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Why I Love . . . Gary Oldman

BuzzSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:45:22 PDT

The Dark Knight hype machine continues to be gigantic. But as big as it is, it can't promote all the greatness: Between the rave critical reviews the movie's getting, the box office success, and Heath Ledger's performance that established his Joker as one of the classic cinema villains of all time, a lot of other pieces that made the movie so great have been lost in the shuffle.

Aaron Eckhart's performance as Harvey Dent, for one thing, was really brilliant and overlooked - and I keep forgetting that Gary Oldman is in the movie! That's a shame, since I love and respect him as an actor. So before all the hype dies, I wanted to share a little ode to one of the great (whom, yeah, I sort of have a crush on): Mr. Gary Oldman.

To see why I love seeing him pop up in movies,

read more. Actually, I'm not that surprised he's been a bit of a footnote to the Batman coverage because he plays a good guy in the movie. Oldman is actually very well suited to playing bad guys, and that's how I'm used to seeing him on screen. In The Professional he played a corrupt cop who's so very bad that I get chills just thinking about his performance. And his character in The Fifth Element is so over-the-top that I probably should have giggled at half the lines, but Oldman is so freakishly good that he managed to pull it off. Besides just his performances, I've heard lots of little tidbits about Oldman over the years that have always intrigued and impressed me. For example, that's actually him playing the piano in one of the scenes when he portrayed Beethoven in the 1994 movie Immortal Beloved. To me, he's a welcome presence in Hollywood because he's clearly focused on the craft rather than the flashbulbs and has always struck me as a class act. Instead of wowing us with tight abs, he morphs into every character he's been asked to play: a good cop, a bad cop, Dracula, whatever. So I'm glad he's part of a major blockbuster movie, even if he's not grabbing the headlines. He's definitely got fans out there, myself included, who will always be glad when he shows up in a movie. Source

Movie Preview: Taken

BuzzSugar — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:31:44 PST

If this pattern keeps up it will become "spooky trailer" week here on Buzz, starting with yesterday's preview for The Happening. Today I present the trailer for Taken, starring Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen and Lost's Maggie Grace. I have high hopes for this thriller as it was co-written by Luc Besson, the mind behind one of my favorite movies, The Professional.

Taken follows Neeson's character Bryan, whose daughter (Grace) goes on a fun, innocent trip to Paris with her friend. The scary stuff starts when Bryan gets a panicked call from his daughter as she's being kidnapped.

At first I thought this might be another run-of-the-mill ransom movie, but then Bryan informs the kidnappers that he does not have money, but rather a set of "skills" that makes him a "nightmare for people like them." Scary!

Taken opens in France on February 28, though there's no information yet on a U.S. release date. To check out the trailer,

Top 10 Movie Dads

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 23:52:44 PDT

Father's Day is only a few days away, and as I search around for some way to properly honor my dad this year, let's take a look at some of the coolest, funniest, bravest or just plain "dadliest" dads in movie history. Honorable mentions include Daniel Hillard, Mrs. Doubtfire; Ted Kramer, Kramer vs. Kramer; Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather; Jack Byrnes, Meet the Parents; and Sonny Koufax, Big Daddy. As for the ones that made the final cut, read on...

10. Mr. Levenstein, American Pie
Mr. Levenstein's (Eugene Levy) earnest bumbling when it comes to discussing matters of sexuality with his son Jim (Jason Biggs) is so misguided and yet so endearing. The filmmakers take your average awkward exchange between father and teenage son and multiply it by about a thousand, creating moments of excruciating embarrassment many of us have only had nightmares about.

9. Peter, Michael and Jack, Three Men and a Baby
What's more endearing than three grown male friends teaming together to collectively parent a baby girl left on one of their stoops? Nuthin'. It's fun to watch three bachelors adjust their lives to include little Mary, from taking her to work with them to shielding her from the drug dealers that are chasing them down. Ah, those early formative years.

Eight more if you

read more 8. The Old Man, A Christmas Story Darren McGavin as "The Old Man" to Ralphie "you'll shoot your eye out" Parker scared the bejesus out of me as a kid. He's certainly not the sweetest dad on the list, but he's definitely unforgettable. Like Roseanne on my Mother's Day Top Ten TV Moms and Daughters list, The Old Man was much more true-to-life than many of the dads on TV and in movies. He's tempermental, impatient and a little self-centered. But he also loves his kids. He just has a less sappy way of showing it.
7. Clark Griswold, National Lampoon’s Vacation Before Little Miss Sunshine, there was Vacation, the classic family road movie. Even in the most slapstick moments of this cross-country adventure, Chevy Chase as daddy Griswold is driven by one tender desire: to give his family the best vacation possible. But on the way from Chicago to Wally World, he's stymied by multiple obstacles, many of which he brings on himself. But in the end, he's still a worthy navigator of any beloved station wagon.
6. Leon, The Professional Yes, I know Leon is not Mathilda's (Natalie Portman) real dad in The Professional, but the way he warms to her, protects her, and truly loves her by the end of the movie (even putting on a pink bandana!) is utterly heart-rending. Especially seeing as he's kind of a cold-blooded killer in the beginning and Mathilda teaches him how to feel love again. Sigh! 5. Sam Dawson, I Am Sam This is one of those movies I can't even think about without feeling like I'm going to cry. Back when people weren't overexposed to Dakota Fanning she played Lucy Diamond Dawson, a precocious little girl (as always) with a mentally challenged dad, Sam (Sean Penn). Sam named his daughter Lucy Diamond after the Beatles song, and raised her on his own. Yet as she gets older, Lucy intentionally holds herself back at school to avoid seeming smarter than her dad. Thus ensues a legal battle, to Sam's great anxiety. Luckily, they have an excellent lawyer on their side: Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer). Sam's abilities may not be the same as other dads, but his love and devotion toward his daughter are just as strong - if not stronger. 4. Gil Buckman, Parenthood The problems plaguing the Buckman family are myriad - and mighty familiar to just about anyone with a family. Like many dads, Gil (Steve Martin) is struggling to hold everything together and just barely succeeding. In this poignant dramedy, Martin strikes a perfect balance between desperation and levity, whether he's making makeshift cowboy chaps out of a bathmat for his son's birthday party, trying to explain away his sister's vibrator as an electric ear cleaner, or solemnly realizing that his even own father needs advice sometimes. Steve Martin really is one of the "dadliest" of all movie dads - his roles in Father of the Bride and Cheaper By the Dozen only further prove how well he can play the harried, frustrated yet ever-proud father.
3. Daniel, Crash Whenever I think of Crash - which is a movie that has a lot going on - my first thought is of Daniel (Michael Pena) and his daughter Lara. Having experienced a stray bullet coming through her bedroom window, Lara is fearful and has taken to hiding under her bed. Daniel teaches her that she can tie an invisible cape around her shoulders and be protected. Later in the movie, of course, there is a callback to the cape which totally gives me the chills, even now. Ah, invisible cape! 2. Chris Gardner, Pursuit of Happyness In this rare motion-picture depiction of a single dad, Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is hardly perfect, focusing relentlessly on the future while making some scary sacrifices in the present. As he gets beat-down working as an unpaid intern and living in shelters, Gardner tries to never let his son know how bad things are, and when that becomes impossible, he does the next best thing. He makes the kid understand that even when things get really really bad, dad will be there to protect him. 1. Guido Orefice, Life is Beautiful The funny, sweet, do-no-wrong Guido Orefice (Roberto Begnini) tops my list of Movie Dads because he gave his son Giosué some of the best gifts in the world. Even in the most dire of situations, Guido is all about Giosué - making him laugh and generally distracting him from the gruesome world of war. The ending, when I first saw this movie, made me gasp. It could be called "manipulative" in how firmly this movie yanks on the heartstrings, but I completely fell for it - and for Guido.

12 Things You Should Never Buy Full-Price

Business Insider — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:15:25 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Business Insider story here on Savvy!

With the Internet, helpful mobile phone apps, and retailers scrambling to keep consumers in their shops, there's no need to pay full-price for much of anything these days.

To give you a boost, we tapped a few savvy shoppers for their tips on all the ways you can save.

Theater tickets

"One of the greatest savings areas recently has been the theater ticket business," says Anna Aronovich, CEO of GovernmentAuctions.org.

Even if you're not going to be around NYC to score discount Broadway tickets this month, there are opportunities in nearly all cities to see shows on the cheap.

Some rewards programs like Optimum Rewards cost nothing to join and offer discounts on shows.

Beer

If you're looking to stock the fridge for your next poker night, don't hit the liquor store until you've checked out www.saveonbrew.com.

The company's been featured on a host of deals sites lately as one of the best ways to find discounts on brewski, says Jennifer Davidson, director of operations. (See some incredible uses for beer.)

Read on for more.

3.1 Phillip Lim Fall 2012

Brittney Stephens — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:39:57 PST

Phillip Lim showed a bookish, workwear-inspired cool for Fall '12 - some of the models even carried briefcase-style clutches down the runway. The designer offered up tapered trousers, fitted blazers, and his signature slouchy yet structured knits, all playing into a pretty, polished glamour that's perfect for the office. The collection was a refreshing mix of youthfulness (bright pops of colors, sleek pointy-toe loafers, tiny slivers of skin showing) and an underlying note of sophistication (turtlenecks, contoured coats, high-waisted pants), bringing a sweet sartorial dichotomy to the art of Fall layering. Get the details below.

Trends: Knit blanket coats, subtle geometric prints and colorblocking, perfectly tailored trousers.
Colors: Black, white, red, bright blue, gray, taupe.
Key Piece: The wool patchwork coat with turtleneck; the mohair cape with white trousers.
Accessories: Leather belts, oversized fold-over clutches, metallic ankle booties and T-strap pumps.
Who Would Wear It: Women who want to look on-trend but professional at the office.

Experts Say Sexism Keeps Women Out of Military Combat Roles

Annie Scudder — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:06:25 PST

Ask GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum why women shouldn't be allowed to serve in combat roles, and he will give you various reasons. First off, a man's emotions. Santorum believes men will try to save their fellow female soldiers, explaining this weekend: "instead of focused on the mission, they may be more concerned about protecting someone who may be in a vulnerable position, a woman in a vulnerable position." In addition to chivalry, Rick says "You throw on top of that just simply physical strength and capabilities," and women simply can't handle the job. Fortunately, the military, which recently opened 14,000 combat jobs up to women including tank mechanic and front-line intelligence, doesn't completely agree with Rick, and experts say "sexist" attitudes are responsible for a policy against trained female soldiers serving in combat positions.

Sociologist Ryan Kelty, who specializes in studying the military, tells LiveScience that the old-fashioned belief that women must be protected is not a good enough reason to exclude women who want to and are capable of serving their country. In other words, chivalry is not a legitimate basis to deny a woman employment, especially when there is no evidence that professional and highly trained male and female soldiers are incapable of carrying out their missions. Kelty explains the military should employ gender-neutral, objective requirements. For example, a soldier should be able to carry 100 pounds for eight hours, regardless of gender.

There may be back and forth, but the truth is that women already serve in these combat roles. In Iraq and Afghanistan, 144 women have lost their lives, 60 of them in combat, while 865 have been wounded. And countries including Canada, Israel, and Australia already allow women in close-combat roles. Despite the slow evolution of American rules on women serving, it can be said that the US military doesn't have the most retro policy. In China, women recruits must display a talent like singing or dancing and Russia holds a Miss Russian Army beauty pageant.

Savvy Community Groups You Should Join

SavvySugar — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:02:47 PST

Need a place to brainstorm your next big move and share your personal and professional success? Join other readers in the SavvySugar Community! Start with these three informative groups!

Got a Career or Finance Question? Ask Savvy!

Share and Steal Savings Tips From Fellow Shoppers

Join Resume Remedy For a Cure

Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

11 Inspirational African-American Female Role Models

SavvySugar — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:05:43 PST

In honor of Black History Month, we're celebrating some of the most influential and professionally powerful African-American females. From novelist Toni Morrison to the multitalented Beyoncé Knowles, we admire these 11 women for their hard work and strength, as each has become a leader in her industry. Take a look at our some of our favorite African-American female role models, then share your own in the comments below.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot: Valentine's Day Camera Phone Tips

Kristy Korcz — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:02:10 PST

Amore is in the air, and if you plan on spending Feb. 14 with your current flame, you'll of course want to capture all the best moments as they happen. The good news is, with camera phones being as handy (and powerful) as they are, you probably don't need to tote around a full-featured digital in order to post an album's worth of mushy kissy-face pics on your various social networks.

Keep up your high photo standards no matter what the situation with these camera phone tips straight from professional photographer Perry Reichanadter. Have any of your own to add? Leave them in the comments or on our Facebook page!

Get close to your subject - Your camera phone probably won't have a macro setting, so be sure to get up close and personal with your beloved so he isn't drowned out by the surrounding action.
Clear the background - There's nothing worse than snapping a great pic of your BF, only to have something in the background distracting from his face. Make sure you steer clear of any street signs, bright lights, or "loud" objects, and keep your honey in focus.

See the rest of the tips after the jump.

Drew Barrymore Photographs Her Muse, Up-and-Comer Shailene Woodley

Katie Henry — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:45:00 PST

Drew Barrymore photographed Shailene Woodley for Vs. magazine's latest issue. It was Drew's first cover shoot, and she personally handpicked the young Descendants star, Shailene, for the project. For her part, Shailene graces the first in a trio of issues that Drew shot for the publication. It's not the first time the pair have teamed up on a project, since Drew also directed Shailene in a music video for Best Coast. Drew's had plenty of experience doing her own modeling, including her successful CoverGirl campaign and most recently covering InStyle, but she told Ellen DeGeneres that she physically made herself sick stressing over her first professional gig as a photographer. Shailene, on the other hand, felt comfortable enough to pose topless for a few of Drew's photos.