BuzzSugar

Max Payne: Awesome Style, Not Much Else

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:30:09 PDT

In its own haunting way, Max Payne is beautiful to watch. I knew that director John Moore had utilized some new digital technology while filming, but I didn't quite expect the movie as a whole to be so visually mesmerizing. This world never strays from its grainy state, everything awash in a blue-gray sheen - except for striking spots of bright red, and sometimes twinkly orange sparks - and there is near-constant precipitation usually large snowflakes swirling through icy air.

In other aspects (you know, the actual story and stuff), there's not too much to chat about. The story is fairly simplistic and the visual symbolism of this sad, dark world is obvious (in his memories of his past life, the world is bright and lovely, his miserable present-day life is only cold darkness). This isn't a subtle film by any means. But while there's plenty of violence and gunfire, somehow it doesn't seem to be fetishizing it. There's a greater goal to be met, and violence is par for the course in reaching this goal. To see why else I kinda liked this movie,

Max Payne (Mark Wahlberg) has been searching for his wife's murderers for three years, and one night he meets the sexy Natasha (Olga Kurylenko) who leads him into a sinister world of drugs which provides more clues toward solving the mystery. Max even starts sniffing around the company where his wife worked alongside a kindly older friend of Max's family, BB Hensley (Beau Bridges). Before long, Natasha winds up dead with certain details linking her death to Max's wife's, and Natasha's sister Mona (Mila Kunis) joins Max in his hunt for answers and revenge.

Mark Wahlberg is tasked with playing what he does quite well: a hot-headed, broody guy with not too many lines. Mila Kunis plays the badass chick convincingly, and Ludacris is more or less OK in his role as a tough guy detective with some sassy one-liners (though I'm wary of seeing him take on meatier roles). No real acting chops are required for this movie (the acting's not really central to the film's success), though Beau Bridges puts his all into it anyway, and comes out the best of the bunch. He's got that fatherly businessman-with-shady-secrets thing down pat. We see Marky Mark the most in the movie, but it was Bridges's performance that I kept thinking about.

I might've liked the ending more if they hadn't taken such pains to ensure there will be a sequel. I understand the urge to do that (studios love nothing more than an endless number of unnecessary sequels), but it seems like a lame move here. It also felt like the movie ended a few times before it finally ended. Still, the journey getting there is captivating from start to finish, and extremely cool to watch.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Charlize Theron Talks Motherhood

Allie Merriam — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:47:46 PDT

Charlize Theron hopes to be 10% of the mom her mother has been - People
Karl Lagerfeld brings stars like Aaron Johnson to Versailles for a Chanel show - Lainey Gossip
Jay-Z is proud of the president's stance on gay marriage - HuffPost Entertainment
It seems like all the ladies of What to Expect are getting along! - TooFab
John Mayer on taking a break from the press - Us Weekly
Tyra Banks writes an open letter to young models - The Daily Beast
Brooklyn Decker is still taking acting lessons to improve her work - Hollywood Reporter
Rihanna's out-there, revealing costume on a new video shoot - BuzzFeed
Timing was everything for Kim and Kanye - The Insider
Everyone seems to love the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - Rotten Tomatoes
Johnny Depp doesn't love talking about his relationship - YourTango
Julianne Moore to star in a Carrie remake - Wonderwall
Ellen DeGeneres wins this year's Mark Twain Prize for humor - Lifeline Live
Will Tina Fey stay at NBC after 30 Rock? - Zap2It
Brad and Angelina are renting, not buying in England - Celebitchy

Jennifer and Marc Join Demi, John Legend at Hope For Children Gala in NYC

Molly Goodson — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 08:46:32 PDT

Jennifer Lopez wore a bright dress and stuck close to husband Marc Anthony on the red carpet at last night's Hope For Children Gala in NYC. Demi Moore was without her other half, Ashton Kutcher, though he did twitter about being in the Big Apple earlier in the day. Ashton has been busy with rehearsals for Two and a Half Men, though he also made time to stop by the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday. John Legend looked dapper as usual as he made his way into yesterday evening's event at Cipriani. Jennifer also brought her sister Lynda along for the charitable soiree and from there the international star is headed to Europe for more promotional duties on behalf of her album. Now that American Idol is done for the season, Jennifer can focus on her other ventures from her fragrances to her music as well as the Latin singing competition, Q'Viva the Chosen, that she and Marc are working on.

Why We're Crushing on The Conversation's Amanda de Cadenet

Tara Block — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:55:00 PDT

You may not know British TV personality and photographer Amanda de Cadenet yet, but we promise you she's someone you'd want to sit down and have a chat with. Which is exactly what she's doing with a plethora of high-profile women (many of whom are her friends) for her new show The Conversation With Amanda de Cadenet. Coproduced by Demi Moore and Amanda, The Conversation is a new Lifetime series premiering April 26 that features intimate, one-on-one interviews between Amanda and various female celebrities, politicians, and musicians on the issues women care about. It's also sprinkled with "real" women on the street answering similar questions.

This week we were lucky enough to chat with Amanda over the phone, and we can't wait to share her musings on her personal relationships and life challenges, her thoughts on hot topics like Fifty Shades of Grey, and what it was like interviewing some of today's most famous and influential women on the tough topics we all can relate to. But first off, who is Amanda de Cadenet and what makes her so cool? Here are six things to know:

Cool runs in the family. Her mom was a model and her dad is a race car driver.
She's a motorcycle mama! Her dad taught her how to ride when she was only 6 years old, and her favored mode of transportation today is her Ducati.
At only 14, she became the host of two TV shows in the UK: The Word and Breakfast.
After her TV gigs, she decided photography was her passion, and she became the youngest woman to shoot a Vogue cover. She's also shot for magazines like Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair, in addition to ad campaigns for Converse, Roxy, and Absolut.
She's got a thing for rockers! Her first husband was Duran Duran bassist John Taylor, and her current hubby is Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi.
The 39-year-old mom has 5-year-old twins with Nick and a 19-year-old daughter from her first marriage.

With many of these intimate discussions taking place on the couch in her own LA home, Amanda isn't afraid to get real about everything from sex positions to body image with such stars as Jane Fonda, Zoe Saldana, Sarah Silverman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Eva Longoria, Gabby Sidibe, and many more. And Amanda is proud of her ladies, telling us that they all make great role models. She said, "They're kind women. They're very compassionate. They're very down-to-earth, and they are truly women's women. You know how people say, 'She's not a women's woman'? These woman are."

Stay tuned for more of our interview with Amanda, and check out a preview of The Conversation below!

Photo courtesy of A&E Television Networks LLC

Miley Cyrus Helps Punk Boyfriend Liam Hemsworth

Allie Merriam — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:35:05 PST

Details on how Miley Cyrus helped punk Liam Hemsworth - Lifeline Live
How does Jessica Simpson's pregnant nude cover stack up to Demi Moore's pioneering shot? - People
Taylor Kitsch works his butt off talking John Carter in Russia - Lainey Gossip
See adorable Zac Efron singing The Beach Boys - HuffPost Entertainment
Justin Bieber's mom is writing a tell-all book - TooFab
Kim Kardashian is all about Kanye West's designs - Us Weekly
Prince Harry seems to have the same touch as his mother Princess Diana - The Daily Beast
See Zooey Deschanel's cool New Girl style - BuddyTV
Want to know the treat Oprah always makes for Stedman? - ET
Details on Elizabeth Olsen's new movie - Rotten Tomatoes
David Arquette is single again - Wonderwall
Snooki confirms her pregnancy and engagement - Zap2It
Is Justin coming between Jen and Courteney? - Celebitchy

Scarlett Johansson Takes on an Iconic Role

Allie Merriam — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:51:34 PST

Scarlett Johansson's new project about Hitchcock's Psycho - People
George Clooney can be quite articulate when he wants to be - Lainey Gossip
John Mayer releases new details about his next album - HuffPost Entertainment
Adrienne Bailon takes wardrobe malfunctions to a whole new level - TooFab
Prince Harry's South American tour starts today! - Us Weekly
Is Tim Tebow the latest in Taylor Swift's long line of famous boyfriends? - The Daily Beast
Hear the song Arcade Fire made for The Hunger Games - BuzzFeed
Presenting the Downton Abbey rap! - The Frisky
Will you see The Lorax this weekend? - Rotten Tomatoes
See Emily Blunt's best style moments - Wonderwall
Demi Moore has left rehab - Lifeline Live
What's Matthew Perry's new project with another Friends alum? - Zap2It
What's up with Justin Theroux's new too-tan makeover? - Celebitchy

Check Out the Top Contenders For Best Cookbook of the Year

Susannah Chen — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:30:54 PST

Thousands of cookbooks were published in the last year, but which ones are really worth buying? The International Association of Culinary Professionals, or IACP, tackled the question as it announced its cookbook award finalists for 2012 today.

Among them: plenty of cookbooks from top restaurant chefs, like Jean-Georges Vongerichten, John Besh, and Andrew Carmellini, as well as new books from reputed publications such as Fine Cooking and Cook's Illustrated.

Cookbook winners will be announced on April 2 in an award ceremony hosted by Mo Rocca, where the honor of best cookbook of 2012 will also be announced. To see the entire list of award winners, keep reading.

Game Change Trailer: Julianne Moore and Ed Harris Channel Sarah Palin and John McCain

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:06:27 PST

Is it too soon to revisit the 2008 election? I hope not, because the trailer for HBO movie Game Change looks incredible. The film begins at the onset of John McCain's campaign, as political strategist Steve Schmidt (Woody Harrelson) advises presidential hopeful McCain (Ed Harris, who looks frighteningly like the senator) to select Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for his ticket.

Like Harris's McCain, Julianne Moore does a dead-on impersonation of Palin as she initially charms people as McCain's folksy running partner. The film looks like it doesn't hold back as it charts Palin's blunders with the media (being able to see Russia from Alaska is in there) and McCain's dissatisfaction with her. As a citizen, it was an entertaining campaign season, so I think the dramatization of it will be even more enthralling. The movie airs on March 10, but you can watch the trailer for Game Change now after the break.

Could Heidi and Seal Ever Reconcile?

Lauren Turner — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:50:58 PST

Seal talks about the possiblity of a reconciliation with Heidi - People
Did Demi Moore share too much of her personal life with fans? - Lainey Gossip
Ron Howard on missing the birth of Bryce's second baby - Huffington Post
Check out Rihanna's controversial new tattoo - Insider
We really hope a Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale split will never happen - D-Listed
How Gina Carano got into her Haywire role with a real-life attack - The Frisky
See Lea Michele's sweet and sexy new Candie's ads - JustJared
Kate Beckinsale just keeps getting hotter - Hollywood Tuna
David Beckham claims he never wanted to be famous - Pink Is the New Blog
Why is there speculation that Olivia Wilde is pregnant? - The Superficial
Elton John's nastiest celebrity feuds - The Daily Beast
Jennifer Love Hewitt poses for a super sexy spread - TooFab
What kind of special treatment did Jim Carrey's daughter get on American Idol? - The Blemish

Link Time - Demi Moore Will Play Gloria Steinem in Lovelace

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:30:58 PST

Read about Demi Moore's famous feminist role in Lovelace - Moviefone
Find out who Elton John wants to play him in a biopic - The Hollywood Reporter
The 10 best-reviewed crime thrillers - Rotten Tomatoes
Watch the trailer for Netflix's first original series, Lilyhammer - HuffPost TV
So You Think You Can Dance will lose its results show - Zap2It
See which hunky actor will play Liz Lemon's new boyfriend on 30 Rock - BuddyTV
Yet another Paranormal Activity sequel is coming - NextMovie
6 reasons this season of The Bachelor will be the craziest so far - TrèsSugar