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Extra! Extra! Get Your New Coldplay Here!

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:30:06 -0700

We're still nearly two months away from when Coldplay's fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, drops (June 17 in the United States), but today, the band is throwing fans a bone by releasing a song from the album to download for one week only. The song is called "Violet Hill" and is the eighth track on the album that is supposedly taking the band in a new creative direction.

In addition to the early download today, the band will also play two free shows in support of the new album, one in London and one at Madison Square Garden in New York City. A few details about the London show are on the band's site now.

To grab your own copy of the song, go here and fill out a short form that asks for your Zip code and e-mail address. The site will then e-mail you directions for downloading the song. A lot of people must be doing this, so beware that it could take a while for you to get the e-mail - mine took more than three hours!

The song definitely hints at a new, somewhat harder sound for Coldplay, but it also doesn't feel that out of step with the material they've released before. Now I'm curious to see if the full album will live up to the hype - not to mention the commercial success they've experienced thus far.

If you're busy waiting for your own copy of "Violet Hill," or if you want to know if the song is worth checking out, you can hear it if you read more.

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Music Video: Kanye Feat. Chris Martin, "Homecoming"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:30:55 -0700

Chris Martin of Coldplay fame is a popular guy in the land of hip-hop. He popped up on a track from Jay-Z's 2006 comeback album Kingdom Come, and he teamed up with Kanye West for "Homecoming" on Kanye's most recent album, Graduation.

The new black-and-white video for "Homecoming," which features Kanye and Chris Martin (as mostly an outline of himself), is a refreshing change of pace from some recent videos that seem like frantic strobe-lit messes of neon colors. It may make some people yawn, but I find it to be a welcome change.

Plus there are random shots of Common throughout, and Common's really easy on the eyes.

So what do you think? Do you love this song? Is the video boring or kind of nice? To check it out for yourself, read more.

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Bad Lieutenant: Good Cop Gone Nuts

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:30:49 -0800

Nicolas Cage has said, "There's a very fine line between Method actor and schizophrenic." In Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, he teeters that line maniacally, with an ever-increasing slur and crooked swagger. Cage plays Terence McDonagh, a detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating a drug-related murder and his personal threshold for cocaine and heroin.

The first news of Bad Lieutenant was puzzling: famously extreme director Werner Herzog re-imagining a 1992 cult movie, also called Bad Lieutenant, but shifting the action to New Orleans and casting Nic Cage in the Harvey Keitel role opposite his Ghost Rider costar Eva Mendes. Weird.

But in fact, Bad Lieutenant is Herzog's second surprisingly accessible movie in as many years, following 2007's Rescue Dawn. And Cage is brilliant in a role seemingly made for him, so read more.

The noirish, pulpy, desperate, and often hilarious film opens with a good deed: McDonagh dives into a Katrina-flooded jail cell to save a prisoner's life, in the process injuring his back and subsequently getting hooked on Vicodin and then far harder drugs.

As a degenerate cop in a washed-out city, Cage makes Denzel Washington's Training Day villain look like a Boy Scout. He slithers through the streets, confiscating drugs to snort with his prostitute girlfriend (Mendes), hooking up with a drug kingpin played by Alvin "Xzibit" Joiner, and fending off a rising tide of self-created trouble. "Being courteous is really getting in the way of my progress," he croaks before one of his more disturbing moral lapses.

In post-Katrina New Orleans, Herzog has found the perfect setting. He never lets the city look pretty or even charmingly decayed, and he populates it with iguanas and alligators and snakes and fish. At every turn, McDonagh is confronted by cold-blooded animals, as he careens between the call of duty and the cold-blooded instinct of his addiction. It's impossible to ignore the reptilian symbolism, and the effect is perfectly bizarre. Despite its darkest moments, Bad Lieutenant is a remarkably good trip.

Photos Courtesy First Look Studios

Glee-ful Highlights and Video From Episode "Mash-Up"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:30:00 -0700

The Glee train is chugging right along, and I don't just mean the new episodes. This week we learned that Madonna has given the green light for the show to use her music and the first 13 episodes will be available on DVD in December. Now, on to the good stuff.

This week the tables turned on the glee club's king and queen, as Finn and Quinn learn that they're no longer safe from getting the slushie treatment. Ken tries to make the football guys choose between the team and the club as a retaliation for Will's relationship with Emma, and Sue finds love! For a minute. Oh, and Puck and Rachel team up and Mr. Schue has his own dance dance revolution, so read more.

I was happy that this week's episode is Terri-free but has tons of Emma. Emma singing! Emma dancing! Emma in a wedding dress! I still can't forgive her for agreeing to marry Ken, but she's pret-ty adorable all dolled up staring into Will's eyes. Speaking of which, the tension between them is more palpable than ever. They're almost like the new Jim and Pam.
So, Rachel and Puck? I guess it was only a matter of time, but their little love affair still feels totally random. On the other hand, I guess that's what high school is all about. When Rachel shows a bit of maturity and asks Puck to be friends, Puck pulls a typical jerk move and gives her the cold shoulder. So the real question is - how long before Puck gets Quinn and Rachel gets Finn? Between Emma/Schue and the gleeks, there's just unrequited crushing up the wazoo.
Let's talk about the performances. I know that Mr. Schue is a talented singer and dancer, but I have to admit that I was cringing during "Bust a Move" and almost couldn't watch the "Thong Song." Can't they use those pipes and moves on something a little less embarrassing? Puck's rendition of "Sweet Caroline" is, for lack of a better word, sweet, and I loved Emma's surprise performance of "I Could've Danced All Night."

Need to watch Schue's "Thong Song" serenade again? Check it out!

Emma isn't the only one getting dance lessons, though. Sue swing dancing with Schue is genius. It's by far my favorite moment of the episode, particularly that Sue plays the guy, literally sweeping Will off his feet in the end. Sue finally shows that she's got a mushy side when she falls for the news anchor, but obviously it doesn't last long. However, her lovestruck episode does deliver some memorable moments, like that zoot suit.

Check out a cute behind-the-scenes video of Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch practicing their dance number:

The episode isn't without a few cheesy after-school special moments, too. Poor Kurt shows Finn the true meaning of friendship, taking a slushie to the face "for the team." Then Finn answers back when he returns to glee with high hopes to pave the way for all the singing, dancing, football players of the future. The week's winning mushy moment goes to the kids happily giving Mr. Schue a slushie facial of his very own.

What'd you think? Should Finn and Quinn just break up already? Will Sue get another shot at love? Did you miss crazy Terri? Don't forget to join the Glee Club in the Buzz Community to keep the conversation going!

Photos courtesy of Fox

The Weather Channel to Show Movies: Brilliant or Baffling?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:30:00 -0700

Pack your umbrella and your popcorn: 27-year-old cable network stalwart The Weather Channel is going to start showing movies on Friday nights.

The movies will be weather-themed or feature weather prominently, and the first is the George Clooney drama The Perfect Storm; others lined up include March of the Penguins, Deep Blue Sea and Misery. Of course, TWC won't leave you out in the cold - weather updates will show up on-screen while the movies are playing, so you'll still know when to actually expect the perfect storm (ba dum ching!).

While it's kind of a cute idea, I don't really know what the point is - to get the coveted Friday night viewers looking for a weather-inspired movie on TV? I guess it's not a terrible thing to stumble upon Clooney's face when all you were expecting was a weatherman telling you how cloudy it is in your neck of the woods. What do you make of this news?

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "Invasion"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:23:13 -0700

Seattle Grace has been invaded, and this time it's with new doctors in addition to fresh patients and injuries. It doesn't take very long for the surgeons to butt heads with the Mercy West newbies - in fact, Izzie is ready to throw down after one of the doctors takes George's locker in the locker room. Eventually, Izzie is the only one who warms up to the Mercy Westers, only to get burned first by a new friend and then by the chief.

Ready to talk about all of the drama with the new kids on the block? Just read more.

The docs are on the defensive from the minute they are "invaded" by Mercy West. New guy Jackson (aka hot guy from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2) immediately gets on Owen's good side by suggesting a new method of appointing patients. Throughout the episode, Jackson proves to be most likable of the new doctors, which makes Cristina hate him even more.
For the second week in a row, Cristina has beef with Owen because he doesn't play favorites. Her self-assurance continues to plummet, and by the end of the episode she has a breakdown in Meredith's hospital room about how much she misses heart surgeries. It was interesting that she mentions Burke after all these seasons of silence (though at this point it feels like he's been gone forever), and I loved that she jumps right into Mere's bed even though they are both in a "dark and twisty" place.
Callie's father returns, though it's not exactly the joyful reunion she's been hoping for. He brings a priest along for the trip, prompting Callie to protest that you can't "pray away the gay." Later they square off again, citing religious quotes, but ultimately he begins to accept his daughter for who she is. This is a major breakthrough for Callie's relationship with Arizona, as she's the one who gets through to Callie's dad, even admitting that she loves Callie. Aww.
Lexie tries to be welcoming to the new doc she's working with, though it doesn't take long for her to see that the newbie is one-upping her photographic memory. Prompted by the patient she's working with (who happens to be a thief), Lexie turns the tables and uses the newbie's diary to get the upper hand. In true Lexie fashion, she feels bad in the end and apologizes. Am I the only one who thinks the new doctor is kind of like Lexie 2.0? Their dynamic reminded me of when Lexie first started and tries really hard to make nice with Mere, but gets the cold shoulder in return. Maybe Lexie and Meredith are growing more alike as they get to know each other.
The most dramatic moments of the night are wrapped up in Izzie. Though wary at first, Izzie quickly bonds with and embraces her new friend Charles - until she overhears him referring to her as his "own surgical bitch." (Ouch). It obviously gets to her, and Izzie lets her emotions get in the way of her work, nearly killing a patient waiting for a transplant. It's clear that the other doctors aren't willing to give her a free pass because she's a cancer survivor; Bailey hands her a heavy reprimand and ultimately the Chief lets her go.
Alex continues to try to defend Izzie to the chief, though this week his pleas are starting to sound desperate. He gets so fiercely competitive with newbie Reid that a patient's family member is forced to step in. At the end of his stressful day, he gets the biggest bomb of all - Izzie breaks the news that she's leaving him a note. We all knew the firing was coming, but I didn't think her relationship with Alex would end so quickly. He has a rare emotional moment breaking the news to Mere and Cristina, and even they don't know how to comfort the usually cocky Karev. (Gotta love the moment of comic relief when Meredith is trying to prompt Cristina to give him a hug).

Now that Izzie's gone, what do you think will happen when she gets back? Is it really over for her and Karev? Did you like seeing the fresh meat at Seattle Grace or were you just as irritated as the doctors?

For more on everything Grey's, check out the Grey's Anatomy Junkies group in the BuzzSugar Community!

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

Movie Preview: A Nightmare on Elm Street

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:30:42 -0700

Enough of you are into slasher flicks that I think you'll appreciate this trailer for the latest installment of A Nightmare on Elm Street. What's different about this one, set to release in 2010? Freddy Krueger is played by the genuinely creepy and genuinely good actor Jackie Earle Haley.

Billed as a re-imagining of the horror classic and produced by Michael Bay, the movie's trailer opens with a sad, evocative image of a younger Freddy being chased into an accident, precipitating his fate as a cold-blooded killer. The fact that the trailer can make you feel empathy for one of pop culture's greatest villains is a feat unto itself and makes me think this movie will be about more than just gory, creative ways to kill someone.

To see the trailer, which also stars Kellan Lutz, Connie Britton, and Melrose Place's Katie Cassidy, just read more.