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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:30:04 PST

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.

Breaking Bad: Season One
You know, I was just talking about the upcoming Breaking Bad marathon airing Friday, March 6, but if you don't feel like clogging up the old TiVo with more stuff, now you can just bring home the first season on DVD.

I think of this show as the other critically acclaimed AMC series that isn't Mad Men - it even snagged an Emmy back in September. I know a lot of people who haven't gotten into this show yet and I'm determined to change that. Maybe they haven't heard what it's about yet: A high school chemistry teacher who teams up with his former student to produce and distribute meth. It's good TV! Season two starts March 8 at 10 p.m. so now is the time to catch up.

Special features include audio commentary on the pilot episode by the creator and cast, screen tests, and deleted scenes.

Two more good ones up next, so

What Just Happened
This dark comedy was a fairly big deal at last year's Sundance due largely to Robert DeNiro, and then the film slipped off my radar completely. But that's what's fun about New DVD Tuesday: It makes you go "Ohhh, yeeeah". . . especially when you've already seen everything else.

Here's the Netflix plot description: "Harried film producer Ben (Robert DeNiro) juggles a lunatic director, a temperamental actor (Bruce Willis) and an out-of-control production while courting a studio head (Catherine Keener) and dealing with his ex-wife (Robin Wright Penn) in Barry Levinson's funny and poignant exploration of the movie business." Sounds like a nice chaser to awards season, wouldn't you say?

Special features include commentary with Barry Levinson and writer/producer Art Linson, deleted scenes, and casting sessions (I love these!)

Sumer Heights High
There's good TV, and then there's the kind of TV I want on hand at home so I can watch it over and over again and Summer Heights High is totally the latter. I practically die of laughter at this show because of how absurd and slyly witty it is.

The Australian series is a "mockumentary" about public high school that aired on HBO this year. Chris Lilley, an Australian comic who's been described as "his country's Peter Sellers," plays all three of Summer Heights High's main characters. I can't even explain how funny he is.

Special features include over three and a half hours of deleted scenes and outtakes.

Movie Preview: What Just Happened?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:29:59 PDT

What Just Happened? was a fairly big deal at this year's Sundance mostly because of Robert De Niro who is at the center of this strange comedy. It's a Hollywood satire that some people will probably appreciate more than others, and the reviews I've read of the film have said there may be too many "insider" jokes about "the industry" for most people, but that otherwise it's a great movie.

The story follows "two weeks in the life of a fading Hollywood producer (De Niro) who's having a rough time trying to get his new picture made." Sean Penn plays himself, as does Bruce Willis (pretty hilariously, it seems) and Twilight's Bella, Kristen Stewart, also stars in the film, which opens October 3.

To check out the funny/odd trailer for What Just Happened?,

Source

"I'm a 20-Something Seeking Literary Wisdom"

Tres Community — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:05:00 PDT

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

I'll keep it brief, because I imagine my issue is one that virtually all women go through at multiple stages of life... Basically, I'm at a certain "milestone" in my life - my first career after college, my first time on my own, my first time having to be an adult in every sense of the word.

Call it a quarter-life crisis, or just a growing pain, but I'm having some seriously deep introspections about who I am, who I want to be, what I want out of life, what I value, what I don't, my place in the world . . . you name it, I'm thinking about it. I'm exploring my spirituality, my needs in love and my career, my general expectations for life. It's exhausting!

I don't want advice on how YOU answered these questions. What I WOULD love are some recommendations for a good book that tackles the issue of identity and, preferably, womanhood. Or any books that you've found to have a profound effect on your own identity and soul-searching. Something that helps us explore who we are and practice the cultivation of sense of self and self-love.

Maybe it is a lofty goal to find all of this in a book . . . but I can't afford therapy. Thanks!

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.

"I'm Not Sure What I Want Anymore"

Tres Community — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:30:54 PDT

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

I am having a hard time making some big decisions in my life right now. My boyfriend and I are currently long distance, but we were together for over two years before that. After he moved, we stayed together for a while and then broke up for a few months because of the distance and unclear future. We got back together at the end of last year and have been trying to make things work since then. We're both aware that we need to be in the same city to make things work, and I started making plans to accomplish that. The thing is, I'm not sure I want to leave. Or rather, I'm pretty sure I don't. I love where I live, I am lucky enough to have an amazing job with advancement potential, and if I do move, I'll be giving all of that up and starting over.

To add another layer, our relationship is not without its issues. When we were in the same place, there was a fair amount of drama, and in the time we were broken up, I was with someone else, and this has caused trust issues and hurt feelings. In spite of this, we love each other, and I want to marry him and start a family. I know that because of his ties to where he is living now, he will not move, so it's up to me to go there, and not vice versa. I told myself that the move was something I was willing to do so we could be together, but that I wouldn't do it without knowing he was really in it and wanted the same future I do.

Recently, though, I've been feeling like I don't want to move at all, and wondering why I should be the one to do it if we both want the relationship to work. I guess I'm just trying to figure out if I should end things and hope that we can remain friends, or if I should suck it up and move for a future I hope we'll have.

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.

"I Snooped and Found Something . . . Now What?"

Tres Community — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:05:00 PDT

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

I'll try my best to make this short. I really appreciate any and all advice here, I am so stumped on what to do.

My boyfriend and I have been together for about three months now. I'm 24 he is 28. We met at work, and were not really friends before we started dating. So basically I have some trust issues because I don't really know much about his dating life before we got together, other than the fact that he was kind of a player.

We have an interesting relationship. Most of the time we are great, have a good time together. He told me he loved me first, probably about two months in. That was a big deal for him because he had only said it to one girl before, and they dated for five years.

A couple weeks ago we had a bad string of fights about all sorts of things, but the past couple weeks have been great with no problems.

I'm not really sure how much of this back story is relevant, but there it is anyway lol.

So back to my trust issues.... I snooped in his phone last night because I just had a bad feeling. I know it's totally wrong and an invasion of privacy, but I couldn't help it. Anyways, I found something. A text conversation between him and another girl from last Saturday late night / Sunday afternoon.

This conversation happened when he was away at a bachelor party all weekend on a boat with a bunch of guys. I was under the impression that he didn't have cell phone service out there, so seeing that he was talking to anyone was kind of a shock, because I didn't hear from him until Monday, only one little text on Saturday.

He initiated the convo, asking for her to send him a video. She responded that her boyfriend probably wouldn't like the type of video he was trying to get her to send. He then asked her for a picture of her boobs the next afternoon. Thankfully she didn't send one. The whole convo was only around 10 texts, and in it he also made a comment implying that he didn't have a girlfriend.

I don't want to be conceited, but I'm an attractive girl. This girl he was talking to is really not that pretty and also pretty white trash.

Also I'm not a prude, we have a great sex life and see each other all the time, so it's not like he's missing anything in that department. I had actually sent him a naked picture two days before this, so why would he go asking another girl for the same thing?

I'm so confused. I really don't know what to do in this situation, so please if anyone has been there, let me know how you handled it. I really want to trust him deep down, and don't think he's actually cheating on me, but this is definitely not ok behavior. What do I do?

Thanks for any help!

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.

"My Co-Worker Has Feelings For My Boyfriend"

Tres Community — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:05:45 PDT

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

I desperately need some advice. Here goes . . .

Me, my friend, and new boyfriend work at the same workplace. My friend is pretty close to my boyfriend as they work in the same department. I was fine with this before I found out she had a crush on him at the same time as me. It all started when I told her that I had a crush on this guy. I told him how I felt, and we eventually started dating. She then told me that she had a crush on him the same time I did. Even though she had a bf at the time, and she knew that I liked him, she still told him how she felt about him. He didn't respond to her feelings. I had no idea about this until we went on our first date, and my friend told me the next day.

I have never had a problem with their friendship until now. They spend a lot of time together at work (he spends his lunchtime with her), and he never makes any effort to see me at work. I am really uncomfortable about them together now that I know how she once felt, and I can't help but feel anxiety. Am I wrong to feel this way? She has become colder toward me since we started dating, and I don't think she realizes it. I can't go on dating him knowing that they go for coffee together after work and they spend a lot of time together at work.

I have doubts about this guy anyway because he ignores me at work (he wants to keep us a secret because he is worried that we will lose credibility) yet he spends all his spare time with my friend. He texts me once a day (yes, really!) and does not phone. I don't mind that, but it just adds to my doubts about him. Am I being paranoid?

Please help me.

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.

"I Want to Include My Long-Distance BF in Wedding Planning"

Tres Community — Sat, 19 May 2012 03:05:51 PDT

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

Hey, all. I'm thrilled to be engaged to my guy, and we are getting married in a few months. We presently live an ocean apart. I've got loads of support with planning (thank goodness, as I'm not particularly equipped when it comes to weddings), but my dilemma comes from making sure my guy feels included, without feeling bombarded.

Because we have the challenge of distance, we talk - a LOT. I don't want to turn our conversations into glaze-eyed wedding rambles, but I am hoping people out there will have suggestions on how I can include him. One thing I've done is postpone meal selections until he arrives two weeks prior, so he and I can try things out together. But I can't leave everything until the last minute. Since he's a guy, my usual question is, "Do you care about . . . X?" (invitations, cake, etc.) and if he says no, then I just go with it. But ultimately, I do want him to feel included, so he's not just turning up; already the guest list is 98 percent my side! Anyone have any creative suggestions as to how I might make sure he feels involved - as much as a guy wants to be?!

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.

Grey's Anatomy Season Finale Rundown, "Flight"

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:18:05 PDT

It's hard for me to even write this recap because I'm so mad at Grey's Anatomy right now. The death of a major character in the season finale has been teased for weeks, but it's not left until the episode's final moments. In fact, it happens in the first 20 minutes, and once it does, it's hard to focus on anything else.

I'll save my spoilers for below the break, but this is definitely one of the most affecting and frustrating episodes Grey's Anatomy has ever seen, and considering there's been a ferry crash, bomb scares, and a Seattle Grace shooter, that's saying a lot. As Cristina astutely observes, "I don't understand how this keeps happening." There's a lot to go over, like the plane crash, the fate of the residents, and what we'll be wondering about all Summer long, so let's get the depressing party started when you

I hope you're ready for a rant, because I couldn't be more upset about Lexie's death. She's one of the few characters that I've continued to root for and sympathize with over the years, and her will-they-or-won't-they with Mark is one of the biggest reasons I still loved the show this season. Yes, she and Mark got a bittersweet farewell in which he finally confesses his feelings for her, but I just sat there wishing she'd miraculously wake up right up until the final scene. I applaud Shonda Rhimes and the rest of the show's writers for taking big risks that will seriously impact the audience, but right now I feel more like I've been punished for sticking with this show for so long.
You'd think with Lexie's quick death, the rest of the doctors in the crash would be in the clear for the rest of the episode, but that's not so. Meredith and Cristina seem to be OK, but Arizona's got a hideous gash in her leg, Mark's teetering on the brink of death, and Derek may very well lose his hand. For a second I thought we were going to lose Mark too in a sort of Romeo and Juliet move from the writers, but we don't even get closure on what will happen to the current survivors. Which brings us to the next question: how will the surgeons get out of this mess? And will everyone besides Lexie survive?
One doctor we won't be seeing more of is Teddy, who gets a job offer to serve her country again. She passes up the opportunity, and when Owen questions her loyalty, she admits that she's staying to watch over Owen since Cristina is on her way out. Owen then pulls out the trump card and fires Teddy so she'll be forced to leave the hospital. Though she's angry at first, it's clear that she's actually relieved to be leaving the hospital where Henry died. I've always liked having Kim Raver on the show, but Teddy's storyline hit its peak with her marriage to Henry, and has been kind of stale ever since his death. That said, I'm glad the door is still open for her to return.
Both Karev and Jackson decide to leave Seattle Grace for Johns Hopkins and Tulane, respectively. Karev leaves Arizona a voicemail explaining that he needs to see what he's made of without his mentor, while Jackson just seems to want to get away from all of the Seattle Grace drama, April included. As for April, she's hating life because she's not a virgin and she didn't pass her boards, and because Jackson is leaving. So that leaves us with Teddy, Jackson, Karev, and April all flying the coop. If all of these characters (plus Lexie) are really gone for good, there had better be an impressive lineup of new cast members coming in for season nine.
There's one silver lining in this dark cloud of an episode, and that's Bailey's happiness with Ben. She's one of the few characters whose problems seem completely trivial this week (what with her life not being in jeopardy and all). Though Ben is moving to LA, she's agreed to marry him and do a long-distance relationship - and she actually seems pretty content. In a way, it almost feels like this is Bailey's redemption for the trauma she experienced in the season six shooter finale. Not only is she completely uninvolved with the plane crash, but she actually gets a happy ending. At least until she finds out that most of her friends have been in yet another horrific accident.

This season finale definitely ranks high on the scale of shocking finales. Are you as bummed as I am about Lexie's death? Which characters do you think will still be around next season?

How Not to Destroy Your Marriage

The Good Men Project — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:30:42 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Today, Mark Tyrrell offers eight relationship tools to make your marriage work.

"All marriages are happy. It's the living together afterward that causes all the trouble." - Raymond Hull

So how do you make your marriage work? Or do you just blindly hope it'll take care of itself?

Think of a hot, successful date with someone you’re attracted to. You have fun, great conversation and more sexual chemistry than a warehouse full of pheromones. You don’t have to “work at” the date because it’s self sustaining. It runs as smoothly as the gliding hand of a classical guitar maestro and you can’t wait for another rendition.

Teenage Dating in a Twilight-Hunger Games World

But marriage, or any long term relationship; well that’s a whole other caboodle.

If we’re not careful, marriage can deteriorate into little more than a torturous assault course; littered with routine boredoms, frustrations and resentments. Couple all that with external pressures and sometimes marriage feels not worth the effort. But there are major benefits to being hitched or committed, other than just a beneficial tax regime.

Healthy marriage; healthy people.

Being happily married bestows heaps of health benefits. You might be forgiven for thinking that if you’re married you don’t live longer it just seems like it but, no, a good marriage really can help you clock up more years (1) and married people are happier (2) even though they don’t always look it from the outside.

But when marriage doesn’t work it can feel being manacled to a maniac, marooned with a misogynist or nailed to a nag. And I don’t care what the studies say, that’s not healthy. You may hear couples say stuff like: “We are making our marriage work!” but how do we do this?

Making it work.

We pay lip service to “working on the marriage” but what is the work we need to do? Marriage vows such as “to love and to cherish” and “forsaking all others, for better or for worse” don’t really tell us how to make it work, although they give us a clue.

Fortunately a ton of research has been done on what to do and not do to make your marriage, or any intimate relationship work. Follow the guidelines here to become “good at marriage."

Tip one: Be romantic but keep it real.

We are all (force?) fed romance in movies and novels. The handsome man gets the beautiful woman. But what I wonder is what happens after our romantic couple ride off into the sunset together? What do they do exactly? Bicker? Moan at one another? Start to ignore each other?

After all that romance, our beautiful couple is bound to have massive expectations of their life together. But when rose tinted expectations clash with day to reality, watch out!

Romance is vital in any relationship. Always seeing the best in your partner helps to keep things intimate and love should be expressed. But if you have been raised on Mills and Boon Romance novels or feel-good movies, then your own romantic expectations can work against the sustainability of your long term relationship.

When day to day life fails to live up to the giddy, heady lust-filled days of the pre-settled down romance people can become angry, even blame one another: “This wasn’t what I signed up for." They find it hard to take the rough with the smooth because they never really figured there would be any rough.

Expectations not diluted with at least a dash of realism can be a royal road to relationship ruin. Your partner may be an angel, but they have feet of clay. You must learn to love those feet or at least accept them a bit!

Get the rest after the jump!

Battleship: Needs a Lifesaver

Maggie Pehanick — Fri, 18 May 2012 06:00:00 PDT

I don't remember aliens making an appearance in my own childhood sessions with Battleship, but I suppose when you try to make a toy into a feature-length film, you're afforded a few liberties. Unfortunately, the producers of Battleship may have spent too much time finding creative ways to explode things and not enough time on a plot, ending up with underutilized actors, in a wishy-washy destruction story.

Battleship starts out in 2005, when the US establishes the Beacon Project, an effort to reach out to potential life forms on a planet that has a similar climate as the Earth. The government sets up a powerful signal on Hawaii capable of sending transmissions to the foreign territory. Little do they know the frequencies are being received, and not by friendly folks. Enter brothers Alex (Taylor Kitsch) and Stone (Alexander Skarsgard). Stone is clean-cut and responsible while Alex is generally a mess. We first meet them in a bar scene that turns to Alex breaking into a convenience store to steal a chicken burrito for his future girlfriend, Sam (Brooklyn Decker). Thanks to Kitsch's surprising physical comedy skills, the scene is the highlight of the movie. It all goes to the aliens after that.

Read the rest of my thoughts on Battleship after the break.