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Movie Preview: Broken Embraces

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:30:00 -0700

Broken Embraces looks like classic Pedro Almodovar: a sweeping story with a heavy dose of film noir, beautiful to look at, and a dazzling Penelope Cruz. There's a reason the director and his muse always work together - he brings out her strongest performances; she serves as a captivating leading lady. (She even got an Academy Award nomination for his film Volver.)

If the trailer for Broken Embraces is any indication, Cruz may just have critics whispering Oscar again. The film follows an aspiring actress (Cruz) stuck in a marriage to an overbearing guy with deep pockets. But in secret, she's in love with her director. Yes, it's in Spanish with subtitles, but the movie looks packed with passion and mystery, which should make for some very good popcorn-eating. Check out the trailer and tell me if you agree when you read more.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Movie-to-TV: Almodovar's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:30:22 -0700

I should really watch Pedro Almodovar's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown again. Actually, I should have just bought that Almodovar collection for myself around the holidays because I don't remember a ton about it besides the fact that I really enjoyed it and I swooned over the skinny, baby-faced version of Antonio Banderas. Today there's another reason to rewatch the madcap comedy: Fox TV Studios is developing an hour-long, English-language TV series based on the movie. The studio has tapped Almodovar fan Mimi Schmir to write the series, as she has already "mined the arena of women in midlife crisis in a novel she is writing based on her 'Hot Flashes' blog." For more info on the project, read more.

Here's more:

The movie, starring Carmen Maura and featuring Antonio Banderas, was inspired by 1950s Hollywood comedies. Featuring Almodovar's trademark rapid-fire dialogue and fast-paced action, it chronicles a two-day period in the life of a voice actress who has been abandoned by her lover and gets in a series of comedic situations while frantically trying to track him down.

The Women series "will be a suburban drama about a group of women who have known each other for a long time, perhaps from college, who are in the middle of their lives and looking at the second half of their lives," Schmir said.

Like the movie, the series will feature a fair amount of humor. Schmir also is planning to pay homage to the movie by keeping some elements, like the film's ongoing gag of unsuspecting visitors to the actress's apartment being knocked out by sleeping pill-laden gazpacho she had intended for her philandering lover.

It will be interesting to see how much of the original flavor from the movie will make it into an English-language television series. Apparently Almodovar himself will be "very involved" in the production, so that's a good sign. Have you seen Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown? How does this sound to you?

Source and source

Buzz's Gift Guide: Box Set Bonanza!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:30:21 -0800

Welcome back to my Buzz Gift Guide series for all the entertainment lovers in your life. Yesterday I came up with some ideas for your coworkers, and today, I'm focusing on some splurge gifts for someone special: DVD box sets. These sets, whether a whole TV series or a collection of films, are pricier than the average gift, so they're definitely meant for that superfan who you know will cherish these DVDs forever.

I know many a Sopranos fan that would covet this giant box set that includes the complete series of the HBO show plus tons of special features - including creator David Chase and the cast talking about one of the alternate endings.

Fans of Freaks and Geeks will forever love anyone who gifts them this special "Yearbook Edition" box set. Also, the acclaimed series The Wire is available in its entirety now just in time for the holidays.

Finally, I personally would kill for this collection of films directed by Pedro Almodovar with eight movies including Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, All About My Mother, Talk to Her, The Flower of My Secret, and Bad Education.

Viva Pedro - The Almodovar Collection ($105.99)	The Sopranos - The Complete Series ($199.49)
The Wire: The Complete Series ($134.99)	Freaks & Geeks: Yearbook Edition ($129.99)	Amazon.com: Deadwood ($104.99)

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