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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:30:19 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. Check out this week's picks!

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
I admittedly wasn't a fan of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past when it came out in theaters, but it may be worth considering if you're in the mood for a romantic comedy that doesn't make you think too much. The premise: When playboy Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) attends his brother's wedding, he runs into his first love Jenny (Jennifer Garner), setting off a Christmas Carol-like chain of events, complete with ghosts. Yes, the plot's contrived and Connor is incredibly smarmy, but I enjoyed the supporting cast of characters, especially Emma Stone as an 80's ghost with a bad perm and Michael Douglas as Connor's Lothario uncle.

27%

Two more up next, so

read more. Observe and Report Observe and Report follows a self-important, semi-delusional mall security cop (Seth Rogen) who flips out when he realizes he may not become a police officer - or win over the makeup counter girl of his dreams (Anna Faris). When I first reviewed it, I was surprised by how dark the film turned out to be for a Rogen and Faris comedy. Still, it does have a few laugh-worthy moments, and Rogen fans will probably want to add this to their must-see list. 51%
Lymelife Set in the 1970s, Lymelife is an ensemble drama that follows two families in a Long Island neighborhood dealing with a Lyme disease scare. It boasts a decent ensemble cast, including Cynthia Nixon, Alec Baldwin, and Timothy Hutton, but Rory Culkin (yes, Macaulay's brother) is the heart of the film as a 15-year-old struggling in the midst of messed-up chaos. (Emma Roberts also turns in a memorable performance as his crush.) The reviews were mixed when the film released in theaters, but if twisted suburbia is your thing (i.e., American Beauty or The Ice Storm), then Lymelife is worth checking out. Bonus material includes an alternate ending. 54%

Caption It: Which Caption Should Win?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:30:44 PDT

Thanks for pitching in your funny ideas for this week's challenge from Observe and Report:

They were all pretty funny but we can only choose one winner! Here are your finalists:

Seth: "My other personality thinks he's Bill Cosby, hence the sweater. Don't worry these pills will make him go away."
Anna: "Ohhh cool."
"Here take these. They're called 'Sandler' pills - the more you take the less funny your movies become."
Anna: "See? It says right here, 'side effects may include constipation, irritability, and impaired judgment' . . . so really, it's not your fault you're wearing that ridiculous sweater!"
Seth: "Hey! I haven't taken any of the pills yet!"
Anna: ". . . and you STILL haven't been able to get the child proof cap open?"

Time to vote!

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Box Office: Miley's Big Weekend

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 08:30:18 PDT

Buzz readers are a savvy bunch and correctly predicted that Miley Cyrus's latest movie would debut at No. 1 over the weekend. Ms. Cyrus is a major force to be reckoned with at the box office, as this is her second blockbuster - and she's still a kid!

Hannah Montana: The Movie earned an estimated $34 million, zooming right by Fast and Furious which came in second.

Seth Rogen's dark comedy Observe and Report came in lower than expected at No. 4, behind Monsters vs. Aliens. Knowing rounded out the top five.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Observe and Report: The (Very) Dark Side of Being a Mall Cop

BuzzSugar — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 07:30:51 PDT

With its ambling plot, oddball characters and sudden bursts of violence, Observe and Report is a weird little movie. I chuckled a lot and was shocked a few times, but I wouldn't necessarily say that it's an uproariously funny comedy. I'm not sure what it is, actually.

In the story, mall cop Ronnie Barnhardt (Seth Rogen) considers himself tough and important but when incidents occur at his mall - like a flasher terrorizing women in the parking lot, or someone robbing a store - the police are called in and Ronnie's job suddenly seems inconsequential by comparison. He applies to become a police officer and in the meantime pursues Brandi (Anna Faris), the shallow, blond party girl who works at a cosmetics counter and who clearly has no interest in Ronnie. The thing about Ronnie, though, is that he doesn't quite see the reality of things, so when he finally realizes that he might not be police officer material and Brandi doesn't consider him her boyfriend, he kinda loses it. Can he ever earn the respect of everyone around him? I won't say what happens but I will share more thoughts if you

read more. It's not a particularly well-told story, as the narrative wanders from point to point and we watch our lead character merely go from delusional fantasy to blind rage and back again. Sure, his outrageous behavior is funny - particularly in the setting of a sleepy suburban mall - but it's still hard to care about him all that much. It feels a bit like we're rooting for him out of some kind of obligation. Rogen does a fine job in this kind of role - the schlubbier-than-average guy with a humorously unrealistic view of himself and his place in the world. Rogen fans will most likely enjoy this performance and this movie that revolves entirely around him, but in his ever-lengthening résumé, I have a feeling Observe and Report will not stand out as one of his best. His costars - especially Anna Faris and Celia Weston - give their all to this film and they succeed in bringing blasts of (often inappropriate) fun. As I left the screening I overheard a conversation about how "uncreative" the movie is, and while I wouldn't go that far, I would say that some parts seem lazy. Certain gags are dragged out for a long time, I think to make them funnier, but the result is something that just feels draggy. And other scenes are quite funny but so dark or bleak that I ended up just feeling sad. It's extremely vulgar and violent, and definitely not for everyone's taste, but if you do like this sort of thing then it's worth seeing this someday just to see all these funny people interact.

Warner Bros.

Caption It!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:30:28 PDT

Welcome to the Caption It game on BuzzSugar! Every Wednesday, I'll post a photo still from a TV show or movie here and challenge you to think of the most hilarious caption possible. I'll announce the finalists the following Tuesday, and you'll get to vote for the best caption!

At the time I wrote this post, Advah's funny caption was leading the poll for last week's challenge:

Girl: ". . . and then, that girl who's a junior falls in love with a vampire
called Edward, and he's, like, totally hot! Isn't it the GREATEST story
EVER?"
Nathan (thinking): "I know, Joss, I feel old too. . . ."

Now on to this week's photo from Observe and Report starring Seth Rogen and Anna Faris:

Leave your captions in the comment space below before 5 p.m. PDT on Monday, April 13, to be considered for a spot in the voting round. Have fun!

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Movie Preview: Observe and Report

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:30:09 PST

First of all, major warning: After the jump is a red-band trailer, which means it's really NSFW (unless your workplace is cool with sex scenes, swearing and snorting coke in which case. . . your workplace is awesome). Anyway, this is what some folks on the Web are referring to as the (way) darker Paul Blart because Observe and Report, starring Seth Rogen and Anna Faris, is also about mall cops. But that's pretty much where the similarities end. In comparison to Blart, this movie looks more twisted, more insane, and far more violent than its box office-busting doppelganger.

But back to Anna Faris - she is hilarious in this trailer and is a major reason why I want to see the movie. Also, the funniest trailer line in recent memory (which is, again, super NSFW) for my money comes at 1:29.

Behold the trailer for Observe and Report after the jump. Just

read more. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Seth Rogen Signs On to Play Mall Cop, Apatow's Circle Expands

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:30:48 PST

This is what impresses me about Judd Apatow's little circle of support: he genuinely seems interested in making friends with funny people and collaborating with these friends to make new funny things. Director Jody Hill unveiled his tae kwon do comedy The Foot Fist Way at the 2006 Sundance Festival, and Apatow apparently loved the film and befriended Hill. He invited Hill to the set of Knocked Up where he and Seth Rogen also became friends.

Now, Hill has written a comedy about a mall cop and Rogen is just the guy for the job. Titled Observe and Report, the movie will focus on "Ronnie Barnhardt, a deluded, self-important head of mall security who squares off in a turf war against the local cops." It sounds like it won't be a huge departure for Rogen after his role as the bumbling cop in Superbad.

Judging by the trailer for The Foot Fist Way (which is of the red-band variety, so it includes some NSFW language), I can easily see why Apatow was drawn to it and why he befriended Hill. And now, two years later, we have another bawdy comedy to look forward to. This is how the funny grows, if you're in with The Apatow.

Source

Dislike: How Facebook Can Hurt Your Credit

LearnVest — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:15:04 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Forget “you are what you eat.” When it comes to your trustworthiness as as borrower, you are who you know . . . online.

Social networks are now being used by some lenders to evaluate whether you’re likely to pay them back.

The New York Observer reports that, while this methodology is still a few years away from common use by major banks, smaller institutions such as microlender Lenddo already use an algorithm based on input from a person’s various social networks to determine her creditworthiness. And more are likely to adopt the practice in the future.

Here’s the kicker: the information used by the algorithm isn’t just what you’ve made public - the banks are requiring your log-in information. Everything you can see, they can see. And they could even potentially send messages to your contacts.

Read on to find out about how Facebook can hurt your credit.

Facials and Acne

Allure — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:05:00 PST

We're excited to present this story from our friends at Allure:

Getting facial treatments with extractions may reduce premenstrual acne, but the timing seems to be important, according to a report in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science. When performing comedone extraction (steaming and gently pressing on the skin around blocked pores to remove dirt, oil, and debris), "I observed that when I did this with my clients midcycle, just after ovulation, they had less acne prior to their periods," says study author Katerina Steventon, a cosmetologist in the United Kingdom.

Her hypothesis: Such facials should be done around ovulation, because pore size decreases afterward, and because the skin becomes more oily and vulnerable to bacteria before menstruation; all these conditions may make extraction less efficient in preventing premenstrual acne. This needs to be tested in a clinical study, she adds.

Yes, You Can and Should Help Save a Child in Africa

BabyCenter — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:31:01 PDT

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Amy Graff about how moms can combat the famine in Africa.

A debate recently erupted on the BabyCenter Facebook page over whether the United States government should provide education, food, clean water, vaccinations, and other health services to those living in poverty-stricken Africa. Many Facebook fans sympathized with moms and children suffering in under-resourced areas while others felt that we should turn our back to the famine in Africa and focus on those who are struggling in our own country.

And then the discussion spiraled into a heated political discussion.

Honestly, I don’t think this should be about politics. Yes, it’s about government, but it’s not about left and right. It’s about right and wrong. It’s about whether you value a child’s life or not.

Related: Did I Overreact?

This discussion was sparked by a Facebook post about my visit to the White House. On Tuesday I stepped inside the West Wing with a group of 10 other moms to meet with Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden, USAID Administrator Raj Shah, and National Security Council Senior Director Gayle Smith.

We were invited to the White House because over the Summer we traveled to Kenya on a trip organized by ONE, a nonpartisan advocacy group dedicated to fighting poverty and preventable disease in Africa (join ONE Moms). You might remember some of my Momformation blog posts about visiting a hospital where doctors treat kids with malaria and watching a health-care worker test a family for HIV. We observed US investments savings lives, and now we were bringing our experience back to Washington DC to let lawmakers know that these programs are effective and working.

Dr. Biden chimed in with stories about her recent visit to a Somalia refugee camps in eastern Africa, a part of the continent that’s experiencing the worst drought in 60 years, the worst famine in 20 years, and ongoing violence. She consoled women and children trying to survive in the largest camp in the world. It was originally built to accommodate 90,000 people and is now overflowing with nearly a half-million impoverished people. In Somalia, a child is dying every six minutes.

“It’s so bad,” Dr. Biden said. “It’s worse than you can ever imagine.”

Keep reading to learn what we can do to help save a child in Africa.