BuzzSugar

First Look: The Prisoner

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:30:09 PDT

One of the panels I couldn't hit up at this year's Comic-Con was for AMC's remake of the 1960s British miniseries The Prisoner. Luckily, the footage from the panel - nine minutes of it! - is now online for us all to enjoy.

I'll be honest: I'm not familiar with the original miniseries, and I barely have a clue what's happening in this preview. That said, it definitely looks intriguing, and I'll be curious to tune in when The Prisoner premieres this Fall.

Here's what I can tell: The miniseries focuses on a man known only as Number Six (Jim Caviezel), who wakes up and finds himself in a surreal place called "The Village." Everyone there is a number, enjoying life in The Village but lacking any memory of their lives before. Number Six, however, suspects that something else - maybe something sinister - is going on, and he sets out to learn the true story behind The Village. That brings him into contact with Number Two (Ian McKellan), an authority on Village life who seems to want to keep Number Six from learning too much.

This six-hour version of The Prisoner will begin airing in November. Will you be watching? To check out the extended preview, just

Link Time! 1/8

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:30:58 PST

Hey, it's the new cast of Skins! - PopSugarUK
Check out videos and images from the Michael Cera/Fred Armisen/Charlyne Yi project Paper Hearts. - Cinematical
This post about the season premiere of Damages is full of love for Glenn Close, so of course I think it's great. - Popwatch
The classic series The Prisoner is online for free now before AMC remakes it. - Clique Clack TV
Some thoughts on the Writers Guild nominations. - FilmExperience
Ooh, I think I'll go stream the new Bon Iver EP. - Stereogum
Kiefer Sutherland talks about season seven of 24. - The TV Addict
Brittany Murphy is in a film titled The Ramen Girl. - YumSugar

Photos courtesy and copyright of Channel 4.

Buzz News Roundup, 6/30

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:34:21 PDT

American Idol's Kristy Lee Cook has signed a recording deal with Arista Nashville, USA Today reports.
According to the Futon Critic, AMC has enlisted Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel to star in a six-part miniseries remake of the TV show The Prisoner.
Variety reports that The Real World producers Bunim-Murray could be tapped to run Project Runway when the show moves to Lifetime.
Ne-Yo has bumped Coldplay out of the No. 1 spot on the UK singles chart, Billboard reports.
The Wackness and the documentary Man on Wire were audience favorites at this year's Los Angeles Film Festival, Variety writes.
Neal McDonough is the latest actor to join Desperate Housewives as a possible love interest for Edie, Zap2it reports.
Billboard announces that Bon Jovi will play a free show in Central Park on July 12.
Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and Google are teaming up for an Internet-only animated series that will be released this Fall, writes the New York Times.

Photo courtesy of Fox

Safe House: A Standout Thriller

Lizzie Fuhr — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:05:00 PST

While working for the CIA may seem like a dream job, Matt Weston's (Ryan Reynolds) current position at a Safe House is certainly no picnic. He's a new agent, stationed alone in South Africa, waiting for the chance that he will have a "house guest" (someone who is taken prisoner by the CIA.) Matt's desperately trying to get some field experience so he can be stationed in some other city where he can see a little action. After a year of boredom, his wish comes true when Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) arrives.

I was constantly on the edge of my seat throughout the film, and felt everyone in the theater being equally enraptured with what was unraveling before our eyes. Safe House has high-stakes moments cut with sardonic, nonchalant comedy that Reynolds and Washington both pull off nicely. I felt connected to everyone's struggles, but the plot kept me unsure if I wanted the good guy or the bad guy to come out on top. To find out why Safe House exceeded my expectations, just keep reading.

Casting Update: Who's in For Les Misérables

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:03:37 PST

The casting for upcoming musical Les Misérables is shaping right up, with most of the major parts now filled. The most recent news is that stage actress Samantha Barks will be taking on the role of Eponine, beating out previously rumored hopefuls like Taylor Swift and Lea Michele. The Tom Hooper-directed musical is one of the movies we're most looking forward to this year, so we've been eagerly eating up all the casting news. If you're also a fan of the beloved stage musical set during the 19th century, check out who's been cast in the film so far.

Hugh Jackman will star as protagonist Jean Valjean, a former prisoner who adopts orphan Cosette and turns his life around as the mayor of a small town.
Anne Hathaway will play Fantine, a woman forced to become a prostitute to support her young daughter, Cosette. She dies early on and requests that Jean Valjean raise her daughter in her absence.
Russell Crowe is attached to play Inspector Javert, Valjean's nemesis who becomes obsessed with bringing Valjean to justice.
Amanda Seyfried will play Cosette, Jean Valjean's adopted daughter, who falls for Marius.
Sacha Baron Cohen has the role of villain Monsieur Thenardier, a man who forces Cosette to work when she's a small child.
Eddie Redmayne will play Marius, a young man involved in the revolution, and the object of affection for both Cosette and Eponine.
The role of Eponine, the woman who is also in love with Marius, has gone to an unknown: Samantha Barks, a British stage actress who has played the part onstage before.
Aaron Tveit has a supporting role as Enjolras, a friend of Marius's who is also involved in a student-led revolution.

Revenge Style Battle: Emily VanCamp and Ashley Madekwe Face Off

Hannah Weil — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:34:48 PST

We have a confession to make: we're seriously addicted to Revenge - partly because of the thrilling plot twists, Emily's take-no-prisoners approach to avenging her father, and in huge part because of the show's killer fashion. Both of the series's leads, Ashley Madekwe and Emily VanCamp, show off an enviable wardrobe of cocktail dresses, easy beach wear (it is the Hamptons after all!), and everyday looks we're dying to steal. So, we got to thinking about the actresses' style off screen. How do the style-setters' looks compare when they're not on camera? We dug through the archives and some of the ladies' most recent pics to put them head to head. Click through to see the Revenge girls face off in our latest style battle - then be sure to tell us whose fashion wins out.

Lock-Out Trailer: "Loose Cannon" Guy Pearce Goes to Space

Lizzie Fuhr — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:49:17 PST

For the worst criminals in the world, a maximum-security prison on this planet will no longer suffice. In Lock-Out, the worst of the worst get to go to space. For some reason, the president's daughter is on a "goodwill mission" at the place where the most dangerous dudes in the world serve their time. During her stay, the inmates have an uprising, and there's one guy in the world who can stop them. The gorgeous Guy Pearce plays the bad boy Snow who is (and I quote) "the best there is - but he's a loose cannon."

My first impressions when I saw that Lock-Out trailer? It's a high-tech Con Air in space: the inmates take over, and they're doomed to have an epic crash down to Earth. However, the movie does have the same producers as Liam Neeson's thriller Taken, which proved to be a decent film. In the same vein, the actress who played Neeson's kidnapped daughter in the film, Maggie Grace, plays the president's daughter in Lock-Out - looks like she's got the damsel-in-distress gig down pat. See if you think Pearce and Grace have got this film locked down when you check out the trailer.

What to Rent: New DVDs This Week

Becky Kirsch — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:05:00 PST

Moneyball

Brad Pitt takes on the role of Oakland A's manager Billy Beane in this big-screen adaptation of Michael Lewis's book by the same name. The film follows Beane as he uses unorthodox methods in an attempt to put together a winning 2002 team on a small budget. The film is a delight, thanks to an all-star cast and a smart script by Aaron Sorkin. Pitt turns in a charismatic performance, and Jonah Hill really shines as the straight-laced whiz kid who inspires Beane to look at baseball stats in a new light. DVD extras include bloopers, deleted scenes, and featurettes (including commentary from the real Billy Beane and some MLB players).

95%

What's Your Number?

Anna Faris leads this romantic comedy as a woman who decides to track down her former lovers when a magazine article suggests she's had too many sexual partners to ever settle down. Chris Evans plays her charming, womanizing neighbor who helps her with her quest. The film is chock-full of rom-com clichés, but Faris and Evans make a cute onscreen pair, and there are tons of fun celebrity cameos. The DVD includes some deleted scenes.

24%

One more new release when you

read more. Killer Elite Jason Statham stars as a former British special ops agent who is pulled back into action when his mentor (Robert De Niro) is taken prisoner by a band of assassins. His hunt to take down their leader (Clive Owen) takes him on a dangerous chase around the world. Bonus features include a bunch of deleted scenes. 25%

J.J. Abrams Talks About Going to a New TV Island With Alcatraz

Shannon Vestal — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:40:26 PST

Lost alums J.J. Abrams and Jorge Garcia found themselves at TCA together again to promote the show they're collaborating on now: Alcatraz. Garcia stars with Sam Neill and Sarah Jones as a team of people trying to track down prisoners who disappeared from the famed prison over 50 years prior. Abrams and the actors talked about the genesis of the series, and the whole slate of mysterious characters.

Abrams talked about how he had been surprised to discover there had never been a TV series about Alcatraz when the show started taking shape. He also revealed that Garcia was the first person cast, and coincidentally, Garcia's girlfriend was writing a book about Alcatraz when Abrams brought it up to him. Abrams joked that Garcia simply said "Yeah, it's cool," when Abrams asked him if he wanted to be a part of the show. Garcia added, "If J.J. asks me to do anything, I say yes, and read second."
Neill lauded the creepy atmosphere of the island prison, saying that "just the name puts a shiver down my spine." It's the perfect place for a mystery series because "the charisma of that strange place has permeated the show." As for his character, an enigmatic government agent, Neill says "he does bad sh*t, but he does what's necessary."
Producers want to employ the rich mythology of The Rock, but Abrams lamented that the island's most famous prisoners, Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly, were transferred far before the '60s, the time frame the series flashes back to. It's "definitely a bummer they weren't there to time travel" like the other inmates we'll meet, but Abrams noted that since they're already doing flashbacks, "who's to say we can't flash back further?"
Though it's a procedural, showrunner Jennifer Johnson said Alcatraz is a unique crime show because the team has to think outside of the box to catch the returned prisoners, who are from a different time and haven't aged. "These guys are ghosts," she said, with "no credit cards, friends, or family members." Additionally, they have all committed "tremendous, heinous crimes," and they "have the same venom and urgency that they did before."

Group Therapy: My Friend Is in Abusive Relationship

Tres Community — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:05:08 PST

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

I'm very concerned for the physical safety and mental health of my friend. She started seeing this guy about five months ago. Two months into their relationship, he cheated on her. She accepted this and justified this because she had moved away for school (only an hour away) and he was convinced she was cheating on him. Shortly after discovering his infidelity, she learned he had been in prison for five years for aggravated assault. He won't tell the exact details but on her own she has uncovered some very unsettling things. He raped a 58-year-old woman and put someone in a coma and yet, these things don't seem to scare her the way they scare me and my friends. Recently I was at her house and she was changing in front of me and I saw a big, mottled green bruise that looked suspiciously like fingerprints. When I asked her about it, she said she fell down the stairs. I'm not stupid, but I didn't pry. Yesterday, she was changing again and I saw bruising all down her arms and back. She finally admitted that he had started beating her. She said she asked him why he did it and he laughed and said, "Because you deserve it. You are worthless." I've known for some time he is verbally abusive; he calls her things like "dumb c**t" and "stupid b***h".

I've only met him three times and find him highly antisocial. He refuses to make eye contact or converse with anyone. On top of that, he has told my friend he hates me because the first time we met we were at a bar and I had been drinking. If she so much as has a sip of an alcoholic beverage, he freaks out on her and tells her she has no control.

She has talked about this situation in depth with myself and a few friends. We have all been frank and told her we're worried for her safety and that this relationship is abusive. She is aware of the perils she is putting herself in by staying with him but refuses to take any steps that might help her leave him. She says she is scared of being alone but she doesn't feel happy with him. We've pleaded with her to leave him but she won't. Today we finally told her we couldn't listen to this anymore because she knows how wrong this is and justifies his behavior and further instills his mantra of her worthlessness by staying with him. I feel like that was the wrong thing but I am so worried about her. I really feel like he is dangerous and honestly, I don't even feel safe with him in my life. Is there anything I can do?

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.