BuzzSugar

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 05:30:22 PST

I can't get over the number of new DVD releases hitting shelves this week (I know what I'll be doing Saturday!). Along with these three picks, you also have Charlize Theron in The Burning Plain, Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All by Myself, Downloading Nancy with Maria Bello, and the political satire In the Loop.

The Hurt Locker

A small film with big word-of-mouth buzz, The Hurt Locker was one of the cinematic dark horses of this past year. The behind-the-scenes story of an elite bomb squad in Iraq is an action movie with depth, as it explores how the members cope with the weight of their high-risk job. Critics love it, and I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't catch Locker when it first hit theaters. I plan on making up for lost time by devoting my Saturday to it - before it runs away with all of the award season trophies. Of special note is Kathryn Bigelow, who is receiving the most accolades for her directorial work.

DVD extras include a commentary and a behind the scenes documentary.

97%

Fame

Most of you said that you wanted to see Fame in theaters, but you can take it home now in case you missed it (or if you want to see it again!). This update of the 1980s musical follows a whole new class of singers, musicians, and actors at the New York City High School of Performing Arts. It feels a little more cutesy, teeny-bopper than the original, but seeing as how I'm sucker for dance movies, I'm adding it to my queue for the flashy production numbers alone.

DVD extras include deleted scenes and the Fame National Talent Search Contest Winner.

27%

One more release to check out when you

read more. Post Grad Post Grad wasn't a huge blockbuster, but I liked the quirky story and think it would make for a great rental. The film centers around former Gilmore Girls star Alexis Bledel as Ryden Malby, a new college grad who, like most of us, has a quasi-quarterlife crisis when her dream job doesn't fall into her lap as easily as she had hoped. Yes, the story is predicable and frothy, but it's also sweet - and thanks to supporting roles from Jane Lynch and Carol Burnett, it provides a few laughs, too. DVD extras include deleted scenes and job hunting tips. I'm not sure if you should take employment advice from a movie, but hey, can't hurt! 8%

Confusing Technology Doesn't Pass in Post Grad

GeekSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:50:37 PDT

I just saw the college graduation comedy Post Grad starring Alexis Bledel and like Buzz, I thought the movie was also quirky and cute, but I had a few quibbles with the technology.

First, there must have been some sort of MySpace deal for placement, because it opens with Bledel's character Ryden posting a video blog getting live video comments on a very fancy-looking MySpace UI. I haven't been on the 'Space for a while now, but I'm pretty sure this is not the latest redesign. Speaking of UIs, though Ryden uses an Apple laptop in the movie, it's not the OS X interface either, but another fake Hollywood OS. What's wrong with existing UIs?

That's not even my biggest tech problem with this movie - to see what it is, just

read more. My greatest objection by far was Ryden's job hunt - she searches out leads in the newspaper! Not Craigslist? Not monster.com or the other millions of job-hunting websites that a bright college grad would certainly know about? The movie's website itself even opens up with a face Craigslist page. Definitely a huge "what were they thinking" moment, but it's an otherwise fun movie. Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Post Grad: A Cute Quarterlife Comedy

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:30:57 PDT

The big elephant in the room while watching Post Grad is that the plot seems like it's totally zeitgeist-y, but it's actually not. A young woman (Alexis Bledel) can't seem to get a job despite her qualifications and languishes in unemployment. Unemployment! Super timely, right? But no, there is no mention of the current recession that's keeping a lot of the brilliantly competent out of work, which solidifies that this movie must have been made quite a while ago. Adding to my suspicion is the fact that Bledel's character Ryden does all her job hunting with a red pen and a newspaper. In 2009. In LA.

Once you're past the faux timeliness, however, the movie becomes surprisingly enjoyable. Is it Alexis Bledel channeling a less-successful Rory Gilmore? Not so much, though she is believable and irritatingly adorable. More than anything, the fun of this movie lies in the strength and comedy chops of the supporting cast. To hear what I thought of it all, just

read more. I could have watched a whole movie about Ryden's family alone: her grandmother is played by Carol Burnett, who couldn't not be funny if she tried and her mother is Jane Lynch, who's something of a straight man (I know) to Michael Keaton. Yes, that's right, Michael Keaton is back, and his presence is an unexpected delight. Though his character gets a little too wacky at times, he charms as Ryden's goofball dad. As the movie goes on, the comedian cameos come fast and furious; Fred Armisen, The Office's Craig Robinson, and Kirk Fox all pop up. J.K. Simmons' role is kind of a disappointment, just because he weirdly disappears after a couple of scenes as the father of Ryden's best friend. Friday Night Lights' Zach Gilford plays said best friend, obviously in unrequited love with Ryden, who inexplicably resists him. Rodrigo Santoro's presence is questionable, but not entirely unwelcome - is it quirky or contrived that his hunky, mysterious neighbor pops up to dispense a tiny bit of sage advice? Well, I don't know, I was too busy being lost in his eyes. But, oh yeah, there is a main character in this flick, Ryden, whose problem is infuriating at times. She has a vision of her perfect future, which she expects to start with landing her perfect dream job just days after she graduates college, and when this doesn't happen immediately, she's utterly lost. What redeems her is that her entitlement is, sadly, understandable, since the college environment really does make you feel like the brightest future imaginable is at your feet once you get your diploma. A whole trend - the quarterlife crisis - was born years ago to define the disappointment of folks in their 20s not getting what they assumed they deserved. That she buys into it reminds me of my own postgraduation experiences and those of my friends. Ryden doesn't necessarily learn that the "perfect future" is something that takes hard work and doesn't happen overnight, but she does learn that her life could be more fulfilling if she stopped whining and started dating her sweet best friend (I knew she couldn't resist a singing, songwriting Matt Saracen for long). Is that a good lesson, or even realistic? Maybe not, and in this movie, it's predictable; but you'll still cheer when Ryden does finally stop stressing out and finds some semblance of a future.

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Alexis Bledel's Navy Draped Dress: Love It or Hate It?

FabSugar — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:36:22 PDT

I'm usually a huge advocate of Alexis Bledel's unique red carpet ensembles but this particular one left me hanging. The actress wore a navy draped dress by Sachin and Babi for Ankasa, black satin sandals, and a rad studded clutch to the screening of her new Post Grad flick - can't wait to see the movie. I appreciate the avant-garde aesthetic and metallic embellishments, but I'm not a huge fan of the longer hemline and the draped pleating at the hips. Maybe it would look better cinched in with a belt? Tell me what you think!

Take all of my Love It or Hate It Polls here!

Movie Preview: Alexis Bledel in Post Grad

BuzzSugar — Mon, 04 May 2009 06:30:39 PDT

Though parts of this trailer for Post Grad are predictable and a little cheesy, overall it's way more endearing and adorable than I had anticipated. Alexis Bledel plays Ryden Malby in this sentimental comedy that explores the scary/exciting challenges of graduating college and not having everything fall right into place. She lives with her parents, hangs out with her longtime guy friend Adam (Zach Gilford), and vies for the same jobs as countless other early 20-something hopefuls - and repeatedly faces rejection, causing her to wonder what her future will actually look like. Michael Keaton plays Ryden's father, Jane Lynch is involved somehow, and Rodrigo Santoro appears as a handsome older guy doling out life advice.

Post Grad (previously known as The Post-Graduate Survival Guide) opens August 21. To watch the trailer,

read more. Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Buzz News Roundup, 12/7

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:33:35 PST

The James McAvoy-Angelina Jolie action flick Wanted has moved release dates from March to June 27, writes ComingSoon.
Johnny Depp will star in a Depression-era crime drama titled Public Enemies, Variety reports.
Some scheduling notes: Fox has renewed Don't Forget the Lyrics, writes Zap2it; Medium is headed to Monday nights, according to Variety; and The Futon Critic says ABC will start airing a tournament-style game show called The Duel.
A group of documentary directors will team up to make a documentary based on the bestselling book Freakonomics, writes Variety.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Zach Gilford will star opposite Alexis Bledel in the comedy The Post-Grad Survival Guide.
Reuters has the news that Michelle Williams will play the wife of Leonardo DiCaprio's character in Scorsese's film Shutter Island.
ComingSoon reports that five more actors have joined the cast of Judd Apatow's next comedy Year One, including David Cross and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
Want Reba McEntire's Valentine's Day album? You'll have to buy it at Hallmark, Billboard reports.
Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson will star together in a wedding-themed comedy Bride Wars, according to Zap2It.

Source

"I'm Trying to Avoid Sex With My Boyfriend"

Tres Community — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 03:05:45 PST

This week's confession comes from our anonymous Confession Booth group in the TrèsSugar Community. Weigh in with your advice below.

We've had so many sexual problems. I'm 24 and he's 29. We've been dating for close to four years now. He was my first sexual partner. We started having sex after about a year together, although it was very rare. We would sometimes have gaps of up to two months at a time. If I was getting laid once a month, it was a miracle enough - two was out of this world. We had lots of fights about that and he always claimed he was "paranoid" about getting me pregnant.

Earlier on in the relationship, he told me that this wasn't an issue with his long-distance ex, with whom he had been about a year. He told me they sometimes had sex twice a day. He also did many other hurtful things regarding her - i.e., it was very obvious he was not over her – and I suffered through the first 1.5 to 2 years of our relationship. Talk about a sex drive killer.

Read the rest below.

Group Therapy: Do I Have to Tell My Boyfriend I'm Seeing My Ex?

Tres Community — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 03:05:58 PDT

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

I have a great bf who is kind and generous, and has supported me emotionally through a really tough time in my life. We've known each other for a while, and were friends for years before we started dating, So he knows my ex bf and has met him several times. He also knows how badly he broke my heart and how much I loved him. In fact the last serious relationship I had was with that guy three years prior.

Anyways, my ex went through some tough times and ended up in rehab. So when he got out he contacted me to apologize for what had happened between us. He actually came to my house (mutual friend lives down the street from me), and yada yada so I forgave him. I told my bf that he stopped by unexpectedly (he really did) and he wasn't happy, but didn't really say anything about it.

I am in grad school (psychology) and for my substance abuse class we have to go to a narcotics anonymous meeting. So, obviously being a little nervous, I asked my ex if I could join him to one of his meetings. Now, I do not know if I should tell my current boyfriend, or just go to the meeting (it's one hour) and that's it.

My bf and I have discussed several times not being friends with exes, which neither one of us are, out of respect for the other person. I just don't want to upset him.

I know what at least one response is going to be, "How would you feel?" I've thought about that. And I feel that I should tell him, I just don't want him to think too much into it or anything like that. Because I know if my bf told me that, I would start thinking if they were hanging out all the time or just that night? Or what about before and after the meeting? Stupid things like that.

Help!

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.

Yes, College Is Worth It: 5 Reminders Why

Bundle — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:17:16 PDT

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

If I have to read one more argument about why college isn't worth the cost anymore for the available jobs out there today, my head is going to explode.

College is worth it. Yes, I know: Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg all dropped out of college and now they are filthy rich. They are a rare breed. They are geniuses who were smart enough to get into schools like Harvard in the first place. If you are smart enough to get into Harvard, but know you can make a billion dollars by working on your tech startup, sure, college isn't worth it. But you can also go to Princeton, graduate, and then start Amazon.com like Jeff Bezos did. Or you can go to college and then get an M.B.A. and start eBay like Meg Whitman.

Need other arguments on why college is worth it? Here's a few more.

Studying the right field pays off

Certain majors have more earning power than others. Engineering majors, for example, learn technical skills that earn them median earnings of $75,000, so going to college to pursue these degrees are well worth it.

If the point of going to college is to get a well-paying job, don't become a psychology major - studies show that psychology alumni don't work in areas that pay a lot of money. Of course, money isn't everything. Students should study what they're passionate about - they just need to be realistic about whether their passions are worth their earning potentials.

Read on for more reasons to go to college.

Savvy Community: No Internship Experience! Help!

Savvy Community — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 09:35:40 PDT

This reader posted in our Resume Remedy group saying that she's having trouble finding an internship. Any advice?

I'm in a bind! I'm a recent graduate looking for an internship, but I can't seem to land one! Unlike most students, I didn't do any internships while in school (something I majorly regret). But what really stinks, is now i cannot even land one post-grad, it seems all employers are looking for someone with at least one on their resume. What do I do? I feel so hopeless. I don't mean to get all emo . . . but I just don't know where to begin - and I'm not getting any younger.

Ask anything about job hunting and resumes by posting your questions in the Resume Remedy group, and the community and I will help you out.