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Coming Soon: A Modern Love TV Show?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:00:17 -0700

One of my favorite Sunday rituals is settling down with a big mug of coffee or tea, pulling out the Style section of the Sunday New York Times, and flipping directly to the Modern Love feature. The column features one essay per week on some aspect of love (romantic, friendly, sisterly), and they're almost always quirky and engaging.

Well, now there's news that a production company has bought the TV rights to Modern Love and is talking about what kind of TV series could be built around the column's content. According to Variety, the producers - who said they're all fans of the Modern Love series and discuss it around their office - are currently meeting with writers to help flesh out their concepts for the show.

I'm curious about this project, and my first thought that it would be amazing as a This American Life-style show with a variety of short stories about love told in different ways. I'd hate for it to become some sort of goofy comedy show, though. Are there any other Modern Love fans out there? Can you envision a TV show based on it? And are there any particular favorite Modern Love columns that strike you as ripe for adaptation?

Source

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

BuzzSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:44:47 -0700

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, read more.

"At the International High School at Prospect Heights, a public school that serves newcomers to the United States none of the kids had any clue what prom was. In fact there is no translation for the word 'prom' among the 28 languages spoken by the school’s 411 students."
"In preparation for their first ever American prom, some students told the Times that they picked up on the basics from TV which included the fact that, 'the typical prom has a prom queen and king' and another student chimed in 'And then there’s the virginity-losing thingy.'"
"'I know we’re coming from different backgrounds,' said Hawa, who left behind her parents and several of her 15 brothers and sisters when she emigrated five years ago. 'But we live here now. Maybe some of us will never go back to our country. If you just be like, "Oh, I’m sticking to my culture, I’m sticking to my people, I'm sticking to what I know," how would you be able to survive here?'"

The exploration of an American prom through the eyes of people who've never heard of it is pretty ripe for interesting observations and funny moments. Plus, the transition from one culture to another at such a pivotal age is a great subject.

What do you think this movie will look like? And do you think this trend to find ideas in the news is inspired or tired?

Source

The Office, "Shareholder Meeting": Best Lines of the Night

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:30:00 -0800

Looks like The Office is trying for a little economic relevance. While it sort of knocks you over the head this week - e.g. showing the Dow Jones sign - you can't blame the writers for making the story timely. Michael travels to New York for a shareholders meeting with Dwight, Andy, and Oscar in tow, but instead of being honored for his work at the branch, he steps into what's essentially a sounding board for grievances.

Lots of great quotes in this episode, so let's recap some of my favorites, shall we? (Don't worry, I've included Michael's big speech.)

"Recyclops will drown you in your over-watered lawns."-Dwight
Obviously the writers had to plug NBC's Green Week like the rest of the network, but The Office's is one of the most creative. I especially enjoyed Jim's side story about how Recyclops's fictional planet was attacked and he "vowed to destroy the planet he once loved." Oh, and his nemesis Polluticorn, which is actually a Power Rangers reference. They could've made the entire episode about Recyclops, and I would've been happy - if for nothing else, just to see Dwight rock that weird eye headband.

For more quips from the evening, including a deleted limo scene, read more.

Dwight: "Oh, I'm sorry were you raised in a household with no consequences?"
Woman in line: "It'll just be a second."
Dwight: "Oh, if onlys and justs were candies and nuts, then every day would be Erntedankfest."
Dwight lays into the woman in the microphone line when she wants to use the bathroom, but his special comeback phrase really made me laugh. I plan on reciting it myself at least once this week. (By the way, I googled "Erntedankfest" and it's Germany's Thanksgiving. Dwight taught me something!)

Pam: "Well, I can't really imagine you yelling at anyone."
Jim: "Oh, I yell, you've heard me yell."
Pam: "Oh, okay. I've heard you exclaim, like the time you said, Hey look, we parked over here."
Jim: "Well that was apple picking day. There's no need to yell that day. You know, I was just excited to find the car. Perfect end to a perfect day."
Aw, Jim. You try so hard to be tough. But you've got to admit that putting Ryan in the closet is genius. Not only does it teach the guy a lesson, but I'm considering it payback for all of those weird getups that Ryan's been wearing recently. (Remember the fedora?!)

"We're gonna come back with a plan for you, it's a 45-day plan, 45 days to get us back on track, 45 points. It's a 45-day, 45 point, one point per day, we get the 45 points. We are back in business. And you can take that to the bank. And limo lady, we are going completely carbon neutral! I love you New York!"-Michael
Best. Speech. Ever. God forbid anyone ever give Michael Scott a mic - serves them right. Oh, and speaking of limos, check out this funny deleted scene of the boys in their ride.

"I just want to say that I believe that there are options out there. A take-a-number option like they have in a deli. What about line varieties? Like an express line for quick comments of ten words or less that could move much more efficiently. What about ropes along the lines that you can hold on to?"-Dwight
I was always welcome a ridiculous Dwight rant, and this was one of his better ones.

Alright, so your turn! What'd you think of the episode? The whole situation has me questioning what's going to happen to Michael in next week's episode. The guy destroys the shareholders meeting, his CEO is annoyed, and then he runs off with the limo - are there going to be repercussions?

If you're a Dunder Mifflin fanatic, head on over to The Office! group in the BuzzSugar Community!

Photo and videos courtesy of NBC

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

Rob, Kristen, and Taylor Are This Week's Entertainment

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:56:22 -0800

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner have been posing for photo ops all over town - check out Pop's favorite promo tour moments - and it wouldn't be complete without an interview with Entertainment Weekly. In the cute interview, the costars quip about everything from Rob's attachment to his signature hair to Kristen's confession that she'd like to quit smoking to Taylor's obsession with hitting the gym for New Moon. There're also tidbits about Rob and Kristen's off-screen relationship and how Robert handles fandom. They're clearly a tight-knight trio, so check out the highlights below. If you can't get enough Twilight, keep the convos going in the Twilight Saga community group, and be sure to check back next week for my own interview with Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz!

Robert Pattinson on his hair in Eclipse: I swear to you I’ve never experienced anything like this. It's every single day. In Twilight, they wanted me to have extensions down to my hips.
Kristen Stewart: He's a liar. He doesn't remember. He's remembering how they made him feel, but they were just, like, down to here [pointing to her shoulders].
Pattinson: So I told them, "Look, that's just not going to happen." I said, "It looks like this already – I'll come to set like this." I sound so stupid, but in a lot of ways the hair is 75 percent of my performance, so in the second one I said, "Listen, I need to tone down the hair. Let's make it a little more real, a little bit more . . . Method.” [Laughs] And then in the third one, I'm doing fight scenes and there's a strand going down my forehead and they're like, "We need to do it again because no one will recognize you! No one will know who it is!" I'm like, really, is my face that generic?
Stewart: They want proof that you're doing your own stunts, man!
Pattinson: I have to look like the poster at all times. Just in case they want to use any clip for the trailer. Any clip at all! There were about five people in different departments who, because of my forelock, ended up in tears.

For tons of more quotes, just read more.

EW: How are you all coping with living in a fishbowl?
Pattinson: It really depends on the mood. When I met you last year [before Twilight came out], I was doing interviews very sporadically and I never got recognized. Now it's like anywhere I go there's immediate recognition. So there's more of a responsibility . . .
Stewart: I don't mind working every day. It's just, suddenly, I have this other role. And that's really disappointing. All I'd like to do is go outside with a book and figure out what to do with the day. And if I can't do that, then I'm just going to sit in my hotel room on my balcony and chain smoke. [Pauses] I'm going to stop smoking. I'm not such a good smoker, anyway. It's not in my bones. I'm gonna drop it.
Pattinson: The three of us have been working for two years [straight]. It does feel like your day has a shape just as soon as you wake up. I just forget what it's like when you're free.
EW: Taylor, you're the only one who almost lost a shot at the sequels. Do you have a different relationship with fame because you had to fight for your job?
Lautner: No, I kept my eye on the prize 100 percent of the time. I was motivated. I wasn't even thinking about anything else.
Stewart: Thank God you got the job. I wouldn't have wanted to deal with you if you didn’t. After all those months of working out!
Lautner: I just wanted to focus on what I could control, and I worked really hard.
EW: You mean in the gym? Because I see your abs everywhere these days.
Lautner: Yeah, the gym was a major part, but I really studied the books and the character, too. And it all turned out good.
EW: Kristen, it must be nice to watch the guys' appearances get obsessed over for a change.
Stewart: Seriously, it's a trip to sit back and look at the sexual objectification of these dudes. I've never been asked to do any of this stuff.
EW: You guys are lucky. You clearly all dig each other.
Lautner: The amount of time we have to spend with each other – if I didn't like these two, it would be exhausting.
EW: Rob, you made Remember Me this summer, between sequels. Was that the set in New York, where you were knocked into a cab by hordes of fans?
Pattinson: That was completely made up. I was walking across the street, and there was one cab going about one mile an hour and it nudged my leg. The story ended up being how I got hit by a cab because of a mob of screaming fans, [but] it was 4 o'clock in the morning and there was one person there – a paparazzi. . . . And then there was another time – apparently they said on the news that I had a drug overdose. The security guy saw it on TV, and I wasn't in my room, and he was like, "Uh-oh!" It's just so weird. I wake up and my room is too messy to order room service, and so I end up eating a pack of M&M’s for breakfast – and it takes me about five hours to find it. That's my first five hours of the day. [Laughing] And then you see the news and think, "Who cares if he had a drug overdose? It would probably make him more interesting!"
EW: Kristen and Rob, why do you think people are so obsessed with the state of your off-screen relationship?
Pattinson: Good question. That's a little thing I have to think about every day.
Stewart: Maybe it's just my personality, but I'm never going to answer it. I probably would've answered it if people hadn't made such a big deal about it. But I'm not going to give the fiending an answer. I know that people are really funny about "Well, you chose to be an actor, why don’t you just f---ing give your whole life away? Can I have your firstborn child?"
EW: You don’t think just saying, for example, "Listen, we dated for a few months, it was weird, we're better off as friends" would end the speculation?
Pattinson: No way.
Stewart: People are deeply judgmental and I'm not strong enough. I would love to be like, "I don't care what anybody thinks." But I'm a very private person. And think about every hypothetical answer: "Okay, we are. We aren't. I’m a lesbian." I've thought about this a lot. There's no answer that's not going to tip you one way or the other. I'm just trying to keep something. If people started asking me if I was dating Taylor, I'd be like, "F--- off." I would answer the exact same way."

Vampire Rom-Com: Inspired or Tired?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:30:33 -0800

Yet another vampire story is rumored to be coming to the big screen, but this time it's the ladies who are doing the biting. Krysten Ritter (who is normally relegated to the BFF role) is supposedly starring in a romantic comedy called Vamps.

Amy Heckerling, the director responsible for Clueless, is attached to write and direct the story of "two young female vampires living the good life in New York until love enters the picture." I've always enjoyed Heckerling's work and am intrigued to see Ritter finally cast as a lead, but I'm wary of the premise; it sounds like it's just capitalizing on the recent craze. Plus, almost half of you said you were tired of vampire entertainment over the Summer.

At least this does have a unique angle by making the main vampires female for once, not to mention the much lighter tone it'll have. What do you think of this project - is it inspired, or just tired?

The Office, "Double Date": Best Lines of the Night and Video!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:30:00 -0800

I knew it was going to be hard to top the koi pond incident (and those Halloween costumes), but I was glad to see this week's The Office return to the storyline with new paramours Michael and Helene. This time, Pam is actually coming around to the idea of her mother dating her boss, but per his usual protocol, Michael is ready with a few blunders to messy things up. We also had a friendly competition between Andy and Dwight and - naked photos? Tsk, tsk Kelly. It's called subtle sexuality, key word being subtle.

Michael provided my favorite quote of the evening, but take a look at my list (spoilers!), and then weigh in with your own favorite zingers.

"If you clench your buttocks together when you're walking, you can really take the pressure off your knees."-Dwight
The who-can-outdo-each-other's-politeness competition between Dwight and Andy was pretty hilarious. Of course neither of their intentions were pure - Dwight wants to be kind so everyone owes him and he can unseat Jim as co-manager; Andy does it...well, pretty much because he has to be better than everybody else.

For more funny lines, plus a video of the parking lot brawl between Michael and Pam, read more.

"The chicken parm is good. It was a big part of my childhood. Oh, maybe Michael will start dating that too."-Pam
Yep, this week saw the return of the Michael and Helene's romance, when he takes his new girlfriend out to a birthday lunch with Pam and Jim. I'm glad the writers reintroduced it, but obviously Pam doesn't share my same enthusiasm.

"The only time you should care about a woman's age is if she's too young for you. And I am not robbing the cradle. If anything, I'm robbing the grave."-Michael
Ah Michael, always so sensitive to a woman's feelings. I loved watching him gradually panic as he realized Helene was older than expected. But dumping her on her birthday, in front of Pam and Jim? That was low, even for him. Such an ageist. Pam exacts her revenge though by beating him up. Check out the video of their showdown:

"What if Dwight dies and I still owe him something? That is the recipe for a ghost."-Andy
Can't blame Andy. I wouldn't want the ghost of Dwight Schrute after me either.

"What a waste of a day. I could've grown poison mushrooms that would've been this high by now."-Dwight

Dwight feels bummed that he couldn't get back at Jim - all that work going to New York just for bagels! - but I'm sure he'll concoct something for the next episode to take Jim down. Perhaps that's what the mushrooms are for?

"I saw my life flash before my eyes. I have four kids, and I have a hover car and a hover house. My wife is a runner and it shows."-Michael
Such a dreamer that Michael. After Pam slaps him across the face for calling things off with her mom, he starts imagining his future. I was really hoping that they'd drag out the coupling between him and Helene for at least a couple more episodes - do you think their romance is really dunzo?

What did you think of this week's installment? Were you sort of pulling for a relationship between Michael and Helene? Tell me (along with your favorite lines) in the comments.

Want to keep swapping opinions on this episode? Check out The Office! group in the BuzzSugar Community!

Photo courtesy of NBC

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:30:51 -0700

Something I never thought I'd write: David Archuleta and Bob Dylan's dueling Christmas albums! - Vulture
The dreamy Adam Brody takes a pop culture personality quiz. - PopWatch
Rebecca Hall has been cast as the lead in Richard Linklater's latest flick, Liars A-E. - Coming Soon
Here's some help deciphering Diablo Cody's brand of slang. - Cinematical
Eclipse director David Slade wants his Twilight installment to be gorier and more guy-friendly. - MTV Movies Blog
Check out the first 18 minutes of Flash Forward - TV.com
The return of VH1 Divas prompts a dissection of the term "diva." - TrèsSugar
Not a joke title: TLC's upcoming reality show is called "My Monkey Baby." - Best Week Ever
Rich Sommer dishes on how he gets that Harry Crane hair for Mad Men. - Pop Candy
Good news! The Real Housewives of New York City are all definitely coming back for a third season. - TV Squad

SYTYCD's Brandon and Ariana Talk About Being Cut First

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:30:15 -0700

This week's ousted dancers from So You Think You Can Dance were the first to go since the top 20 were selected. Brandon Dumlao and Ariana Dubose got on the phone with a few reporters this morning, including me, to chat about how they feel after last night's elimination.

Brandon

On the timeline of replacing Billy Bell: I got the call on Friday at 11 in the morning and they told me that I was able to replace another dancer, and it was Billy, in this case. I got on a plane two hours later, it was an hour flight, I landed, got picked up, I went to the studio, found out Pauline was my partner in front of everyone, and then we went straight to rehearsal for Smooth Waltz with Jason Gilkisen. It was such a whirlwind; it was really crazy, but it was such an amazing experience.
On Russell being in the bottom with him: I was so surprised because Russell is of course a fan favorite, and I’m sure the judges love him too. When he was announced, I kind of knew in a way that I might have been going home, because he is amazing and this cast is amazing. Billy - his were such big shoes to fill that I felt it was unfair to take another guy’s spot. I was happy the way it turned out, because I didn’t think it was unfair for me to come in and take another guy’s spot.

To hear what else Brandon had to say and Ariana's thoughts on her dismissal, just read more.

On Nigel's offer of coming back for season seven: I did not expect him to say that. I really thought that that was my only chance to be in the top 20, and I wanted to make the most of it, so for him to propose that to me and let me come back for season 7, if that’s possible, that’s really crazy. Right after I got cut, I went and got into some ballroom classes and took some more hip hop. I’m ready and I’m going to keep taking classes if I can come back next season.
On whether he thinks he may have done better if he'd originally been in the top 20: I think I might have had a better chance just because the judges would have known I’d set the same standard as everyone else, because when I did the waltz they kept saying "you didn’t have enough time," "you didn’t have enough time," because they knew I’d replaced Billy. So I feel like I would have done a better job, and they would have seen I’d done a better job, and would have taken that into consideration with the results. But I’m really happy the way I did and I'm really happy the way everything turned out, because this cast is so amazing; I can’t pick who’s going to win - everyone is going to do so well.

Ariana

On her next plans and whether she'll pursue a career in L.A.: Actually, I’m more focused on New York. I want to dance on Broadway. I also sing and act, and I was singing and acting and dancing before I even auditioned for the show, so the show was just really another path for me. So I’m going to head to New York for a little bit and audition for shows and commercials and movies and just see what happens.
On rumors she could replace Noelle, who was injured this week: I have not heard from Noelle; I hope that she’s doing well. Noelle and I come from the same studio, so honestly I would probably feel a little funny about taking her place. I mean, who doesn’t want a second chance, but honestly I wouldn’t want to be eliminated again.
On her predictions for the season six winner: Honestly, it’s a crap shoot - forgive my language there. Everyone’s fantastic and I don’t think you can count anybody out; it’s going be a week-by-week thing.

Photos courtesy of Fox

Motherhood: A Harried-Mom Tale That Often Feels Tired

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:30:20 -0700

When you have a parenting movie set in New York, you should know better than to expect a warm-'n'-fuzzy story about the joys of having kids. In fact, Motherhood is out to prove that mothers have it rough.

The film follows Eliza Welsh (Uma Thurman), a Manhattan writer dealing with a cramped apartment, busy husband, and side-street parking while raising her two kids. A day in her life feels like a really, really long 24 hours. Eliza runs around frantically trying to prepare for her 6-year-old's birthday while composing an essay for a parenting magazine contest and squeezing in a sample sale with her mommy friend Sheila (Minnie Driver). We know that Eliza was once a great writer, but when she had kids, she decided to give up her job to raise her family. Now, she's a shell of her former self in frumpy clothes and messy hair. Simply put, Eliza is dealing with the classic parent conundrum: how do you care for your kids and still retain something for yourself? The answer? It ain't easy.

For more about what I mean, read more.

Eliza doesn't try to feign martyrdom. In fact, she often whines about her plight in a way that screams, "I'm angry, dammit!" And at first, you're angry for her too. (No woman deserves to put up with all that she does.) But as the film goes on, Eliza's bitterness knocks you over the head, and you have to you wonder - is she like this every day? Yeesh.

Luckily we have Eliza's friend Sheila for some needed comic relief. Sheila is the cool single mom to the more neurotic Eliza - she mouths off cheeky one-liners and uses her son's motorized bath toy for her "alone time." Jodie Foster also delivers a hilarious cameo as a celebrity mom swearing at the paparazzi on the playground - aka, herself. Both women keep Eliza's "what-can-go-wrong-will-go-wrong" storyline from wearing too thin.

Mothers will probably identify with either Eliza or Sheila but what about the rest of us? While the actors perform well and the movie provides laughs for those who can relate (read: parents), most of the jokes don't feel fresh, and you've probably seen similar setups on shows like The Middle or In the Motherhood or any of the other dozens of family comedies in recent years. Props to the filmmakers for giving mothers their due, but if you're not one yourself, an hour and a half with Eliza may be enough to make you rush out of the theater and buy birth control.