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Taking Woodstock: A Pleasant Piece of Nostalgia

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:30:50 -0700

Like many people who weren't even alive in 1969, I have an irresistible, faux nostalgia for movies that capture the vibe of that time. So while Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock abounds with '60s cliches, I couldn't help but enjoy it.

As telegraphed in the title, Taking Woodstock offers an alternate perspective on the legendary New York music festival. The story swirls around Elliot Teichberg (Demetri Martin) as he takes stock of his life, struggling to help his parents save their rundown Catskills motel while longing for the freedom he feels as a young gay man living in NYC. So he takes Woodstock out of its limbo after the event has been rejected by two other upstate towns. Though the movie is based on a true story, it's almost cartoonish at times, so hear more of what I thought.

Watch, Pass, TiVo, or Rent: Taking Woodstock

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:30:52 -0700

I wasn't sure what to make of the trailer for Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock; it seems like such funny material for the Academy Award-winning director of Brokeback Mountain and The Ice Storm.

Then again, maybe there is more of a dramatic arc here with comedian Demetri Martin's role as a shy, closeted teen. Is it the story of his coming out, his family's role in putting on the legendary festival, or is it just an excuse to put Liev Schreiber in a dress? I'm interested in seeing if Martin can carry a heavier role like this, and sure, I wouldn't mind seeing what Emile Hirsch pulls as a crazy hippie, but I don't know if I'm rushing out to see it on opening night.

Will you be heading to the theater for this, waiting til it comes out on video, or skipping it altogether?

Poster courtesy of Focus Features

Buzz News Roundup, 4/22

BuzzSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:30:05 -0700

Vanessa Hudgens will reportedly star in Beastly, a Manhattan-set, modern-day take on Beauty and the Beast, based on Alex Flinn's young-adult novel. - ComingSoon
Christopher Gorham will return as Henry in the finale of Ugly Betty. - Entertainment Weekly
Simon Cowell claims he'd leave American Idol if it stopped being the No. 1 show. - The Hollywood Reporter
The 3-D "motion picture event," Disney's A Christmas Carol will screen at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday, May 18. - ComingSoon
NBC is pulling Kings from the schedule starting this week; it's set to resume June 13. - Zap2it
A "major character from the first two seasons" will show up in the Desperate Housewives finale. - TV.com
Comedian Demetri Martin will star alongside Brad Pitt in the film adaptation of Moneyball. - Variety
ABC has announced the cast of The Superstars, which pairs athletes and celebrities for a competition. - The Futon Critic

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Movie Preview: Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock

BuzzSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:30:59 -0700

You might see the word "Woodstock" and feel like we've seen enough about the famous music festival, but this trailer for Ang Lee's first English-language film since Brokeback Mountain actually looks like it might have something new to add to the story. Taking Woodstock is kind of hilariously hard to figure out: In the lead role there's comedian Demetri Martin (who you may know from his TV show Important Things With Demetri Martin) - and then people like Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Emile Hirsch, Liev Schreiber, and Eugene Levy pop up throughout the trailer and it's like, whaaa?

The movie is based on a memoir about a motel owner and his parents who are instrumental in helping the hippies pull off the seminal 1969 rock concert. This description from the book makes the movie all the more fascinating: "Hounded by the guilt that he can't live up to his parents' standards and riven by his own covert homosexuality, Tiber pokes fun at what he calls the Teichberg Curse, a scourge that won't allow the family to escape financial ruin." I wonder if that stuff is explored in the movie? We'll have to wait until Aug. 14 to find out.

I'm still wrapping my head around this trailer, but I'm optimistic. To see for yourself, read more.

Buzz News Roundup, 5/2

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:30:02 -0700

Catherine O'Hara and Andie MacDowell have signed on for ABC pilots, Zap2it reports: O'Hara will play the mom in Good Behavior from Rob Thomas, while MacDowell's plot is described as a Hamlet-like drama set in the auto industry.
Maggie Gyllenhaal will replace Toni Collette in the Sam Mendes relationship comedy that also stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, Variety writes.
According to ComingSoon, comedian Demetri Martin will be joining Ang Lee's next project, Taking Woodstock.
Billboard writes that The Cure has announced the date of their next album release: September 13, with a new single coming out every month until then, starting on May 13.
Variety reports that iTunes will now offer movies to be purchased and downloaded on the day of DVD release.
If you liked the Christian Siriano-designed blouse that Amanda wore on Ugly Betty last night, you can bid on it now; details on how are at The Futon Critic.
E! reports that Leighton Meester will be reprising her role on Entourage as a Britney-esque pop star.
Pitchfork has new details on the new album from The Hold Steady, which will be released in July.

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Buzz News Roundup, 10/3

BuzzSugar — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 13:34:53 -0700

Zap2It reports that an asteroid has been named after George Takei!
According to Variety, computers, photographs and proprietary information were stolen from the production of the fourth Indiana Jones movie.
There will be a fourth Fast and Furious movie, with Vin Diesel and Paul Walker probably starring again, Reuters reports.
If you want a spoiler on which "House" docs make the new team, you might want to check out this casting news from the Hollywood Reporter.
The season premiere of "Dexter" drew 1 million viewers, writes TV Week, making it the first Showtime premiere to go over a million.
NME has an exclusive interview with Radiohead about In Rainbows.
Molly Shannon will star as Kath, the mother part of a dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship in the NBC series "Kath and Kim," writes Hollywood Reporter.
ComingSoon reports that Kevin Dillon has signed on for the starring role in National Lampoon's "sword-and-sandal epic spoof" 301: The Legend of Awesomest Maximus Wallace Leonidas.
According to Zap2It, Comedy Central has picked up a "Daily Show" spin-off focusing on comedian Demitri Martin.
Hulk Hogan will host NBC's "American Gladiators" revival, and the Futon Critic has the details.
Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody has sold another script, this one a "female-driven comedy set at a college" titled Girly Style, writes Hollywood Reporter.

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