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The Reaping: Plagued By Mediocrity

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 11:00:43 -0700

Former ordained minister Katherine Winter (Hilary Swank) has turned her back on her faith after losing her husband and daughter while doing missionary work in Sudan. When The Reaping opens, she’s a skeptical scientist who debunks religious miracles.

Katherine’s skepticism is challenged when she’s summoned by Doug (David Morrissey) to Haven, Louisiana, where the locals insist they’re being visited by Biblical plagues. She and her colleague, Ben (Idris Elba), are told that shortly after a local boy died, the rivers turned to blood. The culprit, according to the townsfolk? The boy's sister and the one witness to his death: a creepy little girl named Loren McConnell (AnnaSophia Robb). After witnessing a scourge of boils and lice, frogs falling from the heavens, and the death of cattle, Katherine is drawn into a mystery that science can’t explain.

But while The Reaping has all the ingredients of a great horror film, it doesn't come close to approaching greatness. For the highlights and lowlights,

The Reaping benefits from interesting characters, an eerie setting, hints of Devil-worship, and great visual effects. And yet everything in this film seems like a poor imitation of devices seen before in superior flicks: The Exorcist, The Omen, Deliverance, and even the lukewarm but at least coherent Skeleton Key. If The Reaping were a roller coaster ride, it would be one that lurches from one cheap thrill to another, but you know where it’s going, and you can’t wait to get off.

There are some chilling and beautiful scenes in The Reaping, no question. The aerial view of the river of blood is a spectacular sight. Also heart-stopping is the moment we meet Loren, the hauntingly beautiful, backwoods child who suddenly appears at the river’s edge, setting in motion Katherine’s memories of her dead daughter. The film also captures the decaying beauty of the Deep South. Late at night, in Doug’s old mansion, Katherine discovers an old blues tune playing on a Victrola. Alongside weeping willows and a moonlit garden, the myth of the Gothic South seems to come alive.

But occasionally arresting moments cannot save a poorly edited movie that becomes so plodding that my friend was actually counting which plague we were on so she could figure out when the movie was going to end. Also, I never quite understood how Haven was significant enough for plagues of Biblical proportions, or why Doug sounded more Irish than he did Southern. (To be fair, the actor masters the Southern accent by the end.)

Ultimately, The Reaping is an incoherent mess, as murky as the swamps of Louisiana. Unless you’re a die-hard fan of horror flicks, I’d stay away or save your money and rent it. I for one, have not lost faith in the horror genre. It definitely gets better than this.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Link Time! 4/5

BuzzSugar — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:18:59 -0700

TV Squad compiles a quite comprehensive list of great TV drinkeries.
And Spinner presents the unsexiest album covers of all time.
Cinematical has the scoop on Coca-Cola's lawsuit against a film that features Jesus drinking a Coke.
Tracks from Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero are surfacing, and Idolator's got a good one.
Best Week Ever wonders: Was Michael Buble drunk on "Idol"?
Merry Swankster's 1990s album tourney has reached the Final Four.
Film Experience giggles at the wry though unintentional self-reference in The Reaping tagline, "What Hath God Wrought?"
The TV Addict prints up some Dunder Mifflin letterhead.
Rolling Stone Rock and Roll Daily sits down with ex-con-turned-rapper Akon.
Give Me My Remote has the details on how to win a trip to the set of "Heroes."
Meanwhile, if you've got the big bucks, Tube Talk tells you how to bid in a charity auction for TV appearances and set visits.

Movie Preview: The Reaping

BuzzSugar — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 07:15:11 -0700

When I first started watching the trailer for The Reaping, which comes out this Thursday, April 5, I was like, "Hey, this looks pretty cool!" But then, just as quickly, I was like, "Nah." The premise sounds really interesting: A small town in Louisiana appears to be suffering through the 10 Biblical plagues, attracting the attention of a Christian missionary-turned-scientific expert. Yet the woman - played by a girlish Hilary Swank - begins to regain her faith in religion when she can't explain away the town's mysterious happenings.

The execution of said premise, however, looks hokey, and what should be chilling is instead kind of "eh." You can check out the trailer and tell me what you think of The Reaping if you read more

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Sneak Peek at Scorsese's Boardwalk Empire For HBO!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:30:59 -0800

Rumor is that HBO's series Boardwalk Empire won't air until this Fall, but I'm already getting amped for its premiere. The show roster has talent in spades: Sopranos writer Terence Winter pens the script, Steve Buscemi plays a lead, and at its helm (at least for the pilot) is Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese.

Scorsese knows a thing or two about portraying hoodlums (Gangs of New York or The Departed come to mind), so he should be in his element here portraying 1920s Atlantic City during the prohibition and the gangsters who run it. While it's not known yet just how involved he'll be as the show goes on (besides serving as a producer, of course), I'm crossing my fingers that the show continues to reap the benefits of his influence. The cinematic feel of this trailer is just too darn good, and it should be - an inside source claims the pilot cost $50 million to make.

The teaser doesn't give away much, but I'm pleasantly surprised to see some familiar big-screen faces pop up, including Michael Pitt and Kelly Macdonald. Bonus - my choice for Golden Globes Best Actor, Michael Stuhlbarg, is in the cast, too. Seems to me like HBO has its next big hit. Watch the video and tell me if you agree when you read more.

Photo courtesy of HBO

Number Crunching: This Week's TV Ratings

BuzzSugar — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:30:50 -0700

It's a . . . winner! The Secret Life of the American Teenager pulled in 4.5 million viewers for its season finale on Monday, more than double what Gossip Girl nabbed in the same time slot.
Reaping the benefits. Speaking of things that beat Gossip Girl this week: With most of the networks showing President Obama's speech or repeats, Reaper managed to pull in a season high in the ratings on Wednesday with about 2.5 million viewers.
The final battle. It's an oldie but a goodie: Last Friday, Battlestar Galactica wrapped up its run on Sci Fi with 2.4 million viewers, the best since 2006.
Anyone laughing yet? ABC tried out Thursday comedy with In the Motherhood and Samantha Who? this week to middling results. Motherhood's series premiere nabbed 6.7 million viewers, while Samantha's return got 6.5 million.
Seeing the lights. Whether it was a publicity stunt or something else, whatever went down between LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian helped propel their Lifetime movie, Northern Lights, to ratings highs: With 4.5 million viewers, it's the most-watched Lifetime movie of the year thus far.

Source

Project Runway Rundown: Episode 12, "Nature Calls"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:30:22 -0700

Last night on Project Runway, the remaining four designers had to step up and prove themselves (and their designs) to the judges in hopes of moving on to Fashion Week. Of course, we know that they (and two others) all make it to Bryant Park, but last night it was about discovering who would present his or her collection in the final episode of the season as a contender for the Project Runway win.

I thought each designer would blow me out of the water, especially since the challenge was so basic. Actually "basic" is probably the wrong word - I think "stale" is better. We've seen the "take a picture and be inspired" challenge before (this time the theme was nature), even earlier this season. And in season two, Daniel V won a very similar challenge with his orchid-inspired ensemble, a look that was much more stunning than what these designers produced. That said, the final challenges are almost always a letdown; the judges want the designers to take risks (but punish them when they go awry), while the designers are so close to their goal that they get safe.

To read (and see) more about last night's episode - including a spoiler that annoyed me to no end - read more.

Before we talk about all of the looks from last night's episode, here's some Project Runway free association:

Kenley continued her obnoxious streak. The episode began with her blaming Leanne for sabotaging and not "sell[ing her] outfit on the runway" and ended with her arguing with the judges about her attitude. Note to Kenley: If someone calls you out about your poor behavior, it's probably in your best interest not to argue with them. In doing so, you're only proving the point.
Jerell - the lone guy left - presented some hilariously awkward moments. Most notably, right after he admitted to being lonely, he was shown putting on a "puppet" show with himself (represented by a bottle of maple syrup), a Tim Gunn bobblehead, and two past contestants: Joe and Suede (two apples with faces drawn on). Someone needs a roommate!
You reap what you "sew": Because Kenley had rubbed the other designers the wrong way, when she discovered she had left her tulle at Mood, both Korto and Jerell refused to hand over their leftovers. I didn't blame them. But why didn't Kenley just go to the producers?
Kenley's story about her father being a tugboat captain didn't make me sympathize with her as a loner (or a loud person), though I'm sure that was her intention.
I was surprised that all of the designers were working till the very last minute. They had two days for this challenge, and none of the dresses was nearly as intricate as what Christian Siriano busted out last season.
Can we talk about all of the waterworks? I think this ep might have had the most ProjRun tears in history. And that's including the season with Andrae.

Now on to the looks:

View 4 Photos ›

Leanne - Leanne's one-shoulder, pleated purple dress was beautiful. Bonus that the judges also liked it. But the random blue train that she added last minute was haphazard and ugly. It would have been much better without it.
Jerell - Jerell's look was by far the most current and youthful. That being said, I was afraid that his model's breasts were about to pop out at any moment. Otherwise his look was good, and in an underwhelming pool, I suppose it deserved the win.
Korto – The judges had a beef with Korto's orange dress because they thought it looked too "pageanty." It wasn't the most innovative dress, but I think Korto received more flak for it than she deserved. Sure, it wasn't pushing the needle, but it fit her model like a glove and it was finished. All in all, not bad.
Kenley - Jerell said it best: it was Kenley the Dragon Slayer. What was she thinking? Kenley finally stepped out of her 1950s bubble, and came up with a dress that looked like a combination of Barney the dinosaur and Ursula from The Little Mermaid. It was by far the worst look, and Kenley should have been eliminated, but. . .

In a completely (un)shocking moment, Heidi announced that all of the designers would be creating a collection for Fashion Week. The only caveat was that one would be eliminated right before the Bryant Park show. I've come to expect these exceptions from Project Runway, but, to be honest, this time I was especially annoyed. Kenley should have been gone. Period.

Should Kenley have been auffed last night? Or are you excited to see one more elimination before the big finale? And what do you make of all the designers trashing Kenley on the runway after Kenley again talked back? (Extended clip here, if you think you can handle it!)

Photos courtesy of Bravo

Number Crunching: This Week's TV Ratings

BuzzSugar — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:00:37 -0700

OMFG? Despite all that promotion, the salacious ads, and the questionable title of "Best Teen Drama Ever," Gossip Girl pretty much tanked in its post-strike premiere. The episode got just 2.4 million viewers. Hey, at least it's (as of Friday) No. 2 on iTunes . . .
Not great returns. It's not that Grey's Anatomy didn't do well with its first episode back on Thursday night - it got 16 million viewers and was a close second in its time slot behind CSI. The bad news is that both Grey's and CSI have lost about 4 million viewers apiece since this time last year. Ugly Betty was down, too, with just 8.5 million viewers - barely beating Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? on Fox.
Falling Idol. American Idol had a relatively bad week, at least by Idol standards. Wednesday's results show brought in 22.6 million viewers, but it had the worst showing among adults 18-49 in five years.
John Adams is history. The HBO miniseries wrapped up with 1.6 million viewers for its Sunday finale. On average, it pulled in 2.2 million viewers a week over its seven-week run.
Welcome back, Walkers. Brothers & Sisters had a fine (but not spectacular) comeback on Sunday, with 10.5 million viewers.
Will he live to reap again? The return of Reaper got 2.4 million viewers on Tuesday, which doesn't sound like much - till you look at those numbers for Gossip Girl, which has already been renewed. Will Reaper follow suit?

Photo courtesy of The CW

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 07:00:55 -0700

The Cure's Robert Smith collaborating with Ashlee Simpson? Weird.
Do you like "Dog the Bounty Hunter"? If so, tell me why, and while you're at it, vote for your favorite FX show.
If you love good movies, go see The Hoax or Grindhouse this weekend. If you crave crappy editing and boredom, go see The Reaping.
Do you have the sass to recast "Designing Women" with modern-day actors?
Plush bears, Norwegian soldiers, and great music come together - finally! - in Of Montreal's music video.
TV networks are spring cleaning some lame shows (like "Wedding Bells") and have declared their love for certain others (like "30 Rock"!) by giving them more seasons.
Is Jessica Alba becoming a legitimate actress? Perhaps there is more than meets The Eye.
"The Hills" are alive with the sound of another season of spoiled, pretentious rich kids.