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2009 Sundance Spotlight: The Greatest, Good Hair, and Mystery Team

BuzzSugar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:25:44 -0800

While I won't be heading down to the 2009 Sundance Film Festival this year, I will be sorting through the humongous pile of festival entries to share with you some of the films I think look most promising. From quirky documentaries to talented young filmmaker debuts to a potential runaway hit, Sundance is filled with entertainment possibilities. Here are today's selections:

Good Hair
It's impossible not to feel a little emotional listening to Chris Rock describe how the idea for this documentary came about. In the video clip below, he says that despite how much he tells his daughter how beautiful she is every day, she still cried to him once, "Daddy, how come I don't have good hair?" Troubled by this, Rock "committed himself to search the ends of the earth and the depths of black culture to find out who had put that question into his little girl's head!" He himself claims this might be the best movie he's ever made. Intriguing? I'd say so.

To check out the comedian talking about his project, plus the lowdown on two other Sundance movies, read more.

The Greatest
Starring Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon (that's them, making out in the ocean!), The Greatest marks the debut of a young filmmaker and screenwriter, Shana Feste, and follows a family coping with the sudden death of their teenage son. Newcomer Carey Mulligan plays the girlfriend of the son who shows up to further complicate the grieving process for the parents. There's some buzz about both Brosnan's and Sarandon's performances as well as talk that this could be a "career-launching" role for Mulligan. Check her out in a scene with Susan Sarandon:

Mystery Team
Bookmark this trailer as "not suitable for work" due to language but make sure to check it out because it's pretty hilarious. Mystery Team stars a bunch of sketch comedy guys (who also wrote, directed, and produced the film) and follows a group of kid detectives that no one takes seriously. Some of the dialogue reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite but the rest of the movie seems like something all its own. Here's the preview:

Photos and The Greatest clip courtesy of Sundance

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.

Source

What to TiVo: Wednesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:50:05 -0800

ABC is new with the 43rd Annual CMA Awards
CBS is new with the New Adventures of Old Christine, Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, and CSI: NY
FOX is new with So You Think You Can Dance and Glee
NBC is new with Mercy and Law & Order: SVU
The CW is new with America's Next Top Model and has a repeat of Vampire Diaries
E! is new with 15 Remarkable Celebrity Body Bouncebacks
Bravo is new with Top Chef: Las Vegas
FX is new with Nip/Tuck
Comedy Central is new with Secret Girlfriend, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, and The Colbert Report
MTV is new with Return to Duty and Real World/Road Rules Challenge
VH1 has 40 Greatest Reality Moments 2
Late-night highlights include Queen Latifah on Lopez Tonight on TBS; Kate Walsh, Andre Agassi, and Norah Jones on The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS; Sandra Bullock on The Jay Leno Show on NBC; Heather Locklear on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on NBC; Dominic Monaghan on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC; Joan Cusack and Carly Simon on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on NBC; and Jared Leto on Last Call With Carson Daly on NBC

What to TiVo: Monday

BuzzSugar — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:50:18 -0800

Programming may be changed due to Game 5 of the World Series; check your local listings

ABC is new with Dancing With the Stars and Castle
CBS is new with How I Met Your Mother, Accidentally on Purpose, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and CSI: Miami
FOX is new with House and Lie to Me
NBC is new with Heroes and Trauma
The CW is new with One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl
ABC Family is new with Lincoln Heights and Greek
MTV has repeats of South Park and is new with For the Love of Ray J 2 and World's Strictest Parents
Bravo is new with Million Dollar Listing
Comedy Central is new with The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report
E! is new with The Soup Presents: TV's Greatest Smackdowns
TLC is new with Kate: Her Story
VH1 is new with For the Love of Ray J 2 and I Want to Work for Diddy 2
Late-night highlights include Ewan McGregor and Tegan and Sara on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on NBC; Jack Black and Cobra Starship on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC; and Julia Lous-Dreyfus and Carrie Underwood on The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS

The Office, "Koi Pond": Best Lines of the Night and Video!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:30:00 -0700

This week's opening of The Office isn't necessarily a huge spooky surprise since we already got a peek at those costumed spoiler photos, but I still laughed through every minute of the intro. Jim's "Bookface" costume? A-ma-zing.

I sort of wished the rest of the episode followed suit with a Halloween theme, but that's OK, because we still get a great set up with Michael, Jim, and a lobby koi pond - not to mention a ton of quips that had me cackling. Check out my list of faves, and weigh in with your own!

"Kids, just remember suicide is never the answer . . . Why is Christmas the only holiday that can have a message?"-Michael
It's bad enough that Michael Scott has the D*ck in a Box costume, but to wear it - and hang himself - in front of children?! That's even more hilariously inappropriate than usual for him. And am I totally off base, or is Ryan trying to be Edward Cullen?

Even more funny lines, plus that koi pond video, when you read more.

"I date models - face models. My girlfriend, on a scale of 1 to Gisele? A nine. Pam's carrying our surrogate, because my girlfriend needed to keep her figure for Fashion Week."
Andy and Pam are forced to make cold calls when their sales figures are low, and clients mistakenly think they're married. This is when things get really awkward, leading up to a belly kiss. We normally don't get much interaction between Andy and Pam, but I think they do well as foils.

"The custodian called again. Apparently a koi has died."-Erin
I don't know why a koi pond is so funny to me, but I was giggling at the random jokes about Michael's mishap - yes, even Phyllis's lame, "Did you flounder?" 'Bout time the employees took a few shots at their bumbling boss. Then, when he gathers them into a meeting to make his "mocking" board, the insecurity really flies. Dwight's upset over his small nose, Angela's worried that she eats like a squirrel, and Meredith says she's embarrassed because she . . . had sex with a terrorist? (Um, did I read that right?!)

"The guy was like, Who are your five friends? And I was like, I don't even know . . . . I'm a total loser. Loooooser. Too far."-Michael
I died over this one. Michael tries to save his embarrassment over the koi incident by making fun of himself, and instead, he comes across as pathetic. But "too far" was the real kicker for me.

"Jim is my enemy. But Jim is also his greatest enemy. And the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So Jim is my friend."- Dwight
When the staff watches the security tape from the koi lobby and witnesses Jim actually letting Michael fall in, their loyalty swiftly changes. Dwight so confused, his mind gets blown. I am enjoying this new glimpse into the Michael and Jim work dynamic - by the end of the episode, it seemed like they might actually get along as comanagers. On the other hand, I have to say that I miss the days when Jim was the dude with a sweet crush who liked to pull pranks. Check out the actual video of Jim leaning out of the way:

"Oh, do you mean Marlon Wayans? Cause he is."- Erin
Way to go Erin! I've always sort of viewed her as a background character, but she delivered several funny ones this week. (I'm also loving her right now thanks to her Subtle Sexuality music video.) Do you think the writers are really going to set her up with Andy? Pam seems to be pushing it in that direction - even comparing Andy to Marlon Brando - and I think it's brilliant.

What'd you think of this week's episode? Who wore your favorite costume? Would you like to see Andy and Erin take their relationship to the next level? (I wonder if Angela would get jealous . . . )

And don't forget that you can always head over to The Office! group in the BuzzSugar Community to dish about the show!

Photo courtesy of NBC

Desperate Housewives Rundown, "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:30:30 -0700

This week's episode of Desperate Housewives is all about judgment (though it's also a little bit about monkey attacks, but more on that later). The Bolen family continues with their shady behavior, while Julie is having some trouble adjusting to life on Wisteria Lane after her attack. Meanwhile, Gaby is accused of being a bad mom and Bree has a showdown with a motel housekeeper.

Ready to talk about it? Just read more.

Gaby: Gaby gets the comic relief once again this week as she tries to prove her mothering skills to the other snippy ladies at school. In order to regain their trust, she lures their children to Juanita's birthday party by pulling out all the stops. Of course things go awry when the trained monkey starts attacking the clown while Gaby is busy having drinks with Susan. In the end Carlos comforts her, but I have to admit - Gaby isn't exactly the greatest mom in the world. That said, Carlos isn't exactly a model parent either - where was he during his daughter's birthday party?

Susan: Susan and Katherine's rivalry reaches new heights this week, when the ladies have a mini-showdown at their neighborhood watch meeting. Susan is paranoid about Katherine coming on to Mike, and it culminates when Susan accidentally shoots Katherine through a window. Susan wouldn't be Susan without her usual clumsy antics, but couldn't she just ignore Katherine? Katherine seems so desperate, but Susan is kinda sinking to her level. Not to mention that calling Katherine a "loon" isn't exactly the best method of telling your friend that she probably needs to see a professional.

Angie: Most of Angie's problems take place without her even knowing it this week, as Danny gives the family gun to Julie for protection. Danny also confronts Dominic about his affair with Julie, and Dominic responds in a typically creepy manner, telling Danny to go ahead and spill to Angie. Angie keeps her distance for most of the episode, but then she plays a big factor in keeping Katherine crazy, to keep Katherine from turning in the Bolen family gun. I know Angie is a tough cookie, but somehow I feel like she may be the moral member of her family.

Lynette: Lynette's "twins" situation (both of 'em) is put on hold this week as she tries to help out her friend Mrs. McCluskey. First of all, McCluskey talking about her sex life - eeew. Lynette agrees to hire McCluskey's boyfriend Roy as the Scavo family handyman, but Roy won't stop going over Lynette's head and turning to Tom for ultimate decision-making. When Roy basically tells Lynette that she's emasculating her husband, Lynette loses it and fires him. But how sweet is Tom explaining to Roy that he lets Lynette have control so that she can feel safe? By far my favorite moment of the episode.

Bree: I thought Bree's storyline was kinda lame this week. The maid at the motel starts judging Bree's cheating ways, so of course Bree does all she can to defend herself. In the end, the housekeeper is just trying to warn Bree that she was once in her shoes, and that everything went awry. (Lesson to all: cheat on your husband and you'll end up a maid?) The maid does get one awesome one-liner: "Cheating's not a sin when you do it in pearls?"

What'd you think of this week's episode? Are Katherine and her crazy antics starting to bug you? Are you more creeped out by Dominick than ever? Let's dish in the comments!

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:30:52 -0700

Check out the Dear John poster with Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried - Cinematical
The New Moon soundtrack is moving up its release to Oct. 16, four days early - PopSugar Rush
Supermarket tabloid Weekly World News might get a TV show - Movieline
Carrie Underwood is getting her own variety show on Fox - TV Squad
Watch the sneak peek of Neil Patrick Harris voicing the evil Music Meister on The Cartoon Network's Batman - The Ausiello Files
Cancelled show Southland might be moving to TNT - Vulture
Reno 911 and The State's Thomas Lennon has been tapped for his own NBC comedy - Coming Soon
Janet Jackson's greatest hits collection will contain a new single - Zap 2 It
Fox reassures fans that it'll show all 13 of this season's episodes of Dollhouse - The AV Club
The top five movie gunfights, with video clips - Rotten Tomatoes

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:50:10 -0700

Bradley Whitford is heading back to TV in Jack and Dan - TV Squad
A few early predictions for the 2010 Oscars - Vulture
The release date of Nine has been moved from Thanksgiving to Christmas - Cinematical
Ellen Pompeo may not miss any episodes of Grey's Anatomy for maternity leave after all - Watch With Kristin
A countdown of Vince Vaughn's funniest moments (including video clips!) - Moviefone
Daniel Radcliffe will return to Broadway in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying - MTV Movies Blog
Amazon has New Moon soundtrack snippets! - Pitchfork
Desperate Housewives' creator Marc Cherry is working on a new show for ABC - Hollywood Reporter
ABC picks up The Middle, Cougar Town, and Modern Family for full seasons - HitFix
Fine Living Network is changing over to the Cooking Channel - Yum Sugar
The Top 15: Greatest Opening Title Sequences - TV.com

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:30:32 -0700

Tuesdays are big in entertainmentville: not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores. So I take a spin through each week's music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download.

Queen of the dance floor: I pretty much murdered my cassette of Madonna's greatest hits, The Immaculate Collection, which came out in 1990. Now, with Celebration, her third hits compilation, Madonna brings the party again. The title track is an upbeat dancer, but what you really want are her older songs that are mixed in with more recent hits, including "Hung Up," "Music," "Vogue," "Into the Groove," "Don’t Tell Me," and "Like a Virgin."

Divas are doing it for themselves: Even if your tastes aren't Mariah-level mainstream, you probably won't be able to escape most of the singles off of Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel for the next few months. Mariah wrote and executive produced the entire album, which includes her stalker jam "Obsessed" which has already been getting lots of airplay. If you tend to like her pipes more on ballads, look out for "H.A.T.E.U." and "I Want to Know What Love Is."

See one more release when you read more.

Alt rock out: Paramore sprung on the scene last year with prime placement on the Twilight soundtrack. Since then, they've been nominated for a VMA, and today they release their third album, Brand New Eyes. The first single, "Ignorance," is a hard rocker, while the slower, bittersweet "All I Wanted" will please devoted fans and new listeners. I also predict "Brick by Boring Brick" will go places.

Movie Preview: A Nightmare on Elm Street

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:30:42 -0700

Enough of you are into slasher flicks that I think you'll appreciate this trailer for the latest installment of A Nightmare on Elm Street. What's different about this one, set to release in 2010? Freddy Krueger is played by the genuinely creepy and genuinely good actor Jackie Earle Haley.

Billed as a re-imagining of the horror classic and produced by Michael Bay, the movie's trailer opens with a sad, evocative image of a younger Freddy being chased into an accident, precipitating his fate as a cold-blooded killer. The fact that the trailer can make you feel empathy for one of pop culture's greatest villains is a feat unto itself and makes me think this movie will be about more than just gory, creative ways to kill someone.

To see the trailer, which also stars Kellan Lutz, Connie Britton, and Melrose Place's Katie Cassidy, just read more.