BuzzSugar

Buzz News Roundup, 10/8

BuzzSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:31:12 -0700

Julie Taymor, director of Across the Universe and Titus, will bring Shakespeare's The Tempest to the big screen with an interesting cast: Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Djimon Hounsou, Russell Brand and Alfred Molina, among others. - Hollywood Reporter
Jason Priestley will direct an episode of 90210, and Shannen Doherty is in talks to return as Brenda. - Entertainment Weekly
David E. Kelley is pitching yet another legal drama, this time to CBS and NBC. - Zap2it
There's a Get Smart sequel in the works, with Steve Carell on board to reprise his role as Maxwell Smart. - ComingSoon
FX has canceled The Riches, while TBS has renewed My Boys. - Broadcasting and Cable
David Cronenberg is in negotiations to direct the political thriller The Matarese Circle, with Denzel Washington attached to star. - Variety
T.I. has scored his third straight No. 1 album. - Billboard
Enchanted director Kevin Lima will next take on a live-action Tom Thumb movie. - Variety

Oscar Nominee: Across the Universe for Best Costume Design

BuzzSugar — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:00:51 -0800

In the days leading up until the Oscars, I'll be featuring the nominees in the various visual categories. This week, I'll be looking at the nominees for Best Costume Design. This category plays a huge role in film making, as costumes can make or break the authenticity of a film, convey things that words cannot, or just add to the overall magic on the big screen. Today's featured movie is Across the Universe.

Though some criticized the overall job Julie Taymor did converting the beloved Beatles songbook into a musical, it is hard to deny the quality of the film's feast for the eyes. Taymor became one of the most innovative forces on Broadway when she brought the Disney animated film The Lion King to the stage in a way no one had ever seen before (think: giant puppets). So it's no suprise that the costumes in this film reach beyond the traditional period piece decadence and into effects that include background dancers dressed in larger-than-life, puppet-like pieces. The overall effect is extremely, well, trippy - which is exactly what a movie musical nostalgic for the psychedelic mood of the '60s should invoke. No wonder Oscar took notice.

To check out a bunch of pictures from the film, read more

View 12 Photos ›

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Movie Preview: Across the Universe

BuzzSugar — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Directed by Julie Taymor, Across the Universe seriously seems to defy categorization. It's dramatic, romantic, musical and historical, though there are some pretty out-there elements to it as well. As you can probably guess from this image featuring Eddie Izzard, the style is rather whimsical to the point of being, well, trippy.

According to an IMDB description, "An original musical film, Across The Universe is a fictional love story set in the 1960s amid the turbulent years of anti-war protest, the struggle for free speech and civil rights, mind exploration and rock and roll... A combination of live action and painted and three-dimensional animation, the film is paired with many Beatles songs that defined the time."

After viewing the trailer, I've decided that if I had a shroom-induced dream set to Beatles songs, it would probably look a lot like this. The movie is now playing in select theaters, so to check out the weird, but not altogether terrible trailer, read more

Across the Universe photo courtesy of Sony Pictures