BuzzSugar

Buzz News Roundup, 7/28

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:30:49 PDT

Citing a lack of stories to tell in a second season, HBO won't be bringing back Tell Me You Love Me after all, Zap2it reports.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Ridley Scott's Nottingham movie (starring Russell Crowe as Sheriff of Nottingham and Sienna Miller as Maid Marion) has been "indefinitely postponed."
Alexis Bledel and Scott Porter are joining Julio DePietro's romantic comedy The Good Guy, ComingSoon reports.
Harvey Keitel will play a detective in ABC's Life on Mars, marking the first time he's taken a regular TV role, the New York Times reports.
Billboard has the news that Coldplay's album Viva la Vida climbed back to the top spot on the U.K. charts.
Showtime is developing a drama about Studio 54 called Studio, writes Hollywood Reporter.
Ellen Barkin, Ving Rhames and Rob Corddry will star in the indie comedy Rogues Gallery, Variety writes.
Family Guy showrunner David A. Goodman will adapt Blatant Comics's Last Blood into a horror film, according to ComingSoon.
Entertainment Weekly reports that Nelly will guest-star on CSI: NY as a club owner.

Wedding Planning: What Not to Watch While Preparing For the Big Day

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:30:18 PDT

If you're planning a wedding, it can be discouraging to settle in for a movie or TV show in which marriage is, well, not cast in the nicest light. Here I've rounded up some movies and one TV show that may be great entertainment but won't exactly give you the warm fuzzies about getting married.

American Beauty - Sure, there's a lot more going on in American Beauty than just a failing marriage, but the union between Lester (Kevin Spacey) and Carolyn (Annette Benning) still isn't exactly inspirational. In addition to general suburban dystopia, there's a lot of infidelity, ogling of teen girls, and overall contempt within the marriage. Oh, and that ending is a pretty big downer.

More titles to avoid if you

Little Children - I'd say you'll want to avoid both watching this movie and reading the original work by Tom Perrotta. Like American Beauty, it's riddled with infidelity and overall malaise surrounding married life. The main female character, Sarah (Kate Winslet) is enormously bored with her quiet life and her role as wife and mother. Handsome stay-at-home dad Brad - also dissatisfied - manages to temporarily fill the void in her but at the end of the day nobody can truly do that. General feeling after watching this movie: bleak.

The Ice Storm - Speaking of bleak, The Ice Storm serves up cold desolation and hopelessness in spades. A wintry storm symbolically covers everything in New Canaan, CT, in a stark, numbing chill as two families celebrate Thanksgiving. For marrieds Ben and Elena Hood (Kevin Kline and Joan Allen) this mostly means drinking way too much and despising each other. Don't let the promise of young, adorable versions of Christina Ricci, Katie Holmes, and Elijah Wood lure you in. It's too cold in this movie.

Kramer vs. Kramer - Anger, fighting, divorce, custody battles . . . you're just going to want to avoid this one for a while. As you probably know, the story is based on the real-life court battle in which a divorced couple fought over custody of their son. It is poignant and stars some phenomenal actors (Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep), but it's definitely not "oh baby, marriage is awesome" material.

Tell Me You Love Me - Well, at least these couples are getting therapy, but still, as excellent as this HBO show is, it can also be incredibly depressing. While one couple is busy not communicating, another is fighting over their inability to get pregnant, and a third is still haunted by a long-ago extramarital affair. Good times. And by "good times" I mean "avoid this like the plague before getting married - especially if you have a tendency to get cold feet."

For more wedding and wedding planning advice check out IDoSugar.

Source, Source and Source

Buzz News Roundup, 10/5

BuzzSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 15:59:04 PDT

HBO has renewed "Tell Me You Love Me" and picked up pilots about a medical research facility and a biker gang, Zap2it reports.
Warner Bros. has bought a Todd Phillips script titled Hangover all about "three pals who lose the groom at his Vegas bachelor party, 40 hours before the wedding," writes Variety.
Yahoo Music has news that the Sex Pistols may not be able to swear during their upcoming reunion tour.
"30 Rock" is getting more big-name guest stars, USA Today reports, including Al Gore, David Schwimmer, Steve Buscemi and Meredith Vieira.
The release date for The Kite Runner has been pushed to December as families fear possible backlash against the film's child actors, reports E! Online.
Variety reports that Warren Beatty will be awarded this year's Lifetime Achievement award from AFI.
Comedy Central has picked up a pop-culture debate series with Lewis Black as the moderator, and the Futon Critic has the details.
A show written and directed by Tim Robbins might be coming to Showtime, writes the Hollywood Reporter.

Photo courtesy of HBO

Tell Me How You Feel about "Tell Me You Love Me"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:23:33 PDT

HBO's "Tell Me You Love Me" premiered last Sunday, but the ratings didn't live up to the hype - much of which focused on the "is it or isn't it real?" debate about the sex in the show. I'm surprised so few people tuned in, because when I finally watched "Tell Me," I found that it had a lot more going on than graphic bedroom antics (though those were certainly present). The show is a gritty, bleak look at intimacy and love, and at times it's almost hard to watch. It does have its graphic elements, but it's also surprisingly sensitive and realistic, and I'm planning to stick with it through the rest of the season.

I have a few clips from upcoming episodes to share - one for each of the show's three couples. Check them out below, and then tell me how you're feeling about "Tell Me" so far. Just

In this clip from Sunday's upcoming episode, Hugo and Jamie talk about fidelity and trust:

In this clip from the third episode, Palek and Carolyn share their struggles with infertility:

In this clip from the fourth episode, David and Katie talk about how sex fits (or doesn't) with their everyday lives:

Photo and videos courtesy of HBO

First Look: HBO's "Tell Me You Love Me"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:30:00 PDT

"Tell Me You Love Me," HBO's new drama that deals with intimacy in modern relationships, raised quite a stink at the TCA press tour this summer as determined reporters set out to learn whether the on-screen sex was real. That certainly piqued my curiosity, and this Sunday night, we'll get to judge for ourselves when the show premieres at 9 p.m.

The show has more going for it than raunchy bedroom scenes. It revolves around the lives of three couples whose relationships are in various stages of disrepair, all of whom are seeing the same couples therapist (whose own relationship and sex life play a key part in the show). My first thought was to roll my eyes and declare it "Significant Others" without the comedy. But Geek checked it out OnDemand and is already raving, and I am hopeful that the show can put a fresh spin on the modern relationship, with all its passions and disruptions and hangups.

Here's HBO's preview of the series. What do you think? Are you intrigued enough to tune in?

Source

Hysteria Director Tanya Wexler Talks Vibrators, Faking It, and Duck Sex

Tara Block — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:00:15 PDT

Don't be shy . . . It's time to talk sex toys! And Hysteria director Tanya Wexler is writing us a prescription for pleasure. Tanya's film - what she calls "the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to" - is in limited release and stars Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Rupert Everett. When working on a romantic comedy that centers around the invention of the vibrator, you end up with some entertaining and embarrassing situations along the way, and lucky for us, Tanya spilled all the hilariously dirty details. From teaming up with the film's partner Jimmyjane for a drive-by vibrator drop-off to a certain female Oscar-winner to trying unsuccessfully to get ducks to shag on command, Tanya was bursting with great stories from working on this very unconventional film. And while Tanya isn't ashamed to discuss the sexy subject matter of her latest film with us, the mother of four and her partner of 21 years did have a tricky challenge telling her preteen kids what her movie was about. (She eventually gave them the script and let them figure it out themselves!) Check out our interview with the fun-loving director now, and we dare you not to have a girl crush on her by the end!

TrèsSugar: What were some of the challenges to getting a movie made about vibrators?
Tanya Wexler: Getting the script right was tricky because if you just make a movie about the invention of the vibrator, it's actually a really short movie: you go "bzz" and it's done. And we had a kind of light romantic comedy. I say I made the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to. But some people wanted it to be raunchy or some people wanted it to be more serious and about feminism. People project a lot onto this movie of what they want, because there isn't a lot out there about vibrators and women's pleasure, and we still don't really deal with that topic very well, or we're overly antsy around it. And as a result, people have a lot of ideas of what the movie could and should be, and you can't please everyone. [laughs]

TS: Ha, good one.
TW: It's nonstop!

TS: Do you find sex toys inherently funny or something to be seriously celebrated?
TW: Yes!

TS: Both?
TW: Yes! Yes. I think they make me laugh, and I think that the inner kind of Beavis and Butt-head in all of us goes "[laugh]." You know, that inner 13-year-old, like, "Hahaha vibrator . . . " and yet they're awesome and fun.

TS: What shocked you the most when researching the movie?
TW: That ducks are the rapists of the bird world, and you'll see when you see the movie, because there's a little bit of questionable duck behavior - or awesome duck behavior - in the movie. It's totally a sidebar, but you cannot make ducks shag on command. I'm just saying.

TS: What about the whole history of hysteria being a medical condition?
TW: When I first heard the idea, I was like, "What do you mean it was invented in Victorian times?" I knew about hysteria, but the idea that the treatment was manual [British accent] massage deparaxism - which is what they called it - and, of course, the denial. The most shocking thing is the denial, that they didn't think it was sexual.

TS: Do you think they were really in denial?
TW: No, I don't think that some people were. My college roommate was with her high school boyfriend for two years and she had never had an orgasm. I think there's all kinds of denial, especially with women's sexuality. So the fact that there are young women today who haven't had an orgasm, whether self-induced - which is insane - or with a partner, then why wouldn't we think back then that women wouldn't know what orgasms were?

They would get a massage, and the doctor's saying, "Without a penis, this isn't sex, because sex is about procreation," so what is this? The best physical therapy you've ever had. So once you don't think of it as something other than what the doctor's supposed to do to cure your uncontrollable crying or uncontrollable laughter or whatever, then it's just an awesome muscle spasm. If you don't think women have their own inherent sexuality, then you're not thinking about it like that.

Keep reading for Tanya's thoughts on Fifty Shades and more!

Shawn Johnson Talks Weight Loss and Learning to Love Her Body

espnW — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:05:26 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson is blogging for espnW throughout her training for the Olympics in London this summer. Follow hers other Olympic hopefuls' journeys on espnW.com.

Four years ago, I was standing on an Olympic podium, wearing a gold medal, and still thinking to myself how I could have been better. It had nothing to do with my performance - it was all how I looked. Back then, I always felt like I could have been a few pounds lighter. But the irony is, when I look back at the pictures, I look unhealthy and too thin. It's easy to get into a trap as an elite athlete, because you're made to feel that you're never perfect, that you can always be better. That's how you improve in your sport, but it's also tough because you aren't satisfied with yourself ever - it's second nature not to be. I'd always think, "Just get a little stronger, a little lighter," until it was completely ingrained in my mind.

Shawn Johnson takes us inside training camp

It's easy for people to blame gymnastics for this mentality, but I feel like the sport has improved a lot. The horror stories we heard from generations ago (think Joan Ryan's infamous book Little Girls in Pretty Boxes), you don't hear at all anymore. But I do believe it can improve further and that good nutrition could be a key to all of this, if it were only taught at a young age. Many gymnasts go into the elite level at 13 or so, and a 13-year-old isn't going to go to the library to read some book on nutrition! She needs to be given the right information on how to eat well. Otherwise, it's not until she's out of the sport that she realizes the damage she's done to her body by not eating enough over the past 20 years.

Shawn Johnson in the driver's seat

I see all the success we have as a country where the gymnasts aren't 100 percent healthy, and I imagine how amazing we could be if we were doing it in the healthiest way possible. I don't think it's a failure on anybody's part; the education just isn't there right now, and it's just not thought about in our sport. My parents have told me since I was little, "You're given your body for a reason. It's OK to be different. Being unique is a good thing." But I always struggled to believe it. I'm stocky, muscular and short, and I wanted to be thin and flexible so bad! My mom would say, "You're not made that way, and you're not going to become that, so you have to learn to accept and love the body you're in." Well, some people are born with that appreciation, and some people have to work really hard to get there. Put me in that second camp.

Read on for more on what Shawn Johnson has to say about body confidence and how she feels in her gymnastics leotard.

Glee-ful Highlights From Season Finale "Goodbye"

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:00:40 PDT

We say goodbye to McKinley High's graduating class of 2012 on this week's season finale of Glee, and while we'll be seeing a lot of these characters next year, for some, it was their swan song (pardon the pun). Everyone is feeling nostalgic, not the least of whom is Mr. Schue, who gives the kids an assignment of picking a goodbye song. The episode is mostly devoted to the characters giving each other touching send-offs, which made me feel sentimental too.

There's a pretty big development at the end of the episode that I was expecting, but it surprised me by how bittersweet it actually is. Ready to break down the highlights of the Glee season finale? Just keep reading.

Jane Krakowski Says Jenna Would Play Anastasia in Fifty Shades of Grey

Annie Scudder — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:10:25 PDT

30 Rock's season finale aired last week, and it's official that the next season will be its last. We caught up with Jane Krakowski, who plays Jenna Maroney, the narcissistic actress engaged to her male impersonator. In addition to her work on 30 Rock, Jane's using her comedic talent for Best Night Ever, an upcoming vignette series for NBC. She'll star alongside Andy Cohen and Giuliana Rancic. We had a chance to talk to Jane, and she reflected on what she's learned from 30 Rock and even took a guess at what Jenna would make of the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon. Read on.

TrèsSugar: The S&M erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey is a bestseller and being made into a movie. Do you think Jenna would find it tame?
Jane Krakowski: I'm sure Jenna is buying the rights already to play the role. Everybody's reading that book. I haven't read it yet, but I see it in everyone's hands.

TS: Have you learned anything from your 30 Rock character over the years?
JK: I think my big lesson is to probably not do anything that Jenna does. So whatever she does, do the opposite. You might be better off. But that's the fun part about playing someone like her. You can be as outrageous as possible and get away with it within our structure that is TGS and 30 Rock, so there are so many things that the character has done over the seasons where I'm like, "Really? Are you sure we're going to be able to do this and get away with this?" And in that world and the blanket that is Tina Fey's genius it always seems to be alright. I will trust her wherever she sends me.

TS: Who is your favorite couple on the show?
JK: Well of course I'm thrilled Jenna has taken one step toward being humane by getting engaged. Although, Paul being a wonderful man it's (still) the most narcissistic wedding that could possibly happen, because she's marrying a male impersonator of her. I've always enjoyed Liz Lemon's relationships. I loved when Michael Sheen was on the show. I really adored him. I think her current relationship with the character of Criss is really a great one.

TS: In your latest role in NBC's TV vignettes series titled Best Night Ever, you play a tarot card reader. What would you hope the cards hold for Jenna?
JK: Wow. I sort of wish the tarot card reader would tell me that 30 Rock is not ending after 13 episodes next season. We found out that it's official that we're only going to be doing 13 more. It's been the greatest experience.

You can watch our interview with Jane below and also find out why she's excited about her new role in Best Night Ever.

The Bachelorette Is Short on Entertaining Drama

Annie Scudder — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:40:30 PDT

I never thought I'd say this, but I kind of miss Jake and Vienna. The Bachelor vets brought lots of crazy to the franchise and gave viewers a reason to tune in. The only contestant from this season of The Bachelorette who could possibly make the cut for Bachelor Pad, the offshoot that is more blatant about capitalizing on unstable cast members, would be Kalon. He's this season's villain, who made his grand entrance in a helicopter. The other guys take offense to Kalon's supposedly sophisticated vocabulary and choice of luggage. Could it get more tame than that?

Between baking cookies and Muppets, Kalon, aka Chopper, did sour the saccharine season momentarily last night in episode two, picking a fight with single dad Doug while lounging in the pool with his stunna-shades on. Kalon accused Doug of taking time off from being a dad to compete on the show and said, "I always imagined that my first child would be my actual child." Uh oh. I see tears in the future when Emily gets wind of that. Watch the clip of the pool fight now, and tell me if you think viewers would rather be entertained by the reality TV dating show than see the contestants "find love."