BuzzSugar

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:30:13 PDT

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.

82%

Two more new DVD selections this week, so

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.

97%

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.

57%

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

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:30:35 PST

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,

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 PST

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

Photo courtesy of Sony Picture Classics

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

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 10:41:08 PDT

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,

The Class

Gomorra

Source

Behind the Scenes with "The Class"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 09:13:56 PST

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

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.

Fall TV Preview: The Class and How I Met Your Mother

PopSugar — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 11:41:07 PDT

It seems like with every season there is a new Friends ripoff. The Class, premiering on CBS tonight at 8/7c, is one of those. The premise is that idealistic pediatrician, Ethan (played by John Ritter's son, Jason), plans a surprise party for his fiance to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the day they first met in third grade. The surprise is that Ethan actually gathers all of the members of their third grade class together for the party. His fiance is less than thrilled and bolts while the misfit crowd of former classmates remains to rekindle their long lost friendships. The class includes every stereotype imaginable. Luckily for CBS, How I Met Your Mother is on right after.

The weak premise and the unlovable characters of The Class mean that we probably won't be tuning in, but we will for sure be tuning in to last year's newcomer and far superior Friends-esque show, How I Met Your Mother. The new season starts up right after The Class on CBS at 8:30/7:30c. We can't wait to find out if Marshall and Lily get back together and continue their wedding plans and if Ted and Robin can finally make it work this time. And of course, then there is Barney. Got to love Barney!

Jackie Warner's Calorie-Blasting Power Pyramid Workout

Zelana Montminy — Sat, 26 May 2012 14:53:57 PDT

Work your entire body pyramid-style with celeb trainer Jackie Warner in just 10 minutes. Each time-saving exercise combines two moves, making the workout efficient and effective. To build strength and torch calories, you'll work your muscles to exhaustion. Grab some dumbbells and get ready to work out with Jackie.

Looking for more? Tone your upper body in 10 with this workout for sexy sculpted arms, then stretch out and cool down for 10 minutes with our yoga flow workout. Put all three videos together for a 30-minute full-body workout!

Inversion Issues: How to Remedy Common Shoulderstand Complaints

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:14:27 PDT

You're loving your yoga class from Half Moon to Pigeon Pose, but as soon as you get to Shoulderstand, you're less than psyched. Although a basic - challenging, but basic - pose, Shoulderstand can put you at risk of strain and injury when done incorrectly. Turn this pose into your favorite by checking out these common complaints and ways to remedy them.

"I Can't Breathe"
If you're well endowed or carry extra weight in your belly, then gravity causes added pressure on the lungs and throat, making it tough to take in a deep breath. A supportive bra and fitted top can help, but if you still have trouble breathing, then changing how you do the pose will make a huge improvement. Instead of stacking your pelvis and feet directly over your shoulders, hinge at your hips slightly, pressing them away from your face so your feet extend slightly behind your head.

Still can't breathe? Try the Legs Up the Wall variation; rest your lower back on your mat or, to give your hips a little lift, rest your lower back on a folded-up blanket or flat bolster.

Continue reading to learn how to alleviate neck pain and feelings of imbalance while in Shoulderstand.

4 Time-Saving Tips For a Healthy Lifestyle

Leta Shy — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:18:40 PDT

Summers can be incredibly busy - between shuttling kids to and from activities to planning and going on vacation, all the activities that come along with the season can leave you pressed for time. Luckily, we've got a few suggestions for how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, even if you've only got minutes to spare.

Total-body in 20: Breaking up your workout in just 10- or 20-minute increments ensures that you'll break a sweat and burn calories without having to devote too much time out of your day. Even more efficient is making sure that your workouts target all areas of your body. For short workouts that you can do anywhere, check out our fast full-body workouts.

Home cooking: It's easier to cook healthily if you've already done the legwork. Shop for produce and other groceries at the beginning of the week so you can plan every night's dinners - check out one of our healthy dinner plans for the week here. You can also store individual servings of smoothies or sauces (using an ice-cube tray!) in your freezer to have at hand while whipping up a meal.

Read on for more time-saving tips!

iWant: A Pac-Man Delicacy

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:00:04 PDT

We'll unapologetically wear our old-school gaming pride on our sleeves, but when the occasion calls for something a little more refined, costume baubles just don't fit the bill. To the rescue - as he always was during Summer days at the arcade - is the charming Pac-Man, who this time adds an adorable edge to a delicate, gold-filled chain ($32).

Poised to gobble up a villainous ghost, the one-inch vermeil Pac-Man charm sits center stage on the 16-inch cable chain from Etsy seller Lisa Loren. It has all the class of fine jewelry with high scores in personality.