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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:30:01 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. In addition to the titles below you can also watch the Tom Hanks-Julia Roberts political movie Charlie Wilson's War and the horror flick One Missed Call.

Cloverfield
With the release of Cloverfield to DVD it seems like this is one JJ Abrams chapter that has officially come to an end (well, at least until the sequel comes out, and the viral marketing campaign for that will surely precede it by about a year). Cloverfield was so overly hyped that I had some reservations going into the movie, but I was happy to report that I had been worried for nothing. It is a frightening monster movie that kept my heart racing.

This movie also earned a reputation for the shaky-cam visual style making some people feel nauseated, though if you were worried about that on the big screen, your home entertainment center will likely make for a much mellower experience. The movie follows a gaggle of 20-somethings at a going away party in New York. When the city comes under attack by a monster, what ensues is a great balance of action, relief, tender moments and "real-life" drama and humor.

As expected, this DVD is packed full of special features including commentary by director Matt Reeves, alternate endings, and the making of the film.

Two more excellent (albeit dark) films out this week, so

read more. The Savages The Savages has some amazing talent in it, including the incomparable Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman who play siblings, with a touching performance by Philip Bosco as their father. The story centers around a scenario few of us will escape in our lifetime: dealing with an aging parent. In the movie, this situation is made even more complicated by the fact that the father has been estranged from his children for decades. The film was one of the year's best and earned Oscar nominations for both Laura Linney and writer Tamara Jenkins. Special features include an "About the Savages" featurette, some director's snapshots and an extended scene. The Orphanage Omigosh, if Cloverfield isn't scary enough for you, I can guarantee that this film will haunt you for days, if not weeks. Giggle reviewed The Orphanage for me while I worked up the nerve to check it out for myself, and then once I did I totally agreed with every thing she wrote. This Spanish-language film doesn't rely on CGI effects or grotesque torture scenes to scare the you-know-what out of you. Instead, it's an old-fashioned ghost story that follows a woman who returns to the orphanage of her youth to refashion it as a school for disabled children. But when her son starts to exhibit disturbing behavior, she is pulled into the creepy secrets of the house and thus unfolds a super scary movie. I highly recommend this one but you may need a shoulder to bury your head into or a hand to hold - I would not tackle this alone! Special featurettes include: "When Laura Grew Up: Constructing the Orphanage"; "Tomas' Secret Room (The Filmmakers)"; and "Horror in the Unknown: Makeup Effects."

Box Office: National Treasure Still Gold, Juno Keeps Climbing

BuzzSugar — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:30:00 PST

For the third weekend in a row, National Treasure: Book of Secrets led the way at the box office, bringing in a respectable $20.2 million. This is nice and all, but the real success story this weekend is that of Juno, the little indie movie that has consistently jumped higher and higher in the box office ranks over its five-week run at the theaters.

More often than not movies experience a decline at the box office after the initial buzz dies down, but not little Juno. Granted, it opened in more theaters this weekend, but the numbers for this movie are still wildly impressive - particularly for an independent film. According to Variety, the movie will most likely become Fox Searchlight's most lucrative project, as it's gunning to outpace both Sideways and Little Miss Sunshine.

I Am Legend just barely pushed its way to second place with $16.4 million, just over Juno's $16.2 million. Alvin and the Chipmunks refused to budge from the top five, landing at No. 4. Rounding out the top five was newbie horror flick One Missed Call.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Which Scary Movie Looks Scarier?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:29:05 PDT

Which of these two scary movie trailers looks like it will be more successfully scary?

Stephen King's The Mist
"A freak storm unleashes a species of blood-thirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole-up in a supermarket and fight for their lives."

Japanese remake, One Missed Call
"Several people start receiving voice-mails from their future selves - messages which include the date, time, and some of the details of their deaths."

A Doctor Dishes: Which "Superfoods" Are Worth the Cost?

LearnVest — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

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

Most people you speak to these days are trying to stretch every dollar as far as possible - even the ones they spend buying apples and oranges.

Food prices are expected to increase yet again this year, and food manufacturers are making portions smaller without reducing prices. Not surprisingly, a recent Rasmussen poll found that 93 percent of adults report paying more for groceries now than they did a year ago.

So how can we supercharge our grocery dollars and get them to do overtime for us?

Yes, some foods are obviously a better nutritional deal than others (think apples vs. potato chips), but there’s another class of foods that blows the rest of the field away in terms of nutrients and health-protecting qualities: superfoods.

Superfoods can help prevent diabetes and heart disease, repair damage to your body’s cells, and more. But before you go piling them into your cart, know that some superfoods are better nutritional bargains than others. As a doctor and a mom, I’ve sleuthed out which ones are worth the extra cost in terms of their long-term health benefits. Below is the scoop on which ones may help you age better, ward off cancer, and more.

What to Know Before Buying Superfoods

Before we dive into what to buy, there are a few important things to remember about consuming these foods:

Eating foods fresh and in their natural state, especially fruits and vegetables (rather than in pill or powder supplement form), usually allows us to absorb the greatest amount of their nutrients. The way a superfood is processed or cooked can significantly lower its antioxidant content.
If the superfood can’t be eaten fresh, look for easy and appetizing recipes containing it. No matter how “super” a superfood may be, if you don’t know how to cook it, you’ll probably let it go to waste.

Are Superfoods "Good Buys" If I’m Shopping on a Budget?

Read on to find out.

Buzz Blabber: The Chuck Finale Divides Fans

BuzzSugar — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:05:00 PST

Popular TV shows brought mixed emotions to commenters this week. From saying goodbye to Chuck to the new episodes of Grey's Anatomy and The Vampire Diaries, we pulled together some of your reactions to get the full scoop. It's time to get caught up on the talk of the town this week!

The end of Chuck brought mixed reviews

"I am satisfied with the episode in general, but as a finale not so much. Seems more like a season finale that begs for more. I think the producers left the door open for possible other projects with Chuck. I certainly hope so. Chuck was pretty much the few show I have been watching on NBC these days. Chuck is one of few bright spots in a sea of vampire shows and comedies." - txcheng
"Nope, it sucked as a finale. Very disappointed." - Miss Senorita
"I actually really liked the finale - the second half, at least. I feel like loose ends were tied up in a way that was not final (hopefully leaving it open for a movie/comic book series/web series/SOMETHING!) - Morgan and Alex together, Casey going after Gertrude (but not until he hugged Chuck like a brother!), Ellie and Awesome leaving to start the next chapter in their lives in Chicago, and Chuck and Sarah well on their way to being together again." - limelindsey

To see more buzzed-about topics, just

"Great episode, as usual! I hope the mother is worse than Klaus, it will bring more action to the show. He was like a little boy in front of her, a boy who just behaved and is waiting for punishment. And please dear writers, don't kill him now, I love Joseph Morgan." - shaimas

"I still think it's Tyler who's killing all those people. Didn't Klaus mention at one episode that he will kill everyone that Elena loves if he didn't get what he wanted? And he's mysteriously absent in this episode." - CiaoBella01

"I did not like the 'I forgive you' act, I hope there is more to the story regarding the original witch. Damon should have answered Elena's phone call in the woods scene. I love this show!" - fashionaza

Grey's Anatomy delights some fans but disappoints others in the alternate reality

"I wasn't expecting to like this episode as much as I did. I actually kinda loved it. I also loved the mentions of Preston Burke, Izzie and George. It was kinda implied that George still died, but was just the John Doe to everyone (since Alex said he failed the boards and then was never heard of again)." - dreamalittledream
"I was very disappointed. . ." -Brandy R.
"This episode was so trippy. That's the only thing I can think of! Cristina's hair was awful (straight hair and bangs on her face just does not look right!) Some of the pairings made sense, but Owen and Callie? That didn't make any sense to me. Bailey made sense as, if you remember, she had to learn how to speak up before Grey's started; Ellis was so strong when she was a doctor (from what we do know from flashbacks), so I imagine Bailey would have stayed the way she was (with the hair to boot.)" - ellenora

Photo courtesy of NBC

"How Do I Tell My Depressed Co-Worker to Leave Me Alone?"

Tres Community — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:05:00 PST

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

I work at a hospital and I met a cook at the cafeteria where I go to every day, inside the hospital, about two years ago. So, since I see him everyday and ask him to fix me a sandwich or whatever, we became friends. We talked every day a little bit about soccer or things like that, nothing too deep. About two months ago, I ended up adding him on Facebook, and he gave me his number to call him anytime I needed something to eat and didn't have time to wait or something like that (that's what he said). So, he started to go further, texting me occasionally, offering me chocolates or homemade sweets. Slowly, everybody at work started noticing that he had a crush on me, when I just thought he was being kind. I never liked him, he is so not my type.

One day he started asking me how long I'd been single. So, I asked what caused him to think that, because I'm in a relationship. (It's been six years, on and off, very complicated but that's a whole other story). He thought I was single because I had nothing about my boyfriend on Facebook (the last time we broke up was last May and I switched my relationship status and haven't changed it back to "in a relationship").

I started to suspect that he thought I was into him, when all I had previously thought we had a totally innocent friendship. Soon after this revelation, he told me that whenever I went to the cafeteria, I couldn't take my eyes off of him. Of course, I was like WTF? He knew I had been in a serious relationship, and yet he thought I liked him and was trying to pursue me!

From then on, I kept my distance, keeping the conversations to a hello/goodbye only. Of course, he noticed and asked me what was up. I told him I didn't want him to misinterpret things; that I have a boyfriend who I love, and I have no plans to cheat on him. He said OK and apologized. The next day, I go to the cafeteria and I find he's not there. Same story the next day. He texts me and tells me that I'm not going to see him for a while, since everything that happened made him get depressed and that he was going through a crisis. He took a medical leave for two weeks, during which he texted and called me incessantly. I never answered his texts or calls.

When I finally saw him back at work, he ignored me. Soon after, though, he texted me saying that "he missed our friendship." I never answered him. I've really had it with this guy; I used to like our chats, but I certainly don't anymore. I want to tell him to stop texting me completely, but I don't know how to do it without him suffering from a "crisis." He is constantly telling me how bad he feels, and how he doesn't want to come to work anymore, and I just don't know what to do.

How can I tell him to leave me alone?

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "If/Then"

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:20:41 PST

Last year we had the Grey's Anatomy musical episode, and this season it's the alternate-reality episode. That's right: as Meredith ponders on the veracity of the phrase "meant to be," we get to see what could have been - or in this case, what was always destined to be. Though this is a filler episode if I ever saw one, it's still pretty fun to see the characters go down different paths (well, except for Jackson, who pretty much stays the same).

What we're treated to is a preppy-pink Meredith, a geeky Karev, and an even edgier Yang just to name a few. There are also plenty of shout-outs to characters from past seasons, like Izzie, George, and Burke. Ready to break down all of the differences? Just

The Office, "Jury Duty": Best Lines of The Night

Lizzie Fuhr — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:59:04 PST

After a solid cold opening of Andy dancing to "Footloose" in the warehouse (think dancing on bubble wrap and punching packing peanuts), the rest of this week's episode of The Office is a success. We find out early on that Jim was called to jury duty for a half day that he turned into five days. Dwight catches on to Jim's plan early on and does everything in his power to bring him down. On top of all the cute kids that show up for "Jury Duty," Jim and Dwight go at it. Oscar has some awesome moments. And I love this new friendship between Kevin and Erin that's blossoming before our eyes.

This is one of my favorite episodes I can remember in a long time. Not too plot driven and chock-full of solid comedic writing plus a handful endearing moments that just made me feel good. To get a few of my favorite lines, just keep reading.

Save Thousands Just By Itemizing Deductions

LearnVest — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:15:01 PST

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

Though we all groan about having to pay taxes, the government is nice enough not to tax us on the full amount of our earnings.

There are two big buckets of deductions the government gives us: the first is called above the line, and the second is called below the line, which we’ll cover here. (The “line” these deductions refer to is a literal line on your 1040 form for the Adjusted Gross Income.)

Below the Line Deductions

Below the line deductions come in two types: one is called the standard deduction, and the second is called itemized deductions.

The Standard Deduction

The standard deduction is an amount of income that the government will not tax any taxpayer on. Most people take the standard deduction on their returns, which is worth anywhere from $5,800 to $11,600, and opt out of the whole process of itemizing. It’s as simple as saying, “I’m a single person (or married filing singly or married filing jointly), and yes, I would like the standard deduction.” For some people, this is just fine. After all, that’s a lot of money, and taking just the standard deduction makes your taxes simpler and faster. What’s not to like?

Check out the chart below to find out what the standard deduction is for your filing status.

"My Ex Gave His First Born a Name I Picked Out"

Tres Community — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:05:00 PST

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

My ex and I dated for two years, during which we had two miscarriages. Since I'm a typical woman, I did have a few names in mind that I really liked, which I shared with him, as we had already come close to having a baby. I want to emphasize that I was the one that picked out the baby names, he simply agreed to them.

We broke up March of 2011, and it was really hard on me. In April and May, I continued to casually see him in hopes that we would get back together, but since it never happened, I decided to instead take a summer-long vacation across the country to give myself some space. Throughout June, he was calling me like crazy wanting to get back together. It seemed like whenever one of us wanted to get back together, the other one didn't. We ended up staying out of touch in July and August for this reason.

In September, he came back into the picture and we casually started seeing each other again. We saw each other maybe once or twice a week, nothing extreme. Once December rolled around, he started to contact me with a lot more frequency. He passed by my job frequently, posted Facebook statuses about missing me, invited me to outings with his family, cooked me dinner, sent me e-mails several times a day and wanted to talk on the phone a lot. I honestly was very confused.

This past Friday, through Facebook, I find out that he had a baby. I was very hurt, especially considering that he got this girl pregnant approximately a month after we originally broke up. I feel used and stupid because he deceived me and hid this from me for the past nine months, during which he tried to get back together several times and we still remained intimate.

I'm entirely confused as to why he would give his new daughter a name (both first and middle) that I had picked out for our future kids. Isn't this an insult to both me and his baby's mother? Why would he do that? I wouldn't have been bothered with it if we hadn't had any pregnancies in our relationship, but we did. And we referred to the two separate pregnancies by the unique names that I had chosen. I'm not upset, I'm simply in shock. I feel like this is a huge no-no, and I can't help but think that he's always going to think of me when he hears his daughter's name. Please help clarify this situation for me.

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.