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The Results Are In: Recast Family Ties

BuzzSugar — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:32:02 -0700

Every other Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie. The reader who submits the best cast wins a BuzzSugar t-shirt!

There were some excellent ideas for this week's recast challenge, Family Ties. I especially loved some of the ideas for ex-hippie and lovable patriarch Steven Keaton, like WhiplashGirlchild's suggestion of Jon Corbett and leeluvfashion's Woody Harrelson pick.

I'm also with LaurenG22 on bringing Lauren Graham back to the small screen as Elyse Keaton and I totally agree with her that Adam Brody would make a hilarious young Republican. Also, big extra credit shout-outs go to sfmastiffmom for casting all musicians (Justin Timberlake as Alex!), and The Pickle for going that extra mile and recasting supporting characters Skippy and Mallory's boyfriend Nick.

I think my biggest smile came from bobo2854's suggestion that Lynne Spears play mom to little American Idol superstar David Archuleta. Would that Alex P. Keaton turn out like Britney?!

Thanks to everyone for chipping in ideas - it was an entertaining trip down memory lane. I thought that Alex P. Keaton would be the biggest factor for me, but Nitachequita's suggested recast for Elyse was so spot-on, I had to go with her recast list! Congrats!

To see who Nitachequita picked, along with a new cast photo, read more.

Nitachequita's cast:
Elyse Keaton-Ally Walker
Steven Keaton-Matthew Broderick
Alex P. Keaton-Anton Yelchin
Mallory Keaton-Zooey Deschanel
Jennifer Keaton-Vivien Cardone

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Recast Family Ties and Win a Prize!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:30:03 -0700

Every other Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie. The reader who submits the best cast wins a BuzzSugar t-shirt!

For this recast challenge let's journey back to the '80s and take a look at one of my all-time favorite sitcoms, Family Ties. Every week from 1982 to 1989, families across America tuned in to watch and laugh as the hippie Keaton parents attempted to relate to their ideologically opposite children. Some of the funniest, most memorable scenes resulted from clashes between Elyse and Steven and their young Republican, Reagan-loving son Alex, played by Michael J. Fox.

If you could choose a new cast for an updated version of this show, who would you pick to play gentle-natured mom Elyse and left-leaning dad Steven? What young actor could portray an uptight, older-than-his years (George Bush-loving?) but totally crushworthy teenage son? Who would you choose for oldest sister Mallory, who's more concerned with the mall and boys than current events? Finally, recast the youngest sibling Jen, who is generally the voice of reason even though her sane words fall on deaf ears.

Leave your entry in the comment section below, and I'll pick one winner to feature Tuesday, April 1, complete with a "new" cast photo.

To see a list of characters to recast and a photo of the BuzzSugar t-shirt, read more

Characters to recast
Elyse Keaton (Meredith Baxter-Birney)
Steven Keaton (Michael Gross)
Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox)
Mallory Keaton (Justine Bateman)
Jennifer Keaton (Tina Yothers)

The BuzzSugar t-shirt

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FlashForward Breakdown, "Believe"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:30:32 -0800

The most central characters of FlashForward take a backseat this week, letting Bryce and Aaron take the spotlight. It's a nice relief from Mark and Demetri's constant agonizing over their own fates (though we still get a dose of that, too).

We learn that Bryce has been keeping a big secret, and Aaron's reunion with his daughter isn't all he had expected it to be. Ready to get into it? Just read more.

I want to believe: We finally get some insight into why Bryce tried to kill himself: he has stage four cancer and has been keeping it a secret from everyone but his therapist. We also get to see his saving grace - in his flashforward, Bryce is laughing and smiling in a restaurant with a pretty Asian woman. Determined to make his fate come true, Bryce takes up Japanese (with Nicole's help) and even heads to Asia when he's supposed to be in Houston testing out a wonder drug. Here's what confuses me: in Bryce's vision, he sees himself saying "you're really here" and he knows it's months into the future. Why does he try to rush fate? I wasn't surprised at all when he and Keiko don't make the connection in Japan (though I did feel a bit disappointed for him). Side note: Nicole is totally falling for Bryce.

Across the pond: Bryce isn't the only one who is featured this week; we get some background info on the (literal) woman of his dreams. Keiko is a young, bright woman living with her parents and working for a robotics firm. Though her life looks perfect on paper, Keiko is bored at work and with her personal life, longing to play her guitar and find her soulmate. She gets a shiny new outlook on life when she sees Bryce in her vision, and we realize that their meeting doesn't take place in Japan after all, but in LA.

Family ties: Aaron is having a hard time adjusting to life with Tracy. Her continual drinking habit causes a fight between them; Aaron can't be around alcohol, and Tracy feels entitled to drink after all she's been through. Tracy storms out and Aaron blames himself for her addiction and her post-war transformation. Mark only makes matters worse when he accuses Aaron of telling Olivia that he was drinking in his flashforward, and Aaron tells Mark he shouldn't be his sponsor anymore. Losing his sponsor can't be good for Mark and his vision.

Other major plot points:

Demetri finally makes strides on figuring out who called him about his murder. The call is traced back to Hong Kong, and though Stan doesn't want Demetri heading overseas, Mark offers to go with him in secret.
The FBI agents discover that suspect zero wears a ring with an alpha symbol on it but aren't sure what to make of it.

Did you like this week's episode, or were you longing for more action? Will Nicole get in the way of Bryce and Keiko?

Vampire Diaries "History Repeating": The Good, The Bad and The Bloody

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:30:00 -0800

Dear The Vampire Diaries, I see your master plan now: it's to bring it every week now. Please continue to do so. Moving on, this week we learned more about Bonnie and her family ties, revealed Damon's master plan, and met the new mysterious, history teacher.

But that's not even half of the amazing things that went down, so to see the good, the bad, and the bloody from this week's episode, just read more.

The Good

Bonnie's talisman/necklace is bringing her nightmares and visions of her ancestor Emily, who we learn was definitely Katherine's handmaiden back in the day. Her appearances are so creepy, but I was kind of digging that the scares were coming from a non-vampire source.
Damon and Stefan's interactions this week are brilliant. The role reversal, where Stefan takes on Damon's persona and Damon mocks Stefan in kind, are priceless. There even seems to be some genuinely affectionate times between the brothers, but was it just Damon's vulnerability/lack of strength due to avoiding human blood?
New characters for this show have tended to be pretty intriguing, and new teacher Alaric Saltzman is no exception. The dreamy Alaric, played by Legally Blonde's Matt Davis, has a shady past (dead wife who was almost certainly murdered) and every sign points to him being a vampire: the sun-protecting ring, the lingering exchange of Jenna not inviting him in. It's almost too obvious. If he is a vamp and not some other supernatural being, then what role does he play? I'm sure he must know the Salvatores.
Gratification! In one episode, we get two mysteries solved: why Damon came back to Mystic Falls and what's up with Emily and her necklace. The master plan - and Damon's reason for return - is Katherine. Specifically, to rouse her from the spell that left her trapped but unharmed (well, relatively unharmed, considering she was already dead) underneath the church 100 plus years ago. It's news to Stefan that Katherine didn't perish in the fire, but that's not the only revelation about her; the boys trade barbs about their last encounters with their shared first love, and they both end up wounded. I think Stefan is lying when he insists that Katherine compelled the brothers into loving her and that it wasn't real; why else would he have come out of hiding to pursue Elena?
One seed-planting I appreciated: The Gilbert family history. You know Jeremy's on the verge of discovering something big. I have my theories.

The Bad

Right about now I feel the need to introduce something I'd like to call Twilight Corner. It'll be where I bring up any glaring similarities The Vampire Diaries has to that other vampire story. This week, it's Stefan leaving Elena, telling her it's for the best. I smirked early on, when Stefan tells Elena that he's backing off from school, that it's the right thing to do; but I pretty much spit my water out at the end of the episode when Stefan tells Elena he's leaving to protect her while they're in the woods. Shades of New Moon! Generally, the show has distinguished itself from Twilight but that's waaay too close for comfort.

The Bloody

Damon swears off drinking human blood in a demonstration of goodwill to Stefan after killing Lexie last week. My my. Damon, showing repentance? What is this crazy fake world coming to? However, he doesn't maintain his new diet for long: he takes a big bite out of a possessed Bonnie after she, as Emily, destroys the amulet and Katherine over the Fells Church ruins.
OK, let's talk past bloody: We got more of the story of the history of Mystic Falls, including what sounds like an epic, ongoing battle between vampires and humans. It was no accident that Katherine was in that church, having been rounded up by the townspeople to be killed. And she wasn't alone; Emily sealed up the whole church, full of other vampires, who potentially could have been freed upon the town this week. Stefan accuses Damon of not wanting to free Katherine out of love, but revenge, rather; he nearly introduces an army of angry, ancient vampires on the ancestors of the people who exterminated them. Personally I think it was a little bit of both for Damon - love and revenge. He almost has his soul mate and a group of allies back in his life.
I'm counting Damon's broken heart as a casualty this week, as cheesy as that sounds. I just can't ignore how wrecked his face looks at the end of the episode. We went from seeing how inhumane Damon is just last week, to being confronted by an emotional man who faces a final loss of love. Ian Somerhalder, you're rocking it.

What did you think of "History Repeating"? Are you disappointed at all that Katherine didn't rise from the grave tonight, along with a crew of her nearest and bloodthirstiest? Do you even believe she's totally gone? And what about Jenna's situation - are both Logan and Alaric out to suck her blood? For more chatting beyond this week, join the Hooked on Vampire Diaries group in the Buzz Community!

Photos courtesy of The CW

The Vampire Diaries "You're Undead to Me": The Good, the Bad, and the Bloody

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:45:29 -0700

We're on the brink of big stuff on The Vampire Diaries, and it's definitely become a reason to stay home on Thursdays nights. Everything just got real - from Damon's nature to the Big Secret. I love dissecting the show almost as much as I love seeing a strapping young vampire in a black v-neck shirt, so let's talk about this week's good, bad, and bloody!

To see them (warning - spoilers ahead!) and chat, just read more.

The Good:

I'm really starting to care for people outside the threesome, particularly Bonnie. Her Carrie-like setting the car on fire is chilling (seriously, no one but Stefan saw that?) and her seeking out her grandma to find out what's going on with her has me really interested. Even if the casting of 47-year-old Jasmine Guy (Whitley from A Different World) is sort of unbelievable.
I'm also intrigued by this ragtag antivampire squad, which includes Caroline's mother, Tyler's mother, and Logan. Last week, they seemed to know exactly what's been haunting Mystic Falls, and I got the ominous feeling that these "regular" townsfolk may not be what they seem. I also want to know more about why they're assembling certain objects, like the necklace and pocket watch (Horcruxes?!)

The Bad:

The newsreel, you guys. The newsreel is so silly - while I balked at that footage being so easy to find and so clear, it's worse that the newsman exclaims "Is that the nephew?!" and have the camera swing to Stefan in the shadows.
My other big problem with this week's episode is the Uncle Zach situation. I can't remember them explaining if Uncle Zach was a vampire, but he really seems to be dead. I assumed he was also a vampire until this week, when he tells Damon that he could have had a real family. So what was he? Human? Vampire? And was the crow Zach's familiar, or a crow that Damon found and killed for sustenance? There are larger implications for the unanswered questions, so I hope they're tied up next week.
Can we also know exactly what the deal is with vervain? K thanks.

The Bloody:

I wasn't expecting Uncle Zach to meet his end so quickly, even if the show had made him pretty inconsequential.
Poor Vickie became another victim of Damon's - she can't have any blood left, right?
We also saw what happens when vampires go out in the sun without their protective jewelry on. Scab city!

It seems like we've reached a pretty big climax in the show: Damon has just asserted himself as a pretty evil villain, while Elena had that oh-so-important realization of every young vampire's love interest: The Epiphany. That scene is not too terribly dissimilar from Bella's (here's a reminder!) and Elena wants answers next week. Also next week? The Civil War-era flashback! I can't wait. What did you think of this week's Vampire Diaries?

Photo courtesy of The CW

The Vampire Diaries: The Good, The Bad, (The Twilight Reference) and The Bloody

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:15:00 -0700

Last night's Vampire Diaries was all about the formal wear, history and, swoon, some shirtless Salvatores. The series is doing a great job of slowly revealing the back story of the vampires in Mystic Falls while also progressing the romances and of course the brother-rivalry which has taken a pretty central spot so far.

Bonnie is still figuring out her powers, without much help from her friends or anyone else, but she's quietly becoming one of my favorite parts of the show. On the other hand, I'm not sure how much I care about Elena's aunt, whose love life might be causing some trouble for the Gilbert family soon. Check out my thoughts on the show if you just read more.

The Good:

I love, love, loved the scene of Damon reading Twilight - hilarious. He says that "this book has it all wrong" and laughs off Caroline's questions about his lack of sparkling in the sun.

Holy hotness. The Salvatore guys were all about showing off their bodies last night. No complaints here.

Finally Elena was a good friend and noticed that Caroline is covering up some serious wounds from Damon. Maybe Elena isn't quite clued into what's going on, but at least she's worried and the scene at the end suggests that Caroline might be ready to talk.

On that note, Elena is growing a backbone with Stefan. It's about time for her to demand that he be less mysterious, especially considering how much she has gone through. She deserves to have some transparency from the guy she is trusting her heart to.

No diary writing this week, no crows, so there's that.

The Bad:

I am getting into this show, for sure, but not quite ready to put any heart into the aunt's backstory and love life. There was a bit too much time spent on that last night. Speaking of which, am I heartless for just not being that into Jeremy's story? The end was sweet when Vicki finally came to her senses and kissed him, but still, lets get back to the Salvatore hotness.

As I mentioned last week - five people are found dead drained of blood out of one neck bite and the police say it's a Mountain Lion?

The Bloody:

Once again the show started with a scary scene, this time a nightmare. It seems like it's Elena's, but really it's Stefan - why is he sleeping at all? - anyway, this leads to...

Um, hey brothers, why so stabby? Well, at least that meant some serious six pack from Stefan and one of the best lines from Damon yet: "This is Jon Varvatos, dude. Dick."

The last bite of Caroline seemed pretty intense, but she didn't die thanks to Stefan who helped her out. Plus, her blood was spiked which meant Damon could finally be captured.

I can't imagine that Damon will stay locked up for long, but the Mystic Falls police department, mayor and news anchor know what kind of "animal" is draining residents of blood - the vampires are back. We're still piecing together what happened in the past, or what made the vampires leave for however many decades, but things are still getting more and more interesting as the plot unfolds. What did you like or not like about "Family Ties"?

Easy Virtue: Sparkling Cast Can't Help the Center Star

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 09:30:30 -0700

Easy Virtue, a film adaptation of Noel Coward's jazzy 1920s-set play, pits the old traditions of Europe's landowning gentry against the brash modernity that America had come to symbolize. The old guard is represented by a wealthy British family led by the brittle matriarch Mrs. Whittaker (Kristin Scott Thomas). When her son, John Whittaker (Ben Barnes), marries a sexy race car driver named Larita (Jessica Biel) several years his elder, the entire family is thrown into a tizzy.

Once Biel's character arrives at the Whittaker home she's meant to represent a vibrant and mesmerizing new way of doing things that is utterly offensive to this family so steeped in tradition. But alas, Ms. Biel doesn't quite have what it takes to hold down the center of a film like this and the whole endeavor suffers. To see why, read more.

The cast includes the kind of immensely talented actors who can take on the old-fashioned, quick and witty dialogue with one hand tied behind their backs. Biel tries to keep up and at times she succeeds, but most of the time she simply appears to be swimming upstream. As you might expect, Kristin Scott Thomas deliciously inhabits her icy character with ease and delivers each line as a stinging backhanded compliment. Colin Firth plays her long-suffering husband still hurting from memories of war, and delivers an incredibly funny yet soulful performance. Even Ben Barnes, who is handsome but stiff in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, displays pizzazz as the prodigal son returning home.

As the movie clicks along, though, more and more is asked of Biel as she navigates the cruel and ruthless landmines set out for her by her new mother-in-law and sisters-in-law, and she's not quite able to rise to the occasion. As the tone shifts in the final act from a comedy of manners to a darker drama, the talented ensemble cast does all it can to prop the movie up, but the center can't hold in the end.

Photos courtesy of Sony Picture Classics