BuzzSugar

Tribeca Review: Gotta Dance

BuzzSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:31:06 PDT

OK, that's it. I think I'm tapped out on the ridiculously heartwarming documentaries about elderly folks doing things like singing Coldplay songs or learning hip-hop to perform during basketball games. It's not that I'm sick of them, it's that they reduce me to an overemotional puddle on the floor. And movie theater floors are sticky. Of course, I think other people should seek out these movies. I've just learned that they're like my emotional kryptonite. . . in a good way.

Gotta Dance is similar to the recent documentary Young@Heart in many ways. Both focus on groups of older people doing things that most older people don't do: singing "the young peoples' music" and "dancing the young peoples' dances." The joy this brings them, and the sense of self-worth and aliveness is so inspiring it brings tears to my eyes. Gotta Dance differs, however, in that these people are physically pushing themselves to do the dances, so there is a much heavier emphasis on the subject of growing old and what kinds of limitations one faces. More than merely having a difference in taste (Young@Heart features elderly people who, though it's not necessarily their taste in music, sing rock songs) this kind of activity poses physical challenges that end up making the dancers feel both old and young. To see what else happens and for more of my thoughts,

.

The film starts with the auditions for the first-ever senior hip-hop dance team for the New Jersey Nets. We get to know a handful of the hopefuls who end up getting spots on the team and who we follow throughout the film. The team ultimately consists of 11 women and one man and we watch as they learn the moves for their first show, gradually becoming more confident until the nerve-racking debut on the court.

Of course, the show is a smash hit and they soon find their pictures in the newspaper, followed by invitations to appear on morning shows. As the team becomes more popular, their pride grows and their routines become tougher. By this point, I felt like these people were my relatives and friends, and I could have watched them bond over learning how to shake, swivel and stomp to Jay-Z for many more hours. I also enjoyed watching the team's choreographers and leaders, young women from the Nets dance team who treat the seniors with respect and patience, but also determinedly whip them into shape during practice.

The filmmakers (and the folks behind the Tribeca Film Festival) did well to feature the movie at Tribeca, as New York plays its own part in the film. Most of the seniors live in New Jersey, though a few live in New York City. One of them was even dubbed "Miss Subways" back in the day, and others remembered seeing her face plastered on the subway cars.

So many documentaries are somber, frightening or provocative - and they're often important to see. But this makes Gotta Dance a huge relief within a genre somewhat glutted with fear and sadness. The joie de vivre in this film is completely infectious, and just like with Young@Heart, it makes growing old seem like a damn good time.

Source

Live From the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, Part II

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:30:57 PDT

OK, all this rain quickly went from comforting and good for snuggling up in movie theaters to just plain dreary. But it can't dampen my movie-loving spirit! The Tribeca Film Festival continues to deliver some awesome stuff - and now I have the pictures to prove it.

My time here in New York is soon to draw to a close, but it's been an exciting and thought-provoking four days. I can't wait until next year's festival! Check out some of my thoughts below and a slideshow of pictures here.

I stood on the red carpet for War, Inc., that surreal wartime movie that was co-written by John Cusack and stars Hilary Duff and Marisa Tomei. Cusack bailed on Tribeca altogether, but Marisa Tomei and Hilary Duff looked spectacular on the red carpet. Duff was whisked by me, so I didn't get to ask her about all the things that perplexed me about her role (was it really a live scorpion that she put down her pants in this film? Really?).

More thoughts and stuff if you

I also didn't get to chat with Marisa Tomei (though she seemed like a truly warm person, and she looked stunning) but I managed to snap a few photos of her. Then, as I approached my hotel I noticed that there were tons of "paps" outside, and apparently a bunch of celebs are staying in my hotel, including Famke Janssen, Leelee Sobieski (who is approximately 15 feet tall), and Liv Tyler. So, I snagged a few pictures outside my own hotel, though I felt a little strange standing in the middle of a throng of screaming photographers.

At the red carpet I met Anna, the cool gal checking in press people, and she is apparently a big BuzzSugar fan, which I obviously love to hear! So, Anna's awesome.
The sweetest feature film I've seen so far is Bart Got a Room, with its stellar cast (William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines, Alia Shawkat) and funny-yet-touching story about one kid's high school prom.
Having watched Young@Heart and now the similarly themed documentary Gotta Dance, I think I need to avoid the heartwarming docs about elderly people. I'm just so overcome with emotion - mostly joy, but all the tears come anyway - by the end. It's too much! Which isn't to say you shouldn't seek out Gotta Dance. It's wonderful.
I still have yet to see the screening of Tennessee, though I'm getting the impression that people aren't so jazzed about it here. I overheard one guy say that it was "like a car that just wouldn't start." Well, surely it can't be all Mariah's fault. . .

5 Fitness Games to Help You Burn Off Holiday Bulge

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 09:22:56 PST

The family binging events are over, so now it's time to talk resolutions and fighting off some of that bulge you may have picked up during the holiday season. Good news is there are plenty of ways to burn some calories without spending half an afternoon in the gym. Fire up your favorite gaming console and pop in one of these titles that will have you working up a sweat in no time.

Your Shape Fitness Evolved ($34) - Working with the Xbox 360 and Kinect sensor, this game provides a personalized fitness program based on your skill level, but the Kinect actually senses where your joints are to give you proper form tips while you're playing. Add in special martial arts and weight loss classes led by actual celebrity trainers, and you have yourself a pretty amazing fitness game that really isn't a game at all.
The Fight: Lights Out ($20) - I like The Fight (which works in conjunction with the PlayStation Move), and in comparison to other fitness specific video games it doesn't feel like a workout; it just feels like fun.
Get Fit With Mel B ($) - Another PlayStation Move title, Get Fit With Mel B seems like it would be a good alternative to the gym; mostly cause Mel B is ripped, and if this helps her stay fit, it's gotta work for me, right?
Just Dance 2 ($34) - Like DDR before it, the Wii-compatible Just Dance 2 lets you work up a sweat with some awesome moves, and sing along to popular music. It doesn't get any better than that!
EA Sports Active 2 ($45) - I'm already a big fan of the EA Sports Active titles, so pairing it with the Kinect system is sure to give me an even better, more engaging workout experience.

Deborah Lippmann Loves Footloose, Made a New Polish Collection For the Movie

Miriam Lacey — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:03:22 PDT

The upcoming Footloose remake might not be typical inspiration for luxury nail polish goddess Deborah Lippmann, but she's debuting a hot new set of hues ($32 for two) that pay homage to both the original film and the new version. "I am a huge fan of the original Footloose, so, admittedly, I was nervous about the idea of a remake of such an iconic film," Lippmann told us. "I just saw the prescreening of the movie and loved the new version."

The four shades all allude to classic moments from the film, and you might already recognize some of the colors. "Almost Paradise is a playful pistachio inspired by the Volkswagen Beetle from the original and the new movie," Lippmann says. "Footloose, a rebellious red, was (of course) inspired by Arielle's iconic red cowboy boots. Let's Hear It For the Boy, the baby blue shade in the collection, was inspired by acid-wash jeans. Gotta love the Levi's, and the way this song is presented in the remake is fantastic! And Dancing in the Sheets, a deep midnight purple shimmer, was inspired by the final hurrah when the ban was lifted and everyone danced all night long with confetti everywhere! I found this so uplifting and inspiring." Sounds like she nailed the movie.

E3 Announcements: 5 Xbox Games I'm Excited About

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 03:17:41 PDT

Yesterday's Microsoft E3 press briefing gave us a look at what's to come in the next year for Xbox, and I gotta say - it's looking pretty good, folks. Though the presentation brought a ton of new titles (but very little launch dates), there were some standout games that I can't wait to see more of. Check out which ones below, then tell me your favorites in the comments!

Tomb Raider - This new look at the series takes us back to Lara Croft's origin - when she was just 21 years old, fighting her way through a mysterious island. The demo looked really intense and sometimes even a little bit frightening.
Kinect Star Wars - I perked up when I heard the Star Wars theme music playing during the presentation for this new title. I'm hoping LucasFilm does what it does best to help Kinect Star Wars take off - produce some awesome accessories to go along with it. Hello, light saber!

See the rest of my list after the jump.

Chris Evans Talks About Why He Almost Turned Down the Captain America Job

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:42:37 PDT

Captain America star Chris Evans is no stranger to comic-book movies, having already appeared in The Fantastic Four and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. However, Chris admitted at a recent junket for the new movie in Beverly Hills that he repeatedly turned down his latest role. Chris does double-duty in the film, playing scrawny, 90-pound recruit Steve Rogers as well as buff war hero Captain America, the man Steve becomes after signing up for a transformative military experiment. During the interview, Chris talked about how he whipped himself into shape to play one of Marvel's classic characters and his past as a tap-dancing theater geek. Here are highlights:

On why he initially turned down the role: "The two main reasons I was apprehensive were, one, the commitment. It started out as a nine-picture commitment and it dropped down to six. If all of a sudden my passion changed, if I wanted to write or direct, or leave the career - go live in the mountains, get married, have kids, lead a normal life - you can't. And I guess I just wasn't 100 percent positive that my end game was to be a gigantic movie star. The second part was just about the lifestyle change. I can still go to a ball game and I can still go to the grocery store and lead a pretty normal life. There's a difference between dealing with [fame] sometimes, dealing with it most of the time, and dealing with it all the time. All the time is something you can't conceptualize until it happens, and once you're there, you can't turn it off. There's no rewind."
On why he finally said yes: "I was not doing the movie because it was terrifying to me. I do believe you can't make decisions based on fear. I think that's a big mistake, and I think you'll end up regretting a lot more of the things you don't do than the things you did. And then it kept coming back, and I kept talking to more friends and family about what I should do. I had some really good friends of mine who said, 'You know, Chris, if you are scared of something then you should push yourself right into it, for better or worse. No life obstacle is more clear-cut than this.' And I just did a 180. All of a sudden it made perfect sense that this is exactly what I wanted to do."
On whether he relates more to Steve Rogers or Captain America: "I grew up doing theater! I grew up, half my life, in tights and tap shoes. You gotta see pictures of me from birth to 18. I mean, it's a sight. It was a bumpy road for me growing up, and I was a very skinny guy. I went to acting camp, you know? That'll give you an idea of where I'm coming from."

For what Chris said about making the movie, training, and The Avengers, just

On how much fun making the movie was: "Well guys, let's be real. The fact is, no matter how long a list you could create of the negatives, the positives trump it. Just smoke it. I make movies, I've been sitting here giving interviews to you guys, I wear a shield, I get paid a lot of money to run around and play make believe. I'm not in the coal mines. I'm not flipping burgers. Life is great."
On his Captain America training: "I was doing a film in Boston, and they flew a trainer out there, so we did about four months. We did two hours a day, and it was brutal. I usually like working out. Going in sucks, but walking out, you're like, 'I'm glad I did that!' This was different. I'd walk out and I'd be like, 'I need to vomit. I hate this trainer. I hate this movie. I want to go to sleep for a week.' It was just relentless. I've got a fast metabolism and I lose weight very quickly, so for me to get big, it was just eat a lot. Working out sucked, eating sucked more. You get to a point where you just can't even look at another piece of chicken. You're just so bloated, but you just have to keep consuming protein, so that was tricky."
On his favorite moment in the movie: "I really liked the underwater stuff. I've never filmed anything underwater. When I chase the submarine, it was just a really fun week of shooting, and it was just really cool for me. We had to do scuba. You go underwater with that scuba [mouthpiece], then they pull that out, and you film, and then they yell cut, so you're underwater for a long time. It was just cool and different and I liked the way that sequence turned out."
On how shooting The Avengers is a different experience: "The shooting schedule's a lot nicer. That's what's great about the six-picture thing, we'll be able to pinball back and forth from an incredible amount of responsibility and workload, to a shared amount of. And I can only imagine when The Avengers comes around, I think for the most part you guys are going to want to talk to Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo, and I'll be able to take a little bit of a back seat, which I'm looking forward to."