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10 Books That Are Better as Movies

BuzzSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:30:04 -0700

It's a strange experience when you realize you're enjoying a movie more than you enjoyed the book on which it's based because so often the opposite is true. After all, presumably an author has the advantage because he/she can provide deep insight into characters that actors have to convey with but a glance. Every so often, though, a story makes a lot more sense onscreen. Here I've compiled a list of some stories I'd rather watch than read. What are yours? Just hit "Start" to begin the slideshow.

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Link Time! 9/25

BuzzSugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:31:54 -0700

This redesign of the Changeling poster is cracking me up. - FilmExperience
Ray LaMontagne has made a great song about Meg White called, well, "Meg White." - Stereogum
Isn't it about time House gets some new opening credits? - TV Squad
This post about the American Psycho stage musical (I'm not kidding) is making me smile through the tears. - Popwatch
A chat with Supernatural's new angel. - TV Filter
FYI: Sex and the City Blue-ray discs come with digital copies. - geeksugar
I will never get sick of interviews with Amy Ryan. - Vulture
Welcome online, MySpace Music. - Rock&Roll Daily

My Favorite Movie Performances of the Decade

Buzz Community — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:15:00 -0800

This post comes from Buzz Best of the Decade group member Whiplash.

In No Particular Order:
1. Gene Hackman as Royal Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums

2. Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho

3. Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood

3. Paul Giamatti as Miles Raymond in Sideways

4. Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler

5. Bill Murray as Bob Harris in Lost in Translation

6. Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds

7. Kate Winslet as Clementine Kruczynski in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

8. Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in Milk

9. Felicity Huffman as Bree in Transamerica

10. Meryl Streep as Susan Orlean in Adaptation

To see the rest of her picks, just .

11. Amy Adams as Ashley Johnsten in Junebug

12. Morgan Freeman as Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris in Million Dollar Baby

13. Alan Arkin as Edwin Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine

14. Michelle Williams as Alma del Mar in Brokeback Mountain

15. Steve Carell as Andy Stitzer in The 40-Year-Old Virgin

16. Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Knight

17. Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men

18. Robert Downey Jr as Kirk Lazarus in Tropic Thunder

19. Maria Bello as Edie Stall in A History of Violence

20. Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway in Secretary

21. Mark Wahlberg as Sean Dignam in The Departed

22. Jack Black as Barry in High Fidelity

23. Uma Thurman as Beatrix Kiddo/The Bride in Kill Bill Vol. I and II

24. Audrey Tautou as Amelie Poulain in Amelie

There's lots of fun stuff going on in our community - we'd love to read your own Best of 2009 and Best of the Decade lists, so check out our groups and maybe we'll feature them here on BuzzSugar!

What to TiVo: Saturday

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:50:09 -0700

ABC has College Football
CBS has repeats of Three Rivers and 48 Hours Mystery
FOX is new with Cops and America's Most Wanted
NBC has repeats of Mercy, Trauma, and Law & Order: SVU
ABC Family has The Goonies
E! has Chasing Amy and repeats of The Girls Next Door and The Soup
Comedy Central has American Pie
MTV is new with Made and has a repeat of My Super Psycho Sweet 16
Showtime has a repeat of Dexter and is new with the rockumentary Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful
Late-night highlights include Megan Fox and U2 on a repeat of Saturday Night Live on NBC

Gus Van Sant and Bret Easton Ellis to Pen The Golden Suicides

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:31:46 -0700

A couple years ago, the art world was rocked by a pair of deaths when Jeremy Blake and his girlfriend Theresa Duncan committed suicide within days of each other amid allegations of paranoia and harassment by Scientologists. Dubbed "The Golden Suicides" by Vanity Fair, the tragedy attracted attention because of the beauty and glamour of the couple, their friendship with musician Beck, and the mystery surrounding their passing.

Their compelling story is now getting the movie treatment: Gus Van Sant and Bret Easton Ellis are working on a screenplay together for a film based on the Vanity Fair article.

I was personally fascinated by the article and the lives of Duncan and Blake when news of their suicides broke (I'd actually seen one of Blake's exhibits at the SF MoMA years before). I think Van Sant and Ellis will give considerable weight to this dismal subject matter - Van Sant is coming off of Milk, and Ellis is the author of heavy, zeitgeisty tomes like American Psycho and Less Than Zero.

Top WTF Moments From Gossip Girl Episode "The Lost Boy"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:30:43 -0700

Are we back on the horse now? After a couple of OK episodes of Gossip Girl, this week's "The Lost Boy" really felt like the show I know and love. Everyone's playing everyone else, everyone's lying to everyone else, mysteries solve and then re-form . . . yes, it was quite the return to form.

I have my favorite parts (and don't forget to take Geek's tech quiz), so to see them (spoilers ahead!), just read more.

Don't come a knockin' if the sock's a rockin': Blair walks in on Dan and Georgina! So it was spoiled in last week's promo, but all the same, I was still shocked, shocked, when Blair walks in - after gingerly removing the sock on the door with a glove. To make matters worse for Dan, he's also caught by Serena and then Vanessa. I love how Vanessa hopes he hooked up with Georgina and not Blair, and Serena hopes he hooked up with Blair and not Georgina. Really, S? You're so full of surprises.
There is no Scott Adler: Turns out, Rufus and Scott have been hanging out (and in matching striped shirts, no less), which made me want to warn Rufus to ensure his fingernail clippings were still in the trash. Right when things are getting totally creepy, the scorned female admin at NYU informs Vanessa there IS NO Scott Adler. Dun dun dun! But then Scott ends up being sort of normal by confessing his whole story to V.
The big reveal that isn't: I don't know if it's understandable or still kind of weird that Scott lies and says he's the brother of Rufus and Lily's son that died. In the understandable column: his mom would be heartbroken. In the weird column: what kind of mom wants her son to tell a ginormous lie?! Plus he's going to look like a crazy person again when the truth inevitably comes out. So understandable = 1, weird = 2.
Still crazy after all these years: Well, even though Scott's not a stalker, turns out Georgina is still a whack job. She plays Blair and Chuck against each other with a little ploy, which is not really a crazy person thing to do, just devious, but then we see something no girl should be caught with: a picture of her and Dan on her computer desktop! After like, two days. Oh, Georgina, no.
Serena, back in action: The old girl pulled out of her dense party-girl fog to discover Georgina's Patrick McMullan scheme, then tells Dan about her evil ways, which felt more mean girl than good Samaritan. I may have cackled a little when Serena says that Georgina had already left the Sotheby's auction, and she comes out in time to see the Humphrey limo (yes, the Humphrey limo) jet off and ditch her. When she has something to do besides whine, Serena gets back into my good graces. I'm even kind of cheering on her relationship with Carter. But tell me: must he always dress like American Psycho's Patrick Bateman?
Bree, no longer boring?: The final twist is that Carter has done something to wrong Bree's family. You know Bree: Joanna Garcia, who's been largely wasted in her guest role as Nate's girltoy. Maybe this family drama will give her a juicy storyline on the show, finally. OK, it didn't sound that juicy, but the rest of the episode was so exciting, it spilled over to this final moment!

So what did you think of The Lost Boy? How do you think the Scott secret will come out? Frankly, I hope it's soon, because what fallout can it even have now? Dan and Serena are broken up and Rufus and Lily are together. Let's wrap it up!

To talk more, join one of the Gossip Girl groups in the Community, like XOXO Gossip Girl!

Photos courtesy of The CW

The Informers: Convoluted and Boring

BuzzSugar — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:30:51 -0700

Greed is good. Sex is easy. Youth is forever.

Or so goes the tagline for The Informers, a new film adapted from a collection of short stories by Bret Easton Ellis. You may recognize Ellis's name from the posters of several films in the past decade, namely American Psycho and The Rules of Attraction (there's also Glitterati, if that ever sees the light of day). If you're familiar with his work, you'll know, loosely, what to expect from his latest venture: Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. There's plenty of all the aforementioned (hence the tagline), but, unfortunately the end result is more of a melodramatic mess than an examination of the excesses of the '80s.

Don't blame the actors, especially the more seasoned among them. A few - Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke and to a slightly lesser degree Winona Ryder and Billy Bob Thornton - even give memorable performances in a movie that is anything but. The younger newcomers don't fare quite as well with the inane script that contains far too many storylines with far too many unlikeable characters. What's worse, the stories barely intersect, adding confusion on top of disdain.

Let me try to explain what goes down, when you read more.

If you break it down, there are five major plot pieces fighting for attention throughout the movie (apparently a vampire subplot starring Brandon Routh was cut). The most watchable of the bunch are the scenes with Thornton, Basinger, and Ryder. Thornton plays a TV exec who is trying to reconcile his marriage to Basinger's character, while still having an affair with Ryder. Basinger's open to reconciliation, but she's also currently sleeping with one of her son's friends. Which brings in plotline No. 2 involving most of the younger actors of the film. Austin Nichols, Jon Foster, and Amber Heard form a trio of friends who have nothing better to do than drugs and each other. Plot No. 3 has their friend Lou Taylor Pucci fighting off seedy seductions with his gung-ho father (Chris Isaak) in Hawaii. And finally plot No. 4 (don't even get me started on the fifth storyline) follows Mickey Rourke who is trying to sell a kidnapped kid to pedophiles, despite objection from his nephew played by the late Brad Renfro. Confused yet? I certainly was. Bored? That too.

Ultimately the film falters in its attempt to cover too much ground, spreading itself too thin with characters not worth caring about. And not that this movie needed another subplot, but a little vampire love could have added some bite to this film without a pulse.

Bottom Line: The Ellis fans out there may want to check out this first film for which he (co)-wrote the screenplay, but I'd skip the theatrical release.

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Private Practice Rundown: Episode 12, "Homeward Bound"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:41:47 -0800

Man, the women of Private Practice are pretty screwed up emotionally. They all admit it this week, too, which is heartbreaking and kind of interesting when you think about it. I feel like I need to pause and give thanks for the over-30 female-driven storylines. Also heartbreaking? Charlotte King crying on Cooper's lap. Aw! I'm officially rooting for these two now, even though I'm very, very frightened of that woman. Let's chat about it, just read more.

It wasn't just the doctors who had me glued to my TV set this week - it was also the patients. Raise your hand if you knew the mother was gay? I thought maybe she had another lover or something, but as soon as the other lady showed up I figured it out. The poor son! Do you think he's too hard on his mom or is that a totally natural reaction? And then there's that crazy decision that father has to make! I won't even get into the medical explanation of what's going on (I had to rewind four times to try to understand). But the choice he has to make is excruciating, and the way it all plays out pulled at my heartstrings but also struck me as implausible. I mean, if you decide you are going to give up your son so you can be with your daughter, wouldn't you take a second to call an aunt or someone? Instead of handing him to a random doctor? Maybe call up a lawyer and figure out some custody stuff? I was confused.

Meanwhile, Sheldon, who previously suffered from impotence, is now showing up to Violet's doorstep declaring "It's up Violet! Full mast!" I immediately thought Violet would turn him away with an "Um, no thanks. I'm sleeping with a hot guy named Pete" - but no! She starts sleeping with both guys and tells Addison and Naomi she can't choose between Pete's heat and Sheldon's comfort. You guys. I am not a fan of Sheldon's. I get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about him showing up on doorsteps with erections.

In Addison-land, she and SWAT guy are having horribly icky fights. She's all, "A child is dying and you want to chill out!" and he yells back that she's no fun. Why'd they bring him back? Now it's basically cheating when she makes out with Wyatt. And Addison is already branded a cheater from her Grey's Anatomy days. But yay for making out with Wyatt - could he be cuter? He looks like future 40-something Will from Privileged.

A few more thoughts:

I think it's funny when Cooper thinks "Big Daddy" is the username of someone Charlotte's getting it on with online. But no. It's her father. Who is dying.
And wait a minute. . . Violet has sex with two guys at the same time for the first time in her life and she's stricken with some terrible peeing condition? I mean, Pete is the sluttiest person on the show and theoretically could have gotten seven STDs by now, but as soon as Violet is having all this sex, the writers make her come down with a physical ailment and struggle with the double standards of female and male sexuality? Seems like overkill. And what a loopy mixed message that is.
I really felt for Naomi. I would be super sad to see a younger lady hanging out with my ex and my daughter. But Sonya turns out to be cool so it's all good.
Another icky line from Sheldon, which is his version of foreplay: "From a psycho-physiological standpoint, this is remarkable." Wow, could he be less sexy?
Ha! Cooper's advice to Violet about sex is hysterical. Cooper: "You're a red-blooded American - sex is your birthright." Violet: "I will exercise my right!"

What did you think of this episode?

NBC Gets Top Talent for 13-Episode Horror Anthology

BuzzSugar — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:29:18 -0800

NBC has lured top-notch horror writers, directors and actors to collaborate on Fear Itself, a 13-episode anthology series of suspense and horror stories that sounds like it's going to be genuinely cool and scary.

Some of the notable actors involved include Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), Shiri Appleby (Charlie Wilson's War), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Cynthia Watros (Lost) and Eric Roberts (Heroes). The group of writers chosen to contribute features Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), Dan Knauf (Carnivale, Supernatural), and a bunch of guys from Masters of Horror, among others. As for directors, they've roped in Mary Harron (American Psycho), John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), Ronny Yu (Freddy vs. Jason, Bride of Chucky) and Ernest Dickerson (Heroes), along with several others.

To find out which of the episodes sound the most intriguingly freaky to me, read more.

You can find a full rundown of all the episodes here. The ones I'm most looking forward to are "Nightmare in Lace" ("On her wedding day, a beautiful bride receives a mysterious note that reads: 'The person you are marrying is a serial killer.'") and "Eater" ("A rookie cop (Moss) must spend her first night in the precinct watching over a serial killer, coined 'The Eater' (Stephen R. Hart). When her fellow cops start acting bizarre, she quickly learns that no one is who they seem.").

What do you think of NBC's horror-fest? Will you tune in for Fear Itself?

Christian Bale Movie Night: Serious Actor, Also in Newsies

BuzzSugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:29:58 -0800

Though he wasn't nominated for any awards, I believe some of the year's best performances have come from Christian Bale (3:10 to Yuma, Rescue Dawn), and I'm a little sad that he's missing from the red carpet. The man has been honing his craft since he was a wee child and has been working steadily for years since. To properly pay my respects to the talented Mr. Bale this awards season, I'm designating a Movie Night to him. It's hard to choose given his large body of work, but I dug out some gems. In addition to these titles, he also sang his way into my heart in Newsies and freaked me out in American Psycho and The Machinist.

3:10 to Yuma
I've said it before and I'll say it again: 3:10 to Yuma is an excellent retelling of an old Western, reminding us that this dusty genre isn't dead. The lead actors turn in solid performances including Christian Bale who plays rancher Dan Evans, a man down on his luck physically and financially. Evans seizes an opportunity to earn some good reward money by delivering the infamous outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) to the Yuma prison via the 3:10 PM train. With Ben's men hot on their trail, their journey to Yuma takes on a power struggle that is ultimately as simple as good versus evil. This film has one of Bale's most arresting portrayals in recent history, and should definitely kick off your movie night.

Two more titles from the deeper confines of Bale's past, so read more

Swing Kids
In this 1993 drama, Bale plays one of three friends growing up in Nazi Germany on the eve of World War II. Alongside Robert Sean Leonard (who you can now catch on House), Bale and friends rebel against the status quo by listening and dancing to American swing music. Eventually though, their teenage rebellions are forced to a stop and the young men are faced with some hard choices.

Though sappy at times, it's fun watching the young, strapping Robert Sean Leonard and Christian Bale together onscreen.

Little Women
Bale first really hit my adolescent radar when he brought Laurie to life in Little Women. I'm just going to say it: I don't think there could ever be a more perfect Theodore 'Laurie' Lawrence. In other news, it's a good wintertime family classic with a great cast, including Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Susan Sarandon and a tiny Kirsten Dunst.

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