BuzzSugar

Forest Whitaker to Direct and Star in Louis Armstrong Biopic

BuzzSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:37:07 PDT

It's a wonderful world for Forest Whitaker.
According to Variety, Whitaker will direct and star in a Louis Armstrong biopic titled What a Wonderful World. The story will have the help of a Paris-based production company, Legende, the company behind another musician biopic, La Vie en Rose.

Some facts:
The movie, which is "the first big-screen project to be authorized by the Armstrong estate, will kick off during the musician's impoverished early years in New Orleans and primarily chronicle his career as a trumpet virtuoso and improvisational singer."

Whitaker's thoughts:
"'Armstrong left a monumental mark on our lives and our culture,' said Whitaker, who portrayed jazz great Charlie Parker in Bird. 'He lived an amazing life and, through his art, shifted the way music was played and would be heard after him, not just here in the U.S. but all over the world.'"

What do you think of movie biopics?
Louis Armstrong's music never fails to make me happy; I can't explain why, exactly. So, I'm interested in a big film about his life. I was recently reading, however, a rundown of all the things wrong with making biopics (they are "more about the lead actor/actress than about the subject," etc.), and there are some valid points there. At the same time, I kind of can't wait to see Whitaker bring Louis Armstrong to life on the big screen. What do you think?

Source and source

In Defense of the Chronically Late Mom

BabyCenter — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:01:11 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Betsy Shaw about being late for school.

If I were to wear a scarlet letter it would be T.

T for tardy. T for turd ball. T for totally inept mother.

We are late for school with such alarming regularity it’s embarrassing. The last time we were on time, after a mini snowstorm that excited my children enough to urge them into their snowsuits and outside at 6:30 a.m., we got to school five minutes early to find it dark and empty. Delayed opening. I was apparently the only mother who didn’t get the memo.

Calling Charlie Brown…

Being late for school brings up a vicious brew of conflicting emotion in me. On the one hand I just don’t care. Life is short. Far too short to risk traumatizing your children with a bullwhip and terrorizing morning walkers and squirrels, not to mention my own white-knuckled children, speeding our way to school like Toad on a motorcar bender each weekday morning.

On the other hand I am ashamed, deeply embarrassed, to be “that mom.” All the other moms can do it, even the single ones. Why. Can’t. I? What’s wrong with me?

I complained about this once to a woman from South Carolina who I met on my Guatemala trip and she told me her school started at 7:30. She also made it clear her kids were never late.

Never late.

Keep reading for more of Betsy's reasoning for being late.

School Lunches From Around the World: How Does the US Compare?

Natasha Dantzig — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:32:50 PST

Let's eat! School lunch has become more that a simple matter of tots scarfing down some grub before returning to the playground. It's become a major public-policy debate with Michelle Obama making it her mission to see that American kids start eating healthier, more nutritious meals at that critical lunch hour. British import Jamie Oliver has also been vocal about reforming the dismal state of most US school lunches. Amid all the lunch debate, have you ever wondered what lil ones around the world are carrying in their lunch boxes? Take the following quiz and find out.

Take the Quiz

Ruth Reichl: "American Food Is the Best in the World Right Now"

Susannah Chen — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:23:06 PST

This weekend, food artisans from around the country are being honored in the second annual Good Food Awards, which celebrate American food producers who enhance the country's agricultural landscape and help to build community. While the awards are relatively new to the gastronomic landscape, they're already backed by some of the country's biggest food influencers, such as Whole Foods, and seminal culinary figures, like Ruth Reichl.
Ruth is currently the editorial adviser at Gilt Taste, another cosponsor of this weekend's Good Food Awards. The author, former New York Times food critic, and final Gourmet editor sat down with me over dinner at Mission Chinese Food to talk more about good food and future projects.

YumSugar: Tell me about the partnership between Gilt Taste and the Good Food Awards. How did it come about?
Ruth Reichl: I've known Sarah [Weiner, the director] for a long time, and we've been talking about this for a long time. When I went to Gilt Taste, it just seemed like a seamless, natural partnership, finding and supporting food artisans in America.

YS: You're the keynote speaker at this year's Good Food Awards. What kind of a legacy do these awards create?
RR: It's hard for younger people to understand how bad things were in America, a time when all food was essentially industrial. There were no farmers markets. I have an interview with Wolfgang Puck that I did in 1982 where he goes, "Six years ago, there was no decent food in America." Now, there's this explosion of farmers markets, and while so much of the world is abandoning their food heritage, Americans are reclaiming theirs before it gets lost . . . We have these two completely parallel, simultaneous, and opposite tracks: on the one hand, people with money who eat organic, sustainable, handmade food. But if you're a poor person, you're stuck eating stuff that's cheaper than food and that will kill you. Food safety in this country becomes a worse and worse issue; we import more and more food; 80 percent of the antibiotics in this country go to perfectly healthy animals. We have a real crisis on the one hand - and on the other hand, we have, for the first time, an awareness of it. Which is quite stunning.

I really do think American food is the best in the world right now, because of the people making the kind of food that goes to the Good Food Awards. We have to nurture it, and make sure that it doesn't just stay with us in this little enclave.

YS: There's movement toward eating a plant-based diet. What do you think of that?

To find out her answer, keep reading.

Inspired Painted Stair Runners

OnSugar — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:00:36 PST

Here's a post from OnSugar blog House of Anaïs:

I slipped in the stairs today, which made me think that it would be great to have a stair runner - nothing boring but something great with stripes in red or shades of pink or similar. So I started browsing runners, but got sidetracked and found all these cute and cool painted stairs and runners.

They are absolutely fantastic - some fun and funky, other artistic masterpieces and tour guides to wonders of the world - and all of them definitely a result of lots of tears and sweat!

Make sure to read the rest of the post from OnSugar blog House of Anaïs:

Like what you see? Start following House of Anaïs to read more! Or start your own OnSugar blog, and maybe it will be featured here as well!

Downton Abbey Beauty: No Mascara, Please, We're Edwardians

Allure — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:05:00 PST

We're excited to present this story from our friends at Allure:

Fans of the PBS blockbuster Downton Abbey don't need us to tell them that season two has arrived, ending a painfully long wait for the return of the period drama set in a spectacular English country house stuffed with spoiled aristos and scheming servants. How ever did we survive? One bright spot was the video parody that appeared on YouTube with Joanna Lumley, of Absolutely Fabulous fame, playing an Edwardian housekeeper with Sephora tastes.

"Is that lipstick you're wearing?," a butler asks disapprovingly.

"Just a bit of gloss," replies Lumley. "Her ladyship doesn't mind."

The joke left us wondering what the Crawley sisters of Downton might actually have have in their medicine cabinets; or rather at the mirrored vanities where they seem to linger for hours, as a loyal maid brushes out their hair and listens to their secrets. That part, as it happens, has the ring of truth: Edwardian ladies never (no, never) cut their hair, according to makeup artists who work on the show, which has an on-set historian to police every gesture and costume. Find out what they had to say about Edwardian beauty now.

Wabi-Sabi Design Uncovered

Anna Monette Roberts — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:26:52 PST

We've seen a lot of wabi-sabi design out there - but not a lot of explanation. If you're scratching your head wondering what wabi-sabi is, here's your chance to learn a little something new about this ancient Japanese style. While it includes an entire Japanese philosophy of living, wabi-sabi also applies to a specific design style that celebrates rustic imperfection, mismatched items, and simplicity. Wabi-sabi is a sort of yin and yang balance, because designs are simultaneously structured and simple while weathered and irregular. Accepting transience of the material world, wabi-sabi recognizes that the world is an imperfect place and that material goods wear away and change form over time.

Rather than seeking design perfection or preservation of material things, wabi-sabi submits to the ephemerality of material items. All things gradually and naturally change over time - be it a chip in a ceramic bowl, a scrape across a leather sofa, or the fading colors in a woven fabric. In the philosophy of wabi-sabi, these imperfect items are actually seen as more valuable and interesting! If this style appeals to you, learn how you can easily decorate your house with wabi-sabi design.

Keira Knightley Compares and Contrasts Costars Jude Law and Michael Fassbender

Allie Merriam — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:12:00 PST

Keira Knightley stars as patient-turned-psychiatrist Sabina Spielrein in David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method, which expands into theaters across the country this week. The film came out in limited release last Fall, and quickly earned notoriety for the racy sex scenes Keira shares with her hot costar Michael Fassbender, who plays Carl Jung.

Yesterday, Keira spoke about working with both Michael and David. Keira shared excitement for the critical acclaim Michael's earned for another daring performance in Shame, a movie she liked quite a bit. She also spoke about her other upcoming projects, Seeking a Friend at the End of the World, the directorial debut from Lorene Scafaria featuring Steve Carell, and a remake of Anna Karenina. The later film sees Keira paired up with director Joe Wright for the third time, after Atonement and Pride & Prejudice, as well as leading man Jude Law. Keira said:

On having reservations about the spanking scenes in DM: "I was 95% going to say yes as soon as my agent said, 'Look, David Cronenberg is going to offer you a film.' . . . I did have reservations about the masochistic scenes. I actually spoke to him about it and said, 'I love the script, but I'm not sure I can do this because of these scenes. I'm not quite sure I want to go there.' And he said, 'If that stops you playing the part, that would be a tragedy so let's just take them out.' And I thought that was an amazing thing for him offer. We just talked and talked, and once he's made it clear he didn't want it to be voyeuristic and sexy, he wanted them to be kind of more clinical, I thought I might as well go for it."
On similarities between Jude and Michael: "No! No. Jude's a proper actor - he's wonderful to work with. He's a proper actor, I mean they all are . . . Michael works in a much more muscular way. Everything turns into muscle memory. He works a script, and works a script. Jude does a lot of theater so he comes from the preparation side - like a rehearsal room. He's really open to it, and he asks a lot of questions on that day. He's just phenomenal. So no there aren't any similarities, but they're all very good actors."
On first-time director Lorene: "She's just fab - she's great. She's completely the reason I think everybody signed up to do the movie. The script was wonderful. It was one of the best scripts I've ever read. The dialogue was brilliant, and the concept behind it was amazing. I haven't seen the finished article yet. I'm seeing it [today] so that's really exciting. She's an amazing woman, an amazing talent. On set, to think it was her first film - you'd never have guessed it. She was so cool, she knew exactly what she wanted, she was unbelievably fast, she was completely amazing. So hopefully it will work!"
On what she's excited to see succeed during award season: "I was really excited about Shame, because given the nature of it and the subject matter of it, quite often those ones get passed by. I think Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady. That performance was amazing. That was very good. I haven't seen The Artist yet, but I'm really looking forward to seeing that."

To read Keira's thoughts on Michael in Shame, working with the "lovely" Steve Carell, and wrapping Anna Karenina, just keep reading.

5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Started Running

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:07:23 PST

When I first started running, I hated it. I suffered from blisters, unsupported bosoms, and irritated skin from seams, and it seemed insanely hard. I wish someone had sat me down and told me these basic tips and tricks to help smooth my transition from non-runner to runner. If you're just starting out on your own journey pounding the pavement or treadmill belt, here are things you should know about running.

It Gets Easier
As with most things, the more you do it, the easier it becomes. To strengthen your muscles, acclimate your heart and lungs, and increase your endurance, run at least three times a week. Start off with a doable distance such as two miles. Once that distance feels good, gradually increase your mileage. The key is to move at a comfortable pace for a reasonable amount of time. If you do too much too soon, you could end up with an injury or a deep hatred for the sport.

You Don't Have to Wear Two Sports Bras
If you're well-endowed, running can be painful. I wore two sports bras for the longest time because I couldn't find one that prevented the uncomfortable bounce. A cheap cotton sports bra from Target just won't do. You might have to spend $50 or more, but it's worth it when you only have to wear one bra you trust. Here are some sports bras to choose from.

Keep reading to find out other running tips for beginners.

One Editor, One $500 Budget - See How She Spends It!

Christina Perez — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:24:11 PST

Ever wonder how a fashion editor determines her favorite items and top picks? It's essentially our job to shop - to sift through the newest of the new, the chicest of the chic, the most-wanted of the wanted. Every day we scour the four corners of the shopping world - from huge e-commerce sites to the tiniest indie boutique - to find you the pieces you didn't even know you needed. That said, it's hard not to shop for ourselves when we're constantly inundated with all those amazing goods. In this new series, we challenge our editors to spend $500 on their Winter wardrobes - just to see what they would pick for themselves. Next up, Christina Pérez, associate editor at our sister site, Fashionologie. Click through to see how she spends her money now.

I tend to gravitate toward pretty simple items that I know will mix easily with things I already own. I like clean shapes, tactile fabrics, and neutral colors - with a gorgeous print or bold hue thrown in here and there for good measure. When I'm shopping, I try to think "versatility" - if I can think of several ways to wear one item, then I know it was meant to be mine.
Photo: Thomas Beckner