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Wedding Planning: What Not to Watch While Preparing For the Big Day

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:30:18 PDT

If you're planning a wedding, it can be discouraging to settle in for a movie or TV show in which marriage is, well, not cast in the nicest light. Here I've rounded up some movies and one TV show that may be great entertainment but won't exactly give you the warm fuzzies about getting married.

American Beauty - Sure, there's a lot more going on in American Beauty than just a failing marriage, but the union between Lester (Kevin Spacey) and Carolyn (Annette Benning) still isn't exactly inspirational. In addition to general suburban dystopia, there's a lot of infidelity, ogling of teen girls, and overall contempt within the marriage. Oh, and that ending is a pretty big downer.

More titles to avoid if you

read more. Little Children - I'd say you'll want to avoid both watching this movie and reading the original work by Tom Perrotta. Like American Beauty, it's riddled with infidelity and overall malaise surrounding married life. The main female character, Sarah (Kate Winslet) is enormously bored with her quiet life and her role as wife and mother. Handsome stay-at-home dad Brad - also dissatisfied - manages to temporarily fill the void in her but at the end of the day nobody can truly do that. General feeling after watching this movie: bleak. The Ice Storm - Speaking of bleak, The Ice Storm serves up cold desolation and hopelessness in spades. A wintry storm symbolically covers everything in New Canaan, CT, in a stark, numbing chill as two families celebrate Thanksgiving. For marrieds Ben and Elena Hood (Kevin Kline and Joan Allen) this mostly means drinking way too much and despising each other. Don't let the promise of young, adorable versions of Christina Ricci, Katie Holmes, and Elijah Wood lure you in. It's too cold in this movie. Kramer vs. Kramer - Anger, fighting, divorce, custody battles . . . you're just going to want to avoid this one for a while. As you probably know, the story is based on the real-life court battle in which a divorced couple fought over custody of their son. It is poignant and stars some phenomenal actors (Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep), but it's definitely not "oh baby, marriage is awesome" material. Tell Me You Love Me - Well, at least these couples are getting therapy, but still, as excellent as this HBO show is, it can also be incredibly depressing. While one couple is busy not communicating, another is fighting over their inability to get pregnant, and a third is still haunted by a long-ago extramarital affair. Good times. And by "good times" I mean "avoid this like the plague before getting married - especially if you have a tendency to get cold feet." For more wedding and wedding planning advice check out IDoSugar. Source, Source and Source

Movie Night: Deep-Freeze Films

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 15:54:42 PST

So many movies, so little time. Thankfully, BuzzSugar is here to help you sort through them all! Every Thursday, we'll choose a theme for a weekend Movie Night and feature three must-see movies in keeping with the topic. This week's Movie Night: deep-freeze films. So if the weather outside is frightful this time of year, make a protective pillow fort and turn on these icy-themed films.

The Ice Storm
Tobey Maguire stars as teenager Paul Hood, who returns from boarding school to a deteriorating world. His family is struggling to stay together, the Watergate scandal is threatening to unravel Washington, and a fierce ice storm is gearing up to freeze over his suburban Connecticut town. With a strong cast which includes Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, and Christina Ricci, The Ice Storm depicts how the atmosphere of free experimentation and liberalism prevalent in 1973 caused a freezing of one family's morals. The literal freezing of the physical world outside as a figurative device is heavy-handed at times, but also effective, and visually startling.

Two more so

read more Fargo In Fargo, the only thing thicker than the Minnesota accents is the snow cover. An iced-over Upper Midwest landscape serves as the perfect setting for this noir thriller, which is one of the best examples of the Cohen brothers' ability to combine the bleak with the bitingly funny. Fargo tells the story of hapless used-car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) who gets embroiled in a botched murder, while Frances McDormand pulls off a near-flawless performance as Marge Gunderson, the very pregnant detective investigating the case. Other highlights include Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare reimagining Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as incompetent criminals.
The Cutting Edge I know so many people who like the movie The Cutting Edge but won't admit to it. True, it's not a complex, socially important film, but it is very fun and satisfying to watch. Moira Kelly is charming as the beautiful but spoiled figure skater Kate Moseley, who, in order to remain in the 1988 Olympics, must team up with a new skating partner. Her coach brings in hockey player Doug Dorsey, and the two make beautiful figure eights together. Their personalities, however, do not harmonize. Competition movies are so much fun because of how predictable they are, especially when they feature a relationship that is feisty and argumentative but which you know is only masking passionate attraction. Guilty pleasure, much?

Join Us For a Virtual Cookie Swap!

YumSugar — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:14:47 PST

All that holiday gifting is only half the merriment of the holidays. The rest of it - in our opinion, at least! - comes from the joy of making and savoring special holiday treats that only come once a year. The minute Thanksgiving passed, we move on to dreaming about all the holiday dessert possibilities, and there are simply too many on our to-make list to name. From gingerbread cookies to peppermint patties, we'll be cooking up a storm, but one thing's for sure: it isn't the holidays without these no-bake date balls. We hope you'll give them a try and add to your holiday cookie rotation, too!

See our recipe for no-bake coconut date balls

This year, we're also adding to our holiday baking traditions: we're taking part in Food Network's first-ever virtual cookie swap, where some of the web's best food destinations have gathered together to share their favorite cookie creations. See what the rest of our friends are swapping at this virtual cookie exchange when you read more.

5 Things We've Learned About Mars From the Exploration Rovers

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 05:21:14 PDT

It's been seven years since the first exploration rover touched down on the Martian landscape, and they have been broadcasting photos and information from the red planet ever since, giving us a new look at what lies on the surface. Find out a little more of what we've learned about Mars since the explorer rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have been on the job.

There's water in them 'thar hills - Well, almost. The Spirit rover's right front wheel broke a few years into the project, which may have been devastating to the mission. The team learned how to drive the rover backwards, which led them to finding evidence of water thanks to salt deposits just below the surface.
It could have harbored life at one point - The Marian soil consists of magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride, which are also found in gardens here on Earth.
Martian Winters are harsh - Mars has two permanent polar ice caps that consist of ice. During a pole's Winter (which lasts about twice as long as Earth's), when they are subjected to continuous darkness, the temperatures get so cold that a transparent one-meter thick layer of dry ice form above ground. The Spirit rover survived three of these Winters!

See a few more fun facts about Mars after the break.

8 Bad Behaviors to Avoid After a Breakup

TresSugar — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 04:00:00 PDT

When the breakup wound is fresh, things can get a little crazy. Research on breaking up has shown that the same part of your brain activated when you're profoundly addicted to cocaine is affected when you are rejected from love. (I really wish someone would have told me that fun fact after my last bad breakup.) So the good news is, part of this whole thing is chemical and it's not totally your fault! But that's no excuse to let your crazy run wild with free reign. There are some behaviors that you absolutely have the power to control and should do so for everyone's sake, including your own. Here's what not to do after a breakup.

Try to be BFF with your ex immediately. I've never heard of a platonic relationship working out immediately after breaking up with an ex. In order to move on, you need time apart. This situation has a strange way of shifting into a painful friends with benefits situation, which is messy, messy territory. Give yourself a chance to heal, sister! Maybe someday in the future you'll be able to connect in a different way, but trying to hang out right away will only make the split harder and more confusing.
Refuse to look at things with an objective eye. I know it's your pain and I know it's personal. Every situation is different, and I understand that breaking up is hard to do. Really hard. But if you really look back, chances are you can see where things went wrong. A great question to ask yourself when you're feeling the crazy sets in is, "What would I tell my friend to do here?" If you would tell her to put down the ice cream, put on some jeans, and not text him for the fifth time today without receiving a response, that's probably the right thing to do.
Self-medicate it up. Do not get too drunk. Do not take things to help you sleep. Do not self-medicate by jumping into bed with someone new. At the end of the day, escaping from your feelings is only going to hinder your progress and make this whole thing harder. This is your time to grieve and process. Look at this time as an opportunity to figure out what you really want, and more importantly, deserve.
Ask his friends for advice. I know they've become your friends too. So where do you draw the line? If they knew your ex first, that's typically where their loyalty resides. I'm by no means saying it's time to cut these people off. They're your friends too. But, I would make it a point to not ask for their opinion about the situation or worse, ask if your ex is seeing anyone. You might as well pour a heaping pile of salt into that big, beautiful wound.

For four more behaviors you should 100 percent avoid, read on.

The Game of Thrones Cast Kicks Back and Breaks Character at Comic-Con

Becky Kirsch — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:51:07 PDT

It's no surprise that Game of Thrones had a huge turnout at Comic-Con today, given the show's explosive first season. Fans were treated to a panel featuring a handful of the show's stars: Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo), and creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. The icing on the cake was that the panel was moderated by the man himself, George R.R. Martin, who authored the series on which Game of Thrones is based.

Half the fun of the panel was seeing the actors out of their crazy costumes (Headey was practically unrecognizable) and showing off personalities that are far different from what we see onscreen. Jason Momoa was particularly colorful, teasing Martin about killing off his character and stealing the spotlight whenever he could. Here are more highlights from the panel:

Clarke was plucked right out of drama school for this role, but apparently her classes weren't much help preparing her. She said, "There are no dragons in drama school. The thing that prepared me for this was Dany, and falling in love with her."
Cersei is definitely the character fans love to hate, and apparently Headey's skin isn't as thick as she had initially thought. She quipped, "It's fun to play a character who isn't trying to be morally good, but people come up to me and say 'I hate you.' It's kind of horrible, I thought I could handle it. I love her, I think she's misunderstood."
Momoa was presented with the tough question of pitting Khal Drogo against his other onscreen personal, Conan the Barbarian. He took the opportunity to kiss up to Martin saying, "Between you and me, Drogo would kick Conan's ass."
Apparently Harrington isn't ready to be a pin-up just yet, saying that the idea of girls having posters of him "scares the crap out of me."
Don't expect to see any deleted scenes on the DVD release of the first season: the showrunners said they used pretty much all the footage they had, but fans will get to see the audition tapes of certain cast members.

See more fun highlights when you

OnSugar TV Recap: Parenthood Episode "Slipping Away"

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 11:28:44 PDT

The following recap of Parenthood was contributed by community member gtettey, who posted it on the OnSugar blog Screen Time.

The Bravermans are going through changes; some for better and some for worse. This week we focus on the two teenage daughters of the family who seem to be slipping away from their parents. Haddie took the next step in her relationship with Alex and now has to deal with the repercussions at home. Amber is still reeling from her college rejections and has chosen to take her life in a downward spiral. Let's break down the episode after the jump.

I'm just going to go ahead and say it: Amber has lost her mind! She is down right destructive. She's smoking and playing golf with Gary in the office when she's supposed to be working. Didn't she just promise Julia that she wouldn't do that again? Doesn't he have cars to valet? She's not only putting her image and job in jeopardy, but Julia's also. But she has the perfect solution for this problem. She quits, because she doesn't need money for school anymore. There is such a thing as rolling admission, but I guess they've never heard of that. Since cars and law firm offices are no longer readily available she hooks up in Zeek's office. (Gross!) But when Sarah calls her out on her behavior and the drugs, things just escalate. Amber storms out of the house pushing her mother, purposely, to the ground in the process. She takes off smoking and drinking with Gary and, no surprise, they get in a car accident (a la Callie and Arizona). Honestly, after all the preaching she did to her brother and Haddie about addictions, you would think she would act smarter.

To read the rest of the recap, just click here

Tips For Staying Safe After a Snowstorm

CasaSugar — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:00:11 PST

The snowstorms that have hit the Northeast are far from over, and significant Winter snowfalls are par for the course in the Midwest and mountain states as well. While it's important to keep your home warm and cozy, there are also some very practical steps that you can take to keep it safe both inside and out.

As soon as possible, clear snow and ice from driveways, pathways, and sidewalks. This will help to prevent injuries.
Clear snow away from fire hydrants, in case of an emergency.
Make sure your home address is visible from the road.
Clear snow away from heat pumps, to prevent them from malfunctioning.
Check in on neighbors, especially senior citizens, who may need extra help getting dug out of the storm.
When shoveling, make sure to warm up, stay hydrated, and dress in layers. Take a break if you feel like you're overexerting yourself.
If you live in an area where the snow may melt quickly, check to make sure the storm drains near your home are clear from debris. This will help to prevent flooding when the snow melts.
Try to avoid driving, especially if the roads aren't yet clear, or if they are covered in ice. Staying home is the safest thing you can do.

What else do you do to keep your home safe after a big snowstorm?

Source: Flickr User jpctalbot