BuzzSugar

Beastly: Just Plain Ugly

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 05:00:00 PST

Beastly is like a train wreck you can't look away from. Knowing the movie is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a pair of teen lovers may prepare you to expect a certain amount of cheesiness, but you won't be prepared enough. Beastly excels at being ridiculous, and when you're not cringing, you're laughing. Sadly, the humor is rarely intentional.

Hotshot high schooler Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) has it all: looks, money, and popularity. The only thing he loves more than himself is putting others down. His oppressive bullying makes him the target of Mary-Kate Olsen's teen witch Kendra, who puts a spell on Kyle to teach him a lesson. Transforming his perfect face into a melange of scar tissue, tattoos, and open wounds, Kendra warns Kyle that he'll have to keep his new look forever unless he finds someone to love him. Enter Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens), the impoverished scholarship student who sees behind Kyle's looks and becomes the key to releasing him from his ugly-face prison. Their love story has the potential to be sweet and disarming, but the nonsensical storytelling and subpar acting sabotage any chance at success. To find out why Beastly is so bad, just

The update of the Beauty and the Beast story is handled all wrong. Setting the movie in high school, where superficiality reigns, is a good start, but once Kyle's transformation begins, the plot becomes wildly unrealistic. Magic is an acceptable reason for some of the movie's elements, but the characters simply don't behave the way normal people would. For instance, Lindy is deposited into Kyle's care and shut away from the rest of the world, a big part of the Beauty and The Beast tale, but the way it happens is absurd. Throughout the film, important questions and plot holes are glossed over, while the silliest details end up directing the story.

The weak leading man is also a handicap. Pettyfer's acting is amateur, and his American accent constantly gets away from him. And while he seems comfortable playing the cocky, beautiful Kyle at the beginning of the film, he's all over the place as the ugly version of himself. He plays emo and tortured like an over-eager student in acting class. Hudgens isn't that much better as Kyle's soulful crush, but in her defense, the writing is so spectacularly terrible that it's hard to imagine anyone coming off great.

Unsurprisingly, Neil Patrick Harris is a delight, because he appears to be having way too much fun with his blind tutor character. However, playing blind doesn't appear to bring him any sort of acting challenge, because he's essentially doing How I Met Your Mother's Barney Stinson with a disability. Olsen handles the film's campiness with ease as well; her character is outrageous, and like Harris, the fun she's having onscreen with dialogue, makeup, and wardrobe makes her highly watchable. In fact, watchability is the best compliment I can give Beastly. It's over the top, but you're never bored. Whether you want to be entertained by nonsense is up to you.

Link Time - Christina Hendricks to Drive With Ryan Gosling

BuzzSugar — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:30:57 PDT

Christina Hendricks joins Ryan Gosling for Drive - MTV Movies Blog
J.J. Abrams teams up with Dark Knight coscribe for new TV thriller - Ausiello Files
Adam Brody on The Romantics and what went wrong with Jennifer's Body - Movieline
Jeremy Renner and Noomi Rapace to play witch-hunting Hansel and Gretel? - Cinematical
Reminisce about the best (and worst) movies you watched in school - Moviefone
Wentworth Miller shares his five favorite films - Rotten Tomatoes
Five TV shows for workout motivation - FitSugar
Brad Pitt's Tree of Life will now come to theaters in 2011 - Slash Film

CBS and NBC Collide For a Fun-Filled TCA Weekend

Molly Goodson — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:30:00 PST

The TCAs kicked off this weekend in Pasadena with everyone buzzing about Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien's future at NBC. Before that news, on Saturday Peter Facinelli chatted about Nurse Jackie, Twilight, and Twitter. We also got to know the adorable new cast of Life Unexpected, followed by the hot Vampire Diaries - check out a sneak peek of what to expect next. The cast couldn't stop gushing about how much they love working together, and Nina Dobrev was even celebrating a very special 21st birthday. When asked about the rumors that we will see werewolves in the upcoming season, Paul Wesley told us he doesn't know but thinks it would be a fantastic idea.

On Sunday it was all about NBC - the Parks and Recs cast had the whole room laughing, joking about everything from Twitter to the show's critical turnaround in season two, and when asked about a possible crossover with 30 Rock, Amy said, "Well I want to do something with Lost, but they're not NBC." Jerry Seinfeld also took the stage to introduce his new show The Marriage Ref, which follows ordinary couples who need help solving arguments and already has celebrity guest lineups including Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, and Eva Longoria. Of course Jerry couldn't get away without questions on Jay and Conan, to which he said, "I hope Conan stays on NBC, I think he's terrific." We also finally got a chance to check out Ron Howard's Parenthood, which looks great despite cast changes and drama.

At night the stars from NBC hit the red carpet to celebrate the network. Amy Poehler, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Rashida Jones looked beautiful in black, while Community and Mad Men star Alison Brie added a little pink to her red carpet look. We spoke with Alison, who was excited to talk about Jack Black's appearance this Thursday's episode and what she hopes we see from Trudie in Mad Men's next season - more on that later from Buzz. The casts from The Office, Heroes, and Chuck also mingled with each other over cocktails. There's lots more to come, so stay tuned for updates on Twitter.

More photos from the TCAs, so

View 95 Photos ›

Images include: Peter Facinelli, Toni Collette, Lauren Graham, Ian Somerhalder, Jerry Seinfeld, Edie Falco, Rashida Jones, Amy Poehler, Melanie Brown, Sandra Bernhard, Ron Howard, Aziz Ansari, Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev, Joel McHale, Monica Potter, Yvonne Strahovsk, Joy Bryant, Craig T Nelson, Bret Michaels, Zachary Levi, Peter Krause, Tori Spelling, Dean McDermott, Alison Sweeny, Jessica Seinfeld, Chevy Chase, Dax Shepard, Michelle Trachtenberg, Lauren Graham, Erika Christensen, Alison Brie

Buzz News Roundup, 7/8

BuzzSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:30:39 PDT

Bravo's Real Housewives of NYC has been renewed - but it may be recast with new housewives. - The Hollywood Reporter
Tobey Maguire and Elizabeth Banks are set to star in the indie black comedy The Details. - ComingSoon
It's estimated that a billion people worldwide watched Michael Jackson's memorial service. - LA Times
Peter Krause has joined Mary-Kate Olsen and Vanessa Hudgens in Beastly, the CBS Films adaptation of the Alex Flinn fantasy novel. - Variety
Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor announced today that the band will play a final "handful of shows" in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles beginning Aug. 22. - Billboard
G4 technology show host Olivia Munn will guest-star on Greek as a love interest for a main character. - Variety
Now apparently Ryan Phillippe and Val Kilmer are in negotiations to join the Will Forte and Kristen Wiig in the full-length MacGruber movie. - Reuters
Comedy Central has won the rights to syndicate 30 Rock. - The Futon Critic

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Peter Krause, Maura Tierney to Play Siblings in Parenthood

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:30:01 PDT

Meet the Bravermans: Peter Krause and Maura Tierney have signed on for starring roles in NBC's TV remake of Parenthood, playing new versions of the characters made famous by Steve Martin and Dianne Wiest.

They join Dax Shepard, Craig T. Nelson, Mae Whitman (who?), and the previously cast Erika Christensen as the potential members of the sprawling Braverman clan. Here's a quick breakdown of the who's-who so far:

Krause will play Adam Braverman, "a married man with two children who is a lunatic beneath the surface."
Tierney will play his sister Sarah, the single mother of . . .
. . . Whitman's character, a rebellious 16-year-old.
Shepard's character is the youngest Braverman, a slacker.
Christensen is their sister Julia, a corporate attorney.
And Nelson will play the clan's father, "a Vietnam vet-turned-actor/hippie."

I was a little skeptical of this project at first, just because a TV adaptation of Parenthood failed once before, but I'm starting to get a kick out of this cast. I'll give anything with Krause a try at least once, so I'm starting to hope that this one makes it through pilot season and onto our TVs. What about you?

Source

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:30:14 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, the Oscar-winning documentary Taxi to the Dark Side is also now available on DVD.

Iron Man
Hurray! It feels like just yesterday the Summer box office was electrified by this superhero hit. I really loved it (and saw it twice in the theaters), mostly due to a super cool performance by Robert Downey Jr. and the skillful storytelling abilities of director Jon Favreau. Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, and Terrence Howard also do well in this fun action movie. It's a good way to go back in time and shake off those dark, depressing blues you may have caught from your 10th viewing of The Dark Knight.

Special features include deleted and extended scenes, featurettes titled "I Am Iron Man: 7-Part Making-of Documentary," "The Invincible Iron Man: 6-Part History of the Hero," and "Wired: The Visual effects of Iron Man." Something I'm really curious to see in the extras is a Robert Downey Jr. screen test and a featurette on his acting process. More time with RDJ is always good.

Two more spiffy choices, so

Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Another comedy from the Apatow universe to add to your at-home collection (or your Netflix queue): Forgetting Sarah Marshall, starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, and Mila Kunis in a story about a guy trying to get over his most recent ex. And this could be considered a good thing or a warning, depending on your opinion: VMA host Russell Brand is in this movie and has a ton of screen time.

The unrated version is cryptically described as including scenes "you couldn't see in theaters" which I pray does not mean more of Jason Segel's private parts. I saw plenty myself, how about you? Other special features include a gag reel and a featurette titled "Line-o-rama: Lines you'll be reciting for ages."

Sports Night: Complete Series
On days like today, I really wish Aaron Sorkin would stop fiddling around on Facebook and get back to writing really awesome TV shows. He's definitely more hit than miss on the small screen and today's release of the special anniversary edition of his acclaimed Sports Night is an example of what it's like when he's hit his stride.

If you've never heard of the show, it's loosely based on ESPN's Sports Center, and it takes a look at the behind-the-scenes dynamics. The awesome cast is led by Peter Krause and Felicity Huffman who skillfully deliver those faster-than-the-speed-of-light dialogues that Sorkin is so good at writing.

The special edition DVD set includes new interviews with Sorkin, cast members Josh Charles, Robert Guillaume, Felicity Huffman, Peter Krause, and Joshua Malina; a featurette where real SportsCenter employees compare their experiences with the characters on Sports Night; a look back with creators Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme; and of course, gag reels.

First Look: Dirty Sexy Money's Second Season

BuzzSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:30:11 PDT

The last episode of ABC's Dirty Sexy Money aired so long ago, it had a Nutcracker theme. The show - like its counterparts in ABC's Wednesday night lineup, Pushing Daisies and Private Practice - went off the air during the writers' strike and never returned. This week, Dirty Sexy Money is back, amid a bunch of promises from the producers that this year's show will be "dirtier," "sexier," and - you got it - "monier."

Along those lines, they've added Lucy Liu to the cast as Nola Lyons, a "whip-smart, overachieving, and very fashionable" attorney who goes up against Peter Krause's Nick George. Nick, meanwhile, will find himself more affected by the over-the-top wealth and naughty antics of the Darlings, even as he tries to stay on the sidelines.

The show's gone through a lot of turmoil since its premiere (several executive producers, episodes that were reshot or ditched altogether), but I'm hoping Dirty Sexy Money can pull it together for season two. I was recently rewatching parts of last season online, and there were definitely signs of a fun soap opera in there. Want to check out how things are looking so far? To watch three clips from the premiere, including one with Liu, just

Photo and videos courtesy of ABC

ABC All Stars Pose Hands-on-Hips and Party the Night Away

PopSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:30:42 PDT

After spending a long day sitting on panels and fielding questions at the TCAs, the ABC and Disney stars got dressed up and hit the red carpet last night. Despite moving filming to NYC, the Ugly Betty beauties like Becki Newton (get her look here) were representing, even with no America Ferrera. Mixing our medical shows, Kate Walsh hung all over Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence celebrating life back on ABC. Nick Lachey didn't have Vanessa on his arm but looked handsome out promoting his High School Musical reality show. Check out lots more over on Buzz from all the stars and all the fun new and familiar shows!

To see more from the party including Selena Gomez, Victor Garber, Teri Hatcher, Peter Krause, Blair Underwood, Dave Annable, Zach Braff, Nicollette Sheridan just

View 63 Photos ›

Images include: Jamie Chung, Brendan Fehr, Seth Gabel, Zoe McLellan, Selena Gomez, Victor Garber, Teri Hatcher, Dana Delany, Loretta Devine, Natalie Zea, Doug Savant, Nick Lachey, Peter Krause, Blair Underwood, Judy Reyes, William Baldwin, Barry Watson, Tracy Hutson, Paul Adelstein, Chris Lowell, Taye Diggs, Sarah Jane Morris, Lucy Liu, Shawn Pyfrom, Kate Walsh, Bill Lawrence, Swoosie Kurtz, Felicity Huffman, Laura Wright, Donald Faison, Audra McDonald, Dave Annable, Zach Braff, Nicollette Sheridan, Kristin Chenoweth, Michael Urie, Vanessa Williams, Brooke Smith, Becki Newton

Source

TCAs Get Private, Dirty, Desperate and a Little Bit Grey

Molly — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:03:00 PDT

Some of the big names at ABC hit the stage at the TCAs in LA this afternoon. Even though there was no specific Grey's Anatomy panel, the show was still the first thing on everyone's mind when Shonda Rhimes entered the room - check out all of that on Buzz. Sigh, love Peter Krause. As for Desperate Housewives, Eva's haircut is adorable in person, she got it since she was told to get a "mom" cut and didn't want to wear a wig, and we should expect to see her looking glamorous again by mid season. Mark Cherry also jokingly admitted how the 5 year flash forward got out, "I made the mistake of telling one of my actors, and the next thing I read it in the Times, going, 'Damn it, Marcia.'" From details of Ugly Betty in NYC - costumes by Pat Field who did the premiere! - to Dirty Sexy Money - with Lucy Liu! - to Private Practice - more medicine less drama! - there's so much more coverage over on Buzz.

To see more from the panels including Lucy Liu, Eva Longoria, Shonda Rhimes, Blair Underwood, Felicity Huffman and tons of others just

View 35 Photos ›

Images include: Lucy Liu, Eva Longoria, Shonda Rhimes, Blair Underwood, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Nicollette Sheridan, Peter Krause, Stacy Keibler, Taye Diggs, Teri Hatcher, William Baldwin, Chris Lowell, Amy Brenneman, KaDee Strickland, Paul Adelstein, Kate Walsh, Audra McDonald, Natalie Zea, Zoe McLellan, Seth Gabel

Source

PaleyFest: Scoop from Damages and Dirty Sexy Money

BuzzSugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:30:16 PDT

I may be back in sunny San Francisco, but the Paley Festival is still going strong in LA. This week kicked off with panels for Damages and Dirty Sexy Money, with more to come from The X Files and Mad Men.

I was worried that neither the Damages nor the Dirty Sexy Money events would be very well-attended, because last week I got an e-mail from the Paley folks offering up free tickets to either panel. Sure enough, The Futon Critic reported that the crowd for Damages was "surprisingly thin." Who turns down a chance to chat with Glenn Close?

Still, it sounds like the Damages panel was well-received by those who were there - including TeamSugar's own Phasekitty, who wrote up a great rundown of the night's discussions and revelations. Among them:

Damages is the first legal show ever to air on FX, because the network had never before found one that fit its brand. That said, the creators said this is more a drama about the "social dynamic of power in the workplace" than a legal show; in 13 episodes from the first season, only part of one scene took place in the courtroom.
FX initially suggested Close for the lead role because of their good experience with The Shield. That got Ted Danson to pay attention, and he was looking for a different sort of project anyway. As you'll hear him say in the video clip below, he didn't want to do another half-hour comedy because he'd even ceased to amuse himself.
David's stalker, Lila, was always intended to be a red herring, never the actual killer.
The show has been renewed for two more seasons, and while the creators said they want to make it easy for new viewers to jump in, they also like the mystery format. The base of the show will always be the relationship between Patty and Ellen.

For some of the highlights from the Dirty Sexy Money panel and videos from both events, just

Once again, the crowd was small for Dirty Sexy Money. I wish I could have been there for that one, as I've really enjoyed Peter Krause's return to TV. If I'm being honest, though, Donald Sutherland is my favorite part of the show, and he wasn't there, so I suppose I'll live.

Both The Futon Critic and TV Squad were there, though, so I'll leave most of the talking to them. Just a couple of things that jumped out to me:

Billy Baldwin didn't merely know about his character's relationship with Carmelita, his transsexual lover, before he took the role - it was a reason for him even taking the role in the first place.
Spoilers or teasers about the second season were hard to come by, but there were some hints that Dutch's murder would be solved in the upcoming season, and had the strike not happened it would have been solved in the first season.
The show is apparently incredibly expensive to produce. Hey, all that jewelry doesn't come free.

Here are video highlights from both panels:

Damages:

Dirty Sexy Money:

Source