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Julie and Ty Show Off Their New Gold in the Emmys Press Room With Kate, Guy, and More

Allie Merriam — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 07:23:08 PDT

Last night's Emmy Awards show took place at LA's Nokia Theater, with Modern Family leading the pack by garnering five wins during the telecast alone! Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen received accolades for their individual performances, and they took their newly acquired gold into the press room. More stars who were honored for their work answered questions from reporters, including Mildred Pierce's Kate Winslet and Guy Pearce, The Good Wife's Julianna Marguiles, and Mike and Molly's Melissa McCarthy. Series winners Mad Men and Modern Family had their whole casts up on the podium to chat about their wins. Actors from the AMC show admitted to missing new mom January Jones, who skipped the big night, since she just welcomed son Xander a few days ago. Show creator Matthew Weiner said, "She's home with her baby, John Slattery says. Her baby had his fingers crossed, she told me that. And she said it was really weird that we were going to be here without her, and we miss her terribly."

Kyle Chandler Wins the Emmy For Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

BuzzSugar — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:01:55 PDT

Friday Night Light fans are finally getting their due: Kyle Chandler is taking home his very first Emmy, for outstanding lead actor in a drama series. He beat out Mad Men's Jon Hamm, Timothy Olyphant of Justified, Steve Buscemi for Boardwalk Empire, Dexter's Michael C. Hall, and Hugh Laurie for House. It's a bittersweet victory, as FNL just saw its final seasons, but the Panthers definitely have much to celebrate tonight.

Super 8: Beware the Hype Monster

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 07:28:17 PDT

I dare you to say that you're not curious about Super 8, J.J. Abrams's 1979-set film about a group of kids who witness a spectacular train crash. The film has generated a lot of hype for what it doesn't show in trailers and promos, and it's the mystery that's the big draw. The previews do reveal that something escapes the crash and then stalks and terrorizes a small Midwestern town, which Abrams uses as a premise for a sentimental, nostalgia-filled portrait of a group of boys making a movie.

Joel Courtney leads the charge as Joe, a sensitive boy who has just lost his mother in an accident. He and his newly widowed father (Kyle Chandler) are figuring out how to get along with each other without the woman of the house while dealing with their grief. Joe's group of buds help distract him from his home life, as they fill their Summer vacation by making a movie for an amateur film festival. When they're filming a climactic scene near the train tracks, they watch - and film - an intense accident that has some pretty distressing repercussions. With Steven Spielberg on hand as producer, Super 8 often feels like one of his classic sci-fi standbys, but it's just not quite as memorable. However, it's still a fun, heart-pumping ride (the train crash is one of the best action sequences I've seen in a long time). To find out what else I thought, just

The movie owes a great deal of its charm to its disarming young cast. They're wonderfully drawn: there's bossy director Charles, firework-loving Cary, hopeful actor Preston and wide-eyed Martin. Their all-boy dynamic is unsettled when they add a girl to the cast, and Alice (Elle Fanning) shakes up the production with her sophistication and impressive acting skills. She also represents an element of growing up; the boys are on the verge of discovering girls, but the movie doesn't push it any farther than the first blush of a crush. It's very innocent in that way; ultimately, Alice, Joe's mother's death, and the ensuing crisis become key factors in the boys' coming of age.

Abrams is a master of the creepy buildup. Mysterious objects show up in the train crash, the town's dogs run away, electronics go missing. Then, while you're trying to figure out what it all means, he brings out the thriller as the monster begins attacking unsuspecting townspeople. Unfortunately, Abrams isn't a master of follow-through, and there are many loose ends that never get tied up.

Super 8's other shortcoming is in its inability to choose a distinct genre; it wavers between coming-of-age tale, a monster movie, and then a family drama. But, this is still a highly entertaining movie. It's worth it to see for the buoyant sense of humor and the jaw-dropping, spine-chilling moments, even if it doesn't quite live up to expectations.

Elle Fanning Premieres Super 8 With Support From Tom Cruise!

Allie Merriam — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 05:23:10 PDT

Elle Fanning posed with Tom Cruise on the black carpet at the LA premiere of Super 8 last night. It was Elle's latest big event after she watched her older sister Dakota Fanning's high school graduation Monday. Dakota is now looking forward to shooting Very Good Girls this Summer before reportedly enrolling at NYU this Fall. Elle has her J.J. Abrams penned and directed movie hitting theaters one day early - it's on big screens today! The Super 8 reviews look amazing so far, and it seems J.J. will have another hit on his hands as will producer Steven Spielberg. J.J. also turned out yesterday and had a chance to catch up with Tom after they wrapped up work on Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, which J.J. wrote a few months ago. There is another Fanning-Cruise-Spielberg connection, since Dakota starred in Steven's War of the Worlds with Tom back in 2005. Tom is now in the midst of filming Rock of Ages, but he and J.J. will reunite again before the latest installment of the Ethan Hunt franchise comes out in December.

Super 8 Trailer: Super Promising, Super Spielberg-esque

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:31:33 PST

Finally, some satisfaction! JJ Abrams's Summer movie Super 8 has been shrouded in mystery, but now we have the full trailer! The Super Bowl spot didn't give away that much, but this clip affords us much more of the story. In the late '70s, a young kid passes the time in his small town by making Super 8 movies with his friends (including Elle Fanning), much to the chagrin of his father (Friday Night Lights' Kyle Chandler). When a freighter derails in town, the mystery begins - strange happenings start up, and the kids find themselves in the middle because they've accidentally captured footage of the incident. Though no one actually mentions the word aliens in the clip, you know that whatever was in the crashed freighter is probably not just some large circus animal.

After being teased for so long, I'm happy that this trailer doesn't just look interesting, it looks downright great. Abrams appears to be really mining his influence from producer Steven Spielberg, from the youthful main cast to the heartfelt-sounding score. The movie comes out June 10, and it's already making it to the top of my most anticipated Summer blockbusters list.

Get excited for the movie, when you watch the trailer after the jump.

Super 8 Trailer: Action, Explosions, but No Aliens Yet

Lauren Bradshaw — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:18:23 PST

As I sat watching the trailer for Super 8 during the Super Bowl, one of my friends remarked, "Is this a sequel to E.T.?" Obviously this is not the case, but the preview does channel producer Steven Spielberg's earlier work between the music and the central character, a young boy.

Spielberg and director J.J. Abrams have been tight-lipped about their latest collaboration, yet all signs point to Super 8 being an alien sci-fi movie. A panicked Kyle Chandler and Elle Fanning look toward the sky, people get dragged through grocery store aisles, and crazy explosions erupt. But we don't actually get to see the extraterrestrials, which only adds to the suspense. The film comes to theaters June 10, but take a look after the jump.

Emmy Breakdown: Lead Actor in a Drama

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:45:19 PDT

It's time to bust out the big guns! After going through several rounds of supporting actor picks, I asked you for your predictions for the Emmy for lead actor in a drama. You quickly came to the defense of both Kyle Chandler for Friday Night Lights, and House's Hugh Laurie, but all of the contenders received at least a few votes. Who will be the last man standing? Don't forget to fill out your ballot for the chance to win an iPad, but first check out my assessment!

Who Should Win the Emmy For Best Lead Actor, Drama?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:30:00 PDT

As we continue to break down this year's Emmy nominees, it's time to take a step up from supporting actors and actresses and take a closer look at the leads. The race for best lead actor in a drama is a pack of heavy hitters to say the least; four of these guys have been nominated in their roles before!

Let's start with the newcomers: Matthew Fox scored his first nod for the final season of Lost, while Kyle Chandler's name appears for the first time after being overlooked in past years for Friday Night Lights. This marks Hugh Laurie's fifth nomination for House and Bryan Cranston's third for Breaking Bad (Cranston is also undefeated thus far!). Michael C. Hall and Jon Hamm also have three nods apiece for Dexter and Mad Men, respectively.

The competition is so fierce even I'm having trouble figuring out who deserves the trophy. That's why I need you all to weigh in and help me decide: state your case for the man that deserves the Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series!

Photos courtesy of AMC, Fox, Showtime, and IMDB

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 13, "Tomorrow Blues"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:30:55 PDT

This season's final episode of Friday Night Lights is all about the seniors. It's five months after the football season, and college decisions are in, setting many of our Panthers and Panther faithful on new paths. Meanwhile, Coach's contract comes up for renewal, which means he's once again staring down Joe McCoy and his merry band of moneyed followers. To talk about the end of this season - and what it means for seasons four and five - just

Eric Taylor, coach of the East Dillon ~~Giraffes~~ Lions? With no boosters, no money, no JumboTron, no players, no Buddy Garrity, no state ring? Especially knowing that there are two more seasons coming our way, I think it's brilliant. Coach and Buddy have apparently spent the off-season convincing them to come to Dillon High; little did Coach know he was digging himself a hole. Without the assurance that Wade calls all the plays and JD throws all the balls, Joe's not interested in keeping Eric around. And politics has never been Eric's strong suit; it takes Tami's urging for him to even come to the board meeting, and while his defense of his job is heartfelt, any fan of the show could have done better. I love that final image of Coach and Tami looking out on the run-down East Dillon field, full of dreams dashed and potential yet to be explored.

Eric isn't the only character taking on some scary new territory in this episode: Lyla finds a way to Vanderbilt after all, which doesn't shock me, especially once we learn there's a rich uncle involved. Lyla's hesitant at first - she doesn't want to leave Tim - but Tim's decided college isn't for him anyway. He doesn't want to read those big books; he likes the idea of life at Riggins' Rigs, drinking some beers and fixing some cars and taking care of a steer he and Billy bought at auction. I appreciate that it's Billy - who's really been the one pushing for Tim to play college ball from the start - who tells Tim that's ridiculous; like it or not, a Riggins needs to go to college so future generations know there's something more out there.

If there's a moment of true joy in this episode, it's Tyra opening her letter from UT, squealing and crying and throwing herself into Landry's arms. Just before she got that envelope, things were looking bleak; she'd driven all the way to UT with Landry only to find out her chances were even worse than she'd suspected, and it took one of Landry's patented pep talks just to make her believe she's worthy of a chance. And if there's a moment of sorrow, it's Matt going to the assisted living facility and telling Grandma he's taking her home for good. I wanted Matt in Chicago, and even Julie had accepted that he would probably be gone (even if he did reject her attempt at a breakup). But it's a realistic move: the guy who fears everyone leaves him isn't going to leave someone he loves.

Some other thoughts:

I smiled when Buddy said Smash was doing good things over at A&M. Glad to know he's doing well over there.
I guess the show's partnership with Chevy means Julie never gets that Celica.
I loved seeing Mindy's wedding, complete with the dress with wings that shows a tasteful amount of crack.
Buddy dancing with Tyra's mom at the wedding was a nice touch.

So! Season four! Eric coaching the Bad News Bears of Texas high school football, Matt sticking around, Julie and Landry as seniors . . . I have a feeling we have some good things coming our way. What about you?

Photos courtesy of NBC

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 11, "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:30:20 PDT

On this week's Friday Night Lights, the Panthers face their toughest football challenge of the season. That puts even more pressure on JD, who's continuing to defy his father by seeing (or at least texting) Madison. Meanwhile, Lyla remains in her funk over her magical disappearing college money, and Matt's forced to take a hard look at how much he can really do as his grandma's caretaker. There's so much to talk about when you

Way to kill a buzz, Joe McCoy. The Panthers are going to State, and yet there's no victory lap. There's just Joe and JD, screaming and shoving each other in the Applebee's parking lot. JD isn't following orders: He's still seeing Madison (who's even showing up at practices now), and - maybe even worse - he's going against Joe's game strategy. The game wasn't pretty, but he got the team to State; what more could Joe want? A lot, actually: To Joe, that was a travesty and a sign of how JD is going off the rails. And when JD fights back with a "screw you," he finds himself up against the back of the car, his father slapping him - presumably for the first time, given Katie's horrified reaction when Tami tries to comfort her. But that doesn't mean there hasn't been all kinds of psychological abuse going on in the McCoy house. Nothing JD does is ever good enough, and now he doesn't want to see his father again.

There's a little of that going around: Lyla's still on the run from her dad, drinking herself into a good-girl version of a stupor with the Rigginses . When she finally does go home, she finds her acceptance letter from Vanderbilt, the school that Buddy's Landing Strip antics might prevent her from attending. How amazing is it to see Riggins be the good guy? He could take advantage of having his hot girlfriend drunk and in his bed 24/7, but instead, he takes her to church and convinces her that college isn't off the table - and oh yeah, by the way, he loves her. He loves her! Matt, too, finds himself wishing away a parent: Grandma falls out of the car on Shelby's watch, and when the doctor suggests again that Matt consider assisted living, Matt turns it on his mom: Isn't it just like her to shirk responsibility? But oh, Matt's finally realizing he's in over his head. The scene with the slippers gave me chills; this is more than he knows how to handle.

Tyra, meanwhile, runs smack up against her vision of her future at Mindy's "classy" tea shower. She's gotten her SAT scores back, and they're better but not enough better. Even Landry can't even manage to seem overjoyed, but he does tell her that he's proud of her for not coasting by on her beauty. And yet, we see Tyra wondering why she's not just coasting on her beauty. I wouldn't have expected Angela Collette to be the parent in this episode who steps up, but there we have it: She says Tyra has surprised her from day one, and if she just keeps working, eventually she'll surprise herself, too.

Some other thoughts:

I have a feeling this whole redistricting debate is setting up some interesting stuff for the potential fourth and fifth seasons - a new cross-town rival, the loss of a ton of Panther players, the gain of several new prospects. And there's also Coach's lie to Tami about the boosters redrawing the district border. Lying to Tami never ends well.
Something I never thought I'd see: Billy Riggins wearing lingerie.
I have to chuckle at some of JD's George Michael Bluth-ish comments, like telling Madison it's pretty warm on the field when she comments on how hot he looks at practice. He doesn't have much of a personality, but he's never been allowed to.

Are you excited for the upcoming trip to State? Or do you, too, feel a sort of ominous cloud hanging over the Panthers' season?

Photos courtesy of NBC