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Buzz Gift Guide: Pop Culture T-Shirts For the Ladies

BuzzSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:30:03 -0800

Welcome back to my Buzz Gift Guide series for all the entertainment lovers in your life. This week is all about gifting your peers. Yesterday I suggested some gifts for the Sex and the City fan, and today I've rounded up a few of those gifts that keep on giving: TV- and movie-themed t-shirts.

I like wearing shirts with funny TV and movie lines on them because people are either like, "Ha! Yeah!" or "What is that from?" If it's the former, you've identified a fellow fan and if it's the latter, you've started a conversation about one of your favorite shows/movies. It's win-win, really.

Got an '80s movie fan in your circle of friends? Check out these t-shirts inspired by Dirty Dancing and Sixteen Candles. Here's a Twilight-inspired t-shirt for anyone you know who's into the movie or the book series (it cracked me up, anyway). I love this straightforward "Seriously" t-shirt from Grey's Anatomy, and this Lost inspired Dharma Orchid tee will work for a superfan. Finally, for the younger at heart I found this funny Juno t-shirt (I love the word "shenanigans") and Gossip Girl fans will rejoice when they find out someone stuck Blair's "mother-chucker" line on a shirt.

Jake Ryan Sixteen Candles t-shirt ($20.00)	Watermelon Dirty Dancing t-shirt ($22.00)
Grey's Anatomy ''Seriously'' Women's Tee ($19.95)	Lost Dharma Orchid Women's Tee ($24.95)
Juno What Other Shenanigans Junior's Tee ($19.95)	Bella's Doodle Women's Light T-Shirt ($17.99)	Gossip Girl/Chuck Bass Women's Dark T-Shirt ($24.99)

Check out HolidaySugar for all of our holiday coverage and gift guides.

Buzz Gift Guide: Good Stuff For Girls

BuzzSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:30:32 -0800

Welcome back to my Buzz Gift Guide series for all the entertainment lovers in your life. We're talking kids and teens this week, and since we've covered the boys already, today it's all about the teen girls.

Teenage girls (I know because I was one) can be hard to shop for since the age lends itself to phases. So, as Heidi would say, one day a gift is in, and the next - it's out. Today I've got some fun gifts that might satisfy varying tastes of entertainment-obsessed teens.

When I saw this hamburger phone I laughed to myself and thought of a few younger cousins who A) loved Juno and B) have a keen sense of irony. I've also yet to run into a young lady who doesn't (secretly or publicly) enjoy those Traveling Pants movies, and this limited-edition gift set looks awesome. In terms of gifting a music-loving girl, I think it would be hard to go wrong with the Gossip Girl soundtrack.

Finally, I love giving books to my loved ones for the holidays and found some great ones for girls, including this book of personal essays by teenage girls and a career guide based on shows like Ugly Betty.

Hamburger Retro Style Kitsch Phone ($15.99)	Find Your Inner Ugly Betty ($13.22)
OMFGG - Original Music Featured On Gossip Girl ($9.99)	Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 1 and 2 (Limited Gift Set Edition) ($26.99)	Red: Teenage Girls in America Write On What Fires Up Their Lives Today ($11.20 )

Check out HolidaySugar for all of our holiday coverage and gift guides.

Variety's Women's Impact Report: Diablo Cody and Ellen Page

BuzzSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:30:59 -0700

Variety has issued its annual Women's Impact Report, highlighting women who have made an impression at all levels of entertainment. Just like last year, the list includes executive powerhouses, household-name performers, and lesser-known talents. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be spotlighting some of the women whom I find particularly noteworthy. Today's pick: the screenwriter and the star of Juno, Diablo Cody and Ellen Page.

Variety has a whole category devoted to Diablo Cody and Ellen Page, titled "The Muse and the Messenger." I had no way of knowing back in December when I first saw Juno that it would explode on the movie scene as much as it did. It even went on to earn Oscar nods as one of the few heartwarming Oscar films, and one of the even fewer female-centric Oscar films.

We can thank screenwriter Diablo Cody for dreaming up the sweet script, but it was the combination of that and a smart, sassy, lovable lead character that so endeared this film to many people. For more on these two ladies, read more.

The Variety profile goes into the backlash that followed Juno's popularity, especially toward Cody:

The lion's share of scorn was aimed squarely at Cody, whose oft-repeated backstory, distinctive colloquialisms and largely thesis-less Entertainment Weekly columns made her a conspicuous target for comment-board assassins. For the seemingly unpardonable sin of writing a distinctive, successful comedy on her first attempt (and collecting Oscar, BAFTA, Indie Spirit and WGA statuettes for her trouble), Cody has inspired a budding cottage industry of parodies.

I tend to think that the haters who get personal with their attacks - beyond just disliking the movie, which is all a matter of taste - are perhaps a little jealous. The awesome thing is that it's not getting Cody down, not even a little: "Tenacity is as important as talent," Cody says. "And criticism is as useful as praise. I eat it like fuel. I'm the little engine that runs on hate. My productivity spikes when I've got something to prove, and it seems like I always do."

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Is That a Moldy Peaches Song I Hear in the Atlantis Commercial?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:33:15 -0700

OK, look: we all gotta make a living, I understand that. But this commercial for the family resort Atlantis featuring the Moldy Peaches single "Anyone Else But You" is kind of crazy. The song was made famous by Juno and to many it will remain a delicate and simple love song that Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) and Juno (Ellen Page) sing to each other. Whenever I hear it I think of things like falling in love with your best friend, teenage crushes, loving someone warts and all, etc. You know what I don't think of? Swimming with dolphins and golfing.

This is the cheesy kicker: The commercial changes the lyrics to better suit a commercial aimed at getting families to go on fun-filled vacations in the Bahamas. For example, in the original song, the first phrase goes like this:

You're a part time lover and a full time friend/The monkey on you're back is the latest trend/I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else/But you.

And has been changed to the following for the commercial:

Let's go ride a couple of dolphins/Or maybe play tennis or do some golfin/Oh what a wonder/A wonderful world can be.

Sigh. To see the whole thing for yourself and let me know if this breaks your heart a little, read more.

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Buzz In: Which Movies Have You Seen Multiple Times in the Theater?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:30:31 -0700

And no, multiple viewings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show doesn't really count. I'm talking about the movies that so captivated your imagination you just had to go back for more. Or the movies that were such a fun event, you piggiebacked along with different friends and family members to keep the party going all weekend.

Just this past weekend, I know there were plenty of girls' nights out. . . and then girls' afternoons out and girls' Sunday evenings out for the Sex and the City movie. When the first Spider-Man came out, I couldn't get enough and may have seen it four times in the theater. I've also heard some mom friends talk about how many times they escorted their kids to Enchanted over the holidays. And um, I might have known someone, who - ahem! - may have seen The Cutting Edge several times in the theater when it came out in 1992.

What movies have you seen more than once in the theaters?

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What Was Truly the Best Movie Kiss of the Year?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:01:07 -0700

This Sunday June 1, the MTV Movie Awards will strike again and while they aren't the most prestigious awards around, they at least get creative with their nomination categories. My favorite: Best Kiss.

Here are the nominees:

Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey, Enchanted
Briana Evigan and Robert Hoffman, Step Up 2 the Streets
Shia LaBeouf and Sarah Roemer, Disturbia
Ellen Page and Michael Cera, Juno
Daniel Radcliffe and Katie Leung, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I would love it if Ellen Page and Michael Cera won and then reenacted their kiss during the acceptance speech. But I have a feeling The LaBeouf will take that win.

Anyway, is it just me or were there some way better kisses this year than these nominees? There's a great scene in Waitress where Kerri Russell's character imagines a gorgeous kiss with her doctor friend (Nathan Fillion, anyone?) for example. Or hello? The library kisses between Keira Knightley and James McAvoy in Atonement!

Do you agree with this list or are there others you would add? What were some of the great on-screen kisses of the year (and by "this year" I guess we're talking all or most of 2007 since Disturbia came out in April of that year)?

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Movie Preview: The Wackness

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:30:27 -0700

The Wackness was one of the films that received a lot of buzz during the Sundance film festival - even taking home the 2008 Audience Award. When I first heard about the film it was hard to piece together what this thing would be about, especially with the bizarre combo of Mary-Kate Olsen and Ben Kingsley.

Finally, The Wackness has a trailer and I can see that the story centers around some teenagers mostly concerned with "chillin'" in New York. Based on the preview, Juno's Olivia Thirlby and Drillbit Taylor's Josh Peck are the two talents at the forefront of this oddball dramedy. Despite reactions I got from folks at Sundance that ranged from "meh" to "amazing!" I'm still really looking forward to seeing it.

The trailer looks like a quirky tale about urban teens - and drugs - and I get the feeling that even if the movie strikes some false notes, the performances will make it worthwhile. I guess we'll see when The Wackness hits theaters in limited release July 3. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer if you read more.

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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:30:38 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

Juno
Yes, the day has come. Ladies and gentlemen, Juno is now available to rent or own. Me? I'll own this one because before all the hype and all the Oscar nods (and win), I went to a little movie that warmed my heart and cracked me up, and I knew then that I'd want to take it home and love it forever.

Juno stars Ellen Page, a Minnesota teenager who grows up quickly when she accidentally gets pregnant. The film is just littered with endearing performances from Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons and Jennifer Garner, but some would argue the real star of the film is the snappy script written by Diablo Cody (one of the few screenplay writers to ever become a household name, thanks to this little movie).

The two-disc special edition is loaded with extras for anyone looking to squeeze more goodness out of it. There's audio commentary by director Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody, a gag reel, screen tests (can you imagine Michael Cera doing one of these? So cute!), and a couple of featurettes including one titled, "Cast & Crew Jam."

Two more good ones out this week, so read more.

Lars and the Real Girl
Lars and the Real Girl is a refreshing take on the age-old subject of love. The very talented Ryan Gosling stars as Lars, a man who falls in love with a blow-up doll. He falls so freely into his delusion that he begins to insist that everyone in his life treat the doll as his girlfriend and call her "Bianca." One of the most endearing movies of 2007, it's a quirky tale about embracing life, as scary as it can seem, and accepting the good with the bad lest it all pass you by. The film also stars Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer, Kelli Garner and Paul Schneider.

Special features include deleted scenes and a featurette titled, "The Real Story of Lars and the Real Girl."

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Here is a crime melodrama that received some high critical praise but little attention otherwise. Sometimes that's the best kind of weekend rental treasure - something you (and your friend/date/better half) haven't seen before that's actually really good. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke and Marisa Tomei and follows two brothers who, as IMDB puts it, "conspire to pull off the perfect, victimless crime. No guns, no violence, no problem. But when an accomplice ignores the rules and crosses the line, his actions trigger a series of events in which no one is left unscathed."

Special features include filmmaker and cast commentary and a featurette on the making of the film.

Smart People: Emotionally Unintelligent

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:30:08 -0700

Smart People has a lot of good stuff going for it: a great cast (including Ellen Page in the follow-up to her star-making Juno role), sharp and funny dialogue, and a studied look at familial dysfunction.

The movie takes place in a dreary Pittsburgh near the Carnegie Mellon campus and is centered around a family headed by a widowed professor given a name that could only go to a serious blow-hard: Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid). He is father to high school senior Vanessa (Page) and Carnegie Melon student/talented poet James. Lawrence, we quickly learn, also has an adopted brother, Chuck (Thomas Haden Church), who's a major slacker and/or free spirit who comes to crash with the family when he's run out of money.

The story isn't the most original idea ever scripted, but if told right, it could have been a nice little movie about learning to love and appreciate the crazy nut-heads we're all dealt in life: our relatives. Unfortunately the loving and appreciating comes far too late and as a result, we end up watching a lot of seriously miserable people roam around being miserable without much point. To see what I think rescues this film from being a total Debbie Downer, read more.

The Wetherholds, save for Chuck, are, as the title suggests, extremely intelligent (in the "we wear tweed and get published in The New Yorker" kind of way) but completely emotionally withdrawn. It takes a new love interest (Sarah Jessica Parker) to begin to melt the ice around the professor's heart and the fun-loving uncle to get the family to reveal an ounce of humanity to the outside world. Thankfully, they're so darn smart that when they take verbal jabs at each other, they're witty and biting enough to make for some good laughs.

Page, in particular, plays her politically conservative, uptight character with the same smart-aleck timing as slacker-teen Juno MacGuff - so it's funny, but not an acting stretch. However, some of the best moments of this film come during her scenes with Church, who takes an interest in getting his stick-in-the-mud niece to loosen up a little. They smoke pot together, get drunk, and have some really wonderfully touching, offbeat moments of bonding that are the result of two fine actors bringing out the best in each other.

Quaid's character, on the other hand, is really quite repellent. He is withdrawn, shows zero interest in his students, takes his children for granted and is that guy who talks about himself for 45 minutes on a date without asking the woman a question. Why would any woman, much less an attractive, accomplished doctor, want to be with him?

Unfortunately, the professor doesn't begin to see the error of his ways until it's much too late and as a result, it's hard to care about him - and, by extension, his family. At least there is one character who found the Wetherholds' repressed, socially awkward personalities unpleasant and indulgent. As Chuck, Church mastered a facial expression during exchanges between these unhappy people that perfectly expressed what I as a viewer was thinking: "Man, and they call me the idiot?"

To see the trailer and more clips from Smart People check out movies.ivillage.com.

Photos courtesy of Miramax Films

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 07:30:58 -0700

Hmm. . . let's see, Magnum P.I. works when he feels like it, doesn't wear a lot of clothes, and is really tan. Yep! I'd say Matthew McConaughey could probably handle a role like that. What do you think?
The week started out with one bad idea - the rumor about Madonna remaking Casablanca - and ended with another: the remake of Short Circuit. Thankfully there were some good ideas sandwiched in there like the re-pairing of Steve Martin and Diane Keaton!
Kristen Bell could be a busy bee soon with another TV series possibly in the works. And, of course, Elle is probably returning to Heroes.
More exciting TV news this week: the big reveal of NBC's fall plans - including a spin-off of The Office. I break down what all of this news means for you and give you the lowdown on stand-alone webisodes they're working on as well.
In reading news: there were some strong reactions to that little Oprah book club sticker, I discussed the first section of The Light Before Her Eyes, and some of you confirmed that Blindness (coming in October, to a theater near you) is a tough, but worthwhile read.
Ian McShane is set to play a biblical king on a new NBC show. Meanwhile, American Idol got a little Bible love, too, from the one and only Dolly Parton with her show-stopping performance of "Jesus & Gravity" on elimination night.
When the second Juno soundtrack comes out will you buy the CD, or just put it on your iPod?
The new Hellboy 2 trailer looks so good and so frightening! Which reminds me: I need your help describing the creepy shadow approaching Jena Malone in this week's Caption It!

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