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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:30:23 PDT

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.

The Wrestler
I said it in my list of must haves for April and I'll say it again: In addition to being a touching film with an astounding performance by Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler is one of those rare movies that a diverse group of adults can agree to see together. There's something for everyone, really: Action, romance, some tearjerking, etc.

The movie follows an aging professional wrestler with a ton of regrets. He tries to take control of his life, however, when he befriends an exotic dancer (Marisa Tomei) and attempts to make peace with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood).

In addition to earning all kinds of nominations during awards season, the movie contains one of my favorite scenes of the year. Special features include a featurette titled "Within the Ring: A No-Holds-Barred One-on-One With Wrestlers and Filmmakers" and music videos (presumably featuring Bruce Springsteen).

Two more up next, so

read more. Frost/Nixon Director Ron Howard successfully adapts for the screen a Peter Morgan play (Morgan wrote the screenplay for this movie as well) that portrays President Nixon's infamous interview with journalist/TV personality David Frost. The movie follows Frost (played by Michael Sheen, reprising his stage role) on his journey to get the disgraced former President (Frank Langella, who also originated the role on stage) on television to face questioning about his involvement in Watergate. It's a duel between two giant egos where only one can really win, and the filmmakers take creative liberties filling in the backstory to the famous historical event. Special features include deleted scenes, "The Making of Frost/Nixon," footage from the real interview, and commentary with Director Ron Howard. Notorious Notorious is a biopic based on the life of rap legend Christopher Wallace, a.k.a Notorious B.I.G., who was killed in his early 20s in a drive-by shooting. Newly discovered actor and hip hop artist Jamal Woolard delivers a standout debut performance as the rapper, and is surrounded by other strong performances of well-known personalities (dead and alive). Naturi Naughton plays the pint-sized, naughty girl Lil Kim and Derek Luke does a great job channeling Sean "Puffy" Combs, as does Anthony Mackie as the late Tupac Shakur. Special features include commentary with director George Tillman Jr., co-screenwriter Reggie Rock Bythewood and co-screenwriter Cheo Hodari, as well as commentary with Biggie's mom Voletta Wallace, Biggie's co-manager Wayne Barrow, and Biggie's co-manager Mark Pitts.

Notorious: A Star Is Born Playing a Tragic Figure

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:30:41 PST

Notorious is a biopic based on the life and times of music legend Christopher Wallace, a.k.a Notorious B.I.G., who was tragically killed in his early 20s in a drive-by shooting. It comes extremely close to telling an interesting story about the measure of a man and the price of fame - close, but no cigar.

That said, there is a silver lining and that's the discovery of an artist named Jamal Woolard (also known as Gravy) who plays the title role. This relative unknown (in the acting community, he's a hip hop artist), who had zero acting experience before this production, delivers the kind of charismatic, slam-dunk performance only someone with a natural gift can deliver. His is a nuanced performance that manages to bring to earth the larger-than-life persona of Biggie with eerie accuracy. Physically, we rarely see an actor like this on the big screen and it's refreshing. Woolard uses his sympathetic eyes and giant body to convey the rapper's ability to draw people to him, despite how exasperating he could be.

Unfortunately, Woolard is the bright spot in this cookie-cutter biopic, which too often veers into sentimental and blandly conventional territory. To see the rest of my thoughts on why this is a bit disappointing,

read more. First let's talk about the cloying sentimentality. As I watched this movie, I found myself getting lost in the fun of it - the nostalgia, the music, etc. - only to be jolted out of those good feelings by lines like, "You can't change the world until you change yourself." And they don't just say that line once, but multiple times. It's a hollow, after-school special-type cliche and doesn't ring true at all. The movie is also awfully conventional. It is literally a play-by-play account of the rap star's life and falls short of giving the audience an interesting look at the guy. Instead it's a shallow tribute reel that shows the crappy stuff Biggie was guilty of (ditches his mom when she has cancer, is a deadbeat dad, sells crack to a pregnant lady, etc.) without any real consequence. In fact, he's completely redeemed in the easiest, most absurdly convenient endings I've ever witnessed. The movie even glosses over the East Coast/West Coast rivalry and chalks the whole episode up to Tupac's paranoia. There's hardly a moment in the film that isn't overly simplistic. The rest of the cast does a commendable job portraying the notorious figures that surrounded B.I.G. throughout his life including Naturi Naughton as the pint-sized, naughty girl Kim and Derek Luke as Sean "Puffy" Combs (though I think if the real Puffy weren't involved with this movie we would have seen a much more interesting character onscreen). The movie is at its best, though, when it gives its audience a little credit and instead of telling us through clunky dialogue what made Biggie so dynamic, it shows us. One of the best scenes comes when a just-signed Chris Wallace has to win over a rowdy college crowd and does so with his nihilistic anthem, "Party and Bullsh*t." It's a smart, visceral moment in the movie that helps you forgive the man his sins and feel thankful he graced us with his talent during the short time he was alive. Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight Films

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:30:59 PST

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. Here are today's selections:

Live and well: You know who I haven't been able to catch live in a while? My Morning Jacket. So I was pleasantly surprised to see that iTunes has a special live performance EP that was recorded at The Palms in Las Vegas. I love hearing songs like "Tonight I Want to Celebrate With You" live, and there's even an unreleased track included titled "Dear Wife" (it's pretty!).

B.I.G. is back: The Notorious B.I.G biopic will hit theaters this week (stay tuned for my review) and today the flick's soundtrack is out. The album includes rare recordings of songs from Biggie's demo tape given to Bad Boy Records including "Microphone Murderer" and "Guaranteed Raw." There's also a remix of "One More Chance" that features Biggie's son Christopher (who also appears in the movie) rapping along with his dad - adorable and heartbreaking.

One more up next so

read more. File under spooky: Fever Ray is the name of the solo effort by Karin Dreijer Andersson who is better known as one half of the Swedish duo The Knife. Her album features a seriously spooky track titled "If I Had a Heart" (the video is one of the creepiest things ever) and a song I've listened to twice already, "Seven." She's not for everyone, but it's definitely something a little different to check out.

Diddy and Friends Honor Biggie at Notorious Movie Premiere

PopSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:00:34 PST

Friends and family of Notorious B.I.G. were among those who came out to to celebrate and remember the late rapper at the premiere of his new biopic Notorious last night in NYC. Diddy, who worked as an executive producer for the project honoring his best friend, looked sharp in his gray suit before changing into a more casual outfit for the after party. He was joined by Biggie's wife Faith Evans who got on the mic to thank everyone after the screening. Beyonce and Jay-Z showed up together, looking refreshed after their lengthy romantic vacation in St. Barths. Many other celebrities came to the theater to laugh, cry and remember the life and death of a cherished friend and talented artist.

To see more photos including Tyrese, Faith Evans, Mary J. Blige and others just read more.

View 30 Photos ›

Images include: Beyonce Knowles, Diddy, Jay-Z, Tyrese Gibson, Ice-T, Coco, Derek Luke, Angela Bassett, Busta Rhymes, Cassie, Ciara, Lil Mama, Ja Rule, Mary J. Blige, Nas, Q-Tip, Spike Lee, Russell Simmons, Jamal Woolard, Faith Evans Source and Splash News Online

First Look: Notorious

BuzzSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:30:03 PDT

There's a teaser trailer for the Notorious B.I.G. biopic making the rounds lately, and I kinda like it. The music is great, there's a grandly dramatic, dangerous tone to the whole thing, appropriately. It starts out soft and low and builds to a flashy finish.

After an exhaustive search, the filmmakers and Biggie's mother Voletta Wallace cast Brooklyn rapper Jamal "Gravy" Woolard for the title role last March. Other cast members include Angela Bassett as Biggie's mother, Derek Luke as Sean Combs, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur. Notorious opens Jan. 16, 2009. To check out the teaser,

Safe House: A Standout Thriller

Lizzie Fuhr — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:05:00 PST

While working for the CIA may seem like a dream job, Matt Weston's (Ryan Reynolds) current position at a Safe House is certainly no picnic. He's a new agent, stationed alone in South Africa, waiting for the chance that he will have a "house guest" (someone who is taken prisoner by the CIA.) Matt's desperately trying to get some field experience so he can be stationed in some other city where he can see a little action. After a year of boredom, his wish comes true when Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) arrives.

I was constantly on the edge of my seat throughout the film, and felt everyone in the theater being equally enraptured with what was unraveling before our eyes. Safe House has high-stakes moments cut with sardonic, nonchalant comedy that Reynolds and Washington both pull off nicely. I felt connected to everyone's struggles, but the plot kept me unsure if I wanted the good guy or the bad guy to come out on top. To find out why Safe House exceeded my expectations, just keep reading.

Foods That Can Make You Look Pregnant

Shape — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:29:06 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Over the weekend, I saw a photo of a female celebrity (who is in a relationship with a male celeb) leaving a café with the caption, "Baby bump?" and I had to refrain myself from shouting out loud, "Come on, can't a girl eat without the world thinking she's having a baby?!"

The truth is having a perfectly flat stomach all the time just isn't normal. After you eat or drink, food and liquids naturally expand your stomach and intestines, so at least a little "bump" is inevitable every single day. So if you regularly get stalked by paparazzi or you have family members who are anxiously awaiting news of a new addition, here's the lowdown on when you might get mistaken for being pregnant:

See which foods may make you look pregnant after the break!

Kristen Bell Reveals the Big Miracle Moment That Made Her Feel "Insignificant"

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:06:50 PST

In Big Miracle, Kristen Bell plays a young but driven reporter sent to cover a major story unfolding in the Alaskan wilderness. When we recently met with Kristen in LA to talk about the movie, which filmed on location just outside of Anchorage, she told us she was up for the challenges the role presented. Not only did she grow up in Detroit, where the Winters are notoriously harsh, but as an actress, she said she could relate to her character's ambition as well as her career setbacks. Kristen also talked about what it was like to be caught in an onscreen love triangle between Drew Barrymore and her longtime friend John Krasinski, and a magical moment during the shoot that left her feeling "insignificant." Check out our interview and stay tuned later this week to see Kristen's costar, Drew, in our latest episodes of I'm a Huge Fan!

In Season: Carrots

YumSugar — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:29:21 PST

You eat carrots regularly - but how much do you know about them? Although they can be grown year-round, all root vegetables thrive during the Winter season, protected from cooler temperatures by the earth. Carrots are known for their vibrant orange color, but there are also purple, red, yellow, and white varieties - mostly grown as novelty crops. The root itself is crunchy and sweet, while the leafy greens tend to be on the bitter side.

To learn more about carrots and discover new dishes, just keep reading

Your Winged Eyeliner Problems Are Solved Forever

Miriam Lacey — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:02:00 PST

Even if you have nothing but a nub of pencil and notoriously shaky hands, you can have perfect winged liner in a minute or so. The following trick makes those concerns a thing of the past. And having your eyeliner ending up completely different on each side? Also no longer a problem. To find out what you need to do to get it right every time, just check out the tutorial now.