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Seth Rogen Talks Monsters, Aliens, and Halloween

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:30:00 -0700

Tonight, NBC is airing a Halloween-themed follow up to last Summer's animated hit Monsters Vs. Aliens, Monsters Vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins From Outer Space. Seth Rogen, who voices the gelatinous jokester B.O.B. in the half-hour special, chatted on the phone with a few reporters about reprising his role. He talked animated films, Halloween, and even a little bit of the upcoming adaptation of The Green Hornet that he's currently filming with Michel Gondry.

On why he enjoys voicing B.O.B.: I enjoy it because, I mean, this is the stupidest answer - I enjoy it because it's fun. The character is funny and the directors are cool and the story is funny; to me it's like a very fun format to kind of improvise, and try to discover a character in a different way than physically doing it, you know. You've got to do it all with your voice, and I really enjoy that.
On dressing up for Halloween: I have a girlfriend now and I've entered the unfortunate world of paired costuming. It's not fun. I don’t recommend it. I always end up being the lamer half - it's like she's a dog and I'm a fire hydrant or something like that. It's never fun. So maybe I'm dodging a bullet this year.

To hear what Rogen said about The Green Hornet and what he loves about Halloween TV, just read more.

On his Halloween TV faves: I always liked The Simpsons' Halloween specials, personally. They were always amazing. I always looked forward to that on Halloween. And I watched TGIF sitcoms growing up because I was a nerd and had nothing to do on Friday nights, and whenever the sitcoms would do their Halloween episode, I always enjoyed that for some reason. That always spawned some good comedy.
On the pressure of making The Green Hornet: I will blame Gondry if it sucks. No, I'm just joking. No, we are all in it, you know. I will say, I take a huge amount of the pressure. I understand that. I understand that. I understand that it's my face on it, you know, when it literally comes out even if it sucks for another reason, people will blame me and that's why I have to be so involved - to try to make sure that it doesn't suck. But there's a lot of pressure. I understand that. I've been talking about this movie for years, and if it sucks, then no one will be more disappointed than me, believe me.
On improvising as a voice actor: You can actually improvise a lot as a voice actor. I mean, real people I think don't - and I didn't - understand how animation works really. The time consuming part is really creating the characters and the sets and the worlds. And aside from that it's not that entirely different than shooting a live action movie; the characters mouths are quite easy to manipulate once all the information is built into the computer. So you can improvise a lot and it doesn't matter really how far along they are in the process; they can just make the character say something different. Almost more than in a live action movie because of how slow the process is.
On whether he'll do more voice acting in the future: I really enjoy it and I mean, I've always been a fan of animation - yes, I would like to.

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:30:24 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to the movies below, there's also Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience and Madonna's directorial debut Filth and Wisdom. Check out this week's picks!

Away We Go

John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph star as an expecting, road-tripping couple in this indie comedy drama directed by Sam Mendes. I loved the quirky humor that came from not only the leads, but a star-studded cast of supporting characters played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeff Daniels, Alison Janney, and Catherine O'Hara. It may not be as laugh-out-loud as the two leads' usual work, but if you're looking for a sweetly funny flick you may like Away We Go. The DVD and Blu-ray have a making-of featurette, a commentary track, and a behind-the-scenes feature about how the filmmakers tried to make the production more environmentally friendly.

66%

See two more new releases when you read more.

Management

Jennifer Aniston stars as an everyday gal in the comedy Management. Steve Zahn is the shy hotel manager who meets and falls in love with her immediately, and Woody Harrelson is the has-been boyfriend he's trying to woo her away from. It's not the straightforward romantic comedy you'd expect from Aniston, which I don't mind at all, and Zahn's so adorable he can make stalker-like behavior seem OK. On the DVD are a commentary track, a gag reel, and deleted scenes.

44%

Monsters vs. Aliens

Monsters vs. Aliens boasts the vocal stylings of Reese Witherspoon as Susan Murphy, a woman who's hit by a meteor and turns into a giant as a result. The 3D movie from Dreamworks is definitely kid-friendly fare, but I tend to enjoy modern animated movies like this, especially when they also have the voices of Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson, Hugh Laurie, and Stephen Colbert. The DVD and Blu-ray discs have tons of special features, like music videos, deleted scenes, and the technology behind the movie.

72%

Buzz In: Which Animated Movie Is Most Oscar-Worthy?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:30:37 -0800

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a press release today, announcing that 20 films have been submitted for Best Animated Film consideration at this year's Oscars. This means there could be five movies competing at the awards show in March. (In the history of the category, there have typically been only three.) So who is up for the honor?

Some are obvious choices. Up, for example, comes as no surprise thanks to its huge accolades. I also think Coraline stands a chance, as well as Fantastic Mr. Fox (look for my review on Friday!). But Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel seems like a long shot - even though it hasn't hit theaters yet, so I'm just making an early prediction. (Sorry, Alvin.)

With 10 movies in the Best Picture category, I wouldn't be surprised if some of these films end up with more than one nomination. Check out the full list of animated film contenders, and tell me which you think is most deserving of an Oscar when you read more.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
Astro Boy
Battle For Terra
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
Disney's A Christmas Carol
The Dolphin – Story of a Dreamer
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Mary and Max
The Missing Lynx
Monsters vs. Aliens
9
Planet 51
Ponyo
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
A Town Called Panic
Up

The Vampire Diaries "The Turning Point": The Good, The Bad and The Bloody

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:15:00 -0800

I was already bummed knowing this was the last week of new episodes of The Vampire Diaries until January; and now, having seen it, I'm freaking out a little bit. I knew there was going to be an epic cliffhanger, I just didn't know how epic!

With new vampires, violence and passion come "The Turning Point" - a title that would apply to many things that happened this week. So as usual, let's break down the good, the bad, and the bloody of this week (plenty of spoilers ahead!) when you read more.

The Good

Stefan and Elena finally gave up on their "are we or aren't we" dance and got together. I mean, together together. Vampire boots were knocked, but there wasn't a happy ending. More on that later.
Logan's vampiric turn made for gruesome excitement, especially now that Damon is trying to be on his best behavior. It also brought forth new mysteries; why did Sheriff Forbes bury Logan and write emails on his behalf instead of saying it was an animal attack? And who did turn him? My money was on Alaric, but now I'm not so sure. I also enjoyed his interactions with Damon, despite their constant shooting of wood bullets at each other.
OK, fine: I do like Caroline and Matt together now. Their coupling is just kind of sweet, and the fact that they bonded over So You Think You Can Dance?! I felt like it was my birthday.
I'm a fan of cool guy teacher Alaric, even if he is probably a vampire. I like to think he's more exciting than that - could he be a good vampire like Stefan? Interestingly, I don't think that Stefan or Damon has actually interfaced with Alaric yet, which is telling to me. If I had to guess, I'd say they knew each other. And what of him also being a "daywalker," when Stefan and Damon are so secretive about their rings?
I need to know more about the Gilbert family legacy, especially since Jeremy discovered an ancestor who wrote fiction about monsters. I like that the show made me care about more side characters I hadn't previously, like Jenna, Jeremy, and even Tyler. About Tyler. . . I don't want to speak too soon, but I think there's something very interesting happening with him.

The Bad

Isn't it a little too early to be saying "I love you," Elena? She even wants to see and make out with his scary vampire face when he gets turned on. Weeeird.

The Bloody

Newborn Logan is literally out for blood, but that pile of hoarded bodies that Logan was keeping made me sick to my stomach.
Anyone else feeling sorry for Caroline? Girlfriend's always getting bloodied up. Someone give her a self-defense lesson.
So basically unless you're Stefan or Damon, if you're a vampire you will only last one episode before being staked. Logan gets staked by Alaric by the end of the hour, which is unfortunate for Damon, because Logan had just promised him there was another way to break the spell holding Katherine and the other vampires under Fell's Church. Guess we'll just have to wait to meet little Miss Vixen.
It might have been time for Stefan to hide the Katherine photo, or at least have come clean about their resemblance. Lord knows finding a photo of my doppelganger at my undead boyfriend's house would freak me out too. That's what happens for Elena, who leaves Stefan's in a devastated rush. When someone stands in front of her car, she has a gnarly crash, which is terrifying in itself. It gets much more horrifying when the "person" she hit uncracks their limbs to stand up and come toward her. Yeesh! (BTW, did that scene remind anyone of Tara in the first season finale of True Blood?)

I don't know how I'm going to deal with the show's hiatus for two long months, let alone waiting that long to find out what was coming for Elena. Or, who Alaric is; did he kill Logan to protect Jenna, eliminate a problem-causing newborn, or something more insidious? To talk more about the show (especially in the next few weeks without new episodes) join the Hooked on Vampire Diaries group in the Buzz Community!

Photos courtesy of The CW

Link Time! ABC Pulls the Plug on Kelsey Grammer's Hank

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:30:57 -0800

It's just no Frasier: ABC cancels Hank - Ausiello Files
In a quick turn of events, Steven Tyler announces that he is not quitting Aerosmith - E! Online
Did you watch The City last night? Test your knowledge with this tech quiz - GeekSugar
Celebrate Veterans Day with these classic war movies! - MTV Movies Blog
The Tony Awards better get ready: Denzel Washington is coming to Broadway in a revival of August Wilson's Fences - Culture Monster
Winona Ryder signs on as the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous in a Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie. - Movieline
Check out this list of John Cusack's 10 best movies - Rotten Tomatoes
Get to know the actress behind Anna on TV's V - TV.com

FlashForward Breakdown, "Scary Monsters and Super Creeps"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:30:52 -0700

FlashForward gets into the Halloween spirit this week, with a few tricks for the characters and treats for the audience. We get just a bit more info about Simon and see a few costumes as Olivia and Mark's relationship issues come to a head in a big way.

This week's episode is heavy on the revelations (just like Sonya Walger promised), so to get into it, just read more.

Simon says: Within the first few minutes of the episode, one thing is abundantly clear: Simon is not Charlie from Lost. Instead, he's a smooth-talking, self-proclaimed "quantum physicist genius", who actually gets a woman into bed using the line "I know what caused the FlashForward." The scary part is that he actually does - and in his own vision, he's murdering someone. Totally creepy.

Trick or treat: Mark takes Charlie out trick-or-treating, and has an unpleasant surprise waiting when he gets home. He's understandably uncomfortable having Lloyd in his house, and things hit the fan when Olivia gets home and all three realize what's going on at the exact same time. I was so happy when Mark finally tells Olivia the truth about his vision (was totally expecting him to lie again), but then Olivia insinuates that they should break up - which seems a bit random to me. They're finally making progress and now they're going to throw it all away?

Runaway rapper: Lloyd's son Dylan runs away from the hospital in his rapper costume), and heads to the Benford residence. It's baffling when Dylan runs past Nicole and makes himself comfortable, until we finally see the kid's flashforward: he and Charlie are hanging out in the kitchen, eating cookies and having a grand old time. (So much for my kidnapping theory). So here's where I'm confused: Charlie looks perfectly happy to be hanging out with Dylan in her vision, so where did she get the "D. Gibbons is a bad man" idea from?

Janis's body: Janis is admitted to the hospital after last week's shoot-out, and Olivia is her doctor, naturally. My heart jumped for a split second when Janis pretends that she doesn't recognize Olivia (would be an all-too-easy explanation of her vision). Thinking about her flash-forward gets Janis all stressed out, and she has to undergo another surgery - this time, part of her uterus is removed, making it "almost impossible" for her to get pregnant. Almost.

Other major plot points:

Simon brings up the Schrödinger's Cat theory, discussing that it's up to the cat to decide if it wants to live or die. Is this foreshadowing for the flash-forwards? Perhaps each character can decide for him- or herself whether or not to make it happen?

Demetri sets off in search of his attacker, follows a bunch of blue-hand signs to an abandoned warehouse. I'm starting to get a little bored of his storyline.

Lloyd and Simon reunite at the end of the episode, with Lloyd saying, "Our experiment killed 20 million people Simon, what more is there to say?" What's do you think the relationship is here? Brothers? Old buddies? Lab partners?

The kangaroo makes an appearance!

This episode was one of my favorites so far, but what did you guys think about all the new revelations? Tell me your theories in the comments below!

Photos courtesy of ABC, Inc.

Reese Witherspoon Plays by the Rules

BuzzSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:30:39 -0700

It seems like Reese Witherspoon has been laying lower than usual this year. (She voiced Monsters vs. Aliens, but we haven't seen her face on screen since Four Christmases!) Now her career is speeding up again. The A-lister just signed on to produce and star in Rule #1, which will follow Witherspoon as a New Yorker who gets chummy with a young Puerto Rican girl with ADD.

Those are the only storyline details as of now, but it sort of reminds me of those promos for Sandra Bullock's The Blind Side - a woman taking a challenged kid under her wing, etc. Hopefully it will steer clear of the sappiness we typically get from those types of films and show off Witherspoon's serious acting side instead.

What do you think? Does this new project sound like Oscar bait - or just another formulaic weep-fest?

What to TiVo: Wednesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:50:36 -0700

ABC is new with The Middle, Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Eastwick
CBS has repeats of The New Adventures of Old Christine, Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, and CSI: NY
FOX has Game One of the World Series
NBC has Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins From Outer Space and is new with Law & Order: SVU
The CW is new with America's Next Top Model and has a repeat of Vampire Diaries
ABC Family has Hocus Pocus
AMC has House on Haunted Hill
MTV has a repeat of My Super Psycho Sweet 16 and is new with Real World/Road Rules Challenge
Bravo is new with Top Chef: Las Vegas
Comedy Central is new with South Park, Secret Girlfriend, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, and The Colbert Report
FX is new with Nip/Tuck
Late-night highlights include Patrick Dempsey and Sting on The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS; Chelsea Handler on The Jay Leno Show on NBC; Edward Norton, Hulk Hogan, and "Weird Al" Yankovic on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on NBC; and Madeleine Albright on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson on CBS

New Moon Soundtrack Out Today! What to Sink Your Teeth Into

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:44:25 -0700

The film version of this Fall's sequel to Twilight isn't all fans have been rabidly anticipating - the New Moon soundtrack picked up enough steam to be released today instead of next Tuesday. It's no wonder it was rushed out; Death Cab for Cutie's video for "Meet Me on the Equinox", premiered to much fanfare, as did the tracklist, revealed barely a month ago.

The wait is over, and you can go buy the disc, download it, or stream the soundtrack on MySpace for free today. I've been listening for the past couple of days, and like my feelings for Robert Pattinson, I'm crushing pretty hard on it. Music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas did a great job compiling songs - all originals for the soundtrack - that evoke the teenage heartbreak vibe of New Moon while featuring a roster of talented bands.

Find out what's worth the iPod space when you read more.

I'm a pretty big Death Cab fan, but "Meet Me on the Equinox" doesn't do much for me - instead, The Killer's "White Demon Love Song" is the better rocking, evocative love song.

It was interesting to me when people were perplexed about Thom Yorke's appearance on this soundtrack, when there was an awesomely-placed Radiohead song over Twilight's end credits. Yorke's solo effort, "Hearing Damage" has the same edgy feeling as "15 Step," and I'm definitely trying to figure out when it will play in the movie (it sounds ideal to break down to).

It's fun to play the where-does-this-song-go game; "Monsters" by Hurricane Bells has to be played when things are good between Bella and Jacob, while "The Violet Hour" by Sea Wolf is another one of the few upbeat songs on the album. I'd bet the relieved-sounding ballad "Shooting the Moon" by OK Go ends up being one of the movie's last songs.

Considering the movie's plot, there are the expected mournful tunes, such as the remarkable "Possibility" by Lykke Li, who came into my consciousness last year and is about to hit everyone else's this year. Grizzly Bear's Slow Life also beautifully illustrates Bella's sad sack mood (total break up song).

Stephenie Meyer's favorite band Muse of course appears with "I Belong To You" - and it's a lively, bittersweet track (I'm betting it's wrapping up the credits).

Have you gotten a chance to listen to the New Moon soundtrack? Tell me what songs have caught your ear below, and to talk more album reviews, join the Music Review Group or the Movies of Twilight group in the community!

The Matchups are Heating Up in Our Scariest Movie Bracket!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:30:19 -0700

What really makes a movie scary? Is it monsters and gore, or the kind of psychological thriller that gets into your brain and keeps you up at night? The answers are all subjective, which makes our bracket to determine the scariest movie of all time even more exciting. One of the hottest matchups right now is between Psycho and 28 Days Later. The two films couldn't be more different, except that they both gave me some pretty serious nightmares. Be sure to weigh in on the debates with your own picks and remember - there's a big prize in it for one lucky winner!