of The Dark Knight.

Special features include deleted and extended scenes, featurettes titled "I Am Iron Man: 7-Part Making-of Documentary," "The Invincible Iron Man: 6-Part History of the Hero," and "Wired: The Visual effects of Iron Man." Something I'm really curious to see in the extras is a Robert Downey Jr. screen test and a featurette on his acting process. More time with RDJ is always good.

Two more spiffy choices, so read more!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Another comedy from the Apatow universe to add to your at-home collection (or your Netflix queue): Forgetting Sarah Marshall, starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, and Mila Kunis in a story about a guy trying to get over his most recent ex. And this could be considered a good thing or a warning, depending on your opinion: VMA host Russell Brand is in this movie and has a ton of screen time.

The unrated version is cryptically described as including scenes "you couldn't see in theaters" which I pray does not mean more of Jason Segel's private parts. I saw plenty myself, how about you? Other special features include a gag reel and a featurette titled "Line-o-rama: Lines you'll be reciting for ages."

Sports Night: Complete Series
On days like today, I really wish Aaron Sorkin would stop fiddling around on Facebook and get back to writing really awesome TV shows. He's definitely more hit than miss on the small screen and today's release of the special anniversary edition of his acclaimed Sports Night is an example of what it's like when he's hit his stride.

If you've never heard of the show, it's loosely based on ESPN's Sports Center, and it takes a look at the behind-the-scenes dynamics. The awesome cast is led by Peter Krause and Felicity Huffman who skillfully deliver those faster-than-the-speed-of-light dialogues that Sorkin is so good at writing.

The special edition DVD set includes new interviews with Sorkin, cast members Josh Charles, Robert Guillaume, Felicity Huffman, Peter Krause, and Joshua Malina; a featurette where real SportsCenter employees compare their experiences with the characters on Sports Night; a look back with creators Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme; and of course, gag reels.

Aaron Sorkin Joins Facebook to Write Facebook Movie

BuzzSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:35:24 -0700

I find this movie news intriguing, baffling and preposterous all at the same time. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (you know, The West Wing, Charlie Wilson's War, the ill-fated Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, among others) wants to write a movie about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. These are the things that strike me most about this news:

Sorkin had never used Facebook and just recently started an account and a group page for this movie because, he writes, "I figured a good first step in my preparation would be finding out what Facebook is, so I've started this page."
Sorkin is very open and receptive to comments and questions on his Facebook page, and the responses he's getting are starting to challenge what his previous perceptions of the Internet, and the Internet's effect on our society - in a positive way. "I have very strong feelings about the internet and its effect on our national culture, but frankly those feelings are being countered by the sophistication, kindness, curiosity and wit of the posts in this site," writes Sorkin. "You people are screwing me up with your civility and intelligence."
So, Sorkin had (apparently negative) preconceived notions about the Internet's effect on our culture and wanted to make a movie about Facebook - all without having actually used this major social networking site. . .which is on the Internet.
Finally, a whole movie about computer programming? Huh.

Charlie Wilson’s War: Eye-Opening Entertainment

GiggleSugar — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 13:30:50 -0800

Note: I asked GiggleSugar to go to write up this review, and she graciously agreed. Thanks, Giggle!

Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) is a Texas Congressman who drinks whisky in the morning, whose single notable legislative achievement is having been re-elected five times, and who hires only sexy young women as aides. “You can teach ‘em to type,” his secretary quotes him as saying, “but you can’t teach ‘em to grow tits.”

Yet we see him in a flash forward at the beginning of Charlie Wilson’s War receiving an unusual military honor for playing a part in helping to end the Cold War between the Soviets and the US. How do we reconcile the ne’er-do-well Charlie with the unlikely hero Charlie?

Based on a true story and adapted from a book by George Crile, Charlie Wilson’s War is a smart and fast-paced comedy written by Aaron Sorkin (West Wing) and directed by Mike Nichols that seeks not only to answer the question of Charlie’s transformation but also to explain the complicated history of the U.S.’s often covert involvement in global affairs. It does this in an engaging way by focusing on the flawed people who turn the wheels of history. The film manages a difficult balancing act: it is informative without being boring, entertaining without being trivial, and political without being partisan. To see more what I mean, read more.

In an opening scene, Charlie Wilson, a Texas Congressman who is on the war appropriations subcommittee, is hanging out in a hot tub with a few naked strippers and a sleazy-looking guy who’s trying to sell him on financing a movie starring his Playboy centerfold girlfriend. Instead of being fixated on the broads, booze and blow that surround him, Charlie continues to be distracted by a news program with Dan Rather interviewing Afghan soldiers. Charlie tries to get some dialogue going with his riffraff pals, but nobody seems interested in Afghanistan or even knows where it is.

Back in Washington, Charlie’s interest in the Afghan cause deepens. Like other Americans who are watching the news, he only knows the basics. Afghanistan is being repeatedly invaded and pummeled by the Soviet army, and against their modern tanks and missiles, the Afghans only have outmoded guns. In addition to the danger that the Soviets will continue their “commie” expansion, the human cost of Afghan lives (particularly women and children) affects the Congressman. His goal is to raise more funds in order to arm the Afghan mujahadeen ("fighters") with modern weapons so that they can shoot down the Soviet helicopters that menace them.

Throughout the course of the film, Charlie enlists the aid of a wealthy socialite, the brittle and powerful Joanne (Julia Roberts), a born-again Christian who is passionate about freedom of religion for the Afghans and who holds fundraisers for their cause. (Somehow, she also knows the President of Pakistan and arranges for Charlie to meet him.) He also gets help from a burnt-out CIA operative Gust Avrakatos (played by a hilarious Philip Seymour Hoffman) who clues Charlie in on how little the U.S. is doing to covertly aid the Afghan army.

With effective - if at times caricatured - performances from its actors, crisp and witty dialogue, and a bittersweet ending that makes the viewer see there’s a gray area between winning and losing a war, Charlie Wilson’s War is infotainment at its finest.

To see the trailer and more clips from Charlie Wilson's War, check out movies.ivillage.com.

Source

Buzz News Roundup, 7/13

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:30:22 -0700

ESPN will have a special “Beckham-cam” for the soccer star's U.S. debut, writes the Times UK.
Mandy Patinkin is being written out of the "Criminal Minds" season premiere after failing to show up for his first day of work, Zap2it reports.
Us Weekly says Illeana Douglas is heading to "Ugly Betty" to play an editor at Mode.
ComingSoon reports that one of my favorite funny ladies, Cheryl Hines, is joining Luke Wilson in the romantic comedy Henry Poole Was Here.
NME fuels the rumor that Blur may reunite for a new album.
Ellen Burstyn and Michael Imperioli will star in "For One More Day," an Oprah-produced TV movie based on a Mitch Albom book.
According to Variety, Tim Robbins will be joining Bill Murray and Saoirse Ronan in the movie City of Embers.
Billboard reports that Marilyn Manson is making a horror movie about Lewis Carroll.
Reuters says Rosie O'Donnell will return to "Nip/Tuck."
Who needs TV? Aaron Sorkin has a new three-film screenwriting deal with DreamWorks, which will include a film based on the protesters at the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago.

Source

"Studio 60": Maybe Not Dead Yet

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:29:00 -0700

"Studio 60" fans, here's some potentially good news: According to Hollywood Reporter columnist Ray Richmond, the show is still in production, and the cast and crew are currently working on episode 20.

NBC still hasn't said when (or whether) it plans to air these additional episodes, but it's a good sign that fans might get to finish out the full season. Only 16 episodes have aired so far, and I can't imagine NBC spending the money to produce more if they weren't eventually going to make it to TV.

But when? Richmond speculates that the show won't be back this spring and could instead air its final episodes sometime over the summer. I could also see NBC getting frustrated with lackluster ratings for "The Black Donnellys" and putting "Studio 60" back in its original spot. It will be interesting to see what happens April 23, when "Heroes" is back and the stakes go up for the show that follows it.

Remember, if you feel strongly about "Studio 60," you can always give it your votes in E!'s Save One Show campaign.

Source

The Flaming Lips Are Broadway Bound

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 11:56:18 -0700

The Flaming Lips are famous for on-stage theatrics involving puppets, bunny costumes, and frontman Wayne Coyne crowd-surfing in a giant hamster ball. So it seems fitting that the band's highly captivating 2002 album, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, will soon be made into a Broadway musical.

In an exclusive interview, Coyne told EW.com that the band is working with "The West Wing" and "Studio 60" creator Aaron Sorkin to adapt the album for the stage. Tony Award-winning director/producer Des McAnuff, whose credits include "Jersey Boys" and "The Who's Tommy," has also signed on for the show.

For all of the details, read more

Coyne already beat me to the punch in making a joke about Sorkin's trademark walking and talking style: "Maybe that means they'll need to build a stage with lots of hallways on it." Here's what else he had to say to EW about the project:

"There's the real world and then there's this fantastical world," explains Coyne. "This girl, the Yoshimi character, is dying of something. And these two guys are battling to come visit her in the hospital. And as one of the boyfriends envisions trying to save the girl, he enters this other dimension where Yoshimi is this Japanese warrior and the pink robots are an incarnation of her disease. It's almost like the disease has to win in order for her soul to survive."

Bizarre, yes, but Broadway lately seems to be gravitating toward increasingly weird musicals. I mean, who knew the disturbing 1975 documentary Grey Gardens would make good song-and-dance fodder? And at least we can be sure that Yoshimi show will have plenty of good music. I know the production is probably years away, but already I'm excited to see it.

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