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Buzz News Roundup, 2/6

BuzzSugar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:42:28 -0800

Reuters has an appreciation of Beatles spiritual mentor Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who died overnight.
Brittany Murphy may be Lindsay Lohan's replacement in the dark comedy Poor Things, writes Hollywood Reporter.
Billboard has news that Metallica, Pearl Jam, and Kanye West will headline Bonnaroo this year - and not Led Zeppelin, as some sources erroneously reported.
ComingSoon reports that Josh Brolin may go from playing George W. Bush to playing the new Terminator.
Debra Messing has nabbed a role in the family dramedy Humboldt Park, Variety reports.
Zap2It has the news that Casey Affleck is attached to star in a film adaptation of Tom Epperson's period noir drama The Kind One.
The Selma Blair/Molly Shannon show Kath and Kim has been given a series order by NBC, writes Hollywood Reporter.
According to ComingSoon, Emilio Estevez's directorial follow-up to Bobby will be a social drama titled The Public, which will be set in a library.
Late-night host (and new citizen) Craig Ferguson will host the annual White House Correspondents Dinner, Variety reports.

Will Lohan's Behavior Hurt Her Career?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 31 May 2007 13:28:05 -0700

Despite Lindsay Lohan's DUI/coke bust and trip to rehab, she's still employed - at least for now. Shirley MacLaine and Rob Hickman, the producers of Poor Things, told People they aren't going to kick her off the project. In a joint statement, they said:

"We are trying to rearrange the shooting schedule to facilitate her working at the end of the shoot to coincide with the completion of her rehabilitation. We wish her love and the blending of mind, body and spirit."

But Lohan's grace period appears to be running out, according to several sources in a New York Times story. Some studios and producers are reportedly removing Lohan from their casting lists, staying away from the actress until she proves she's reliable, responsible and capable of working - not to mention sober.

I can't say I'm surprised. If I were a director, I don't think I'd take a chance on Lohan right now. Besides the risk of her being physically unable to work, some of you are saying you won't see a movie with her in it. And she's one of the few stars whose offscreen behavior affects how I see her work.

That's a shame, because I think Lohan has talent. Her performance was one of the bright spots in Georgia Rule, and you'll never catch me saying a bad word about Mean Girls. But she's already been replaced in two movies recently, once by Sienna Miller and again by Bryce Dallas Howard, though it's not clear if either of those situations had anything to do with her wild behavior. Whatever the reason, though, I do wish she'd stay out of the spotlight for a while and get her life together so she - and we - can stop being distracted by her antics.

Source

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "New History"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:03:32 -0800

They're baaaaack! This week on Grey's Anatomy, Meredith, and Izzie make their returns to Seattle Grace/Mercy West, though only Mere is back in scrubs. Izzie heads back to the hospital with her favorite high-school teacher in tow, a sweet guy who's suffering from what appears to be dementia and is constantly referring to Izzie as a pregnant teen. Meanwhile, Hunt brings in a new "cardio god" (Kim Raver), though Cristina isn't exactly thrilled that her "gift" is a hot leggy blonde that already has a rapport with her boyfriend.

Plus, Mere and Derek have a few adorable moments while Sloan becomes the show's new gossip girl. There's a lot more to talk about, so to get into it just read more.

Izzie strolls into the hospital like she never left, but of course her friends have lots of questions. Meredith and Cristina are both curious and a little hurt while Alex ignores her completely. Izzie doesn't exactly explain what she's been doing, but immediately starts making demands for her friends to take care of her teacher. She even blackmails Dr. Percy when he sasses her about being fired (though I kind of cheered when she threatens to tell Reid his secret). Izzie even squares off with the chief, but in the end she gets her way.
Poor Alex doesn't know how to handle Izzie's return, but Mere finally encourages him to talk to his wife. Izzie accuses Alex of getting her fired, but Karev bites back and points out that Izzie didn't even ask him about it. After seeing them square off like they have so many times before, it's almost hard to believe they were ever married in the first place. When Alex tells Izzie that he can't forgive her, he heads to the bar to drink the pain away with Mere. Love the friendship between Mere and Karev by the way - if she and Derek weren't so cute together these days, I'd almost root for a new coupling.
Kim Raver makes her first appearance on the show this week, as new doc Teddy Altman. At first Cristina is psyched to welcome a new cardio surgeon but her enthusiasm wanes when she realizes that Hunt and Teddy have a past together. Teddy takes a liking to Cristina, even when Yang gives her lip - that is, until Teddy realizes that Cristina is Hunt's girlfriend. When Teddy learns that Hunt brought her in as a "present" to his lady love, Teddy kicks into serious mode which earns Yang's respect. The ladies turn out to be a pretty good team by the end of the episode.
I have to say that I really liked Raver as the new doctor. Yes, her moment in the rain was a bit too cheesy for me, but overall I think she'll be a good addition. While she's clearly carrying a torch for Hunt, she doesn't seem like the type to go for the jugular and try to steal him away from Cristina. The real question is whether or not Hunt runs into Teddy's arms when he inevitably learns that Yang swapped a little spit with Dr. Avery.
When Adele comes into the hospital wondering where her husband has been sneaking off to for the past few nights, she quickly accuses Bailey of being his mistress. The idea is completely hilarious, though Bailey doesn't exactly do the best job of calming Adele's fears, and Callie only makes it worse by calling them "work husband and wife." Bailey immediately starts a witch hunt to figure out which doctor actually is having an affair with the chief, but things take a serious turn when Lexie and Reid discover that the chief has made a serious mistake with one his patients. Bailey covers for him, but when she tells the chief what happens, he decides to take a break and gives his surgeries to Bailey. Then he heads to the bar to drink, where Mere catches him in the act. The final scene where the chief is playing out all the recent bad interactions with his co-workers mixed in with his memories of his alcoholism is depressing to say the least. I have to say though - I thought it was sort of silly that the chief chooses the closest bar to fall off the wagon. He's clearly embarrassed when Meredith sees him, but was he really expecting the bar to be deserted? It's like he wanted to get caught.

What'd you think of this week's episode? Are you excited about Teddy? Looking forward to next week's episode where Dr. Sloan's daughter comes in? Sound off in the comments below, and don't forget to check out the Grey's Anatomy McAddicts Group in the Buzz Community!

Mad Men, "The Grown Ups": This Week's 5 Maddest Moments

BuzzSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:30:10 -0800

Did you hear it? That was the sound of the Mad Men implosion, as the death of JFK on November 22, 1963, rocked the country and the lives of the show's characters. This season has been building up to the events of this episode, which felt more intense, more important, than next week's finale can possibly be. If there's an episode that has defined the third season so thoroughly, it's this one, "The Grown Ups."

Ready to talk? See this week's five maddest moments when you read more.

Death of a President: The timeline of the show has made it clear that John F. Kennedy's assassination is coming, but like those who experienced it, there was no way to prepare for it emotionally. So where is everyone when JFK is shot? Peggy is having a "nooner" with Duck, Betty is at home, Pete and Harry are talking work, and Roger's daughter Margaret is having a fitting on the eve of her wedding.
One wedding and a funeral: The show must go on, Roger decides, and Margaret's wedding still happens on Saturday night, with far fewer guests in attendance. I understand why they didn't cancel it, but as Joan remarks, "Poor thing." Margaret overcomes her marriage jitters and fit over Jane's extravagant gift and presence in her life, only to agree to be married the day after the President's shooting. That's pretty rough.
Downgrade: Pete is demoted so thoroughly at Sterling Cooper that he leaves work and tells Trudie he's been fired at first. Like Betty, the fact that he's already going through something jarring when JFK is shot only escalates his personal situation, and he stays at home with Trudie instead of going to Margaret's wedding. Shaken as well, Trudie tells Pete to start gathering his clients in preparation to leave the company. Pete seems shattered, and again, I enjoyed Vincent Kartheiser's nuanced performance of one of the show's most complicated characters.
Where's the love: A wedding and a violent event prompt everyone to re-evaluate their romantic relationships; particularly Don and Betty (their kiss at the wedding proves to be only passionate from one side) and Joan and Roger. That Roger calls Joan, just happy that she's home, says so much about his feelings for her.
The Proposal: "What is going on?" Betty asks both Don and Henry, distraught about the country's events, but that's exactly how I felt when Henry tells her in her car that he'll marry her if she leaves Don. Last week, when she got advice against divorcing him, I thought there was no way they'd split up, but now that Betty has this viable option, I'm actually scared they may divorce. As screwed up as their marriage is, their being together is one of the show's fixtures. Their separation would be like Sterling Cooper going out of business. But Betty sees things as having "no point" now, and she tells Don that she no longer loves him. I don't know what to think! Is it a coincidence that she was wearing a pink twinset like Jackie the day JFK is shot? Hadn't she just "lost" her husband in last week's episode when she discovers that Don is really Dick Whitman? In any case, it's completely disconcerting to see Don, sitting in his bedroom at the end, broken by Betty's dramatic disclosure of her lack of feelings for him.

Everyone keeps saying variations on how everything will be fine, it will all be OK, but we know from experience with this show that nothing is going to be fine. Whatever is to come, I'm so impressed by this episode; in the future, this will be the episode that you remember when you think of this season.

What do you think will happen with Pete, Roger and Joan, the Drapers? Will Betty take Henry up on his offer? And to talk more about the show later, join the Mad Men group in the community.

Photo courtesy of AMC

House Rundown, "Instant Karma"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:30:00 -0700

This week's House continued to stick to the tried-and-true show recipe, and our favorite doctor was there pulling the strings - even if he isn't technically in charge. The episode answered one or two of my previous questions, and while the writers quickly tied up the dilemma involving last week's death of the dictator (breathe a collected sigh of relief), I highly doubt that Chase and Foreman's shared secret is just going to be swept under the rug for good.

I'm curious to see how everything plays out, but for now, take a look at my questions (some spoilers!) from this week's episode and share your thoughts when you read more.

Foreman brings up a good point, when will House get back his license? I'm interested to see how long they drag it out for, although I do kind of like to see him play the annoying backseat driver to poor Foreman.
Why isn't Chase a little more nervous about the M&M presentation at the beginning? He seems a bit too cocky about getting away scot-free.
Thirteen! Man, I love seeing her and House spar. Wilson is right - she's the only one who doesn't get sucked into the "House vortex." I know she's boarding a plane at the end, but I think she'll be back, don't you? Once Jennifer Morrison leaves, it would be strange to have just Chase and Foreman debate the odd medical scenarios.
Speaking of Cameron's departure, it definitely seems like the writers are going to use Chase's secret to cause a rift in their relationship. First, they keep showing her alone in bed night after night, but then she asks him what was going on, and he continues to dig himself even deeper into the lie. When she does learn the truth - I'm thinking soon - there's going to be a huge blow-up.
Why is it that House's pervy comments always make me laugh?! I love this one that he said to Thirteen: "I wasn't talking to you; I was spying on the MILF in the running shorts." Ha!
I think this episode really shows a softer side to House. It started when he tells Foreman, "You're going to be a good boss, Boss." Awww, is that an actual tender moment from the crotchety doctor?! And then he goes on to save Chase and Foreman from their M&M review, and he tries to bring back Thirteen? House may say his heart is "three sizes to small," but he is spreading good will all over the hospital - well, good will for House at least.
Anyone else find the "Midas" dad kind of annoying? I don't dig his cocky attitude, and I was actually more interested in how things were playing out between the doctors than the actual medical case in this episode.
Here's a real philosophical question for you: Do you think that in some karmic way, that the father getting rid of his fortune really does help his son? House seems to be deep in thought over it at the end of the episode - or maybe he's questioning taking over the team again?
I love the moment where Chase tells House that he will always be in the guy in charge, but perhaps House is doubting his leadership. He does tell Cuddy that the combination of puzzles and power proved to be a bad mix for him. Still, I'm ready to see him running the place again, even if he pretty much already does.

What'd you think of the episode? Do you think House may be turning into a softie? Will he take over the reins from Foreman? And how will Thirteen finally make her return (if she does)? I want to hear all your hypotheses!

If this didn't satisfy your House hunger, head over to the House Group in the BuzzSugar Community to keep the conversation going!

Photo courtesy of Fox

90210 vs. Melrose Place: Which Was More Scandalous?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:30:00 -0700

Meh. Maybe I'm still feeling down on the Tuesday night double-header after last week, but the latest episodes of 90210 and Melrose Place seemed irksome. Really Sasha, did you actually take Dixon back after learning he's in high school?! Come on. And then there's the whole Lauren prostitution storyline that, to me, is feeling a little tired already. Still, leave it to The CW to give us several salacious plot points! Let's dissect them, shall we?

Check out my list of big moments from both shows, and then tell me which one you think deserves the award for this week's drama queen when you read more.

90210 point: Naomi finds out that her grades aren't good enough to get into her dream college, so she fakes being a tree-hugger to woo the dean's son into dating her. How hilarious was it to see her on a bike with a helmet and a Sigg bottle?!
Melrose Place counterpoint: David and Jonah's friendship gets tested when Jonah is accused of stealing a necklace. Jonah believes that David might have taken it, confronts him, and a nervous David denies, denies, denies. Then the jewelry miraculously reappears...

90210 point: Teddy and hottie classmate Jasmine double date with Navid and Adrianna. After an icky spit-swapping battle between the couples. Adrianna and Teddy confront each other in the hallway and start a mini makeout sesh of their own.
MP counterpoint: Violet is trying to get between Auggie and well, anyone. When she realizes that he's friends with a female bartender at the restaurant, Violet plants money in her purse so the poor girl gets fired. Looks like Violet is going to take over her job so she can sink her claws more into Auggie.

90210 point: Dixon loses his cover when Sasha runs into his mom at the nail salon. He spends the rest of the episode trying to win her back - and succeeds. I'm only further convinced that Sasha is an idiot. First, she doesn't realize that Dixon's only 17, and then she still sleeps with him knowing the truth? Oh, Sasha, this will not end well for you.
MP counterpoint: Lauren gets into her new call girl career and enters into an agreement with her madam. (Hello, did you see that crazy pimp hair?!) Then Lauren does a striptease for a client that was a bit borderline porno. I actually wanted to shower afterward.

90210 point: Silver bolts after seeing her mother at Adrianna's AA meeting. Later, her mom tries to give her a car to make amends, so Silver shows up to AA - then gets up in front of the room and tells her mother to stay away from her. Ouch. What's even worse: We later learn that Jackie has cancer.
MP counterpoint: We learn a whole lot more about Ella, like that she hired a P.I. to break into Sydney's apartment on the night of her murder to find evidence that Sydney was trying to ruin her career. With her alibi ruined, it seems she may just end up in handcuffs very soon.

Okay, this one goes to Melrose Place. Even though Dixon and Teddy both make solid cases for 90210, Lauren's impromptu bedroom dance was one of the racier things I've seen on TV in a while. What do you think? Does 90210 deserve more credit?

Can't get enough 90210? Check out the 90210 Superfans group in the Buzz Community!

Photos courtesy of The CW

Desperate Housewives Rundown, "Being Alive"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:39:57 -0700

This week's episode of Desperate Housewives follows the residents of Wisteria Lane as they deal with the aftermath of Julie's attack. At the epicenter, Susan's friendships with the housewives are tested (though most of the betrayals happen behind her back). Meanwhile, the newest neighbors find their son on the list of primary suspects and Mrs. McCluskey lands a new love.

There were scandals all over the place this week, so to talk about it just read more.

Susan - Susan's post-wedding morning bliss with Mike is quickly interrupted by Mrs McCluskey screams. As she faces the possibility of losing her daughter, Susan turns to her friends for comfort. In typical fashion, all the ladies have got their secrets - Lynette admits that Julie confided in her, Bree is sleeping with Carl, and Katherine's throwing herself at Mike.

Lynette - Still in denial about her pregnancy, Julie's accident turns out to play a vital role in Lynette's decision-making process. I was surprised that she's seriously considering having an abortion, but relieved that Susan used her own situation to talk her out of it. Most of all, I'm glad that Lynette is facing the truth from here on in, since pretending her pregnancy isn't real was starting to get depressing.

Gaby - I'm loving Gaby's new life with a teenager. Her guidance on playing hard to get cracked me up, particularly when poor Carlos realizes how many dates Gaby broke off for no real reason. Bonding time between Gaby and Ana never lasts long though, and by the end of the episode Gaby is grounding Ana for lying to the police about Danny's alibi. Though Ana continues to push Gaby's limits, so far her actions haven't strayed far from the typical high school realm - but I'm willing to bet it won't be long before things get out of hand.

Angie - Like any good wife and mother, Angie struggles to protect her family from both the police and the scrutinizing eyes of their neighbors on Wisteria Lane. She spends most of the episode trying to prove that Danny is innocent in Julie's attack, but I'm more worried about her husband than her son.

Katherine - Katherine finds a new confidant in Orson this week, trying to convince him that she's going to get Mike back. Orson has done some questionable things in the past, but even he doesn't fall for Katherine's deluded re-telling of what happened while Susan was at the hospital. Now that Bree's moved on, how long before Orson and Katherine end up in the sack?

Bree - Bree's discovering that Carl can bring out a whole side of her she never knew she had - a bad girl side. Not only do Carl's sleazy ways turn her on, but she realizes a bit too late that she's become a bad friend to Susan. Now the real question is whether or not Julie will remember catching Bree and Carl in the act when she wakes up from her coma.

What did you think of this week's episode? Who do you think is behind the attack on Julie? (My money's still on Mr. Bolen). Are you excited to see Jesse Metcalfe's return?

Want more of the latest on Desperate Housewives? Check out the Entertainment Group in the Buzz community!

A Serious Man: Seriously Hard To Wrap Your Head Around

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:00:10 -0700

I like the Coen brothers. I loved No Country For Old Men, I still enjoy quoting Frances McDormand lines from Fargo - I even appreciated their most recent project, Burn After Reading despite lukewarm reviews. So I went into A Serious Man with high expectations. Perhaps a bit too high.

The Coens go incredibly dark and thought-provoking this time around, and unfortunately without any big-named stars attached like Clooney a la Reading or O Brother, Where Art Thou?, A Serious Man probably won't live on as one of their more memorable films for viewers. In fact, many people will probably feel put off by it. To see what I mean, read more

A Serious Man opens like a horror movie, which isn't surprising given the Coen's propensity for heavy themes (and often a few stab wounds) in their stories. The music is a big player, creating tension that doesn't let up for the audience even when the screen goes to black. But the antagonizing score fits well within the nightmare existence of Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a professor and devoted family man in '60s suburbia. First, his wife announces that she's leaving him for a touchy-feely close-talker; his unemployed brother spends entire 24-hour periods in his bathroom; and one of his foreign students is threatening to sue him. Really, the only thrill Gopnik ever gets in life is when his neighbor Mrs. Samsky sunbathes nude.

Poor Gopnik is a wound-up guy, and you feel for him and with him. (It's true; I had to decompress after this movie.) His world is spiraling out of control, so he seeks out three rabbis for a solution. Does Gopnik get the enlightenment he seeks? Not exactly, and neither do we as the audience.

There's not a single bad thing I can say about any of the actors. Each one was believable and charmingly offbeat in their role. The Coens are brilliant with character nuances - even some of the small two-minute parts managed to get laughs - but the larger picture just seemed murky from the get-go. The first five minutes of the film starts with a man in a village who accidentally invites a ghost home for dinner. It's all in Yiddish with subtitles, and it's almost like watching a stand-alone play, but I'm still not sure what it had to do with the rest of the plot, other than the Jewish religion and setting a dismal tone. So right away I felt semiconfused, but entertained nonetheless - which is pretty much how the duration of it went for me.

The film does have some great scenes - I loved the interaction between Gopnik and his foreign student, and his wife's new boyfriend Si is particularly funny - but trying to piece it together is a bit like banging your head against the wall (just like in the movie's trailer). I get that Gopnik's life sucks, but other than that, it's hard to tell exactly what we're supposed to glean from the story. I think that was sort of the point the Coens were trying to make - Gopnik doesn't get the answers he seeks, and neither do we.

Go see it if you're a hardcore Coenaholic, and enjoy the funny scenes without trying to analyze it too much. But if you prefer to dissect your movies, I'd say rent this one at home, because you may need to watch it twice.

What movies are you seeing this weekend? Review them in our Movie Review Group!

Photos courtesy of Focus Features