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Kathy Bates and David E. Kelley Take TV Together For Harry's Law

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:44:43 PST

When new midseason series Harry's Law popped onto the stage during the Winter TCA, we got a visit from a couple of movie and TV veterans, respectively: Kathy Bates and David E. Kelley. The star and its creator, along with the show's other stars like Nate Corddry and Brittany Snow, talked about the darkly comedic law drama, about a lawyer (Bates's character Harriet, aka Harry) who sets up an unconventional law practice in a run-down Cincinnati shoe store.

The character of Harry was originally written to be a man, Kelley said, describing the original vision of him as "a curmudgeonly, cantankerous old grump." When they couldn't find the right actor, it was opened up to a woman, and executive producer Bill D'Ella's wife suggested Bates. And it wasn't hard for Bates to come around to the character. When reading the pilot, Bates said she loved that "she had her feet up on the desk, smoking pot and watching Bugs Bunny. After that I was in."
When asked whether having an older woman leading a TV show was a tough sell, Kelley credits his star for it not being an issue. He said, "It's one thing to have a 60-year-old lead, [but] it's quite another to have Kathy Bates as your lead." Once Bates was in, there was no hesitation from the network.
I was excited to see Snow on the panel, and she talked a little bit about her character Jenna, Harriet's assistant, whom she described as "quirky and crazy and all over the place." The adorable Snow was clearly in awe of Bates, calling her "the epitome of a class-act," and said that it's been a pleasure learning from the actress she calls "a legend."

A Little Bit of Heaven Trailer: Kate Hudson Mixes Love and Cancer

Lauren Bradshaw — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 10:40:04 PST

How do you make a romantic comedy about cancer? According to A Little Bit of Heaven (formerly titled Earthbound), you take a noncommittal woman named Marley (Kate Hudson), diagnose her with cancer, make her fall for her doctor (Gael Garcia Bernal), et voilà! If the film's formulaic setup doesn't already have you rolling your eyes, just wait until Marley swings by heaven (you can tell it's heaven by the cloud backdrop, duh) and talks to ~~Whoopi Goldberg~~ God. Even if it's just a dream sequence, it's still pretty cringe-worthy.

This trailer rolls out one romantic comedy cliché after another, but I'm not giving up on the film entirely. Hudson's chemistry with Bernal has potential (though it might not be as hot as her real life love life with Matt Bellamy). Take a look at the preview, and share your verdict after the jump.

Movie Preview: Pfeiffer and Friend in Chéri

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:30:37 PDT

Michelle Pfeiffer and Rupert Friend make a lovely, beautifully costumed duo in Chéri, a romantic drama set in the 1920s. From the trailer it doesn't look so much like a drama as it does a sweet, funny little period piece, but apparently the story takes place in Paris "where the son of a courtesan retreats into a fantasy world after being forced to end his relationship with the older woman who educated him in the ways of love." It looks like a nice enough movie, but so far I'm mostly mesmerized by the silks and lace, pearls and hats on display in the trailer.

Chéri opens June 26. To check out the pretty trailer,

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A Chat With My Boyfriend About the Day the Earth Stood Still

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:55:07 PST

The last time I chatted with my boyfriend about movies here we discussed Brendan Fraser, mummies, and Yetis and it was a lot of fun. So, I recruited him again for The Day the Earth Stood Still, a remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic of the same name.

I had a feeling that despite a pretty neat-looking cast (Jennifer Connelly, Keanu Reeves, Kathy Bates, Will Smith's kid Jaden, Mad Men's Jon Hamm, and John Cleese - John Cleese!) this movie might not turn out to be all that great. My male companion was skeptical as well but we both agreed to keep an open mind going in. Now I'm here to report that we immediately came to the same conclusion upon exiting the theater: Lame.

To see our thoughts on the film, including a debate about seeing Brendan Fraser movies for the rest of your life versus Keanu Reeves movies, just

Keanu Reeves plays the alien who comes to earth to warn humans to get it together or he'll blow them all up. He is cold and unfeeling. In other words, he is once again well cast. We talk about Reeves and more below, with the bold parts indicating my words and the regular type being his.

You've seen the original and liked it. Are you mad at the people who remade this movie?
Yeah, well the original was fresh and new at the time but this version is like beating a dead horse . . . just tired. It could have been great, but everything about it seems like a ripoff of other movies like Transformers, Matrix, etc. . . not to mention all the product placement. The save-the-planet message is kind of lost with all those corporate labels splashed around.

Does the original have such a hammy environmental message? Do people run around saying, "We can change! We're at the precipice!"
The original is all about the aliens being concerned about the destructive nuclear nature of mankind. It doesn't have any environmental message, just "stop blowing stuff up or we'll blow you up!" The current version seems more like Al Gore and Leo Dicaprio wrote the script.

OK, if you had to choose between only watching Keanu Reeves movies or only Brendan Fraser movies for the rest of your life, which would you pick?
Neither. I'd kill myself. Wait, if it was Point Break or School Ties over and over again, then maybe. Well, actually . . . no, I'd kill myself.

I'm tempted to lump this flick in with the likes of say, Independence Day, to give folks an idea of what they're in for, but honestly I don't think this movie is nearly as fun.
It is similar to Independence Day in that the supporting cast is pretty awesome, like Jon Hamm, James Fong, and John Cleese. But Independence Day is so much better because the main characters actually communicate with the audience, whereas Keanu is like Neo 2.0.

In the first one, is the main scientist a hot lady like Jennifer Connelly and does she have a little kid?
She lives in a boarding house and is a secretary or something, so it's an update to make her a scientist. And she's hot in the '50s pointy-boob way. Yes, she has a kid, and in that one, he blows it by telling the secretary's boyfriend (some government stooge) that he saw the alien go in the spaceship. In both the older version and this one, though, there's still that "my buddy, the alien" vibe.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Movie Preview: The Family That Preys

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:30:47 PDT

The first thing that struck me about this trailer for Tyler Perry's new movie The Family That Preys was the stellar cast. First off, Academy darlings Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard on the same screen together is awesome. Plus, after watching Something New, I'm really excited to see more of Sanaa Lathan. Add to that Cole Hauser, Rockmond Dunbar, and Robin Givens, and you've got a darn compelling cast.

The movie looks like an emotionally complicated tale of two families navigating issues of love, marriage, class, race, and history. There's a lot going on and a lot of characters, but I'm interested to see how Perry explores these themes. The plot is described by IMDB thusly:

Wealthy socialite Charlotte Cartwright (Bates) and her dear friend Alice Pratt (Woodard), a working class woman of high ideals, have enjoyed a lasting friendship throughout many years. Suddenly, their lives become mired in turmoil as their adult children's extramarital affairs, unethical business practices and a dark paternity secret threaten to derail family fortunes and unravel the lives of all involved.

Intrigued? The movie opens Sept. 12 and you can check out the trailer, just

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Fred Claus: Holiday Classic?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 07:00:00 PST

The recipe for the perfect holiday movie requires a pinch of star power, a dash of humor, and a heaping handful of good old-fashioned family feuds. There are a slew of films that have mastered this combination, namely National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, and, more recently, Elf. Not only have these films perfected the holiday formula, they have since become modern-day classics. What Thanksgiving or Christmas is complete without at least one viewing of the aforementioned movies? And while Fred Claus seems to have all of the ingredients to add it to the list of Christmas classics, it falls short. Or should I say it's a little bland?

One thing Fred Claus certainly is not lacking is that pinch of star power. Vince Vaughn plays Fred, the brother to Paul Giamatti's Nick Claus (AKA Santa). The film focuses on the relationship between these brothers spanning the course of many centuries. At the very beginning we see the brothers quarreling as little boys do. The difference is that the boys aren't fighting over who gets what toy, they're fighting over who Nick gives the toy to. You see, Nick is a do-gooder from birth and as such is the prize possession of the boys' mother, played by Kathy Bates. From there the boys grow older and Nick becomes sainted and as a result he and his family become eternal. Fast forward to present day and the two boys are estranged, Nick lives in the North Pole (naturally) and Fred resides in Chicago. And though they may be separated by location, they're both in predicaments that require the other. To find out why

Fred is a repo man who's unlucky in love with his girlfriend (a badly miscasted Rachel Weisz) and out of money. Nick agrees to lend a heaping handful (sick of the food puns yet?) on the condition that Fred agrees to come work at the North Pole during the busy holiday season. Fred reluctantly agrees. But when he arrives, he finds out that Nick has problems of his own, namely an efficiency expert (Kevin Spacey) who feels that the Santa isn't as speedy as he could be with the growing demands of children across the world. Unsurprisingly, Fred runs amok and ruins Nick's chance of impressing the efficiency expert. Shocker!

The lack of true surprises is the ultimate downfall of the movie. It's all been done before, and better. The only true gem of the movie comes in the form of a siblings anonymous meeting (similar to alcoholics anonymous) where non-famous brothers complain about their famous siblings. It's almost worth the price of admission, but not enough to add this to my short list of holiday classics.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Revolutionary Road: Too Good a Book to Be a Movie

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:33:39 PDT

Recently there has been a surge of books being turned into movies. While that's not a new concept, it's becoming a frustrating trend, mostly because the film versions so rarely live up to the experience of reading the book.

I am squeamish about The Time Traveler's Wife (despite some good casting choices) as well as the adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir Eat, Pray, Love. I can just envision the most powerful moments in those books being reduced to neat little scenes that can't possibly deliver as strong a punch. Just this week, too, there was the news that The Bell Jar is being made into a film, and I'm still not comfortable with that idea. Simply put, some things should not be adapted for the big screen, and The Bell Jar is one of those things.

Joining this parade now is Richard Yates' 1961 novel Revolutionary Road. As TIME Magazine puts it, Yates' "great novel is a bitterly funny and bitterly unfunny account of lethal disappointment in the Connecticut suburbs in 1955." Having just finished reading it, not only can I not imagine it on screen, I definitely cannot see the casting choices in the two main roles: Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. While I think they're both exceptional actors (or rather, Winslet is and DiCaprio can be), I just don't want to see this book adapted for film. For more on why,

It's an astounding work of fiction, touching on issues and complexities from the time period in a way I've never before encountered. It's a very dark tale but not without humor, and the way in which Yates presents this couple's experiences - along with comments on the society at the time - feels like a three-dimensional experience. To force it into two dimensions will be to dramatically detract from the story.

Director Sam Mendes is on board for Revolutionary Road, which makes sense in some ways since he was responsible for another stark tale of American suburbia, American Beauty. Thus, I'm not utterly without hope. At the same time, I feel the need to encourage everyone to read Revolutionary Road before it loses its shine on the big screen.

What books do you wish were not made - or were not being made - into films?

What to TiVo: Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 23:59:13 PDT

8:00 Last Man Standing (new)
8:30 Cougar Town (new)
9:00 The River (new, season finale)
10:00 Body of Proof (repeat)
11:35 Nightline (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (new, with guests Kristen Bell and Ice Cube)

8:00 NCIS (new)
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (new)
10:00 Unforgettable (new)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (new, with guests Jennifer Lawrence, Gail Collins and The Shins)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guest Kathy Bates and Brad Goreski)

8:00 Raising Hope (new)
8:30 I Hate My Teenage Daughter (new)
9:00 New Girl (new)
9:30 Breaking In (new)

8:00 The Biggest Loser (new)
10:00 Fashion Star (new)
11:34 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guest Ron Paul)
12:37 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guest Jon Hamm)

8:00 90210 (new)
9:00 Ringer (new)

Julianna Margulies Wows in White Calvin Klein at the SAGs

Lauren Turner — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:30:16 PST

Julianna Margulies hit the SAG Awards red carpet in a strapless gown this evening. She wore a custom number from the Calvin Klein Collection. Julianna is once again nominated for best actress in The Good Wife, an honor that she won in 2010. She's up against Glenn Close, Kyra Sedgwick, Jessica Lange, and Kathy Bates this year. The latest award season fun is just getting started in LA, so make sure to check back for all the latest and vote on all the SAG Awards polls here!

Announcing the 2012 SAG Awards Nominees

Molly Goodson — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:05:23 PST

The 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations are out this morning, and we're bringing you all the action - watch our streaming video of the SAG Awards announcement, which we're replaying all morning long. Judy Greer and Regina King were up bright and early in LA to do the honors, a few of which went to Judy's movie The Descendants. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Leonardo DiCaprio are once again up against each other in the lead actor category, which should make for a fun race, though we were disappointed to see Ryan Gosling's name left off the list. Bridesmaids continues to rake in the early award-season love as well, with the cast and Melissa McCarthy both scoring nods. The Screen Actors Guild Awards air live on Jan. 29 at 8/7c on TNT.

In the TV category, we're excited to see the love for Game of Thrones, which is up against perennial favorites including Dexter and Breaking Bad. Steve Carell also has at least one more chance to win for The Office, and with tomorrow's Golden Globes nominations announcement, we'll see if he's recognized again.

Who are you excited to see on - or disappointed to see left off - the nominations roster? To see the full list of SAG nods just

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
Midnight in Paris

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Jean Dujardin, The Artist

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Armie Hammer, J. Edgar
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
Betty White, Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Lost Valentine
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail
Greg Kinnear, The Kennedys
James Woods, Too Big to Fail
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Dexter
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kathy Bates, Harry's Law
Glenn Close, Damages
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patrick J. Adams, Suits
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Steve Carell, The Office
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

SCREEN ACTORS GUILD LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Mary Tyler Moore

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
The Adjustment Bureau
Cowboys & Aliens
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
X-Men: First Class

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES
Dexter
Game of Thrones
Southland
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
True Blood