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Buzz In: What Are the Most Divisive Movies?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:30:06 -0800

Recently, I was doing some reading about the Netflix Prize, the $1 million Netflix has offered to the person or team who can improve the movie rental service's recommendation feature by 10 percent. So far, no team has made it, and a big part of the reason is what's being called "the Napoleon Dynamite problem" - the notion that there's just no good way to predict whether people will love or hate the 2004 comedy. To be fair to Napoleon, it's not the only one: I Heart Huckabees, Lost in Translation, and Kill Bill are also among the culprits.

That got me thinking about movies that even people who have similar tastes can't agree on. What are the movies that have caused divides in your movie-going circles? What films are you nervous to recommend? Do you think there's any good way to tell if someone will love or loathe Napoleon Dynamite?

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Buzz Gift Guide: Attention All Procrastinators!

BuzzSugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:30:52 -0800

Welcome back to my Buzz Gift Guide series for all the entertainment lovers in your life. Many of us eventually become last-minute shoppers, so it's good to have some quick gift options ready to go. I already dug up some of my favorite entertainment-related gift cards, and today I've got some more thoughts on what to do when you're in a time bind.

I love making mix CDs: They're simple, personal, and often expose people to new music. If it's too late to burn a CD, you can create and purchase a custom playlist for your friends and virtually hand it to them via iTunes. Or you can leave the tunes up to them and just email them iTunes gift cards.

A magazine subscription is a great, easy idea as well. You can purchase the subscription online (Amazon is good for these) and then find a hardcopy in the store to wrap up. Movie lovers will be thrilled to receive some Fandango bucks, and it's always quick to give the gift of Netflix.

Finally, tickets to local events, concerts or museums make easy and thoughtful gifts. Giving someone a night out on the town or a Sunday at a special exhibit is something everyone can appreciate.

Check out HolidaySugar for all of our holiday coverage and gift guides.

Major Netflix Outage Stops Shipment of DVDs

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:31:14 -0700

If you've been counting on Netflix to fill a TV void during the Olympics or just pick up this week's new releases, there may be some bad news for you: Netflix is in the middle of its biggest outage ever.

About a third of Netflix's 8.4 million customers are being affected by the outage, according to Reuters. Netflix didn't ship any DVDs on Tuesday, got a few out the door on Wednesday, and hasn't shipped any so far today.

Netflix had a brief outage in March, but this one is being seen as much worse - partly because the company hasn't figured out yet what made the shipping system go down. Officials said they're working "feverishly" to fix it, will offer credits to affected customers, and have e-mailed those who won't be getting their DVDs as scheduled.

Have any of you been caught in this Netflix mess? Or are you receiving and returning your DVDs just fine?

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Buzz News Roundup, 7/23

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:32:47 -0700

Despite rumors to the contrary, Access Hollywood is reporting that Tom Cruise will not reprise his role as Maverick in a sequel to Top Gun.
Variety has the news that Hancock director Peter Berg is developing a Hercules film based on a five-issue comic book series by Steve Moore.
According to Reuters, Disney has named replacements for Ebert and Roeper: Ben Lyons from E! and Ben Mankiewicz from Turner Classic Movies. At the Movies with Ben and Ben, anyone?
According to The New York Times, TiVo will introduce a product purchasing feature in partnership with Amazon.
TNT picked up the pilot for Night and Day, a show about an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms from 24 co-creator Joel Surnow, the Hollywood Reporter writes.
Billboard states Nas' untitled album topped last week's sales chart, moving 197,000 copies. Lil Wayne's album and the Mamma Mia! soundtrack rounded out the top three.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Netflix is closing its Red Envelope Entertainment subsidiary, a film financing and acquisition firm that helped finance No End in Sight and Two Days in Paris, among others.

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Buzz News Roundup, 3/28

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:32:50 -0700

Mariah Carey is on track for her 18th No. 1 single with "Touch My Body," Billboard reports.
Tobey Maguire is gearing up to produce and star in an adaptation of the comic book Afterburn, ComingSoon reports.
It's a busy day for pilot casting, including the news that Sara Rue will play the female lead in the adaptation of Spaced for Fox, writes HollywoodReporter.
The finale of America's Best Dance Crew on MTV got 38 million votes to decide the winner, Zap2it reports.
HBO will launch a Friday night comedy lineup in June, including an animated series called The Life and Times of Tim and the Australian series Summer Heights High, writes TV Week.

Variety confirms that Ratatouille is the "kids' pick" of last year's movies, while The Golden Compass received the "Ick" award.
According to ComingSoon, Will Arnett will join Kristen Bell in the Disney rom-com When in Rome.
Netflix is issuing credits to members whose shipments were delayed by Monday's site outage, writes the Hollywood Reporter.
Variety reports that Ice Cube will star alongside an as-yet-undetermined "big name rapper" in the movie Janky Promoters.

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Buzz In: What's In Your "Waitflix" Queue?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 07:30:00 -0800

Recently, someone asked me if I'd seen Dancer in the Dark. Embarrassed, I said no, but quickly pointed out that it's in my Netflix queue. Which is true - except that it's been in my Netflix queue since I got Netflix almost two years ago!

If Notflixing is sending a movie back without watching it and TiNoing is letting an unwatched program languish on your TiVo, then I declare "waitflixing" to be what happens when you add a movie to your queue but keep moving other films ahead of it so you never actually watch it. (The same concept applies if you don't have Netflix - it's the movie you always mean to rent, until you get distracted by a shiny new release or a favorite rom-com.) Until recently, The Wire was a waitflix for me, and Basquiat still is.

I can't be the only one who does this, so tell me: What movies are you waitflixing? And, be honest: Do you think you'll ever see them?

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Link Time! 1/15

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:31:10 -0800

The interview with author/screenwriter Shauna Cross over on FilmSchoolRejects reveals that Cross' book Derby Girl will be made into a movie that Drew Barrymore will direct and that will - reportedly! - star Ellen Page.
If you haven't had enough Magnetic Fields for one day, You Ain't No Picasso has some great covers of the group's songs. I particularly like the Shins' take on "Strange Powers."
This Popwatch Duel has Geoff Stults and Rebecca Field going head-to-head with their lists of the top five best movie love scenes.
Finally, says Vulture, someone has mashed up Daniel Day-Lewis' milkshake line from There Will Be Blood with Kelis' song "Milkshake."
With American Idol looming, TV Filter wonders: Which show with "American" in the title is actually the most American?
Cinematical is excited to find some movie stills from Righteous Kill, the project that is bringing together Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro and 50 Cent.
The TV Addict has a chat with Elizabeth Mitchell of Lost.
geeksugar has the scoop on unlimited online Netflix viewing and the new iTunes movie rental service.

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Buzz News Roundup, 1/4

BuzzSugar — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:30:41 -0800

The New York Daily News reports that David Letterman will have his beard shaved on the air on Monday's show; too bad the beard had just gotten the keys to the city.
Meanwhile, Jay Leno might be in trouble for writing his monologue on Wednesday's show, MarketWatch reports.
ComingSoon is saying the next Superman movie may be without both director Bryan Singer and star of the show Brandon Routh.
According to E! Online, the Jonas Brothers have signed a two-year, multimillion-dollar deal with touring company Live Nation.
Former American Idol Taylor Hicks has been dropped from his record label, Entertainment Weekly reports.
Theater owners say Johnny Depp made the most money for the multiplex in 2007, writes The Hollywood Reporter.
Law & Order creator Dick Wolf wants to make a British version of the series, Zap2it reports.
Netflix wants to bring movies straight to your TV, no mailing envelopes necessary, reports the New York Times.
Mary J. Blige finally bumped Josh Groban from the top of the charts, Billboard reports.

Photo courtesy of CBS

Buzz Gift Guide: Last-Minute Butt-Savers!

BuzzSugar — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 10:30:02 -0800

Yikes! It's Christmas Eve! If there's someone on your list that you just plumb forgot, these suggestions for last-minute, easily obtained gifts in this last of my holiday gift guides just might save your butt.

Fandango Bucks are super easy to get ahold of - you just purchase them online and you can either print them out immediately to slip into a stocking, or send them via email. A lot of folks like to go to the movies during this last week of December, and Fandango Bucks make moviegoing extremely easy.

Netflix has a similar way to give a last-minute gift. You can buy a gift subscription online and then print out (or email) the confirmation to wrap up in a box (or a few boxes to make it look like a huge gift!) and give to your loved ones (who you forgot).

For the music lovers in your life, consider giving a gift certificate to iTunes. These can also be emailed or printed out, though you can also "gift" specific albums (or movies, or TV shows) to other iTunes members.

Magazine subscriptions (like one to Entertainment Weekly) are a nice way to quickly give a gift that keeps on giving. Plus, choosing a specific magazine you know your friend will enjoy proves that you put at least some thought into it. If you manage to get out to a newsstand today, grab one issue of the magazine and wrap it up with a note that says they'll receive the next one in 6-8 weeks.

For a more open-ended way to cover your hide, Amazon.com gift certificates pretty much guarantee that your forgotten friend or family member will be able to buy exactly the book/DVD/album he/she has been craving! These gift cards can be mailed, emailed or sent along with a festive e-card.

Sneak Peek: NBC's "The Black Donnellys" on Netflix

BuzzSugar — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 05:31:56 -0800

I feel like I've been hearing about "The Black Donnellys" for months now. That's probably because the show - which follows four Irish brothers who get caught up in organized crime in New York - has some serious star power. The series was created by Oscar-winner Paul Haggis, who directed Crash and wrote the screenplay for Million Dollar Baby. Though NBC still hasn't set a premiere date for the show, it's supposed to get a tryout on Monday nights in March, in the "Studio 60" time slot.

Netflix subscribers who don't want to wait to see the show's pilot are in luck: NBC has is offering the first episode on a DVD that also includes a recap of the first 11 episodes of "Heroes" and a sneak-peak of another new show, Jeff Goldblum's "Raines." NBC also has a short video preview of the series on its First Look site. Has anyone else been hearing any buzz about this show?

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