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Nickelback: Even More Formulaic Than You Thought

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:12:58 -0700

On the rare occasions that I actually notice a Nickelback song playing - you know, like, "what is that mediocre rumbling sound? Oh, it's Nickelback" - I'm struck by how utterly indistinguishable one hit is from the next. (Who, exactly, are the fans fueling these hits? I have no idea, but that's a perplexing matter for another day.)

Anyway, there's a good reason I can't tell Nickelback's songs apart. The geniuses over at The Webshite have posted two of the band's big hits - 2001's "How You Remind Me" and "Someday" off 2003's The Long Road - so that one song plays through the right speaker and the other through the left. Normally, it would be irritating to have two different songs playing in my headphones, except, well, these aren't really two different songs. Listen at your own risk.

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The Vampire Diaries "The Turning Point": The Good, The Bad and The Bloody

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:15:00 -0800

I was already bummed knowing this was the last week of new episodes of The Vampire Diaries until January; and now, having seen it, I'm freaking out a little bit. I knew there was going to be an epic cliffhanger, I just didn't know how epic!

With new vampires, violence and passion come "The Turning Point" - a title that would apply to many things that happened this week. So as usual, let's break down the good, the bad, and the bloody of this week (plenty of spoilers ahead!) when you read more.

The Good

Stefan and Elena finally gave up on their "are we or aren't we" dance and got together. I mean, together together. Vampire boots were knocked, but there wasn't a happy ending. More on that later.
Logan's vampiric turn made for gruesome excitement, especially now that Damon is trying to be on his best behavior. It also brought forth new mysteries; why did Sheriff Forbes bury Logan and write emails on his behalf instead of saying it was an animal attack? And who did turn him? My money was on Alaric, but now I'm not so sure. I also enjoyed his interactions with Damon, despite their constant shooting of wood bullets at each other.
OK, fine: I do like Caroline and Matt together now. Their coupling is just kind of sweet, and the fact that they bonded over So You Think You Can Dance?! I felt like it was my birthday.
I'm a fan of cool guy teacher Alaric, even if he is probably a vampire. I like to think he's more exciting than that - could he be a good vampire like Stefan? Interestingly, I don't think that Stefan or Damon has actually interfaced with Alaric yet, which is telling to me. If I had to guess, I'd say they knew each other. And what of him also being a "daywalker," when Stefan and Damon are so secretive about their rings?
I need to know more about the Gilbert family legacy, especially since Jeremy discovered an ancestor who wrote fiction about monsters. I like that the show made me care about more side characters I hadn't previously, like Jenna, Jeremy, and even Tyler. About Tyler. . . I don't want to speak too soon, but I think there's something very interesting happening with him.

The Bad

Isn't it a little too early to be saying "I love you," Elena? She even wants to see and make out with his scary vampire face when he gets turned on. Weeeird.

The Bloody

Newborn Logan is literally out for blood, but that pile of hoarded bodies that Logan was keeping made me sick to my stomach.
Anyone else feeling sorry for Caroline? Girlfriend's always getting bloodied up. Someone give her a self-defense lesson.
So basically unless you're Stefan or Damon, if you're a vampire you will only last one episode before being staked. Logan gets staked by Alaric by the end of the hour, which is unfortunate for Damon, because Logan had just promised him there was another way to break the spell holding Katherine and the other vampires under Fell's Church. Guess we'll just have to wait to meet little Miss Vixen.
It might have been time for Stefan to hide the Katherine photo, or at least have come clean about their resemblance. Lord knows finding a photo of my doppelganger at my undead boyfriend's house would freak me out too. That's what happens for Elena, who leaves Stefan's in a devastated rush. When someone stands in front of her car, she has a gnarly crash, which is terrifying in itself. It gets much more horrifying when the "person" she hit uncracks their limbs to stand up and come toward her. Yeesh! (BTW, did that scene remind anyone of Tara in the first season finale of True Blood?)

I don't know how I'm going to deal with the show's hiatus for two long months, let alone waiting that long to find out what was coming for Elena. Or, who Alaric is; did he kill Logan to protect Jenna, eliminate a problem-causing newborn, or something more insidious? To talk more about the show (especially in the next few weeks without new episodes) join the Hooked on Vampire Diaries group in the Buzz Community!

Photos courtesy of The CW

FlashForward Breakdown, "The Gift"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:30:48 -0800

On this week's episode of FlashForward, we get some of those big payoffs that Sonya Walger promised. While the main characters' most important relationships grow more tense, the FBI agents learn more about the blue-hand situation, and the end of the episode has two very big twists.

There's plenty of excitement to discuss, so to get into it, just read more.

Call me Al: We don't learn much about Al in the first handful of episodes of the season, but boy do we get an eyeful and an earful this week. Turns out Al's flash-forward is a lot more jarring than just a dead bird - it's followed up with a phone call revealing that a still-mysterious chain of events ends in Al "accidentally" killing a mother of two. Throughout the episode Al seems to have a laid-back, collected demeanor (even when he opts in for a game of Russian roulette), but inside he's a mess. In the end, Al is so overcome with grief about having a death on his hands, that he decides to "change the game" and commits suicide. I have to admit, as heartbreaking as that scene is, I was kind of glad Al went through with it - just to prove that the flash-forwards aren't necessarily the future. Everything is changed now, the paths can be adjusted, and both Mark and Demetri realize this as they head home to their significant others. Now that they believe the visions can be adjusted, I can't wait to see what else they try to do to throw their visions off course.

My blue heaven: Following up on Demetri and Al's scavenger hunt to find the "blue hands," the fun continues this week as the FBI agents discover that the blue hands are actually a "death club," with meetings set up all over the country for people like Demetri who didn't see a flash-forward ("living ghosts"). It kind of reminded me of Fight Club, though Mark defines it as a "book club with bullets." The guys are hilarious in their street clothes headed to the party, though what they find inside is pretty horrific. After a quick game of Russian roulette, the guys enter what can only be defined as a torture den - people who believe they are going to die doing all kinds of creepy things to each other. I have to say, if I was one of those "living ghosts" I think I'd either be trying to do all the fun things I never got to do before - or I'd just want to get it over with. Why anyone would want to be tortured when he or she is already tormented by the idea of their inevitable death is beyond me.

Blast from the past: Aaron gets a visit from Mike, a friend and solider who served at the same time as Aaron's daughter Tracy. Mike passes on a Swiss Army knife to Aaron, a good-luck charm that Tracy wanted her dad to have should anything happen to her. Aaron is overjoyed since the knife also appeared in his vision, though Mike isn't exactly receptive to the notion that Tracy is still alive. He explains to Aaron that he watched Tracy die (though hello! He didn't even check to see if she was breathing), but surprise! Tracy is sitting in Aaron's kitchen at the end of the episode.

Other plot points:

As tensions rise between Demetri and Zoey, Demetri finally admits to Zoey that he didn't have a flash-forward and is going to die. Zoey refuses to accept it, insisting that should could feel Demetri in her vision and that nothing's been decided yet. Demetri seems skeptical about choosing Zoey's side to "hope" for the best, but after Al's suicide, he seems to have warmed up to the idea that he can change his fate.

Like Demetri, Al's death is a wake-up call for Mark. After suffering problems with Olivia (how sad is it when Charlie catches him crying?) he runs home and embraces her sweetly.

Instead of helping out at the church, Nicole lands a gig volunteering at Olivia's hospital. We learn that she speaks Japanese pretty will, and now is helping Bryce try to find the mysterious Japanese woman from his vision. Will this somehow lead to Nicole's scary vision? Is she sticking her nose where it doesn't belong?

What did you think of this week's episode? Do you think other characters will try to "change the game," too?

Buzz Battle: Are Spoilers Ruining New Moon?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:30:53 -0700

With exactly one month to go until the much-anticipated (to say the very least) premiere of New Moon, the folks at Summit are still getting the Twi-hards' tongues wagging with a new clip aired last night and this latest batch of stills from the movie. But has too much of the movie been revealed - both for those who never read the book and for those who did but still want to be surprised by the visual interpretation?

In today's Buzz Battle, editors S and B square off about whether or not the spoilers are already ruining the yet-to-be released movie.

Editor B: For my opening remarks, I will admit that I'm enjoying all the new footage. I'm always on the hunt for a hot new RPattz photo for my desktop background, and as someone who didn't know much about the Twilight saga this time last year, I've become a full-fledged fan. But like any TV or movie spoilers, the fun of the anticipation is never worth it if expectations are too high. I don't want to walk out of the theater saying, "Man, that was a boring and anticlimactic 2 hours, but the 12 months of hype leading up to it sure was exciting."

To see Editor S's retort and additional arguments, plus more photos just read more.

Editor S: I read the book New Moon over a year ago, so nothing can be spoiled for me. In fact, I'm kind of inspired to re-read the book since I don't remember everything I'm seeing in these new photos. My point is that the audience of New Moon will largely be made up of readers who are looking for a loyal scene-by-scene mirror of the book, so the clips are exciting reminders of what happened in those pages. And if you haven't read the book? A) It's not a spoiler if it's in the book, and B) There are still 30 days to read up.
Editor B: Back at Comic-Con, I felt like it was a very special privilege to see the shirtless Edward scene in all its glory, and I totally didn't expect that part to make it to the movie's preview. But there it was: the climax of the book played out in the trailer. I understand that the folks at Summit are catering to pre-ordained fans of the series, but couldn't they have kept the most intense scene of the movie a secret for the select few who don't know exactly what's going to happen? Part of the fun of the books is not knowing how or why Edward and Bella are reunited.
Editor S: In this age of the Internet and blogging, there's no way to avoid anything that gets leaked. That said, for those who haven't read the books, it's a brilliant ploy to show Robert Pattinson shirtless. I'll say it again: Robert. Pattinson. Shirtless.
Editor B closing argument: While I don't deny that the spoilers are helping to generate excitement and buzz, I fear that I'm being set up for disappointment. I just hope that New Moon has some quality entertainment to fill the scenes we've already seen - because otherwise we're all just victims of a publicity stunt.
Editor S closing argument: The book version of New Moon is 563 pages. That's a lot of ground to cover, and we have plenty left to still see. Worst case scenario? Everything's out there in the open right now. You know you'll still be sitting next to me opening night, Editor B, your skittles and popcorn in hand, a big fat smile on your face.

So whose side are you on? Are you loving the footage or has too much been revealed? To talk about the film even more, head over to the Twilight Movies group in the Buzz Community.

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Do You Care About Post-American Idol Albums?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:30:48 -0700

The music industry has been in a tizzy ever since Adam Lambert left the American Idol stage - remember that Rolling Stone cover? Well, Lambert is releasing his debut album next month, along with fellow AI alum Kris Allen, and just today his newest song, "Time For Miracles," leaked online. (Listen here.)

The track is for the upcoming film 2012, but I'm admittedly feeling a little meh about it. It reminds me of Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" for Armageddon. That's not a bad thing, but I was hoping for something a little more unique from the outlandish Lambert. Luckily, the song reportedly doesn't reflect the sound on his final album, which is supposed to be more glam, less classic rock.

But if I'm going to be 100 percent truthful, my interest in Idol graduates - even Lambert - usually wanes somewhat after the show's finale. They're built up so much on AI, but once the winner is announced, I tend to forget about most of the contestants. (The exception being Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, of course.) Still, I'll probably check out Lambert and Allen's respective albums out of curiosity.

How about you? Do you care about post-Idol albums?

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "Invasion"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:23:13 -0700

Seattle Grace has been invaded, and this time it's with new doctors in addition to fresh patients and injuries. It doesn't take very long for the surgeons to butt heads with the Mercy West newbies - in fact, Izzie is ready to throw down after one of the doctors takes George's locker in the locker room. Eventually, Izzie is the only one who warms up to the Mercy Westers, only to get burned first by a new friend and then by the chief.

Ready to talk about all of the drama with the new kids on the block? Just read more.

The docs are on the defensive from the minute they are "invaded" by Mercy West. New guy Jackson (aka hot guy from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2) immediately gets on Owen's good side by suggesting a new method of appointing patients. Throughout the episode, Jackson proves to be most likable of the new doctors, which makes Cristina hate him even more.
For the second week in a row, Cristina has beef with Owen because he doesn't play favorites. Her self-assurance continues to plummet, and by the end of the episode she has a breakdown in Meredith's hospital room about how much she misses heart surgeries. It was interesting that she mentions Burke after all these seasons of silence (though at this point it feels like he's been gone forever), and I loved that she jumps right into Mere's bed even though they are both in a "dark and twisty" place.
Callie's father returns, though it's not exactly the joyful reunion she's been hoping for. He brings a priest along for the trip, prompting Callie to protest that you can't "pray away the gay." Later they square off again, citing religious quotes, but ultimately he begins to accept his daughter for who she is. This is a major breakthrough for Callie's relationship with Arizona, as she's the one who gets through to Callie's dad, even admitting that she loves Callie. Aww.
Lexie tries to be welcoming to the new doc she's working with, though it doesn't take long for her to see that the newbie is one-upping her photographic memory. Prompted by the patient she's working with (who happens to be a thief), Lexie turns the tables and uses the newbie's diary to get the upper hand. In true Lexie fashion, she feels bad in the end and apologizes. Am I the only one who thinks the new doctor is kind of like Lexie 2.0? Their dynamic reminded me of when Lexie first started and tries really hard to make nice with Mere, but gets the cold shoulder in return. Maybe Lexie and Meredith are growing more alike as they get to know each other.
The most dramatic moments of the night are wrapped up in Izzie. Though wary at first, Izzie quickly bonds with and embraces her new friend Charles - until she overhears him referring to her as his "own surgical bitch." (Ouch). It obviously gets to her, and Izzie lets her emotions get in the way of her work, nearly killing a patient waiting for a transplant. It's clear that the other doctors aren't willing to give her a free pass because she's a cancer survivor; Bailey hands her a heavy reprimand and ultimately the Chief lets her go.
Alex continues to try to defend Izzie to the chief, though this week his pleas are starting to sound desperate. He gets so fiercely competitive with newbie Reid that a patient's family member is forced to step in. At the end of his stressful day, he gets the biggest bomb of all - Izzie breaks the news that she's leaving him a note. We all knew the firing was coming, but I didn't think her relationship with Alex would end so quickly. He has a rare emotional moment breaking the news to Mere and Cristina, and even they don't know how to comfort the usually cocky Karev. (Gotta love the moment of comic relief when Meredith is trying to prompt Cristina to give him a hug).

Now that Izzie's gone, what do you think will happen when she gets back? Is it really over for her and Karev? Did you like seeing the fresh meat at Seattle Grace or were you just as irritated as the doctors?

For more on everything Grey's, check out the Grey's Anatomy Junkies group in the BuzzSugar Community!

Glee-ful Highlights and Video From Episode "Throwdown"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:30:00 -0700

This week on Glee, we find out what happens when two teachers who can't stand each other stop being polite and start gettin' real. It doesn't take very long for Sue and Will to start arguing over how to direct the glee club (even fighting in their voiceovers), and Sue succeeds in turning the kids against each other in the process. Will's problems start to affect his life at home as Terri is still struggling to keep her pregnancy a secret (with the help of her wacky sister).

Now would be a good time to enter my Glee giveaway for a chance to hang out with one of the cast members, but if you'd rather dive into all the performances and drama, just read more.

One of my favorite performances this week is when all the kids sing "Ride With Me" as a group - even though they're not supposed to be seen together. I kinda loved that we get to hear them actually singing freestyle instead of the usual prerecorded in the studio stuff.
Sue has her hilarious array of one-liners as usual and wastes no time getting all offensive and dividing the club into "Sue's Kids" (aka the minorities) and handing over the rest of the students to Will. The chain of events are typical right up to the end, when Will finally gets through to her and they call a truce of sorts. But how long will that last?
Speaking of truces, the peace between Rachel and Quinn is already broken within minutes of this episode, and surprise - it's all about Finn! I was glad that Quinn finally gets her own solo while standing up for herself to Finn. I know we're supposed to hate her and root for Rachel instead, but she's growing on me - and I kinda think she deserves a better boyfriend. On the other hand, naming the baby Drizzle is kind of hilarious.
Quinn gets all worked up when Rachel and Finn are selected to perform "No Air," but I wasn't really feelin' the chemistry on this one. Need a refresher? Check out the video below.

Emma is nowhere to be found this week, but there's plenty of tension between Terri and Will to fill in the gaps. Terri blackmails her doctor into conducting a fake sonogram for Will's benefit, which reminded me just how ridiculous that entire storyline is. (Really? We're supposed to believe that Will has never seen Terri change her clothes since she started wearing that fake bump?) It was almost too heartbreaking when Will's eyes well up at the end. Can't the truth just come out already?
Sidenote: is anyone else ready for the inevitable episode where Tina starts to gain confidence and overcome her stutter? It's a bit of overkill at this point.
Sue drops a big bomb at the end of the episode when she nails Quinn for being pregnant. (Oh. Snap.) I have to admit that while Avril Lavigne isn't my favorite artist, I did like the spin the club put on her "Keep Holding On." Or maybe I'm just a sucker for when they perform in matching outfits. Video below!

What'd you think of this week's episode? Did you miss Emma? Are you ready for Quinn and Finn to call it quits? Sound off in comments and check out the Glee Club in the BuzzSugar Community!

So You Think You Can Dance Judges: Who Will You Miss?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:30:00 -0700

This week, the second round of callbacks commenced on So You Think You Can Dance, and next week we finally get our gratification and find out who the top 20 are. While I can't wait for the competition, there's something else I'm looking forward to this season: the addition of Adam Shankman as a permanent judge. I've been excited to see Adam take his spot since the news was announced a few weeks ago, but seeing Adam react emotionally to one dancer's solo this week reminded me how much I like him as a judge.

Unfortunately, there's a drawback; Nigel Lythgoe acknowledged that by having Adam on as a judge, we'll be seeing less of choreographers Tyce Diorio, Lil C, Debbie Allen, and Mia Michaels at the judges' table, because there won't be a fourth judge that often.

Of course, these four serve the show better doing choreography, but I still appreciate their input as judges, particularly Mia Michaels. Will you miss seeing anyone at the judges' table this season?

Photos courtesy of Fox and Getty

Desperate Housewives Rundown, "Never Judge a Lady by Her Lover"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:30:08 -0700

Is it just me, or do the housewives seem even more desperate than usual this week? Susan takes some drastic measures to scare Danny away, which in turns sets Angie off with a few crazy antics of her own. Meanwhile, Bree's jealousy sends an innocent woman to the hospital and Lynette makes Tom look like a fool to cover up her pregnancy at a company dinner.

Jesse Metcalfe also makes his (triumphant?) return and Katherine is pretty much nowhere to be found. Ready to hash it all out? Just read more.

Gaby - Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Wisteria Lane, Jesse Metcalfe is back. Again. Both Gaby and Carlos are taken by surprise to see John at one of their restaurants of choice, especially when they learn that he's the owner. Naturally John is immediately making eyes at both Gaby and Ana, and I think we all know where this one is heading. Gaby later convinces Carlos that she doesn't have feelings for her former gardener anymore, but then she gets all nostalgic looking at photos of him. (I love that they had time to head to a photo booth during their affair - isn't the mall a little high profile for that?) One thing that really bothers me about Gaby this week is that suddenly she's all frumpy again, when she's been pretty much flawless since she and Carlos were back to being rich.

Susan - We don't get any updates on Julie's progress this week, but it's clear that her condition is taking a serious toll on Susan. Susan wastes no time spreading the word about Danny to all her neighbors, even when Mike gently reminds her that Danny hasn't been convicted yet. This leads Susan to start her own investigation for proof - which seems like a perfect opportunity for one of Susan's klutzy, over-the-top schemes, but instead takes a very dark turn when she basically tries to kill Danny herself by squishing him under a car. I give Susan a free pass for her antics this week since in the end she reaches out to Angie and starts to make amends when Danny's alibi comes through.

Angie - Angie's mama bear side really comes to the light this week. She's pretty scary trying to scare off prank calls, and even more threatening when she comes at Susan wielding a baseball bat. There are a few allusions to the Bolens' previous life (like that they change their name constantly and had to raise Danny "on the run"), but in the end Angie seems more like a protective mom with a secret than an evil person. Her husband on the other hand. . .

Bree - Despite her requests for pain au chocolat in lieu of a burrito, Bree begins to realize just how much she actually likes slummin' it with Carl. When she tells him that she's not looking for anything serious, Carl totally plays her by bringing a date to a function Bree is attending with Orson. In a matter of minutes Bree's all green-eyed about the idea of Carl taking someone else to their beloved motor lodge, and eliminates the other woman - literally. Meanwhile, Orson thinks he's making major strides and that Bree was jealous of the other woman for dancing with Orson. Though Katherine isn't around this week, I still think the whole thing will be smoothed over once she and Orson get together.

Lynette - The Scavos get to be the comic relief this week, which is refreshing after all the doom and gloom that was previously surrounding Lynette's pregnancy. The reactions she gets from her kids are priceless, particularly Porter's little speech about how she and Tom were irresponsible about birth control and are "destroying their futures." (I kinda agree about the birth control thing - may I suggest something permanent, like a vasectomy?). Right on cue, Lynette's career path is tested when Carlos admits he wants to give her a promotion after passing on another co-worker who is pregnant. Tom helps cover for her, but we all know she won't be able to hide twins for very long.

So what did you think of the episode? Are you happy to see Jesse Metcalfe again? How long until Gaby and Ana are vying for his attention?

Want more of the latest on Desperate Housewives? Check out the Entertainment Group in the Buzz community!