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Volturi Vampires, Plus the Daytime Emmys and Evan Rachel Wood on True Blood!

Molly — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:03:51 -0700

It's a vampire-filled episode for the PopSugar Rush weekend edition. It's not all about bloodsuckers, though - check out a preview of what to expect from the Daytime Emmys this weekend and a NYC hotel that's giving the outside quite a view. All that and a little bit of Edward Cullen to set your weekend off on the right foot. Watch PopSugar Rush now!

Buzz News Roundup, 6/29

BuzzSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:30:44 -0700

Evan Rachel Wood and Alan Cumming will star in the Broadway show Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark, though still no confirmation on who will play Spidey. - Variety
This year's Comic-Con looks to have a record number of TV show panels. - The Hollywood Reporter
Under more new rules for the next Oscars, there might be no Best Original Song nominees. - Variety
Chilli from TLC and Pepa from Salt-n-Pepa are among the latest celebs to snag VH1 shows. - Broadcasting and Cable
Fox's Virtuality got just 1.8 million viewers on Friday. - The Hollywood Reporter
Musicians from Red Hot Chili Peppers and Van Halen have formed a new band called Chickenfoot. - Reuters
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen opened on IMAX with an estimated five-day gross of $14.4 million, the biggest ever for IMAX. - The Hollywood Reporter
Austin-based Arrested Development fans might want to check out this frozen banana stand. - The Decider

Alan Ball Says Season Two of True Blood Is "Sexier and Gorier"

BuzzSugar — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 07:30:41 -0700

The second season of HBO's True Blood kicks off tonight and doesn't waste any time jumping into the scary murder madness that has engulfed the citizens of Bon Temps.

According to the show's creator, Alan Ball, everything intensifies this season: vampires are more monstrous, sex scenes are even sexier, shape-shifters become more, er, shape-shiftery, and the anti-vampire movement becomes even more zealous.

Here are more highlights from the conference call Ball recently held with reporters:

Talking about the serial killer: "The first season we, the audience, did not know who the serial killer was. In this season, as the show progresses, we know there is a character who is up to no good and is dangerous long before any of the other characters on the show know it."
Describing the anti-vampire cult and whether or not it's a metaphor for our current political climate: "That whole conflict becomes deadly serious. Given the nature of the political debate in this country, I think it's very easy to look at it in a satirical light. I've been clear from the beginning: they really believe they have a mission to save the world."

To see what Ball has to say about Evan Rachel Wood's character and the real-life romance between the show's two stars, Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, read more.

On Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer's real-life relationship: "They are such consummate professionals, both of them, that it doesn't affect filming whatsoever. It only affects filming in the sense that they're incredibly comfortable with each other and their chemistry translates to the screen."
Talking about the changes Ryan Kwanten's character, Jason Stackhouse, will go through in season two: "In the books, Jason is very much the hot guy in town who is the womanizer. Once we started to flesh him out, no pun intended, we saw that he is sexually compulsive. Ultimately, Jason is a scared little boy that has been abandoned by everyone he has ever loved. In the second season, he is very much aware of the deep hole in his soul and he’s looking to fill that. As many people do, he latches onto religion and becomes part of an organization that makes him feel special. But of course, as time goes on . . . let’s just say Jason can’t leave his clothes on too long."

On making Alexander Skarsgård's character Eric, even scarier, and not shying away from the sexiness of the show: "This season, I did not feel like we needed to up the ante just to up the ante. I did feel like it was important to make Eric more frightening and see more of his monstrous side because as we progress we see more of his more human side. There is a scene where Sookie and Bill make love in the first episode that basically on the page it said 'Sookie and Bill make love.' Then I saw the dailies cut together . . . and I was like ‘Oh, wow! OK.’ I love it and I think that’s part of the appeal of the show. I don't think we do anything gratuitously. But it's important to show that between Sookie and Bill, there is this incredible, erotic chemistry."
On who Ball thinks is the most evil character: "I would hesitate to say Maryann is the most evil but she revels in chaos and destruction. She doesn't look at it from the polarities of good and evil."
Describing Evan Rachel Wood's character: "She is going to be playing the vampire queen of Louisiana. Each state has a king or queen and the buck stops there in terms of the [vampire] politics. Evan's really beautiful and very, very pale. And she looks like a vampire to me!"
On feeling any pressure to win awards or live up to the show's hype in season two: "I don't really think about those things. I feel like that is a real trap. I just feel like I try to do the best I can do. I don't feel more pressure, I really work very hard to stay in a little bubble in that regard because otherwise you go crazy."

WireImage

Movie Preview: Woody Allen's Whatever Works

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:30:08 -0700

In the trailer for Woody Allen's next movie, Whatever Works, Larry David's character Boris insists that "this is not the feel-good movie of the year." While that may be true, I feel pretty good after watching it! I don't know if it's the great cast (which includes Patricia Clarkson, Evan Rachel Wood, and Ed Begley Jr., among others), Allen's writing and direction, or just Larry David's delivery, but I found myself laughing quite a lot at the preview for this bizarre-looking film.

According to a press notice I received about the movie, Boris is "an eccentric New Yorker" who "abandons his upper-class life to lead a more bohemian existence. He meets a young girl from the South [Evan Rachel Wood] and her family and no two people seem to get along in the entanglements that follow." Whatever Works opens in limited release June 19. To check out the trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Evan Rachel Wood Joins the Cast of True Blood

BuzzSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:30:00 -0700

True Blood fans, there's a new vampire queen in town. Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Evan Rachel Wood has been hired to play Sophie-Anne, queen of Louisiana vampires, in this upcoming season.

For now, Wood is on board for two episodes at the end of True Blood's second season, which starts in June. But according to the report, that might not be the end of it: the role's a pretty major one, and EW says if the show returns for a third season, so would Wood.

I'm not that familiar with the books, so Wood's role is new to me; here's how EW describes it:

She's a 500-year-old vampire from France who is charming, wily, ruthless and wise. She's a consummate diplomat who has (or had) many of history's most famous people on speed dial.

I've always liked Wood on TV (speaking as an old Once and Again fan), and from the description, she seems well-suited to this role. But I'm curious what those of you who know the books think of this. Could Wood be the perfect Sophie-Anne, or did you have someone else in mind?

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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:30:23 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

The Wrestler
I said it in my list of must haves for April and I'll say it again: In addition to being a touching film with an astounding performance by Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler is one of those rare movies that a diverse group of adults can agree to see together. There's something for everyone, really: Action, romance, some tearjerking, etc.

The movie follows an aging professional wrestler with a ton of regrets. He tries to take control of his life, however, when he befriends an exotic dancer (Marisa Tomei) and attempts to make peace with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood).

In addition to earning all kinds of nominations during awards season, the movie contains one of my favorite scenes of the year. Special features include a featurette titled "Within the Ring: A No-Holds-Barred One-on-One With Wrestlers and Filmmakers" and music videos (presumably featuring Bruce Springsteen).

Two more up next, so read more.

Frost/Nixon
Director Ron Howard successfully adapts for the screen a Peter Morgan play (Morgan wrote the screenplay for this movie as well) that portrays President Nixon's infamous interview with journalist/TV personality David Frost.

The movie follows Frost (played by Michael Sheen, reprising his stage role) on his journey to get the disgraced former President (Frank Langella, who also originated the role on stage) on television to face questioning about his involvement in Watergate. It's a duel between two giant egos where only one can really win, and the filmmakers take creative liberties filling in the backstory to the famous historical event.

Special features include deleted scenes, "The Making of Frost/Nixon," footage from the real interview, and commentary with Director Ron Howard.

Notorious
Notorious is a biopic based on the life of rap legend Christopher Wallace, a.k.a Notorious B.I.G., who was killed in his early 20s in a drive-by shooting.

Newly discovered actor and hip hop artist Jamal Woolard delivers a standout debut performance as the rapper, and is surrounded by other strong performances of well-known personalities (dead and alive). Naturi Naughton plays the pint-sized, naughty girl Lil Kim and Derek Luke does a great job channeling Sean "Puffy" Combs, as does Anthony Mackie as the late Tupac Shakur.

Special features include commentary with director George Tillman Jr., co-screenwriter Reggie Rock Bythewood and co-screenwriter Cheo Hodari, as well as commentary with Biggie's mom Voletta Wallace, Biggie's co-manager Wayne Barrow, and Biggie's co-manager Mark Pitts.

Movie Preview: The Wrestler

BuzzSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:30:01 -0800

I've been swatting away the buzzings of "Oscar watch" and "best film of the year" in regard to indie drama The Wrestler for a while now, just waiting until I could see a trailer and hopefully understand what all the fuss is about. The film stars Mickey Rourke (whose "astonishing performance" here has some calling him a "comeback kid") as an aging professional wrestler with a ton of regrets. He starts to try and take control of his life, however, when he befriends an exotic dancer (Marisa Tomei) and attempts to make peace with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood).

I'm honestly amazed by the praise this film is getting, and while I think the trailer makes it look poignant, I'll have to see the movie in its entirety to fully see what has gotten people gushing so much (100 percent at RottenTomatoes at time of posting this). The Wrestler opens Dec. 17. To check out the trailer for yourself, read more.

Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:32:02 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to the selections below you can also check out the fourth season of House, Street Kings starring Keanu Reeves, and the HBO movie, Recount which I chatted about with Citizen here.

Gossip Girl: Season 1
Try to ignore for a moment that nobody on that DVD cover looks like a character I recognize from the show. Am I right? That is some wacky Photoshopping there. But anyway, the first season of Gossip Girl is now out on DVD so you can get your collection started and catch up if you haven't seen all the episodes. I'm sure some of you will appreciate this as the CW was not great about putting all their episodes on the Web, especially during the latter part of the season, so you may have missed some pivotal episodes.

I'm excited to relive the early GG days - especially the pilot - but I'm most looking forward to the special features. They include unaired scenes, featurettes titled "The Beginning, XOXO: Concept to Execution," "Gossip Girl Couture," "A Gossip Girl Wedding," and "LOL: Gag Reel." The DVDs also include music videos from The Pierces. How sweet is that?

Three more good ones, so read more.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
What do you get when you blend Frances McDormand with Amy Adams and sprinkle in Lee Pace? A no-brainer Netflix pick!

I adored this little movie about Guinevere Pettigrew (McDormand) an out-of-work governess who sort of accidentally becomes the social secretary of American cabaret singer Delysia Lafosse (Adams). The energy of the two women plus the solid acting from the men who make up the rest of the cast make this movie a total delight. If you didn't catch it in the theaters, it's high time you treated yourself.

Special features include deleted scenes and featurettes titled "Making an Unforgettable Day" and "Miss Pettigrew's Long Trip to Hollywood."

The Life Before Her Eyes
I was so intrigued by the trailer for this film adaptation of Laura Kasischke's book, I made the novel my April Buzz Book Club selection. House of Sand and Fog director Vadim Perelman paints a beautiful portrait with this movie starring Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood as the older and younger versions of the same woman. The plot might leave you a bit dissatisfied, as it did me (though he changed some aspects of the book that I found jarring, so I may be biased), but it's visually lovely, and not a bad choice for a thought-provoking movie at home.

Special effects include deleted scenes, a behind the scenes featurette and, most intriguingly, an alternate ending.

Dexter: Season Two
If you missed this season (or the entire series thus far), now you can catch up with the new second season DVDs - and not with the neutered episodes on CBS . Dexter (Michael C. Hall, who was nominated for an Emmy for this role) continues with his serial killing - but only picking off the truly evil ones, of course. Meanwhile, he works to maintain a pristine image at home. This season, FBI agent Frank Lundy's (Keith Carradine) work threatens to expose Dexter.

It's worth catching up with Dexter before the new season starts on Showtime September 28.

The Life Before Her Eyes: Beautiful But Puzzling

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:30:06 -0700

The film adaptation of Laura Kasischke's lovely novel The Life Before Her Eyes begins with close-up images of gorgeous, colorful flowers shifting and morphing, one blossom blooming as another one dissolves. The symbolism of this - birth, bloom, change, eventual decay, and rebirth - shows up in a variety of ways throughout the film, both in visual metaphors and in the action and language within the story. It's a beautiful film, full of water and flowers and food and cats, but it all gets to be a bit too much by the end. And the end - for anyone who has read the novel, which was my April book club book - is rather baffling.

The story hinges on one fateful day in the lives of high school best friends Diana (Evan Rachel Wood) and Maureen (Eva Amurri) when a classmate brings a gun to school and goes on a rampage. He enters the girls' bathroom and tells Diana and Maureen that he will have to kill one of them. From here, we flash to an adult Diana (Uma Thurman) living a wonderfully steady life: a beautiful young daughter, handsome husband, spacious house. But the adult Diana begins to notice strange things happening, quirks about her daughter that seem off and other occurrences that leave her unsettled. The narrative bounces from scenes of adult Diana to scenes from before the day of the shooting which fill in some of the story of Diana's friendship with Maureen, and her adolescence in general. Every so often, we return to the girls' bathroom and learn another tiny piece of what happens on that terrible day.

To see what else I thought about the movie, read more.

Uma Thurman's journey in this film is layered and intimate. Some of the most powerful scenes feature a confused and agonizingly haunted adult Diana fighting like mad to keep it together as her perception of reality unravels. Evan Rachel Wood is equally arresting in her portrayal of a young woman testing out the bad girl's life while fiercely loving and secretly admiring her born-again Christian best friend, Maureen.

It takes a true visual artist to interpret Kasischke's dreamy, poetic language into vivid painting-like images that burst with color, texture and emotion. For this, I commend director Vadim Perelman. In regard to the story and the adaptation of Kasischke's work, there are aspects I loved, like the honest-feeling friendship between the young Diana and Maureen. But some parts - particularly certain deviations from the story and some hammer-over-the-head symbolism ("The heart is the body's strongest muscle" is repeated way too many times to count, for example, in case we missed the double meaning the first time) left me feeling frustrated.

For the trailer and video clips from The Life Before Her Eyes, check out movies.ivillage.com.

Photos courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Buzz News Roundup, 2/8

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:30:00 -0800

Martin Scorsese will focus on Bob Marley for his next music documentary, writes Variety.
Yael Naim - the singer from the MacBook Air commercials - will have her album released in the U.S. in March, Billboard reports.
ComingSoon has the news that Uma Thurman will play Nanny in the feature film version of Eloise in Paris.
SalesGenie will be dropping the Chinese panda ad after viewers who saw it during the Super Bowl complained it was offensive, The New York Times reports.
Woody Allen will cast Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood in his next project, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Not surprisingly, Zap2it reports that kids these days are into Shrek and Miley Cyrus, at least according to the Kids Choice Awards nominations.
Val Kilmer will replace Will Arnett as the voice of KITT in Knight Rider, Variety reports.
Dominic Monaghan has been cast in a psychological thriller titled Pet, writes ComingSoon.
Disney World is getting an American Idol-themed attraction, writes Hollywood Reporter.

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