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Buzz News Roundup, 5/16

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:30:28 -0700

Did you ever read R.L. Stine's Goosebumps books? Now there's going to be a movie version of the series, Variety reports.
Billboard has the rundown of this year's BET Awards nominees; T. Pain leads the pack with five nominations.
Hooray! The hilarious Rob Corddry has finally landed a starring role, in the action-comedy Project A, which will be produced by Ben Stiller, ComingSoon writes.
According to Variety, we'll see an English-language remake of the Chilean movie Pretendiendo in which "a beautiful woman . . . dons a fat suit to shield herself from any more romantic upsets."
American Idol's Taylor Hicks is headed to Broadway as the Teen Angel in a production of Grease, Billboard reports.
Zap2It writes that George Clooney will star in an adaptation of the non-fiction book Men Who Stare at Goats.
The Wall Street Journal claims that if ratings don't improve for the CW, the network may be doomed.
ComingSoon reports that Danny Glover will reprise his stage role in a big screen adaptation of Master Harold... and the Boys.
Check out the colorful pictures of the grand opening of the Simpsons ride at Universal Studios in the Orlando Sentinel.

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:30:32 -0800

New DVD and music releases are the perk of Tuesdays, and today's album picks are fresh, fun, and guaranteed to liven up your iPod. I've checked out today's new music and have some advice for what's worth the download.

Don't stop partying: I'll resist doing a full-on album review for Weezer's Raditude; it's tempting, because I've always been a fan and have much to say about the band's transformation over the last 15 years. That said, if I forget about how lyrically deep Weezer used to be, I can enjoy the band for what it is now: a group of guys who write catchy, rocking party songs. I'm definitely enjoying this album way more than the last two simply for the fun factor; first single "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" is permanently stuck in my head and I don't mind. "Let It All Hang Out," with lyrics written by Jermaine Dupri, is exactly what you should blast at your next party when you're worried no one's having a good time; and continuing with the obvious theme here is "Can't Stop Partying" with Lil Wayne guest-rapping.

Ultimate TV karaoke If you're obsessed with Glee already, you may want to get your hands on the show's first soundtrack, Glee - The Music, Vol. 1. The offerings on the album are songs that have been on the season so far, plus a few from the next episode. "Don't Stop Believin'," the first song that captured the country's attention, is worth having (especially to remind you that for every awkward Mr. Schu rap, there's a gem like this). There's also the goosebump-inducing "Somebody to Love." Finally, there's one I'm especially excited about that has yet to air: Artie's slowed-down version of Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself," where the oft-overlooked glee club member finally gets his own episode and electrifying solo.

Hear one more new release when you read more.
America's country idol: Country cutie Carrie Underwood is back with another disc of songs, Play On, that utilize her sweet voice to tell you she's not a doormat. Her first single, "Cowboy Casanova," warns ladies of players in 10-gallon hats; this infectious tune will probably be dominating the radio the rest of the year. Another catchy tale of heartbreak you're sure to hear a lot of is "Quitter," but I prefer the more uplifting title track "Play On," which showcases Underwood's pipes rather than her sassy attitude.

Cirque du Freak: An Unnecessary Addition to Vampire Entertainment

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:30:09 -0700

With Halloween just around the corner, October is the perfect time for movie studios to unleash their creepiest films, since we're all in the mood for a good scare. Combine with that the insatiable desire for vampire entertainment, and you've got Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant; a tween fantasy movie that plays out like R.L. Stein's Goosebumps novels on the big screen - but not nearly as scary.

Based on the book series by Darren Shan, Cirque du Freak is the story of Darren (Chris Massoglia), your typical 16-year-old boy trying to quell his high school boredom. Dubbed "Mr. Perfect" by his mischievous best friend Steve, Darren follows the rules, has plenty of friends, and does whatever his parents tell him to do - that is, unless Steve can convince him otherwise. The boys pick up a flyer for the Cirque du Freak and decide to check it out.

That's just the beginning though, so to see what I thought of the film, just read more.

Things go awry when Darren finds himself tangled up in the world behind the Cirque, particularly that of Larten Crepsley, a crotchety vampire who couldn't be bothered with a teenager. When Darren gets himself into a sticky situation, the only way he can bail himself out is by selling his soul to Crepsley, becoming his half-vampire assistant.

If you thought sorting out all the vampire lore in Twilight and True Blood was confusing, get ready for the most convoluted yet. In this story, a war is brewing between two breeds: the Vampanese represent the blood-suckers that are all for killing their prey, while the run-of-the mill vamps prefer to sedate, feed, and then letting their victims return to regular life. As a half-vampire who's reluctant to lose what little human qualities he has left, Darren obviously joins Larten Crepsley's team, while his best friend Steve joins the evil Vampanese.

As for the actual Cirque du Freak, the group of misfits and outcasts are more X-Men and less Carnivale. The crew includes unusual children who were abandoned by their parents (like "Snake Boy" and "Monkey Girl"), along with a few other vaudeville acts like the Bearded Lady (Salma Hayek) and a woman who can regenerate her limbs (Jane Krakowski). Some are friendly, others are surly, but the cirque in itself is more campy than scary; little hideout is basically an island of misfit toys.

The film isn't boring, but it's not exactly packed with pizazz either. Director Paul Weitz was sure to stay on the safer side of the movie's PG-13 rating, rarely pushing the envelope on what could have been a much creepier film. John C. Reilly is always reliable for a good performance, and he has some great comedic timing as the voice of brutal honesty to Darren's naivete. Massoglia gives decent performance for a newbie, and even reminded me of a young Emile Hirsch at times. That said, the movie is also packed with confusing subplots and some truly corny dialogue that evoked collective groans from the audience.

If you're looking for a fun movie to get you into the Halloween spirit, this might do the trick. Just make sure you're in a tween state of mind.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

TV Tonight: DJ AM's Gone Too Far

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:30:14 -0700

After the surprising death of DJ AM (Adam Goldstein), no one was sure what would happen to Gone Too Far, his MTV documentary about addiction. Would it be wrong to air it, since it was discovered that he was abusing drugs? Or is it a cautionary tale that could encourage others to seek treatment? Your feelings were mixed, although a small majority of you thought the network should continue on with the program. After receiving the blessing of his family, MTV finally premieres the eight-episode series tonight.

The show follows AM as he stages interventions with friends and relatives of young twenty-somethings using heroin and other drugs. It's a tough topic to cover - especially given the surrounding circumstances - but judging by the trailer, it looks like MTV handles it with the appropriate respect. The footage actually gave me a few goosebumps - it's eerie to see Goldstein helping others overcome the problems that led to his own demise.

Will you watch? It airs at 10 p.m. ET/PT, but until then check out the video for the trailer when you read more.

Glee-Ful Highlights and Video From This Week's Episode!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:30:00 -0700

This week's Glee is all about Kristin Chenoweth's guest performance. She is unbearably adorable (not to mention hilarious) as a former glee club star and Mr. Schu's high school crush. Seriously, can Glee just keep her? We also got some more relationship drama between Rachel and Finn, and one showstopping ensemble number.

As always, be sure to check out the Glee Club in the Buzz Community for even more gleeky fun. Ready for some highlights? Just read more.

Let's start with the obvious: Kristin Chenoweth! The Emmy winner covered all the bases this week, providing the perfect blend of comedy and powerhouse performances as April Rhodes. She is so impressive taking on country with the whole glee club, and I also loved her side-by-side sing-off with Rachel. However, the winner of the night goes to her duet with Mr. Schu to Heart's "Alone." So good, so classic. Check it out below.
Though Kristin stole the show this week, the New Directions' Rachel situation was also a big theme. The glee club can't survive without her, but Rachel will settle for nothing less than stardom. Finn eventually decides to use his powers of persuasion (aka shameless flirting) to get her back. Finn's pulled some douchey (though typically high school) moves on Rachel before, but this week he reaches new heights. The look on Rachel's face when she finds out that Quinn is pregnant is too sad.
Glee always has some great one-liners, and Puck has one of my favorites this week: "That Rachel chick makes me want to light myself on fire, but she can sing." Well said, Puck.
Back to Kristin Chenoweth, who also had some of the funniest moments. I love her opening scene at her "house," but the best is when she teaches Kurt to drink. Biggest laugh-out-loud moment of the night? A tipsy Kurt tells Emma, "Oh Bambi, I cried so hard when those hunters shot your mommy." He then proceeds to puke all over her shoes. Priceless.
Finally, the finale. The episode's final performance of "Somebody to Love" gives me goosebumps and is very much reminiscent of the pilot's "Don't Stop Believin.'" Plus, it's so sweet to see Rachel finally reunited with her gleeks and I love Mercedes's solo. I've admittedly watched this video more than a few times this morning already, and I'm not surprised that the single is climbing the iTunes charts. Check out the video for yourself!

What did you think about this week's episode, and which performances are your favorites?

Photos courtesy of Fox