BuzzSugar

Link Time! Seth Rogen and Michelle Williams Ready to "Waltz"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:30:40 PST

Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen are rumored to get romantic for Take This Waltz - Deadline Hollywood
Former Bachelor Jason Mesnick to marry Molly Malaney on ABC - TV Watch
Brittany Murphy's husband is blaming Warner Bros. for her death - The Daily Beast
Check out this goofy video from the Macgruber set - TV Squad
Mel Gibson in talks for the thriller Cold Warrior - Cinematical
Joe Dirt is getting an animated series on TBS - News Briefs
The Grammys: 40 iconic missteps - BellaSugar
FOX greenlights comedy pilot from Ron Howard - Inside TV
The 15 biggest breakout films of Sundance - Moviefone
I can't wait for this Lost issue of Entertainment Weekly! - PopWatch

Ripped from the Headlines: NYT Prom Story to Become a Movie

BuzzSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:44:47 PDT

Back in June the New York Times published a touching article about a high school in Brooklyn for kids who have newly immigrated to the United States. The article chronicles students in their senior year who have come from countries all over the world including Senegal, Haiti, and Poland as they make their way through that time-honored American right of passage: The prom. Now Miramax Films has optioned the rights to the article, which is titled "This Strange Thing Called Prom," and will turn the concept into a movie.

This is the latest addition to a growing pile of movie ideas springing from the pages of newspapers and magazines: The rights were optioned to an Atlantic Monthly article that urges single women of a certain age to "settle" for Mr. Not-Totally-Perfect, and last month J.J. Abrams purchased the rights to another NYT article that he will turn into a movie. However, since Hollywood essentially buys the "idea" of the story, it's anyone's guess what the actual film may look like.

So what would a movie about kids who have never heard of this strange American ritual called prom look like? To check out parts of the article that might inspire a good flick,

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark: Light on Scares

Rose Curiel — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 03:05:00 PDT

In Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, a young girl named Sally (Bailee Madison) moves cross-country to Blackwood Manor, a Gothic estate her architect father (Guy Pearce), and his interior decorator girlfriend (Katie Holmes) are renovating. Soon after arriving, Sally begins to hear eerie voices coming from tiny creatures in the mansion's basement, and what follows is a pretty formulaic approach to a horror film - there's a house with a dark history, an all-too-knowledgeable groundskeeper, and a child whose fears are written off by the adults around her. The story feels all too familiar, and you can pretty much guess what's going to happen every step of the way.

The film is a remake of a 1970s made-for-TV movie that producer and cowriter Guillermo del Toro cites as the scariest movie he ever saw as a child. It's hard not to expect a unique take on a haunted horror film, given the fact that del Toro created such a vivid imaginary world in Pan's Labyrinth. Instead we get a lot of clichés, and one of the only deviations from standard horror movie fare - an intricate mythology surrounding the creatures - emerges as more confusing than scary. To find out more about why del Toro's monster's failed to make my skin crawl, just

read more. The tiny beasts who torment Sally are most terrifying during the first half of the film, when we only catch brief glimpses of their claws and beady eyes, experiencing them through their raspy whispers. Their ability to inspire fear, however, diminishes when they make their first appearance onscreen and we see that instead of the terrifying boogeymen we've been envisioning are scruffy rat-like creatures that have been brought to life with CGI effects. More convincing than the little critters is Madison, who taps into Sally's loneliness and fear with such ease, it's hard to believe she was only nine when the film was shot. We feel Sally's pain and isolation as she cries over her parents' divorce, weeps during a phone call to her mother, and wanders the estate's grounds by herself. Madison steals the spotlight from Pearce, who is largely forgettable in his role as a father who cares more about his career than his daughter. Holmes's character Kim, on the other hand, has a little more emotional depth, as we see her struggle to connect with the distant girl who has recently entered her life, and then goes on to become Sally's ally in dealing with the haunting. If you're a fan of classic horror films that make you scream at characters as they make one bad choice after another, then you will probably enjoy Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. Those who are expecting a more terrifying tale that will stick with them for days might be disappointed, as this definitely isn't the type of film that's going to make you want to sleep with the lights on once you get home.

Photo courtesy of Miramax

Miramax Adds More Streaming Video Options to Facebook

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:23:57 PDT

Good news for those wishing to stream movies online: Hollywood movie studio Miramax joins the streaming media crowd with the launch of a Facebook app called Miramax eXperience. For $3, rent any of the available movies, like Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill (in addition to previously mentioned Doctor Who episodes) for commercial free viewing on Facebook, iPad, and GoogleTV.

Miramax's foray into Facebook video streaming is just one addition to the many streaming options consumers can choose from for their entertainment needs, including the following:

Netflix - With access via gaming consoles, TVs, iPhones, and Android smartphones in addition to computers, the popular classic doesn't seem to be going anywhere despite the competition and controversial new pricing structure.
Hulu Plus - The $8 monthly subscription fee for Hulu Plus allows access to the most current episodes of TV shows and has an even larger catalog of movies available than its free Hulu counterpart. Available via iOS, Android, select gaming consoles, Samsung TVs, and computer systems.
VUDU by Walmart - The service is accessible through the VUDU page on Walmart's website or from VUDU-enabled devices like certain HDTVs, Blu-ray players, or PlayStation 3. Customers do not sign up for a subscription, but rather pay per film viewing. Rentals begin at $3, with new releases starting at $4 and higher for HD-quality streams; many movies can be purchased for unlimited viewing for $15.
Blockbuster Total Access - Pricing models give customers the option to rent DVDs for home delivery with a subscription plan for $10 or $15, choose to rent DVD without subscriptions, or stream films online on demand.

For those who love the freedom of choice, check out more streaming options after the break.

Morning Movie Streaming News: Facebook and Netflix

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:28:22 PDT

Earlier this month, Facebook announced a partnership with Warner Bros. that allow members to stream select full-length movies through each movie's official Facebook fan page for just $3. At the time, only one title was made available - The Dark Knight - but now, Warner Bros. is releasing five more titles for your movie-watching pleasure.

Starting at 10 p.m. PST, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Inception, Life as We Know It, and Yogi Bear will be available to rent and stream for 30 Facebook credits ($3). Users will have up to 48 hours to tune in and will still have access to Facebook updates, news feeds, and more while watching. Have any of you streamed The Dark Knight via Facebook? Let us know about your experience and if you'll be watching any of the new additions.

But there's more streaming movie news - hear what's up with Netflix after the break.