BuzzSugar

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:30:02 -0700

Will Ferrell will star in indie comedy Everything Must Go - Zap2it
Ugly Betty is back tonight! - TV.com
Ian Somerhalder will star in romantic gothic fairy tale Cradlewood - The Wrap
The Big Chill: where are they now? - Moviefone
Last night's 30 Rock is even more meta thanks to low ratings - Vulture
Hilarious: old folks review MGMT's video for "Kids" - Stereogum
Penelope Cruz is going to make a cameo in the Sex and the City sequel - Cinematical
The Top 20 Celebrity Twilight fans - PopSugar
Telling the difference between Where the Wild Things Are and Wild Things - MTV Movies Blog

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 Preview: Nine

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:00:11 -0700

"Be Italian!!"

Wow! The first trailer for Nine, a movie-musical by the director who brought us Chicago, is a feast for the eyes and the ears. There are sexy women galore (Kidman! Cruz! Hudson! Cotillard! Sophia Loren!) in nothing but their skivvies dancing and doing the splits and generally looking like tortured artistic souls.

No one looks quite as tortured as Daniel Day-Lewis (replacing Javier Bardem) as famous film director Guido Contini, who's struggling to juggle his relationships with all the gorgeous women in his life, including his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent, and his mother. It's an amazing cast full of Oscar winners, and the music sounds great. And hey, Fergie's in it, too.

Nine will be released November 25. To take a look for yourself, read more.

Source

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:30:08 -0700

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.

Elegy
Here's a movie with two well-respected actors in the lead roles that got very little attention when it came out (I wrote about it awhile back as part of my Ben Kingsley slideshow but barely heard anything about it after that). And interestingly, the movie was generally well-received by critics. Based on the cast and description, I'm totally intrigued.

Elegy is adapted from Philip Roth's novella The Dying Animal and follows David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley), a successful New York author in his 60s who's settled into the fact that he has a strained relationship with his son (Peter Sarsgaard) and a purely sexual relationship with a middle-aged businesswoman (Patricia Clarkson). His life is then unhinged by the arrival of Consuela Castillo (Cruz), a woman who enrolls in one of his classes.

Special features include commentary with screenwriter Nicholas Meyer and a featurette titled "The Poetry of Elegy."

One more pick this week, so read more.

Degrassi: The Next Generation: Season Seven
Before Shenae Grimes was smiling up a storm on the new 90210, she was on the new Degrassi, and now season seven is here for fans to own. I know a lot of fans of this teen drama reboot who will be stoked to pick up these DVDs.

According to Netlfix, the seventh season tackles heavy subject matter like smoking pot, suicide, sexual assault, - even cancer. Jeez! Also, "A fire at rival Lakehurst High means some new students are switching to Degrassi, forcing the gang to confront the aftermath of J.T.'s murder." So, murder too.

DVD extras include special commentary, bloopers, and deleted scenes.

Where Will We See the Oscar Winners Next?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:30:03 -0800

The Oscars did a great job of getting me psyched for some upcoming films - but when will we see this year's Oscar winners on the big screen next? Here's a rundown of what Sean Penn, Penelope Cruz, Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle, and more are working on now.

View Slideshow ›

Penelope Cruz: "That Was a Magical Moment"

BuzzSugar — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:03:52 -0800

After Penelope Cruz's graceful, sweet acceptance speech (including the lovely line "Art in any form is our universal language") when she won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona, she came back to the press interview room and answered some questions. Here's what I learned. . .

On Woody Allen: "I'm going to call Woody right now . . . I call Woody sometimes just to say hello. I adore him, I just think he's so funny and charming and unique. And of course I have to call Woody, to thank him."

On insecurity while working on a film: "I'm always insecure on a set, no matter what. When you're working with Woody Allen, you know you can trust the person you're working with . . . We just trust in him. We did the whole movie in four weeks . . . I was never doubting the genius of Woody Allen."

On the musical movie she's shooting, Nine: "I think that movie is going to be great. We are very happy and very proud." She says Sophia Loren is one of the most special people she's ever met, and that she's become like a second mom to her. "She's really a woman of a gold with heart. No . . . what did I say? No, a woman . . . with a heart of gold!"

On having an accent, not being from America, and working in Hollywood:
"We are all mixed together, more and more each day and that has to be reflected in cinema. So I am happy that today that door is more and more open."

On the presentation of the award by the past Best Supporting Actress winners: "That was a magical moment."

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:30:32 -0800

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 my selections below you can also add RocknRolla, The Rocker, and Kirk Cameron's Fireproof (have you seen the trailer?!) to your queue.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona
I love Penelope Cruz as an actress and I'm glad her performance in this Woody Allen flick is earning her lots of attention - including an Oscar nod. The movie follows Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), two girlfriends who set off for a Summer in Barcelona. They soon befriend a famous painter, Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), who is known for his volatile relationship with his ex-wife, Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz). Things get wacky when a love-square gets underway between all these women and Juan.

Oddly, there isn't a single special feature available with this DVD. Not a one. Boo!

Two more up next, so read more.

Blossom: Seasons One and Two
This TV show is a nostalgic favorite of mine, so I'm excited for this release (finally!). When I did the recast challenge for this show, some folks chimed in that they had never heard of Blossom. Well, now here's your chance to get to know a '90s television gem starring Mayim Bialik in the title role as a smart, fashion-forward (for the time, depending on your perspective) teenager living with her dad and two brothers after their mom leaves the family. Blossom's fast-talking best friend Six was one of my favorite characters as a kid.

I still can't believe this show is actually out on DVD! What's next, Ally McBeal?! One can only dream. Special features include the original pilot; a retrospective look at the creation of the series and its impact on television which includes new interviews with creator Don Reo and stars Mayim Bialik, Jenna von Oÿ, Joseph Lawrence and Ted Wass; and a featurette completely devoted to the show's fashion.

As Joey might put it: "Whoa!"

Lakeview Terrace
First of all, let's discuss this DVD cover. What the heck is going on here? Is Samuel L. Jackson pointing a gun at that couple? Are they scared? Because Kerry Washington doesn't look scared, exactly. . . more like asleep with her eyes open. And why is Samuel so gigantic? They probably could have shrunken that pic a little to fit in at least his whole head. Anyway.

Despite the loopy cover, I'm curious to see this movie because it did well at the box office and it earned middle-of-the-road reviews, which is to say it probably doesn't totally suck. Oh, and the director, Neil LaBute, made the interesting and provocative flick In the Company of Men which gives me hope about this thriller.

According to Netflix Lakeview Terrace follows "Chris and Lisa Mattson (Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington) as they settle into their Los Angeles dream house - only to be harassed by their off-kilter cop neighbor, officer Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson). Turner disapproves of the couple's interracial relationship and is determined to drive them away, but as the harassment turns violent, the newlyweds have no choice but to fight back."

Vicky Cristina Barcelona: Neurotic Mixed With Beautiful

BuzzSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:30:32 -0700

I'd probably say I'm a medium-sized fan of Woody Allen. If I were ordering a dose of Woody Allen at Starbucks, I'd probably get it in a grande cup. His nebbishy dialogue style grates on my nerves after too long, and some of his movies remind me of me at my most neurotic, which is tiring. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is more of the same Allenistic stuff we've grown to expect, but it's also given a refreshing jolt from the (mostly) talented and entirely beautiful cast. There's a nice balance of overthinky anxiety, wacky storyline, and attractive people to make this Woody Allen film a medium-sized, easy-to-drink treat.

The movie is narrated as though someone is reading us a story, and the detached commentary provides occasional insights into the thoughts and feelings of the protagonists, which I appreciated in this case. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) are girlfriends who set off for a Summer in Barcelona. They soon befriend a famous painter, Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), who is known for his volatile relationship with his ex-wife, Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz).

Cristina becomes Juan Antonio's paramour, but before too long, Vicky finds herself drawn to him as well, despite her engagement to the wealthy, steady Doug (Chris Messina). The love triangle becomes a square when the emotionally unstable Maria Elena returns to live in Juan Antonio's house, which he now shares with Cristina. The tangled web gets messier - and funnier - as the Summer goes on. For more of my thoughts on all of this, read more.

It's easy to relax into this Summer-in-Spain atmosphere, and the city lends a softer, friendlier vibe to the film than the usual fast-paced craziness of New York City, Allen's frequent location of choice. Bardem and Cruz are two of the hottest human beings ever, in my opinion, and both are superb as the love-crazed, passionate artists forever enmeshed in a love/hate, push-pull relationship. Even if they weren't superb, I would love watching them (I mean, look at this photo of Penelope Cruz! Look at it!).

Using Spanish actors in a Spanish setting (as opposed to solely focusing on the Americans' experiences abroad) was wise, and these two often carry some of the wackier scenes simply because they are so comfortable in the setting. They're less easy with some of the anxious, uniquely Woody Allen-y dialogue, but frankly, so is Johansson. For all that talk of her being a "muse," she doesn't do very well with Allen's material. The one who really and truly does is Rebecca Hall, playing a character who thinks so much and so intensely about everything, she has a hard time just relaxing and being content. Sound like anyone else we could name? It's like she was born to star in a Woody Allen film, and I hope we get to see her in more of them.

Photos courtesy of The Weinstein Company

Movie Preview: Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 06:30:39 -0700

The trailer for Woody Allen's latest effort Vicky Cristina Barcelona has no dialogue - only a montage of scenes from the film set to a song sung in Spanish. This is probably for the best, I suppose, so we can concentrate on all the making out that's going on (including a kiss between Penelope and Scarlett) and how good-looking Javier Bardem is. According to IMDB, the plot description is this: "A painter enters a relationship with two American tourists. Conflict begins with the painter's jealous ex-girlfriend."

The movie opens in theaters September 5. To watch all the beautiful people and tell me what you think of the dialogue-less trailer, read more.

Source

Link Time! 4/22

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:29:40 -0700

The Film Experience has a great collection of photos of Penelope Cruz trying out different hairstyles and makeup ideas for her next Pedro Almodovar film, Broken Embraces.
The season finale of Oprah's Big Give left TV Filter feeling less than charitable.
It's that time of year again: Head over to the MTV Movies Blog to submit your 3-minute movie spoof for the 2008 MTV Movie Awards.
After last night's Gossip Girl, the TV Addict proposes new meanings for O, M, F, and G.
The Merry Swankster has a track-by-track preview of the new Wolf Parade album.
Popwatch wonders which TV guest stars have driven you to IMDb and Netflix their past work.
TV Squad stands up for How I Met Your Mother co-creator Craig Thomas, who always seems to get left out of discussions about the show.
Rolling Stone's Rock & Roll Daily wonders why David Cook's best-selling album was suddenly pulled from Amazon's mp3 store.