BuzzSugar

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:30:55 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.

Flight of the Conchords: Season Two
If ever there was a DVD set to bring home and enjoy over and over again it's one for Flight of the Conchords! This show is a neverending source of joy because Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie are so very funny. Plus the songs are actually quite catchy.

In the second season of their HBO show, the two guys continue to struggle to make it in the music industry and meet the ladies of Manhattan. Some of the DVD extras include outtakes, deleted scenes, and Dave's Pawn Shop commercials.

Two more up next so

read more. The Soloist The Soloist is an ambitious little film from Atonement director Joe Wright all about the relationship between a journalist and a homeless, mentally ill man who also happens to be a gifted Julliard-trained musician. The visually slick movie stars heavyweight actors Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx in the lead roles. Wright tries to pack a ton of stuff into one movie, so watching this one is a substantial - but worthwhile - undertaking. Special features include audio commentary by Wright, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, a featurette about homelessness in Los Angeles, and a peek at the real-life men who inspired this remarkable story. 54%

Obsessed Interestingly, Obsessed and The Soloist opened over the same weekend. Obsessed was No. 1 at the box office while The Soloist was No. 4. Though I find the whole catfight thing to be a little tired, I have to admit that the trailers for Obsessed made me chuckle. In one preview, Ali Larter's character is brutally attacking Beyonce's character and Beyonce's husband calls to ask if she's OK. Beyonce responds with something like, "I got this" and hangs up. Ha! It might be worth renting for the camp factor alone. Here's the plot: "Derek Charles (Idris Elba) seems to have it all - including the perfect job and the perfect wife (Beyonce Knowles). But his charmed life takes on an ugly tarnish when sexy office worker Lisa Sheridan (Ali Larter) sets out to seduce and destroy him. Now, it's much more than a dangerous liaison; it's a full-blown occupational hazard. Christine Lahti and Jerry O'Connell co-star in this Fatal Attraction-style thriller from director Steve Shill." The DVD extras seem just as entertaining as the movie and include three behind-the-scenes featurettes: "Girl Fight!" (about the stunt coordination and the actresses' thoughts on "the fun of getting to fight each other!"), "Playing Together Nicely" (about the writing of the script and the casting process), and "Dressed to Kill" (featuring costume designer Maya Lieberman). 18%

The Office Spinoff: News, Rumors, and Funny Stuff

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:31:25 PDT

Well, here's our first proof that the spinoff of The Office is actually happening: The show might not have a title, a setting, or a concept, but at least it has an actor!

Aziz Ansari of MTV's Human Giant will join the show as one member of the ensemble cast that's still being assembled. In addition to his work on the MTV sketch show, Ansari provided one of the funniest moments of the first season of Flight of the Conchords, playing a racist fruit stand owner. I'm certainly not sad to be seeing more from him.

Meanwhile, there's a wild rumor going around that Rashida Jones could be joining the spinoff, with one source saying it's happening and another saying she hasn't even been asked. It's an interesting idea, though: Would you watch a show focusing on Karen Fillipelli and the Utica branch?

In announcing Ansari's casting, Office creator Greg Daniels and producer Michael Schur also talked a bit more about the spinoff in general, so to read what they had to say - and watch Ansari's great Conchords moment - just

Buzz Gift Guide: Entertaining Dad

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:30:07 PDT

Dads: They're just like us. They, too, need good entertainment within arm's reach to keep life fun, so today I'm sharing a couple of gift ideas that I've got my eye on for Father's Day!

What dad wouldn't kill for the newly released collector's edition of Dirty Harry? This package comes with everything a fan would want related to the movie series, which stars Clint Eastwood as the macho San Francisco police inspector, including a new retrospective documentary titled The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry. Go ahead, make dad's day.

Music-wise, Al Green is the coolest cat of all - and his new album features duets with young singers including John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae, so it's a great candidate for a daddy-daughter sing-along.

I recently passed Ian McEwan's novel Saturday on to my dad while on vacation, and he gave it two thumbs up. It's the story of a middle-aged man who has everything you could want in life - a career, great kids, a loving wife - whose ordinary day takes an extraordinary turn that pushes his courage to the limits.

Finally, if you want to sit down and laugh with your dad this Father's Day, you'd do well to stay away from films like Knocked Up (awkward). Try introducing him to the goofy fun of the Flight of the Conchords HBO show instead.

Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector's Edition ($60)	Flight of the Conchords - The Complete First Season ($24)
Lay It Down, Al Green ($13)	Saturday by Ian McEwan ($13)

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 17 May 2008 07:30:35 PDT

We appear to have a mellow movie weekend ahead of us in terms of new releases, but there is still lots out there to keep you busy. Which movie are you headed to this weekend?
Holy cow, it was a busy week for TV! The network upfronts gave us a lot of good stuff to look forward to this Fall. Fox added some cool-looking sci-fi shows to its roster while the CW charts a clear path forward, littered with rich kids.
Speaking of the CW's rich kids, are you excited for the new 90210 now that we've got some pictures? And what do you think about the series Surviving the Rich (based on the book How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls)?
Hooray for Reaper! It will not be canceled, which I assume is a great relief to its star, Bret Harrison, who I had the honor of interviewing!
There were a lot of trailers out on the Web this week some good, some not so good. I thought Edge of Love looks breathtakingly gorgeous (and so romantic!) and I'm really intrigued by Woody Allen's latest all-star flick.
Is it just me or does it seem like only people raised in the '80s are running the show down in L.A. right now? They're bringing Fraggle Rock to the big screen and. . . wait for it. . . a cereal box mascot movie (yeah, it's odd, just read the post).
James Frey, author of the bestselling memoir A Million Little Pieces (which later turned out to be more fiction than anything else) has a new book out and it's getting stellar reviews. Are you open to reading his stuff?
Definitely make time to check out what's new on iTunes because there's some great stuff out this week, including Duffy and Death Cab for Cutie. And if you're curious about who's singing that sweet little tune on the diamond commercials, I have the entire song here.
Also, the new Flight of the Conchords video for "Ladies of the World" is. So. Funny.

Source

Prepare to Laugh: New Flight of the Conchords Video

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:30:02 PDT

I'm still smiling after having watched the video for the The Flight of the Conchords' single "Ladies of the World," off of their new self-titled album (one of my April must-haves). They "just want to do something special for all the ladies in the world" and they show us this by twirling around on their skates, singing shout-outs to all the ladies (and hermaphrodites) around the globe.

I seriously love how the New Zealand comedic duo embrace the '70's time period as they skate around a softly-lit California. Especially when you compare what these guys are doing to something like Will Ferrell's Semi-Pro, it's so much funnier because they are completely, hilariously sincere when they sing about lovin' the ladies.

No word yet on when their TV show will start-up again on HBO but this is the good stuff that gets me through these days without them on the air.

To check it out for yourself,

Sasquatch: Mythic Creature With Great Taste in Music

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:30:00 PST

The Sasquatch Music Festival, held annually at a gorgeous outdoor amphitheater in George, Washington, has just released this year's lineup, and at first glance I'm liking what I see. R.E.M. and The Cure are the big headliners, which, like Coachella where they're spotlighting Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, is in keeping with this year's trend of bringing back older bands. At least with Sasquatch I don't have to go as far back as bell bottoms; I just have to dig out my Doc Martens (or find new versions of my old Docs!).

Billboard reports that The Flaming Lips will premiere their anticipated film Christmas on Mars at Sasquatch. They'll also perform their U.F.O. Show in which the band emerges from a giant U.F.O. and then one of them finds himself in a hamster ball of some sort. I've seen these guys live, and it's super fun.

For more bands in the lineup and ticket information,

read more. The festival is held on Memorial Day weekend, May 24-26 and tickets go on sale March 8th for $56.50 per day. The price increases two days later. Also, this is a camping event so you have to plan for that as well. More info is available here. A good chunk of the lineup is what I would describe as "Northwesty" as many of them hail from that part of the map, including Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie, Built to Spill, The New Pornographers, and Kinski. In addition to those bands M.I.A., the Hives, Tegan & Sara, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and the Breeders will be there, along with Flight of the Conchords! I'd also love to check out power-bop band The Cops that I've heard a lot of good things about. A little something for everybody, no? What do you guys think of this lineup? Source

4 Reasons the Flight of the Conchords Movie Needs to Happen

Becky Kirsch — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:30:12 PST

Will the Conchords fly again? According to Bret McKenzie, it just might happen - and this time, on the big screen. The actor recently told The Hollywood Reporter that there's definitely hope for a Flight of the Conchords film, saying, "We’re gonna try and do a movie. We just need a story." Though the HBO comedy series fizzled out after just two seasons, the show's 23 episodes are enough to convince me that these guys have what it takes to be movie stars.

The Muppets movie made me miss the Conchords' quirky songs. The Muppets was a reunion for McKenzie and director James Bobin, who co-created Flight of the Conchords. McKenzie acted as the music supervisor for the film, and the songs in the musical absolutely have an eau de Conchords. Who else could write songs like "Me Party" and "Man or Muppet?" Clearly McKenzie hasn't lost his touch, and the fun, silly musical numbers in The Muppets prove he's got the chops to take his show to the big screen.
The HBO series burned out too soon. It's pretty much consensus amongst Flight of the Conchords fans that the first season was genius, but the second was subpar. It was hard to top the random hilarity of the first batch of episodes, and it was clear that McKenzie and Jemaine Clement had some issues coming up with new songs to fit another season, but that doesn't mean we've given up on them.
Bret and Jemaine need to be bigger stars than they are. This is the first I've heard about McKenzie since his days with the Conchords (other than the news of his upcoming small role in The Hobbit), and Clement has been mostly under the radar as well. Both of these guys are talented and hilarious, and a movie is exactly what they need to get back on the map.
A movie would give them time to develop great songs and a fun story. It seemed like part of the problem with the second season of the TV show is that the guys were pressed for time, but there would be no rush on a movie. Plus, with a brand-new story, maybe the Conchords could finally get their big break?

The Muppets' Music Man Bret McKenzie on His Oscar Nod and Taking a Silly Job Seriously

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:50:41 PST

Bret McKenzie is up for an exceedingly rare honor this year, with his ballad "Man or Muppet" earning one of just two nominations in the Oscars' best song category. I caught up with The Muppets' musical supervisor today at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank to chat about the awards attention and the unique experience of penning music for Kermit and company. The New Zealand native talked about fighting the temptation to use the word "motherfrogger" in his songwriting and the roundabout way he came on board The Muppets project in the first place. Bret - who previously was best known as one half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords - also shared his hopes of bringing FOC to the big screen. Check out our conversation below:

PopSugar: It's got to be an honor to be nominated for an Oscar, but also in a year when the Academy only bothered to nominate two songs.
Bret McKenzie: They barely nominated anyone! When I found out, it sounded like there'd been a mistake, and yeah, it's a huge honor. It's great and it's really exciting, and I'm not complaining that there's only two nominees the year I'm nominated. I mean, this is the best chance I'll have of winning an Oscar, ever. It couldn't have been better, unless there was just one nomination, and then it would be a very dull ceremony . . . There's a lot of legendary musicians - tunesmiths - in that list of possible nominations. So it's all very surreal to think that I got in ahead of Elton John.

PS: And Madonna. Those two had a little rivalry going on.
BM: I know. I got nervous about what Elton John's husband was going to say about me. It's crazy, and it's great for The Muppets film, because we're all really proud of the film and it wasn't ever really going to get a best actor. Hey, Jason's good, that's not what I mean, but Kermit, Miss Piggy - they can't win these awards - and comedies don't generally get recognized at these awards ceremonies, so it's kind of cool. It's almost like the film as a whole is being recognized with this category.

For more from our chat with Bret, including what he says about his plans for a Flight of the Conchords film, coaching Jason Segel, and the pressure he felt on the project, just

read more! PS: What was the biggest unexpected challenge for you writing music for the film? I know you talked about one draft of a song where you referred to a Muppet as a piece of felt and were told you couldn't do that. BM: Yeah. Little piece of felt, and you couldn't say things like motherfrogger, even though it's very tempting. There were lots of hard parts to it. The Muppets can't sing certain notes. They can't sing too high or the voice changes and doesn't sound like the right character. There were so many weird things. I spent hours recording penguins and rats, and what's weird is that it's such a silly job, but you have to take it very seriously. So I would be in the studio for days, maybe a whole day recording penguins, and then I'm like, "I'm not happy with how the penguins are sounding! Where's penguin four?" You know, getting demanding. "We lost penguin track four! I can't hear the penguin!" PS: I was watching the movie again last night and watching Jason Segel's performance of "Man or Muppet." Did you coach him on any of his rockstar moves? Because he pretty much nailed it. BM: He nailed it. That's my favorite moment in the film. When he buckles down in the rain, that was one of my favorite shots. I was so proud of what James [Bobin, the director] and those guys achieved, because I wasn't there on set, I just saw them syncing the video, and I was like, "Wow, guys. You nailed it." What we did do in the studio, as Jason and I had a technique where I would sing a line, and he'd watch me through the window, and then he'd sing it back. So we did this thing where, I was really into the drama of it. So, I was like, "Am I a Muppppettt?" [balling his hands into fists] And he'd be like, OK, record. "Am I a Muppppettt!" So we kind of worked together to get that style. PS: Did it shatter some of your childhood illusions to have the guy that does Miss Piggy's voice come work with you [in the recording studio]? BM: Yeah. Well, it wasn't Frank Oz. The guy Eric, who does it now, yeah. That was strange. And the day that we recorded Kermit the Frog doing "Rainbow Connection" - I was sort of pinching myself, because that was probably one of the real moments for me where I realized that my world had really changed. That I'd come from New Zealand, I'd grown up with Kermit the Frog, and now I was in Hollywood in a studio recording Kermit the Frog. It felt like worlds had collided. PS: Was there pressure knowing there was already this great catalog of Muppet songs? To try to add to that or top it in some way? BM: I knew I wouldn't top "Rainbow Connection," but I was very intimidated, but the way I worked on the job was it actually started with me just writing one song, so I didn't feel the pressure of writing the whole movie. I think it would have been different if I'd been hired from the outset to do all the music. So I wrote one, then another, and gradually wrote more and more, so that helped. PS: What song did you write first? BM: The opening song. That's the one they needed, that's the one James asked me to write first. The script was probably on a second draft, and they were in preproduction, so I came in quite late. And the way they were doing it was, they got 100s of demos submitted from all sorts of songwriters, and surprisingly - even though they got some really great people to do demos - people weren't quite hitting the right tone. The Muppet tone. I'd just come off the Conchords tour and I had some time, and James asked if I was interested in doing that opening song, because he had a kind of specific thing he needed from that song. He needed it to be really Muppet-y, that song, and he had a great idea for the whole town joining in, it starting off small and becoming a big musical number, and that came together really well. PS: Is this experience maybe something you want to bring to a Flight of the Conchords movie? BM: Yeah, exactly. Having done this movie now, we're in a much better place to do a Conchords film, because James is more experienced - well, we're all more experienced. Not specifically, but James Bobin - well, we're all very keen to do another studio musical, because I really enjoyed being able to do comedy musical numbers on such a grand scale, and I think next time, I really think it will just get better and better. Because it's such a fun genre, and we've done like 50 songs for TV now, and now The Muppets movie, and I feel like we've accidentally sort of become musical comedy experts. PS: What do you imagine Bret and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords are up to these days, in their universe? BM: In the Lower East Side? That's a good question. I reckon they probably got a regular gig now. Like, at a Chinese restaurant. Photo courtesy Disney

Video of the Day: Flight of the Conchords' Binary Solo

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:04:12 PDT

In further celebration of the zeros and ones in today's date, binary code geeks can check out this oldie but goodie musical ode to our future robot overlords courtesy of the Flight of the Conchords. Make sure to stick with the video until the end for the epic binary solo.

Rewind: November's Entertainment Highs and Lows!

BuzzSugar — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 03:05:00 PST

We re-lived November's best and worst entertainment offerings.
With award season just around the corner, we found out Grammy nominees, as well as Spirit Award nominees.
We took a moment to appreciate actors who can direct as well as they act.
If you're a Les Misérables fan, you'll definitely want to check out which actresses are after the role of Eponine.
We chatted with On the Road actor Viggo Mortensen about working with Kristen Stewart.
We got into the holiday spirit with Mariah Carey and Justin Bieber's holiday music video and pics of actors who have played Santa Claus.
The holidays also mean holiday themed TV shows, so we gave you a sneak peek at how TV families plan on celebrating with pics from Up All Night's Christmas episode and shots from Modern Family's holiday show.
TV co-workers are also decking the office halls, which you can see in this sneak peek of Parks and Recreation's holiday episode, plus pictures from The Office's holiday party.
Find out why we're excited Flight of the Conchords might hit the big screen.
In other movie news, we saw a shirtless Taylor Kitsch in the John Carter trailer.