BuzzSugar

What to Rent: New DVDs This Week

Maggie Pehanick — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:05:00 PDT

In This Means War Reese Witherspoon plays a woman tasked with a tough challenge when she starts dating two guys (Tom Hardy and Chris Pine) at once, who just so happen to be secret agents and best friends. Her choice becomes harder as the super spies pull out all the stops to win her heart, including some hilarious hijinks meant to sabotage the other's efforts. It may be a corny premise, but it's easy to fall for both leading men and the script keeps it light and funny. Extras include commentary by Director McG, deleted scenes, and alternate endings.

25%

The Woman in Black

In the Edwardian era, a young lawyer (Daniel Radcliffe) travels to a small town to manage the affairs of a recently deceased local. While he is there, he finds the real case is a string of child suicides in the area. Though he still has many demons of his own, he attempts to investigate as more children die at their own hands. Locals alert him of the legend of the Woman in Black, and before long, he has his own run-ins with the ghost, who is none too pleased to have a man encroaching upon her space. DVD extras include commentaries and behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes.

65%

One more release when you

Red Tails

Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard lead the cast in this World War II-era flick about the role of African American pilots, produced by George Lucas. Despite racial segregation, the Pentagon has no choice but to deploy the number of African American airmen enlisted for the war. Though they are initially outcasts, the squadron soon wins the respect of the entire air force with their dedication and skills in the air. Extras include "Double Victory: The Tuskegee Airman at War" mini-documentary and featurettes on the director and the cast.

36%

Box Office: The Grey Takes a Bite

Becky Kirsch — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:05:00 PST

Liam Neeson was on top of the box office this weekend, thanks to the debut of his new film, The Grey. The flick took in $20 million, giving it the edge over last week's winner Underworld: Evolution, which slid to second with $12.5 million. Katherine Heigl's One For the Money debuted in third with $11.7 million, followed by Red Tails with $10.4 million. Man on a Ledge rounded out the top five, taking in $8.3 million in its opening weekend.

Photo courtesy of OpenRoad

Box Office: Kate Beckinsale's Underworld Rises to the Top

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:05:00 PST

Audiences were eager to see Kate Beckinsale back in her leather suit, as her action sequel Underworld: Awakening won first place at the box office with $25.4 million. It was followed by historical drama and fellow new release Red Tails, which earned $19.1 million. The third spot went to last weekend's box office winner Contraband, with $12.2 million. The 9/11 tearjerker Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close came in at No. 4 in its first weekend in wide release with $10.5 million, while Stephen Soderbergh's new action release Haywire rounded out the top five with $9 million.

Photo courtesy of Screen Gems

Buzz News Roundup, 10/1

BuzzSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:31:07 PDT

Showtime has set January premiere dates for the final season of The L Word and the Diablo Cody series The United States of Tara. - Zap2it
Michael Sheen is the latest to join Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland movie. - Variety
Pineapple Express director David Gordon Green is writing an animated comedy pilot for Fox. - TV Week
Hilary Swank is set to star in the dramatic film Betty Anne Waters. - ComingSoon
After four years apart, Phish has reunited. - AP

TV legend Norman Lear is working on a pro-wrestling drama for HBO. - TV Guide

Red Tails, the WWII action adventure about the Tuskegee Airmen which George Lucas will produce, has found a director in Anthony Hemingway. - Variety

The CW is developing a series based on Batman's sidekick Robin titled The Graysons. - ComingSoon

Oh yeah, actors could still go on strike. - Hollywood Reporter

Photos courtesy of Showtime

George Lucas's Next Project to Focus on Tuskegee Airmen

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:30:52 PDT

The black airmen trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field during WWII were the first to prove that black men could pilot aircrafts in the U.S. military, and now these Tuskegee Airmen - some of whom are still alive today - will be the focus of George Lucas's next film, Red Tails.

The surviving airmen say they're glad to have Lucas tell their stories - about both the war they fought against Adolf Hitler and the racial wars waging here in the U.S. Here's some backstory:

At first called the "Tuskegee Experiment," the first aviation cadet class began with 13 students at the Tuskegee Army Air Field, about 40 miles east of Montgomery, in July 1941. Black people weren't allowed to fly in the military at the time and the "experiment" was to see whether they could pilot airplanes and handle heavy machinery. Over the next four years, the airmen went on more than 15,000 combat trips throughout Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa.

And yet, despite the respect they earned, the men returned to an America in which "German prisoners of war [were] being treated better and afforded rights that were withheld from black American citizens."

For more about Red Tails,
read more
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The Tuskegee Airmen have been the subjects of several film and TV projects, most notably in a 1995 HBO movie starring Laurence Fishburne, which one ranger at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site says was "about 50 percent Hollywood, but it gave a good overview and got the word out. People all over the world saw it and it whetted their appetite to want to know more."

And Lucas is one of those hungry people. He wants the story in Red Tails to be drawn from the airmen's personal accounts and has begun collecting oral histories from some of them at his Skywalker Ranch. Personally, I can't wait to see what comes out of this.

Source and source

Baby's First Book! 5 Soft Books to Add to Your Infant's Collection

Kate Stahl — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 03:17:25 PDT

Introducing baby to books is a big moment for most mamas, who realize early that their lil ones are naturally attracted to books' bright colors, fun pictures, and chewing potential! Eliminate the drool and bite marks by adding these five soft books (great for travel!) to your collection. Your baby will love the textures, page-flipping potential, and cool extras (teethers!) of each.

Clockwise from top left:

Buzzing Through Activity Book ($16) includes fun characters, bold colors, sensory-engaging features, and functional details like a fabric handle, all of which add to the learning and help baby develop motor skills.

Jellycat Farm Tails Book ($17) is charming with its fun, textured farm-animal tails, crinkly pages, and playful story, which engage your baby's tactile and cognitive skills.

Skip Hop Treetop Friends Activity Book ($15) includes a baby-safe mirror, tuggable teether, a crinkly feature, and a bunch of forest-dwelling friends.

Wee Gallery Black & White Animals Book ($22) is made of organic cotton, featuring six black and white animals printed on the inside and hand-stitched kantha embroidery on the outside. The hand-washable accordion book comes with a cloth-carrying bag.

Whoozit What's Red Soft Book ($17) teaches baby about the color red, as he follows Whoozit's red nose through each page to find crinkle paper, teethers, and mirrors.

Hwae Dup Bap (Korean Sashimi Salad)

OnSugar Blog — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:26:00 PST

As a self-professed experienced eater, Yoo Eatz tells us the story of her introduction to Korean food, and, boy, does it sound delicious.

By the time I entered college, I thought of myself as a rather experienced eater. Born and raised in a multicultural family in the San Francisco Bay Area, I had been exposed to all sorts of foods from the get-go and was rarely fazed by anything "weird" (Chicken feet? Sure. Alligator tail? No problem. Crab innards? Give it to me over rice.) And my young adult self was certain that there was no cuisine I had yet to conquer.

Then I met the guy who is now my husband, and he proceeded to rock my world with the marvels of Korean food. Yeah, I had experienced plenty of barbecue and jjigaes (stews) by then, but one night he took me to a Korean-owned sushi joint tucked away in a tiny Oakland strip mall, and he ordered us two heaping bowls of hwae dup bap that seriously changed my life.

According to my loose understanding of the Korean language, hwae dup bap translates to raw fish over rice, and while it lacks the orchestrated beauty of Japanese chirashi, you can think of it as chirashi's untamed cousin. Everyone has their own version of this dish (my husband remembers his mom making a simple version with just sashimi and rice for church picnics), but the general equation is as follows (from the bottom up): sushi rice, greens, chopped raw fish, fish roe, and a quail egg, drizzled with sesame oil and a vinegary gochujang sauce. It's refreshing, light, but incredibly filling, and it will change the way you think about sashimi. The Japanese girl in me still enjoy a slice of toro delicately dabbed in shoyu and fresh wasabi, but my newfound Korean side absolutely melts for hwae dup bap.

I based this recipe on our spot in the East Bay which included seaweed salad to round out its from-the-sea flavor. If you have access to good quality sashimi and an Asian grocery store, then you'll have all the ingredients you need for this explosive dish.

For the recipe, read on.

SAG Awards: Shailene Woodley

FabSugar — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:08:52 PST

Stylish newcomer (and The Descendants star) Shailene Woodley looked bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in a sweet floral L'Wren Scott frock. While Shailene has donned everything from draped and flowy to body-con metallics, this shimmery blue-and-red flower appliqué gown is surprisingly sleek and fresh. Shailene's low-maintenance beauty regimen was on display - her pulled-back hair, well-groomed brows, and long lashes let the gown do all the talking. How do you feel about Shailene's red-carpet look?

Vote on all of our SAG Awards polls here!

SAG Awards: Shailene Woodley

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Critics' Choice Awards Highlights: Red Carpet, Champagne, Clooney

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:30:16 PST

It was a two-for-one award show kinda week, with the Critics' Choice Awards right on the tail of the People's Choice Awards. The Critics honored favorites like The Artist, The Help, and The Descendants, but the real fun was seeing what happened behind the scenes. Clooney and Brad Pitt got bromatic, the cast of The Help had many reasons to raise their glasses, and lots of ladies showed off gorgeous red carpet looks. Take a look at all the highlights!

Ruff Life: Hollywood Dog Trainer Sue Chipperton Shares Her Insider Tips

Angela Tafoya — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 10:26:04 PDT

From hanging with Brad Pitt and Reese Witherspoon to folding socks, it seemed there was no feat too big (or small) for celebrity canine Gidget. The multitalented Chihuahua and star of the popular Taco Bell commercials spent her time living the life most dream of: traveling (by way of private jet), walking the red carpet, and mingling with celebs. This is in no small part due to her trainer, Sue Chipperton, who (along with co-author and People staff writer, Rennie Dyball) divulges her insider information in the book A Famous Dog’s Life. We caught up with Sue, who discussed everything from choosing a breed to “mad dogging.” Read on for our Q&A with Sue!

PetSugar: When searching for a standout star, like Gidget, an outgoing personality is one of the qualities you look for, but do you have recommendations when searching for an off-camera pooch?

Sue Chipperton: Well, it depends what you are looking for in a pet. Every breed has something to offer and so do mixed breed dogs found in shelters. You start by looking at the breed you are interested in and determining what that dog was bred to do. If you want a dog that can go running with you twice a day for several miles, then any of the hunting breeds, or a Dalmatian, a Husky, etc., are all good choices. You can narrow it down even more: say you want a short-haired dog, then the husky breeds are removed from your list. The biggest mistake people make is getting a dog based on their looks and ignoring what the dog was bred to do. Leaving a Husky in your backyard and hoping he will stay there is a ridiculous notion, he needs to run to burn off all that excess energy.

PS: The tricks you teach your studio dogs differ from typical pet training - for example, sitting is the last thing you teach them - what are some that work well for both?

Keep reading for Sue's answer and more tips for training your own pet!