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Movies Rock on CBS Tonight

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:17:58 -0800

Fashion Rocks brought fashion and music together back in September, and tonight, another CBS special will unite music and the movies. Movies Rock, a two-hour special that begins at 9 p.m. EST and PST tonight, is much like its fashionista cousin, right down to the Conde Nast magazine supplement and star-studded lineup.

I told you a while back about some of the performances, which will feature musicians singing their favorite songs from the movies - Beyonce performing "Over the Rainbow," Carrie Underwood belting "The Sound of Music," and more. There's a big list of other performers, as well, including Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Hudson, Fergie, and Elton John.

From Pop's glimpse at the dramatic red carpet, this looks like it was one can't-miss Hollywood event. To check out a video preview, just read more

Photo courtesy of CBS

Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, Elton John to Perform at Movies Rock

BuzzSugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:29:12 -0700

Speaking of well-known music from movies, Conde Nast Media Group the Producers Guild and the Entertainment Industry Foundation will team up for Movies Rock, a salute to music in movies, which will air December 7 on CBS. Similar to their Fashion Rocks event, "Movies Rock will be supplemented by a magazine component, also called Movies Rock, which will be packaged with 14 December Conde Nast titles. Publication will highlight stars, directors and musicians, and Bill Murray is the cover."
The following performances will take place:

Beyonce will sing "Over the Rainbow"
Carrie Underwood will perform "The Sound of Music"
Fergie and Jennifer Hudson will pay tribute to Bond films with "Live and Let Die" and "Goldfinger"
Mary J. Blige and John Legend will sing "As Time Goes By"
Elton John "will honor music from animated movies"
John Williams will perform a medley from his original scores, which include Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark

This sounds pretty cool, and I look forward to seeing this in December. However, there are other songs and scores I'd love to see performed as well, such as the theme music from The Godfather and Gone With the Wind, and perhaps "In Your Eyes" from Say Anything.

What about you? What iconic songs-from-movies would you include in a tribute concert?

Source and source

Adam Shankman to Direct Rock of Ages Movie Musical

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:30:28 -0700

Sometimes I forget that So You Think You Can Dance's Adam Shankman is also heavily involved in the movie biz - he directed 2007's remake Hairspray and recently produced 17 Again. Now the booty shakin' judge just scored a deal to direct and choreograph another movie musical, the Broadway hit Rock of Ages.

The stage show debuted in 2006 and revolves around the hits of '80s glam/hair/metal rock bands. It boosted the career of former American Idol contestant Constantine Maroulis, but he may not be reprising his role: Shankman remarked, "I'm thinking big, and absolutely am going to attempt to cast with movie stars. Now that musicals are working again, actors are much more open to it."

I've never seen the show, but I just read the listing of songs (think Journey and Bon Jovi) and now I'm dying to see it on stage and on the big screen. If you've seen it, what big names could you see starring?

Good Hair: A Funny, Informative Doc For Everyone

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:06:03 -0700

Chris Rock's first shot at a documentary was spurred on by a simple question his daughter asked: "Daddy, why don't I have good hair?" Good Hair is Rock's quest to find out what that is, and why we - men and women, black and white - care so much.

It's not a race relations angle as much as the trailer makes it seem, but rather an investigation into the phenomenon his two young daughters are growing up into: that straight European hair is what's desirable, beautiful, and worth lots of money and pain to get.

Check out Bella's review, and to hear what I liked about the film, just read more.

As a documentarian, Rock excels at putting his subjects at ease, and his experts run the gamut. There are African-American women (particularly actresses like Nia Long and Eve), who can report their feelings firsthand about their hair and the extra pressure from Hollywood they endure to conform. Ice T is hilarious whether he's talking about silicone or wearing curlers in his hair for mugshots. Rock even gets Maya Angelou and Al Sharpton to deliver some of the documentary's biggest laughs. Yes, that's the kind of doc this is - one in which a political figure can make the momentous occasion of lobbying for Martin Luther King Jr. Day into a knee-slapping anecdote.

Watching a doc with as many one-liners as a Judd Apatow flick, I left wondering why more comedians don't make documentaries. Then again, Rock shows that he's green as a nonfiction filmmaker when he initiates conversations only to abruptly drop them. There is a lot to be said for black women striving for straight hair in a cultural context, and Rock raises this issue, but doesn't make a strong point about it. Particularly frustrating is Rock's discovery that most of the human hair sold as weaves in the US comes from India; specifically, from worshipers in India who sacrifice their hair to God in a ritual called Tonsure. Rock shows the Tonsure ceremony and the hair removal, but stops short of questioning what I think is a gross offense.

That's not to say Rock doesn't have some major revelations; he exposes the harms of sodium hydrochloride, also known as chemical relaxer (street name: "creamy crack"). His tenaciousness at that issue makes me wish he'd delved further into the other important matters of the movie.

On the whole, though, this is a solid effort for a first documentary, and it's surprisingly weighty subject matter. When you might think that he's gone a bit too far from his own point of reference, he brings it back to why he's looking at "good hair" in the first place -for his daughters. From salons in Beverly Hills to barber shops in Compton, Rock makes you laugh while opening your eyes to a hairy social subject.

Photos courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Link Time! Taylor Swift Wins Entertainer of the Year at the CMAs

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:30:31 -0800

Taylor Swift is the youngest person ever to take the big CMAs prize - Watching TV
Where are all the women writers in late-night? - New York Times
Get to know the new guy on 30 Rock - Marc Malkin
Dawson's Creek scribe Kevin Williamson is working on a redo of The Bedroom Window - MTV Movies Blog
Harvey Keitel joins the cast of Little Fockers - ComingSoon
Sesame Street's five biggest controversies - TV Squad
Fright Night is getting a remake and the woman from Buffy the Vampire Slayer is behind it - Cinematical
Bill Clinton shares his thoughts on the ladies of Mad Men - TresSugar
Minnie Driver to guest star on Modern Family - Ausiello Files

Buzz In: What Is Your Favorite Musical-Turned-Movie?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:30:09 -0700

This is the week for Broadway shows! Not only are the current theater selections raking in more cash than usual despite the economy, it also sounds like we'll soon be seeing two more musicals move to the big screen. I already told you about the plans for a Rock of Ages movie musical, and now comes word that Miss Saigon may be getting the film treatment too, with Lee Daniels in talks to direct. (You may recognize his name as the director of Precious. Check back next week for my interview with him!)

I've seen Miss Saigon on stage, and I think Daniels is a solid choice for the musical. Based on his past films, I'm guessing he'd shape it into more of a gritty drama than a flashy Hollywood number - and that's a good thing given the show's darker subject matter.

While some shows have made the transition to film with only lukewarm success in recent years - hello, Phantom of the Opera - I still have a soft spot in my heart for them, especially when it comes to classics like My Fair Lady or West Side Story. So tell me, what's your favorite? Are you a Sound of Music fan? Rent? Sound off in the comments!

Movie Preview: Adam Sandler and Chris Rock in Grown Ups

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:30:36 -0800

I've been watching over the past several months as the cast roster for Grown Ups continued to add more of Adam Sandler's previous SNL colleagues and close friends - Tim Meadows, Maya Rudolph, Colin Quinn. It's like he decided to make a project where he could invite everyone he knows to jump on board and have fun. And the cast really does appear to be having a good time in the trailer - I'm just not 100 percent sure I'm right there with them.

The film follows Sandler and his childhood friends (Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, David Spade) as they reunite one Fourth of July weekend to honor the death of their basketball coach. Sounds kinda like The Big Chill, but as to be expected with a Happy Madison film, it's ridiculously slapstick. I love all of these guys, but the bits in this teaser definitely aren't as roll-on-the-floor funny as I had hoped with such a star-studded cast. (Really, a breast-milk joke?!) But maybe I'm just judging it too quickly. The film opens in June, but take a peek at the video and tell me your thoughts when you read more.

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:30:03 -0700

Please, Tracy Morgan, join Twitter! Check out the public plea, all you 30 Rock fans - Best Week Ever
Emma Stone talks about shooting zombies - Rotten Tomatoes
A list of the 13 best South Park episodes (with clips!) - TV.com
Alas, another Simpsons movie looks unlikely. Sigh . . . - Moviefone
A Mike Tyson biopic? It'll happen if Jamie Foxx gets his way - MTV Movies Blog
David Bowie and Iggy Pop get Lego'd - Stereogum
Bored to Death gets picked up for a second season on HBO - The Futon Critic
Concert video of Kelly Clarkson covering The White Stripes, Alanis Morissette, and Kings of Leon - Rolling Stone
Take this tech quiz on last night's episode of The Hills - GeekSugar
Mariah Carey dishes on her new album . . . and wearing Nick's clothes?! - HitFix

Link Time! New Moon Breaks Midnight Sales Records

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:30:38 -0800

New Moon tops Harry Potter and The Dark Knight for its midnight showing ticket sales - PopSugar
Is Taylor Kitsch taking an early departure from Friday Night Lights? - Ausiello Files
Top 10 star-crossed lovers in film - Rotten Tomatoes
30 Rock's Judah Friedlander talks about his hat collection and his plans to save NBC - TV.com
Steven Spielberg and Stephen King team up to frighten the bejesus out of us with Under the Dome - MTV Movies Blog
Vampire Weekend debut their new video for "Cousins" - Stereogum
Jason Segel sings about how he wants to give you his phone number - and bed you - TresSugar
Imogen Heap writes songs for Zach Braff - Spinner

What to TiVo: Thursday

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:50:22 -0800

ABC is new with FlashForward, Grey's Anatomy, and Private Practice
CBS is new with Survivor, CSI, and The Mentalist
FOX is new with Bones and Fringe
NBC is new with Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office, and 30 Rock
The CW is new with Vampire Diaries and Supernatural
E! has 15 Remarkable Celebrity Body Bouncebacks, and is new with Secrets of Twilight
MTV has Jackass: The Movie, and is new with Gone Too Far
VH1 is new with Top 20 Celebrities Gone Good
Bravo is new with Real Housewives of Orange County
Comedy Central is new with The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report
FX is new with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League
Lifetime is new with Project Runway
Late-night highlights include Dakota Fanning and Jane Krakowski on The Jay Leno Show on NBC; Ted Danson on Lopez Tonight on TBS; Stephen Colbert and John Mayer on The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS; Nicole Kidman, Anderson Cooper, and Leona Lewis on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on NBC; Carrie Underwood and Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC; Sandra Bullock and Ben Foster on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson on CBS; and Taylor Lautner on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on NBC