BuzzSugar

Buzz In: What Movies Were Too Scary for You as a Kid (But You Watched Anyway)?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:30:57 PDT

The Dark Knight is rated PG-13 and a lot of friends and relatives with kids have asked me if it's too scary for the little ones. Though it's a superhero story about Batman - and lots of kids love Batman - I think I would've been frightened by it if I were a kid!

It makes me remember when my parents would warn me that a movie was too scary, or would deny me access to one, even when I felt confident I could handle it. I was just a little kid at the time but I remember peeking through my bedroom door, furious that my parents were watching Gremlins while I was supposed to be sleeping, only to have seven nights of nightmares in a row as a result. I also sneaked a look at The Lost Boys at one point - during the scene when the noodles turn into worms, I recall - which sent me scrambling for safety under my covers.

What movies did you see that were probably too scary for you at the time?

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Straight-to-DVD Preview: The Lost Boys Sequel

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:29:15 PDT

Once upon a time, the sensational teen duo known as "the Cories" were hot young Hollywood talents. Over the years, though, neither of them have had much of a career, whatever celebrity sparkle they once possessed dulled by both obscurity and stints on reality television.

Given this, you can kind of see why both Corey Feldman and Corey Haim would feel compelled to reprise their roles in the quintessential cult vampire flick of the '80s The Lost Boys in the straight-to-DVD sequel, Lost Boys 2: The Tribe. I just wish they'd directed this need to become relevant again into something else.

In an interview with MTV News, Corey Feldman describes this next installment as the first film "on steroids," by which he means there is "more gore, there's more nudity, which there definitely wasn't in the first film." Ugh. As a fan of the original, I don't understand why the Cories feel the need to ruin my memories with this ridiculousness. To check out the trailer for the DVD,

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The Dictator: Ruled by Tasteless but Funny Jokes

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:00:23 PDT

Full disclosure: I laughed out loud many times during The Dictator, knowing full well that I should have been offended instead. But what you see is what you get when it comes to Sacha Baron Cohen, and after movies like Bruno and Borat, you already know whether you'll be able to find humor in film about a horrifyingly ignorant world leader who's as naive, racist, and prejudiced as they come.

I know that sounds hard to swallow, but there is a big difference between The Dictator and Cohen's previous work: this time, it doesn't even feel remotely real. Whereas Borat and Bruno are made to taunt and embarrass what appear to be unsuspecting, everyday people, there's no mistaking The Dictator for what it is: a total farce that comes complete with actors you've seen before. It may sound obvious, but having Cohen's Aladeen interact with the likes of Ben Kingsley, Anna Faris, and John C. Reilly makes the whole story easier to digest - and much easier to laugh at in spite of yourself.

To see what else I enjoyed about The Dictator, just

At the core, The Dictator is really a fish-out-of water comedy, just taken to staggeringly inappropriate levels. Aladeen has ruled his North African country, Wadiya, since he was a small child, and in many ways, he's never grown up. While he's busy ordering execution for anyone that rubs him the wrong way (including the engineer that couldn't make his nuclear weapon pointy enough), his uncle Tamir (Kingsley) is the one that's really making the decisions about how the country should be run. Predictably, Tamir turns on Aladeen and seizes power during a trip to NYC, leaving Aladeen lost, penniless, and unrecognizable on the streets of the Big Apple.

The Dictator then turns into a bizarre romantic comedy, as Aladeen befriends a crunchy protester named Chloe (Anna Faris), who he initially mistakes for a boy. Chloe gives Aladeen his first job in her organic whole foods store, which opens a Pandora's box of jokes about the irony of a world leader wearing a hairnet. Meanwhile, Aladeen hatches a plan to bring down his uncle, and somewhere along the way, you start rooting for the same guy that suggests aborting a baby because it's not a boy.

I'm not saying that The Dictator is sophisticated by any means, or even groundbreaking as a comedy. Cohen spares us no expense of crude humor that pushes the envelope (and literally takes us inside a woman's birth canal), and if you're not a fan for Cohen's brand of humor, you'll probably walk out of the theater before you even get there. But if you've ever found his antics to be funny before, chances are you will again - even if you're slightly embarrassed to admit it when the credits roll.

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures

You're Fired! 20 Signs That a Pink Slip Is Coming

Wise Bread — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:54:53 PDT

If something feels off at the office, you may want to brace yourself for the worst. Wise Bread shares signs to look for when a pink slip is coming.

There are two types of employees. One has a good idea of what they do, who they are, and what position they play in the company. They are savvy. They know the score. They are under no delusions, and will no doubt leave for another job long before they are ever considered as cannon-fodder.

And then there's the other kind. The guy who could get Gandhi to hate him. The woman who spends most of her day chatting on the phone to friends or doing online shopping. Or the nice chap in sales who is completely oblivious that the recent merger means his job is now obsolete. They all have Ostrich Syndrome. They couldn't see a pink slip coming if it was 8ft tall and glowing in the dark, screaming "you're fired!"

You want to avoid being in that second category at all costs. So I've compiled a handy list. If you can answer yes to THREE or more of these questions, you may want to think about sprucing up your résumé and dry-cleaning your best interview attire.

1. Are you no longer in the loop about, well, anything?

This is a huge telltale sign. Suddenly you're finding out about company news from the cleaning lady or the new girl in accounting. If you were formally in the know about all things business related, but now suffer from "the company's doing what??!" disease, the writing is probably on the wall.

2. Did you recently screw up big-time?

We're not talking a minor faux pas here. Did you lose money on an account that was previously bulletproof? Oh dear. Were you caught having sex on the boss's desk with the boss's spouse? That's probably not a career-enhancing move. Unless you're a real dope, you know if you have screwed up. And if you know, HR knows. It may not be the final nail in your coffin, but it's a nail in the coffin nonetheless.

3. Are people avoiding you at all costs?

Eye contact is difficult to make with someone if you know his or her head's on the chopping block. Small talk is just as tough. It's best just to avoid that person altogether. So if people are no longer doing that fun "stop 'n' chat" in the hall, or the coffee room empties when you arrive, then guess what . . . you may be a marked man or woman.

Read on for more.

"I'm in a Confusing Relationship"

Tres Community — Tue, 08 May 2012 03:05:00 PDT

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

I'm really confused as to what to do. I am a very traditional girl, have not really been exposed to the party culture. Plus I could care less because I know many people regret what they do in that scene. Well, that being said, about three years ago I met a boy during senior year of high school. He was really great, he had values and we both liked each other since we met. But things happened and we remained as friends. Our friendship grew, and we still liked each other but did nothing. He is a very attractive boy and started to date. About September of last year he stopped talking to me out of the blue, having mutual friends it was rather awkward, and I didn't know what was going on.

February of this year he sent me a text and from there things went back to normal, only this time he revealed his feeling to me. He explained that he has always liked me and because of the fact that I told him we should be friends in the beginning he thought he had no chance. So he stopped talking to me, hoping he could move on, but it didn't help, he actually liked me even more (even had a sleepless month when I went out of town during Summer for a month).

I have always liked him just not to the extent that he has I think. But I knew he needed to go through that party phase and get it over with before he's in a relationship with me. Well since then we have been in the process of becoming closer, we haven't kissed or anything just held hands up to this day.

Well, in March he dropped the bombshell that he was not a virgin anymore, he lost it at a frat party with a girl he didn't know. That just blew my mind. My image of him was rather shattered, he kind of seemed like the rest of the guys in this world. I came to terms that it was a mistake for it was only once, and we moved on. Four days ago I find out he has been with a total of three people, two of which I know. It bothers me for the fact that he knew me all along and kept contact with me when he was screwing around. It aggravates me that I told him to be careful with one particular girl. I never thought he'd do anything like that. Well I was disgusted and didn't want to see him for a while.

7 Money Mistakes Women Often Make

LearnVest — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:15:55 PDT

We all make mistakes - we're all human after all. LearnVest shares some of the common money mistakes that women often make so readers will learn not to make them, too.

Some of us handle our money flawlessly, perfectly, brilliantly, all of the time.

But most of us don't.

Most of us make mistakes here and there. We make some mistakes more than others, because of our personalities, or our upbringing . . . or sometimes even our gender.

It's ridiculous, but true.

We've heard it firsthand - from our readers. In fact, we went through hundreds of reader submissions and found examples of the most common stories that cross our desks every day.

Let's be clear: Not all women make these mistakes. Not all men avoid them. But in our experience, these are a few female financial problem areas that can lead to major debt and lots of stress.

RELATED: Are You a Social Shopper?

Ever bailed out an ex? Indulged in a little more retail therapy than you meant to? Or woken up one day and realized you didn't know as much as you thought you did about managing your money? You just might recognize yourself.

Of course, if you don't, good for you. We're just saying, bad money snafus happen to good people. But read on: We'll show you the top seven mistakes women make - and what to do instead.

Feeling Guilty

"When we were together, I let my ex stay with me rent-free until he found an apartment, lent him my furniture and paid for every date because I had a job and he didn't. When I lost my job, he paid for my rent for a few months and bills, etc. Now that we're broken up, he wants me to pay him back for the rent he insisted on covering. I am still on unemployment and barely getting by. I feel so guilty because we didn't end up as the forever couple and while I can't (nor would I . . . ) calculate all of my assistance getting him settled in NYC, he can quite easily."

A 2011 study from Eversave.com found that 67% of women have felt guilt about a purchase. But that's not the only opportunity for guilt: There's also staying in a job you feel guilty about abandoning, giving someone money because you feel guilty about their situation and, oh, doing the opposite of what you want when it comes to working after having children because you feel guilty about being a good mom (more on that here).

This guilt effect might not be limited to finances, either. Some studies suggest that women are more inclined than men to feel any kind of guilt. And we'd argue, more likely to bail out their exes, too.

Read on for more.

The Lucky One: Take This Schmaltz

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 05:30:28 PDT

The premise of The Lucky One is a little convoluted, but the basics of the story are not: boy meets girl, they fall for each other, and then must overcome some obstacle to be together. If that simple formula is enough for you, you'll enjoy watching the romantic drama, but if you're looking for more than a cheesy love story, you won't find it here.

Zac Efron stars as Logan, a former marine who avoids death a couple of times in combat, and attributes his survival to a good luck charm: a photograph he found in the rubble. When he returns home from overseas, he's determined to find the woman in the picture to thank her. After walking for days across several states, he reaches his destination and finds the woman, Beth (Taylor Schilling), a single mom who runs a dog kennel. Tongue-tied, Logan fails to tell Beth why he's there, and instead accepts a job working for her. As they get to know each other, Beth and Logan slowly fall for each other, but Logan keeps his secret under wraps, to the point that it threatens their relationship. The fact that a secret about a picture is what builds suspense in the film is more than a little silly, but Efron makes up for in eye candy what the movie lacks in substance.

To find out what else I thought about The Lucky One, just keep reading.

American Reunion: A Yearbook of Bad Memories

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 03:05:00 PDT

In 1999, a raunchy comedy called American Pie became an instant high school movie classic boasting the tagline "There's something about your first piece." That line feels truer than ever upon the release of American Reunion, the third sequel in the franchise. The film tries to capture the humor and spirit of the original film, but all it does is make you wish the Pie films had quit when they were ahead.

Thirteen years after graduation, we find Jim (Jason Biggs), settled down with former band geek Michelle (Alyson Hannigan). Their once-spicy sex life has dwindled following the birth of their first child, and he's mostly lost touch with his former BFFs Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas). To remedy the situation, the foursome vows to have a boys' weekend back in their hometown for their high school reunion. Of course, the weekend becomes a disaster complete with binge drinking, surprise sexual encounters, awkward moments with former classmates, and a relentless amount of incredibly obnoxious one-liners from Stifler (Seann William Scott).

To find out what else feels stale about American Reunion, just

Getting caught up with Jim and the gang might have been more fun if there hadn't been two more Pie movies between the original and this one; we already have a good sense of where the characters have been and how they've evolved (or haven't, in most cases). Plus, you can garner what's happened to each of them in the first ten minutes, and after that you're just trying to watch a bunch of 30-somethings relive their glory days. We already saw this movie, and it was called Grown Ups.

The Pie movies have always relied on objectifying women for laughs, but American Reunion takes it to a new level. The guys ogle teenage girls at the lake, where they're wearing thong bikinis and making out with each other in front of their friends, because according to the movie, that's what all high school girls are like now. It's not just the teens either: there's a full-on catfight between two of the female leads, and the weight gain of one of Stifler's former hookups is played for gross-out laughs that's not just unfunny; it's downright mean.

The best part about American Reunion is that it incorporates some awesome '90s hits like "My Own Worst Enemy" and "The Freshman," but even that only happens in the final 20 minutes of the film, when you're already so burned out on sight gags that you barely have enough attention span to notice the soundtrack.

The same goes for all the cameos: it's fun to point out the throwbacks to the original, and I appreciated that John Cho (aka "the MILF guy") has a much bigger role this time around, but it's not enough to justify a film that's overlong and over the top. It made me realize that when it comes to the Pie franchise, I've had my fill.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

What to Rent: New DVDs This Week

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:05:00 PDT

In addition to the following releases, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked is also now available on DVD.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock star in this drama about a boy named Oskar (Thomas Horn) struggling to connect with the father he lost on 9/11. Armed with only a key that he found in his father's belongings, Oskar embarks on a quest to find the lock that it belongs to, uncovering a host of fascinating people on the way. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close doesn't hold up to the novel it's based on, but the Oscar nominee will pull on your heartstrings so make sure there are tissues available at the ready. The two-disc DVD/Blu-ray includes a making-of featurette, interview with the cast and crew about their experience ten years after 9/11, and "Finding Oskar," a featurette on Horn.

47%

A Dangerous Method

Set in 20th century Zurich, A Dangerous Method shines a light on the unsound personal lives of psychoanalysts Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, and the patient (Keira Knightley) that comes between them. Despite a slightly meandering storyline, Michael Fassbender and Viggo Mortensen give masterful performances as the psych pioneers. DVD extras include commentary by Director David Cronenberg, a making-of featurette, and a bonus seminar with Cronenberg.

78%

One more release when you

In the Land of Blood and Honey

Angelina Jolie writes and makes her directorial debut with this story of two lovers torn apart by the Bosnian war. The film is set in the Balkans in the 1990s and though it strives to be a modern and politically poignant Romeo & Juliet tale, the underdeveloped story doesn't quite carry the gravitas that Jolie was no doubt intending. Regardless, it is still an unflinching look at a chapter of history many would rather ignore. Blu-ray extras include a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, and a Q&A with Angelina Jolie.

57%

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "One Step Too Far"

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:11:26 PDT

Jackson's overbearing mother Catherine returns to Seattle Grace on this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy, and as usual, she can't help stirring up a bit of trouble. Though she's there to help with a procedure, she brings out interesting new romantic developments in Jackson and Dr. Webber.

Speaking of romance, Derek and Meredith learn once again that love and surgery don't mix, and Owen and Cristina hit yet another bump in their already-rocky road. There is hope for one surgeon though: Alex may be on the verge of a new relationship with one of his interns. Ready to break it all down? Just

Jackson is clearly agitated by his mother's presence, and makes Mark promise to keep him busy so that Mrs. Avery will be at bay. Unfortunately, Sloan is more interested in getting Jackson laid, and plays dumb when Mrs. Avery suggests that Jackson give a tour to her "hot tourist" Fellow (Rebecca Hazelwood, who you may remember from Outsourced). Jackson begrudgingly plays along until he thinks that his mother is just trying to set him up on a date.
Though it seems like any hope of a romance is lost, Jackson and Mara have a romantic-comedy-style breakthrough when they bond over their mutual frustration with Jackson's mother. All it takes is a few pearls of wisdom and soon the two are doing it in the on-call room. Now that Jackson is starting to move on, this leaves the door for Lexie and Mark to get back together wide open. Just saying.
Karev's intern Morgan has grown increasingly attached to him ever since the premature birth of her baby boy. The two are looking cozy at the beginning of the episode, as she teases him and helps him with his studying. The flirtation is obvious, and the rest of the surgeons start placing bets and making fun of Karev at every chance. Though Karev gets huffy when Callie shows Karev how smitten Morgan is, I think these two are on a one-way trip to relationshipville.
Webber's been spending so much time and energy taking care of Adele that he's falling asleep on the job - literally. Catherine Avery comes in and wastes no time flirting with the former Chief, and by the end of the episode, she's even convinced him to go out on a date with her. Though he accepts at first, a pep talk with Bailey makes him change his mind. He sweetly tells Catherine that he likes the attention he's getting from her, but that he needs to be with his wife.
Derek tries to get Meredith back into neuro again, but all it takes is one botched surgery for him to change his mind. When Lexie and Mere are left to close up a patient, they take it upon themselves to remove a tumor without Derek's supervision. Derek is understandably angry, and is even more irate when he discovered that Lexie made a mistake. Meredith wisely points out that she and Derek shouldn't be on the same rotation, but it's Lexie who really suffers and continues to beat herself up about it.
Cristina is still not over her fixation on the idea that nurse Emily is sleeping with Owen. The situation is worsened when Owen suggests that Emily can help Cristina with her poor bedside manner. After a few tense moments, Cristina finally explodes and accuses Emily of cheating. Emily breaks down, embarassed, and is so hellbent on convincing Cristina otherwise that she even offers up her sexts from her boyfriend. Back at home, Cristina confronts Owen about it, and he confirms that he and Emily were just sharing trail mix, etc. But shortly after, he drops the bomb that he did cheat on Cristina with someone else. Do you think it could have been Teddy during some kind of emotional lapse that happened offscreen? Was it another doctor in the hospital? Or did he cheat with a total stranger?

Were you happy to have Grey's back from hiatus? Surprised that Owen really did cheat? Chime in below in the comments!