BuzzSugar

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:30:04 -0700

Mad Men's Christina Hendricks got hitched! Check out the wedding photos - PopSugar
Bryan Singer calls dibs on another X-Men movie - Collider
Macy's Parade turns down the cast of Glee. Huh?! - TMZ
Alicia Keys is releasing her new album on Dec. 1. Get an early listen - HitFix
Think you know your Survivor history? Take the TV trivia quiz! - TV.com
Jimmy Kimmel follows in Letterman's footsteps and admits to a relationship with a staffer - Vulture
The new Chuck season may get bumped to an earlier premiere date - Ausiello Files
Jamie Oliver is taking reality TV to America's unhealthiest city - FitSugar
The biblical story of Moses is getting Hollywood's 300-style treatment. Here are five other ancient epics that should too - Cinematical
Where the Wild Things Are and eight other books that are impossibly hard to film - MTV Movies Blog

Well, That Was Fast: Deadpool Spinoff Now in the Works

BuzzSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 10:30:41 -0700

I was just wondering which other character (after Wolverine and Magneto) in the X-Men universe should be the focus of an origins movie, and while the majority vote in that poll goes to Gambit, Fox has announced today that Deadpool will be the next character to get his own movie. Ryan Reynolds will reportedly reprise the role he brought to life in the recent box office hit X-Men Origins: Wolverine:

Deadpool is known as "the merc with a mouth," a character that under Reynolds lived up to his billing in Wolverine until the end, when the movie deviated from the comic book persona, imbuing him with several superpowers and sewing his mouth shut.

It is understood that Reynolds would regain the ability to mouth off, with the movie going back to the roots of the character known for his slapstick tone and propensity to break the fourth wall. The character also was disfigured in Wolverine, though it's unclear at this time how much the studio would want to mess with Reynolds' handsome mug.

"Slapstick tone?" "Reynolds' handsome mug?" I might just love it already. What do you think? Can Reynolds carry a whole movie like this on his own?

Photo courtesy of Fox

After Wolverine and Magneto, What Other X-Men Origin Story Do You Want to See?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 08:30:05 -0700

We have Wolverine's beginnings down at this point, thanks to this past weekend's blockbuster, and the story of how Professor X and Magneto came to be friends is already in the works. Now I'm curious which character in the X-Men universe should be next in line to get the "origins" treatment?

What about Storm's story? Her roots in Africa are intriguing. I also think it would be interesting to learn more about both Jean Grey and Cyclops's childhoods. And after seeing Deadpool and Gambit over the weekend, I think both characters have the kinds of rich backgrounds that could fill out an entire movie.

What do you think? After Wolverine and Magneto, whose origin story should Hollywood get to work on next?

Source

Box Office: Wolverine Slashes the Competition

BuzzSugar — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:24:17 -0700

Summer movie season has officially arrived, folks, and it looks like American audiences were ready for it. Hugh Jackman's X-Men Origins: Wolverine easily took the No. 1 spot over the weekend and grossed an estimated $87 million. This is good news for X-Men fans because the success of Wolverine is a "key victory for Fox, Marvel Entertainment and star Hugh Jackman, since it likely keeps the franchise alive." Woohoo!

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past also did solid business over the weekend and came in second place with an estimated $15.3 million. The top five was rounded out by Obsessed, 17 Again, and Monsters vs. Aliens in third, fourth, and fifth place respectively.

Were you one of the millions who saw Wolverine? Do you agree with the reviews?

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Wolverine: Fun, If You Don't Mind That It Makes No Sense

BuzzSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:00:14 -0700

I'm a big fan of the first couple of X-Men movies and of the comic in general. Maybe it's the ensemble cast full of cool mutant powers or the fact that the gang of superheroes includes lots of women, but I've always found this Marvel comic to be totally entertaining - not to mention great source material for movie adaptations.

Definitely one of the better parts of this franchise so far has been Hugh Jackman's take on the surly and brutishly funny Wolverine. This isn't sissy stuff - and the machismo action star gets even more extreme in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. With favorites like Storm and Rogue long gone, we zoom back in time (way back, actually: 1845) to learn how the hot-tempered Logan came to be a lot of things: a mutant with a skeletal system reinforced by adamantium, a very angry mutant, and, in the end, a hero. It's a lot of big, blockbuster fun, as long as you don't mind plot holes you could drive an 18-wheeler through. To see the rest of my thoughts, read more.

The movie starts us out somewhere in the far Northwest Territory in Canada, where a young James Howlett (later known as Wolverine) is very sick. In the first of many head-scratching moments, there's a strange paternal mixup that results in James killing a man with his mutant claws who turns out to be his father. James and his brother, Victor (later played as an adult by Liev Schreiber), then flee to the woods. Apparently the two boys, both afflicted with mutant powers (Victor sprouts catlike claws that one character later describes as "homeless lady" fingernails), grow into men who can live a long time and choose to fight in almost every American war up until Vietnam. You might have a nagging question at this point: but I thought they were Canadian? That's the voice you're going to have to turn off to enjoy this movie.

Eventually the boys become enemies - but it's revealed that all mutants in this pre-X-Men world are simply vulnerable pawns to William Stryker (played by the excellent Danny Huston), a military man who's the friend turned foe in this flick. While this is definitely Wolverine's show (we see him fall in love, lose love, seek revenge, undergo freaky scientific experiments, etc.), he assembles a crew of friends along the way, including Gambit (Taylor Kitsch), John Wraith (will.i.am), and a very funny Wade Wison (played by Ryan Reynolds, who should have had more screen time because he's so good).

Everyone turns in great performances, but Jackman, known these days for being extremely easy on the eyes - not to mention very talented at singing and dancing - slips into the role of moody lumberjack wolfman with a surprising ease. It's awesome and - not gonna lie - extremely hot. There's a lot of talk about "counterprogramming" right now, with Ghosts of Girlfriends Past offered up this weekend as an alternative for women who aren't in the mood for a superhero movie. But for the record, Jackman is shirtless and/or naked in many scenes, and that's all the counterprogramming I need.

The movie has plot holes and logic gaps to spare. It also suffers from a lack of imagination in the fight sequences, with actors tumbling through the film like some kind of poor man's Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Yet, somehow, despite those glaring flaws, this movie isn't completely brain dead and succeeds at being totally entertaining popcorn cinema. When stuff didn't make sense, my audience snickered, but then Wolverine came screaming, adamantium claws out, charging the screen, and we were jolted back into enjoying this fun flick.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Josh Schwartz Signs On for Teen-Focused X-Men

BuzzSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:38:16 -0800

I loved the first couple of movies in the X-Men series (not so much the 2006 Brett Ratner installment, but hey, we all make mistakes), and I'm a big fan of Josh Schwartz's snappy TV writing, so this seems like it could be a perfect fit: Schwartz has signed on to write X-Men: First Class, a film focusing on a younger group of X-folk. Schwartz could also direct the movie, though he so far hasn't taken Fox up on the option.

According to Variety, the idea is to focus on the younger characters - Rogue, Iceman, Kitty Pryde, etc. - from the previous films, possibly also using elements from the X-Men: First Class comic series. There's no mention of Wolverine (aka newly crowned Sexiest Man Alive High Jackman), but maybe after his X-Men Origins movie hits theaters next Spring, he'll want to stop by.

If Fox wants an X-Men that will appeal to teens while keeping its geek cred, Schwartz seems like the man for the job: Gossip Girl and The OC prove he's got a handle on teen drama, while Chuck covers the nerdy end of things. Do you think he's got the chops to lead the X-Men franchise in this new direction?

Source and Source

Reynolds, will.i.am, Kitsch Join X-Men Origins Movie

BuzzSugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:30:00 -0800

Recently the first image from the next X-Men movie, X-Men Origins: Wolverine hit the web, and now there's news of cast additions, including a Black Eyed Pea and a star of Friday Night Lights. will.i.am will make his film debut alongside Ryan Reynolds and Taylor Kitsch in Wolverine, directed by Gavin Hood (Tsotsi, Rendition).

X-Men Origins will "reveal the origins of the Wolverine character and introduce other mutants not yet seen in the "X-Men" franchise." Hugh Jackman is back as Wolverine himself. According to Variety, Kitsch will play Gambit, a "card-throwing character" that Fox and Marvel have wanted to add to the X-Men franchise for a long time.

will.i.am has the role of John Wraith, "a mutant who has the power to teleport, and is another test subject of the Weapon X program that created Wolverine and other mercenaries."

Reynolds is cast as Deadpool, "an assassin with self-healing powers." The studios have eyed this character "for some time with the idea of spinning off [Deadpool] into his own film series should the character prove popular among moviegoers." So . . . next up: X-Men Origins: Deadpool?

Source and source

Twilight Leads the People's Choice Awards Nominations

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:43:12 -0800

The 36th annual People's Choice Awards nominees are here, and last year's Twilight is leading the charge! American Idol's Kris Allen was among the announcers this morning for the nominees, which also include lots of nods for The Proposal - but of course, everyone's favorite bloodsucking love story landed in many categories, including favorite on-screen movie team.

Why didn't they look to 2009's New Moon? Because last year's nominations debuted before the first movie in the Twilight saga.

To see the full list of nominees, just read more.

MOVIES

FAVORITE MOVIE
Twilight
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Star Trek
The Hangover
The Proposal

FAMILY MOVIE
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Up
Where the Wild Things Are

COMEDY MOVIE
17 Again
Bride Wars
He's Just Not That Into You
The Hangover
The Proposal

INDEPENDENT MOVIE
(500) Days of Summer
District 9
Inglourious Basterds
Paranormal Activity
Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail

FAVORITE MOVIE FRANCHISE
Twilight
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Star Trek
Transformers
X-Men

FAVORITE MOVIE ACTOR
Brad Pitt
Hugh Jackman
Johnny Depp
Robert Pattinson
Ryan Reynolds

FAVORITE MOVIE ACTRESS
Anna Hathaway
Drew Barrymore
Jennifer Aniston
Kristen Stewart
Sandra Bullock

FAVORITE ACTION STAR
Christian Bale
Gerard Butler
Hugh Jackman
Shia LaBeouf
Vin Diesel

FAVORITE COMEDIC STAR
Adam Sandler
Ben Stiller
Jim Carrey
Ryan Reynolds
Vince Vaughn

FAVORITE BREAKOUT MOVIE ACTRESS:
Anna Kendrick
Emily Osment
Ginnifer Goodwin
Miley Cyrus
Zoe Saldana

FAVORITE BREAKOUT MOVIE ACTOR
Chris Pine
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Sam Worthington
Taylor Lautner
Zachary Quinto

FAVORITE ONSCREEN TEAM
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, Twilight
Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, will.i.am, Dominic Monaghan and Daniel Henney, X-Men Origins: Wolverine

TELEVISION

FAVORITE TV DRAMA
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Grey's Anatomy
House
Lost
NCIS

FAVORITE TV COMEDY
Desperate Housewives
How I Met Your Mother
The Big Bang Theory
The Office
Two and a Half Men

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTOR
Hugh Laurie
Kiefer Sutherland
Mark Harmon
Matthew Fox
Patrick Dempsey

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTRESS
Anna Paquin
Blake Lively
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Katherine Heigl
Mariska Hargitay

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTOR
Alex Baldwin
Charlie Sheen
Jim Parsons
Neil Patrick Harris
Steve Carell

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTRESS
Alyson Hannigan
America Ferrera
Amy Poehler
Eva Longoria Parker
Tina Fey

FAVORITE TV OBSESSION
Dexter
Gossip Girl
The Hills
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
True Blood

FAVORITE TV TALK SHOW
Chelsea Lately
Live with Regis & Kelly
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Tyra Banks Show

FAVORITE TV SCI-FI/FANTASY
Heroes
Lost
Supernatural
The Vampire Diaries
True Blood

FAVORITE TV COMPETITION SHOW
American Idol
Dancing With the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Survivor: Samoa

FAVORITE ANIMAL SHOW
Animal Cops
DogTown
Dog Whisperer
It's Me or the Dog
Rescue Ink

FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA
Eastwick
FlashForward
Melrose Place
Mercy
The Forgotten
The Good Wife
The Vampire Diaries,
Three Rivers
NCIS: Los Angeles
V

FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY
Accidentally on Purpose
Brothers
Community
Cougar Town
Glee
Hank
The Cleveland Show
The Middle
Modern Family

MUSIC

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST
Eminem
Jason Mraz
John Mayer
Keith Urban
Tim McGraw

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST
Beyonce
Britney Spears
Carrie Underwood
Pink
Taylor Swift

FAVORITE COUNTRY ARTIST
Brad Paisley
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Rascal Flatts
Taylor Swift

FAVORITE BREAKOUT MUSIC ARTIST
Adam Lambert
Demi Lovato
Kris Allen
Lady Gaga
Susan Boyle

FAVORITE HIP-HOP ARTIST
Eminem
Flo Rida
Jay-Z
Lil' Wayne
T.I.

FAVORITE ROCK BAND
Daughtry
Green Day
Kings of Leon
Muse
Paramore

FAVORITE MUSIC COLLABORATION
Cobra Starship & Leighton Meester, "Good Girls Go Bad"
Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat, "Lucky"
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West, "Run This Town"
T.I. & Rihanna, "Live Your Life"
The Lonely Island & T-Pain, "I'm on a Boat."

FAVORITE R&B ARTIST
Alicia Keys
Beyonce
Jennifer Hudson
Mariah Carey
Usher

FAVORITE POP ARTIST
Britney Spears
Katy Perry
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift
The Black Eyed Peas

FAVORITE WEB CELEB
Andy Samberg
Ashton Kutcher
Miley Cyrus
P. Diddy
Will Ferrell

Cirque du Freak: An Unnecessary Addition to Vampire Entertainment

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:30:09 -0700

With Halloween just around the corner, October is the perfect time for movie studios to unleash their creepiest films, since we're all in the mood for a good scare. Combine with that the insatiable desire for vampire entertainment, and you've got Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant; a tween fantasy movie that plays out like R.L. Stein's Goosebumps novels on the big screen - but not nearly as scary.

Based on the book series by Darren Shan, Cirque du Freak is the story of Darren (Chris Massoglia), your typical 16-year-old boy trying to quell his high school boredom. Dubbed "Mr. Perfect" by his mischievous best friend Steve, Darren follows the rules, has plenty of friends, and does whatever his parents tell him to do - that is, unless Steve can convince him otherwise. The boys pick up a flyer for the Cirque du Freak and decide to check it out.

That's just the beginning though, so to see what I thought of the film, just read more.

Things go awry when Darren finds himself tangled up in the world behind the Cirque, particularly that of Larten Crepsley, a crotchety vampire who couldn't be bothered with a teenager. When Darren gets himself into a sticky situation, the only way he can bail himself out is by selling his soul to Crepsley, becoming his half-vampire assistant.

If you thought sorting out all the vampire lore in Twilight and True Blood was confusing, get ready for the most convoluted yet. In this story, a war is brewing between two breeds: the Vampanese represent the blood-suckers that are all for killing their prey, while the run-of-the mill vamps prefer to sedate, feed, and then letting their victims return to regular life. As a half-vampire who's reluctant to lose what little human qualities he has left, Darren obviously joins Larten Crepsley's team, while his best friend Steve joins the evil Vampanese.

As for the actual Cirque du Freak, the group of misfits and outcasts are more X-Men and less Carnivale. The crew includes unusual children who were abandoned by their parents (like "Snake Boy" and "Monkey Girl"), along with a few other vaudeville acts like the Bearded Lady (Salma Hayek) and a woman who can regenerate her limbs (Jane Krakowski). Some are friendly, others are surly, but the cirque in itself is more campy than scary; little hideout is basically an island of misfit toys.

The film isn't boring, but it's not exactly packed with pizazz either. Director Paul Weitz was sure to stay on the safer side of the movie's PG-13 rating, rarely pushing the envelope on what could have been a much creepier film. John C. Reilly is always reliable for a good performance, and he has some great comedic timing as the voice of brutal honesty to Darren's naivete. Massoglia gives decent performance for a newbie, and even reminded me of a young Emile Hirsch at times. That said, the movie is also packed with confusing subplots and some truly corny dialogue that evoked collective groans from the audience.

If you're looking for a fun movie to get you into the Halloween spirit, this might do the trick. Just make sure you're in a tween state of mind.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures