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"Age of Love" Is Coming!!

Molly — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 11:04:02 -0700

What would summer be without a salacious new Reality TV Show to watch with all your friends? Well meet this season's guilty pleasure: "Age of Love" premiering tonight at 9/8c on NBC.

The show is hosted by Mark Consuelos and centers around finding love for 30-year-old Australian tennis player Mark Philippoussis. The twist that Philippoussis doesn't know going into it is that he will be choosing between two very different groups of women: experienced women in their 40s (the "Cougars") and wild women in their 20s (the "Kittens").

Faced with this difficult decision and all the beautiful ladies, Mark will have to figure out what exactly he is looking for in the woman he loves.

Thanks to NBC for sponsoring this post.

To check out a preview for the show just read more

Bad Idea of the Week: NBC's "Age of Love"

BuzzSugar — Sat, 12 May 2007 14:01:39 -0700

A while back, when NBC first announced its summer schedule, I noticed a listing for a show called "Age of Love." It was a dating show, but NBC hadn't released any other hints about its premise. Now the details are out - and they're awful.

Here's how NBC describes the show, which will premiere June 18:

31-year-old Australian tennis superstar Mark Philippoussis will attempt to find true love among women ranging in age from 21-48 in this unique series based on the current phenomenon of younger men dating older women. Philippoussis will date 13 women from two very different groups - the "Kittens," six fun, enthusiastic women in their 20's, and the "Cougars," seven beautiful, sophisticated women in their 40's.

First of all: Mark Philippoussis? Random! Why would NBC spend its time hooking up a semi-famous tennis pro and not just some average dude? And how on earth did they know Philippoussis was looking for love? Did they come to him? Did he go to them? I'm baffled. Also, now we're probably in for a whole summer of tennis/love puns ("40-love," "mixed doubles," etc.). Greeeat.

As for the setup of the show, well, I just feel icky, so read more

Here's more from NBC's press release:

The suspense builds in early episodes as Mark - unaware of the concept - is first introduced to the "Cougars." As he meets them one by one, their ages increase much to his surprise. The series takes a dramatic turn when Mark learns there's a second group of much younger women - the "Kittens" - who will also be attempting to vie for his affections. Unaware of each other, the two groups of women meet for the first time taking the competition for Mark's affections to a whole new level. From there, each week the field of women will be narrowed down with the remaining vying for his attention - but only one can win Mark's heart.

When, exactly, did "cougar" become a desirable (or even acceptable) term? I've always thought of it as something close to a slur, not something that would be bandied about on primetime TV. Furthermore, as a woman in my 20s, I'm a little offended to be referred to as a "kitten." (And we worry about "Grey's Anatomy" being bad for women.)

Let's face it: There's no way this poor guy can win. If he dates an older woman, he'll be perceived as a little gross; if he goes with a younger woman, he'll be accused of doing the "classic man" thing - choosing the youngest, prettiest gal in the room. And what exactly are we going to learn - that everyone should date someone 10 years older, or 10 years younger? Yeah, don't think so.

Finally, reality shows where the contestants don't know the twist never seem to end well - anyone remember "Boy Meets Boy"? I'm going to go ahead and guess that Mark and the viewers won't "discover if love is truly ageless," as NBC promises. We're more likely to discover that looking for love on a contrived, offensive reality show is just a really bad idea.

Source

Talking New Moon With Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:15:50 -0800

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner may be dominating the promotional circuit right now, but they're not the only cast members with something to say about New Moon. I had the opportunity to chat with costars Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene, aka Emmett and Alice Cullen, during their recent stopover in SF. They chatted about their characters, the vampire craze, and what it's like to be a "Twilight celebrity." Here are highlights:

On why so many people are crazy for the Twilight Saga:
Ashley: I think this film in particular is highly relatable. There are a lot of situations that people can relate to. The love story - everyone can relate to being in love or being in lust. You add the vampire, and it adds that next level fantasy. Vampires are mysterious and sensual and dangerous and unattainable. And everyone wants what they can't have. I think on another level that this came together at the perfect time. All the elements just fit, the casting was spot on, and we're in a difficult time right now with our economy. That's why you never have a drop in ticket sales because everyone wants an escape, and this movie is very much an escape from reality.
Kellan: It's a good escape but also it deals with so many situations, on so many positive notes. Just looking at it from the vampire coven to the wolf pack. It just deals with everyday issues just on bigger levels, in a way. And you have Bella as the keystone in many situations. You can just all relate from different countries to issues within the United States. It's easily relatable.

To read a lot more about working with three different directors and why they feel so lucky, just read more.

On how their portrayals of the Cullens are similar or different from the books:
Kellan: We got the jobs because we brought something new to it. You can interpret the characters each their own, but I think it's what we did alongside. Just like Kristen said - she's playing Bella but she's putting her Kristen spin on it, just like all of us are. And I think that's what's making it unique. We're still following the cheat sheets that Stephenie created by making the books, and there's Wikipedia. We have a lot of information to go off of. But I hope it's what I did in my audition that set it apart from the other guys trying out.

Ashley: I think it's mannerisms too. People do fall in love with this book, but I think part of it is that they always want more. You can't write out every human mannerism. You can imagine it, but seeing the emotion in someone's eyes and seeing them be affected it - it was kind of easy to give something to it, because we were just being people. We kinda just got lucky.
On how much more of the Cullens we can expect in the remaining movies:
Kellan: Realistically, we stick pretty close to the books. Obviously us Cullens would love to be in the books a lot more, which would mean we'd be in the movies a lot more. Talking New Moon, the scenes that the Cullens - except for Ashley, playing Alice who gets to go to Italy and be a main lead in the movie - us Cullens, we have to stick really close to the books, and the scenes that we're in are really crucial to the story, as you know - the birthday scene, the voting scene. I don't know, it was kind of a tease. Chris Weitz is such an amazing director, and for us, for myself - I only worked about a week on that movie. And it didn't even seem like I really got a taste for what it was.

Ashley: In the third film, you'll see a lot more of the Cullens because it's all of us collaborating and then getting ready to fight this war that's coming up. In the second one, my character got a much larger role because Alice is the Cullen, other than Edward, that really embraces Bella and they end up becoming best friends. In the beginning, you see her throw this huge party for Bella, and then Alice is the one who does, in fact, come back for Bella when everyone else decides to skip town. Alice is responsible for dragging Bella over to Italy, and she and I the whole time are fighting to save my brother's life. And then of course we get held up by the Volturi and stuff like that. My character got to grow a lot, which is really cool. You get to actually see the relationship develop between Bella and Alice, where in the first one you didn't. The first one was very much about the romance and showing the audience why these two people are willing to die for each other.
On working with a different director on each film:
Ashley: Each director is going to be very different. They're artists as well, and I don't think any of them are quite the same. The books, when you read them, all have very, very, different tones. So I think it's highly appropriate that we switch directors each go. The first one is very much a romance and is a very scenic, beautiful film. And Catherine's really, really great at capturing that. She's very high energy and works well in chaos and stuff like that. And it was fantastic because we didn't quite know what we were getting ourselves into, and so it was nice to have her to guide us when we were freaking out a little bit. She was just so high energy, and it was really contagious. We were sad to lose her and move on to the second film, but then we got Chris Weitz and he's the complete opposite! But great as well. He's so giving and caring and collaborative and created this atmosphere that was kind of a safe haven for us. And it was really nice because we didn't know, switching directors, if they were gonna embrace us or if they had a completely different vision than what we created in the first one. It was nice that he was right there on the same page with us. And the second one is a warmer film, even from the color scheme. The first one is very blue tones, and the second one is much richer and warmer and I think he did a great job at capturing that. And we just finished shooting with David Slade, and I think he's highly appropriate as well. He just finished shooting 30 Days of Night and Hard Candy, and they're both very dark, edgy films. And Eclipse is very much that. It's all centered around the anticipation and us getting ready to fight this huge war. We just finished filming, we haven't gotten to see much of it, but I think it's gonna be fantastic. He is, technically, the most advanced director. The angles that he shot and how he knows that tweaking something can affect a whole scene and the lenses. He was really nice to work with.
On coping with the fan effect and being a "Twilight celebrity"
Kellan: That's what blows my mind, 'cause I feel like it's really unearned in a way. The fans are making our careers. Without them, we wouldn't be working and doing the saga. There's so many times that trilogy books become a movie and the first one bombs, and then that's it. And you're always hopeful that you get to do them all. Especially since we're all in love with our characters. I love Emmett Cullen to death, he's my favorite character I've ever played. It's just so cool to have made it this far, and I think we all hope that we get to finish this series and do Breaking Dawn. This is such a blessing, it's every actor's dream to be part of something like this. It's not terribly hard either. We don't shoot halfway around the world; we don't shoot for a year of our lives. I know a lot of us have homes, we have pets, we have family. And it's really nice to shoot on the West Coast, either Portland or Vancouver, and have the chance to fly down if we need to. But it's definitely amazing to be part of something like this. And I don't think any of us knew how crazy it would be and how exhilarating it would turn out to be. Going to the premiere, really just, wow. I don't even remember it because I was really just starstruck by how many fans and signs and cameras. It felt like I was just walking through a strobe light room. It's amazing.

Ashley: I still think we can't really wrap our heads around what's going on and what's happening. We're still in the midst of filming and kept very busy from one film until the next. It's only these brief moments where you sit back and are actually able to take a breath where you go "Whoa. Wow. This is crazy." I mean, the amount of tickets they've already sold for New Moon - I'm pretty sure I can't even get a ticket if I tried to see my film in Jacksonville and it's mind boggling. We're just very lucky. I went into this film thinking "Oh my gosh, I got a job" and the it turned into the biggest break of my life. I think we all feel very blessed to be a part of this.
On how it feels to be part of Twilight fan fiction:
Kellan: It's an escape, in a way. We do live in a trivial time period right now. There's so much depression that it's kinda cool to be a part of something where people use it to be an escape. In a way that's kinda what Stephenie did -she had a dream and just elaborated on it. It became a huge success and it's really encouraging that people are doing the same and just making up this journey.

Ashley: That's why people love it so much I think. You can take it and make what you want of it. Before the demographic was teenage girls, but now it's women of every age and guys are starting to get into it, too. It's because there is that element of fantasy. If you're 8 years old you look at it one way; if you're 80 years old you look at it another. I think it's fantastic that we can draw such a huge crowd. The other thing is - it blows my mind but people are making connections over this film and over this book. there are mothers and daughters and grandmas who can all sit and talk about the same story and all fantasize about it and I think that's a really cool thing. I think it's rare.

To see all of our Twilight and New Moon coverage, check out TwilightSugar!

Twilight Leads the People's Choice Awards Nominations

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:43:12 -0800

The 36th annual People's Choice Awards nominees are here, and last year's Twilight is leading the charge! American Idol's Kris Allen was among the announcers this morning for the nominees, which also include lots of nods for The Proposal - but of course, everyone's favorite bloodsucking love story landed in many categories, including favorite on-screen movie team.

Why didn't they look to 2009's New Moon? Because last year's nominations debuted before the first movie in the Twilight saga.

To see the full list of nominees, just read more.

MOVIES

FAVORITE MOVIE
Twilight
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Star Trek
The Hangover
The Proposal

FAMILY MOVIE
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Up
Where the Wild Things Are

COMEDY MOVIE
17 Again
Bride Wars
He's Just Not That Into You
The Hangover
The Proposal

INDEPENDENT MOVIE
(500) Days of Summer
District 9
Inglourious Basterds
Paranormal Activity
Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail

FAVORITE MOVIE FRANCHISE
Twilight
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Star Trek
Transformers
X-Men

FAVORITE MOVIE ACTOR
Brad Pitt
Hugh Jackman
Johnny Depp
Robert Pattinson
Ryan Reynolds

FAVORITE MOVIE ACTRESS
Anna Hathaway
Drew Barrymore
Jennifer Aniston
Kristen Stewart
Sandra Bullock

FAVORITE ACTION STAR
Christian Bale
Gerard Butler
Hugh Jackman
Shia LaBeouf
Vin Diesel

FAVORITE COMEDIC STAR
Adam Sandler
Ben Stiller
Jim Carrey
Ryan Reynolds
Vince Vaughn

FAVORITE BREAKOUT MOVIE ACTRESS:
Anna Kendrick
Emily Osment
Ginnifer Goodwin
Miley Cyrus
Zoe Saldana

FAVORITE BREAKOUT MOVIE ACTOR
Chris Pine
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Sam Worthington
Taylor Lautner
Zachary Quinto

FAVORITE ONSCREEN TEAM
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, Twilight
Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, will.i.am, Dominic Monaghan and Daniel Henney, X-Men Origins: Wolverine

TELEVISION

FAVORITE TV DRAMA
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Grey's Anatomy
House
Lost
NCIS

FAVORITE TV COMEDY
Desperate Housewives
How I Met Your Mother
The Big Bang Theory
The Office
Two and a Half Men

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTOR
Hugh Laurie
Kiefer Sutherland
Mark Harmon
Matthew Fox
Patrick Dempsey

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTRESS
Anna Paquin
Blake Lively
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Katherine Heigl
Mariska Hargitay

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTOR
Alex Baldwin
Charlie Sheen
Jim Parsons
Neil Patrick Harris
Steve Carell

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTRESS
Alyson Hannigan
America Ferrera
Amy Poehler
Eva Longoria Parker
Tina Fey

FAVORITE TV OBSESSION
Dexter
Gossip Girl
The Hills
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
True Blood

FAVORITE TV TALK SHOW
Chelsea Lately
Live with Regis & Kelly
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Tyra Banks Show

FAVORITE TV SCI-FI/FANTASY
Heroes
Lost
Supernatural
The Vampire Diaries
True Blood

FAVORITE TV COMPETITION SHOW
American Idol
Dancing With the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Survivor: Samoa

FAVORITE ANIMAL SHOW
Animal Cops
DogTown
Dog Whisperer
It's Me or the Dog
Rescue Ink

FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA
Eastwick
FlashForward
Melrose Place
Mercy
The Forgotten
The Good Wife
The Vampire Diaries,
Three Rivers
NCIS: Los Angeles
V

FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY
Accidentally on Purpose
Brothers
Community
Cougar Town
Glee
Hank
The Cleveland Show
The Middle
Modern Family

MUSIC

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST
Eminem
Jason Mraz
John Mayer
Keith Urban
Tim McGraw

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST
Beyonce
Britney Spears
Carrie Underwood
Pink
Taylor Swift

FAVORITE COUNTRY ARTIST
Brad Paisley
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Rascal Flatts
Taylor Swift

FAVORITE BREAKOUT MUSIC ARTIST
Adam Lambert
Demi Lovato
Kris Allen
Lady Gaga
Susan Boyle

FAVORITE HIP-HOP ARTIST
Eminem
Flo Rida
Jay-Z
Lil' Wayne
T.I.

FAVORITE ROCK BAND
Daughtry
Green Day
Kings of Leon
Muse
Paramore

FAVORITE MUSIC COLLABORATION
Cobra Starship & Leighton Meester, "Good Girls Go Bad"
Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat, "Lucky"
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West, "Run This Town"
T.I. & Rihanna, "Live Your Life"
The Lonely Island & T-Pain, "I'm on a Boat."

FAVORITE R&B ARTIST
Alicia Keys
Beyonce
Jennifer Hudson
Mariah Carey
Usher

FAVORITE POP ARTIST
Britney Spears
Katy Perry
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift
The Black Eyed Peas

FAVORITE WEB CELEB
Andy Samberg
Ashton Kutcher
Miley Cyrus
P. Diddy
Will Ferrell

The Office, "Double Date": Best Lines of the Night and Video!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:30:00 -0800

I knew it was going to be hard to top the koi pond incident (and those Halloween costumes), but I was glad to see this week's The Office return to the storyline with new paramours Michael and Helene. This time, Pam is actually coming around to the idea of her mother dating her boss, but per his usual protocol, Michael is ready with a few blunders to messy things up. We also had a friendly competition between Andy and Dwight and - naked photos? Tsk, tsk Kelly. It's called subtle sexuality, key word being subtle.

Michael provided my favorite quote of the evening, but take a look at my list (spoilers!), and then weigh in with your own favorite zingers.

"If you clench your buttocks together when you're walking, you can really take the pressure off your knees."-Dwight
The who-can-outdo-each-other's-politeness competition between Dwight and Andy was pretty hilarious. Of course neither of their intentions were pure - Dwight wants to be kind so everyone owes him and he can unseat Jim as co-manager; Andy does it...well, pretty much because he has to be better than everybody else.

For more funny lines, plus a video of the parking lot brawl between Michael and Pam, read more.

"The chicken parm is good. It was a big part of my childhood. Oh, maybe Michael will start dating that too."-Pam
Yep, this week saw the return of the Michael and Helene's romance, when he takes his new girlfriend out to a birthday lunch with Pam and Jim. I'm glad the writers reintroduced it, but obviously Pam doesn't share my same enthusiasm.

"The only time you should care about a woman's age is if she's too young for you. And I am not robbing the cradle. If anything, I'm robbing the grave."-Michael
Ah Michael, always so sensitive to a woman's feelings. I loved watching him gradually panic as he realized Helene was older than expected. But dumping her on her birthday, in front of Pam and Jim? That was low, even for him. Such an ageist. Pam exacts her revenge though by beating him up. Check out the video of their showdown:

"What if Dwight dies and I still owe him something? That is the recipe for a ghost."-Andy
Can't blame Andy. I wouldn't want the ghost of Dwight Schrute after me either.

"What a waste of a day. I could've grown poison mushrooms that would've been this high by now."-Dwight

Dwight feels bummed that he couldn't get back at Jim - all that work going to New York just for bagels! - but I'm sure he'll concoct something for the next episode to take Jim down. Perhaps that's what the mushrooms are for?

"I saw my life flash before my eyes. I have four kids, and I have a hover car and a hover house. My wife is a runner and it shows."-Michael
Such a dreamer that Michael. After Pam slaps him across the face for calling things off with her mom, he starts imagining his future. I was really hoping that they'd drag out the coupling between him and Helene for at least a couple more episodes - do you think their romance is really dunzo?

What did you think of this week's installment? Were you sort of pulling for a relationship between Michael and Helene? Tell me (along with your favorite lines) in the comments.

Want to keep swapping opinions on this episode? Check out The Office! group in the BuzzSugar Community!

Photo courtesy of NBC

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Halloween is around the corner! Take a peek at these festive TV pics and 10 fun film-inspired costumes. Plus, don't forget to vote in my scary movie bracket!
Speaking of spooky stuff, are you pumped for New Moon? I am - despite all those spoilers. Check out the brand new TwilightSugar.com (you can win a DVF bag!) and what the stars from the film (including Robert Pattinson himself) looked like before they hit it big.
So You Think You Can Dance judge Adam Shankman got another gig directing a Rock of Ages movie, and he helped narrow down the dancers on SYTYCD. Finally, we have our list of the Top 20!
Do you care about albums by American Idols? I'm mixed, yet I'm kind of liking Adam Lambert's music video.
Melrose Place is being revamped. No surprise there, since many of you have said that you're not into it - but what returning shows have let you down?
I spoke with the lovely Paula Patton for Part 1 of my exclusive interviews with the cast of Precious. Check back next week as I talk to the director, Lee Daniels!
New movies this weekend include Amelia, Cirque du Freak, and Motherhood. None of 'em knocked my socks off, but if you go this weekend, be sure to tell me what you think - and if you have any annoying audience members like these Buzz readers did!

Photo courtesy of The CW

Buzz Battle: Are Spoilers Ruining New Moon?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:30:53 -0700

With exactly one month to go until the much-anticipated (to say the very least) premiere of New Moon, the folks at Summit are still getting the Twi-hards' tongues wagging with a new clip aired last night and this latest batch of stills from the movie. But has too much of the movie been revealed - both for those who never read the book and for those who did but still want to be surprised by the visual interpretation?

In today's Buzz Battle, editors S and B square off about whether or not the spoilers are already ruining the yet-to-be released movie.

Editor B: For my opening remarks, I will admit that I'm enjoying all the new footage. I'm always on the hunt for a hot new RPattz photo for my desktop background, and as someone who didn't know much about the Twilight saga this time last year, I've become a full-fledged fan. But like any TV or movie spoilers, the fun of the anticipation is never worth it if expectations are too high. I don't want to walk out of the theater saying, "Man, that was a boring and anticlimactic 2 hours, but the 12 months of hype leading up to it sure was exciting."

To see Editor S's retort and additional arguments, plus more photos just read more.

Editor S: I read the book New Moon over a year ago, so nothing can be spoiled for me. In fact, I'm kind of inspired to re-read the book since I don't remember everything I'm seeing in these new photos. My point is that the audience of New Moon will largely be made up of readers who are looking for a loyal scene-by-scene mirror of the book, so the clips are exciting reminders of what happened in those pages. And if you haven't read the book? A) It's not a spoiler if it's in the book, and B) There are still 30 days to read up.
Editor B: Back at Comic-Con, I felt like it was a very special privilege to see the shirtless Edward scene in all its glory, and I totally didn't expect that part to make it to the movie's preview. But there it was: the climax of the book played out in the trailer. I understand that the folks at Summit are catering to pre-ordained fans of the series, but couldn't they have kept the most intense scene of the movie a secret for the select few who don't know exactly what's going to happen? Part of the fun of the books is not knowing how or why Edward and Bella are reunited.
Editor S: In this age of the Internet and blogging, there's no way to avoid anything that gets leaked. That said, for those who haven't read the books, it's a brilliant ploy to show Robert Pattinson shirtless. I'll say it again: Robert. Pattinson. Shirtless.
Editor B closing argument: While I don't deny that the spoilers are helping to generate excitement and buzz, I fear that I'm being set up for disappointment. I just hope that New Moon has some quality entertainment to fill the scenes we've already seen - because otherwise we're all just victims of a publicity stunt.
Editor S closing argument: The book version of New Moon is 563 pages. That's a lot of ground to cover, and we have plenty left to still see. Worst case scenario? Everything's out there in the open right now. You know you'll still be sitting next to me opening night, Editor B, your skittles and popcorn in hand, a big fat smile on your face.

So whose side are you on? Are you loving the footage or has too much been revealed? To talk about the film even more, head over to the Twilight Movies group in the Buzz Community.

View 11 Photos ›

New York, I Love You: A Jigsaw Puzzle That Doesn't Quite Fit

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:30:00 -0700

As a city with so much personality and penchant for possibility, it's no surprise that the follow-up to Paris, Je t'aime heads to New York. New York, I Love You is a tale of the connections and personal missteps that occur every single day in the city that never sleeps. It plays out like a movie version of a song mash-up: some story lines are linear and independent of the rest while other characters wander in and out of each other's lives. Throw an all-star cast in there, and you could possibly have a recipe for perfection.

Unfortunately, the ingredients don't blend together as well as I had hoped, and instead we're left with an engaging but bland look at a handful of trials and tribulations in relationships. To see what I mean, just read more.

Made up of a series of short films, New York, I Love You is an homage to the city as well as the residents who hold it near and dear to their hearts. The "anything can happen" theme is alive and well, as strangers become acquaintances and friends, putting so much emphasis on each and every interaction that we take part in on a regular basis.

You meet a few characters that represent New York well enough; Bradley Cooper is the guy who's constantly jumping into a cab the same time as someone else, Orlando Bloom is the struggling musician who turns to Central Park for inspiration, Hayden Christensen is the pick-pocket who's as sexy as he is dangerous. But sometimes it feels just a little too forced; like the film is primarily concerned with proving that New York is a melting pot. Rather than seeing a few love stories shine through stereotypes, I was more distracted by the fake accents.

As with Paris Je t'aime, some of the stories shine brighter than others. Natalie Portman directs a sweet piece about a relationship between a father and daughter; Olivia Thirlby and Anton Yelchin are refreshing as a younger pair who makes the prom a night to remember. The lighter films are breaths of fresh air amongst others that are trying too hard to be hip and stylized.

The ensemble cast certainly gives the movie a boost; even when it's not provoking the deepest of emotions, the film always had my attention. There are solid performances all-around, particularly from Chloris Leachman and Eli Wallach as an aging couple who are still bickering when they aren't helping each other cross the street. It is the most hopeful of the scenarios, and by far the sweetest and most touching.

The film provides plenty of the standard money shots of Manhattan: a typical day in Grand Central Station in fast forward, subway rides, hours of people watching in a coffee shop. The encounters feel authentic and realistic, but the failure lies in the inability to make us feel something on a deeper level. Sometimes you can relate to the characters, and sometimes you feel sorry for them, but it doesn't squeeze your heart nearly enough - and with a title like New York, I Love You, this a disappointment.

Couples Retreat: Not Exactly a Relaxing Getaway

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:30:11 -0700

Everyone loves a vacation, right? Beautiful scenery, tropical drinks, fun in the sun. Add a few of your closest friends and you could have the trip of a lifetime - or a romantic getaway gone horribly awry.

To be fair, the four pairs in Couples Retreat don't realize what they're agreeing to when they head to Eden East, a swanky resort on a remote island. But once the relationship boot camp begins, the friendships quickly break down, and it's often more depressing than hilarious. To see what I mean, just read more.

The movie's couplings range in age, family size, and personality, with Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman at the epicenter. As Dave and Ronnie, they are perhaps the most "normal" of the bunch. Between Dave's demanding job making video games (hello, Guitar Hero product placement) and raising two young sons, Dave and Ronnie don't even realize their problems until they are forced into couples skill-building. Vaughn is his typical wise-cracking character, but a touch of sweetness makes his on-screen relationship with Akerman the most enjoyable to watch. You can actually believe that they love each other and aren't using the trip as a band-aid for a bullet hole.

Jason and Cynthia (played by Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell), on the other hand, are a lot harder to relate to as two type-A personalities with an undying love for organization and PowerPoint presentations. Jason and Cynthia present the idea of the group vacation to their friends as a last-ditch effort to save their marriage (promising that the therapy sessions are optional, of course). Bell is her typical adorable self, but Bateman is insufferable. His character is painfully meticulous and overbearing, making the audience feel just as suffocated as Cynthia does.

Joey (Jon Favreau) and Lucy (Kristin Davis) represent the worst of the worst: the couple that's been together so long that they don't even notice each other anymore. The high school sweethearts take the trip not as an opportunity to re-kindle the flame, but to chase skirts (or in this case, bikini bottoms) and muscular yoga instructors. Favreau gets a few laughs with his quest to get to Eden West, the "singles" side of the island, but age-wise, Davis doesn't quite fit in with Bell and Ackerman. It's also hard to laugh at characters that embody one of the biggest fears for young couples, and their ice-cold relationship is almost too realistic to scoff at.

Then there's Shane (Faizon Love), who's newly separated from the wife he still loves, but brings along his 20-year-old girlfriend for the ride instead. As Trudy, Kali Hawk steals a lot of the laughs as she yearns to drink and party all night long while her boyfriend would rather take a nap. One joke that never gets old: Trudy's insistence on calling Shane "Daddy" throughout the entire film.

With such a strong headline cast, it's disappointing that the supporting actors steal the show. I laughed the hardest at Dave and Ronnie's adorable boys (who get very little screen time) and at the motley crew of therapists and other wacky workers at the resort dedicated to making this the trip from hell.

At the end of it all, you'll get a few laughs along with some very beautiful imagery, but you might just want to put your money toward your own vacation instead.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "Tainted Obligation"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:30:58 -0700

The title of this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy says it all. Meredith finds herself between a rock and a hard place when her dad enters Seattle Grace in need of a liver transplant, and she's the only viable donor. Meanwhile, the Chief is still trying to navigate the merger, and Izzie continues to struggle with the transition from patient back to doctor.

Check out the Grey's Anatomy Junkies for more discussion, but for now, just read more.

So, married life isn't exactly typical for Alex and Izzie between brushing their teeth in the kitchen sink and the bears greeting them in the morning. The turning point for Alex comes in one of the episode's funnier scenes: he finds a tick in his ear over lunch. Though Izzie defends trailer life at first, I'm glad she finally comes around by the end of the episode - those two have enough problems as it is.
Thatcher makes a grand entrance into Seattle Grace, immediately puking blood all over Meredith's sneakers. At first Mere is back to her typically gloomy self, half hoping her father will die and continuing to hold her lifelong grudge. I felt for Meredith, but after Lexie's heartfelt begging and pleading, I was happy that Mere finally grows up and casts her selfishness aside. Three seasons ago Meredith would never have dreamed of putting Lexie first, and I was proud of her for giving up part of her liver - her offer to get to know her dad was an even bigger milestone.
Doctor Sloan has a lighter case on his hands, though it's still a family matter. He handles an aging man who desperately wants a penile implant. Appalled, his adult children try everything they can to talk him out of it, but their father wants nothing more than to be with his new love in his life. I loved that some of Lexie's pain transferred over to Mark, as he gets all emotional about the sanctity of life and death. And of course his homage to Lexie: "And there's nothing wrong with dating a younger woman. It keeps you young and that's my professional opinion!"
Cristina spends most of the episode puttering about and trying to do anything she can to scrub in on a surgery. When Owen refuses to play favorites, she tries batting her eyes at any surgeon willing to give her a look. In the end she finally gets to help out - though she's less than thrilled to be part of Sloan's "penis pump" surgery. As her confidence continues to break down, Cristina eventually explodes at the Chief. Personally, I'm enjoying the more vulnerable side of Cristina.
Izzie is back to work, but she understandably can't separate her life as a doctor from her past as a patient. She quickly develops a rapport with another cancer patient and his girlfriend and insists on trying a risky surgery to try to save him. When she loses the patient, it becomes clear to Owen that she's not ready yet - and unfortunately, we already know that this ends in her getting fired (looks like next week). I'm not sure what fate lies for Izzie just yet, but I'm glad the writers are handling her recovery responsibly, rather than having her bounce back from melanoma as if it never happened.

Overall, I'm finding this season of Grey's a bit lackluster, but what about you? Were you surprised that Meredith gave in to Lexie and Thatcher? Are you looking forward to the new influx of doctors next week?