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Link Time! Janet Jackson to Open Up on TV About Michael

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:30:09 -0800

Janet Jackson will be talking about her brother in a new primetime special - TV Squad
The Real Housewives of New Jersey are invading NBC's Mercy. Seriously. - The Ausiello Files
Ryan Seacrest is letting regular people grab money from celebs for his new show Bank of Hollywood - Vulture
Here's a guide to all of the guest stars during November sweeps - TV.com
George Clooney's top 10 movies - Rotten Tomatoes
CBS picks up five more episodes of Accidentally on Purpose - HitFix
Michael Jackson's This Is It takes No. 1 on Billboard - Rolling Stone
Listen to a preview of Adam Lambert's new album - Best Week Ever
Colin Hanks to play "Jack" to Bradley Whitford's "Dan" - Collider
Twilight's Rob and Kristen finally talk about each other. Check out snippets from the interview - PopSugar
Sigourney Weaver and Alia Shawkat sign on for Cedar Rapids - Zap2it
Prepare for the onslaught of skinny jeans: Kings of Leon are creating their own limited-edition clothing line - Spinner

Live From Comic-Con 2009: Girls Rule

BuzzSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:10:02 -0700

Hello from muggy San Diego! For one of my first activities here at Comic-Con, I attended a panel led by Entertainment Weekly titled "Wonder Women: Female Power Icons in Pop Culture" and featuring Sigourney Weaver, Eliza Dushku, Zoe Saldana and Elizabeth Mitchell in the hot seats.

The lively discussion began with appreciative cheers for each woman and a standing ovation for Sigourney Weaver, which, to be honest, made me feel a little choked up, right off the bat. In its entirety, the panel was nothing short of enlightening and inspiring - two things I didn't totally expect from this one.

Here are some highlights:

Television is light-years ahead of the film world when it comes to women's roles: All four women agreed that it's exceptionally cool that women can play more kickass roles now than ever before, though they all acknowledged that opportunities are greater on television than in movies. Sigourney Weaver: "Our society is changing much more quickly than Hollywood understands. . . . it's starting in television because television is a more exact reflection of what's going on in the world."

Eliza Dushku talked about working with Joss Whedon, Dollhouse's next season, and sexuality in storytelling: In answer to the question of whether there are more opportunities for women in sci-fi these days, Dushku stated that "it's really about who you work with and who the writers are and who your creators are," which is why she sought out Joss Whedon for her next role. "Ask and ye shall receive! I asked Joss to make me the most kickass, multi-dimensional character he'd ever written and he delivered." She explained that her character on Dollhouse, Echo, "has become a product of all of the personalities," but next season "absolutely will have Echo having a self-awareness." On the topic of sexualizing women in sci-fi: "I think sexuality is something that . . . can be manipulated and it can be disgustingly portrayed and it can be very beautiful and feminine and powerful. . . . Sex is part of our society and . . . it can be used in a smart and thought-provoking and realistic way. . . . it can be used as a tool."

For more intriguing bits and pieces from the panel, read more.

Sigourney Weaver's awesomest quotes:

After the moderator introduced her as the "single most successful female action franchise of all time" - "I know MTV named [Ripley] the second biggest 'badass' after Clint Eastwood but you know, I think she could take him." Roaring cheers ensued.
In regard to the "challenge" of writing good female characters - "The challenge that some writers take on very well . . . they're not trying to write a woman action figure, they're creating a character that has a certain drive and . . . ferocity. . . . I never thought about being 'a woman,' I was just playing a person. . . . There's a hero in each of us."
She added that "Hollywood goes a little crazy trying to figure out what you're supposed to wear" as a female action hero. "I'm just glad I got to wear clothes" in the Alien movies.
On the "glass ceiling" - "I think the sky is open, I don't believe there's a ceiling and if there is one, we'll just kick. Our. Way. Out."
When asked whether she hopes Hollywood will bring forth more roles for gay and lesbian action heroes and superheroes - "I think it's a mistake to look to Hollywood as a breaker-down of sociological [boundaries]." She encourages people to just make their own projects with their own kinds of characters because Hollywood is always many steps behind, and we can't look to Hollywood to be a leader.

Zoe Saldana talked about women's roles progressing through education: Saldana talked much about how far women have come in entertainment and that when it comes to progressing further, "Everything starts with education, and instead of fighting against a room full of men and try to convince them that I should wear pants . . . you have to learn how to fight these battles and it's all through education and putting them in our shoes." When an audience member asked why they have to cast Megan Fox as Wonder Woman instead of someone older and more regal, she replied, "I happen to have a huge crush on Megan Fox, I'm not hating on that possibility" but that "60-year-old men want to see tiny 25-year-old little girls and . . . those are the ones who cut checks."

Elizabeth Mitchell talked about her role on Lost and getting better roles after the age of 30: Mitchell was predictably coy when answering any question about her role as Juliet on Lost, a role that the EW moderator called "morally slippery," and "the most complicated female character that any woman has had to play on television." Mitchell explained that she likes playing "complicated women, they're enticing to me," and that she was told by Lost producers to say that Juliet's fate "just depends on whether Jack's plan works or not." When the issue of age came up, she emphatically stated that "I have played better roles now after the age of 30. . . . I was called sexy for the first time at the age of 38 and I was thrilled! . . . I think we're allowed to be sexier, I think we're allowed to be all of those things after the age of 30. That has, of course, been in television," she added, acknowledging once again that opportunities for women in TV are greater than those in movies.

Buzz News Roundup, 6/5

BuzzSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:15:24 -0700

Fox will still air an episode of Mental guest-starring David Carradine despite the actor's death this week. - Washington Post
Emilie de Ravin, Pierce Brosnan. and Chris Cooper are set to star alongside Robert Pattinson in Remember Me. - Variety
Screen Gems has set Lisa Kudrow, Patricia Clarkson, Stanley Tucci, Penn Badgley and several others to join Emma Stone and Amanda Bynes in the comedy Easy A. - ComingSoon
He's Just Not That Into You director Ken Kwapis is set to direct Everybody Loves Whales. - Reuters
The Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" is CBS's new promo song. - The Hollywood Reporter
Mary-Kate Olsen and Alex Pettyfer have joined Vanessa Hudgens in the Beauty and the Beast update Beastly. - Zap2It
The Shield has topped the nominations for the Television Critics Association's annual awards. - Variety
Sigourney Weaver has been cast in Disney's You Again and is in talks to join the Greg Mottola-directed comedy Paul. - ComingSoon

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Where Are the Best Roles for Actresses: TV or Movies?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:30:00 -0700

Considering that television holds second-rate status to film in a lot of people's minds, it's amazing to think of all of the stellar silver screen actresses who are currently working on TV. In a recent panel organized by The Hollywood Reporter, a whole bunch of them - including Sigourney Weaver, Regina King, January Jones, Anna Paquin, Rose Byrne, and Mary McDonnell - talked about the great roles available for women on the small screen right now.

That got me wondering if TV is providing actresses with better opportunities than film. But then there are actresses like Kate Winslet, who prove that meaty, interesting movie roles for women are still out there.

Take a look at this discussion and then tell me: Are the best roles for women on TV right now? Or are women getting more interesting opportunities in the movies?

Buzz News Roundup, 8/15

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:30:38 -0700

Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black are filming a pilot for Comedy Central. - Zap2it
Mike Myers is joining the peculiar cast (Brad Pitt, Simon Pegg, Eli Roth, B.J. Novak) for Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards. - ComingSoon
A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame annex will open in downtown Manhattan. - Billboard
Sigourney Weaver will play a therapist on Eli Stone, while Audrina Patridge will guest-star on Do Not Disturb. - TV Guide
Liam Neeson and possibly Javier Bardem will join Orlando Bloom in the untitled dramatic film about Sarajevo. - Variety
David Duchovny and Tea Leoni will star together in the comedy Born to Rock. - Hollywood Reporter
Director Matthew Vaughn will direct an adaptation of the comic book Kick-Ass, with Christopher Mintz-Plasse in negotiations to star. - ComingSoon
Singer/songwriter Jackson Browne is suing John McCain and the Republican party for using his song "Running on Empty" in a TV commercial. - Billboard
Claire Danes will play Temple Grandin in an HBO biopic. - Hollywood Reporter

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Buzz News Roundup, 5/19

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:36:26 -0700

For the fourth year in a row, Kenny Chesney won the award for entertainer of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards, Billboard reports. He is now tied with Garth Brooks for the record.
Sigourney Weaver will star in and produce a film for Lifetime called Prayers for Bobby, writes Zap2It.
ComingSoon reports that Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon will star together as parents in a family drama titled The Greatest.
According to Hollywood Reporter, RDF USA has obtained the rights to the old game show Queen for a Day, with plans to pitch an updated version to networks.

Producer Stephen Byrd is planning to make a film version of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with the all-black cast currently starring on Broadway, writes Variety.
Billboard has the news that Neil Diamond's album Home Before Dark takes the top spot on the U.K. Billboard charts.
According to an AOL poll, Carrie Underwood is the most popular American Idol, with Kelly Clarkson coming in second place, writes Hollywood Reporter.
Battlestar Galactica's Katee Sackoff will join the cast of Nip/Tuck, Zap2It reports.
According to Variety, Cillian Murphy and Eddie Redmayne have joined the cast of White Male Heart.

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Buzz News Roundup, 4/30

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:11:17 -0700

Jodie Foster will play Leni Riefenstahl, friend to Hitler and director of propaganda films for the Third Reich, in a biopic about the woman's life, the Guardian reports.
The Los Angeles Times explains why comics guru Frank Miller is so hot right now.
Sigourney Weaver will join Amy Poehler and Tina Fey in their movie Baby Mama, says Reuters.
In case you were wondering, that was not a testicle on "Grey's Anatomy" last week, according to E!
Band of Horses, Regina Spektor and Cat Power are among the nominees for the Shortlist Music Prize, Billboard reports.
"TRL" will likely be renamed "YouRL," according to Broadcasting and Cable.
Russell Crowe will star as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Nottingham, a Robin Hood movie that Ridley Scott will direct, reports Variety.
In "American Idol" news, season four's Jessica Sierra was arrested on battery charges, Zap2it reports, while Constantine Maroulis landed a role on "The Bold and the Beautiful."
According to the AP, Courtney Love will be auctioning off Kurt Cobain's belongings.

Movie Preview: The TV Set

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 05:25:21 -0700

While the networks prep their Fall pilots, the rest of us wonder how so many laughably bad shows get made, even as truly great series disappear forever. Perhaps we should ask writer and director Jake Kasdan, whose new movie, The TV Set, hits theaters on Friday, April 6. Kasdan was one of the creative forces behind the short-lived but much-beloved "Freaks and Geeks," so it's fitting that he's now making a movie about the making of a TV pilot.

The TV Set - tagline: "a place where dreams are canceled" - follows scribe Mike Klein (a scruffy David Duchovny) as he attempts to rescue his show, "The Wexler Chronicles," from death by committee. I'm glad to see Duchovny back on the big screen, and the supporting cast also looks promising, including Sigourney Weaver as the persuasive network executive, Willie Garson ("Sex and the City"), and Justin Bateman.

The premise sounds great, and the trailer makes me laugh, but for some reason, The TV Set's 89-minute runtime makes me nervous. I'm still putting it on my "to see" list, though, so watch the trailer and tell me me what you think when you read more

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