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Lost Montage: Characters Ask "What?" for Two Full Minutes

BuzzSugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:31:50 PDT

Even if I weren't such a fan of Lost, I'd find this clip montage ridiculously funny. If you're a fan of the show, this video (which you can see after the jump) has probably already made it to you, but it merits another viewing. Or two. All it is - seriously, all it is, for two full minutes - is a series of clips of various characters saying, "What?"

The ones in Korean with subtitles are some of the funniest.

It's just plain silliness. It's like trying to whistle the same note at the same time as someone else - you have to laugh. To see what I mean,

The Muppets' Music Man Bret McKenzie on His Oscar Nod and Taking a Silly Job Seriously

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:50:41 PST

Bret McKenzie is up for an exceedingly rare honor this year, with his ballad "Man or Muppet" earning one of just two nominations in the Oscars' best song category. I caught up with The Muppets' musical supervisor today at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank to chat about the awards attention and the unique experience of penning music for Kermit and company. The New Zealand native talked about fighting the temptation to use the word "motherfrogger" in his songwriting and the roundabout way he came on board The Muppets project in the first place. Bret - who previously was best known as one half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords - also shared his hopes of bringing FOC to the big screen. Check out our conversation below:

PopSugar: It's got to be an honor to be nominated for an Oscar, but also in a year when the Academy only bothered to nominate two songs.
Bret McKenzie: They barely nominated anyone! When I found out, it sounded like there'd been a mistake, and yeah, it's a huge honor. It's great and it's really exciting, and I'm not complaining that there's only two nominees the year I'm nominated. I mean, this is the best chance I'll have of winning an Oscar, ever. It couldn't have been better, unless there was just one nomination, and then it would be a very dull ceremony . . . There's a lot of legendary musicians - tunesmiths - in that list of possible nominations. So it's all very surreal to think that I got in ahead of Elton John.

PS: And Madonna. Those two had a little rivalry going on.
BM: I know. I got nervous about what Elton John's husband was going to say about me. It's crazy, and it's great for The Muppets film, because we're all really proud of the film and it wasn't ever really going to get a best actor. Hey, Jason's good, that's not what I mean, but Kermit, Miss Piggy - they can't win these awards - and comedies don't generally get recognized at these awards ceremonies, so it's kind of cool. It's almost like the film as a whole is being recognized with this category.

For more from our chat with Bret, including what he says about his plans for a Flight of the Conchords film, coaching Jason Segel, and the pressure he felt on the project, just

read more! PS: What was the biggest unexpected challenge for you writing music for the film? I know you talked about one draft of a song where you referred to a Muppet as a piece of felt and were told you couldn't do that. BM: Yeah. Little piece of felt, and you couldn't say things like motherfrogger, even though it's very tempting. There were lots of hard parts to it. The Muppets can't sing certain notes. They can't sing too high or the voice changes and doesn't sound like the right character. There were so many weird things. I spent hours recording penguins and rats, and what's weird is that it's such a silly job, but you have to take it very seriously. So I would be in the studio for days, maybe a whole day recording penguins, and then I'm like, "I'm not happy with how the penguins are sounding! Where's penguin four?" You know, getting demanding. "We lost penguin track four! I can't hear the penguin!" PS: I was watching the movie again last night and watching Jason Segel's performance of "Man or Muppet." Did you coach him on any of his rockstar moves? Because he pretty much nailed it. BM: He nailed it. That's my favorite moment in the film. When he buckles down in the rain, that was one of my favorite shots. I was so proud of what James [Bobin, the director] and those guys achieved, because I wasn't there on set, I just saw them syncing the video, and I was like, "Wow, guys. You nailed it." What we did do in the studio, as Jason and I had a technique where I would sing a line, and he'd watch me through the window, and then he'd sing it back. So we did this thing where, I was really into the drama of it. So, I was like, "Am I a Muppppettt?" [balling his hands into fists] And he'd be like, OK, record. "Am I a Muppppettt!" So we kind of worked together to get that style. PS: Did it shatter some of your childhood illusions to have the guy that does Miss Piggy's voice come work with you [in the recording studio]? BM: Yeah. Well, it wasn't Frank Oz. The guy Eric, who does it now, yeah. That was strange. And the day that we recorded Kermit the Frog doing "Rainbow Connection" - I was sort of pinching myself, because that was probably one of the real moments for me where I realized that my world had really changed. That I'd come from New Zealand, I'd grown up with Kermit the Frog, and now I was in Hollywood in a studio recording Kermit the Frog. It felt like worlds had collided. PS: Was there pressure knowing there was already this great catalog of Muppet songs? To try to add to that or top it in some way? BM: I knew I wouldn't top "Rainbow Connection," but I was very intimidated, but the way I worked on the job was it actually started with me just writing one song, so I didn't feel the pressure of writing the whole movie. I think it would have been different if I'd been hired from the outset to do all the music. So I wrote one, then another, and gradually wrote more and more, so that helped. PS: What song did you write first? BM: The opening song. That's the one they needed, that's the one James asked me to write first. The script was probably on a second draft, and they were in preproduction, so I came in quite late. And the way they were doing it was, they got 100s of demos submitted from all sorts of songwriters, and surprisingly - even though they got some really great people to do demos - people weren't quite hitting the right tone. The Muppet tone. I'd just come off the Conchords tour and I had some time, and James asked if I was interested in doing that opening song, because he had a kind of specific thing he needed from that song. He needed it to be really Muppet-y, that song, and he had a great idea for the whole town joining in, it starting off small and becoming a big musical number, and that came together really well. PS: Is this experience maybe something you want to bring to a Flight of the Conchords movie? BM: Yeah, exactly. Having done this movie now, we're in a much better place to do a Conchords film, because James is more experienced - well, we're all more experienced. Not specifically, but James Bobin - well, we're all very keen to do another studio musical, because I really enjoyed being able to do comedy musical numbers on such a grand scale, and I think next time, I really think it will just get better and better. Because it's such a fun genre, and we've done like 50 songs for TV now, and now The Muppets movie, and I feel like we've accidentally sort of become musical comedy experts. PS: What do you imagine Bret and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords are up to these days, in their universe? BM: In the Lower East Side? That's a good question. I reckon they probably got a regular gig now. Like, at a Chinese restaurant. Photo courtesy Disney

Glee-ful Highlights From Episode "Michael"

Lizzie Fuhr — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:04:31 PST

When I heard that Glee was performing a Michael Jackson tribute, I basically starting moonwalking across the floor, but the episode didn't quite live up to my expectations. I definitely appreciated the effort, and there were absolutely some standout performances, but I would have loved more Jackson 5 or old-school Michael disco tunes.

With so many songs crammed in, there's very little in the way of plot here. Basically, the entire episode is about the rivalry between the New Directions and the Warblers, and Sebastian emerges as the show's new villain when he hits Blaine with a jacked-up slushie. Oh, and Rachel finally gives Finn an answer to his proposal! Ready to break it all down? Just

Pirate Rock! Disney's Sharky and Bones Open Up About Pirate Culture, Jake, and Peter Pan

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:37:27 PST

Can you talk like a pirate? If your lil one is between 2 and 5 years old, chances are he'll know exactly what we're talking about!

Since its launch last February, Disney's Jake and the Neverland Pirates has become the top-ranking series among kids in that age group. The animated show - about a new crew of pirates who work together to outwit Captain Hook and Smee around Pirate Island - is about to embark on its second season with a prime-time special Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Peter Pan Returns (airing Feb. 13), where the little boy who won't grow up enlists the minipirates to help him find his lost shadow. As with the daily show, the special will feature original pirate rock songs written and sung by Sharky and Bones of The Never Land Pirate Band. I spoke with Loren Hoskins and Kevin Hendrickson, the men behind Sharky and Bones and the stars of the live-action music videos featured at the end of each episode, about the popularity of pirate culture and what it can teach tots today.

LilSugar: Obviously you two are well versed in little kids' obsessions with pirates. How did it start for you two?
Kevin Hendrickson (Bones): It started before our kids. Loren and I met maybe 12 years ago, and we both just had a love of pirates and the old Disney records we grew up listening to. We decided to make a pirate album for kids, even though we didn't have kids.
Loren Hoskins (Sharky): We were pirates before pirate was cool. We had an affinity for pirate and pirate culture and the old Disneyland rides - you know the old Pirates of the Caribbean attraction - and we combined all those into a rock album for kids of all ages. We say "for buccaneers of all ages" because we had a lot of fans that were not kids and a lot of fans that were kids and then families that were fans. We just decided to not be a children's band, but a band for all buccaneers!

LilSugar: It's been almost 60 years since Disney released Peter Pan, and unlike other Disney flicks, it hasn't received a rerelease or a 3D upgrade. Why do you think the pirate obsession remains so strong today?
Loren Hoskins (Sharky): I have always maintained that what pirates represent for play is all the best things about play. That's imagination, adventure, being bold-hearted, silly voices, and fun dress-up costumes. You put all that together and you get classic kid play. It's like pirates and dinosaurs. Dinosaurs were huge for a while, and I think for the same reason – you can just go "roaar," and play all these great games, and they were bold and adventurous and from exotic locations. Pirates are the same thing. They're one of those classic play building blocks

Keep reading for more of our talk about pirate rock and the show's educational value.

Lose Weight and Get Fit With Your Phone

Health — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:14:36 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

A sleeker, stronger body could be just a tweet or a Facebook post away
By Jamie Beckman

One of the best tools for peeling off pounds is already in your bag: It's your smartphone or iPad. In fact, all that texting, tweeting, and posting - the average woman spends more than 80 minutes a day on her phone, according to a recent report from the mobile apps analytics firm Flurry - can tip the scales in your favor.

And one in three of us are already using social sites like Facebook to get slender, reports research from the University of Arizona. So go ahead and steal these suggestions from women who took their shape-up viral.

Tweet Your Way Thin
Nancy Tessier, 50, lost 28 pounds by posting all her meals and snacks to Tweet What You Eat (@twye), an online food journal that lets others eyeball your noshes. "Sometimes it was a lot easier to decide not to eat something than to have to tweet it for the world to see," she says.

Posting your weight-loss numbers can help, too. The University of Arizona research suggests that women who reveal shape-up victories on a weekly basis trim down faster than those who update less frequently. If you're feeling shy, think up a Twitter handle and upload a cartoon character as your avatar so you can share the skinny without feeling self-conscious.

Health.com: Diet Tricks the Pros Tell Their Friends

Gain a Following
Get some virtual support pronto by following Twitter hash tags like #fitblog. Carla Shorts, 27, started chiming in on #fitblog's weekly live chats - and dropped from a size 12 to a size 6 in just a year. "When my weight loss reached a plateau, having women point out that my 30-minute elliptical routine wasn't going to cut it anymore was key," she says. "I started running and began to lose again."

You can also start your own hashtag, like Sherry Pagoto, 38, from Massachusetts, did with #plankaday, a challenge to spend at least a minute in plank pose each day.

Find more ways your phone can help you lose weight after the break.

What to Rent: New DVDs This Week

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:05:00 PST

The Help

In this adaptation of the best-selling novel, Emma Stone leads up the cast as Skeeter, an ambitious young journalist in 1960s Mississippi. When she starts paying attention to what the maids in her community endure, she finds a story, and with their help, publishes an explosive book. The range of great performances from the ensemble, especially Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, and Viola Davis, make this a moving must-see. The DVD extras include deleted scenes and a Mary J. Blige music video for "The Living Proof."

75%

The Hangover Part II

Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis reunite in this sequel to the raucous 2009 hit, but this time they're in Thailand for Stu's wedding. When they black out after a night of drinking, they wake up to find they've lost the bride's little brother and embark on a wild ride through Bangkok. Though this follow-up is raunchier and darker than the original, it's not necessarily funnier (and the formula is exactly the same). The extras on the DVD include a gag reel, a laugh track, and several featurettes.

35%

See one more new release after the jump.

Real Steel: Real Predictable

Rose Curiel — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 05:30:47 PDT

When you sign up to watch a movie about boxing robots, chances are you want to see mechanical carnage, and plenty of it. In Real Steel, Hugh Jackman stars as Charlie, a man who makes his living piecing robots together and sending them to the ring, so the potential for spectacular robotic clashes is high. But when Charlie's estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) shows up on his doorstep, what you get instead is a predictable father-son story that's a swing and a miss.

The film is set in the not-too-distant future, when machines have taken over the role of boxers because humans are hungry for more gore. The premise is a bit hard to believe - how do bolts win over blood, and why would sports fans be more invested in a machine than a human? On that note, the film barely lets the audience begin to connect with the beat-up, underdog robot Max uncovers in a junkyard, paying more attention to the relationship between the boy and his dad. When Max just so happens to share his father's passion for robot boxing, the film establishes a convenient means for the pair to bond. To find out why else you can pass on a ringside seat to this film, just keep reading

Cable Companies May Offer à La Carte Freedom

Kelly Schwarze — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:36:00 PDT

With consumers using online alternatives to watch favorite TV shows beyond the high prices and restrictions of cable companies, the cable giants are beginning to feel the loss, and may finally be ready to give customers what they've long been begging for - à la carte channel subscription options.

In the past, the cable industry argued that bundled programming provides the best value to customers. But with higher costs from networks and the popularity of web viewing, cable companies are working on allowing customers to subscribe to individual channels. According to Reuters, "Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable, the two largest operators have lost 1.2 million video customers in the 12 months to June 30." Sports channels like ESPN are the most expensive options, and the option to pick and choose channels is a way for customers to avoid a pricey all-in-one monthly plan. The à la carte programing system may be a way for providers to entice those who dropped cable from their list of monthly bills to return as happy subscribers.

It's still unclear exactly how possible à la carte cable subscription plans will work. Basic cable plus the option to add specific channels or tiered channel subscriptions? Whatever the options may be, cable may again rise as the top option for home entertainment.

Creative Centerpieces in a Cinch

Shelterpop — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 04:00:27 PDT

I'm excited to present a post from one of my favorite sites, ShelterPop!

Forget the florist -- here are some simple DIY centerpiece ideas to wow any special guest.

Help me! I have special guests arriving within the hour, and I don't have the time or money to head to an expensive florist. What are some cheap and easy centerpiece options?

Home Rescue: You're actually in luck. Regardless of budget or time constraints, overdone, grandiose centerpieces are so out. Showing off a minimal, but creative piece is oh-so-chic."It's important that your dining table looks attractive for a sit-down dinner -- either formal or casual," says entertaining expert Baroness Monica von Neumann. "You want your table to have a sense of simple elegance, and a centerpiece is the perfect finishing touch."

Here's what to do:

If you have an existing flower arrangement or a pre-arranged grocery store bouquet, you can put it to re-use. Toss out any wilted flowers or greenery. Find three small glasses or containers for an oblong table, and cut the remaining stems down to fit, separating the arrangement equally among all three containers. Then place the trio along a table runner. If you need to fill any holes to make up for the tossed-aside stems, trim some simple branches or stems from your backyard. Even a simple leaf branch can add color.

For a round table, take the existing arrangement, place in a clear round vase filled with a layer of fruit at the bottom -- lemons, limes, oranges or tangerines are best. This adds a pop of color and life; add a little extra ambiance with tealights scattered around the table.

If you're in a flower drought -- nothing to be found in the yard and no time to run to the store -- all hope isn't lost. Simply create a fruit vignette in a stylish pedestal bowl or another decorative piece. Or loosely arrange several tealights onto a pedestal plate (or cake stand) with seasonal decorative items: fallen leaves, beach rocks or shells, etc. This will quickly add life and beauty to any table. Just don't overdo it; keep it simple and elegant.

Want more centerpiece ideas?
8 DIY Wedding Centerpieces
Video: How to create a floral centerpiece
Video: How to make centerpiece luminaries

Source

Jason Segel and His "Former Stomach" Appear on David Letterman

FitSugar — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:14:16 PDT

On Letterman last night, Jason Segel discussed what drove him to lose some major weight after hitting 245 pounds. Watch the video to hear Jason's story and what caused Dave to exclaim, "Honest to God, Jason, this looks like a crime scene!" Thirty pounds later, Jason is looking pretty good and seems totally OK that he lost a starring film role to James Van Der Beek (aka Dawson's Creek) way back when.