BuzzSugar

Reality Roundup: Game Show in My Head, True Beauty, 13

BuzzSugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 07:00:38 -0800

American Idol's still the biggest thing on TV, but it's not the only reality show hitting the airwaves in January. Lots of new reality shows are starting up next month, and here, I've got previews for three of the biggies.

Ashton Kutcher is behind two of these shows, ABC's True Beauty and CBS's Game Show in my Head. For True Beauty, which premieres Jan. 5, Kutcher has teamed up with Tyra Banks for a show that's attempting to find the person out of 10 gorgeous contestants (models, pageant queens, and the like) who's the most beautiful both inside and out. The twist: The contestants don't know the "inner beauty" part of the game, which will be judged from secret footage by Vanessa Minnillo, Cheryl Tiegs, and Nole Marin. That show premieres Jan. 5.

To hear about the other two shows and see clips of all three, just read more.

Game Show is more classic Kutcher in the Punk'd/Wedding Crashers style: Contestants are sent out into the world wearing an earpiece and told to perform ridiculous actions (wear only underwear and get people to give you their clothes; act like you're a hospital patient who just escaped) for the chance to win cash. Its first two episodes air Jan. 2.

And then there's 13: Fear is Real, a horror movie-style reality show from director Sam Raimi. The 13 contestants will be shipped off to a spooky forest where they'll be pitted against each other in challenges straight from horror movies; the weakest links will "die" until only one person remains (I have to assume no actual death is involved). Its visual style is vaguely Blair Witch Project, and I'm amused by the fact that the winner gets $66,666. That one premieres Jan. 7.

Below, I've got clips of all three shows, and I'm curious to know if any of them strike your fancy. Check them out and let me know.

Buzz News Roundup, 11/5

BuzzSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:37:47 -0800

Nikki Blonsky will guest star on Ugly Betty as an assistant at Elle who bonds with Betty. - Zap2it
Charlize Theron is negotiating to star with Tom Cruise in The Tourist, a remake of the French thriller Anthony Zimmer. - ComingSoon
True Beauty, a reality show from Tyra Banks and Ashton Kutcher, will premiere Jan. 5. - The Futon Critic
Paramount has acquired the graphic novel Battling Boy for Brad Pitt to produce through his company, Plan B. - Zap2It
Ray Winstone and Ray Liotta have joined Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, Sam Riley and 50 Cent to star in 13, a remake of the French film 13 Tzameti. - Variety
Tina Fey is officially retiring her Sarah Palin impression. - Entertainment Weekly
Jenna Fischer has nabbed the lead role in an indie dramedy titled A Little Help. - ComingSoon

Buzz-Worthy Video: Beck, Feist, Wilco Performing Together

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:30:46 -0800

Guaranteed way to make me drop everything I'm doing and press play: tell me that Beck, Feist, and Wilco are collaborating. It's true; Beck recruited the folk chanteuse, the rock band, and British singer Jamie Lidell to join him to perform a tribute to '60s musician Skip Spence.

Their cover of Spence's song, "Little Hands," was recorded in the famous Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood in ultrahip black and white. The song is beautiful, but I'm still just beaming to see some of my favorite artists in one room together (including Jeff Tweedy's son Spencer on drums!). And Beck, you're rocking that devil's haircut.

To see the video of "Little Hands", just read more.

Amelia: Never Really Takes Flight

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:30:00 -0700

I love the way a biopic makes me feel - like I'm treated to a back-in-time look at an amazing life. They're epic, and that's why I'm willing to sit through the slow moments (and often for more than two hours) for the payoff. This is the experience I hoped for from Amelia, directed by Mira Nair and starring Hilary Swank as the pioneering aviator who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

There's plenty of opportunity for grandness, even though Nair chose not to focus much on the circumstances of Earhart's disappearance during her flight around the world. Earhart had an extraordinary life, eschewing social conventions for her gender and never giving up her one true love: flying.

Unfortunately, Amelia misses the epic mark and lands instead somewhere in the mediocre, underusing its cast's talents and history's treasury. However, it's not an altogether unpleasant journey, so to see my thoughts on the film, just read more.

First, the film is beautiful - Mira Nair knows how to shoot a gorgeous scene (she was behind the richly-styled films Monsoon Wedding and The Namesake), and she really takes advantage of the oceans, the landscapes of jungles, beaches, and moors. Much of it is seen through Amelia's eyes as she's soaring over it, and occasionally you feel the same freedom in flying that she so desires.

Along with the scenery, the minor success the film does achieve is ascribed to Hilary Swank's acting. I was expecting the two-time Oscar winner to be fantastic, and she didn't let me down. From transforming her looks to match the androgynous icon's to altering her voice to a Katherine Hepburn-ish gravel, she captures the pre-feminist aviatrix in all her glory.

The problem is that intriguing parts of Earhart's life are introduced but merely glossed over. For instance, Earhart's marriage to publisher George Putnam (played by Richard Gere) is complicated by the fact that she carries on an affair with Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). However, this affair is only briefly touched on (they meet, they kiss, it's suddenly over). For his part, Ewan McGregor is given little more than a cameo role, which is an unsatisfying tease for any fan of the actor.

While I'm on unsatisfying, if you've ever been fascinated by the mysterious circumstances of Earhart's death (she disappeared over the Pacific on a round-the-world-flight), you'll get no gratification here. Understandably, there's no speculation about what happened, but there's no closure either.

That seemed justified, because when this project was announced, it was reported that Nair wouldn't focus on the mystery, but Earhart's remarkable life instead. Unfortunately, there's not enough focus on that remarkable life to do the woman's memory justice.

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight

What to TiVo: Wednesday

PopSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:50:00 -0700

ABC is new with Dancing With the Stars and the series premieres of Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Eastwick
CBS is new with the season premieres of The New Adventures of Old Christine, Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, and CSI:NY
FOX is new with So You Think You Can Dance and Glee
NBC is new with Mercy and the 11th season opener of Law and Order:SVU
The CW is new with America's Next Top Model and The Beautiful Life:TBL
Bravo is new with Top Chef
MTV has repeats of True Life followed by a new The True Adventures of True Life
Late-night highlights include Simon Baker and Mary J Blige on The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS; Jennifer Love Hewitt on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS; Courteney Cox on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC; Martin Short and Tim Gunn on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on NBC; and Amy Poehler on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC