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Which Guest Star Are You Most Excited to See This Week?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:30:00 -0800

November sweeps is here, which means appearances by big names on some of my favorite shows. We've already seen the likes of Samantha Ronson and Pharrell on 90210, but now we're getting to the exciting stuff.

Lady Gaga hits Gossip Girl tonight - check out a sneak peek here - before Melrose Place welcomes back Heather Locklear tomorrow night. And who could forget James Franco's big cameo on General Hospital? While I'm still baffled by his career move - not to mention those early pics - Franco on a soap opera is bound to be hilarious.

All of this means lots of TV-watching for me, and luckily none of the shows are on the same night, so I don't even have to pick favorites! Still, I'm curious to hear your opinion - which guest appearance is earning the top spot on your TiVo?

Movie Preview: Tina Fey and Steve Carell in Date Night

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:30:01 -0800

I freaked out a little (OK a lot) when it was announced that Tina Fey and Steve Carell would play a married couple in the comedy Date Night. Well, the trailer is here, and I'm still enthusiastic about it - though I wasn't expecting it to be so action-adventure-y.

The movie revolves around a single night out for typically bored (but atypically hilarious) married couple Claire and Phil Foster. When they take another couple's dinner reservation, their romantic evening turns into an issue of mistaken identity, and they spend the night running from trouble. While I'm not thrilled by the setup, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in this first preview, including some amazing appearances from Mark Wahlberg and James Franco.

To check out the trailer, just read more.

Date Night comes out April 9, 2010.

Sneak Peek at James Franco on General Hospital!

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:30:03 -0800

Even if you're not a soap opera fan, these photos from James Franco's upcoming appearance on General Hospital are too funny to miss. His character's backstory is still being kept under wraps, but we can make a few guesses based on these shots. The episode will air on Nov. 20, but you can get your Franco fix right now.
Photos courtesy of ABC, Inc.

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30 Rock Gets James Franco and Maybe Julianne Moore

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:30:35 -0800

I can't wait to see James Franco head to General Hospital later this month, but if soaps aren't your thing then maybe today's news will be more up your alley. Franco is the latest actor to make an appearance on 30 Rock! He'll be playing himself, but the best part is that he'll be involved in a showmance with Jenna. If you've seen any of Franco's Funnyordie videos (of which there are many), you know this guy has no problem poking fun at himself, and a fake relationship between James and Jenna should be hilarious.

But wait - there's more! Jack Donaghy will be getting a love interest as well (though his a real one) for a handful of episodes. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but word on the street is that it may be Julianne Moore. Salma Hayek had a great run as Jack's girlfriend last season, but can Moore measure up?

What do you think of 30 Rock's newest guest stars? Do you think they'll be as funny as Jon Hamm and Jennifer Aniston?

Not a Joke: James Franco To Appear on General Hospital

BuzzSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:30:03 -0700

It's not April Fool's, I have not started abusing substances, this is an actual news story: James Franco is set to guest star on daytime soap opera General Hospital.

Oh and it's not just some walk-on role as a favor or a dare: Franco will star in a multi-episode arc, which will last for about two months, and he'll play a "mysterious character" (of course he will). What's more, he apparently approached General Hospital himself with the idea. His first episode will air on November 20.

This whole story is kind of too crazy to not believe, so let's just go with it. Admittedly, I used to watch General Hospital back in the day, so I am so going to set my TiVo to watch this.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think this is all an elaborate bit, or could Franco be a closet soap fan? Most importantly, are you going to tune in?

7 Hot Young Men With Hot Upcoming Projects

BuzzSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:30:48 -0700

Move over Brad, Will, and George - there are some hot young actors racking up stellar movie roles and looking good doing it. Not only is this group of guys easy on the eyes, but they all seem serious about cultivating long and prosperous film careers. Some of these fellas have been kicking around Tinseltown for a while and some only recently broke out onto the scene in a major way. They're all names that are in demand and the following is a list of some of their interesting upcoming projects.

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Pineapple Express Folks Reteam For Your Highness

BuzzSugar — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:30:58 -0700

Actor Danny McBride has been getting more and more recognition in recent years by starring in things like Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express, Superbad, and now the HBO series Eastbound and Down, which he also helped create. Now he's written a comedy script and gotten a studio (Universal), a director (Pineapple Express director David Gordon Green), and a star (James Franco) to play a lead role alongside him.

Titled Your Highness, the comedy "follows two spoiled and arrogant princes in a medieval fantasy setting. When an evil wizard casts a spell on their father and kidnaps the older prince's fiance, they're forced to go on a quest to save their family and the kingdom."

I can't wait to see these two together again onscreen, and I'm glad McBride keeps getting more work because he's such a funny addition to any comedic lineup. And we know Franco rarely fails to delight!

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A Tale of Two Ginsbergs: Franco and Eisenberg

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:30:02 -0700

Another Allen Ginsberg movie, you say? Why yes, in fact, in addition to the Ginsberg biopic Howl starring James Franco as the legendary poet (check out some new pics from the set here), now Jesse Eisenberg (of The Squid and the Whale and the upcoming Adventureland) will play Ginsberg in the feature film Kill Your Darlings.

In Howl, the focus is on the obscenity trial launched to censor Ginsberg's long poem "Howl." Kill Your Darlings is not solely about Ginsberg but will tell the story of "the murder that helped spawn the Beat Generation. . . . [Ben] Whishaw will play Lucien Carr, the Columbia U. undergrad who brought together Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac ([Chris] Evans), and William S. Burroughs."

I'll be curious to see how Eisenberg and Franco's portrayals of Ginsberg differ - or match up - in these simultaneous projects. After so much remake and "rebooting" movie news, I can't express how refreshing I find these projects about a real man who genuinely influenced American culture with his art. I say, bring on the Ginsbergs.

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Oscar Nominee: Milk For Best Costume Design

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:30:21 -0800

As we gear up for the Oscars, I'll be featuring the nominees for Best Costume Design. It's a big year for this category as the films nominated represent vastly different historical periods. Be it 18th-century England or San Francisco in the '70s, these films include some gorgeous threads. I've already presented galleries for four out of the five nominees, so today the final movie is Milk.

People often think of San Francisco's "Summer of Love" as the city's major cultural movement, but Gus Van Sant's biopic Milk features the life of gay activist Harvey Milk during another turbulent time for this town: The 1970s. And nothing helps bring this vision to life more than the detailed costumes worn by each member of the fantastic ensemble cast. From Josh Brolin's traditional suiting to the flashy polyester getups worn by Diego Luna, the '70s never looked so good!

To check out the many photos of good-looking people in high-waisted jeans and such, just read more.

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Photos courtesy of Focus Features

Milk: Deeply Moving, Difficult, and Worthwhile

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:30:58 -0800

"I know that you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living." - Harvey Milk

The story of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk had a huge impact on me a few years ago when I first watched the Oscar-winning documentary about him, The Times of Harvey Milk. His is truly a stranger-than-fiction tale and is so full of inspiration, absurdity, and absolute heartache that it's somewhat surprising it has taken this long to create a feature-length dramatization of his life and death. I respect director Gus Van Sant's decision to memorialize and honor Harvey Milk with his movie Milk, and to my great relief, Van Sant and his exceptional ensemble cast have done Milk's story justice.

Milk picks up Harvey Milk's life when Milk (Sean Penn) meets one of the great loves of his life, Scott Smith (portrayed by James Franco) and decides to move from New York City to San Francisco. There, the two open a camera store in the heart of the Castro, a neighborhood with a rapidly growing gay population, and there Milk begins his life as a leader of the gay rights movement in the 1970s. After trying and failing twice, he is finally elected to San Francisco's Board of Supervisors in 1977, largely due to the support of the gay community. For the first time, it becomes apparent that the gay community could be a powerful one, and Milk often emphasizes this during his time in city hall. As the country's first openly gay man to be elected to public office, Milk brings the gay rights movement to the city's attention as much as possible, earning him admiration and support along with many enemies - including his ultimate enemy, fellow supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin). For more about this and my thoughts on it all, read more.

Dan White is a good ol' Christian boy who feels threatened by and resentful of Harvey Milk's success. Josh Brolin, who is fast becoming one of the most fascinating actors in Hollywood, simply morphs into this insecure and fearful man who gradually becomes unhinged. His fate and that of Harvey Milk are tragically linked in history forever, and frankly, it's disturbing to see Dan White brought to life on screen, especially after seeing all the actual footage of him in the documentary.

The rest of the cast is equally remarkable: Franco makes for a loving, sympathetic Smith, and Emile Hirsch is captivating as Milk's young activist protégé Cleve Jones. Allison Pill is always an undeniably strong presence on screen and her depiction of Milk's sole female team member, Anne Kronenberg, is no different. Diego Luna plays one of Milk's lovers, Jack Lira, with equal parts bright beauty and troubling instability. Most of all, Penn's portrayal of this charismatic, resilient, and good-humored pioneer will surely earn him some well-deserved accolades and awards.

This project is remarkably ambitious. There are so many intersecting aspects of Milk's career, activism, and personal life, it's enough to make one's head spin. Add to this Van Sant's decision to incorporate actual footage from the '70s into his dramatized story, and you've got yourself a crazy, giant puzzle to put together. But the actual footage is crucial in this case, consistently reminding us that though this seems like fiction at times - especially now, to modern audiences - this is a true story.

Interestingly, one "character" (so to speak), the outspoken fundamentalist Christian singer Anita Bryant, is not played by any actress (though at first glance I thought for sure it was Marcia Gay Harden). Instead, her entire part in Milk's story is shown through real footage - which only makes her behavior that much more staggering. This directorial choice seamlessly blends the reality of Harvey Milk's actual life with the staging of his life by the director and cast. Overall, I can’t express enough how much I applaud and admire Van Sant’s accomplishment here. It's a complicated and deeply emotional story, and the entire production - Van Sant, screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, the whole cast - carried a tremendous responsibility to get this thing right and the result is a dignified homage.

I highly recommend watching the documentary first, as there was an effervescence and a beautiful light to the real Harvey Milk that no actor, not even the great Sean Penn, can capture. Both the documentary and this new film may leave you speechless and/or weepy. But his is a worthwhile story to tell and if this grand-scale production with heavy-hitting actors and a talented director gets his story out there, all the better.

Photos courtesy of Focus Features