BuzzSugar

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:30:45 -0700

Tuesdays are big in entertainmentville: not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores. So I take a spin through each week's music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download. In addition to my picks below, you can also get the new Sonic Youth album now.

Start the party: Most of you said you prefer Fergie when she's singing with the Black Eyed Peas, so you may be excited that the group's new album hits stores today. I've always had a love-hate relationship with this group. Sometimes the Peas' catchy music gets me jazzed for a jog or gets me dancing at a party. Other times I flip off the radio when one of the group's hit songs comes on for the billionth time. But in the face of the straightforward lyrics on the new album - like "Tonight's the night night/Let's live it up/I got my money/Let's spend it up," from the new single "I Gotta Feeling" - I have to just smile. Resistance is futile.

More Mos Def: I didn't even need a full listen through Mos Def's fourth album, The Ecstatic, to get excited about it. As one reviewer describes its achievements: "Mos is brimming with poetry again, hurling politically charged lyrics like lightning bolts against the thunderous beats behind him." So far, I'm digging "Auditorium" and "Life in Marvelous Times."

House Rundown: Episode 19, "Locked In"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:30:05 -0700

This week's episode of House comes at us largely from the perspective of its patient, a man who had a bicycle accident that rendered him "locked in" with no way to communicate save for blinking and moving a computer cursor with his brain. House - who conveniently crashed his motorcycle and ended up in the hospital bed next to him - becomes fixated on figuring out what caused his syndrome, while the patient is forced to listen to the everyday dramas of House's team with no way to escape the monologues. Ready to talk about it? Just read more.

So, how well did House do with shooting an episode from the patient's point of view? My reaction was mixed. I liked the patient's sarcastic inner comments to some of the team's more inane conversations (in particular his bored reaction to Foreman's story about being bad at choosing jewelry), and I would have loved to see more of that. Sure, it's a little hard to get into the rhythm of his thoughts in the first half of the episode, but then there are a few moments in the second half - like when he's struggling to move his finger - when I really wanted to hear what he had to say. Part of the point of the episode is how difficult it is to communicate when "yes" and "no" are the only things you can get across. But we get exposed to the patient's inner life for a little while, and it was enough to make me miss it when it went away.

As for how much the episode reveals about the team, that's also a mixed bag. To my surprise, my favorite story is Taub's, once again. He's moved by his patient, thrilled when he finds a way to keep him communicating once the eye-blinking fails. At one point, we even see tears in his eyes; this is Taub's big chance to connect with the work he's doing for House. But House keeps stringing him along, asking him to come up with one brilliant idea. In the end, it's Kutner who finds the medical answer - I do love the way he's become the ace of House's new team, despite seeming like a doofus - but he lets Taub take the credit for the diagnosis. House knows it's a lie, but it's the kind of lie he respects. It's a lie that proves Taub cares.

Meanwhile, just as the patient is getting caught in a lie about leaving town (while he was, in fact, sending out resumes from his friend's basement, trying to hide from his wife that money was tight), House is getting caught in one of his own, with Wilson doing some sleuthing. It's always fun to see the two of them trying to out-scheme each other, and this one reveals an interesting fact: House has bee seeing a psychiatrist. Or, at least, he saw a psychiatrist once; he claims he'll never go again. But that raises this question: What would make House go to a psychiatrist now? Is he facing some new issue? What are we to make of that scene from House's locked-in POV right at the end of the episode, when he sees Wilson tell him he'll end up alone? Is that really something House fears that much?

Some other thoughts:

Love House's response to the patient saying God sent him: "Suddenly, you're not so fascinating."
Nothing makes a piece of jewelry less romantic than diseased rat pee.
Mos Def seemed particularly good at expressing frustration when his character reached his limits of communication - the strangled noises at the pain of the catheter, the frantic begging for his wife to stay, etc.
It's cute that House's test for the blinking is "square root of nine," but what if the patient had just been bad at math?

A good departure? Or too gimmicky to be taken seriously? Sound off in the comments!

Photos courtesy of Fox

TV Tonight: House, Guest-Starring Mos Def

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:30:14 -0700

There's a pretty interesting episode of House coming up tonight, for a couple of reasons: Its guest star and its unique style. The episode, called "Locked In," stars Mos Def as a patient diagnosed with locked-in syndrome, the same affliction spotlighted in the movie The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

The episode is filmed in a similar style to that movie, with scenes shot from the patient's perspective. Since he cannot communicate outwardly, he's an interesting challenge to diagnose - even for House. But his lack of communication also makes him an ideal sounding board for the doctors at Princeton-Plainsboro, who quickly find themselves talking to (or at?) him about their personal problems and relationship issues.

So, how do you imagine this concept will work for television? Is it a good fit for House? And which PPH relationship would you most like to see play out in front of this patient's eyes? To watch a preview, just read more.

Photo courtesy of Fox

Cadillac Records: Spot-On Performances Bring Legends to Life

BuzzSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:30:33 -0800

There's plenty wrong with director Darnell Martin's biopic about Chicago's famous record label Chess Records, including the confusing title: Cadillac Records. What with the production quality that makes the film look like a sound stage, amateurish editing, and a script that bites off too many legends than it can chew, this movie's got issues.

But you know what? I forgive it these faults for two reasons: the performances are out-of-this-world good (Beyonce actually sets the screen on fire), and the awesome music is prominently on display with most of the actors doing most of the singing. The resulting experience is less a cerebral one (it is awfully formulaic) and more primal. The music moved me, and the performances are so powerful they got under my skin and stayed with me for days.

To see what else I so enjoyed about this ensemble cast (including what might be my favorite Mos Def performance ever), read more.

The musical biopic is as formulaic as a Hollywood genre gets these days, and Cadillac Records does nothing to break free of the now-predictable twists and turns. Improbable rise to fame after overcoming hardship? Check. Breakout moment where the artist really becomes a star? Check. Fame that comes with an emotional price to pay? Check. Drug and alcohol use and abuse? Oh, of course. And the men, they will not be faithful to their wives, and the wives, they will be so sad but will stoically love their tortured artists anyway. You can expect all these tiring cliches and more from this movie.

But the story of Chicago's Chess Records is not only compelling, it's important. Founded by Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody), this itty-bitty record label made stars out of folks like Muddy Waters (who Jeffrey Wright plays with a fantastically down-and-dirty swagger). Bursting with talent, each new artist that Leonard takes on struggles with the demons you'd expect to plague anyone who reaches heights they've never imagined in a society that doesn't think they deserve it. The movie portrays a sad time in America's history indeed, when the powers that be even tried to keep the songs on the radio separate but equal. But the music will find a way, and so it did when the raucous, soulful blues pouring out of Chess found an audience.

As earnestly as this movie handles the music-sees-no-color theme (Cedric the Entertainer does some voiceover narration that doesn't help with the hokey factor), I was still deeply moved. This has less to do with the facts of the story and more to do with the raw emotion and pure joy radiating off each of these performers. Beyonce's Etta James is sassy, hardened, and bursting at the seams - physically and emotionally - with feelings of self-hate due to a lifetime of rejection. When she sings, you really do feel her pain and are never sure if she's going to break down midsong in a puddle of tears or punch someone. My other favorite is Mos Def, who plays Chuck Berry with aplomb. He runs off with the scene each and every time he's on the screen.

These were turbulent times, and the pacing of the movie reflects that. It sweats and jams along at a speed that rarely sags, with musical performances that either break out in gun shots, yelling, or a growl. A stronger center would have helped the narrative out a bit, and it seems that that's what they were trying to do with Brody's character. Chess has a nose for business and cares about his artists, but too often the personal and professional collide, resulting in the kind of paternalistic treatment from a white dude that these musicians have endured their whole lives. Unfortunately, this character isn't filled out enough here, which makes caring about him difficult and gives all these plot lines nothing to rotate around. As entertaining as they all are, a movie focused on one, maybe two, of these artists would have sufficed (as it is, it's like Ray times five). This isn't the movie these musical founders deserve, but these are the best performances anyone concerned with their legacies could ask for.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Movie Preview: Cadillac Records

BuzzSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:45:45 -0800

Well, here it is, folks: A real look at Cadillac Records, the musical biopic people have been buzzing about lately - especially since we first caught a glimpse of Beyonce as Etta James. The movie focuses on several legendary greats, like Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Chuck Berry, and Leonard Chess, portrayed by the likes of Jeffrey Wright, Columbus Short, Mos Def and Adrien Brody.

The story chronicles the rise of Chess Records in 1950s Chicago when, as the voiceover explains, "Sex had a sound. Danger had a rhythm. And freedom had a music all its own." Cadillac Records opens Dec. 5. To check out the trailer, read more.

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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:30:32 -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 titles below, you can also pick up Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson's romcom Fool's Gold and the complete Jericho series on DVD.

Be Kind Rewind
Director Michel Gondry is known for a bizarre brand of humor (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and Be Kind Rewind delivers just that. It stars Jack Black and Mos Def as friends who have to recreate old movies because Black's character accidentally erases all the videos in Def's video rental store. They tackle classics like Ghostbusters and Driving Miss Daisy using hilarious dumpy props and less-than-special effects. Surprisingly, their remakes are a big hit with customers. I called it a must-see for fans of Gondry, and everyone else might enjoy how endearingly funny Jack Black and Mos Def are as they play off each other.

Extras on the disc include the trailer for the film and a featurette titled "Passaic Mosaic."

A movie and a TV show up next so read more.

Under the Same Moon
I haven't seen this indie flick yet but am adding it to my queue because I've read really good things about it. Centered around a boy's journey across the U.S./Mexico border in search of his mother, Under the Same Moon sounds like a real tearjerker. America Ferrera has a small part in the film, but all the performances are supposedly quite touching. The movie earned a standing ovation at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

Special features include a featurette on the making of the film and information about the murals featured in the movie.

Californication: Season 1
This Showtime original series starring X-Files hottie David Duchovny is not suitable viewing for kids or even alongside Mom and Dad. It's daring and often crass, but it's also smart and funny and I'm addicted! I've said before I wish more of my friends watched the show so that we could discuss the next day, and now there is no excuse not to catch up with the release of the debut season on DVD.

Duchovny plays a novelist in L.A. who's had one bestseller but is having a hard time following it up with another success. The love of his life wants nothing to do with him as he tries to balance his own self-destructive behavior with raising his daughter. Evan Handler (Sex and the City) stars as Duchovny's buddy and agent. Time to get started watching now before season two starts up!

Buzz News Roundup, 3/31

BuzzSugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:30:26 -0700

This incredibly creepy dude, Derek Mears, will reportedly play Jason in the new Friday the 13th, ComingSoon writes.
Meanwhile, Mos Def has signed on to portray Chuck Berry in the movie Cadillac Records, Billboard reports.
Zap2it reports that ABC is shuffling its Spring schedule, moving Women's Murder Club to Tuesdays and taking Men in Trees off the air for a few weeks.
Uh-oh: The LA Times has an update on a possible actors' strike.
According to the AP, Heather Mills will judge the next Miss USA pageant.
Kathie Lee Gifford will host the fourth hour of The Today Show, the New York Times reports.
Zany soap opera Passions no longer has a home at NBC, Variety reports.
If you want to see Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward's band play live, She & Him are going on a very, very brief tour, and Pitchfork has the details.

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Caption It: Which Caption Should Win?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:30:00 -0800

Nice job, everyone who offered up ideas for this week's Caption It contest! The challenge was to provide a caption to go with this goofy image from Michel Gondry's latest release Be Kind Rewind:

And now to choose a winning caption. Here are my finalists:

Beer. Turning perfectly good kitchen items into bike helmets since 1955.
"When I told these fools to use protection this isn't what I meant!"
While Danny Glover is yet to be converted, several A-list Hollywood stars such as Mos Def and Jack Black are opting for the cheaper Scientology Lite.
Mos Def: "Between Mr. Glover and I we've got several Emmy, Golden Globe and NAACP Image Awards, as well as great reviews for our work on Broadway."
Jack Black: "But have you heard 'F*** Her Gently?'"
Scoffing at the local crop circles, Danny Glover looks on with disgust as his friends prepare for total alien domination.

Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema

Be Kind Rewind: Just a Silly Good Time

BuzzSugar — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:30:00 -0800

When I first saw the trailer for Be Kind Rewind, it made me feel all happy and giggly. I had relatively high hopes for the movie itself, thinking it would have that bizarre brand of humor I've come to expect from writer/director Michel Gondry and, satisfyingly, I was right. It's not the funniest film ever, and it's not the best use we've seen of Gondry's hyperactive imagination - it's just a goofy, silly good time.

The premise itself is funny: Mike (Mos Def) works for Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) at Be Kind Rewind, the video store Mr. Fletcher opened in an old building where Fats Waller reportedly used to live. Mike's friend Jerry (Jack Black), who's a little touched in the head, manages to become magnetized and ends up erasing all the videos in Mr. Fletcher's store. Thus, the two guys - with the help of their charmingly sweet friend Alma - start to "swede" some of the most popular movies in the store, recreating key plot points using the crudest (and most hilarious) of props and special effects. Eventually the whole community starts to help out and business picks up. Yet trouble arises when Mr. Fletcher's building is condemned and everyone needs to figure out how to save him from moving to the projects. That's just the plot, though, so to see what I think of the movie overall, read more.

While the sweded movies are hilarious, what makes the movie's pulse really beat is the actual feeling between these characters. Mike will defend his weirdo friend Jerry to the death, and he's endearingly loyal to his surrogate father, Mr. Fletcher. The characters in the community seem to care about each other and truly want to be a part of this unique movie-making/video rental experience. Parts of the movie are gimmicky, but the people keep it chugging along nicely.

Of all these people in the movie, Jack Black is a particularly welcome addition. I never thought I'd be so relieved to see Black do his same old overwrought, anxiously energetic, physical comedy thing, but in truth, he sometimes saves the scene. At times, Gondry's humor is too strange or just downright not funny, and Black's easy willingness to play the bumbling fool to the hilt is genuinely refreshing. His slapstick combined with Mos Def's earnestness and Gondry's creativity makes for an hour and a half of goofy fun. The energy of the movie loses much of its steam as it crawls toward the end, but the majority of the film is so engaging, I didn't mind. Bottom line: If you're a fan of Gondry's, it's a must-see, and if not, it's good for some chuckles.

To see a preview for Be Kind Rewind, check out movies.ivillage.com.

Photos courtesy of New Line Cinema

First Look: Be Kind Rewind

BuzzSugar — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 10:16:34 -0700

Up until today, there was just a grainy bootleg version of the trailer for goofball comedy Be Kind Rewind that someone covertly (or, not so covertly, since it says "Shhh I wasn't supposed to tape this! Hee hee..." before the footage) videotaped at Comic-Con where the trailer was screened. Now there's a legit trailer for all to enjoy, and enjoy it I do.

I'm not sure where I am on the topic of Jack Black. I loved him in High Fidelity, but quickly grew tired of him in School of Rock. This trailer, however, looks like the comedy is a collaborative effort with a lot of funny moments for Mos Def and not too-too much of Black's obnoxiousness. The supporting cast includes Danny Glover, and Mia Farrow. The movie follows video store employees Jerry (Black) and Mike (Mos Def) whose videos all become erased. To appease the customers, the duo shoot brief, low-budget versions of the original movies (like Driving Miss Daisy, pictured), which then become major hits in the community.

Be Kind Rewind opens in limited release this December 21. To see the trailer, read more

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