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Two Straight-to-DVD Romances, One Long Night

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:30:43 -0800

Sometimes movies go straight to DVD and you can kind of guess why (sidenote: thank you, Molly, for watching Blonde Ambition so I don't have to!). But then there are those sweet-looking films with some big names - Alec Baldwin, Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd, Sarah Michelle Prinze - that pique my curiosity. What could be so bad about movies like Suburban Girl and I Could Never Be Your Woman that they went straight to DVD? Well, in honor of Valentine's Day, I popped in these straight-to-DVD romances to find out just that.

The Description:
"Neophyte editor Brett Eisenberg (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is paying her dues in New York's publishing world when she attracts Archie Knox (Alec Baldwin), an aging industry luminary. Soon, their romance is complicated by real-life pressures, including Archie's alcoholism and Brett's dying father."
The Good:
Some of you may recall The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, a collection of short stories by Melissa Bank that became a huge hit in 1999, and Suburban Girl is based on two of the stories in that book. They did well to maintain most of the protagonist's character (now named Brett): her wise-beyond-her-years maturity, her immense (and proud) knowledge of literature. If nothing else, it's refreshing to see a main female character in a romantic comedy (I guess this is a comedy?) who is not a bumbling fool. She's like a heroine for any bookish girl who loves Dante and leather pants all at the same time. She's not altogether humorless, either - my writer's heart melted upon hearing Brett gush, "Don't you just love alliteration?"

To find out "The Bad" and my take on the other romantic DVD, read more
The Bad:
With the exception of endearing quips like those, the dialogue is shockingly bad. For this alone, I can see why Suburban Girl was not theatrically released. Some people have also criticized the relationship between Brett and Archie, claiming Sarah Michele Gellar and Alec Baldwin have zero chemistry, though I don't share this opinion. Their relationship is supposed to feel awkward at times, seeing as Archie is nearly the same age as Brett's dad. Sure, there are moments when their interactions feel forced, and they beat the whole "stop treating me like your daughter!" thing over our heads ad nauseum. But I was more or less okay with it.
Bottom line:
I completely understand why this film went straight to DVD but it's not without its charms, and I fervently hope to see characters like Brett on the big screen someday. Also, the movie's soundtrack could make those of similarly billed "chick flicks" weep with shame. It's cute enough if you're a huge fan of these actors.

I Could Never Be Your Woman
The Description:
"Just as Rosie (Pfeiffer) strikes up a romance with a handsome younger man (Paul Rudd), her daughter Izzie (Saorise Ronan) falls in love for the first time - and Mother Nature (Tracey Ullman) can't resist the temptation to meddle."
The Good:
Pfeiffer and Rudd are surprisingly cute together - to the point where I deeply wished the movie were solely about their relationship. Instead, there are a dozen different things smushed into this one film, and it all gets muddled and (especially in the scenes featuring an ethereal-looking Tracey Ullman as "Mother Nature") super weird. There are vague strains of female empowerment and some commentary on the culture of plastic surgery and degradation of women's bodies in Hollywood, but it all gets diluted amidst the rest of the storylines. Still, on some level, I appreciate the attempt to shed light on a culture in which little girls make their Barbies ridicule each others' bodies.
The Bad:
There's a romantic story involving Pfeiffer's character as The Hot Older Woman (at 40) and Rudd's character as The Funny Younger Man (at 29). But then there's the daughter's coming-of-age stuff and her own shrieky problems with boys at school. And there's Rosie's career troubles and her struggles with self-image within Hollywood. Finally, topping off this messy pile is the smart-mouthed Mother Nature who comes around to criticize Rosie's every move. It's just perplexing, and while there are some funny lines - and Rudd is as adorable as you've ever seen him - it's not actually a fun movie.
Bottom line:
The actors are great, but they can't save this overloaded, bizarre and not especially pleasurable story.

Fall Movie Preview: Sweet Romance

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 06:00:00 -0700

We may not be getting the crisp fall weather just yet, but we are getting previews for tons of movies opening in the fall. In preparation for this autumn and winter at the theaters, I've broken up the lengthy list of upcoming movies into many small themes for my Fall Movie Preview series. This way, you'll be in the know when the chillier months roll around, bringing a whole new crop of new films. In today's preview, all you need is love - in all its funny and heartbreaking variations.

I Could Never Be Your Woman
I really hope this movie is great, but I have admittedly little faith in it. It stars the gorgeous Michelle Pfeiffer and adorable Paul Rudd, but was supposed to come out around Valentine's Day (over six months ago!) and now it's slated to open November 9. Not a good sign. Pfeiffer plays a 40-year-old divorcee facing the challenges and insecurities associated with getting older and raising a pre-teen daughter (played by Saoirse Ronan, the actress recently cast to play Susie in The Lovely Bones). She meets Adam (Rudd), a 29-year-old spirited guy who apparently teaches her how to loosen up and be a kid again. It looks like it's maybe a step up from The Perfect Man. Maybe. Check out the fairly lame trailer and tell me what you think.

More romantic adventures scheduled for the fall if you read more

Feast of Love
This romantic drama, opening September 28, randomly takes place in Oregon. The impressive ensemble cast includes Morgan Freeman, Selma Blair and Greg Kinnear, among others. Various relationships are at the heart of this story, mostly focusing on Bradley (Kinnear) and his terrible luck with women. He learns valuable lessons about love from the other folks in his life. The trailer looks like a cheese pie with a dash of trite ("Do you think love is a trick, or do you think that it's the only meaning there is to this crazy dream?"), but it could end up being sweet, too.

Dan in Real Life
I just posted the very cute trailer for this movie, opening October 19, that has Steve Carell playing the charmingly overprotective widower raising three daughters. He's delighted when he meets a wonderful woman (played by Juliette Binoche, awesomely) - only to find out she's his brother's girlfriend. This is one I can't wait to catch on the big screen.

Lars and the Real Girl
A refreshingly quirky spin on the tired old romantic stories, Lars and the Real Girl finds Ryan Gosling playing Lars, a man who falls in love with a life-sized doll. Lars insists that everyone in his life act as though "Bianca" is a real person who he's dating. Yet in doing this, he may be missing out on a relationship with a human woman. Emily Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson also star, happily. Check out the sweet-looking trailer here.

I Could Never Be Your Woman and Lars images source
Feast of Love and Dan images source

Kathryn Bigelow Wins Big and Fields Questions on Directing, History, and Ex James Cameron in Press Room

Molly — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:18:31 -0800

Kathryn Bigelow made history tonight at the Oscars, where she was the first female ever to win best director! Her movie The Hurt Locker also took home the night's top prize, best picture. In the press room she politely fielded the inevitable questions about her ex James Cameron, but also what it means to be the inaugural woman with a little gold man for directing. Here's some press room highlights:

On what it means to be the first female best director Oscar winner: "Well, first of all, I hope I'm the first of many. Of course, I'd love to just think of myself as a filmmaker, and I long for the day when a modifier can be a moot point. But I'm ever grateful if I can inspire some young, intrepid, tenacious male or female filmmaker and have them feel that the impossible is possible and never give up on your dream."
On dreaming of The Hurt Locker's win: "Well, I don't think I ever dared to hope, but I will say that what was extraordinary was the love from the critical community, and that was like wind in the sails, and it just created a momentum that would not stop. And I hope somehow the critical community could know how much we appreciate it and I appreciate it. Thank you."
On competing against ex James Cameron: "What it means. Well, first of all, I think he's an extraordinary filmmaker. I have to say, all the nominees are phenomenal, powerful, talented filmmakers, and what an honor. And for me, how humbling it was for me to be in that company, in that conversation. So I have to say, for me, it's a humbling experience . . . I think Jim is very inspiring, and I think he inspires filmmakers around the world, and for that I think I can speak for all of them. We're quite grateful."

To read her advice for aspiring filmmakers and this year's other nine nominees, just read more.

Advice for aspiring filmmakers: "I would say, and I don't mean it to sound simple, but just to never give up on your dream. I mean, I've been making films for a while - about 30 years. So when I say, 'Don't give up on your dream,' I mean it quite literally. Be tenacious, but work on the stories you truly, truly believe in, because then no obstacle is too great."
On this year's competition: "This has been a really, really extraordinary year, I think for content and content-driven material that is diverse and rich and complex and exciting. Every one of those 10 nominated movies I personally find really powerful and extraordinary. So it's a good year, in my opinion."

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Happy Tears: A Strange Mix of Emotions

BuzzSugar — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:30:00 -0800

Familial relationships are often ripe for dramatic conflict and a few sniffles, and Happy Tears positions itself as such. Jayne (Parker Posey) and Laura (Demi Moore) are sisters who visit their father Joe (Rip Torn), a perverted yet somehow charming old man suffering from a serious case of dementia. Like many movie siblings, they're polar opposites: Jayne is the spoiled younger sister who lives in La La Land; Laura is more practically minded and down to earth.

Their bond (and sometimes hatred) often feels real (hey, they even look like sisters!) and could have made for a nice, simple drama on its own. Instead, the film gets lost in the midst of imagined sequences in Jayne's mind, making you wonder what kind of film Happy Tears really is. A sweet drama? A dark comedy? An art house film? As one of the dream scenes takes a naked Jayne flying on a giant jellyfish, I found myself wishing that the film had just stayed grounded.

For more on what I mean, read more.

The story takes off as Jayne arrives at Joe's broken-down home, immediately calling him "daddy" with a smile, not even recognizing that he's sitting in the kitchen apparently unaware that he has no shirt on. Despite her grand illusions of the man he used to be, present-day Joe is incontinent and dying, and he's taken up with a crack whore (Ellen Barkin) who's perhaps even nuttier than he is. But even with the mounting evidence, Jayne continues to don her rose-colored glasses, opting instead to search for buried treasure in his backyard (a tale he used to tell the girls as kids) and losing herself in childhood memories. She has to come to grips with who her father is as a person and her own less-than-perfect life, and it's Laura who has to help her.

Demi Moore pulls off a hardened but strong woman while Posey, never one to stray from quirky roles, displays a nice undercurrent of self-doubt alongside her delirium. Barkin and Torn are equal parts hilarious and sad.

The actors have an easier time balancing a dual nature than the film does. As Jayne jumps around in her imagination, we too abruptly switch from reality to fiction. As a result, the tone of the film dabbles in tender, trippy, and darkly funny, but these elements compete rather than complement each other. As we near the finale, the film tries to salvage itself by coming back to earth on a sweet note, but such an ending, while nice, unfortunately can't compensate for its strangeness.

If you'd like to review a movie you've seen recently, check out the Movie Reviews Group in community. I may even feature your critique on the site!

Photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions

FlashForward Breakdown, "White to Play"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:29 -0700

FlashForward's sophomore episode packs as much punch as its pilot: more action, questions raised, and lives on the line. As the FBI continues to investigate what caused the blackout, the world's residents find themselves united in their shared experience. They may never be able to look at life the same way again, but as Aaron says, "We're all prophets now."

Last week I broke down the episode by character, but this time around I'm focusing on the biggest questions of the night and even sharing a few of my own predictions. To get down to the nitty-gritty (spoilers ahead, of course), just read more.

Who is D. Gibbons?
Knowing that one of Mark's vision cards says "D. Gibbons," Mark and Demetri start to discuss the person in question when a woman with a box of cupcakes shows up, and - you guessed it! - her name is Deedee Gibbons! Seems simple enough, but as it turns out, there's another D. Gibbons. Mark and Demetri track him to his creeptastic doll factory in Utah, where he tries to administer death by explosion. Later we learn that D. Gibbons is in contact with "Agent Zero" (aka the Detriot stadium walker) during the two-minute blackout.

Can Demetri avoid his fate?
Demetri continues to wrestle with his vision (or lack thereof), and is seemingly comforted to find a policewoman with the same experience. That is, until she's dead five minutes later. Mark tries to convince him that he may be asleep in the future, but Demetri gets an anonymous call at the end of the episode bearing the worst news: On March 15, 2010, he will be murdered.

Will Mark's actions throw his vision off course?
I have to admit that throughout the episode, I was kind of mad at Mark for a lot of reasons. First of all, he acts cold towards Olivia because of her adulterous flash-forward when he's not being truthful about his own. She took a big risk by revealing her vision to her husband; the least he can do is lay off of her a little. My other major gripe is that Mark seems to be actively fulfilling his vision. He arranges the cards in his office exactly how they were in the flash-forward, and heads to the dollhouse factory because it appears in his vision. If Mark is trying to avoid his prophecy, couldn't he be more active about moving in a new direction? (Demetri agrees with me, mostly because he doesn't want to believe his own fate). By the end of the episode, Mark finally tries to break the pattern by tossing his friendship bracelet into the fireplace. But will a butterfly effect take place?

What did Charlie see in her vision?
The episode opens to a very creepy rendition of children singing "Ring Around the Rosie" as we see Charlie's playmates re-enacting the blackout on the playground (later we get a reprise of the haunting tune). Charlie is the only kid in school who doesn't want to talk about her vision, prompting her teacher to worry about Charlie's psychological well-being. Later we find out that she had a "bad vision" and that Lloyd Simcoe's son Dylan is a part of it. The episode ends on a chilling note as she tells Mark, "D. Gibbons is a bad man."
My prediction: D. Gibbons kidnaps Dylan and Charlie at some point, which causes Mark's and Olivia's relationship to unravel. Charlie gets a glimpse of her imprisonment in her vision.

Other major points

"He who foresees calamities, suffers them twice over" - D. Gibbons mutters this line shortly before blowing up the factory.
Olivia recognizes Lloyd from her vision, but not vice-versa.
Is Bryce sketching Olivia in the hospital?
Am I the only one who noticed a little bit of sexual tension between Demetri and Janis? Could Demetri be the father of her child?

I've given you my two cents, now I want to hear yours! Sound off the comments below!

Live From Comic-Con 2009: Girls Rule

BuzzSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:10:02 -0700

Hello from muggy San Diego! For one of my first activities here at Comic-Con, I attended a panel led by Entertainment Weekly titled "Wonder Women: Female Power Icons in Pop Culture" and featuring Sigourney Weaver, Eliza Dushku, Zoe Saldana and Elizabeth Mitchell in the hot seats.

The lively discussion began with appreciative cheers for each woman and a standing ovation for Sigourney Weaver, which, to be honest, made me feel a little choked up, right off the bat. In its entirety, the panel was nothing short of enlightening and inspiring - two things I didn't totally expect from this one.

Here are some highlights:

Television is light-years ahead of the film world when it comes to women's roles: All four women agreed that it's exceptionally cool that women can play more kickass roles now than ever before, though they all acknowledged that opportunities are greater on television than in movies. Sigourney Weaver: "Our society is changing much more quickly than Hollywood understands. . . . it's starting in television because television is a more exact reflection of what's going on in the world."

Eliza Dushku talked about working with Joss Whedon, Dollhouse's next season, and sexuality in storytelling: In answer to the question of whether there are more opportunities for women in sci-fi these days, Dushku stated that "it's really about who you work with and who the writers are and who your creators are," which is why she sought out Joss Whedon for her next role. "Ask and ye shall receive! I asked Joss to make me the most kickass, multi-dimensional character he'd ever written and he delivered." She explained that her character on Dollhouse, Echo, "has become a product of all of the personalities," but next season "absolutely will have Echo having a self-awareness." On the topic of sexualizing women in sci-fi: "I think sexuality is something that . . . can be manipulated and it can be disgustingly portrayed and it can be very beautiful and feminine and powerful. . . . Sex is part of our society and . . . it can be used in a smart and thought-provoking and realistic way. . . . it can be used as a tool."

For more intriguing bits and pieces from the panel, read more.

Sigourney Weaver's awesomest quotes:

After the moderator introduced her as the "single most successful female action franchise of all time" - "I know MTV named [Ripley] the second biggest 'badass' after Clint Eastwood but you know, I think she could take him." Roaring cheers ensued.
In regard to the "challenge" of writing good female characters - "The challenge that some writers take on very well . . . they're not trying to write a woman action figure, they're creating a character that has a certain drive and . . . ferocity. . . . I never thought about being 'a woman,' I was just playing a person. . . . There's a hero in each of us."
She added that "Hollywood goes a little crazy trying to figure out what you're supposed to wear" as a female action hero. "I'm just glad I got to wear clothes" in the Alien movies.
On the "glass ceiling" - "I think the sky is open, I don't believe there's a ceiling and if there is one, we'll just kick. Our. Way. Out."
When asked whether she hopes Hollywood will bring forth more roles for gay and lesbian action heroes and superheroes - "I think it's a mistake to look to Hollywood as a breaker-down of sociological [boundaries]." She encourages people to just make their own projects with their own kinds of characters because Hollywood is always many steps behind, and we can't look to Hollywood to be a leader.

Zoe Saldana talked about women's roles progressing through education: Saldana talked much about how far women have come in entertainment and that when it comes to progressing further, "Everything starts with education, and instead of fighting against a room full of men and try to convince them that I should wear pants . . . you have to learn how to fight these battles and it's all through education and putting them in our shoes." When an audience member asked why they have to cast Megan Fox as Wonder Woman instead of someone older and more regal, she replied, "I happen to have a huge crush on Megan Fox, I'm not hating on that possibility" but that "60-year-old men want to see tiny 25-year-old little girls and . . . those are the ones who cut checks."

Elizabeth Mitchell talked about her role on Lost and getting better roles after the age of 30: Mitchell was predictably coy when answering any question about her role as Juliet on Lost, a role that the EW moderator called "morally slippery," and "the most complicated female character that any woman has had to play on television." Mitchell explained that she likes playing "complicated women, they're enticing to me," and that she was told by Lost producers to say that Juliet's fate "just depends on whether Jack's plan works or not." When the issue of age came up, she emphatically stated that "I have played better roles now after the age of 30. . . . I was called sexy for the first time at the age of 38 and I was thrilled! . . . I think we're allowed to be sexier, I think we're allowed to be all of those things after the age of 30. That has, of course, been in television," she added, acknowledging once again that opportunities for women in TV are greater than those in movies.

House Rundown: Episode 24, "Both Sides Now"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 09:30:30 -0700

After last week's episode of House, I wondered how House would cope in a world where he was no longer on drugs. I was also curious to see what would happen to the sexual tension between House and Cuddy now that they've apparently done the deed. How did it all go down in Monday's season finale? If you're ready to talk about it, just read more.

Well, that explains a lot. A few things about last week's resolution seemed too good to be true: Do you really detox from Vicodin in less than 12 hours? And would Cuddy really choose to make out and even have sex with a man she'd been watching sweat and vomit all night? It turns out those things were too good to be true. Instead of coming home with him, Cuddy walked out after House insulted her. Instead of detoxing, House kept right on taking pills. Instead of twirling Cuddy's lipstick all day, House has been playing with a pill bottle. It was all - as the visions of Amber and Kutner tell House - the story he made up about himself. "Too bad it isn't true," Kutner adds. So while the rest of PPH is celebrating Chase and Cameron's wedding, Wilson's driving House to a mental hospital.

I'm not quite sure yet how I feel about this bait-and-switch. I'm not one of the Huddy worshipers who's sad the two of them didn't actually have sex; I figure that'll happen in due time. But I do have some questions about why the House writers used this twist - questions I'll have to wait till at least next season to have answered. These hallucinations are different than the others; why doesn't House just keep seeing Amber? (Is it because he was taking oxycodone instead of Vicodin? That's what I thought, but Fox's official recap says otherwise.) And what does it mean that in House's little fantasy, he is the good guy who detoxes and woos the woman he loves? By being in a mental hospital, it seems like House is serious about getting help and getting clean, and that leaves me wondering the same thing I asked last week: will House without pills still be the same crotchety, brilliant doctor we've come to love?

Meanwhile, Chase and Cameron start out this episode virtually broken up; Chase wants her to destroy her ex's sperm, and she can't do it. I like that it's House who finally convinces her just to take the leap - and that Chase tells her not to. He realizes now that she's not insecure about their relationship; she just can't get rid of the last part of someone she loves. Luckily, Cameron hadn't canceled the wedding plans, and now the two of them are actually (and finally) married. Which probably would have been a lot sweeter if I could have turned off the part of my brain that was thinking about the pair's real-life canceled wedding, but oh well.

Some other thoughts:

Some of my favorite moments in this episode were basically wordless: the patient's wayward hand stroking his girlfriend's cheek; House looking bedraggled and a little bewildered when Cuddy leads him to Wilson's office; Cameron and Chase mouthing "I do." The director of this episode has done some of the coolest House moments (this season's "Locked In" and last year's "House's Head," among others), and I really like his style.
Speaking of the patient, I loved that case. What a fascinating and creepy idea that part of your body could just disobey the rest of it! Not only did it work well as a parallel to House's story, it also included a few great medical moments, including that test with the words popping up on the screens.
Carl Reiner! Man. He's amusing as a pest who won't leave House alone because of his squawking problem (funny that we never actually hear him squawk) and then so, so sad when House realizes he probably has a tumor.
Is that a naked pirate House uses to torment Cuddy?

So: what a rollercoaster! Was this a suitable finale? Are you intrigued to see where the show goes next?

Photos courtesy of Fox

ABC's Fall Plans: Betty on Friday, 5 New Shows on Wednesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 19 May 2009 05:50:23 -0700

ABC kept Upfronts going on Tuesday by announcing nearly a dozen new shows for next TV season. In total, the network picked up six dramas, four comedies, and a new reality series for Fall and midseason.

Among returning shows, the biggest news is the move of Ugly Betty to Fridays at 9 p.m. In its place on Thursdays is Flash Forward, which has already gotten a big push with some teaser ads during Lost.

Meanwhile, Wednesdays will be all new - and that includes two hours of comedy. Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton get the night started with back-to-back shows Hank and The Middle. Then it moves to the mockumentary-style Modern Family and Courteney Cox's Cougar Town. The night ends with the drama Eastwick, based on the movie The Witches of Eastwick.

Scrubs and Better Off Ted will take over an hour on Tuesday once Dancing with the Stars ends its Fall season, while Castle stays put after Dancing on Monday.

I'll be back with more thoughts, pictures, and video later in the day, but for now, you can check out the full schedule and ABC's descriptions of its shows when you read more.

MONDAY
8 p.m. Dancing with the Stars (followed by The Bachelor)
10 p.m. Castle

TUESDAY
8 p.m. Shark Tank
9 p.m. Dancing with the Stars results show (followed by Scrubs and Better Off Ted)
10 p.m. The Forgotten

WEDNESDAY:
8 p.m. Hank
8:30 p.m. The Middle
9 p.m. Modern Family
9:30 p.m. Cougar Town
10 p.m. Eastwick

THURSDAY
8 p.m. Flash Forward
9 p.m. Grey's Anatomy
10 p.m. Private Practice

FRIDAY
8 p.m. Supernanny
9 p.m. Ugly Betty
10 p.m. 20/20

SATURDAY
8 p.m. College football

SUNDAY
7 p.m. America's Funniest Home Videos
8 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9 p.m. Desperate Housewives
10 p.m. Brothers and Sisters

**New midseason shows: V, The Deep End, Happy Town

The New Shows

The Deep End: Each year one of LA's most prestigious law firms recruits four young lawyers from the finest law schools worldwide. The only way for these first-years to survive is to support each othereven as they compete against one another in the cutthroat arena of high-end law. Sex, greed, romance, betrayal it's all part of being a first year associate at Sterling Law. The Deep End stars Matt Long as Dylan Hewitt, Ben Lawson as Liam Priory, Tina Majorino as Addy Fisher, Norbert Leo Butz as Rowdy Kaiser, Leah Pipes as Beth Bancroft, Billy Zane as Cliff Huddle, Sherri Saum as Susan Oppenheim and Clancy Brown as Hart Sterling. The series is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television. David Hemingson is executive producer/writer. The pilot was directed by Michael Fresco.

Eastwick: Three very different women find themselves drawn together by a mysterious man who unleashes unique powers in each of them, and this small New England town will never be the same. The series is based on the popular movie The Witches of Eastwick and on the novel of the same title by John Updike. Eastwick stars Rebecca Romijn as Roxie Torcoletti, Lindsay Price as Joanna Frankel, Jamie Ray Newman as Kat Gardener, Paul Gross as Darryl Van Horne, Sara Rue as Penny, Veronica Cartwright as Bun, Johann Urb as Will, Jon Bernthal as Raymond and Ashley Benson as Mia. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television. Maggie Friedman is executive producer/writer. The pilot was directed by David Nutter.

Flash Forward: When a mysterious event causes the entire world to black out, humanity is given a glimpse into its near future, and every man, woman and child is forced to come to grips with whether their destinies can be avoided or fulfilled. Adapting award-winning author Robert J. Sawyer's revolutionary novel, executive producers David S. Goyer (visionary co-writer of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight and Brannon Braga (24, Star Trek: Enterprise invite you to embark on a journey to answer the question, "if you knew what your future held, what would you do?" Flash Forward stars Joseph Fiennes as Mark Benford, John Cho as Demetri Noh, Jack Davenport as Lloyd Simcoe, Sonya Walger as Olivia Benford, Courtney B. Vance as Stan Wedeck, Brian O'Byrne as Aaron Stark, Christine Woods as Janis Hawk, Zachary Knighton as Bryce Varley and Peyton List as Nicole. The series is from ABC Studios. David S. Goyer is executive producer/writer/director. Brannon Braga is executive producer and co-wrote the pilot. Other executive producers are Marc Guggenheim, Jessika Goyer, Vince Gerardis and Ralph Vicinanza. Guggenheim will be the showrunner, along with Goyer.

The Forgotten: From executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer comes a crime show in which a team of dedicated amateurs work on cases involving unidentified victims. After the police have given up, this group must first solve the puzzle of the victim's identity in order to then help catch the killer. They work to give the deceased back their names, lest they become - The Forgotten. The Forgotten stars Rupert Penry-Jones as Alex, Reiko Aylesworth as Linda, Michelle Borth as Candace, Bob Stephenson as Walter, Anthony Carrigan as Tyler and Rochelle Aytes as Detective Grace Russell. The series is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television. Mark Friedman is executive producer/writer, Jerry Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman are executive producers, KristieAnne Reed is co-executive producer and Danny Cannon is executive producer/director.

Happy Town: Haplin, Minnesota, "Happy Town," is approaching almost a decade of peace after being riddled for years by unsolved kidnappings. But in the wake of this small town's first crime in seven years, some dark truths are being revealed about some familiar faces. They say every town has its secrets that doesn't even begin to describe Happy Town. Happy Town stars Geoff Stults as Tommy Conroy, Lauren German as Henley, Amy Acker as Rachel Conroy, Dean Winters as John Haplin, John Patrick Amedori as Andrew Haplin, Sarah Gadon as Georgia Bravin, Jay Paulson as Larry Root Beer' Rogers, Robert Wisdom as Roger Hobbes and Sam Neill as Merritt Grieves. The series is from ABC Studios. Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg are executive producers and co-writers. The pilot was directed by Gary Fleder, who is also an executive producer.

V: V is a re-imagining of the 1980's miniseries about the world's first encounter with an alien race in which the aliens call themselves The Visitors, and have a seemingly friendly agenda that may or may not be a cover for something more malevolent. V stars Elizabeth Mitchell as Erica Evans, Morris Chestnut as Ryan Nichols, Joel Gretsch as Father Jack Landry, Lourdes Benedicto as Valerie Stevens, Logan Huffman as Tyler Evans, Laura Vandervoort as Lisa, with Morena Baccarin as Anna and Scott Wolf as Chad Decker. The series is produced by HDFilms in association with Warner Bros. Television. Scott Peters is executive producer/writer and Steve Pearlman and Jace Hall are executive producers. The pilot was directed and executive produced by Yves Simoneau.

Cougar Town: Courteney Cox stars as a recently divorced single mother exploring the honest truths about dating and aging in our beauty and youth obsessed culture. Cougar Town stars Courteney Cox as Jules, Christa Miller as Elle, Busy Philipps as Laurie, Dan Byrd as Travis, Brian Van Holt as Bobby, Josh Hopkins as Grayson and Ian Gomez as Andy. The series is from ABC Studios. Bill Lawrence is executive producer/writer/director, Kevin Biegel is writer/co-executive producer, and Courteney Cox and David Arquette are executive producers.

Hank: Kelsey Grammer stars in this timely comedy as Hank Pryor, a titan of industry who suddenly finds himself out of work, almost out of money and around a wife and kids for whom he's never made much time. Despite his recent setbacks, however, Hank is confident he's on the road back to the top. He knows he is destined to return to greatness. And he is just not the greatness he imagines. Hank stars Kelsey Grammer as Hank, Melinda McGraw as Tilly, David Koechner as Grady, Macey Cruthird as Maddie and Ryan Wynott as Henry. The series is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with McMonkey Inc., Grammnet Productions, Werner Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television. It is written by Tucker Cawley. Tom Werner, Tucker Cawley, Kelsey Grammer and Mike Clements serve as executive producers. The pilot was directed by James Burrows.

The Middle: The Hecks are a middle class family living in the middle of Indiana, just trying to keep their heads above water. Emmy-winner Patricia Heaton stars as a wife and mother of three in a comedy about raising a family and lowering your expectations. The Middle stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Eden Sher as Sue, Atticus Shaffer as Brick and Charlie McDermott as Axel. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television. Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline are executive producers/writers and Werner Walian is producer. The pilot was directed by Julie Anne Robinson.

Modern Family: Today's American families come in all shapes and sizes. Shot from the perspective of an unseen documentary filmmaker, this comedy takes a modern look at the complications that come with being a family in 2009. Modern Family stars Ed O'Neill as Jay, Sofa Vergara as Gloria, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell, Eric Stonestreet as Cameron, Ty Burrell as Phil, Julie Bowen as Claire, Sarah Hyland as Haley, Rico Rodriguez as Manny, Nolan Gould as Luke and Ariel Winter as Alex. The series is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television. Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd are executive producers. The pilot was directed by Jason Winer.

Shark Tank: From Mark Burnett, executive producer of Survivor and The Apprentice, and Sony Pictures Television comes Shark Tank, an exciting new reality show that gives budding entrepreneurs the chance to make their dreams come true and become successful and possibly wealthy business people. But the entrepreneurs must first try to convince five tough, multi-millionaire tycoons to part with their own hard-earned cash and give them the funding they need to jumpstart their ideas. In these trying economic times, it's difficult for an individual possessing a dream or even a working small business poised for growth to get a loan for a risky venture. Whether it be an imaginative enhancement for an existing product, a family recipe that has all the ingredients to become a profitable culinary treat, or the latest technological gadget that could take the world by storm, most of these dreams die an early death because no one dared take a financial chance on someone with an unproven and oftentimes outrageous proposal. Many of these people now see Shark Tank as their last chance at success. Some have been laboring on their ideas for years or even decades, have invested large amounts of money, and are being pressured to throw in the towel by friends and family. Others have simply never had access to the means to live out their dreams, until now. Enter the Sharks of Shark Tank Barbara Corcoran (Manhattan real estate titan), Kevin Harrington (king of infomercials), Robert Herjavec (technology tycoon), Daymond John (fashion mogul) and Kevin O'Leary (venture capitalist) five multi-millionaires who lifted themselves up by their bootstraps to make their own entrepreneurial dreams come true and turned their ideas into empires. Each week ambitious entrepreneurs from across the country will present their breakthrough business concepts, products, properties and services to the panel of ruthless investors. Their goal is to convince these merciless moguls to invest their own dollars in the concept. Convincing real-life millionaires to part with their own money is no easy task, because when the idea is poor, the Sharks will tear into the ill-prepared presenters and pass on the idea with a simple, "I'm out!" -- sending them running for the exit. But these Sharks aren't just out for blood, they too have a goal: to own a piece of the next big idea. Entrepreneurs will be asked to give up a percentage of their companies' equity to the Sharks in order to get the investment they need. But when the Sharks hear a really top-notch idea, and more than one of them wants to sink their teeth into it, a war between them will erupt. Then the once-desperate entrepreneur can rejoice when the Sharks reveal their true interest in the product and bid up the price of the investment.

Grey's Anatomy Rundown: Episode 15, "Before and After," and Private Practice Rundown: Episode 16, "Ex-Life"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:30:54 -0800

With a special crossover event comes a special crossover recap! On this week's two-hour Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice combo, Addison and Naomi (and eventually Sam) take Archer to Seattle Grace in the hopes that Derek can treat the parasites in Archer's brain. The old med school friends reminisce about the lives they used to have, before divorces and children and those other complicated things.

Meanwhile, Cristina learns about Owen's mystery woman, Alex starts to suspect something is really wrong with Izzie, and - back in Santa Monica - Violet faces one of her biggest fears about motherhood. Ready to talk about it? Just read more.

When Grey's was just starting out, it was about two very distinct groups of people: the interns, who mostly acted like children, and the attendings, who were occasionally sloppy messes but were ultimately still adults. Private Practice, I always thought, was meant to put the spotlight on people in the "adult" phase, and the jury's still out on whether that experiment will be successful, but for these two episodes, the focus on the older crowd worked for me. I actually felt somehow cheated that we'd never gotten to see Addison, Derek, Naomi, Sam, and Mark interact before. Hearing the song Derek wrote for Addison and performed at their wedding, watching Addison test Derek's medical skills and having Derek rise to the challenge, hearing Archer list off all the sins he'd perpetrated on Addie's friends over the years - I guess it felt like what might have happened if Shonda Rhimes had decided to move all of Addison's favorite people to Seattle for the spinoff rather than take Addison away.

But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. Addison and Naomi arrive at the hospital (followed in short order by Sam, who says he has no idea what he's doing there; that makes all of us) with Archer in tow, and Addison essentially asks Derek for a miracle. He doesn't think he can pull it off - and, for what it's worth, Archer hates Derek and so doesn't think he can do it, either - but for Addison, he'll try. Addison says she made Derek very small in her mind after the divorce so she could move on, but now she needs him to be the great and powerful surgeon she always pumped him up to be. And he is; he gets all the worms out (despite one dicey moment) and Archer's back to being an ass in no time.

But Derek's brilliance doesn't last: Performing Jen's aneurysm surgery right after Archer's procedure, he nicks part of her brain, and things go terribly wrong. Addison ends up involved, trying to treat Jen's sick son, and this time, she's the one who needs to be the surgical goddess. It's an interesting flip of the tables to see Addison up against the wall with Derek relying on her to save a life. And again, all seems to have gone right - until the final few minutes, in which Jen starts babbling nonsensically.

The medical stories are fine, but honestly, once Archer seemed to be stable, I stopped focusing on the medicine and started paying better attention to the relationships between these old friends. I loved Sam reconnecting with Derek, Sam saying he got a midlife crisis earring and Derek assuring Sam that Meredith isn't a midlife crisis girlfriend. I chuckled at Addison talking to Mark, having Mark respond in a professional manner, and Callie immediately stepping in to explain that Mark's met someone and thus wouldn't be responding as his typical lothario self. And I loved them dancing and drinking at the bar, like it really was the afterparty of some school reunion.

But beyond their stories, a ton of other things happened, too; here's a quick scoop:

Owen's mystery woman turns out to be his ex-fiancee, whom he dumped in a two-line email and then hadn't told he was back from war. In fact, Owen hasn't told anyone he's back from war, even his mother, because he doesn't want them to see the hardened person he's become.
Izzie's game for the interns is cute and clever - and makes no logical sense, but I'll ignore that - but it's mostly useful because it gives Alex another indication that something might be really wrong with Izzie. In addition to that whole dead-boyfriend thing, she now doesn't seem to be seeing very well. Alex loves her, but he really wants to run.

George helps get Sadie kicked out of the program! Or she quits - whatever - because she's exposed during the game for knowing nothing. She tells Meredith she'd hoped Mere would pull her through, and Mere tells her to grow up.
Sam has an asthma attack, and his friends theorize it's because he's freaking out over Naomi being with another man. But it's actually just because Bailey gave him an inhaler he was allergic to. Um, whoops?
The moment with Addison and Callie in the chapel is sweet: Callie offers up a prayer that serves to tell Addison she's kissing women now, then switches gears and assures Addison that "you're an amazing doctor who saves babies. God knows who you are."
I'm relieved that Charlotte finally gets why Cooper's moved in with Violet, even if she still doesn't completely agree with it. When Violet starts worrying that she, too, could develop postpartum depression, Cooper sweetly lists off the things he'll do to keep her rested and sane.
Addison: "We called Meredith the 12-year-old. What do we call Lexie, the preschooler?" Mark: "She's a woman."

Overall, I think the smaller moments in these episodes worked best for me, the ones where we got to see the friendships that brought Addison and Derek together and led Sam and Naomi to marry and form their practice in the first place. I'm relieved that Meredith didn't freak out over the rose petal and that Archer didn't die, big things that could have potentially thrown the whole story off course. I'm a little worried about the promos for next week, with all the "Surgeon . . . or God?" stuff, but we'll cross that bridge in a bit. For now, tell me: How did the first real installment of this crossover work out for you?

Grey's Anatomy Rundown: Episode 21, "No Good at Saying Sorry (One More Chance)"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 08:30:17 -0700

It's Take Your Family Issues to Work Day on Grey's Anatomy this week, as Izzie, Meredith, and Lexie all have to deal with parents showing up at Seattle Grace unexpectedly and Callie works through family strife of her own after her father's tumultuous visit. Meanwhile, Owen and Cristina attempt to have a normal working relationship, with frustrating results. To chat about it, just read more.

Izzie has never talked much about her family. We know her mom called her Cricket and spent money on psychic hotlines, but that's about it. So it's a little crazy for Izzie's mom to suddenly show up in Seattle, all dressed in too-young clothing and flirting with Alex. Izzie didn't even want her there; that was Bailey's doing, but even someone with a maternal instinct as strong as Bailey's soon realizes she's made a mistake. Izzie's just started to come to terms with her illness; the last thing she needs is for her mother to 1) act like it's no big deal, because after all, that woman with the mole on her privates on Tyra survived, or 2) weep hysterically because Izzie's going to die just like her grandma. I'm a little surprised Bailey was so willing to lie to Robbie, but it did get the job done: Izzie and her mom are just better off "loving each other from a distance."

If only Robbie Stevens had crossed paths with Thatcher Grey! Thatcher turns up at Seattle Grace, sober and working his steps; he's there to make amends for everything he did to make Meredith and Lexie's lives harder. I'm a little surprised Lexie accepts his apology so quickly, but she's also always been the Grey sister who believed in the bonds of family. Meredith's cold reaction doesn't surprise me at all, but I did like seeing her complicated relationship with the Chief finally come to a head. She's been working for years now under the guidance of the man who disrupted her childhood. And he does treat her differently; he's probably both tougher on her and kinder to her than he is with any other doctor. In the end, he, too, is making amends: He saw what Ellis was doing to Meredith, and he chose not to fight. It's only now that he seems to be realizing that if he wasn't going to be a dad to her, nobody was.

Though it didn't get much screen time, I was sucked in by Owen and Cristina's story. The two of them are intense people on their own, and that doubles when they're together, so the tension right now is through the roof. Owen tries to treat her like a casual acquaintance - "take care now" - and has her do menial tasks while George gets the big jobs on the trauma team. And she's mad: "What are you, just a 'choke 'em and forget 'em' kind of guy?" But it's not that at all. What Owen wants to do is say he loves her, and that hurts.

Meanwhile:

The story of the little girl, her mother, and the abusive father gets tied up neatly, but I couldn't help feeling somewhat moved by it anyway. Meredith oversteps her boundaries, bigtime, but given her mindset during this episode, she's not willing to see another child hurt. "Your 6-year-old daughter is stronger than you" can't be an easy (or even appropriate) message to hear, but in this case, it inspires someone to get out of a bad situation.
Callie's reaction to her tree-sitting patient and her buttoned-up sister is interesting: She wishes her family could be screaming at her, but instead she's getting stony silence.
Even though dads never like him, Mark agrees to daddy dinner with Lexie and Thatcher! Even Mark Sloan has to grow up sometime.
Sweetest/saddest scene: Alex describing the food to Izzie for Meredith and Derek's wedding site, then clutching the little stuffed animal Izzie's mom brought while Izzie's wheeled off to surgery.
I wonder if Richard will ever read Ellis's journals.

Just a couple of weeks to go for the season! Do you like how Grey's is going these days?