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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:30:13 -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 you can now also find the first season of the 90210 reboot and the indie film starring Zooey Deschanel, Gigantic, on DVD.

I Love You, Man
Paul Rudd proves he can be more than just a funny sidekick in his leading role in I Love You, Man. Paul plays Peter, a sensitive guy who genuinely enjoys spending all of his time with his girlfriend. Upon realizing that his wedding party is lacking a best man, Peter sets off on a search for true guy love. He soon finds both fun and trouble in his new friendship with Sydney (Jason Segel).

I really loved exploring the sweeter side of the bromance genre with this movie and I can't wait to see it again. Extra DVD features include a gag reel, Jason Segel discussing whether or not to shave before a man-date, and a mash-up of the movie's bear-hug scenes. Aww.

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Two more new DVD selections this week, so read more.

The Class
An Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film, The Class gives us a year in the life of François Marin, a teacher at an inner city high school in Paris. The teachers struggle to find a balance between inspiring their students and showing them how to help themselves. As commonly seen in the teacher-student genre, Marin's trials and tribulations with his teenagers are littered with just as much failure as victory. It may sound like something you've already seen before, but I found that the raw emotion in the storytelling really makes this French film worthwhile.

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17 Again
Feeling nostalgic for your high school years? Me neither, but it's always fun to watch cute teenagers bumble through adolescence - in this case, for the second time around. In 17 Again, Matthew Perry plays Mike O'Donnell, a 37-year-old longing for the good old high school years when his adulthood doesn't turn out the way he expected (spoiler alert: his wish comes true). Enter Zac Efron as the hot, teenage version of Mike who tries to get through to his (actual teenage) kids and put his family back together. Things are a little weird when Mike's daughter gets, um, uncomfortably close to the young version of her dear old dad, but it's fun to see Zac in a high school scenario that doesn't involve jazz hands.

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The Class: This Is Not Your Mama's Classroom Drama

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:30:35 -0800

The Class was the winner of the Palme d'Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival and is now an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film. And yet, in learning about it at first I wondered how it would differ from the usual inspirational teacher film. It may be French but could it offer anything we haven't seen before from this type of movie? Well, never judge a teacher movie by its cover because this gritty, hyper-realistic story about a year in the life of a young teacher packs an emotional punch that completely took me by surprise.

There's a lot of chatter surrounding this year's Oscar nominees in terms of their star power, technical achievements and general glossiness. Indeed, many of the films touted as the year's best have a museum-like quality to them, as though the audience has been invited to look upon a beautifully rendered world through a cinematic plexiglass. It's lovely, to be sure, but has left me cold at times. That's why The Class stands out as something altogether different. To see what I think sets this movie apart from the pack, read more.

Above all else, The Class is concerned with getting its audience invested in the muck of day-to-day human emotion. The film stars Francois Begaudeau (whose book about his experiences as a teacher is the basis for this movie) and is set in an urban, multi-ethnic neighborhood of Paris. Director Laurent Cantet cast mostly nonprofessional actors in the roles of the students and filmed for over a year via a workshopping process. The result of this intense, improvisational focus on the craft is a fictional film that reads like a documentary.

I've never felt so viscerally the frustrations that come along with being a teacher - working day in and day out with other peoples' children from a variety of backgrounds is a more daunting task than I think most people acknowledge. As the movie progresses through the year, Francois is not only faced with keeping his young students focused on their education in the classroom, but he must also attempt to draw boundaries and demand their respect. For some of this he turns to his colleagues, and I found it fascinating to watch Francois and the other teachers debate things like the effectiveness of disciplinary actions.

And while the film is completely grounded in the real world, it has a surprising transcendent quality to it. What makes this movie soar beyond the overly-sentimental conventions of its genre is how effectively it conveys the frustration of some days when it's hard to even give a damn. There's a powerful scene in which a teacher has a total meltdown in the lounge cursing the children in front of all his colleagues. The other teachers observe him with knowing eyes and they don't judge him. Despite not being a teacher, I felt like I got it too: Sometimes this unforgiving world we live in makes it really hard to care too much. So it's that much more awe-inspiring when we find a teacher who does.

Photo courtesy of Sony Picture Classics

Movie Preview: The Class

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:30:00 -0800

Those of you who have seen Slumdog Millionaire recently may have caught a preview for the French film that received the Palm D'or at last year's Cannes Film Festival: The Class.

The movie is based on an autobiographical novel by François Bégaudeau (who actually stars as the character based on himself, François Marin) and follows his experience as a literature teacher in an inner city middle school in Paris. Story aside, the movie looks gorgeous and is getting rave reviews from film critics across the board. I especially like this review, which describes the movie as "an unsentimental slice-of-life story, shot on digital film with a cast of unglamorous unknowns."

I can't wait to see this when it opens Feb. 6. To watch the trailer, just read more.

Photo courtesy of Sony Picture Classics

The 2008 Cannes Palm D'Or Award Goes to...

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 10:41:08 -0700

The 2008 Cannes Film Festival wrapped up on Sunday and with it came the prestigious awards ceremony. The top honor, the Palm D'Or, was given to Laurent Cantent's The Class. The film hails from France, a country who hasn't received the Palm D'Or for more than 20 years. The Class is a documentary-style drama that Variety calls "a fully sustained immersion in the academics, attitudes and frequent altercations of a group of junior high school students." The French trailer seems rather subdued, but I have a feeling that it's probably as powerful as Larry Clark's Kids.

Taking second place, the Grand Prix, was Matteo Garrone's Gomorra. IMDB describes the Italian film, as "a contempo Neapolitan mob drama based on an expose of Italy's criminal underbelly." Even though I couldn't understand a word of the trailer, it gave me the chills. It looks similar in tone to 2002's Best Foreign Picture nominee, City of God.

Special awards were also given out to Catherine Deneuve for her performance in A Christmas Tale and Clint Eastwood for his direction of Changeling.

To see the foreign-language trailers for The Class and Gomorra, read more.

The Class

Gomorra

Source

Behind the Scenes with "The Class"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 09:13:56 -0800

This week, the CBS sitcom "The Class" is letting fans behind the scenes in a very cool way. They're filming their table read and run-through - usually reserved only for the cast and crew - and putting them online for all to see.

The table read, which is when the cast and writers go through the script for the first time, was filmed on Monday, and the run-through will be Webcast live today starting at 4 p.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. Pacific. You can get to both videos through the show's official site.

As far as I know, this is the first time a TV show has tried this, and there are a few bugs - a big one being that the video software CBS is using doesn't work on Macs. But I love the idea and would like to see some other shows try it, so read more

How fun would it be to see how an episode of, say, "The Office" changes from the time the script is written to the moment the show makes it on the air? A lot of shows are too protective of their secrets to ever try this - "Grey's Anatomy" comes to mind - but I'd love to see another show be bold enough to let its audience behind the curtain a little early.

Photo courtesy of CBS.

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0800

Vampires, vampires, everywhere! The stars of New Moon got candid for EW, and there's even a romantic comedy about female bloodsuckers in the works.
Need help keeping all your vampires straight? Check out my slideshow where I break down the classic myths in Twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries.
New Moon's not the only movie to get excited about - check out these new trailers for Kick-Ass and Date Night.
James Franco's appearance on General Hospital is just a few days away - check out this sneak peek of his guest spot.
We said goodbye to another amazing season of Mad Men. What'd you think of the finale?
Out with the old in with the new: meet the next class of med students on Scrubs.
The holiday season is inching steadily closer. Check out my gift guides for kids, teenage boys and teen girls if you need some help with your shopping list.
Have you checked out the Buzz Community yet? Your content could be featured on BuzzSugar so get the creative juices flowin'!
The votes are in! Check out who snagged nominations for the 2010 People's Choice Awards.
Heading to the theaters to see 2012 this weekend? First, test your John Cusack movie knowledge!

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:30:00 -0800

Looking for some fresh picks to add to your Netflix queue? I've got you covered. Just take a peek at these three new releases coming out on DVD today.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra

Many of you said that you weren't psyched to see the slick action update on the classic toy in theaters, but perhaps you'll feel differently now that it is available to watch at home. G.I. Joe has that loud, flashy, blockbuster appeal which can make for a perfect weekend rental - even if it's pretty much mindless entertainment. (Plus, I know how much you love Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Channing Tatum!) Bonus: If you're a CGI geek, the special two-disc version includes a behind-the-scenes look at the special effects.

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Two more new releases when you read more.

I Love You Beth Cooper
Hayden Panettiere stars as the title character - the hottest girl in school and long-time crush of the film's nerdy hero, Denis. When Denis wins class valedictorian, he uses his graduation speech to profess his love to Beth. Lucky for him, the act of courage works in his favor, and Beth shows up at his house. You can pretty much guess what happens from there - her boyfriend is not pleased, threatens to beat Denis up, etc. - but the DVD features an alternate ending to spice things up. Critics panned its release, but if you're a devotee of the teen sex comedy genre, then this is one to put on your viewing checklist.

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Food Inc.

Ever wondered where the meal on your plate really comes from? Food Inc. is a documentary that breaks down America's food industry step by step - from the farms where it's produced, to the big brother-like companies that monopolize it, to the supermarket. It's an interesting - albeit frightening - insider's peek that is packed with expert info. (Even my health guru, FitSugar, gave it her stamp of approval.) Consider this your brain food for the week - but if I were you, I'd refrain from eating while you're watching it.

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SYTYCD's Brandon and Ariana Talk About Being Cut First

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:30:15 -0700

This week's ousted dancers from So You Think You Can Dance were the first to go since the top 20 were selected. Brandon Dumlao and Ariana Dubose got on the phone with a few reporters this morning, including me, to chat about how they feel after last night's elimination.

Brandon

On the timeline of replacing Billy Bell: I got the call on Friday at 11 in the morning and they told me that I was able to replace another dancer, and it was Billy, in this case. I got on a plane two hours later, it was an hour flight, I landed, got picked up, I went to the studio, found out Pauline was my partner in front of everyone, and then we went straight to rehearsal for Smooth Waltz with Jason Gilkisen. It was such a whirlwind; it was really crazy, but it was such an amazing experience.
On Russell being in the bottom with him: I was so surprised because Russell is of course a fan favorite, and I’m sure the judges love him too. When he was announced, I kind of knew in a way that I might have been going home, because he is amazing and this cast is amazing. Billy - his were such big shoes to fill that I felt it was unfair to take another guy’s spot. I was happy the way it turned out, because I didn’t think it was unfair for me to come in and take another guy’s spot.

To hear what else Brandon had to say and Ariana's thoughts on her dismissal, just read more.

On Nigel's offer of coming back for season seven: I did not expect him to say that. I really thought that that was my only chance to be in the top 20, and I wanted to make the most of it, so for him to propose that to me and let me come back for season 7, if that’s possible, that’s really crazy. Right after I got cut, I went and got into some ballroom classes and took some more hip hop. I’m ready and I’m going to keep taking classes if I can come back next season.
On whether he thinks he may have done better if he'd originally been in the top 20: I think I might have had a better chance just because the judges would have known I’d set the same standard as everyone else, because when I did the waltz they kept saying "you didn’t have enough time," "you didn’t have enough time," because they knew I’d replaced Billy. So I feel like I would have done a better job, and they would have seen I’d done a better job, and would have taken that into consideration with the results. But I’m really happy the way I did and I'm really happy the way everything turned out, because this cast is so amazing; I can’t pick who’s going to win - everyone is going to do so well.

Ariana

On her next plans and whether she'll pursue a career in L.A.: Actually, I’m more focused on New York. I want to dance on Broadway. I also sing and act, and I was singing and acting and dancing before I even auditioned for the show, so the show was just really another path for me. So I’m going to head to New York for a little bit and audition for shows and commercials and movies and just see what happens.
On rumors she could replace Noelle, who was injured this week: I have not heard from Noelle; I hope that she’s doing well. Noelle and I come from the same studio, so honestly I would probably feel a little funny about taking her place. I mean, who doesn’t want a second chance, but honestly I wouldn’t want to be eliminated again.
On her predictions for the season six winner: Honestly, it’s a crap shoot - forgive my language there. Everyone’s fantastic and I don’t think you can count anybody out; it’s going be a week-by-week thing.

Photos courtesy of Fox

FlashForward Breakdown, "Gimme Some Truth"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:30:56 -0700

This week's episode of FlashForward was a bit blah for me. The plot made a teeny bit of headway, but now that we're four episodes deep, I was hoping things would pick up a bit this week. Instead, the FBI agents head to DC to score funding for the Mosaic investigation - using any methods necessary.

There's still plenty to discuss, so to get going just read more.

Flash backward: We do get a bit more insight into Stan Wedeck's life before LA. Apparently he lived in DC and was the right hand man to the guy who eventually becomes the president. When they meet again (in the Oval Office, no less), the president offers Stan a job as the Director of Homeland Security. Instead, Stan blackmails the president into providing the necessary funding for the Mosaic investigation.

Who's your daddy? A few weeks ago, that creepy Nazi Guyer implies that Janis is a lesbian, and it turns out to be true. Janis makes a connection with Maya, a chef she meets in karate class. Unfortunately their courtship is cut short when Maya "mosaics" Janis (it's even better than google stalking) and wants to know if the pregnancy means Janis swings both ways. Janis gets flustered and calls the whole thing off, but right now she's got bigger problems - at the end of the episode she gets shot just as Mark and Demetri do on the other side of the country. Now that my theory about Demetri being the baby daddy is out the window, what are your theories? It seems too easy to hope that she and Maya get back together and work something out, but I'm also afraid to consider a darker alternative, like rape.

Drowning in lies: Mark's alcoholism plays a big role in this week's episode. First, Olivia overhears Aaron advising that Mark attend a meeting, and later she reveals that Mark has a tendency to fall off the wagon when he's away from home. When Mark is put in the hot seat about his flashforward, he dances around the reason why his vision is a little fuzzy, and Senator Clemente uses his fumble as a reason why the Mosaic investigation doesn't deserve funding. Eventually Mark confesses to Stan that he's drunk in his flashforward, and someone tells Olivia like two minutes later. I'm glad Olivia finally knows and that it's out in the open a bit more, but who sold Mark down the river so quickly? And why? Was it someone who overheard the conversation or is one of Mark's fellow agents a rat?

Other major plot points:

The agents get another clue about the dead crows in Somalia when they discover a group of asphalt structures that were built just months before the 1990 blackout.

Now that the FBI agents are officially being targeted, how long can Demetri (and everyone else) avoid death?

What'd you think of this week's episode? Are you starting to waver in your love? Luckily, it seems like next week's episode may pick up, but for now, sound off in the comments!

90210 vs. Melrose Place: Which Was More Scandalous?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:30:29 -0700

We're now in our third week of episodes from The CW's Tuesday night guilty-pleasure block, and while both 90210 and Melrose Place are in full swing, the latest batch of drama wasn't my favorite. Both shows seem to be setting up for some action-packed episodes later on in the season, but for now, let's discuss which was more juicy this week.

Ready to figure out which episode get this week's crown of shameless scandal? Weigh in on the debate when you read more.

90210 point: The episode kicks off with Adrianna dreaming of Navid, but it quickly turns into an ab-tastic vision of Teddy shirtless. Obviously she can't get the six pack out of her head and later locks lips with Teddy - and, of course, Silver catches a glimpse.
Melrose Place counterpoint: The gang gets a new landlord, and it's none other than Sydney's sister Jane. Violet greets her with one of her creepy dead-eyed smiles, and Jane wastes no time blackmailing Ella.

90210 point: Dixon and his adult lady friend take it to the next level, hardcore! Massages, hotel rooms, showering together. . . that is, until Sasha discovers the trunk full o'porn in the trunk of the Lamborghini. Dixon continues to dig himself deeper into a mess of lies, I continue to wonder how the hell this woman hasn't figured out that he's only 17 yet.
MP counterpoint: When the cops come knocking at her door, Violet abandons ship and jumps out the window. She and Jane have a creep-off when Violet tells her that she's a long-lost niece, and Jane has her thrown in jail.

90210 point: Liam and Jen take us on an emotional roller coaster. First Liam turns the tables on Jen when he gets dirt on her gold-digging past! But then Jen pulls the sweet and innocent act on Naomi instead of telling her that she slept with Liam, as Liam had requested. I felt so defeated until the episode's final moments where we learn that Liam has Jen's nasty confessions on tape.
MP counterpoint: Lauren heads to a hotel to meet Toby, and another dude quickly recognizes her as being a prostitute. First she gets offended, then agrees to sleep with him - but he won't pay up. Lauren has her first taste of the hard life when the john throws her in the corner, until she finds herself a madam.

90210 point: When Annie's hit-and-run homeless guy leaves $100K to West Beverly in his will, his creepy nephew comes out of the woodwork. By the end of the episode he offers to "take Annie for a ride" and she accepts. I do not like where this is going.
MP counterpoint: Michael hires a guy to follow David; David figures it out and punches the guy in Auggie's restaurant. Auggie is not pleased.

90210 point: Navid and Adrianna finally get it on.
MP counterpoint: Ella and David finally get it on.

So who's the big winner of the week? I'm giving this one to 90210. Partly because Liam finally figured out how to take Jen down, and partly because I really enjoyed the inclusion of an actual high-school level crime - cutting class! What do you think? Does crazy Violet warrant more credit in the scandal department?

Photos courtesy of The CW