BuzzSugar

Link Time! Omarosa Is Searching For a Husband

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:30:30 -0800

Omarosa is looking for love with a new reality TV show. But the biggest surprise? The Donald is helping her - Defamer

An Inglourious Basterds prequel is brewing - Marc Malkin

Uh-oh, Mad Men fans. For those romantics hoping for a Don and Betty reconciliation, chances sound grim - Daily Beast

Cobra Starship's new video is a "Hot Mess" - HitFix

Cute Reunion actor Sean Faris is joining The Vampire Diaries - Ausiello Files

Who's your favorite female author? - TresSugar

Holiday movie preview! - Moviefone

Death Cab For Cutie performs "Meet Me at the Equinox" at a Hot Topic store. Teen girls' minds explode. - Stereogum

Twitter phenom Sh*t My Dad Says is being made into a TV show - TV Squad

New York Magazine's 40 songs that define the Brooklyn sound right now - New York Magazine

Box Office: The Final Destination Makes a Killing

BuzzSugar — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 06:30:00 -0700

Lots of you said that you'd rather watch scary movies around Halloween, but that didn't stop the masses from checking out horror films at the box office this weekend. The Final Destination scored the top spot, taking in $28.3 million and marking the most successful opening weekend of the franchise. Inglourious Basterds was bumped to number two with a little over $20 million in its second week. Halloween 2 couldn't hack it with the competition and had to settle for third place, making approximately $17.4 million in its opening weekend.

The other big news of the weekend is that ticket sales are way up - 38% higher than they were this time last Summer. 2009 is now set to surpass 2007 as the highest-grossing Summer, thanks to all of you who are heading to the theaters more often than usual.

Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema

Caption It: Which Caption Should Win?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 07:30:34 -0700

Animals and people wearing animals - the caption possibilities are many. Thus, there are plenty of good ones for this photo from Inglourious Basterds:

But there can only be one winner! Here are the finalists for this week's Caption It challenge:

Dog: "If that hat so much as blinks at me, I'm outta here!"
"Oh, don't look at me like that. You and that leopard were hardly friends."
"Yes, agreed, I left the rollers in too long, but leopard is so last year!"
"Well, you should start with a conditioning treatment for the perm and then I think you might want to consider a nose job. That thing is huge."

Box Office: Inglourious Basterds Scalps District 9

BuzzSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:30:00 -0700

Quentin Tarantino's fans did not disappoint him this weekend, helping Inglourious Basterds rake in over $37 million at the box office this past weekend. Here's your fun revenue statistic of the day: it's the highest-grossing opening ever for a movie released in the second half of August. District 9 was knocked to the number two slot with $18.9 million while G.I. Joe took third, bringing in $12.5 million. The Time Traveler's Wife and Julie and Julia rounded out the top five.

Inglourious Basterds was the only new release to score major success this weekend; Shorts came in sixth place with $6.6 million while Alexis Bledel's Post Grad just barely cracked the top ten with $2.8 million.

Diane Kruger Is Part of the Boys Club in Basterds

Molly — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:30:00 -0700

Inglourious Basterds hits theaters today and has been greeted with some positive reviews - including right here on Buzz, check it out. The past few days I've been sharing interviews from the press junket earlier this month, starting with BJ Novak and Eli Roth. Now here's a bit from one of the few women among the boys club in the film, Diane Kruger. We've highlighted a few of the quotes on PopSugar already, but here's more on what it was like to work with all those guys, especially Quentin.

On working with the guys: It’s fun being one the boys. It’s also fun to have a character that’s rough and get’s down and dirty an not to be this precious little piece that sits in the corner and just sort of stands by the action.

On working with Quentin: I love Pulp Fiction, because I remember I must have been 13 or 14 when it came out and Pulp Fiction is so iconic. And I must say as a young girl when I watched Pam Greer as Jackie Brown I was like, that’s what I want to be, she is so cool. I’ve always thought that his movies empower women and I’ve always liked that about him.

On getting to play a German character: I've never actually played a German in a movie. It was liberating, well not liberating, but it was nice. If I ever have to play a German I want to play Bridget von Hammersmark and bring down the third Reich!

To read more of what Diane had to say just read more.

On what she wants to do next: I like it all. I’m not a huge fan of horror movies - they give me a heart attack. I can’t watch, even Scream, which is funny really I couldn't watch that. I would love to make a full-on comedy. In this movie I was allowed to be quite funny at times and have great lines and I’ve really been looking actively to do something that’s funnier.
On who she based her character on: It’s not one person particular, Quentin was inspired by many different actresses who weren’t necessarily German so he made me watch many different movies. I think it was more a style that was important to him, when you watch films from the '40s it was quite different. It was a little more formal, a little put on. And he really wanted that, when you first see Bridget on screen you have to really know she’s the movie star and when she speaks nobody else does. You also have to feel this sense of fierce, cold intelligence because if you don’t believe that she’s the brains of the operation and that she is actually going to be able to pull this off, then that whole plot falls flat.
On filming graphic scenes: Well the scalping I have to admit, I could not watch. The [most graphic scene] I’m involved in, I automatically have to think of the day we were shooting it. It was so chaotic, my leg got stuck on the actual table due to the movie blood because Quentin was like "Blood, blood, blood" and it dries and it's sugar-based, so I honestly couldn’t get off the table 20 minutes. It was a full-on wax, trust me. It was horrible, and then they have the dogs barking and I’m doing "Vut are you talkin’ about?" Brad going with his funny accent and his finger gets stuck in the wound and then rips the whole thing off 10 times in a row. It was such a funny day that I can’t look at it and go oh that’s awful.

A Quick Inglourious Basterds Review, Billy Ray Defends Miley, and Gearing Up For Heidi Montag's Performance!

Molly — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:43:44 -0700

It's time for the weekend edition of PopSugar Rush! In addition to the first footage of Gisele Bundchen's baby bump, we've got our 10-second review of Inglourious Basterds - check out Buzz's full one here. Plus, there's Billy Ray talking about Miley's pole dance, a The Hangover-themed vacation, and what to watch on Sunday night - Heidi Montag's Miss Universe performance. Love her or hate her, it'll probably be entertaining. Watch our weekend PopSugar Rush now!

Inglourious Basterds: Graphic, but Good

BuzzSugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Meet the Inglorious Bastards, er, the Inglourious Basterds: a quintessential Quentin Tarantino clan (see also Reservoir Dogs) helmed by an accent-affected Brad Pitt. Pitt, who plays a sort of Tennessean hillbilly, is the ringleader of the group of mostly Jewish-American soldiers whose aim is to kill - specifically by scalping - Nazis. It's as disgusting as it sounds, but the film is not all gory and the Basterds are only one in a series of interwoven stories. In fact, Brad Pitt and his band of men are each in fewer than half of the movie's chapters. Yes, there is violence but the biggest tone of the movie is artfully crafted tension that left me holding my breath, wondering where the action was going to come from next.

At its core, the film has the violent tendencies you'd expect from writer/director Tarantino. It's incredibly graphic and gory (it was actually comical to hear all of the moans coming from the critics at my screening), but it's peppered with moments of genuine humor (albeit of the dark variety) with just a small dash of romance. In this regard, Basterds is very much like his classic film Pulp Fiction, but topically, the two couldn't be more different.

To hear more about the plot of the film, with some minor spoilers, read more.

The movie begins with an incredible and very intense scene between a Nazi colonel (played by Christopher Waltz) and French countryman Perrier LaPadite (Denis Menochet). It sets up the tone of the film perfectly, while introducing one of the most chilling villains I've ever seen on the big screen, played superbly by Waltz. The vignette could stand alone as a short film, and doesn't quite blend in with the rest of the movie, but it will be what stays with you long after you've walked out of the theater. The rest of Basterds fast-forwards a few years, but we haven't seen the last of the first scene's survivors.

Elsewhere, Aldo Raine (Pitt) is prepping his troops to drop into Europe and kill as many Nazis as possible - he wants each solider to gather 100 scalps. Based on some of the more graphic scenes, the mission is a success. Most of their work takes place off-screen but their influence is clear when a bumbling Hitler and his high ranking official start trembling in their boots. As the Basterds' popularity rises, they're presented with an opportunity that ropes in famous actress and spy Bridget von Hammrsmark (Diane Kruger). The movie is building up to a climactic movie premiere, but unbeknownst to the Basterds, they're not the only ones plotting.

This, for me, is when the movie really starts getting good. Firstly, based on her relatively small résumé (National Treasure, Troy, Wicker Park), I was not expecting to be so blown away by Kruger. She's simply stunning in her role including carrying one of the longest and most intense scenes. Pitt also pulls off the necessary swagger and bravado that goes with his ringleader role. When these two get together the screen seems to warm to their combined presence. Both Pitt and Kruger also add to the element of humor in the film, which is clear throughout all 2.5 hours of it.

It's hard to talk much more about the plot without spoilers, but it's one of the most satisfying - and quite frankly, entertaining and thought-provoking - movies I've seen in some time. If you can stomach the violence, the film is worth its weight in gold (or blood).

Eli Roth Says Part of the Basterds Prequel Is Already Done

Molly — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:15:08 -0700

Inglourious Basterds hits theaters tomorrow, and a couple weekends ago I attended the press junket to hear from a few of the film's stars. Yesterday we shared BJ Novak's interview, and now here's more from Eli Roth. His experience was unique coming to the movie as a friend of Quentin Tarantino's and an accomplished director in his own right. Roth tried his hand at acting, but he also got behind the camera to direct movie-within-a-movie Nation's Pride, which is a Nazi propaganda film that plays an integral role in Basterds. Here's some of what Eli had to say:

On a possible prequel: When Quentin writes, he knows every character in this movie, so he might do the Inglourius Basterds prequel - he’s got most of it written. Brad and I were always like "Prequel! Prequel! Prequel!" So we filmed [my character's backstory], but Quentin said, "I gotta tell you, I love those scenes, but you have the coolest entrance in the movie and it’s just taking away from it." And I was like "Well I don’t want to ruin the grand entrance." He’s like "You have Brad Pitt AND Hitler introducing you! So, you’re set up pretty good in this movie." He says he already has three scenes from the prequel done already. So we may see them someday.
On making the movie as a Jewish actor: I think the death of a lot of these WWII movies is that they get so caught up in the details of being so reverential and precious to the subject matter that they don’t realize how absurd it is to have British people running concentration camps with those accents. There are people speaking in English in these "historically accurate movies." I’m like, what the f*** was that? When my relatives were getting killed I don’t think they heard any English. It’s also important to remember what happened and to make sure it never happens again. It should upset us. If I saw a a swastika and I wasn’t upset that’s where there is a problem. When you go on a set and you know it’s a movie, it’s not like driving through a neighborhood and seeing a swastika painted. That’s where I get really upset. But I will say this, the first time I showed Nation’s Pride to 300 Nazi extras, even though they were in character, my stomach turned. I looked at Quentin and was like, "Oh my god, what have I done? I’ve started the fourth Reich and they're going to make me their Sarah Palin."

To hear more from Eli, including whether he prefers acting or directing, just read more.

On expectations and Tarantino films: Quentin always says that his movies take a couple of viewings to get used to, because people have very specific expectations. If you think about Quentin - he’s continually defied expectations. After Pulp Fiction, nobody expected Jackie Brown and it took people a while to get into the rhythm of it. Quentin said with Kill Bill, the reviews were terrible; everyone says, "Where’s the great Tarantino dialogue?" Then in Kill Bill 2 it was all dialogue and he got bad reviews because everyone asked for the great action from Kill Bill. The challenge of [Basterds] is how to sell it in a 30-second TV spot. We could sit here and talk for two hours and it would be difficult to categorize what the film is, because it’s so many different things and Quentin said, every chapter change, every 20 minutes he wants people saying, "Wait a minute, what movie are we in?"

On acting vs. directing: I actually prefer directing. I mean I love acting, but I get an incredible thrill out of having an idea in my head and seeing people connect to it . . . or throw up from it. The truth is, I did love acting and it was really really fun, but it was a special circumstance. Quentin said "You have another career here if you want it. You are killing it. You’re hitting it out of the park, you really are." And I said, "Well, how am I going to top this experience?" And he said, "Well you might not, but now you have permission to write great parts for yourself." And that is something I think I would do.
On working with his friend Taratino: I know that people are grading me on an extra hard curve. They know I’m friends with Quentin and they know that I’m a director, but I had to very quickly earn the respect of the audience. And it couldn’t be just from lifting weights. People had to see that it's real - that pain, and that anguish and that furor in his eyes as soon as he comes out with a bat. That he just has this murderous rage to kill these Nazis. I really pushed myself like I never have before. In a strange way I think when I come out people are expecting something brutal and we make sure to deliver that in the very first scene.

BJ Novak Attends Tarantino Fantasy Camp and Film School For Inglourious Basterds

Molly — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:30:00 -0700

Inglourious Basterds hits theaters this Friday and a few weekends ago I attended the LA press day to hear from a few of the film's stars. Over the next few days leading up to this weekend's release, we'll be bringing you some highlights from the cast starting with BJ Novak who is most familiar as Ryan on The Office. BJ has made a name for himself as a writer, but he was more than happy to bask in his chance to experience Quentin's writing and directing in Berlin last year. Here are some highlights:

On his favorite Tarantino films: I would put Pulp Fiction as maybe my favorite movie. It's certainly the one that influenced me the most and put me on the path that I went on [to become a writer]. To me [it's] like the White Album. You know, I like different things about everything Quentin does, but Pulp Fiction is so much number one that it might as well begin and end there for me.

On the initial meeting about the movie: I remember pacing in the book store across the street, going to the bathroom every ten minutes thinking how to stay cool with Tarantino. It turned into an hour conversation about his films and The Office and the script and whatever else came up. It was a great conversation. When I came in to read the parts, Quentin is such an actor in his heart that he got so wrapped up in who he was reading that he wasn’t paying much attention to what I was doing, which was hugely scary to me because I had really prepared this stuff and I was making certain facial expressions and certain timing and he was literally buried in his own script, sort of blowing me out of the room. The casting director literally interrupted him to say "Hey, I think BJ is doing something really interesting over there."

To see what BJ has to say about Brad Pitt and what sets this apart from Quentin's other work just read more

On Tarantino's directing style: Well, it’s very performative and expressive. What I liked about it was that I signed up for a life experience. I signed up to go to Tarantino Fantasy Camp and that’s what I got. I got the fantasy camp and the film school, just by being in the background holding a machine gun watching him debate something with the director of photography. Or watching him coax a different direction out of Diane Kruger. So that was my favorite part of his directing style is that he is very loud and thoughtful, so I could sort of follow what he was doing and learn from it.
On cast bonding in Germany: We were all kind of a little out of our element being in Germany all on our own. Quentin actually created a little community based around his love of film. He would screen a movie for us once a week - things that inspired him, things that he thought would inspire us, thing that he just happened to have lying around, things connected to people in the production. And there would be posters up like they were made by a dorm RA. He had so much enthusiasm and who’s going to turn down a chance to go to Tarantino Film School? Especially when the alternative is ordering Weiner schnitzel room service in your cold German hotel. So we would go down to this screening room at the studio and watch an obscure movie or even a mainstream movie. Quentin would give a rambling 25 minute introduction that taught you more about films than any class you’d ever taken. There’d be beer and pizza and it was awesome.

On being tempted to suggest rewrites: Never never never. That’s my day job and probably will be my day job for the rest of my life and I figured I probably only had one chance in life to say Tarantino dialogue and I wasn’t going to short change myself there. Not at all.
On why he loves Basterds: It's Pure Tarantino to me in that it blends many different elements perfectly of tension and comedy and dialogue and excitement. And I felt on the set that Quentin The Filmmaker was always trying to outsmart Quentin The Film Fan - he would often talk about what he thought the audience would expect him to do and what he was going to do instead. And I, knowing so much less about film, thought to myself "oh, I wasn’t expecting anything." What really inspired me to be a writer is how he really blends depth and dialogue and comedy with action and violence with sweetness.
On his intense showdown scene: The great thing abut that final showdown scene is that I think my character is as overwhelmed as I would have been. The good news is I’m sitting next to Brad Pitt - the ultimate all American hero who is going to keep his cool - and the bad news is I’m sitting across from one of the great movie villains you can imagine and I’m their prisoner. I think being the third guy in this classic movie showdown was overwhelming and scary for me. And it was completely overwhelming and scary for [my character Utivich] and I think that’s what you see in my eyes.

Caption It!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:30:10 -0700

Welcome to the Caption It game on BuzzSugar! Every Wednesday, I'll post a photo still from a TV show or movie here and challenge you to think of the most hilarious caption possible. I'll announce the finalists the following Tuesday, and you'll get to vote for the best caption!

The poll for the best caption for last week's challenge is very close! At the time I'm writing this, JohnW is winning with this caption for the image from The Goods: Live Hard Sell Hard:

"Stop crying, we drew straws fair and square. Now the rest of us will take my car and you drive with Jeremy Piven."

Nice job, JohnW. Now on to this week's challenge from the upcoming Inglourious Basterds:

Leave your captions in the comment space below before 5 p.m. PDT on Monday, Aug. 24 to be considered for a spot in the voting round. Have fun!