BuzzSugar

What on Earth Will a Video Game Based on Clueless Be Like?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:30:35 -0700

Things that make me go "hmm...": I spotted on GeekSugar yesterday this news that several new movies have been picked up as future video games - and they're not your usual action-heavy flicks with guns and bombs or. . . action of any kind (unless you count Cher's steamy online chat, after which "he just logged off"). They're Clueless, Mean Girls and Pretty in Pink.

On the one hand, it's nice that there are going to be video games for girls, and ones that aren't totally violent. On the other hand, seriously, what will these games entail? Competitive shopping? Backstabbing contests? A race against time to alter Iona's old pink prom dress? Brainstorm below.

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Buzz In: Who Are the Meanest Teens to Ever Hit the Screen?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:39:19 -0700

Lately there's been a glut of wholesome, good-natured teens (see Jonas Brothers, High School Musical, and Vanessa Hudgens's snuggly ode to sneakers). But this week's release of the 20th anniversary of the classic Heathers reminded me that onscreen teenagers can be really mean. Actually, they can be downright vicious.

The girl group in Heathers was so mean they were essentially psychopathic. And then there's the famous pack of mean teens that torments Lindsay Lohan in Tina Fey's Mean Girls. Rich girl Caroline Mulford in Sixteen Candles is incredibly cruel (well, until she spends an evening with the geeky Farmer Ted). And of course, they're not always girls: Ryan Phillippe's character in Cruel Intentions is about as scummy as it gets in terms of douchebag teen guys.

Clear your mind of Disney stars and tell me about the most memorable nasty onscreen teens.

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Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Expecting Greatness Together

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 05:00:11 -0700

Fans (like me!) of the former "Saturday Night Live" Weekend Update duo Amy Poehler and Tina Fey will be happy to know the pair is still going strong. In fact, they're making a baby together! And by "baby" I mean a movie called Baby Mama.

Fey will play Kate, a successful executive at Happy Planet (described as "a Whole Foods-type grocery store") who wants to have a baby but can't fathom taking a break from her career to do so. Thus, she hires a surrogate mother (Poehler) and, I'm sure, comedic misadventures ensue.

In my opinion, Tina Fey can do little wrong: I loved Mean Girls, found her refreshing on Weekend Update, and still enjoy watching her in "30 Rock." I may love Poehler even more, so read more

In fact, I think Poehler has comedic abilities that extend much farther than anything we've seen in her mainstream projects thus far. Anyone who has seen her improvise in person (as I have been lucky enough to do) can say with certainty that she is naturally smart, sassy, and hilarious. If anything, some of the bigger things she's done have dumbed her down (see: Envy). Here's hoping Baby Mama will turn out as awesome as its "parents" are.

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The Vampire Diaries "162 Candles": The Good, The Bad and The Bloody

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:30:41 -0800

It's a party on this week's The Vampire Diaries for Stefan's birthday, but it's hardly a cake and merriment fest. Our broody hero finally gets a chance to smile, but of course, it's taken away from him quickly.

Ready to chat about the good, the bad, and the bloody? Watch out for spoilers when you read more.

The Good

Stefan's girl BFF Lexi comes to town to give Stefan a proper 126nd birthday party, and she's a tough-talkin', sexy badass of a vampire. Can you believe that Arielle Kebbel is the same girl who played Lindsay on Gilmore Girls? In the preview, she seemed like a rival for Stefan's affections, but that's not the case at all; she's his (literally) oldest friend and apparently brings out the fun-loving beast in Stefan (hey writers, can we please get some flashback scenes of the good times with Lexi? That would be awesome). She also talks some sense into Elena, encouraging her not to ignore her real feelings for Stefan. Amen. Did you catch that very brief shot of Stefan with his shirt off? Elena could have just seen that and been convinced, but I guess Lexi's soul mate talk works too.
Bad boy Damon proves that he's not softening like I thought he was; his diabolical master plan includes pursuing Caroline's sheriff mother and pretending to help in the vampire hunt. He also engineers the demise of yet another character (more about that in The Bloody rundown), which is heartless and shocking, to say the least.
Bonnie and her awesome Grams make an appearance, apparently having had a sleepover/feather floating lesson. Grams explains that her necklace is her talisman and it chose her, which becomes even more obvious when it also shocks Caroline when she tries to snag it back for Damon. I was disappointed when I thought that was the extent of what we'd see of Bonnie and her witchery this week - until the very end, when Bonnie has a disturbing nightmare featuring her ancestor Emily Bennett and then actually wakes up in the cemetery near the Salvatore family grave. Spooky.

The Bad

Are we supposed to be rooting for Caroline and Matt to get together? I thought it was sweet and all for Matt to take care of Caroline and cuddle her when she's drunk, but I feel like we haven't been given enough to be invested in Matt. Sure, I feel for him losing his sister, but he and Caroline are still side characters to me, so I'm not excited about their pairing quite yet.

The Bloody

I knew something was up when Damon briefly leaves the party and attacks two amorous teens so blatantly; turns out, he pins that attack and all the previous ones on Lexi, supposedly to get the hunting squad off of him and Stefan.
I gasped audibly once again during this episode when the second vampire was killed in as many weeks. Even though Vicki was a more prominent character than Lexi was, I was still completely shocked that Damon stakes her so mercilessly. I really liked her character and loved that for once, someone could overpower Damon. I have a feeling that her little domination of him in the beginning of the episode had something to do with how easily he kills her, but it's still such a horrible thing to do to Stefan. I thought that the small part of Damon that's still human harbors a love for his brother, but I can't believe how deeply he's willing to hurt him.
Heartbroken over the murder of his friend, Stefan tells Elena he has to kill Damon. Which means: vampire fight! But Stefan can't do it; he just sticks the wooden stake in Damon's torso to hurt, but not destroy, him. Well, yeah, he's a star of the show. He can't go anywhere! And Stefan wants to spare him, blah, blah, blah.

From the looks of the preview, I definitely thought this week would just be a filler episode, but it managed to keep up the pace of last week's super intense and amazing "Haunted." A couple more things to think about: Lexi brings up an interesting point - Katherine and Elena look so alike, they could be related. This is a small town with residents whose roots go deep; could they be related? It's an interesting thought. Also, the best way to end an episode is a ghostly Emily Bennett telling Bonnie "It's coming." What's coming? Ack, it's so ominous and exciting, I can't wait to find out what it means! What did you think of this week's episode? And if you want a place to talk more about the show, join Hooked on Vampire Diaries in the Buzz Community!

Photos courtesy of The CW

Precious: A Dark Tale With a Hopeful Light

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0800

When Precious first caused rumblings at Sundance, I thought, "There is no way I'm seeing this film." There are certain things that I find uncomfortable to watch - pregnant teens, abuse, Mariah Carey. But I'm so glad I did. Because despite its drawbacks on paper, Precious provides a big payback to those who watch it. It's one of those few unforgettable films that stays with you days later - for better and for worse.

Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, Precious follows the story of Claireece Precious Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), an overweight high school student who is pregnant for the second time by her father and living with her abusive mother, Mary (Mo'Nique). She struggles at school, because on top of her circumstances, she's also coasted through the system without ever learning how to read. So after the news of her recent pregnancy reaches the administration, she enrolls in a special program to get her GED.

I realize that by now you're probably nixing this one as a weepy, formulaic melodrama, but hear me out. As you may have gleaned from my interviews with its stars, the film is indeed a hopeful story at its heart, so to see what I mean, read more.

Part of the story's positivity is thanks to Precious's new teacher, Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), and an almost unrecognizable Mariah Carey as her social worker, Mrs. Reiss. Both women reach out to Precious and uncover a girl with joy despite her abuse - but the tension at home with her mother continues to climb.

As you might expect, many of the scenes between Precious and her mother are incredibly difficult to watch, but the saving grace is director Lee Daniels. He weaves in daydreams during the most brutal scenes, transforming Precious into a movie star or a popular girl with a good-looking boyfriend. These diversions are how Precious copes, and like her aspirations, you begin to yearn for her happy ending, too.

Newcomer Gabby Sidibe portrays Precious with an understated realism that's remarkably convincing, and Mariah Carey delivers a restrained performance. But the real eye-opener here is Mo'Nique. As Precious's mother, she is raw, always spitting out vile words - and she is easily one of the most bone-chilling villains of the year. Mary truly believes that Precious deserves the hand that hits her due to her own mixed-up past.

After you leave the theater, Precious will have made an impact on you. You will feel uncomfortable in parts, you will cringe, and you may just hate it for putting you through the turmoil. But keep watching, because there is strength and spirit to be found even in the bleak subject matter - and perhaps a few award nods.

90210 vs. Melrose Place: Which Was More Scandalous?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:12 -0800

This week's CW drama block may have its share of cool guest stars like N.E.R.D. and Samantha Ronson, but, on the whole, it's a total mess. On the one hand, you've got the unstable girls of 90210 having emotional breakdowns at the drop of a hat; on the other, the Melrose Place residents are busy sneaking around to cover up their crimes. Personally, I was a bit annoyed by all the over-the-topness - especially you, Annie. Oh, and you, Ivy. But hey, at least it gives us a few surprising moments.

Ready to dissect each show and decide which packed more punch? (Warning: major spoilers!) Take a peek at my arguments and then weigh in with your own when you read more.

90210 point: Sasha is officially a nut job. First she tells Dixon that she's pregnant, but when Debbie gets wind of it, she questions Sasha even further to catch her in her baby lies. But the best part? When Debbie says the line, "It starts with you're not pregnant, and it ends with stay away from my son." Oh, snap! Congrats Debbie, you just went up a notch on the list of cool TV moms. Sasha backs off, telling Dixon she had a "miscarriage."
Melrose Place counterpoint: Did David kill Sydney? They sure try to make it seem that way. David tells Ella that he was blackout drunk that night after finding out that Syd was sleeping with his father - and then he has a flashback where he wakes up with blood all over himself and a knife in his hand. I gasped a little over the big reveal, but I'm not entirely convinced that David wasn't set up by someone else.

90210 point: Annie is getting in way over her head with Jasper, and unfortunately, she seems much too insecure to dig herself out. When Navid hears that Jasper is a dealer, he tells Annie and she confronts Jasper about it. Jasper wigs out, making Annie cry and beg forgiveness. Later, we see Jasper selling drugs to someone, so we know the rumors are true. For more on his buyer, keep reading.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Jonah makes out with Kendra, the hot movie producer, literally within the first five minutes of the episode. (That didn't take long.) He stops things from going further, but when he comes clean to Riley, he gets on her case again for her kiss with Auggie. She apologizes profusely, but the damage has already been done. By the end of the episode, I was thinking, Wait, did they actually just break up?! I don't think so, but if you stuck around for next week's promo, things do not look good for the engaged couple.

90210 point: Jen is back, throwing around her prima donna wicked attitude. She walks in on Ryan during his date with the bartender from the previous episode and goes into attack mode with the verbal jabs. ("You look older closer up.") Ryan is actually turned on by her jealousy, and the two become exclusive. But what I can't understand is why, after he knows that she lies, does he actually trust her story about Liam coming on to her? He totally buys it!
Melrose Place counterpoint: Auggie finally gives his a-hole boss Marcello a piece of his mind, er, fists. Marcello passes off one of Auggie's recipes as his own, and then he makes a few lewd comments about Riley - and you know how Auggie feels about Riley. He starts swinging, knocking Marcello out. Back at the apartment later, Violet shows up, and in a moment of what I can only blame on Auggie's emotional distress, the two finally knock boots. I'm guessing this means we'll be seeing Violet's worst kind of crazy very soon (right before she and Auggie say sayonara).

90210 point: Adrianna is inching closer to her previous life of drug use. It starts when she plays a song asking for Navid's forgiveness. (So cheesy!) He turns her down, so she continues sulking in bed, sobbing. Silver and Naomi want her to go to a meeting so she can stay clean, and with due concern - at the end of the episode, we see her buying from none other than Jasper.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Ella's squeaky-clean client, Jessie, is hospitalized with major cocaine in his system, so she begs Lauren to write a fake report citing an allergy as the cause of his stay. Lauren refuses. (Anyone else confused about why Lauren continues to take the high road, despite her side prostitution gig?) Ella then discovers a wad of cash in Lauren's room and realizes her Pretty Woman secret. Of course Lauren denies the accusations, but no matter - Ella decides to let her star take the fall anyway and promises to never question Lauren again.

90210 had way more melodramatic outbursts, but those ladies were so crazy that it kind of turned me off. (You girls give women a bad name. Even Violet seemed normal this week compared to you.) So I'm giving this week to Melrose by default: I was genuinely shocked at David's bloody flashback and the fact that Jonah has suddenly broken out of his perfect-fiance persona. I expect scandal from someone like Auggie or Ella, but from Jonah? Come on!

Do you disagree? Were you actually loving all of the melodrama on 90210?

Don't forget that you can also keep the conversation going over in the 90210 Superfans group in the Buzz Community. Check it out!

Photos courtesy of The CW

Top WTF Moments From Gossip Girl Episode "The Grandfather Part II"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:30:07 -0800

Political scandals! Early relationship gaffes on late night shows! This week's Gossip Girl had some less typical subject matter, but not every week can have a threesome, you know? (That's next week). Still, it felt like this week was laying groundwork for future episodes, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of WTF moments to discuss. Want to talk about the Upper East Siders beyond this week's installment? Join the XOXO Gossip Girl group in the BuzzSugar Community!
Photos courtesy of The CW

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Buzz Blabber: Where to Talk About TV's Most Recent Episodes

BuzzSugar — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0800

This week was chock-full of Halloween-themed shows, but that doesn't mean it's too late to curl up and watch what you missed with a bag of leftover candy. Here's where to chat about all the latest episodes.

Desperate Housewives	Gossip Girl	The Vampire Diaries
America's Next Top Model	Mad Men	FlashForward
The Office	So You Think You Can Dance	Grey's Anatomy

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:30:00 -0700

It's Tuesday, which means new DVDs hit shelves to fatten up your entertainment library! Trying to decide which to add to your Netflix queue? Check out these three releases.

Orphan

All right, so it's not the best horror film ever - for that, take a peek at my scary movie bracket - but who doesn't love a good spook just in time for Halloween? In Orphan, Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard star as parents who adopt a destructive little girl with a huge secret. The movie borders on ridiculous, but if you like to laugh during your fright flicks, it's got a bit of dark humor and over-the-top slasher scenes. Bonus features include deleted scenes and an alternate ending - which should be good for keeping things fresh, seeing as how the big twist has already been spoiled by pretty much anyone who's seen it.

55%

See two more new releases when you read more.

Nothing Like the Holidays

If you're feeling anti-Orphan, then perhaps a Christmas-themed ensemble film is more your speed. Nothing Like the Holidays follows a large, boisterous Puerto Rican-American family as they gather at their parents' home, and the obligatory love-hate relationships ensue. The storyline is a little stale, so I wasn't a fan when the movie first came out - but it may be a solid rental to get into the pre-holiday spirit and for the actors. (Alfred Molina and Freddy Rodriguez are particularly good as father and son.) There's also a bonus blooper real.

49%

Whatever Works

Curb Your Enthusiasm's Larry David stars in Woody Allen's story of a crabby New Yorker who takes in a young Southern runaway named Melodie (Evan Rachel Wood). Putting aside the somewhat unsettling older man and much younger woman relationship, the real joy to be had is from the bit character parts. Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley Jr. turn in hilarious performances as Melodie's parents, and dreamy Henry Cavill of The Tudors plays a love interest. If you can get beyond David doing his tiring, whiny Allen schtick, they make the film worth checking out.

48%

FlashForward Breakdown, "Black Swan"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:30:00 -0700

It's been two weeks since the blackouts, and in this week's episode of FlashForward, the people of the world are slowing getting back into their old routines. The only problem is, their outlook on the world is a bit marred to say the least. Nicole finally resurfaces, Olivia and Bryce spar over the meaning of the flashforwards, and Demetri and Mark come to blows.

We get a little more insight, a glimpse at Dominic Monaghan and one very big reveal, so just read more.

Can the future really save people?
Olivia and Bryce meet Edward Ned (who hilariously insists on being called "Ned Ned"), a new patient with a constant sense of calm and a conviction that in sixth months he'll have transformed into a black man ("like Oprah black"). At first he just seems nuts, until Bryce uses Ned's vision to diagnose him. Still trying to convince herself that the flashforwards may not come true, Olivia refuses to use Bryce's method and nearly kills Ned before changing her mind. Ned declares that the "future saved him" and Bryce agrees. But what about the people who are afraid of their visions? Can the future save them too, in that they can somehow avoid what they see? (Side note: I almost choked when I recognized Ned as Todd from Wedding Crashers).

Does Nicole deserve to be punished?
Nicole finally picks up her baby-sitting gig again, and it's revealed that she and Aaron are connected through his daughter Tracy. Clearly disturbed by her vision, Nicole seeks out a priest in hopes to start some volunteer work. She eventually reveals to Mark that she's being drowned in her flashforward, and the murder feels deserved. But why? Mark assures her that she did nothing wrong, but we all know it won't be that simple. In the pilot Nicole is gettin' busy on the couch while Charlie is sleeping, so she has a bad girl side. But now that she knows her possible fate, what could she do to warrant a punishment like that? Also, I could be wrong about this - but her attacker looked like he could definitely be Dominic Monaghan, aka Simon.

What's the deal with Alda Herzog?
Referred to as the "female Osama Bin Laden," Alda Herzog is clearly shady - but what does she know about the blackouts? She toys with both Demetri and Mark, sending them on a wild goose chase to the Customer Choice Restaurant Group, and later telling Mark that he's just "a little boy in the dark." She easily gets a rise out of both of them, even prompting Mark and Demetri to start a fist fight. I can't help but wonder if she's got them totally wrapped around her finger, a la Nazi Guyer from last week's episode, or if she's really sent Mark down the right path to get some answers.

How is LLoyd Simcoe involved in the blackout?
Lloyd continues to struggle with caring for Dylan after spending so many years as an absentee father. He continues to try to garner help from Olivia, but she pushes him away in constant fear of her flashforward. Lloyd has a tender moment at Dylan's house as he attempts to learn a little bit about his boy, and the two make a connection back at the hospital. Everything is all puppies and roses until he gets a call from Simon - who implies that the two are responsible for causing the blackouts.

Other points:

I loved the Shakespeare in Love throwback when Mark is being silly with Charlie: "You're the Shakespeare of cheesy dad humor!"

The opening of the episode, set to Bjork's "It's Oh So Quiet" was a very poetic way to look at the blackouts - especially since we can't hear all the catastrophic noise and commotion that usually defines the incident.

There seems to be a long focus on the "Pimp" necklace during the trailer park scene. Is that going to come back to haunt us?

What'd you think of this week's episode? Do you think there's a connection between those who see hopeful visions and those that see hurtful ones?