BuzzSugar

Movie Preview: The Grand

BuzzSugar — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 13:00:00 PST

When I first saw the poster for The Grand I had to groan. Not another casino movie! But then I looked a little closer and found some familiar, welcome names like Cheryl Hines, David Cross, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer and Woody Harrelson. The Game is a mockumentary-style spoof on professional gaming, with a ridiculously talented cast full of funny people.

You just have to check out this trailer for the movie which opens in limited release March 21. And in case you're wondering, yes, "The Scary German" is legendary German director Werner Herzog (Rescue Dawn, Grizzly Man, Little Dieter Needs to Fly). Hilarious.

To see what I'm talking about,

The Vampire Diaries "Dangerous Liaisons": The Good, The Bad, and The Bloody

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:52:08 PST

The original vampire family hosts a ball on this week's episode of The Vampire Diaries, and the whole town puts on their finest formal wear for the event of the supernatural season. Elena has two dates to the event, but it's her date to meet the original witch that gives us insight into what's in store for Klaus and his siblings.

Speaking of Klaus, we get some developments between him and Caroline that are sweet and promising (even if she's a bit cautious to date him because of his cruelty in the past and general bloodlust). There's also a hot hookup that I didn't see coming, so there's lots to talk about this week. To get to the good, the bad, and the bloody, just keep reading.

Jake Gyllenhaal Gets to Know His Fellow Berlin International Film Festival Jurors

Allie Merriam — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:29:29 PST

Jake Gyllenhaal and his fellow members of the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival gathered this morning for a photocall. Before entering the Grand Hyatt, Jake stopped to sign autographs and pose for a few photos. He then linked up with Charlotte Gainsbourg, British director Mike Leigh, and Dutch director Anton Corbijn. Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, German actress Barbara Sukowa, French director François Ozon, and Algerian writer Boualem Sansal round out the group of jurors. Jake and company will decide which of the eighteen films in competition takes home the prestigious Golden Bear Award for best picture. Diane Kruger's Farewell, My Queen is among those in contention, as is Angelina Jolie's In the Land of Blood and Honey.

In Defense of the Chronically Late Mom

BabyCenter — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:01:11 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Betsy Shaw about being late for school.

If I were to wear a scarlet letter it would be T.

T for tardy. T for turd ball. T for totally inept mother.

We are late for school with such alarming regularity it’s embarrassing. The last time we were on time, after a mini snowstorm that excited my children enough to urge them into their snowsuits and outside at 6:30 a.m., we got to school five minutes early to find it dark and empty. Delayed opening. I was apparently the only mother who didn’t get the memo.

Calling Charlie Brown…

Being late for school brings up a vicious brew of conflicting emotion in me. On the one hand I just don’t care. Life is short. Far too short to risk traumatizing your children with a bullwhip and terrorizing morning walkers and squirrels, not to mention my own white-knuckled children, speeding our way to school like Toad on a motorcar bender each weekday morning.

On the other hand I am ashamed, deeply embarrassed, to be “that mom.” All the other moms can do it, even the single ones. Why. Can’t. I? What’s wrong with me?

I complained about this once to a woman from South Carolina who I met on my Guatemala trip and she told me her school started at 7:30. She also made it clear her kids were never late.

Never late.

Keep reading for more of Betsy's reasoning for being late.

Buzz Lines: What's Your Favorite Quote From The Wedding Singer?

Lizzie Fuhr — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:05:00 PST

After a string of absurdly silly flicks like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, Adam Sandler showed us his softer side in The Wedding Singer. When Robbie's shallow girlfriend leaves him at the altar, the struggling wedding singer meets the bright-eyed and adorable Julia (Drew Barrymore) who is unfortunately engaged to a jerk. Throughout the movie, Robbie and Julia try to make sense of their newfound friendship, but fall in love and get married after Robbie makes the ultimate grand gesture on an airplane. This movie may be sweet, but it's also full of funny laugh-out-loud lines. Here are a few of my faves, but be sure to add yours in the comments below!

"Well I have a microphone, and you don't, so you will listen to every damn word I have to say!" - Robbie
"I have no clean tupperware. Hold out your hands!" - Rosie
"Oh, I don't think anybody could puke more than that kid. I think I saw a boot come out of him." - Robbie

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

Want to Age Better? Swap Your Morning Cup of Coffee For Green Tea

Leta Shy — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:05:42 PST

We all know that green tea has many benefits - eye health, sunburn protection, and disease prevention, to name a few. Now, a new study can add another possible benefit to that list: green tea may help you remain functional as you age.

The Japanese study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, tracked 14,000 adults 65 years old or older for three years and found that those people who drank at least five cups a day of green tea were about a third less likely to have functional disabilities than those who drank little or no green tea. Even those who only drank two to four cups of green tea a day also experienced a benefit as they aged. "Functional disabilities" were defined as the inability to do basic daily activities or necessities, like bathing or dressing, so the more green tea you drink the more likely you are to be able to stay independent when you're older. The study did find that those who drank green tea tended to have healthier lifestyles overall, but the researchers said a positive effect still existed when diet, exercise, and other lifestyle habits were accounted for.

Five cups may sound like a lot, but it's actually a lot less than you think. So, how much tea should you actually be drinking to reap this benefit and possibly remain independent as you age? Read on after the break.

A Hopping Good Time at the Rabbit Grand National

Sara Yoo — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:00:00 PST

Those wascally wabbits! Elmer Fudd would have had a field day on Saturday when Harrogate, England, played host to the 2012 Burgess Premier Small Animal Show and the Rabbit Grand National, a show jumping competition for Lop ears, Angoras, Sables, and more. Fortunately, these bun buns were under the watchful eye of rabbit-loving observers - more than 10,000 of them - as they leaped with effortless grace over jumps and obstacles. Check out all the long-eared, cottontailed action in our slideshow!

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban Step Up With Their Growing Daughter Faith

Allie Merriam — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:58:33 PST

Nicole Kidman carried her baby daughter Faith Urban yesterday in LA. Along with Keith Urban, the trio browsed for snacks and treats at an LA farmers market. Nicole and Keith were casual in jeans for the outing, but last month were in red-carpet finery for the Golden Globes. We'll see more of Nicole before the cameras as she gears up for the HBO premiere of Hemingway & Gellhorn. She stars alongside Clive Owen in the period piece about Ernest Hemingway and his relationship with journalist Martha Gellhorn. Both Nicole and Clive were recently in Pasadena to discuss the project at the TCAs. Nicole spoke about Gellhorn while there, commenting, "I think I'm attracted to many different roles, but there are times when I feel the need to play someone that inspires me. Martha inspires me. . . I love playing women who defy the odds and burn bright."

Keith, meanwhile, is looking forward to a return to the stage tomorrow. He's performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, in what will be his first live performance since having a polyp removed from his vocal chords back in November. Friday will see him back before a crowd for a second show. Keith and Nicole aren't yet confirmed to attend this year's Grammys on Feb. 12, though they're usually among the stars who turn out for that celebration.

4 Panoramic Apps to Stretch Photos To the Limit

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:30:22 PST

Ahhh, the Grand Canyon, an awe-inspiring wonder that begs to be photographed. One problem: the whole "grand" part; there's certainly a lot of canyon to capture. Record all the majesty of nature without missing a single speck by arming your phone with a bevy of panoramic camera apps. An effect you once haphazardly stitched together in a photo editing program is now achieved in seconds with these four panorama apps you should never start a vacation without.

AutoStitch ($2) - Using the traditional format of snapping multiple photos of a space - rather than the gyroscope setting used in the below three apps - allows this app to create hi-res images up to 18 MP. Stitch up to 40 images together for a stunning final panorama.
360 Panorama ($1) - In addition to quickly stitching photos, photos on this app are automatically uploaded into a your personal account on the 360 Panorama website, making them accessible anywhere, at any time.

Discover two more