BuzzSugar

Controversial Comedic Movies

BuzzSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:30:41 PDT

Some of the best comedy provocatively pushes the envelope, and when done well, it can allow us to not take life too seriously. But sometimes it can go really wrong, and feel less like a keen observation and more just mean-spirited. There is a thin line that certain comedic movies walk between hilarious and offensive. As Tropic Thunder, with all its controversies, hits the theaters, I was reminded of other comedies in recent years that were met with some protest. Controversy doesn't always affect ticket sales, though sometimes over-the-line comedy seems to influence the way a movie is received. To see some examples, just hit "Start."

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Honoring Some of Our Favorite Geeks For Black History Month

Michele Foley — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:01:38 PST

We may have Valentine's Day on the brain, but February also marks an important time of the year - Black History Month. In honor of Black History Month, let's take a look at some of our favorite geeks, both past and present. Everyone on this list has made vast contributions to furthering tech as we know it.

Dwayne McDuffie - The recently passed McDuffie wrote comic books for both Marvel and DC (including Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, the Fantastic Four and the Justice League of America) before founding his own company, Milestone Media, which helped pioneer the use of multicultural characters as its heroes.
Mark Dean - Nerd alert! Without Dean, there may not have been a PC - he holds three of IBM's original nine PC patents, leading the teams that developed the ISA bus and the first one-gigahertz chip.
Mae Carol Jemison - It doesn't get much geekier than space travel; Jemison was the first black woman to travel in space.
Philip Emeagwali - We can all blame Emeagwali for our Internet addiction. He developed the fastest supercomputer software in the world. His IQ is too high to be measured by conventional standards, and he's won a Gordon Bell Prize, which is like the Nobel Prize for computer science.

See the rest of the notables when you read more.

David Beckham and Prince Harry Meet Up For a Night of London Clubbing

Allie Merriam — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:26:06 PST

David Beckham and his best friend Dave Gardner spent last night at what seems to be London's hottest spot, the Arts Club. Prince Harry was out as well to say hi to David, along with Princess Eugenie and the singer Katherine Jenkins. It was Harry and David's latest get-together. David visited with Harry when the latter went to LA for a weekend during his time in the US doing an Apache helicopter training course. Both good-looking British guys are looking forward to the Olympics, with David hoping to play for Great Britain's soccer team. Harry recently expressed an interest in doing a PR-friendly race against champion runner Usain Bolt while touring Latin and South America to promote his grandmother Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.

The evening of fun came as a break from work for David. He traveled to London earlier this week to launch David Beckham bodywear for H&M, later celebrating the launch with his parents and his wife Victoria's mom and dad. David also spent an afternoon filming an ad for Adidas. Victoria, meanwhile, has her own new collections on the brain. She's gearing up for New York Fashion Week, where she'll actually have two presentations. In addition to her Victoria Beckham Collection, she's also showing Victoria by Victoria Beckham.

The Secrets of the World's Healthiest Women

Health — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:45:10 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

From pouring on the olive oil like the Greeks to slashing stress like the Scandinavians, what we
can learn from the happiest, slimmest, longest-living cultures around the globe.

The secret to a long, healthy life in America? According to longevity researchers, it may be to act like you live somewhere else.

It seems like every year another country's lifestyle is touted as the new magic bullet to cure us of obesity, heart disease, and premature death: for an unclogged heart, herd goats and down olive oil like a Mediterranean. Avoid breast cancer and live to 100 by dining on tofu, Japanese-style. Stay as happy as Norwegians by hunting elk and foraging for cowberries.

Health.com: Weight-Loss Secrets From Around the World

The places we're usually told to emulate are known as Blue Zones or Cold Spots. Blue Zones were pinpointed by explorer Dan Buettner and a team of longevity researchers and are described in his book The Blue Zones: Lessons For Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest. They're areas in Italy, Japan, Greece, California, and Costa Rica where the people have traditionally stayed healthy and active to age 100 or older.

Keep on reading for more great tips from around the globe.

Victoria Beckham Ventures Out With Her Growing Baby Harper

Allie Merriam — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:19:10 PST

Victoria Beckham carried her baby girl Harper Seven Beckham this afternoon, as they left The Savoy hotel in London. It seems the Beckham ladies stayed behind in the UK after David, Romeo, Cruz, and Brooklyn headed back to LA. The whole family was in England in order to spend the holidays with their British relatives. Victoria often has to be in the British capital to work on her fashion line and have meetings with her management company. She's currently putting the finishing touches on her latest Victoria Beckham Collection designs, which will be shown at Fashion Week next month.

The boys went back to California a few days ago. There was a chance the Beckhams wouldn't be coming back to America at all! It had been rumored that David would end his contract with the LA Galaxy and instead sign on for a season with Paris's St-Germain team. For now, it seems that David will stay with the LA team, though negotiations are apparently dragging on.

The Help Cast Celebrates Their Critical Success and Talks Late Nights Bonding Over Moonshine

Lindsay Miller — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:38:18 PST

The cast of The Help earned the best ensemble cast win tonight at the Critics' Choice Awards, and the ladies from the film were in a reflective mood as they talked about taking on the sometimes-painful movie, as well as bonding off the set over moonshine and fried butter. Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Allison Janney, and Ahna O'Reilly were among the actresses who stopped to talk with reporters about the latest honor for the film, which has already scored several awards and nominations.

Octavia on how much prejudice still exists today: "We've made progress, but there is still progress that has yet to be made, and thank god for a film like The Help that is making us talk about it."

Viola on the debate the movie sparked: "I agree with Octavia . . . I felt it absolutely once the film came out, that people were outraged that these types of films are still being made, and the wonderful thing that came out of that was just great discourse. I hope that this kind of encourages to keep making films with a cast that looks like this: a racially diverse cast, a female cast, because I think that would be the biggest statement of progress in and of itself."

Allison on getting into character:"I would say that Tate [the director] was wonderful in getting us all down there early before we shot and making us watch this wonderful documentary called Eyes on the Prize that really opened our eyes to remind us of what a terrible time that was in our history in America . . . I'll never forget it. It was truly inspiring . . . and just the heat down there, that played a huge part in just making us feel very much a part of the South. That's a whole character itself, 113 degree weather . . . There was so much that we went through to try and re-create that time in history . . . it made for a really delicious Summer of just love, and pain, and everything that it should be."

Ahna O'Reilly on taking characters from a beloved book: "I think we all were so excited about the book and loved it, but definitely there was an enormous amount of pressure. You know, so many people had read the book and were attached to their ideas of these characters, but you know, it's such a wonderful team of women and there was so much chemistry that we didn't have to create. I think, probably, from the get-go everyone would agree that we knew it was something special whether a lot of people saw it or not. And thankfully, they did."

Viola on the friendships they formed off set: "Thank god for moonshine, lemon pie, fried butter on fried bread . . . I think we needed to cut loose on this one. I mean, we needed to escape from this time period to remind us that we weren't really in this time period. And, really, being in Greenwood, MS, instead of on a sound stage in Los Angeles, we were kind of forced - happily forced - to be with each other and have a lot of laughs with apple-pie moonshine at night. And I think that's what you see. That love, that bonding that happened during those fabulous times. That's when we really built an ensemble."

Tour the White House's Holiday Decor and Get Tips on Creating the Look From White House Florist Laura Dowling

Elka Karl — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:31:57 PST

This year, the White House's holiday theme of "Shine, Give, Share," celebrates the holiday spirit through decor ranging from tabletop trees made from recycled aluminum to a 400-pound White House Gingerbread House. I recently chatted with White House florist Laura Dowling about the inspiration for the theme and tips on getting the look at your own home.

CasaSugar: What was the inspiration for this year’s decor?
Laura Dowling: This year’s theme is inspired by the First Lady’s message of giving to others and community service. Additionally, a very important element of this year’s holiday theme is the recognition and support of America’s military families. Visitors will see special decorations in the East Entrance and in the Blue Room that are designed to honor our nation’s service men and women and their families.

CasaSugar: What are some of the ideas that homeowners can use this holiday season, inspired by the White House decor?
Laura Dowling: Some of the most interesting ideas are on display at the White House use materials that are inexpensive or free – and would be easy for people to try at home.

Keep reading to learn Laura Dowling's tips for creating the White House's holiday look at your home.

Buzz Blabber: Top Model Fans Are Glad Angelea Didn't Win

BuzzSugar — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 05:30:00 PST

This week, the stories that got buzz readers talking the most were the America's Next Top Model finale and its winner twist, a refreshingly good episode of Glee and the adorable trailer for romantic comedy The Five-Year Engagement. See the spirited comments below!

Viewers are glad Angelea didn't win America's Next Top Model

"I'm so glad Angelea was disqualified. All she did was cry on the show and when she wasn't doing that she was hating on everyone else. I'm so glad that Lisa won!! She was my favorite from the start." - awesomepants
"I always threaten it, but if Angelea would've won, I couldn't have watched the show ever again. I didn't think Lisa should've won either. She's a great personality, but Allison was the better model." - likethedirection
"Neither yes nor no. I wasn't so much Team Lisa as I was Team Anyone But Angelea. Lisa works hard and clearly knows a lot about modeling, so I'm not opposed to her win, but I liked Allison a lot as well." - smartblonde

See what else got you talking after the jump.

Eva, Olivia, and Zoe Take a Seat in the Director's Chair For Glamour's Reel Moments

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:20:38 PDT

Last night, Zoe Saldana, Olivia Wilde, and Eva Longoria teamed up to unveil their Glamour Reel Moments project at The Director's Guild of America in LA. The actresses took a turn behind the camera for the magazine's annual short-film festival, each translating a real-life story from a Glamour reader onto the big screen.

The trio kicked off their day with a luncheon and panel to discuss their contributions before heading over to the evening event, where they were joined by several leading men. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Justin Long were among the guys who turned up to toast their achievements, and actresses including Carey Mulligan and Amber Heard also made the scene at the screening's afterparty. Joseph, Carey, and Amber swung by the festivities after picking up individual honors at the 2011 Hollywood Film Awards earlier in the evening. Joseph and Carey took home the Hollywood Breakthrough Actor and Actress awards, respectively, while Amber was recognized with a Hollywood Spotlight Award during the ceremony.

New York Film Festival Takeaway: A Dangerous Method

Allie Merriam — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 05:30:00 PDT

David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method is one of the most-anticipated movies showing at the New York Film Festival, which kicked off last weekend and continues on until Oct. 16. Cronenberg and one of his leading men, Michael Fassbender, joined writer Christopher Hampton in the Big Apple this week to present the picture and conduct a Q&A for press. I was able to check out the screening and hear a little of what Michael, David, and Christopher had to say.

Who's behind it? David Cronenberg was behind the lens, teaming up with regular colleague Viggo Mortensen for the third time, after the men also worked together on A History of Violence and Eastern Promises. Mortensen plays Dr. Sigmund Freud, along with Fassbender's psychoanalyst Carl Jung, and Keira Knightley as Sabina Spielrein, a hysterical patient who turns her interest in medicine into a doctorate. The script is from Atonement's Christopher Hampton, who also wrote the play, The Talking Cure, on which the movie is based.
What's it about? A Dangerous Method is based on Freud, Spielrein, and Jung's real lives. Spielrein and Jung first cross paths when she's admitted to his Zurich clinic, and it's there that she's introduced to his and Freud's psychoanalytic method. Jung shares with Freud a belief that many, if not most, psychological problems are rooted in sex. Spielrein seems to agree, and her relationship with Jung became both personal and professional. Jung later visits with his friend Sigmund in Vienna on a sort of hero-worshipping pilgrimage. However, on a trip to America, the men have a falling out over Jung's spiritualism, to which Freud is opposed. Hampton's story examines the effects of Jung and Spielrein's affair on their careers, families, and professional futures.

To read what I thought about the movie, just read more