BuzzSugar

Winter Reading List: 15 Books to Read Before They're on the Big Screen

BuzzSugar — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 05:00:00 PST

Back in Fall and Summer, I gave you reading lists filled with books that are being adapted into movies. To mark the Winter solstice and a new season, I'm giving you guys a brand-new list for your shelf with even more titles that you'll be seeing on the big screen. Cozy up with one of these books next to a warm fire - plus, you'll be able to claim that "the book was so much better" before everyone else.

Separated at Birth: Three Lincoln-Related Projects

BuzzSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:37:52 PDT

Apparently, this is the year for Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth. Much of Hollywood seems to be fascinated with the legendary president and his assassin right now, with a biopic and a HBO miniseries already in the works. Now, there's a Showtime series in development that would focus on Booth and his brothers - a dysfunctional family drama of sorts that I'm guessing ends with a president shot dead.

I'm having trouble keeping these various projects straight in my mind. Should I care most about Lincoln himself, how his assassin got caught, or how his killer came to be a presidential shooter in the first place? Here's a handy chart to help you decide:


Name	The Booths	Team of Rivals	Manhunt
Medium	TV (Showtime)	Film	TV (HBO)
Stars	To be determined	Liam Neeson (Lincoln), Sally Field (Mary Todd Lincoln)	To be determined
Focus	John Wilkes Booth and his two dysfunctional brothers	Lincoln himself	"Lesser-known players" in the hunt for Lincoln's killer
Hollywood "Big Name"	Executive Producer Kevin Bacon	Director Steven Spielberg	Writers David Simon and Tom Fontana
Book Inspiration	None	Team of Rivals	Manhunt
Presumed Outcome	Lincoln dies	Lincoln dies	Lincoln dies

Source and Source

Sally Field, Liam Neeson Set for Spielberg-Helmed Lincoln Biopic

BuzzSugar — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:30:00 PDT

In a recent article, Newsweek randomly announced that Sally Field will play Mary Todd Lincoln and Liam Neeson will play Abraham Lincoln in a biopic directed by Steven Spielberg. The casting news was included in a piece about the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum’s special exhibit, “Mary Todd Lincoln: First Lady of Controversy,” which explores the possibility that Mary Todd Lincoln may have suffered from mental illness.

Newsweek states that Spielberg's project will be based on the Doris Kearns Goodwin book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Of course, production will have to wait until filming wraps on the fourth Indiana Jones movie, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Personally, I'm excited for this. I don't think Field has had a complex, meaty film role in many years, and I look forward to seeing her on the big screen again, even if she doesn't think she has time for anything but "Brothers & Sisters."

Field and Neeson photos source

Kate Middleton Pairs a High-Slitted Gown With Jimmy Choos For a Night With William

Allie Merriam — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:02:51 PDT

Kate Middleton and her husband Prince William arrived at Claridge's hotel in London last night. She was decked out in a long white gown from Roland Mouret, surely rivaling any of the high fashions seen in NYC at Monday's Met Gala. Kate paired the white dress with a chic pair of sky-high Jimmy Choos. The sandals revealed that Kate has her toes painted a dark berry color! Kate also wore the sandals for an event last November.

Their evening out was to meet up with the Thirty Club, a group of executives from advertising and the media. Prince William was the guest of honor and planned to give a speech. Many of his family members have had the same honor, including his mom, Princess Diana, aunt Princess Anne, and grandfather Prince Philip.

William and Kate have another big event coming up this week. The Our Greatest Team Rises gala will host Will and Kate in just a few days at an event honoring the Olympics' Team Great Britain and Paralympics Great Britain. Their social schedule in the UK is full, but the same might not be said for her sister Pippa. There are reports in the English press today that Pippa Middleton may be considering a move to NYC.

How a Determined Desiree Davila Won a Spot on the US Olympic Marathon Team

espnW — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:25:02 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar! This week's is an inspiring story about marathoner Desiree Davila, who will be representing the US in the Olympics for her first time. The following is an excerpt; read the entire story here.

By Bonnie D. Ford

At last January's Olympic trials in Houston, Texas, four top women had distanced themselves from the field: Desiree Davila, fellow favorites Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher, and Amy Hastings. Davila increased her tempo. Hastings dropped back. Davila forged on with Flanagan and Goucher, her five-foot-two, 98-pound frame dwarfed by her taller rivals. Then, with two miles to go, Flanagan kicked into a higher gear, and Davila was faced with another decision: should she try to match the surge and bid for the win, taking the chance that her cramping calves would betray her, or maintain her pace and protect her spot on the team?

Davila weighed the situation and decided not to risk it. Flanagan soloed to the line, and Davila secured her Olympic spot by finishing second, 17 seconds back, in 2:25:55. It was a tough, savvy race, and the latest evidence that Davila's gradual climb to the top is peaking at an ideal juncture.

After a largely anonymous high school and college career in the arid heat of Southern California and Arizona, she migrated to Michigan to join the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project in 2005. The elite training environment in a harsher climate helped her transform herself into "a contender, not just someone who's on the line and might have a good day," as she put it.

The Lesson Learned From Second Place

Davila debuted at the marathon distance in Boston in 2007 and ran 2:44.56 in a raging northeaster. A year later on the same course, Davila thought she had progressed enough to make the Olympic team. At mile 21, running fourth, it looked as if she'd been right. But Davila, who hadn't hydrated and eaten enough before the race, ran out of gas and faded to 13th.

She was devastated. Fellow marathoner and friend Amy Hastings was there to comfort her, and so was sister Natalie Davila. "If I'm investing my money in someone right now, it's you," the older sister said. "You're going in the right direction - you're going up."

Read on for more of Desiree Davila's road to the Olympics after the break.

What Has Today Show Guest Host Sarah Palin Been Up to Lately?

Annie Scudder — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:00:21 PDT

Almost four years after Sarah Palin told Katie Couric she couldn't recall the specific newspapers she reads, the two are going head to head again. This morning, Sarah and Katie are hosting rival morning shows. Liberal-media critic Sarah is this morning's guest host on NBC's Today, while longtime Today show host Katie is cohosting ABC's Good Morning America all week. No, this is not a leftover April Fools' Day joke. If you turned on your TV this morning to see Sarah Palin and wondered what she's been up to lately, here is a rundown.

Keeping up the heat on Obama. She may be out of politics officially, but you can still count on Sarah Palin to weigh in on the day's politics. Last week Sarah said, "President Obama will have ‘more flexibility’ to weaken us if he’s reelected in November."
Backing up Santorum. When GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum accused a New York Times reporter of "bullsh*t" Sarah had his back. She said, “Welcome to my world, Rick, and good on ya."
Handling the Game Change drama. Last month, HBO released its high-profile movie about the 2008 campaign, Game Change, with Julianne Moore playing Sarah Palin. In response, Sarah wrote to ABC News: “I believe my family has the right priorities and knows what really matters/ For instance, our son called from Afghanistan yesterday and he sounded good, and that’s what matters. Being in the good graces of Hollywood’s ‘Team Obama’ isn’t top of my list."
Keeping up with her Facebook friends. If you follow Sarah Palin's Facebook page, you can count on a steady stream of musings. On March 24, she wrote a Facebook note claiming that Alaskan women don't tolerate sexism, titled Last Frontier Women Don’t Tolerate Misogynists. "I personally do not seek an apology from these narrow-minded men. With a full family and productive 'to-do' list everyday, I just don’t have time for them. But I do feel sorry for them and for their obvious need to compensate for something that’s missing in their own lives, which compels them to belittle others in order to feel big," Sarah quipped.
Working for Fox. It's somewhat surprising Sarah Palin is going on NBC, considering she's been a contributor for Fox News. Just last week, she wrote an op-ed on Fox Nation, titled God, Guns, the Constitution – Still Clinging.
Being nominated for a Razzie. At this past weekend's Razzies, Sarah was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award as worst actress on account of her performance in the documentary The Undefeated, which chronicled her political career. She lost to Jack and Jill, which took home every single Razzie.

David Beckham Takes in a Soccer Match With His Father and Sons

Katie Henry — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:47:42 PST

David Beckham joined his father, Ted, and his three sons, Romeo, Cruz, and Brooklyn, at yesterday's FA Cup third round soccer match between Manchester City and Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England. The Beckhams cheered on David's former team, United, who went on to win 3-2 against their crosstown rivals.

David, Victoria, and their four children went to the UK for the holidays, and celebrated baby Harper's first New Year's Eve with dinner at London's Claridge's Hotel. 2012 brings exciting news for the Beckham family with confirmation that David turned down an offer to play for Paris St-Germain and will stay with the LA Galaxy. David has yet to sign a new contract with the Galaxy, but will likely finalize an agreement soon to participate in preseason play next month.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - Haven't We Already Played This Game?

Shannon Vestal — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:30:00 PST

Giving the people more of what they want is usually the principle behind sequels, and it definitely holds true for Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, but a good sequel takes what works and makes it better. Though this follow-up to the 2009 hit retains the chemistry of Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, it disappoints by failing to add anything to the franchise. This time, Holmes is as intelligent, stubborn, and incorrigible as ever, but Watson is trying to evolve by getting married. Unfortunately, Watson's marital status is just about the only development for either of the main characters.

This time, we follow Holmes and Watson as they trace a series of crimes to Holmes's infamous nemesis Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), who has been leaving clues around Europe that he's laying the groundwork for war. Holmes is hot on his trail, while a batch of assassins are hot on Holmes and Watson's trail, leading to a game of cat and mouse that could be fun to watch, if the story was told in an engaging way. Unfortunately, plot points are withheld until the last moment, and the twists are so convoluted that you're lost along the way. It's a shame, because the film could have been a satisfying sequel, but instead it feels like a half-baked shadow of its predecessor. To find out what I mean, just keep reading.

Are You Ready For Some Football . . . Nail Polish?

Jaime Richards — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:58:00 PDT

You can always show your team spirit with face paint, but now you can show it with a different kind of paint. Available now are KE Specialties team colors nail polishes ($15 for a set of two). Every team is represented, so whether you bleed orange and brown for the Cleveland Browns, or you prefer gold and black in rival Pittsburgh Steelers fashion, there's a duo available for you. Of course, you could just buy the polishes separately in your team colors, but what fun is that? In this case the logo is already slapped on for you and it's officially licensed. So you can feel good rooting for your team and knowing it's on the up and up. Which NFL team is your favorite?

Modern Family, Mad Men, Melissa McCarthy, Kate Winslet, and More Win Big at the Emmys

Allie Merriam — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 10:50:59 PDT

Jane Lynch kicked off last evening's Emmy Awards with a song and dance routine that included cameos from some of TV's most popular stars. Early supporting honors in a comedy went to small-screen couple Modern Family's Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell, who actually beat out three of his male costars! Ty made a memorable acceptance speech about his late father. Charlie Sheen made a controversial appearance to present outstanding lead actor in a comedy series with some of his old competitors. While some were worried about what he'd say in relation to his departure from Two and a Half Men, Charlie was polite and respectful. He said, "From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together, and I know you will continue to make great television." Jim Parsons from The Big Bang Theory ended up the winner, while Mike and Molly's Melissa McCarthy won in the corresponding female category. Her rivals like Amy Poehler and Tina Fey all gathered together onstage before the victor was announced, and it was a sweet moment of support among peers.

Further nods went to The Amazing Race as best reality/variety show and The Daily Show for writing on a variety, music, or comedy series. The guys of the Lonely Island teamed up with Michael Bolton, John Stamos, Ed Helms, Maya Rudolph, and Akon for a racy medley of their SNL hits for a hilarious musical interlude. Ashton Kutcher joined his new cast mate Jon Cryer to present supporting actress in a drama to Justified's Margo Martindale, and Peter Dinklage won similarly for Game of Thrones. Martin Scorsese, meanwhile, added to his pile of awards by picking up his first ever Emmy for directing Boardwalk Empire. Julianna Margulies tearfully was crowned best actress in a drama for The Good Wife, and Kyle Chandler was able to accept his best actor in a drama statue from Friday Night Lights costar Minka Kelly, who took the stage with her fellow Charlie's Angel and producer Drew Barrymore. Downton Abbey picked up multiple honors in the miniseries categories, including best miniseries or movie, though Mildred Pierce's Guy Pearce won best actor in a miniseries and Kate Winslet added to her trophy collection with best actress. At the microphone, Kate exclaimed, "Oh look - I really did win it!" Mad Men was named best drama series again, and Gwyneth Paltrow made do without the teleprompter to present best comedy series to Modern Family. Catch up on what many of the winners had to say in the Emmys press room, and let us know who you thought was tops in the style department with our love it or hate it Emmys style polls!

LOTS more pictures from the show when you read more