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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:30:32 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to my selections below you can also bring home John Cusack's War Inc.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Yesterday I was curious how folks were feeling about the fourth Indiana Jones now that there's been some time since its theatrical release. For those of you who said you still loved it (and for those of you who never got around to seeing it), good news! The DVD is out today.

There are, as you might expect, a ton of extras on the DVD, including: "The Return of a Legend: A tribute to Indy, his creators and the evolution of The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," a 12-part in-depth look at the creation of the movie, and a featurette on the work that goes into preparing three pivotal action sequences.

Two more well-regarded movies up next, so read more.

Mongol
This foreign-language film out of Kazakhstan (yes, Borat's Kazakhstan) is the country's first movie ever to be nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

The film dramatically portrays the life of Temudgin, the boy who grows up to be the warrior Genghis Khan. Epic in scale (shot mostly in Mongolia), the film won great reviews for its outstanding battle scenes and riveting performances. I am dying to see this, especially since it is likely the first of three movies documenting the life and times of this warrior. Special features include trailers and a featurette about the making of the movie.

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
This movie is supposed to be amazing in terms of how real it feels, but also incredibly uncomfortable as it depicts two friends who enter the world of illegal abortions in the last days of communism in Romania. It's supposed to be extremely intense and difficult to watch at times, though apparently that's what makes it so great. I've been fascinated by this movie ever since it won the big award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, and I think that sitting on my own couch with some happy DVDs on deck (like the latest season of 30 Rock) may be the only way I can deal with watching it.

Special features include an interview with writer/director/producer Cristian Mungiu.

Ben Kingsley Is the Man of the Hour

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:30:36 -0700

Ben Kingsley has always been a man of many faces (and accents), but lately it seems like he's popping up in every movie (and every time with a different accent). I knew he was in War, Inc. with John Cusack, and in one of my Tribeca favorites, The Wackness. And then when I checked out the trailer for Elegy (which is mesmerizing only because Penelope Cruz is so smoking hot no matter what she does), there he was again!
In addition to these recent theatrical releases, Kingsley has four films in various stages of production and four more titles in pre-production.
To check out my guide to recent and upcoming films featuring man-of-the-hour Ben Kingsley, hit "Start."

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Box Office: Indiana Whips the Competition

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 07:00:00 -0700

Traditionally, Memorial Day weekend is very kind to Summer blockbusters, and this year was no exception for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. According to Variety, the return of the Steven Spielberg franchise was his biggest movie opening ever, hauling in an estimated $126 million over the four-day holiday.

While these results are a career high for Spielberg, the film itself did not break any box office records related to this holiday weekend or any other long weekend openings.

Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian dropped to second place followed by Iron Man. The fourth spot went to What Happens in Vegas, which continues to perform well, followed by Made of Honor at No. 5 and Baby Mama at No. 6.

John Cusack's War Inc. - also starring Hillary Duff - opened in limited release and did not make the top 10.

Photos courtesy of Paramount

Movie Preview: War, Inc.

BuzzSugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:30:00 -0700

War, Inc. is one of those head-scratchers where I'm at a loss as to whether or not this movie will be good, or even watchable. Starring John Cusack (who's also a credited writer on the film), it looks like one of those cynical, dark comedies where the goal is to make you think, "That's so absurd! The world isn't like that! Or is it?" See also: Wag the Dog.

Signs pointing to good/watchable movie include: both Cusacks on screen together (I love seeing Joan again!), smart twists on current events, and a darkly romantic sub-plot between the lovely Marisa Tomei and John Cusack.

Signs pointing to maybe not-so-watchable are: a whole lot going on - lots of characters, effects, music, bombs, journalists, etc.; and Hilary Duff playing a "Centeral Asian pop star" with an accent that is just. . .strange. Plus, she drops a scorpion down her pants.

War, Inc. opens in limited release May 23. To check out the trailer for yourself and tell me what you think, read more.

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FlashForward Breakdown, "Believe"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:30:32 -0800

The most central characters of FlashForward take a backseat this week, letting Bryce and Aaron take the spotlight. It's a nice relief from Mark and Demetri's constant agonizing over their own fates (though we still get a dose of that, too).

We learn that Bryce has been keeping a big secret, and Aaron's reunion with his daughter isn't all he had expected it to be. Ready to get into it? Just read more.

I want to believe: We finally get some insight into why Bryce tried to kill himself: he has stage four cancer and has been keeping it a secret from everyone but his therapist. We also get to see his saving grace - in his flashforward, Bryce is laughing and smiling in a restaurant with a pretty Asian woman. Determined to make his fate come true, Bryce takes up Japanese (with Nicole's help) and even heads to Asia when he's supposed to be in Houston testing out a wonder drug. Here's what confuses me: in Bryce's vision, he sees himself saying "you're really here" and he knows it's months into the future. Why does he try to rush fate? I wasn't surprised at all when he and Keiko don't make the connection in Japan (though I did feel a bit disappointed for him). Side note: Nicole is totally falling for Bryce.

Across the pond: Bryce isn't the only one who is featured this week; we get some background info on the (literal) woman of his dreams. Keiko is a young, bright woman living with her parents and working for a robotics firm. Though her life looks perfect on paper, Keiko is bored at work and with her personal life, longing to play her guitar and find her soulmate. She gets a shiny new outlook on life when she sees Bryce in her vision, and we realize that their meeting doesn't take place in Japan after all, but in LA.

Family ties: Aaron is having a hard time adjusting to life with Tracy. Her continual drinking habit causes a fight between them; Aaron can't be around alcohol, and Tracy feels entitled to drink after all she's been through. Tracy storms out and Aaron blames himself for her addiction and her post-war transformation. Mark only makes matters worse when he accuses Aaron of telling Olivia that he was drinking in his flashforward, and Aaron tells Mark he shouldn't be his sponsor anymore. Losing his sponsor can't be good for Mark and his vision.

Other major plot points:

Demetri finally makes strides on figuring out who called him about his murder. The call is traced back to Hong Kong, and though Stan doesn't want Demetri heading overseas, Mark offers to go with him in secret.
The FBI agents discover that suspect zero wears a ring with an alpha symbol on it but aren't sure what to make of it.

Did you like this week's episode, or were you longing for more action? Will Nicole get in the way of Bryce and Keiko?

FlashForward Breakdown, "Playing Cards With Coyote"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:30:30 -0800

After Al's tragic suicide on last week's episode of FlashForward, this week shows how the idea of "changing the game" has affected all the characters. Mark and Olivia start to find new hope for their relationship, Lloyd teaches Simon a lesson, and Aaron learns more about where his daughter has been for the past two years.

Ready to get into all the details? Just read more.

"The future can be changed": Al's death makes headline news when Celia gets her letter in the mail, instilling hope in Mark and Demetri - for a bit. Mark whisks Olivia off on a romantic getaway and things seem to be much happier between the two. But once they're back to regular life, they both get a reality check: Mark gifts her the lingerie she's wearing in her flash forward, and Aaron's reunion with Tracy makes Mark go back to believing that the visions may be set in stone.

The stars are aligned: Mark thinks he has a big lead when some footage shows up of a man he recognizes from his vision - a woman named Ingrid reports a crime and her phone images reveal a man with a tattoo of three stars on his arm. Thinking it's the same pern who breaks into his office in the future, Mark immediately dedicates himself to finding the guy. Using Ingrid as bait, Mark manages to take kill him, and rushes home to Olivia to tell her that they're going to have a second chance because he changed the game. But then - surprise! There's a whole crew of dudes with that tattoo. Um, seriously Mark? This never occurred to you? It's not like the guy has an unmistakable tattoo of Edward Cullen on his arm.

That was a crazy game of poker: Feeling guilty about that whole deadly experiment thing, Lloyd sends out an email to a few colleagues saying "We have to take responsibility." Of course, Simon isn't pleased about Lloyd's plans to go public and wants to settle their argument over a game of Texas hold 'em. There's plenty of trash talking from Simon, who thinks that he and Lloyd are gods for the impact they've had on the planet. He tosses around ideas of fate (was anyone else thinking about Lost's Charlie and his fate finger tape?) and just when Simon thinks he's sitting pretty, Lloyd turns the tables with a sleight of hand. (Some U2 lyrics come to mind here). Somehow I still don't think Simon is going to make it easy for Lloyd to publicize what they've done.

Reunited and it feels so good? Tracy is back at home with Aaron, but she's not exactly the same girl that went off to war. She's lost her leg in combat and suffering from PTSD, which she's reluctant to discuss with her dad at first. Feeling confident from his flash forward, Aaron encourages Tracy to open up about what happened overseas. She finally reveals that her near-death experience was an ambush from Jericho, a group of military contractors that she ratted out after seeing something she shouldn't. Tracy is paranoid after living a life on the run for two years (and is not at all pleased when Aaron talks to Mark about her situation). Though keeping track of all the different characters and their separate story lines is getting confusing, I'm liking this new development in Aaron's story.

Other plot points:

Janice tries to quit but Stan won't let her. As she continues to contemplate Al's death and her vision, she starts looking into sperm donation - does this mean those are tears of joy in her flash forward?

Ingrid says that she remembers one of the shooters saying "QED," which is also brought up during Simon and Lloyd's poker game.

Ingrid and her bird collection can be added to the list that already includes the crows and the bird crashing into Fiona's window.

So, is that Simon strangling Nicole in her vision? Creepy. I'm wondering if she finds out his secret and tries to intervene.

How'd you feel about this week's episode? Any new theories on what's going to happen over the next few months? Let's get the conversation going!

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "I Saw What I Saw"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:30:57 -0700

Another one bites the dust. This week Grey's Anatomy took a break from the typical episode fodder, and instead we are treated to a whodunnit-style murder mystery when one of the doctors loses a patient in the midst of a crisis situation. We hear each doctor's story one by one, and when the cause of death is finally discovered someone is sent home. (Kind of like a combination of House and Survivor).

Ready for my rundown? Just read more.

The war between Mercy and Seattle Grace continues, as the doctors have trouble working together when a slew of injured patients come in fresh off a hotel fire. Amidst the chaos, a patient who appears to be ready to be discharged ends up dead - and the chief starts a witch hunt to find out who's to blame.
Both Lexie and newbie Charlie lose their cool this week. Charlie forgets to eat a cookie after giving blood and passes out in the ER, while Lexie can't keep her emotions in check. She gets all choked up when trying to treat a 16-year-old with severe burns all over his body - I don't blame her, but it did seem a bit random to me. Luckily she gets herself back together after a stern pep talk from Arizona.
Cristina manages to stay out of trouble for the most part, though she does make another kid cry - when she's not sneaking off to Meredith's room to complain about the newbies.
Alex is in his own world; thanks in part to Izzie's departure. When he finally gets her on the phone, he takes the phone call instead of focusing on his patient, setting off a panic among the other doctors, particularly Reid.
Though it seems like Reid is totally going to throw Alex under the bus, in the end she's the one who realizes where the doctors went wrong - and turns in her own friend and Mercy colleague.
In the end, it's April who takes the fall - but does she really deserve to get fired? All the doctors played a small role in the chaos in one way or another, so I think it's a bit unfair that she's fired. Derek even tells the Chief that it's his own fault and that the accidental death is a product of the merger.

So do you think April deserved to get fired? Will the doctors finally start getting along now? Are you missing all the McDreamy and McSteamy screen time? To keep the conversations going, check out the Grey's Anatomy Junkies Group in the Buzz Community!

FlashForward Series Premiere Breakdown

BuzzSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:30:55 -0700

So, did you guys catch FlashForward this week? Even though I had already seen the pilot (OK, I saw it twice), I still tuned in to refresh my memory. No surprises here - I caught a few nuances that I had missed the first time around, and I can already tell that this may be the kind of show that requires a second viewing. (This should be a familiar routine for all you Lost fans out there). Speaking of Lost, did anyone else notice the billboard for Oceanic airlines?

Even if you paid attention, it can be a bit confusing to keep track of who's who in new pilots, so I've broken it all down for you. Check it out and then let's discuss what you thought of the episode! To see what I thought, just read more.

Mark Benford: Played by Joseph Fiennes, Mark is an FBI agent, loving husband and father, and alcoholic. He's immediately obsessed with getting to the bottom of what caused the flashforwards after viewing his own. He sees himself agonizing over the case and drinking from a flask. Mark knows that if he falls off the wagon, his wife Olivia will leave him, so it's not surprising that he's determined to do whatever he can to prevent his vision from becoming a reality. Biggest question for Mark: can he stop his flashforward from happening?

Olivia Benford: Played by Lost's Sonya Walger, Olivia is Mark's wife. She's a doctor with a cheeky sense of humor (which includes sending her husband faux insults via text and post-it). Olivia's flashforward is one of the more upsetting of the bunch: she sees herself with a man named Lloyd Simcoe. Later in the episode we learn that Lloyd is the father of one of Olivia's patients who is admitted to the hospital after the blackout. Biggest question for Olivia: does Mark drive her away, or does she become an unfaithful wife?

Bryce Varley: One of Olivia's fellow doctors, Bryce is contemplating suicide when the blackout occurs. After seeing his vision, he has a brand new outlook on life and heads back to the hospital rejuvenated. He considers his vision to be a gift from God. Biggest question for Bryce: is simply believing in happiness the only push he needed?

Nicole Kirby: First of all, I can't believe it took me three viewings to realize that Nicole is none other than Jane Sterling on Mad Men! (Seeing those actors out of their '60s garb can be really jarring.) Anyway, we don't know much about Nicole yet, just that she's a babysitter who was caught lying down on the job (get it?! Heh). Unlike Bryce, Nicole thinks the flashforwards aren't a gift from God, but a punishment. Biggest question for Nicole: what has she done that warrants a punishment?

Aaron Stark: Aaron's an electrician by trade, but he's also got a very important job as Mark's AA sponsor and friend. After two years, he's still grieving for his daughter Tracy, who died in the war in Afghanistan. Mark's flashforward is one of the most hopeful: he sees a reunion with his daughter, who is actually alive and well. Biggest question for Aaron: could his daughter really be alive?

Demetri Noh: Played by John Cho, Demetri is Mark's FBI partner. He's still relatively new to the job and seems more preoccupied with what song he'll be dancing to at his upcoming wedding. Demetri's vision is perhaps the most mysterious of all: he sees nothing. Biggest question for Demetri: is he going to be dead in six months?

Other general questions: How did Lloyd Simcoe's son know Olivia's name? What is up with that kangaroo? Was the blackout caused by a natural disaster, or is someone behind it all? What role will Dominic Monaghan play in all this? Who was that guy at the end and why is he walking around in Detroit? We've only scratched the surface, and now I'm dying to hear how you all felt about the series premiere!