BuzzSugar

Buzz News Roundup, 6/27

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:34:58 PDT

Chris Noth is leaving Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Jeff Goldblum is joining the show in his place, writes Variety.
Bob Saget is the newest target of a Comedy Central roast, reports Broadcasting & Cable.
Musicians and fans gathered in London to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday, the AP writes.
Showtime is producing a Dexter-ish drama called Hilary Jones about a female Los Angeles cop who works as a prostitute on the weekends, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
According to ComingSoon, Marcia Cross's first feature film role since joining Desperate Housewives will be in an indie comedy titled Peck.
Bravo's Real Housewives series is heading to Atlanta; details are at The Futon Critic.
James Gandolfini's wardrobe from The Sopranos raised almost $188,000 at a charity auction benefiting soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Associated Press reports.
Variety has the news that the excellent Korean horror-thriller The Host will be getting a sequel.

Men in Black 3: A Return to (Alien Life) Form

Becky Kirsch — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:29:01 PDT

I saw the original Men in Black movie so long ago that my memories of the film might as well have been zapped with a neuralyzer (that's the memory-erasing device the guys use in the movie, for those of you who are also having trouble recalling the original). What I did retain is that the film was funny, fresh, and silly and that it didn't hold up very well for the 2002 sequel. With that in mind, I had low expectations for Men in Black 3, but the newest installment is just as much fun as the original, and it actually benefits from the 15-year time lapse.

The script for the film is one of its biggest assets and truly sets Men in Black 3 apart from its predecessors. The aliens are still alive and ickier than ever now that they're in 3D, but the story is more focused on the friendship between J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) and how it has evolved over the years. We learn early on that K has been keeping a secret from J all these years, and the mystery drives a wedge between the partners. Meanwhile, a treacherous alien named Boris the Animal (played to hilarious perfection by Flight of the Conchords's Jemaine Clement) breaks out of maximum-security prison and goes back in time to get revenge on K, who arrested him back in the '60s. The day that K had Boris locked up is the key to K's secret, so J heads on a mission back in time to save K and learn the truth.

To see why Men in Black 3 is so much fun, just

Will Smith hasn't been in a movie since 2008's Seven Pounds, and I didn't realize I missed him until I found myself giggling all the way through Men in Black 3. His shtick is still the same (he's one-liners still consistent of dialogue like "Where did you come from? Planet damn?"), but you can't help but love Agent J as he bumbles through the '60s, desperately trying to sell his story to people who don't recognize him - or believe him. You can tell that Smith feels completely comfortable in the role, and in the signature suit, which still looks perfect on him, as he hasn't aged a day.

Tommy Lee Jones is ever the reliable curmudgeon, but the film mines extra laughs when J travels to the '60s and meets a much younger version of his partner, played by Josh Brolin. Brolin looks enough like Jones to pass for him, but it's really his studied delivery and mannerisms that sell the performance. We also get some insight into how K has evolved over the years (he's always had a penchant for cowboy music, but he also used to be a bit of a dreamer), giving the film an extra layer to the enjoyable banter between J and K.

I'm not usually one to gush about 3D, but the special effects really come to life in Men in Black 3 in a way they never did in the first two movies. Not only do the aliens look creepier than ever, but the cartoonish feel of the film is taken to the next level with the 3D aspect, especially with the time-travel thrill-ride element. Much like with the 3D movies from my youth, I found myself shrinking in my seat just to avoid being too close to the alien goo, blood, breath, and beyond. Combined with the welcome return of Will Smith, you've got yourself a fun, mindless blockbuster.

Photos courtesy of Sony

Hysteria Director Tanya Wexler Talks Vibrators, Faking It, and Duck Sex

Tara Block — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:00:15 PDT

Don't be shy . . . It's time to talk sex toys! And Hysteria director Tanya Wexler is writing us a prescription for pleasure. Tanya's film - what she calls "the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to" - is in limited release and stars Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Rupert Everett. When working on a romantic comedy that centers around the invention of the vibrator, you end up with some entertaining and embarrassing situations along the way, and lucky for us, Tanya spilled all the hilariously dirty details. From teaming up with the film's partner Jimmyjane for a drive-by vibrator drop-off to a certain female Oscar-winner to trying unsuccessfully to get ducks to shag on command, Tanya was bursting with great stories from working on this very unconventional film. And while Tanya isn't ashamed to discuss the sexy subject matter of her latest film with us, the mother of four and her partner of 21 years did have a tricky challenge telling her preteen kids what her movie was about. (She eventually gave them the script and let them figure it out themselves!) Check out our interview with the fun-loving director now, and we dare you not to have a girl crush on her by the end!

TrèsSugar: What were some of the challenges to getting a movie made about vibrators?
Tanya Wexler: Getting the script right was tricky because if you just make a movie about the invention of the vibrator, it's actually a really short movie: you go "bzz" and it's done. And we had a kind of light romantic comedy. I say I made the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to. But some people wanted it to be raunchy or some people wanted it to be more serious and about feminism. People project a lot onto this movie of what they want, because there isn't a lot out there about vibrators and women's pleasure, and we still don't really deal with that topic very well, or we're overly antsy around it. And as a result, people have a lot of ideas of what the movie could and should be, and you can't please everyone. [laughs]

TS: Ha, good one.
TW: It's nonstop!

TS: Do you find sex toys inherently funny or something to be seriously celebrated?
TW: Yes!

TS: Both?
TW: Yes! Yes. I think they make me laugh, and I think that the inner kind of Beavis and Butt-head in all of us goes "[laugh]." You know, that inner 13-year-old, like, "Hahaha vibrator . . . " and yet they're awesome and fun.

TS: What shocked you the most when researching the movie?
TW: That ducks are the rapists of the bird world, and you'll see when you see the movie, because there's a little bit of questionable duck behavior - or awesome duck behavior - in the movie. It's totally a sidebar, but you cannot make ducks shag on command. I'm just saying.

TS: What about the whole history of hysteria being a medical condition?
TW: When I first heard the idea, I was like, "What do you mean it was invented in Victorian times?" I knew about hysteria, but the idea that the treatment was manual [British accent] massage deparaxism - which is what they called it - and, of course, the denial. The most shocking thing is the denial, that they didn't think it was sexual.

TS: Do you think they were really in denial?
TW: No, I don't think that some people were. My college roommate was with her high school boyfriend for two years and she had never had an orgasm. I think there's all kinds of denial, especially with women's sexuality. So the fact that there are young women today who haven't had an orgasm, whether self-induced - which is insane - or with a partner, then why wouldn't we think back then that women wouldn't know what orgasms were?

They would get a massage, and the doctor's saying, "Without a penis, this isn't sex, because sex is about procreation," so what is this? The best physical therapy you've ever had. So once you don't think of it as something other than what the doctor's supposed to do to cure your uncontrollable crying or uncontrollable laughter or whatever, then it's just an awesome muscle spasm. If you don't think women have their own inherent sexuality, then you're not thinking about it like that.

Keep reading for Tanya's thoughts on Fifty Shades and more!

What to Expect When You're Expecting Director Kirk Jones Reveals J Lo's Big "Challenge" on the Film

Lindsay Miller — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:35:49 PDT

Director Kirk Jones took on a major cast and a big responsibility with What to Expect When You're Expecting. When we spoke with him at a recent press day for the film, he told us he wanted the movie to reflect the sometimes "hilarious" and sometimes "traumatic" experience of pregnancy, and not only for women - for men, too. With a cast led by superstars including Jennifer Lopez and Cameron Diaz, Kirk also told us he originally "underestimated" how personal the film was to many of the actors, and revealed one of Jennifer's biggest challenges when it came to taking on her role. Check out our interview, catch What to Expect When You're Expecting in theaters tomorrow, and don't forget to watch our latest I'm a Huge Fan episodes featuring J Lo herself!

January Jones and Emma Roberts Help Launch Target's New Shops

Allie Merriam — Wed, 02 May 2012 09:07:18 PDT

January Jones and Emma Roberts, carrying an Edie Parker clutch, linked up for the launch of The Shops at Target in NYC last night. The Shops at Target is the retailer's latest fashion venture, which involves featuring the products from five boutiques - Miami's Webster House, Boston's Polka Dog Bakery, Connecticut's Privet House, San Francisco's Candy Store, and Colorado's Cos Bar - at nearly 2,000 Target stores. The Shops at Target launches on May 6. In addition to Emma and January, other stars like Leelee Sobieski, model Hilary Rhoda, and Giada de Laurentiis were in attendance.

Lola Versus Trailer: Greta Gerwig Figures Out the Single Life

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:47:58 PDT

Greta Gerwig is often relegated to playing supporting roles, but in Lola Versus, she's taking the lead as the title character, a woman who gets dumped by her fiancé (The Killing's Joel Kinnaman) while planning their wedding. Her BFFs (including Whitney's Zoe Lister-Jones) are ready to reintroduce Lola to the single life - even though it may be a little too soon. As she explores therapy, dating, and hooking up with new people, Lola tries to figure out who she is on her own, while uttering some pretty hilarious dialogue ("I'm power eating!").

I fell for this trailer right from the opening, when "Go Outside" by Cults starts up, to everything Lola's well-meaning friends say. It makes sense that Lister-Jones has some of the best lines - she wrote the film with Daryl Wein, and they're the same pair who wrote 2009's Breaking Upwards, which I loved. Gerwig also seems charming and relatable as Lola, so I can't wait to see how it all plays out when the movie is released on June 8. Let me know what you think when you watch the trailer after the jump.

New Rock of Ages Trailer: Tom Cruise and Alec Baldwin Hit It With Their Best Shots

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 08:14:31 PDT

The new full-length trailer is out for Rock of Ages, and guess what? It's awesome. Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, and Julianne Hough ain't looking for nothin' but a good time and between their over-the-top commitment to their roles and a little monkey named Heyman, the preview is pretty hilarious. It also gives us more insight into the plot than the original teaser, with a better look at the rest of the cast (welcome to the club, Diego Boneta.)

Aside from sharing director Adam Shankman, Rock of Ages has quite a few parallels to 2007's Hairspray. There's the newcomer trying to make it in showbiz (Boneta), young romance (Boneta and Hough), a troupe of intolerant folks (led by Catherine Zeta-Jones), and of course, lots of music. Oh, and did I mention there's even more (shirtless) Tom Cruise here? I could not be more excited to see him fill Stacee Jaxx's shoes.

Take a look for yourself and tell us what you think when you

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

See Past Academy Award Winners Posing With Oscar

Katie Henry — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:12:10 PST

The Academy Awards are less than five days away and we're counting down with a look back at some winning moments. Halle Berry's touching speech was a highlight, as was Reese Witherspoon's shining moment - and we've rounded them all up. Click through to see the award worthy photos, and don't forget to fill out your 2012 Oscar ballot for a chance to win an iPad 2!

Jillian Michaels's Secrets to the Strongest You . . . Ever

Health — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 04:43:51 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

The top trainer and life guru reveals the one question that'll get you to your goal - plus the single best workout to keep you feeling great for life.
By Alison Prato

Jillian Michaels catapulted to fame as the punishing trainer who got results on The Biggest Loser and Losing It With Jillian. But the 38-year-old has always been just as interested in building confidence as she has in sculpting rock-hard abs.

It's no accident that her most recent book is Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life. Everything Jillian tackles - including her recent gig as a life adviser on The Doctors, her DVDs (such as her latest, Jillian Michaels Kickbox FastFix), and her intimate podcast - is meant to help the rest of us claim a healthier, happier life.

Health.com: Get the Body You Crave With Celeb-Inspired Workouts

Sitting high in the hills of Southern California, the woman who calls everybody "buddy" is surprisingly funny and self-deprecating. And as expected, she's incredibly open, talking about her tough tween years, how she stays motivated (and how you can, too), and the dream she's fighting to make a reality.

Read the interview with Jillian after the break.

Announcing the 2012 Grammy Award Winners

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:20:23 PST

The mood of the Grammy Awards was a bit somber this year in the wake of Whitney Houston's shocking death, but the show went on, and the statues were all handed out to the winners. Adele owned the night, picking up multiple awards, including those for record of the year, album of the year, and song of the year.

Plenty of other folks received Grammys too, including Kanye West, The Foo Fighters, and Taylor Swift, so to see the full list of winners, just keep reading.