BuzzSugar

The Promotion: Kind of a Slacker

BuzzSugar — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:00:57 PDT

Steven Conrad, the writer/director of The Promotion, could have gone in a couple of different directions with his film, which centers on two guys battling for a job at a Chicago chain grocery store. He could have traipsed through the well-worn but awfully funny territory of office humor, replete with annoying coworkers and pesky in-jokes. Or he could have gone a bit deeper, meditating on success and what it means to be good.

The main trouble with The Promotion is that Conrad's script doesn't commit to either direction. One minute the film is full of silly workplace antics (including a highly amusing tater tot battle). The next, it's fumbling toward a ham-fisted statement about addiction or manhood. In the end, the movie provokes neither riotous laughter nor profound revelations. Like middle managers everywhere, The Promotion just gets stuck.

Seann William Scott plays Doug Stauber, a grocery store worker who fears he may never climb above the dreaded assistant-manager rung of short-sleeved shirts and embroidered name patches. Outside the office, things are going well enough - cute wife (Jenna Fischer), hopes of buying a house - and so when a shining beacon arrives in the form of an all-new grocery store, Doug sees a chance at salvation. It could be his store to manage, all his; his boss, Scott (Fred Armisen), even goes so far as to proclaim him a shoo-in. That, though, is before Richard Wehlner comes to town. Richard (John C. Reilly) is a nice guy with a laid-back Canadian attitude and a sweetheart of a wife (Lili Taylor, who for some reason speaks with a Scottish accent). But Richard isn't about to roll over and let Doug have the job: Bolstered by self-help tapes, he goes about making the promotion his own. The Promotion creates a vivid picture of the workplace, but it doesn't do as well with its main characters. To see what I mean, just

read more. The Promotion scores points for getting the minutae of workplace life right, from the minor slights that preoccupy Doug and Richard to the tinny, piped-in grocery store muzak. The bane of Doug's existence is the store parking lot, the gang of kids hanging out there, and the nasty notes that subsequently end up in the comment box; those cards (which bear messages like "I didn't put sexual harassment on my shopping list, but thanks") give the movie some of its sharpest moments. We all have the equivalent of that comment box in our work lives, and those scenes perfectly mix pleasure and pain. The film suffers, though, from a few attempts at pushing the boundaries of political correctness. Well, it doesn't really push the envelope - it just gently nudges it, without enough conviction to justify going there at all. Some of the cringeworthy moments are amusing: Richard's "blapples" quip, in which he calls some bad kids "black apples" in a racially charged meeting, was funny in the trailer and is even better in context. But too many others are just squirmy - including Doug's glory moment, when he has the final chance to impress the grocery store's board. What he says is so uncomfortable that the audience at my screening let out a collective "ohhhh no." There's also something off-putting about the movie's underlying message, which crops up late in the film: Both Doug and Richard believe that the only way to make it, to be worthwhile in society, is to provide for their wives. "I want to be the primary breadwinner," Doug flat-out says at one point. But why Doug feels this way is never really explored; instead, it's presented as fact: Men, to be successful, must earn. That's just how it goes. We learn slightly more about Richard, but it's still not enough - and given the movie's somewhat sarcastic tone, I kept waiting for something in his story to be a lie or a joke. As a workplace movie, The Promotion is quite funny. But when it tries to go deeper, things don't quite add up. In the end, too many of the film's choices - like Lili Taylor's baffling Scots brogue - just left me saying "why?" Source

Movie Preview: The Promotion

BuzzSugar — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:00:52 PDT

The Promotion stars some awesome names like John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer and Seann William Scott and it looks hilarious. Yet I never heard of it at all until Cinematical posted a glowing review of the film after the South by Southwest screening. Now there's a trailer and a release date for the comedy: June 6. And I seriously can't wait.

The movie follows Richard (Reilly) and Doug (Scott), two mid-level Chicago supermarket employees who engage in a battle of wits over a promotion. Fred Armisen is in it, Jenna Fischer wears roller skates at one point, and it looks like Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal's love!) gets some funny bits. The trailer - which made me laugh out loud - makes it look like the movie has that funny-awkward thing going, similar to the tone of The Office. To check it out,

Link Time! 3/11

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:31:47 PDT

Popwatch is thrilled to see that Square Pegs, starring a baby-faced Sarah Jessica Parker, is finally on DVD, and wants to know what TV shows you're dying to see released on DVD. My vote goes to Ally McBeal.
Cinematical has all sorts of South by Southwest film news and reviews, including a super great review of The Promotion, an indie comedy starring John C. Reilly and Sean William Scott.
Goldie Hawn and Matthew Broderick have popped up on TV Squad's list of actors who should consider small-screen gigs.
If you didn't watch The Bachelor's "where are they now" special, TV Filter tells us, um, where they are now.
Idolator is pumped for the Pitchfork Music Festival, which will feature Public Enemy, Vampire Weekend, M. Ward, and Animal Collective, among others.
With Fox seemingly rolling out a new show every night, The TV Addict delivers a make your own Fox show Mad Libs game.
Check out PetSugar's adorable slideshow of her top 10 movies that star animals, including Best in Show and The Truth About Cats and Dogs, among others.
Vulture has a shot-by-shot commentary on the final scenes of The Wire.

Add Nutritional Goodness the Easy Way: 8 Recipes Made With Flax

Michele Foley — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:07:42 PST

There are many reasons to eat flaxseed: they're full of omega-3s and fiber and help promote healthy digestion, to name a few. Besides sprinkling flaxseed over a salad or cereal, it's also really easy to incorporate them into recipes. The best part is, flaxseeds don't really change how a recipe tastes, so no one will guess they just got a megadose of nutrition.

A Doctor Dishes: Which "Superfoods" Are Worth the Cost?

LearnVest — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

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

Most people you speak to these days are trying to stretch every dollar as far as possible - even the ones they spend buying apples and oranges.

Food prices are expected to increase yet again this year, and food manufacturers are making portions smaller without reducing prices. Not surprisingly, a recent Rasmussen poll found that 93 percent of adults report paying more for groceries now than they did a year ago.

So how can we supercharge our grocery dollars and get them to do overtime for us?

Yes, some foods are obviously a better nutritional deal than others (think apples vs. potato chips), but there’s another class of foods that blows the rest of the field away in terms of nutrients and health-protecting qualities: superfoods.

Superfoods can help prevent diabetes and heart disease, repair damage to your body’s cells, and more. But before you go piling them into your cart, know that some superfoods are better nutritional bargains than others. As a doctor and a mom, I’ve sleuthed out which ones are worth the extra cost in terms of their long-term health benefits. Below is the scoop on which ones may help you age better, ward off cancer, and more.

What to Know Before Buying Superfoods

Before we dive into what to buy, there are a few important things to remember about consuming these foods:

Eating foods fresh and in their natural state, especially fruits and vegetables (rather than in pill or powder supplement form), usually allows us to absorb the greatest amount of their nutrients. The way a superfood is processed or cooked can significantly lower its antioxidant content.
If the superfood can’t be eaten fresh, look for easy and appetizing recipes containing it. No matter how “super” a superfood may be, if you don’t know how to cook it, you’ll probably let it go to waste.

Are Superfoods "Good Buys" If I’m Shopping on a Budget?

Read on to find out.

Hollywood's Cutest Celebrity Couples!

Brittney Stephens — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:22:08 PST

Relationships come and go in Hollywood, and while some stars are just beginning a new love affair others have stood the test of time with their significant other. Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson are adding to their family this year while Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are taking things slow. Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis have been together over a decade and new couple Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield have plans to spend the Summer together while promoting their blockbuster The Amazing Spider-Man. Click through to see some of our favorite couples, and don't forget to check out all of our Valentine's Day coverage across the network including romantic gift ideas and sweet treats.

Kristin Cavallari Shows Off Her Tiny Baby Bump in a Red Dress

Lauren Turner — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:55:10 PST

Kristin Cavallari shows her barely there baby belly on the red carpet - People
Pregnant Lily Aldridge steps out with husband Caleb Followill - Lainey Gossip
Chelsea Handler breaks from her funny routine for a serious interview - HuffPost Entertainment
Halle Berry wants to move overseas with Nahla - D-Listed
Katie Holmes is fresh-faced after dance class - JustJared
Five things you don't know about Gisele Bundchen - The Insider
What do you think of Lindsay Lohan's new look? - Zap2it
Minka Kelly continues her string of gorgeous appearances - Hollywood Tuna
Watch Kanye and Jay-Z's crazy new video - Pink Is the New Blog
Kris Jenner has an interesting new brand to promote - The Superficial
The hottest new models of NY Fashion Week - The Daily Beast
Kim Kardashian makes a sitcom cameo - TooFab
Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams have a shot at the top of this weekend's box office - Hollywood Reporter
Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z file to trademark Blue Ivy's name - I'm Not Obsessed

David and Brooklyn Hit the Field While Victoria Focuses on Fashion

Lindsay Miller — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:44:26 PST

David Beckham stopped to watch his oldest son, Brooklyn, at soccer practice yesterday in LA. The father of four was back home after a jaunt to London, where he went clubbing with Prince Harry and made the press rounds to promote his underwear line with H&M. The steamy TV commercial for David's collection made its debut during the Super Bowl last Sunday, and David admitted watching the spot for the first time made him blush!

With David back in town to hang out with their boys, Victoria Beckham took their daughter Harper along with her to NYC on Tuesday. Victoria headed to the Big Apple just in time for Fashion Week, where she'll show the Fall/Winter 2012 collection from her eponymous line as well as Victoria by Victoria Beckham. Her designs have been a hit among celebrities and critics alike, and rumors that she might be dressing some A-list celebrities for the Oscars later this month have started to circulate.

Emma Stone Shows Off Her Amazing Bikini Body in Brazil

Lauren Turner — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:20:51 PST

Emma Stone wore a bikini to take a dip in the pool of her Rio hotel over the weekend. She's in Brazil to promote The Amazing Spider-Man, and dressed up to meet with fans and snap promotional pictures during her stay. She also made time for sightseeing when she checked out the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon. Emma's action film doesn't hit theaters until July, but we got a glimpse of her hot chemistry with costar and real-life boyfriend Andrew Garfield in the new Amazing Spider-Man trailer that was released yesterday.

Emma will soon switch gears back to her other big-screen project The Help, since the movie is nominated at the Oscars, which take place Feb. 26. The film and its stars have already picked up multiple awards with Emma showing her support on the red carpet at the SAGs, Golden Globes, and Critics' Choice Awards.

Jennifer Lawrence Hits the Gym Solo Following a Fun Day With Her Boyfriend

Lauren Turner — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:01:24 PST

Jennifer Lawrence grabbed a water bottle after a workout in LA yesterday. The gym trip was just her latest active outing since she also recently played basketball with boyfriend Nicholas Hoult. Jennifer and Nicholas got close on the courts, though we'll have to wait and see if they make appearances together when Jennifer starts promoting The Hunger Games ahead of its March release. The movie is already getting plenty of buzz with Jennifer landing on the cover of Vanity Fair's "Fresh Young Stars of 2012," and her costar Josh Hutcherson sharing an on-set pranking story. We're getting in on the fun with our own DistrictSugar, giving you a chance to win a trip to The Hunger Games premiere in LA - enter now!