BuzzSugar

Buzz News Roundup, 5/16

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:30:28 PDT

Did you ever read R.L. Stine's Goosebumps books? Now there's going to be a movie version of the series, Variety reports.
Billboard has the rundown of this year's BET Awards nominees; T. Pain leads the pack with five nominations.
Hooray! The hilarious Rob Corddry has finally landed a starring role, in the action-comedy Project A, which will be produced by Ben Stiller, ComingSoon writes.
According to Variety, we'll see an English-language remake of the Chilean movie Pretendiendo in which "a beautiful woman . . . dons a fat suit to shield herself from any more romantic upsets."
American Idol's Taylor Hicks is headed to Broadway as the Teen Angel in a production of Grease, Billboard reports.
Zap2It writes that George Clooney will star in an adaptation of the non-fiction book Men Who Stare at Goats.
The Wall Street Journal claims that if ratings don't improve for the CW, the network may be doomed.
ComingSoon reports that Danny Glover will reprise his stage role in a big screen adaptation of Master Harold... and the Boys.
Check out the colorful pictures of the grand opening of the Simpsons ride at Universal Studios in the Orlando Sentinel.

"Failed Painter" Angelina Jolie on Defying Rules, Clint Eastwood, Defining Success

Allie Merriam — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 09:55:40 PST

Angelina Jolie's directorial debut In the Land of Blood and Honey, a love story set during the Bosnian War in the '90s, opens here in the US on Friday. She was in NYC earlier this month doing press for the film and joined her cast for a press conference at the Waldorf Astoria. Leading ladies Zana Marjanovic and Vanessa Glodjo, as well as actors Goran Kostic and Rade Serbedzija, sat with Angelina on a panel moderated by NPR's Tom Gjelten. The conversation was all about the movie, with Angelina speaking about the process of creating the script with input from survivors. She also touched on the directors she has learned from and the challenges of making a movie in a foreign language. Angelina said:

On learning about directing: "You learn from everybody. Clint Eastwood taught me a lot about working with people that you love, that you think are great people, and making a family - working with nice people, good people. He's also very fast, so I had to learn about the economy of a shoot and a budget."
On deciding to make the movie in Bosnian and English: "When you want to do a film about this subject matter, many people tell you, 'Well, you're going to have to do a lot of different things in order to get people to see this.' One of them being, English, and the other being you're going to have to cast people who people recognize. We decided to do neither."
On how she'll define success for the movie: "We had a very low budget, so we're starting at a good base. It's gonna be alright I think . . . I hope it's received as a film. I hope people see it as a piece of art as well. I hope the actors involved are recognized for being extraordinary actors. So my fingers are crossed for that."
On the importance of art themes in the film: "I think Zana and I are both failed painters. We both tried to paint. I would have loved to be a painter. This part of the world - they're artists. During the siege, a film festival started under the siege of Sarajevo! Plays were put on, art was made. It was their art that just stood stronger and stronger while they were being starved and shot at. Art is representative of the region. As a woman and an artist it was a beautiful tool to express the internal side of a character."

To read what Angelina said about her road to making the movie, using real-life stories from the cast in the plot, and finding her directorial voice, just read more.

Group Therapy: My Boyfriend Things I'm Ugly

Tres Community — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:05:22 PST

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

And it hurts. It really does.

I spent my entire life hearing that I was ugly or weird from classmates, siblings, sometimes my own mom. I found my boyfriend, and we've been together for quite some time, and it did feel nice to know someone thought I was worth looking at. I was wrong. Today he came out and said that he dated me because I was an awesome person, but look wise I'm pretty much nothing. I should have expected it, but I really just wanted to be wanted for once.

I don't know no one is really reading this. Maybe it's just a bad day.

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.

Glee-ful Highlights From Episode "Mash Off"

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:48:51 PST

What goes around comes around, and Santana learns her lesson the hard way on this week's episode of Glee. When Mr. Schue and Shelby decide to put their respective singing groups head-to-head for a little friendly competition, things spiral out of control and get ugly. Very ugly.

While Finn and Santana are busy trash talking, the presidential election heats up between Kurt, Brittany, and Rachel - with one key player dropping out of the competition. There's a lot of foul play going on, so let's break it down when you

Group Therapy: I'm Introverted and Single - How Can I Get Noticed?

Tres Community — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 03:05:00 PDT

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

As a 20-something girl I'm pretty much used to comparing myself to other girls from my years in high school. I know there's not some magical formula to becoming okay with yourself, but I know there are steps or habits that can alleviate the terrible misery of constantly feeling less than.

I've been single for over two years. Not really saying this is bad. I guess in retrospect I've needed this time to focus on school (and to date total assholes who have taught me a lot about myself). But now I've reached a point in my life where I'm like "okay, I'm actually ready right now to give this a shot." But I'm finding myself being intimidated by all the other girls in the dating pool.

Keep reading for the rest of the dilemma and to share your advice!

Sunday Confessional: Caught My BF Watching Porn While on the Phone With Me

Tres Community — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 03:05:00 PDT

This week's confession comes from our anonymous Confession Booth group in the TrèsSugar Community. Weigh in with your advice below.

The other night when we were talking on the phone (as we usually do before bed), my BF was really quiet and wasn't saying a lot. All of a sudden I heard a girl moaning in the background, then it quickly shut off. There was this really intense silence, and then all of a sudden he was talking about anything and everything. I didn't say anything because it was really awkward and weird . . . but I couldn't and still can't stop feeling upset, almost angry by it. I know most men watch porn, but why does he have to watch it with me on the phone? Like what is that about? We have a good sex life but now I can't help but feel even more self-conscious and ugly than I already do. How would you guys feel in this situation?

There's lots of cool stuff going on in our community - join it, check it out, share your posts or advice in the great groups, and maybe we'll feature it here on TrèsSugar!

Get a Soundtrack For Your Next Book: Booktrack

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:49:35 PDT

I adore my Kindle, but this new startup may have me reaching for my iPad the next time I want to dive into a novel. Booktrack is a new company that provides soundtracks for books. No, it's true. Stick with me here.

Say you're reading along in Harry Potter during one of the tension-filled Quiddich matches. Booktrack fully immerses you into the action by adding a roaring crowd, whistle blows, even the sound of flags whipping in the air, allowing your imagination to run wild.

How does it work? Instead of downloading a regular book, you download your selected Booktrack-enabled books from the App store. There are only a few titles available right now: some of which are free classics like Sherlock Holmes, The Ugly Duckling, and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi along with Pittacus Lore's, The Power of Six ($13). More titles will be added this year.

Best part, all of the audio effects can be adjusted manually, and although the app automatically detects how fast you read (based on how quickly you turn the page), you can adjust reading speed in the app, so the effects perfectly match up to where you are on each page. Booktrack is available now on the iPhone and iPad, and it's coming soon to Android Galaxy devices! Check out a demo video of Booktrack below!

Why Cohabitation Will Ruin Your Finances

LearnVest — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:15:00 PDT

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

The views expressed here are those of the essayist and not the LearnVest staff, but we look forward to opening the floor to debate and discussion, so tell us what you think. This Money Mic is part of a conversation about living with your partner - click here for the opposing view.

A Seductive Idea

First off, let me say that I have no moral qualms about cohabiting: No “Why would he buy the cow . . . ?” arguments here.

In fact, I lived with my ex-boyfriend through most of my 20s before we finally broke up - which is why I would never move in with someone again, unless I was certain I was going to spend the rest of my life with him.

Why? We’ve all done the back-of-the-napkin math, and when you do, living together can look seductive. Half the rent! Half the utilities! With the added fun of playing house.

I get it - that’s why I did it. And in the short-term, I agree: living together can look like a good deal. But in the end, it can turn out to be ugly, financially and emotionally. In the long-term, shacking up can cost you far more than any savings you rack up. And don’t just take it from me.

The Financial Perils of Playing House

“I moved in with my boyfriend mainly because I was tired of commuting to Brooklyn,” says Sarah*, 24. “But I did only pay $700 a month. So that was a perk.” In six months, she’d saved $4,900, as compared to living in her old apartment.

Then, just six months in, the relationship ended. All of a sudden, Sarah needed somewhere to live - and fast. She paid for movers ($300), for storage ($100), and for a real estate broker to find her a new place ($1,800). And now that she’s got one, she’s faced with refurnishing: “I have to buy all new furniture because I got rid of it all when I moved in with him,” she says. “I don’t even want to think about how much that will cost.”

Financially, at least, she’s pretty much right back where she started - and that’s to say nothing of the emotional toll. “It was super stressful,” she says. “Now I tell my friends, ‘I’m getting a studio and not moving out until I get back from my honeymoon.’”

Read on for more on cohabitation.

Ken Jeong Talks About Being Community's "Pathetic Outsider" and Making His Dreams Come True

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 05:30:00 PDT

Community's Ken Jeong has had a heck of a Summer after starring in two of the highest-grossing movies of the season, The Hangover Part II and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Now he's about to return to the small screen for a third season of Community as the polarizing Chang, and we had a chance to chat with him at the Summer TCA. He hinted about Chang's different direction and gushed over how much he loves doing the show, how grateful and happy he is, and how people like Todd Phillips and Bradley Cooper have touched his life.

BuzzSugar: You just had two hit movies this Summer - is Community enough for you now?
Ken Jeong: This is the happiest I've been in my career. We just started shooting last Monday, and it was just picking up from where we left off. We're so happy we're coming back for another year. We genuinely love each other. We genuinely love each other's company and I've missed working with the people every day. For me, it's an embarrassment of riches. For me, as a 42-year-old Asian doctor, this is the peak of my career. It won't get any better than this. This is everything I wanted to do and then some. I never ever imagined I would be working this much and being this known. It's because of the fans and because of the people I work with. I'm just so blessed in terms of industry and in terms of the fans.

Buzz: Last year you gave the most impassioned speech at the MTV Movie Awards about that being a high point in your career, especially in light of your wife beating cancer. Are you still feeling that way?
KJ: She's still a doctor, and I used to be a doctor, and all our close friends are doctors. We're like, is this really happening? You can't believe it. We personally live the same lives that we lived years ago when we were physicians. As I say it out loud, it's still surreal. I was happy being the doctor from Knocked Up, alright? That was like, amazing. If that were to be the last thing I'd do, it would be a life well spent in the arts. So to be Mr. Chow and [star in] two Hangovers, a third season of Community and to be in Transformers? Come on, it's ridiculous. It's an embarrassment of riches. And what I like about it is that I really love acting and I feel like I'm getting better at it. That's the important thing; I love what I'm doing, and I'm getting better at the craft. Like I'm improving and naturally pushing myself to do this in a great way. [This is] the best way to sum it up in the last two years: [director] Todd Phillips on Hangover, after I did a scene with Paul Giamatti, said, "I don't know what's happened the past couple years, but you're like a much better actor than you were the first movie." And he goes, "How is that?" I go, "It's because of two seasons of Community." It's just made me a better actor.

To find out what else the actor had to say about Chang and whether Jeong will be back for The Hangover 3, keep reading.

Group Therapy: My Boyfriend Wants Me to Lose Weight - I Feel So Ashamed

Tres Community — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 03:05:00 PDT

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

I have been dating this guy for 7 years. When we met I was 150 pounds. I am 5'5''. Over the last 7 years I had put on 30 pounds and was at 180 pounds. Eight months ago, right before I went on a 3-month vacation with my family, he told me that I have put on a lot of weight, and though he still thinks I'm beautiful, there are issues with health and sexiness and attractiveness and he thinks it would be best if I lost weight. Of course being a silly proud girl I spent the next few days crying and hating him. But then I knew he was right. So in 4 months I lost 20 pounds and I am now at 160 pounds. At first he said he was so proud of me, etc. . . . but after another month or two he is now saying that I should lose more weight still.

At 5'5'' and 160 pounds, I know that I'm still far from skinny. And I do want to lose weight. I am an emotional eater, and I hate exercising (although I push myself to) I don't want to make excuses. But now I am having serious pride and feeling issues toward him. I know that he only wants what every guy would want (a girlfriend he can be proud of and be attracted to) and that I wouldn't want to be with someone I'm not attracted to either. But every time I think about this tears fall down my face, and I have trouble looking him in the eye without feeling ashamed and ugly.

To be fair, we have a code of honesty in our relationship and he broke the "you should lose weight" messages to me nicely, followed by "I love you" and "you're beautiful." But I can't help how I feel - now every time I look at him I feel fat and ugly and inferior. I don't want to have bad feelings toward him for being the messenger of bad news. I don't know what to 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.