BuzzSugar

What on Earth Will a Video Game Based on Clueless Be Like?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:30:35 -0700

Things that make me go "hmm...": I spotted on GeekSugar yesterday this news that several new movies have been picked up as future video games - and they're not your usual action-heavy flicks with guns and bombs or. . . action of any kind (unless you count Cher's steamy online chat, after which "he just logged off"). They're Clueless, Mean Girls and Pretty in Pink.

On the one hand, it's nice that there are going to be video games for girls, and ones that aren't totally violent. On the other hand, seriously, what will these games entail? Competitive shopping? Backstabbing contests? A race against time to alter Iona's old pink prom dress? Brainstorm below.

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Buzz In: How Has John Hughes Influenced You?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:30:01 -0700

John Hughes' work is so far-reaching, he is still making news today despite having quit directing in 1991. The L.A. Times recently ran a story in which some of the most popular directors and actors today point to movies like Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, and The Breakfast Club as movies that made an impact on them as artists.

A ton of Hughes nostalgia has been popping up online lately, like this interview with Jon Cryer EW dug up in which he stated:

John had a real need to believe in teenage icons and create teenage iconography - that's what he was doing with Breakfast Club. I think he was really tortured in his high school, and [movies] were a way of him psychologically coming to terms with his youth and sort of reordering it in his mind as a storyteller. I think kids will always latch on to people saying, "Your experience is important. What you're going through right now is not trivial. We care about it, and we're right there with ya."

My sentiments exactly. What about you? Has John Hughes' work influenced you? What mark, if any, do you think he's left on Hollywood's portrayal of teenagers? To see what folks like Judd Apatow, Kevin Smith and Courtney Love have said about the now-reclusive filmmaker, read more.

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 08:00:49 -0800

The ultimate question: Pretty in Pink vs. Sixteen Candles. Which do you choose?
Project Runway started this week! Check out my rundown and gallery of photos from the season premiere.
The writers strike entered its second week and is still going strong. Whose side are you on: the writers' or the studios'?
Ever wanted to hear Madonna's songs all folky-fied? Check out these folk artists' covers of "Material Girl," "Lucky Star" and "Dress You Up," among others.
Sufjan Stevens wants your holiday songs!
Lassie... John Stamos... Lucille Ball... Simon Cowell... Are these the top TV icons of all time?
Lavender Brown and Narcissa Malfoy have been cast for the sixth Harry Potter movie!
This week's recast challenge is The Golden Girls! What new actresses could play these spunky, hilarious parts?

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Which Do You Prefer: Sixteen Candles or Pretty in Pink?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:36:18 -0800

There have been some pretty classic showdowns in my day - Bush vs. Gore, Jordin vs. Blake, Stewart vs. Colbert. But none have quite compared to this. Entertainment Weekly's Dalton Ross is taking on the crucial question for all fans of '80s teen comedies: Which is better: Pretty in Pink or Sixteen Candles?

In the mind of Ross, the answer's simple: Sixteen Candles wins hands-down, largely on the strengths of Jake Ryan, Anthony Michael Hall, and "that freaky dwarf lady from Poltergeist." But he also believes that guys drift toward the goofiness of Sixteen Candles, while women prefer the more romantic Pretty in Pink.

So, dear Buzz readers, where do you fall on this weighty question? And no, both is not an option. What, you thought I was going to make this easy for you?

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Movie Night: Well-Meaning Dads

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:14:40 -0700

This week I posted my Top 10 Movie Dads - many of whom are notable for their sweetness or bravery or patience. Now for this week's Movie Night, I'm suggesting three movies in which the dads love their kids and are well-intentioned, but don't always quite cut it.

Say Anything
Before he was the grouchy cane-wielding dad on "Frasier," John Mahoney was Diane's (Ione Skye) crook dad, James, in Say Anything. He and Diane have a very special relationship, in fact, they're kind of each other's whole world. It would be intensely creepy if it weren't so cute. And, of course, we love James just as much as Diane does - up until his true actions are discovered and Diane (along with the audience) feels betrayed and disappointed. Still, even at the very end when James has hurt his daughter enormously, you can still see that he loves her more than anything. He just got a little lost.

Two more if you read more

Little Miss Sunshine
Richard (Greg Kinnear) thinks he's being a supportive father to little bespectacled Olive, giving her advice on weight management, etc. Instead, however, he's confusing her and he's on his way to damaging her self-image. He's also mildly delusional and rather insensitive toward his suicidal brother-in-law Frank (Steve Carell). In the end, of course, Richard redeems himself, and his actions finally coincide with his good intentions.

Pretty in Pink
There's a lot of love between Andie (Molly Ringwald) and her dad Jack (Harry Dean Stanton), to the point where it's a little shady. Unemployed and mostly unwashed for much of the film, Jack is like the child in his relationship with his daughter. He loves her - she seems to be all he's got - but he just can't seem to get out of bed to get a job... or to shave, for that matter. And Andie clearly loves him, too, despite his lazy, sleepy ways.

The Results Are In: Recast Pretty In Pink

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 11:39:22 -0700

Many of the recast lists this week featured actors who seem way too old to play the high school kids in Pretty in Pink. Yet when I took a look at how old the original cast was, most of them had been out of high school (and college) for years already; James Spader, for instance, was 26. Thus, I went with a recast list full of actors who at least look like they could be in high school... more or less.

It seems like the most fun character to recast was the quirky Iona. I could easily see any number of funny women playing that awesome role, from WhiplashGirlchild and aras8218's pick of Lisa Kudrow to lem0n and conlaw2's Zooey Deschanel to Parker Posey, chosen by brazilnut and lslybnks. I also liked joytothehurled's idea of Amy Adams for Andie. My favorite complete list, however, is from LaLaLaurie06. To see who she picked, and the new cast photo, read more

LaLaLaurie06's Cast
Andie: Amber Tamblyn
Duckie: Topher Grace
Blaine: Jake Gyllenhaal
Steff: Ryan Phillippe
Iona: Lauren Graham

Congratulations, LaLaLaurie06!

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Reminder: Recast Pretty In Pink

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 07:36:57 -0800

If you're looking to relive the '80s this weekend, why not take a stab at my latest Recast challenge: that irresistible rich/poor teen dramedy, Pretty in Pink?

Even today, this Molly Ringwald movie really holds up, thanks to a killer soundtrack, curious wardrobe choices, and great performances. If you were recasting it today, which actors would be ideal? Leave your entry us in the comment section, and I'll pick one winner to feature next Tuesday, March 13, complete with a "new" cast photo.

Characters to recast
Andie (Molly Ringwald)
Blaine (Andrew McCarthy)
Duckie (Jon Cryer)
Steff (James Spader)
Iona (Annie Potts)

Recast Pretty in Pink

BuzzSugar — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 23:45:00 -0800

Every Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I'll ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie. This week, I thought I'd take a break from all the cinema classics and beloved sitcoms we've been recasting lately and go back to the '80s with that irresistible rich/poor teen dramedy, Pretty in Pink.

Characters to recast
Andie (Molly Ringwald)
Blaine (Andrew McCarthy)
Duckie (Jon Cryer)
Steff (James Spader)
Iona (Annie Potts)

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