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Remember Drop Dead Fred? Yeah, They're Going to Remake It

BuzzSugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:20:18 -0700

Ack! Hands off my childhood!

Sorry for the outburst, but, seriously, it's one thing, I suppose, to take successful '80s franchises like The Karate Kid and update them for a new generation. It's kind of another to just start randomly selecting one-off gems from my youth for the sole purpose of giving someone a starring vehicle.

When I first saw that Drop Dead Fred would be remade with Russell Brand in the lead, I immediately thought: "Oh, great. What's next, Beetlejuice?" And then I read this:

The first Fred was critically drubbed and commercially unsuccessful. But it did achieve a certain cult status and is considered a film that fell short of its full potential. The take for the new Fred is to make a film in the tone of Beetlejuice, building a universe around the concept of imaginary friends. Brand would play the trouble-making pal.

The original Drop Dead Fred was dark, weird, off-beat, and totally absorbing. Why remake it at all? Why not just write a movie for Russell Brand about a girl with a zany British guy for an imaginary friend? Is there anything good about this news, or does it just make you want to . . . well, you know, drop dead?

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Are You Interested in Reading Russell Brand's Book?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:15:18 -0700

After introducing himself to American audiences playing a smug British rock star in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Russell Brand went on to host the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. Still, he's not quite yet a household name on this side of the pond.

So it's interesting to find his memoir on bestselling lists here in the States. Apparently My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up is a good read, thanks to Brand's honest and humorous writings about his troubled childhood and struggles with addiction. America's eating it up!

So what do you think? Are you interested in reading this funny guy's book?

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:30:14 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to the titles below, the Oscar-winning documentary Taxi to the Dark Side is also now available on DVD.

Iron Man
Hurray! It feels like just yesterday the Summer box office was electrified by this superhero hit. I really loved it (and saw it twice in the theaters), mostly due to a super cool performance by Robert Downey Jr. and the skillful storytelling abilities of director Jon Favreau. Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, and Terrence Howard also do well in this fun action movie. It's a good way to go back in time and shake off those dark, depressing blues you may have caught from your 10th viewing of The Dark Knight.

Special features include deleted and extended scenes, featurettes titled "I Am Iron Man: 7-Part Making-of Documentary," "The Invincible Iron Man: 6-Part History of the Hero," and "Wired: The Visual effects of Iron Man." Something I'm really curious to see in the extras is a Robert Downey Jr. screen test and a featurette on his acting process. More time with RDJ is always good.

Two more spiffy choices, so read more!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Another comedy from the Apatow universe to add to your at-home collection (or your Netflix queue): Forgetting Sarah Marshall, starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, and Mila Kunis in a story about a guy trying to get over his most recent ex. And this could be considered a good thing or a warning, depending on your opinion: VMA host Russell Brand is in this movie and has a ton of screen time.

The unrated version is cryptically described as including scenes "you couldn't see in theaters" which I pray does not mean more of Jason Segel's private parts. I saw plenty myself, how about you? Other special features include a gag reel and a featurette titled "Line-o-rama: Lines you'll be reciting for ages."

Sports Night: Complete Series
On days like today, I really wish Aaron Sorkin would stop fiddling around on Facebook and get back to writing really awesome TV shows. He's definitely more hit than miss on the small screen and today's release of the special anniversary edition of his acclaimed Sports Night is an example of what it's like when he's hit his stride.

If you've never heard of the show, it's loosely based on ESPN's Sports Center, and it takes a look at the behind-the-scenes dynamics. The awesome cast is led by Peter Krause and Felicity Huffman who skillfully deliver those faster-than-the-speed-of-light dialogues that Sorkin is so good at writing.

The special edition DVD set includes new interviews with Sorkin, cast members Josh Charles, Robert Guillaume, Felicity Huffman, Peter Krause, and Joshua Malina; a featurette where real SportsCenter employees compare their experiences with the characters on Sports Night; a look back with creators Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme; and of course, gag reels.

TV Tonight: The 25th Annual MTV Video Music Awards

BuzzSugar — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:00:13 -0700

Amazing, isn't it, that we've had a quarter-century of awesome performances and crazy stunts at the MTV Video Music Awards? This year's 25th installment of the irreverent awards ceremony kicks off tonight at 8 p.m., with a whole bunch of new moonmen just waiting to be handed out.

A few things we know about tonight's show: Russell Brand is hosting, which should mean lots of borderline bleep-able moments. Britney Spears is opening the show, though she's supposedly not performing. And tons of performances are lined up, including one from Kanye West to close the show.

Don't forget you can win a VMA goody bag, and come back tonight to see live polling, red carpet coverage, and all the winners here on the Sugar sites. For now, you can check out the nominees over here, and to watch a clip of Brand talking about the awards, just read more.

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Judd Apatow and Co. to Strike Again With 20-Somethings Comedy

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:29:39 -0700

Right on the heels of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Judd Apatow is again teaming up with Sarah Marshall director Nick Stoller for yet another 20-something dude comedy. Titled Get Him to the Greek, this one will also draw from the Sarah Marshall cast (well, and the Superbad, Knocked Up and 40-Year-Old Virgin casts, too) with Russell Brand and Jonah Hill toplining.

The comedy will follow "a fresh-out-of-college insurance adjuster (Hill) who is hired to accompany an out-of-control rock star (Brand) from London to a gig at L.A.'s Greek Theater." I wonder what bit part Paul Rudd will have.

So, the Apatow machine continues to churn 'em out. What do you think about this news? Anybody getting slightly tired of the same kinds of movies with the same dudes in them? Or is Apatow and his band of merry men an endless source of good comedy?

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Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:33:30 -0700

Which of the latest New Moon posters is the hottest? - PopSugar
Michelle Obama heads to Sesame Street - The Wrap
5 reasons to keep watching The Hills - TV.com
Olivia Wilde and Jonathan Tucker have joined the Russell Crowe thriller The Next Three Days - Coming Soon
Thom Yorke's putting together a brand new band during his hiatus from Radiohead - Stereogum
Go behind the scenes of Where The Wild Things Are - Cinematical
Going forward, TLC is dropping Jon's name, calling the reality show Kate Plus Eight - LilSugar
Survivor creator Mark Burnett gets real for a new CBS drama - TV Squad