BuzzSugar

First Look: Madonna, Linkin Park on the Live Earth DVD

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:31:14 -0800

Earlier this month, I told you that the CD/DVD set of the Live Earth concert would be one of my surefire must-haves for November. Well, the bad news is that it appears the release date for the package has been pushed back till Dec. 4 - but the good news is that we don't have to wait to check out the DVD-ready versions of some of the performances.

Linkin Park's "Bleed It Out" from the Japan concert - set to be the live album's first single - and Madonna's rendition of "La Isla Bonita" with Gogol Bordello in London are among the clips Warner Bros. is letting us see early. There's also a video of Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins performing at the Sydney concert, and while I didn't know Higgins' music before, I'm kind of digging her folksy song, "Steer" - I'm surprised it hasn't already turned up on an episode of Grey's Anatomy.

To check out those three performances, just read more

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BuzzSugar's Must-Haves for November

BuzzSugar — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Welcome to BuzzSugar's monthly must-haves, where I show off a handful of the things I'm most looking forward to watching, buying, renting and reading. As the air gets chillier and we start to ease into the hectic holiday season, I'll be curling up with the following goodies.

To find out why these seven things are at the top of my list, just read more

Waitress - I so loved this romantic comedy written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly, I've been anxiously awaiting the DVD release so I can watch it anytime I please. Keri Russell plays a pie-making waitress who becomes pregnant by her abusive husband - and is none-too-pleased about that. With the help of her two girlfriends and a sexy gynecologist, she gets through the pregnancy and learns the meaning of true love. Waitress is out on DVD November 27.
The Brit Box - Fans of the Smiths, The Cure, The Sundays, or numerous other Brit pop bands will be salivating over this four-disc collection of hits, courtesy of Rhino. The set traces the rise of Cool Britannia, from early pace-setters like the Jesus and Mary Chain to superstars like Pulp and Oasis. Plus, the four discs and extensive book come packaged in an adorable box shaped like the classic UK phone booth. Check it out when it hits stores November 20.
Gilmore Girls - Season Seven - Coming out November 13, this 6-disc set is an absolute must-have for any die-hard Gilmore Girls fan! Relive the final season with Rory, Lorelei, Luke, Sookie, Lane and the rest of the Stars Hollow gang.
Listening Is an Act of Love - Four years ago, Story Corps started a national project to record oral histories - of your grandmother, your mother, even the stranger down the street. The group installed recording studios around the country to collect stories, and many of the recordings have since aired on public radio. This book, which will be released November 8, collects excerpts from some of the 10,000 stories recorded since the project began.
Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis - According to Billboard, Warner Bros. is releasing a 1-CD/2-DVD package that encapsulates the Live Earth concerts held last July. Proceeds from the CD/DVD will benefit the Alliance for Climate Protection. You can see a whole track list for the CD/DVD set here.
Nirvana: Unplugged in New York - Can you believe it's taken this long for Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance to be released on DVD? The disc will be released November 20, nearly 14 years from when Nirvana originally did the show. The DVD features four tracks from the band's soundcheck, two unaired songs they performed, and previously unreleased behind-the-scenes footage.
Hairspray - This summer's super fun song-and-dance extravaganza will hit the shelves (when else?) November 20.

Madonna Gets Cozy With Gogol Bordello

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 14:29:38 -0700

When I first saw these photos of Madonna walking with Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz, I couldn't help but wonder: How did this unlikely pair meet? And why was Hutz wearing kitten heels?

Though I haven't yet learned the answer to the second question, it turns out that Madonna and Hutz are quite the close collaborators these days. Hutz, who fronts the gypsy-punk Bordello and also stars in Everything Is Illuminated, is working on Madonna's forthcoming short film, Filth & Wisdom.

In addition to acting in the film, Hutz contributed to the script and will lend his music to soundtrack for the movie, which is expected to debut next year at Sundance. Apparently, Madonna really likes Gogol Bordello, because the band also joined her onstage at Live Earth in London for a polka-infused rendition of "La Isla Bonita." It's really a fun performance to watch, so check out the video (thanks, Pitchfork) when you read more

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TV Tonight: Live Earth

BuzzSugar — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 05:30:00 -0700

Cities around the world today will be filled with the sounds of the Live Earth concert - actually a series of nine concerts in cities including New York, Johannesburg, Tokyo and Sydney to raise awareness about climate change. The 24-hour, seven-continent concert will bring together more than 100 entertainers, including superstars The Police and Kanye West (New York), Madonna (London), Lenny Kravitz (Rio), and Shakira (Hamburg).

NBC will broadcast a three-hour special featuring highlights from the day's events and live performances from New York tonight, but that's not all. Bravo will have 18 hours of live coverage, and several of NBC's other channels - including the Sundance Channel and Telemundo - also will carry parts of the broadcast. The networks and concert organizers are also working together to keep commercial interruptions to a minimum.

If you're watching the coverage today, check in here and let us know which performers were your favorites. MSN will be streaming coverage online all day, and to see which channels will be broadcasting the concert in the United States - and to watch a video about Spinal Tap reuniting to perform in London - read more

All times Eastern - those in other time zones should check their local listings.

Universal HD: 4 a.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday
Sundance Channel: 4 a.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday
MSNBC: 8 a.m. Saturday to 4 p.m. Sunday
CNBC: 8 a.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday
Bravo: 9 a.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday
Mun2: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday
Telemundo: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday
NBC: 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday

Al Gore Lines Up His Friends for Live Earth

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 00:00:12 -0700

The Earth is getting warmer, but Al Gore just keeps getting cooler, and winning an Oscar certainly didn't hurt. Now, the former vice president is recruiting his cool new friends - including Ludacris, Alicia Keys, Dave Matthews, and The Police - for an earth-shaking concert that will span 24 hours and seven continents called Live Earth.

Yesterday, the organizers revealed a list of performers lined up for the U.S. show, which will be held on July 7 (that's 7-7-07) at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Tickets go on sale next Monday, April 16, at 10 a.m. EDT. Over in London, a separate show will feature equally impressive names, including Madonna and the Beastie Boys. For a list of artists confirmed for the U.S. and U.K. shows, read more

Live Earth U.S. Lineup - Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.

AFI
Akon
Alicia Keys
Bon Jovi
Dave Matthews Band
Fall Out Boy
John Mayer
Kanye West
Kelly Clarkson
KT Tunstall
Ludacris
Melissa Etheridge
Rihanna
Roger Waters
Sheryl Crow
Smashing Pumpkins
The Police

Live Earth U.K. Lineup - Wembley Stadium, London

Beastie Boys
Black Eyed Peas
Bloc Party
Corinne Bailey Rae
Damien Rice
David Gray
Duran Duran
Foo Fighters
Genesis
James Blunt
John Legend
Keane
Madonna
Paolo Nutini
Razorlight
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Snow Patrol

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Link Time! 4/10

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 13:53:46 -0700

Thanks to Best Week Ever for bringing this gross but mesmerizing German ad to our attention.
In honor of Rose McGowan's machine-gun leg in Grindhouse, Film Experience lists the top ten prosthetic appendages in film history.
Meanwhile, Rolling Stone Rock and Roll Daily ponders the 25 guilty pleasure bands.
The TV Addict wonders: Are the "Brothers & Sisters" characters getting a little too boozy?
Popwatch is very excited about the "hipsterlicious" Spider-Man 3 soundtrack.
Buddy TV previews this month's episodes of "Lost."
Stereogum finds a new Sufjan Stevens track online.
TV Squad debates the difference between "classic" TV and TV that's just old.
ScreenGrab lightly touches on the controversial 9/11 comedy Postal, allowing a disturbing image from the film speak for itself.
Merry Swankster's new podcast reflects on the year's best music so far.
Popcandy has an exclusive interview with singer-songwriter Paleo.
Earvolution gives us the lowdown on Al Gore's Live Earth concerts.
Give Me My Remote recognizes the voice on the new Apple commercials: It's John Krasinski!
Idolator tells us what new devilry Sanjaya has in store tonight on "Idol."

2012: Apocalyptic Good Times

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:30:00 -0800

In terms of end-of-the-world movies, 2012 packs it all - a love story, teary family moments, action-packed adventure, over-the-top-CGI, and a ton of recycled film cliches - in a two and a half hour package. That's lengthy by today's standards, but I wasn't bored for a minute. This is pure escapist entertainment.

The film opens in 2009 as a scientist in India and his American associate Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) discover that the Earth's core is overheating. His forecast: Tectonic plates will shift, thereby causing a worldwide catastrophe that will wipe out the human race.

Dun, dun, dun! (Doesn't take long to pull you in, does it?) To hear my full assessment, read more.

The real action goes down three years later in 2012 when, according to the Mayan calendar, the Earth will reach its end. The entire So-Cal coast starts crumbling, so our hero Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) and his family begin a journey to China where the governments around the world have supposedly assembled spaceships to carry select humans to safety.

What? You expected this to be plausible?

Of course not, but the film does include tons of cool CGI - volcanos, snow storms, giant tsunamis. It's like every disaster movie you've ever watched combined. (That should come as no surprise seeing as how the director is Roland Emmerich who created The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day, and Godzilla.)

As for the characters, we've seen them all stereotyped in other films before, but they're still enjoyable here. (Even though I admittedly winced over a Russian family complete with a fur coat, tiny dog, and an employee named Sasha.) This is thanks to the actors who play their parts with believability, even when the scenes feel ridiculous. Ejiofor portrays a great bleeding heart swept up in a governmental plan that's looking out for No. 1, and Cusack pulls off his father role without being over-the-top or sappy. Also, watch for Woody Harrelson as a nutty conspiracy theorist living in Yellowstone National Park.

2012 is purely meant to be fun, and it succeeds. There's a constant barrage of cliff-hanger moments that never let up, and though you pretty much know where things are headed, it's easy to get sucked in.

(Don't forget that if you see a movie that you'd like to review, you can post your write-up in the Movie Review Group in Community - I may even post it here on the site!)

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

What Did You Think of the V Premiere?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:30:23 -0800

ABC's V finally debuted, giving us a glimpse at the Visitors (and their creepy alien skins). The premiere brought in a huge audience, making it the second most-watched of the new season - but what did you think of the first episode?

While the opening with the descent of the spaceships is eerily suspenseful, I felt like the writers packed in a ton for just an hour-long show. We discover which cast members are secret Visitors living on earth, that Tyler is already head over heels for a V hottie, and that a counterattack is revving up. While the fast pace kept me entertained, I'm kind of worried about the show burning out too soon - although, maybe the split season will help slow it down.

But tell me your thoughts: Are you liking the new sci-fi series? Is V a worthy replacement for Lost after that show wraps up next year? Or are you writing it off already?