BuzzSugar

Movie Preview: Love Songs

BuzzSugar — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 11:30:00 -0700

Like Audrey Tautou's movie Priceless, I'm completely smitten by the poster and trailer for Love Songs, a movie from French filmmaker Christophe Honore. Everything in the preview screams "French": a love triangle, pretty singing, heartbreak, and the glittering streets of Paris as the backdrop.

The musical, opening in limited release in America on March 21, follows a man and a woman who invite another woman into their relationship to spice things up. As the IFC site for Love Songs explains, the heart of the story comes when tragedy strikes and "these young Parisians are forced to deal with the fragility of life and love."

To get swept away in the preview, read more.

Movie poster courtesy of IFC Films

Movie Preview: Priceless Starring Audrey Tautou

BuzzSugar — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 13:00:00 -0800

Don't you just love this poster, with that Tiffany blue background and the gorgeous main star, Audrey Tautou, front and center? I don't often see movie posters that I would love to have in my home, but this is one I would put up in a heartbeat.

Drawn in by the elegant poster and Tautou's sweet image, I had to watch the trailer for Priceless, a French film coming to America in limited release on March 28. Tautou plays Irene, a "golddigger" who lives in luxury by taking up with rich older men. Yet she soon finds herself engaged in a competition with a bartender-turned-gigolo for wealthy older women. What happens, then, when the golddigger and the gigolo fall in love?

The goofball silliness of the story combined with the brightly colored French Riviera and, of course, the irresistible Tautou makes this a movie I definitely plan to catch in a few weeks.

Can I say it again? She's just so charming and adorable! To watch the preview, read more

Source

Vampire Diaries "History Repeating": The Good, The Bad and The Bloody

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:30:00 -0800

Dear The Vampire Diaries, I see your master plan now: it's to bring it every week now. Please continue to do so. Moving on, this week we learned more about Bonnie and her family ties, revealed Damon's master plan, and met the new mysterious, history teacher.

But that's not even half of the amazing things that went down, so to see the good, the bad, and the bloody from this week's episode, just read more.

The Good

Bonnie's talisman/necklace is bringing her nightmares and visions of her ancestor Emily, who we learn was definitely Katherine's handmaiden back in the day. Her appearances are so creepy, but I was kind of digging that the scares were coming from a non-vampire source.
Damon and Stefan's interactions this week are brilliant. The role reversal, where Stefan takes on Damon's persona and Damon mocks Stefan in kind, are priceless. There even seems to be some genuinely affectionate times between the brothers, but was it just Damon's vulnerability/lack of strength due to avoiding human blood?
New characters for this show have tended to be pretty intriguing, and new teacher Alaric Saltzman is no exception. The dreamy Alaric, played by Legally Blonde's Matt Davis, has a shady past (dead wife who was almost certainly murdered) and every sign points to him being a vampire: the sun-protecting ring, the lingering exchange of Jenna not inviting him in. It's almost too obvious. If he is a vamp and not some other supernatural being, then what role does he play? I'm sure he must know the Salvatores.
Gratification! In one episode, we get two mysteries solved: why Damon came back to Mystic Falls and what's up with Emily and her necklace. The master plan - and Damon's reason for return - is Katherine. Specifically, to rouse her from the spell that left her trapped but unharmed (well, relatively unharmed, considering she was already dead) underneath the church 100 plus years ago. It's news to Stefan that Katherine didn't perish in the fire, but that's not the only revelation about her; the boys trade barbs about their last encounters with their shared first love, and they both end up wounded. I think Stefan is lying when he insists that Katherine compelled the brothers into loving her and that it wasn't real; why else would he have come out of hiding to pursue Elena?
One seed-planting I appreciated: The Gilbert family history. You know Jeremy's on the verge of discovering something big. I have my theories.

The Bad

Right about now I feel the need to introduce something I'd like to call Twilight Corner. It'll be where I bring up any glaring similarities The Vampire Diaries has to that other vampire story. This week, it's Stefan leaving Elena, telling her it's for the best. I smirked early on, when Stefan tells Elena that he's backing off from school, that it's the right thing to do; but I pretty much spit my water out at the end of the episode when Stefan tells Elena he's leaving to protect her while they're in the woods. Shades of New Moon! Generally, the show has distinguished itself from Twilight but that's waaay too close for comfort.

The Bloody

Damon swears off drinking human blood in a demonstration of goodwill to Stefan after killing Lexie last week. My my. Damon, showing repentance? What is this crazy fake world coming to? However, he doesn't maintain his new diet for long: he takes a big bite out of a possessed Bonnie after she, as Emily, destroys the amulet and Katherine over the Fells Church ruins.
OK, let's talk past bloody: We got more of the story of the history of Mystic Falls, including what sounds like an epic, ongoing battle between vampires and humans. It was no accident that Katherine was in that church, having been rounded up by the townspeople to be killed. And she wasn't alone; Emily sealed up the whole church, full of other vampires, who potentially could have been freed upon the town this week. Stefan accuses Damon of not wanting to free Katherine out of love, but revenge, rather; he nearly introduces an army of angry, ancient vampires on the ancestors of the people who exterminated them. Personally I think it was a little bit of both for Damon - love and revenge. He almost has his soul mate and a group of allies back in his life.
I'm counting Damon's broken heart as a casualty this week, as cheesy as that sounds. I just can't ignore how wrecked his face looks at the end of the episode. We went from seeing how inhumane Damon is just last week, to being confronted by an emotional man who faces a final loss of love. Ian Somerhalder, you're rocking it.

What did you think of "History Repeating"? Are you disappointed at all that Katherine didn't rise from the grave tonight, along with a crew of her nearest and bloodthirstiest? Do you even believe she's totally gone? And what about Jenna's situation - are both Logan and Alaric out to suck her blood? For more chatting beyond this week, join the Hooked on Vampire Diaries group in the Buzz Community!

Photos courtesy of The CW

The Vampire Diaries "Haunted": The Good, The Bad and The Bloody

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

Sorry for the hyperbole, but I'm pretty sure this week's episode of The Vampire Diaries, "Haunted," is the best one of the season so far. The Halloween setting is perfect for playing out Vicki's vampiric transition, Bonnie's exploration of her mysterious genealogical history, and the exposing of "The Council."

There's plenty to talk about, so let's chat about the good, the bad, and the bloody (spoilers aplenty ahead!) when you read more.

The Good

So much is good this week, but the episode belongs to Vicki, who's having issues turning into a vamp - which also provides us with more exposition on the mythology of The Vampire Diaries as well as Stefan's personal journey as a bloodsucker. However, Vicki isn't long for even the undead world, and her story ends both abruptly and shockingly (more on that later).
I love this show's balance of humor and intrigue, which Damon and The Council storyline provides this week. Damon overhears Tyler's parents, the Lockwoods, discussing the search they're on, just after he's noticed that Logan's murder hasn't shown up in the papers. I loved the tête-à-tête between Damon and Mrs. Lockwood at the restaurant; it doesn't take much booze to get the woman blabbing, and soon Damon knows that she's trying to procure vervain (which I finally googled; apparently it's a variant of verbena) and that she not only knows about the vampires in town, she's hunting them.
I want to know more about Bonnie, and her glamorous, witchy Grams. I still can't believe Whitley is playing someone's grandmother. Aside from having the scoop on the family and being a witch herself, she teaches Occult at the University. How cool is she? Oh, and Bonnie's great-great-great-great grandmother, Emily Bennett? We've seen her before.
I've said it a couple times recently, but I love a good Halloween episode. The costumes are priceless: Vicki goes as a vampire, Tyler's a character from 300, and Mrs. Lockwood channels Daisy Buchanan, someone Damon would certainly recognize.

The Bad

Not much bad to report this week, except for one gripe. Coffee as a vampire's secret to blending in with humans? Pretty silly. "It's the caffeine," Stefan says with a straight face. At least he didn't complain about Starbucks.

The Bloody

The Hunger rules Vicki's life as a vampire, and all she wants to do is feed . . . and see Jeremy and Matt. First she takes a love bite out of Jeremy's lip, and then, in a desperate fight, chomps right into Elena's exposed shoulder (so that's why she needed a sexy costume). Her attack on Elena pushes Stefan to stake her, killing her immediately. I literally gasped, then held my mouth open for a good five minutes as I watched this all play out. I'm still pretty stunned.

Lastly, are we witnessing Damon's evolution? His encounters with Elena this week take a major detour; she lashes out at him for being responsible for Vicki, Jeremy being in danger, and finally, Vicki's death, angering him until he tells her, "You need to leave." This would normally be a threat from Damon, but there's another dimension to it; is the man who insists he'd kill anyone, anytime, telling Elena to go because he wants her to be safe? Is he forming feelings for her? The climax of this really occurs in the final moments, when Elena begs Stefan to erase Jeremy's memory. Explaining that his human-free diet won't allow him to do it correctly, we hear a voice volunteer. "I can do it." It's almost seductive, and Elena lets him - though she doesn't say thank you, on principle, but I felt like she wanted to.

What do you think - were you surprised to see Vicki exit so soon? I was hoping to see more of her development as a vampire, but her death evoked so much more of an emotional reaction from the characters (and me) that I can't imagine it another way. And if you want to talk more about the show, join Hooked on Vampire Diaries in the Buzz Community!

Photos courtesy of The CW

Desperate Housewives Rundown, "Never Judge a Lady by Her Lover"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:30:08 -0700

Is it just me, or do the housewives seem even more desperate than usual this week? Susan takes some drastic measures to scare Danny away, which in turns sets Angie off with a few crazy antics of her own. Meanwhile, Bree's jealousy sends an innocent woman to the hospital and Lynette makes Tom look like a fool to cover up her pregnancy at a company dinner.

Jesse Metcalfe also makes his (triumphant?) return and Katherine is pretty much nowhere to be found. Ready to hash it all out? Just read more.

Gaby - Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Wisteria Lane, Jesse Metcalfe is back. Again. Both Gaby and Carlos are taken by surprise to see John at one of their restaurants of choice, especially when they learn that he's the owner. Naturally John is immediately making eyes at both Gaby and Ana, and I think we all know where this one is heading. Gaby later convinces Carlos that she doesn't have feelings for her former gardener anymore, but then she gets all nostalgic looking at photos of him. (I love that they had time to head to a photo booth during their affair - isn't the mall a little high profile for that?) One thing that really bothers me about Gaby this week is that suddenly she's all frumpy again, when she's been pretty much flawless since she and Carlos were back to being rich.

Susan - We don't get any updates on Julie's progress this week, but it's clear that her condition is taking a serious toll on Susan. Susan wastes no time spreading the word about Danny to all her neighbors, even when Mike gently reminds her that Danny hasn't been convicted yet. This leads Susan to start her own investigation for proof - which seems like a perfect opportunity for one of Susan's klutzy, over-the-top schemes, but instead takes a very dark turn when she basically tries to kill Danny herself by squishing him under a car. I give Susan a free pass for her antics this week since in the end she reaches out to Angie and starts to make amends when Danny's alibi comes through.

Angie - Angie's mama bear side really comes to the light this week. She's pretty scary trying to scare off prank calls, and even more threatening when she comes at Susan wielding a baseball bat. There are a few allusions to the Bolens' previous life (like that they change their name constantly and had to raise Danny "on the run"), but in the end Angie seems more like a protective mom with a secret than an evil person. Her husband on the other hand. . .

Bree - Despite her requests for pain au chocolat in lieu of a burrito, Bree begins to realize just how much she actually likes slummin' it with Carl. When she tells him that she's not looking for anything serious, Carl totally plays her by bringing a date to a function Bree is attending with Orson. In a matter of minutes Bree's all green-eyed about the idea of Carl taking someone else to their beloved motor lodge, and eliminates the other woman - literally. Meanwhile, Orson thinks he's making major strides and that Bree was jealous of the other woman for dancing with Orson. Though Katherine isn't around this week, I still think the whole thing will be smoothed over once she and Orson get together.

Lynette - The Scavos get to be the comic relief this week, which is refreshing after all the doom and gloom that was previously surrounding Lynette's pregnancy. The reactions she gets from her kids are priceless, particularly Porter's little speech about how she and Tom were irresponsible about birth control and are "destroying their futures." (I kinda agree about the birth control thing - may I suggest something permanent, like a vasectomy?). Right on cue, Lynette's career path is tested when Carlos admits he wants to give her a promotion after passing on another co-worker who is pregnant. Tom helps cover for her, but we all know she won't be able to hide twins for very long.

So what did you think of the episode? Are you happy to see Jesse Metcalfe again? How long until Gaby and Ana are vying for his attention?

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

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watchin' Me"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:00:31 -0700

This week on Grey's Anatomy, the doctors are (mostly) done grieving for George and have moved on to the newest preoccupation: the merger. With their jobs on the line, everyone can't get enough hospital time in as they fight off paranoia in the midst of a new batch of patients.

Can't get enough Grey's? Check out the Grey's Anatomy Junkies group in the Buzz community. To see what I thought of this week's episode, just read more.

Each of the doctors has his/her own way of reacting to the merger. Derek and Mark seem to be the only ones who are keeping their cool. Though Meredith also kept it together, her optimism is so out of character that it can only be chalked up to the crisis, and even she recognizes it.
Christina has never had an ego problem, but she's suddenly worried that none of the doctors "has her back." She decides to suck up to Arizona and head to peds, where she couldn't be more out of place. Her Mr. Bear voice was priceless.
Izzie tries to pretend that everything's fine, showing off a new wig and heading back to work so she won't get fired. (Sadly, we already know how this one ends). Alex tries to micro-manage Izzie and her illness, which at first seemed super annoying but was pretty sweet by the end of the episode.
Lexie is the most panicky of the bunch, talking a mile a minute and landing face down in blood. She proves her worth in the end by suggesting side-by-side surgeries for a paranoid schizophrenic and his overprotective mother. The parallel between the paranoia of the doctors and the paranoid schizophrenic was obvious to say the least. I have to admit though, his mother's "growth" could totally pass for an alien baby.
Speaking of babies, how awful is the doctor who nearly slices off a newborn's arm? I love that Arizona kept everyone together and saved her.
The Chief hides out in his office until the end of the episode, where he makes a round of layoffs via email. Among the goners are 3/4 of the interns and the syphilis nurse.
Yay for Arizona standing up for herself at the end of the episode. Not only does she give Christina a piece of her mind for using her, but she orders Callie to try to get her old job back. Love it.
In the end, Izzie realizes that she's still battling cancer and still healing from George's death. I'm happy she and Alex ended on a sweet note instead of a sour one, but it won't be long before she loses her job.

What did you think of this week's episode? Did you think schizophrenic Tom was going to wreak more havoc than he did? Did any of the main doctors deserve to get the boot?

Glee-Ful Highlights and Video From This Week's Episode!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:30:00 -0700

This week's Glee is all about Kristin Chenoweth's guest performance. She is unbearably adorable (not to mention hilarious) as a former glee club star and Mr. Schu's high school crush. Seriously, can Glee just keep her? We also got some more relationship drama between Rachel and Finn, and one showstopping ensemble number.

As always, be sure to check out the Glee Club in the Buzz Community for even more gleeky fun. Ready for some highlights? Just read more.

Let's start with the obvious: Kristin Chenoweth! The Emmy winner covered all the bases this week, providing the perfect blend of comedy and powerhouse performances as April Rhodes. She is so impressive taking on country with the whole glee club, and I also loved her side-by-side sing-off with Rachel. However, the winner of the night goes to her duet with Mr. Schu to Heart's "Alone." So good, so classic. Check it out below.
Though Kristin stole the show this week, the New Directions' Rachel situation was also a big theme. The glee club can't survive without her, but Rachel will settle for nothing less than stardom. Finn eventually decides to use his powers of persuasion (aka shameless flirting) to get her back. Finn's pulled some douchey (though typically high school) moves on Rachel before, but this week he reaches new heights. The look on Rachel's face when she finds out that Quinn is pregnant is too sad.
Glee always has some great one-liners, and Puck has one of my favorites this week: "That Rachel chick makes me want to light myself on fire, but she can sing." Well said, Puck.
Back to Kristin Chenoweth, who also had some of the funniest moments. I love her opening scene at her "house," but the best is when she teaches Kurt to drink. Biggest laugh-out-loud moment of the night? A tipsy Kurt tells Emma, "Oh Bambi, I cried so hard when those hunters shot your mommy." He then proceeds to puke all over her shoes. Priceless.
Finally, the finale. The episode's final performance of "Somebody to Love" gives me goosebumps and is very much reminiscent of the pilot's "Don't Stop Believin.'" Plus, it's so sweet to see Rachel finally reunited with her gleeks and I love Mercedes's solo. I've admittedly watched this video more than a few times this morning already, and I'm not surprised that the single is climbing the iTunes charts. Check out the video for yourself!

What did you think about this week's episode, and which performances are your favorites?

Photos courtesy of Fox