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Green Zone: Heavy on Action (and Preaching)

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:30:00 -0800

Meet Matt Damon, war hero. If the Bourne series is any indication, director Paul Greengrass knows how to get a pistol-whip out of the actor, and the two team up once again, bringing that same pumping adrenaline to Baghdad in Green Zone.

Heart-pounding blasts erupt as we open with Chief Miller (Damon) and his army comrades as they sniff out weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, circa 2003. A sniper is firing bullets from a tower and looters run through the streets kicking up dust, but Miller's unit discovers nothing. The government has been providing misinformation regarding the WMDs, and Miller takes it upon himself to figure out what's really going on.

To hear more about the film, read more.

When Miller questions army officials, they act like he's crazy - with the exception of one CIA member, Marty Brown (Brendan Gleeson). Brown confirms Miller's suspicions, and the two begin their own investigation. With help from a Wall Street Journal reporter (Amy Ryan), Miller learns of a mysterious source named "Magellan" who provided information to the press about WMDs; yet, the only person who knows Magellan is Pentagon rep Clark Poundstone (Greg Kinnear) who swiftly tries to shut Miller down at every turn. So what is Poundstone hiding? If you've ever heard the term "conspiracy theory," you can probably guess - but that doesn't diminish the film's suspense.

That's thanks to Greengrass, who uses his fast-paced shots to take us through alleyways and over fences. His on-foot filmmaking is full of shaky camera work that puts you in the thick of the gunfire for an authentic feel, but it also makes you a bit queasy. As we head toward an explosive finish, Damon launches into Jason Bourne mode, and believability goes out the window. Lack of plausibility is okay though when it's an action movie, right?

The problem is that Green Zone wants to be more than that. With a plot about Iraq and government conspiracy, you're bound to have anti-war underpinnings, and the script doesn't miss out on any opportunity to drive the moral home. This message is voiced by an Iraqi character named Freddy (Khalid Abdalla), who Miller takes in to serve as an informant and translator. Freddy doesn't help the US for a reward, he's doing it for his country, as he proclaims "it's not for you to decide what happens here." It's a thought that echoes through to the closing credits, and a worthy point at that - but in the midst of what amounts to countless chase scenes, for Green Zone it's a little out of left field.

If you'd like to review a movie you've seen recently, check out the Movie Reviews Group in community. I may even feature your critique on the site!

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Leap Year: A Romantic Romantic Comedy

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:30:07 -0800

I dreaded seeing Leap Year after I watched the trailer - the premise looked unimaginative and sexist. Anna (Amy Adams) is ready to get married, so she seizes on a tradition her father tells her about: in Ireland, women "can" propose to men on the day Leap Year falls on, Feb. 29. Her journey to Dublin to chase down her boyfriend ends up as a series of pratfalls with handsome, devil-may-care stranger Declan (a gorgeously unkempt Matthew Goode).

Let's just say I wasn't psyched about another rom-com fueled by the idea that all women need marriage to feel complete. And it was poor, Oscar-nominated Amy Adams being sacrificed, klutzing her way through desperation to win her man. But a funny thing happened at the theater: Leap Year surprised me. The premise becomes a mere platform for Anna and Declan's sweet, simmering courtship, and I found something that eludes most romantic comedies: romance.

I didn't immediately take to the movie though; it had to win me over. To see what I mean, just read more.

The first act has Anna braving rough plane and boat rides, flustered in a skirt and a pair of $600 high heels. It's a visual that some people in the theater laughed at, but I cringed. In this uniform, I pegged Anna as a variation on Sandra Bullock's uptight but severely feminine character in The Proposal (who's a variation on the female character in 75 percent of romantic comedies). Anna's sparring with Declan in the beginning is tired and familiar as well. Of course they hate each other! Isn't that how it always goes?

There are plenty of generic moments at the beginning of the film, but as Anna and Declan journey across Ireland to her final destination, you get to know the two characters, who have surprisingly believable growth. Anna's not a desperate fool who only values herself if she's married; she wants to be settled to remedy the instability she had in childhood. And the movie doesn't treat Anna as if she's pathetic for wanting to propose to her boyfriend - it's treated as romantic, a unique proposal story.

Of course, you can tell from the trailer and poster that the real love story is between Anna and Declan, who are brought to life through Adams and Goode. It's their chemistry and ability that makes Leap Year a charmer.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Jason Lee - Love Him or Leave Him?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:30:15 -0800

Jason Lee has been keeping a low profile since My Name Is Earl went off the air, but he's about to make a return to TV in the upcoming TNT series Delta Blues, which is executive produced by George Clooney. Lee is set to play Dwight Hendricks, a police officer by day, Elvis impersonator by night.

I loved Lee in pretty much every Kevin Smith movie - from Brodie in Mallrats to Banky in Chasing Amy - but I could never warm up to Earl (or that absurd mustache). This role sounds like it could be be great for him though, the perfect combination of serious and wacky. How do you feel about Jason Lee?

Movie Preview: Amy Adams in Leap Year

BuzzSugar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:30:04 -0800

You can rarely accuse a romantic comedy of being original, and the set up for Leap Year is no different. Amy Adams stars as Anna, a woman who's waiting for her boyfriend (Adam Scott) to propose when she learns that according to Irish tradition, women are "allowed" to propose to men on February 29, leap day. She chases him to Dublin and when she's diverted to Wales, meets a handsome stranger (Matthew Goode) who makes her rethink her scheme and relationship. Stop groaning.

I know the movie sounds cliche and sexist, yet I can't dismiss anything with Adams in it - her charm is just too powerful! Seriously, though, amid the mildly offensive plot details and too-familiar setting (how many times have we seen that stuck-in-the-road-while-cows-cross scene?), Adams still shines along with her freakishly dreamy foil, Matthew Goode. Take a look at the trailer to see for yourself, and watch out for a small bit from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Kaitlin Olson, when you read more.

Leap Year comes out January 8, 2010.

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

I'm So Psyched - I'm Going to Comic-Con!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:33:20 -0700

Holy geekfest, Buzz readers! I'm heading down to San Diego to attend this year's Comic-Con! I'm a Comic-Con virgin, so this will be my first time at the exciting comic book/sci-fi/fantasy event (though it's become mainstream enough to include some random stuff, like that Rainn Wilson movie The Rocker?) and up until now my understanding of Comic-Con has been vaguely based on that scene in Chasing Amy when Holden (Ben Affleck) goes up to Alyssa's (Joey Lauren Adams) booth where she's signing copies of her new comic book, and he hands her his. . . Oh, man, now I have to go watch Chasing Amy again.

Speaking of Chasing Amy, Kevin Smith will yet again be on hand at Comic-Con, mostly to promote his next comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno, starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. Smith's also moderating this panel I hope to attend called "Scream Like a Girl" which, OK, is being held by Spike TV, but includes a bunch of ladies who are going to discuss what it's like to be a woman working in the fanboy universes of comic book, sci-fi, fantasy and horror films. I think it sounds pretty cool, and with any luck, I'll be able to interview Smith after the panel. And will try not to swoon or gush. . .too much.

To see some of the other stuff I'm angling to check out, read more.

Surely the room for this will be packed to the gills, but I have to try anyway: EW is hosting a few "Visionaries" panels, featuring some heavy-hitters all on one stage. The Filmmakers panel includes Judd Apatow, Frank Miller, Kevin Smith, and Zack Snyder (300, The Watchmen). For the TV Showrunners panel they're bringing up Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof (Lost), Josh Schwartz (The O.C., Gossip Girl, Chuck), Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies) and Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles). There is much to learn from these guys.
Of course, there are also separate panels just for shows like Lost, Heroes, and Pushing Daisies, along with some for new shows, like HBO's Alan Ball creation, True Blood (yay, vampires!). Sometimes these panel sessions include sneak peeks at things (like, say, the first episode of Heroes, if we're lucky?), so I'll wait patiently in line for that.
There are a bunch of movie panels I'd like to check out, too, like the one for Max Payne (with Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis in attendance), The Watchmen, The Spirit, and a couple of randoms, like Pineapple Express.
Oh, and did I mention that Gerard Butler is supposed to attend a panel to promote the upcoming Guy Ritchie film RocknRolla? Yeah, pretty sure my schedule's cleared for that one.

Wish me luck! And if you've been to Comic-Con yourself, send me your thoughts and tips!

Lil Wayne, Coldplay Top Grammy Nominations

BuzzSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:15:57 -0800

Lil Wayne took top honors Wednesday night when the Grammy nominations were announced in primetime, followed closely by Coldplay, Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, and Kanye West. Lil Wayne nabbed eight nominations, while Coldplay had seven and Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, and Kanye each had six.

Lil Wayne's most prestigious nomination came in the Album of the Year category, where he'll face off against Coldplay, Ne-Yo, Radiohead, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. (Both Radiohead and the Plant/Krauss duo nabbed five nominations overall.)

Among the nominations that made me smile: MIA's "Paper Planes" for Record of the Year, Kylie Minogue's X for Best Electronic/Dance Album, and the Flight of the Conchords album for Best Comedy Album. The Grammy site has the complete list of nominations, and to see the nominees in many major categories, just read more.

RECORD OF THE YEAR
"Chasing Pavements," Adele
"Viva La Vida," Coldplay
"Bleeding Love," Leona Lewis
"Paper Planes," M.I.A
"Please Read The Letter," Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, Coldplay
Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne
Year Of The Gentleman, Ne-Yo
Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
In Rainbows, Radiohead

SONG OF THE YEAR
"American Boy," Estelle
"Chasing Pavements," Adele
"I'm Yours," Jason Mraz
"Love Song," Sara Bareilles
"Viva La Vida," Coldplay

BEST NEW ARTIST
Adele
Duffy
Jonas Brothers
Lady Antebellum
Jazmine Sullivan

BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Chasing Pavements," Adele
"Love Song," Sara Bareilles
"Mercy," Duffy
"Bleeding Love," Leona Lewis
"I Kissed A Girl," Katy Perry
"So What," Pink

BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"All Summer Long," Kid Rock
"Say," John Mayer
"That Was Me," Paul McCartney
"I'm Yours," Jason Mraz
"Closer," Ne-Yo
"Wichita Lineman," James Taylor

BEST POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"Viva La Vida," Coldplay
"Waiting In The Weeds," Eagles
"Going On," Gnarls Barkley
"Won't Go Home Without You," Maroon 5
"Apologize," OneRepublic

BEST POP COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS
"Lesson Learned," Alicia Keys & John Mayer
"4 Minutes," Madonna, Justin Timberlake & Timbaland
"Rich Woman," Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
"If I Never See Your Face Again," Rihanna & Maroon 5
"No Air," Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown

BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE
"Love Appetite," Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere
"I Dreamed There Was No War," Eagles
"Fortune Teller," Fourplay
"Steppin' Out," Stanley Jordan
"Blast!" Marcus Miller

BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
Sax For Stax, Gerald Albright
Greatest Hits Rerecorded Volume One, Larry Carlton
Jingle All The Way, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones
The Spice Of Life, Earl Klugh
A Night Before Christmas, Spyro Gyra

BEST POP ALBUM
Detours, Sheryl Crow
Rockferry, Duffy
Long Road Out Of Eden, Eagles
Spirit, Leona Lewis
Covers, James Taylor

BEST DANCE RECORDING
"Harder Better Faster Stronger," Daft Punk
"Ready For The Floor," Hot Chip
"Just Dance," Lady Gaga & Colby O'Donis
"Give It 2 Me," Madonna
"Disturbia," Rihanna
"Black & Gold," Sam Sparro

BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ALBUM
New York City, Brazilian Girls
Alive 2007, Daft Punk
Bring Ya To The Brink, Cyndi Lauper
X, Kylie Minogue
Last Night, Moby
Robyn, Robyn

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM
Still Unforgettable, Natalie Cole
The Sinatra Project, Michael Feinstein
Noël, Josh Groban
In The Swing Of Christmas, Barry Manilow
Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall, Rufus Wainwright

BEST SOLO ROCK VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Gravity," John Mayer
"I Saw Her Standing There," Paul McCartney
"Girls In Their Summer Clothes," Bruce Springsteen
"Rise," Eddie Vedder
"No Hidden Path," Neil Young

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"Rock N Roll Train," AC/DC
"Violet Hill," Coldplay
"Long Road Out Of Eden," Eagles
"Sex On Fire," Kings Of Leon
"House Of Cards," Radiohead

BEST HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE
"Inside The Fire," Disturbed
"Visions," Judas Priest
"Wax Simulacra," The Mars Volta
"Saints Of Los Angeles," Mötley Crüe
"Lords Of Salem," Rob Zombie

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE
"Heroes Of Our Time," DragonForce
"Nostradamus," Judas Priest
"My Apocalypse," Metallica
"Under My Thumb," Ministry
"Psychosocial," Slipknot

BEST ROCK INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE
"Castellorizon," David Gilmour
"Suicide & Redemption," Metallica
"34 Ghosts I-IV," Nine Inch Nails
"Hope (Live For The Art Of Peace)," Rush
"Peaches En Regalia," Zappa Plays Zappa

BEST ROCK SONG
"Girls In Their Summer Clothes," Bruce Springsteen
"House Of Cards," Radiohead
"I Will Possess Your Heart," Death Cab for Cutie
"Sex On Fire," Kings of Leon
"Violet Hill," Coldplay

BEST ROCK ALBUM
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, Coldplay
Rock N Roll Jesus, Kid Rock
Only By The Night, Kings Of Leon
Death Magnetic, Metallica
Consolers Of The Lonely, The Raconteurs

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
Modern Guilt, Beck
Narrow Stairs, Death Cab For Cutie
The Odd Couple, Gnarls Barkley
Evil Urges, My Morning Jacket
In Rainbows, Radiohead

BEST FEMALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Me, Myself And I," Beyoncé
"Heaven Sent," Keyshia Cole
"Spotlight," Jennifer Hudson
"Superwoman," Alicia Keys
"Need U Bad," Jazmine Sullivan

BEST MALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"You're The Only One," Eric Benét
"Take You Down," Chris Brown
"Miss Independent," Ne-Yo
"Can't Help But Wait," Trey Songz
"Here I Stand," Usher

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"Ribbon In The Sky," Boyz II Men
"Words," Anthony David Featuring India.Arie
"Stay With Me (By The Sea)," Al Green Featuring John Legend
"I'm His Only Woman," Jennifer Hudson Featuring Fantasia
"Never Give You Up," Raphael Saadiq Featuring Stevie Wonder & CJ Hilton

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"A Change Is Gonna Come," Wayne Brady
"You've Got The Love I Need," Al Green Featuring Anthony Hamilton
"Baby I Know," Linda Jones with Helen Bruner and Terry Jones
"Love That Girl," Raphael Saadiq
"In Love With Another Man," Jazmine Sullivan

BEST URBAN/ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE
"Say Goodbye To Love," Kenna
"Wanna Be," Maiysha
"Be OK," Chrisette Michele Featuring will.i.am
"Many Moons," Janelle Monae
"Lovin You (Music)," Wayna Featuring Kokayi

BEST R&B SONG
"Bust Your Windows," Jazmine Sullivan
"Customer," Raheem DeVaughn
"Heaven Sent," Keyshia Cole
"Miss Independent," Ne-Yo
"Spotlight," Jennifer Hudson

BEST R&B ALBUM
Love & Life, Eric Benét
Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA, Boyz II Men
Lay It Down, Al Green
Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Hudson
The Way I See It, Raphael Saadiq

BEST CONTEMPORARY R&B ALBUM
Growing Pains, Mary J. Blige
Back Of My Lac', J. Holiday
First Love, Karina
Year Of The Gentleman, Ne-Yo
Fearless, Jazmine Sullivan

BEST RAP SOLO PERFORMANCE
"Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)..." Jay-Z
"A Milli," Lil Wayne
"Paris, Tokyo," Lupe Fiasco
"N.i.*.*.e.r. (The Slave And The Master)," Nas
"Sexual Eruption," Snoop Dogg

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP
"Royal Flush," Big Boi Featuring Raekwon And Andre 3000
"Swagga Like Us," Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne
"Mr. Carter," Lil Wayne Featuring Jay-Z
"Wish You Would," Ludacris Featuring T.I.
"Put On," Young Jeezy Featuring Kanye West

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
"American Boy," Estelle Featuring Kanye West
"Low," Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain
"Green Light," John Legend & Andre 3000
"Got Money," Lil Wayne Featuring T-Pain
"Superstar," Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos

BEST RAP SONG
"Lollipop," Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major
"Low," Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain
"Sexual Eruption," Snoop Dogg
"Superstar," Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos
"Swagga Like Us," Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne

BEST RAP ALBUM
American Gangster, Jay-Z
Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne
The Cool, Lupe Fiasco
Nas, Nas
Paper Trail, T.I.

BEST FEMALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"For These Times," Martina McBride
"What I Cannot Change," LeAnn Rimes
"Last Name," Carrie Underwood
"Last Call," Lee Ann Womack
"This Is Me You're Talking To," Trisha Yearwood

BEST MALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"You're Gonna Miss This," Trace Adkins
"In Color," Jamey Johnson
"Just Got Started Lovin' You," James Otto
"Letter To Me," Brad Paisley
"Troubadour," George Strait

BEST COUNTRY PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"God Must Be Busy," Brooks & Dunn
"Love Don't Live Here," Lady Antebellum
"Every Day," Rascal Flatts
"Blue Side Of The Mountain," The SteelDrivers
"Stay," Sugarland

BEST COUNTRY COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS
"Shiftwork," Kenny Chesney & George Strait
"Killing The Blues," Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
"House Of Cash," George Strait & Patty Loveless
"Life In A Northern Town," Sugarland, Jake Owen & Little Big Town
"Let The Wind Chase You," Trisha Yearwood & Keith Urban

BEST COUNTRY INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE
"Sumatra," Cherryholmes
"Two Small Cars In Rome," Jerry Douglas & Lloyd Green
"Sleigh Ride," Béla Fleck & The Flecktones
"Is This America? (Katrina 2005)," Charlie Haden, Pat Metheny, Jerry Douglas & Bruce Hornsby
"Cluster Pluck," Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert & Steve Wariner

BEST COUNTRY SONG
"Dig Two Graves," Randy Travis
"I Saw God Today," George Strait
"In Color," Jamey Johnson
"Stay," Sugarland
"You're Gonna Miss This," Trace Adkins

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
That Lonesome Song, Jamey Johnson
Sleepless Nights, Patty Loveless
Troubadour, George Strait
Around The Bend, Randy Travis
Heaven, Heartache And The Power Of Love, Trisha Yearwood

BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK/AMERICANA ALBUM
Day After Tomorrow, Joan Baez
I, Flathead, Ry Cooder
Sex & Gasoline, Rodney Crowell
All I Intended To Be, Emmylou Harris
Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

BEST COMEDY ALBUM
Anticipation, Lewis Black
Flight Of The Conchords, Flight Of The Conchords
For Your Consideration, Kathy Griffin
It's Bad For Ya, George Carlin
Songs Of The Bushmen, Harry Shearer

BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK ALBUM FOR MOTION PICTURE, TV, ETC
American Gangster
August Rush
Juno
Mamma Mia!
Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street

BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM FOR MOTION PICTURE, TV, ETC
The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Iron Man
There Will Be Blood
Wall-E

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURE, TV, ETC
"Down To Earth" (From Wall-E), Peter Gabriel
"Ever Ever After" (From Enchanted), Carrie Underwood
"Say" (From The Bucket List), John Mayer
"That's How You Know" (From Enchanted), Amy Adams
"Walk Hard (From Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story), John C Reilly

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR (NON-CLASSICAL)
Danger Mouse
Nigel Godrich
Johnny Karkazis (Johnny K)
Rick Rubin
will.i.am

BEST REMIXED RECORDING
"Closer (StoneBridge Radio Edit)," StoneBridge (Ne-Yo)
"Electric Feel (Justice Remix)," Justice (MGMT)
"4 Minutes (Junkie XL Remix)," Junkie XL (Madonna Featuring Justin Timberlake)
"Just Fine (Moto Blanco Remix)," Moto Blanco (Mary J. Blige)
"The Longest Road (Deadmau5 Remix)," Deadmau5 (Morgan Page Featuring Lissie)

BEST SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO
"Honey," Erykah Badu
"Who's Gonna Save My Soul," Gnarls Barkley
"Another Way To Die," Alicia Keys & Jack White
"House Of Cards," Radiohead
"Pork And Beans," Weezer

BEST LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO
Where The Light Is - Live In Los Angeles, John Mayer
Runnin' Down A Dream, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Good Girl Gone Bad Live, Rihanna
Respect Yourself - The Stax Records Story, Various Artists
Amazing Journey: The Story Of The Who, The Who

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Chuck's Dad, the Super Office, and More From NBC

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:45:02 -0800

News on the Gossip Girl spinoff and Amy Poehler show was just the start of the good stuff to come out of NBC's TCA session yesterday. I also got some news on Chuck and the post-Super Bowl episode of The Office. Read on for details:

Yes, Chuck's dad will be found - and he'll be played by Scott Bakula of Quantum Leap! "[Executive producer] Chris Fedak and I were huge Quantum Leap fans," Executive Producer Josh Schwartz said. "We watched it religiously."
Does finding dear daddy mean there could be wedding bells for Ellie and Awesome before the season's up? "Very possibly," Schwartz said. "That is why Chuck said, 'I'm going to go find dad,' so he can be there to walk her down the aisle."
Also, we'll see Jeff shirtless and in 3D before the season's up - but not at the same time. "We felt like that was going to be too much for America," Schwartz said. For the record, Fedak worships Jeff; Schwartz worships Lester.
Another thing he's excited about: the upcoming guest appearance by Chevy Chase. "We are like psycho Chevy Chase fans on the show, and we've talked about Fletch and Spies Like Us, and we have all of these Spies Like Us references inside of our show," Schwartz said. He'll play the head of a company that's sort of Apple-ish, "real visionary in the software game," and he'll be a little edgier than we've seen from Chase before.

To get some info about The Office, just read more.

The post-Super Bowl episode of The Office will be a little more stand-alone than a typical installment because of all the new viewers it could attract, said Paul Lieberstein (who plays Toby but is also a writer and producer on the show). But the plot still sounds very Office-ish: "Dwight, in an effort to do extreme disaster training because he's frustrated with the way people have responded to it in the past, locks everyone in the office and sets fire to it," he said. "And then Michael has to help everyone."
Finding out The Office would be on after the Super Bowl was both intimidating and exciting. "There was certainly a sense of, 'This could take over the year,'" Lieberstein said. "In a way it felt like we were writing a pilot."
As for what Idris Elba will be doing on the show: He'll be playing a character who gets promoted to Jan's old job over Michael (who naturally thinks he's a lock for the position). "Michael doesn't handle it well," Lieberstein said. "There's quite a lot of tension with a presence that imposing and a guy like Michael Scott who just can't get it together."
Unlike in the BBC version of The Office, we may never see the documentary that the crew has supposedly been filming all these years. "I don't know if it's going to be the most satisfying way to see Michael Scott grow as a person," Lieberstein said. "You know, just to kind of become a horrible ex-reality star."

Are you excited to meet Chuck's dad? See Big Mike eat a doughnut in 3-D? Watch Dwight try to burn Dunder Mifflin down?

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Separated at Birth: UK Singing Soundalikes

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:30:55 -0700

It seems like you can't turn on the radio or surf the music blogs these days (or walk into a Starbucks, for that matter) without hearing a lady singer who is from the UK and sounds strikingly similar to Amy Winehouse or Lily Allen. It's as if all aspiring British female vocalists born between 1979 and 1991 were only given Dusty Springfield and Etta James records to listen to for inspiration.

Winehouse and Allen reintroduced the "soulful songstress with attitude and distinctive vocals" persona to the mainstream when they took the USA by storm a few years ago. However, they now appear to be imploding personally, leaving a hole in the genre that record labels have rushed to fill. I'm not complaining, as I happen to really enjoy this kind of music, but how to tell all this talent apart? There are a lot of 'em, and in addition to having similar musical styles, their names (er, um, "name," as the case may be for several of them) are hardly distinctive. It's confusing! For your benefit and mine, here's my attempt to break it all down:


Name	Duffy	Adele	Estelle	Kate Nash	Gabriella Cilmi
Recent Album	Rockferry, 2008	19, 2008	Shine, 2008	Made of Bricks, 2008	Lessons to Be Learned, 2008 (not yet for sale in US)
Single to Download	"Mercy" or "Warwick Avenue"	"Chasing Pavements"	"American Boy"	"Foundations" and "Merry Happy"	"Sweet About Me" (not yet available in US)
Identifying Features	"Mercy" featured on Grey's Anatomy; album sold at Starbucks	Voice getting a lot of hype; lacks the bad-girl storytelling of the others	As good at rapping as singing; big names like Kanye West and John Legend behind her	More Lily Allen than Winehouse; a great choice post-breakup	Technically Australian, a budding talent now working it in the UK
iPod Replay Potential*	3	4	8	7	6

*scale of 1-10, 1 = "What's this lady doing on my iPod?" and 10 = "Cannot get enough - it's the soundtrack of my life!"
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Tribeca Review: Trucker

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:30:33 -0700

Trucker largely reminded me of another indie movie titled Come Early Morning, which was written and directed by Chasing Amy's Joey Lauren Adams (who, incidentally, also stars in Trucker). The tone of both movies features a kind of weary, weathered fondness for the southern American landscape (in Come Early Morning it's the South, in Trucker it's the dusty deserts of southern California). At the heart of both movies, too, are hard-edged, tough-talking women in jobs that others in the movie ridicule for not being "women's jobs": Ashley Judd's character in Early Morning worked in construction, while the main character of Diane in Trucker, played by Michelle Monaghan, is a truck driver.

On the surface these two films might blur together in my mind as one unrecognizable narrative of the rough-around-the-edges woman learning to soften and accept love as well as give it. Trucker stands out a bit, though, as a more interesting story, more layered with higher stakes. And while it's not the most memorable movie in general, it's captivating enough and ultimately sends a heartwarming message. To see what I mean, read more.

The movie opens with a scene not suitable for watching with, say, your parents: Diane is seen having a one-hour stand with a young man (played by Joey Lawrence's brother, Matthew!) she picked up for the night. From here, it's established that she lives a loner's life on the road, driving trucks and picking up random men. But she always goes back to her California home where her neighbor Runner (Nathan Fillion) lives to hang out with Diane and pine after her - despite the fact that he's married. Soon drama comes in the form of Diane's young son Peter (Jimmy Bennet) who she abandoned, along with Peter's father (Benjamin Bratt) many years ago. Diane learns that Peter needs stay with her because his father has cancer, and there's a chance that Peter will need to move in with Diane permanently.

The relationship between mother and son is often uncomfortably contentious, with Monaghan's intense Diane walking around like a stick of dynamite about to blow up. Yet, we start to understand Diane's reasoning: she's just not the type of woman who wants to be a steady mom. She wants to be always moving, on the road, and the kid cramps her style. Thus, when the moments that include any inkling of tenderness between Diane and Peter do come along, they are hard-earned. Nathan Fillion is extremely handsome in the movie, though his role confounded me, as it was never explored why he spent all his time with Diane while his wife sat at home right next door. Unexamined and unexplained things like this make the movie frustrating, though by the time the sweet ending comes around, you might just forgive it.

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