BuzzSugar

Link Time! Soupy Sales Passes Away

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:30:25 -0700

Comedian Soupy Sales dies at 83 - Movieline
Fargo Rock City, Chuck Klosterman's novel, is being turned into a movie - The A.V. Club
Sylvester Stallone is working on Rocky 7 - Worst Previews
Here's a schedule for upcoming Halloween episodes and specials - TV.com
Melrose Place's Colin Egglesfield reveals how he feels about losing his role on the show - Watch With Kristin
Justin Theroux is producing a comedy called Air Guitar - Coming Soon
Tracey Morgan has some really sweet words about Lorne Michaels (but don't worry, there's still swearing) - Vulture
Amelia director Mira Nair says Amelia Earhart was modern and would be considered an iconoclast now - TrèsSugar
HBO series In Treatment is getting a third season - HitFix
Joss Whedon talks about Dollhouse's absence from November sweeps - MTV Movies Blog

Link Time! Jim Sturgess and Kirsten Dunst Cast in Upside Down

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:38:51 -0700

Jim Sturgess and Kirsten Dunst will star in Upside Down, a romantic sci-fi fantasy - Coming Soon
Lisa Kudrow is developing TV comedy Rapture for Showtime - Variety
Dollhouse is being pulled during sweeps, which could signal its cancellation - The Ausiello Files
Check out these new stills of Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, and Emily Blunt in The Wolfman - MTV Movies Blog
An Education originally had a different ending - Movieline
Watch Rainn Wilson's funny new commercials for the NBA - Best Week Ever
Ryan Murphy is writing an episode of Glee that mocks the show's real-life denial for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - The TV Column
Bravo has picked up a second season of Top Chef Masters - YumSugar
Before the release of Saw VI, here are six terrible sixth sequels - Rotten Tomatoes
A list of TV's memorable dumb jocks - TV.com
20 of the worst horror movies ever made - Moviefone

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:30:52 -0700

Check out the Dear John poster with Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried - Cinematical
The New Moon soundtrack is moving up its release to Oct. 16, four days early - PopSugar Rush
Supermarket tabloid Weekly World News might get a TV show - Movieline
Carrie Underwood is getting her own variety show on Fox - TV Squad
Watch the sneak peek of Neil Patrick Harris voicing the evil Music Meister on The Cartoon Network's Batman - The Ausiello Files
Cancelled show Southland might be moving to TNT - Vulture
Reno 911 and The State's Thomas Lennon has been tapped for his own NBC comedy - Coming Soon
Janet Jackson's greatest hits collection will contain a new single - Zap 2 It
Fox reassures fans that it'll show all 13 of this season's episodes of Dollhouse - The AV Club
The top five movie gunfights, with video clips - Rotten Tomatoes

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:40:23 -0700

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:30:52 -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. HBO's The Alzheimer's Project is also out on DVD.

Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5
One of SciFi's (or, sorry, SyFy's) signature and most critically acclaimed series, Battlestar Galactica, ended this year. Now you can own the DVD and complete your collection, or if you're catching up with the series, you can add to your queue and witness the wrap-up for yourself.

Since I haven't seen it yet, here's how Netflix describes the final season: "Dire new challenges to the tenuous human-Cylon truce that has enabled them all to reach Earth, where they encounter a world vastly different than they expected. As revolt spreads throughout the fleet, the final Cylon model is revealed, and the ultimate fate of both races hangs in the balance. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell star."

There are DVD extras aplenty, including deleted scenes, several unaired extended episodes, commentary with producers and show directors, David Eick's video blogs, and a featurette titled "A Look Back."

Two more up next, so read more.

Fast and Furious
A lot of people went to see this movie when it hit theaters. It was like the Paul Blart: Mall Cop of action movies this year. Anyway, here's how Netflix describes the "plot": "Fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) must team with his old nemesis Agent Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) and take on a common enemy in the latest full-throttle installment of the speed-racing franchise. Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster reprise their roles as Letty and Mia, respectively, in the action adventure, which features pulse-pounding convoy heists and precision tunnel crawls."

Check out these featurettes: "Los Bandoleros: Vin Diesel's original short film provides an exciting back-story of characters and the need for fuel that sets up the explosive land train heist in Fast and Furious," (ha!) "Under the Hood-Muscle Cars: A look at some of the muscle cars in the film including the return of Vin Diesel's iconic Charger," and "Driving School With Vin Diesel: Vin Diesel hits the track to brush up on his stunt driving."

28%

Dollhouse: Season One
People often, you know, do stuff on Friday nights and may not have seen this latest and greatest TV creation from Buffy mastermind Joss Whedon just yet. Despite its flaws, I really got into this show! The first season really improves about four or five episodes in, so this is one of those instances when you have to hang in there and trust that it gets pretty interesting, especially if you are into science fiction.

Eliza Dushku plays Echo, part of a group of people whose personalities are wiped clean from their brains so that they can be imprinted as lots of different people. Sometimes these people are cool (super smart detective types) and sometimes they are, well, creepy, and used for nefarious purposes, like sex. In this first season we learn about the mysterious history of who Echo really is, as well as the dark secrets hidden inside the Dollhouse.

Special features include the original unaired pilot titled "Echo," deleted scenes, and the making of Dollhouse.

Comic-Con Day Two Closes At the Dollhouse

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:00:20 -0700

I wrapped up another long but amazing day at Comic-Con with the Dollhouse panel. Joss Whedon was a character as always, and both he and Eliza Dushku constantly reiterated how thankful they are to their fans for saving their near-canceled show. We were treated to screening of season one's "lost" episode, "Epitaph One." It was eye-opening to say the least, set in the year 2019 and showing a far different world than what we saw in the first episode. Here are a few highlights from what we learned:

Naturally, there were lots of questions for Joss about Buffy and his affinity for recycling his favorite actors. He revealed that Alexis Denisof will be joining the cast next season, and Eliza chimed in about being excited to kick his ass. Apparently Joss is also trying to get Summer Glau on board.
Spoiler alert! According to Joss, Victor is going to get better quickly.
Eliza on which characters she enjoyed playing most: "I'm a tomboy, so I do like when I'm in action, and I loved 'Man on the Street.' I loved all the characters in that. Joss loved the doily dress so much. I also had a really nice time shooting 'Haunted' with Olivia Williams. The last episode was kind of awesomeness as well."
Joss on how the theme of social justice is portrayed in the show: "More and more, we're interested in dealing with the abuse of power and the various ways that people can do that and what it can really bring out in characters when they are pushed to the edge."
Finally, Joss played coy about what we can expect in season two but did say that "no one is to be trusted, especially in the Dollhouse" and revealed that the audience will begin to question the veracity of the character's memories.

Sounds like there's plenty of fun in store for season two. Be sure to keep checking back in for more updates live from Comic-Con!

Photo courtesy of Fox

TV News: Casting, Recasting, and Some Dream Casting

BuzzSugar — Thu, 28 May 2009 11:30:03 -0700

We now mostly know what shows will be on our TVs come Fall - but who will be starring in them? After pilot season comes a flurry of casting and recasting, as actors whose shows didn't get picked up look for work and networks change up the lineups on some of the forthcoming series. Today, there's word of a big casting, some recastings, and Joss Whedon's dream casting:

The casting: Freddie Prinze Jr.'s ABC comedy pilot wasn't picked up, but the actor didn't have to wait long for a job: He's joining the cast of 24 as a Marine who dreams of becoming a sort of Jack Bauer Jr. He joins a growing number of new cast members for the season, including Anil Kapoor, John Boyd, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Jennifer Westfeldt.
The recastings: A few pilots-turned-series are already searching for replacements for their lead actors. Among those now out of work: Julia Ormond, who was supposed to play the head of surgery in CBS's Three Rivers, and two lead actors in ABC's The Forgotten, Reiko Aylesworth and Rupert Penry-Jones.
The dream casting: Summer Glau is out of work following the cancellation of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, but Joss Whedon might have a job for her. As you read this, he's trying to come up with just the right role to get her onto Dollhouse next season. He doesn't really want her to play an active, though - so what else could you picture her doing on the show?

Source

Fox's Fall Schedule: More Dance, More Dollhouse

BuzzSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 08:50:24 -0700

Fox kicked off network Upfront week in New York this morning by announcing its Fall schedule, and here's a headline right off the bat: So You Think You Can Dance, Fox's summertime dance competition show, is getting a Fall edition as well.

The show will air in an American Idol-like fashion, with a two-hour performance show on Tuesdays and a one-hour results show on Wednesdays. That Wednesday show will lead into Glee, the musical dramedy that has its sneak peek after Idol this week.

One of the more surprising stories is the renewal of Dollhouse, which was thought to be a longshot before a flurry of renewal rumors started up over the weekend. It keeps its spot on Friday nights, and two comedies will lead into it: 'Til Death and the new show Brothers starring ex-NFL player Michael Strahan. Another new comedy, the animated The Cleveland Show, will join the Sunday lineup in the Fall.

A few other big notes: Fringe will move into the already crowded Thursday arena, airing at 9 p.m. House will be paired with Lie to Me on Mondays in the Fall and with 24 in the Winter. And the Winter will also see the launch of three new shows: the reincarnation drama Past Life on Tuesdays, the comic book adaptation Human Target on Wednesdays, and the comedy Sons of Tucson on Sundays.

I'll be back with some analysis later, but to see the full schedule and Fox's descriptions of the new shows, just read more.

The Fall

MONDAY
8 p.m. House
9 p.m. Lie to Me

TUESDAY
8 p.m. So You Think You Can Dance performance show

WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. So You Think You Can Dance results show
9 p.m. Glee

THURSDAY
8 p.m. Bones
9 p.m. Fringe

FRIDAY
8 p.m. Brothers
8:30 p.m. 'Til Death
9 p.m. Dollhouse

SATURDAY
8 p.m. Cops
8:30 p.m. Cops
9 p.m. America's Most Wanted
11 p.m. The Wanda Sykes Show
12 a.m. Encores of animated shows

SUNDAY
7 p.m. NFL post-game
8 p.m. The Simpsons
8:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show
9 p.m. Family Guy
9:30 p.m. American Dad

The Winter

MONDAY
8 p.m. House
9 p.m. 24

TUESDAY
8 p.m. American Idol performance show
9 p.m. Past Life

WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. American Idol results show
9 p.m. Human Target (Winter) / Glee (Spring)

THURSDAY
8 p.m. Bones
9 p.m. Fringe

FRIDAY
8 p.m. Brothers
8:30 p.m. 'Til Death
9 p.m. Dollhouse

SATURDAY
8 p.m. Cops
8:30 p.m. Cops
9 p.m. America's Most Wanted
11 p.m. The Wanda Sykes Show
12 a.m. Encores of animated shows

SUNDAY
7 p.m. Encores of animated shows
7:30 p.m. American Dad
8 p.m. The Simpsons
8:30 p.m. Sons of Tucson
9 p.m. Family Guy
9:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show

The new shows

Glee: McKinley High School’s Glee Club used to be at the top of the show choir world, but years later, it has turned into a haven for misfits and social outcasts. But at McKinley, things for the Glee Club are about to change. From Ryan Murphy, the creator of “Nip/Tuck,” comes Glee, an uplifting comedy musical series with biting humor that features a soundtrack of hit music from past to present. The show follows an optimistic high school teacher as he tries to refuel his own passion for singing while reinventing the school’s glee club and challenging a group of underdogs to realize their star potential. Will Scheuster (Matthew Morrison) has offered to take on the Herculean task of restoring McKinley’s Glee Club to its former glory with the help of fellow teacher and germaphobe Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays). It’s a tall order when the brightest stars of the club include Kurt (Chris Colfer), a nerdy soprano with a flair for the dramatic; Mercedes (Amber Riley), a dynamic diva-in-training who refuses to sing back-up; Artie (Kevin McHale), a geeky guitarist who spends more time avoiding bullies than chasing girls; and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), an awkward girl who needs to suppress her stutter before she can take center stage. Will’s only hope lies with two true talents: Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), a perfectionist firecracker who is convinced that show choir is her ticket to stardom; and Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith), the popular high school quarterback with movie star looks and a Motown voice who must protect his reputation with his holier-than-thou girlfriend and head cheerleader, Quinn (Dianna Agron), and his arrogant football teammate, Puck (Mark Salling). Driven by his secret past, Will is determined to do whatever it takes to make Glee great again, even though everyone around him thinks he’s nuts. He’s out to prove them all wrong – from his tough-as-nails wife Terri Scheuster (Jessalyn Gilsig) to McKinley’s scheming cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) to an über-hip world that thinks jazz hands and sequined tuxedos litter the road to infamy rather than pave the way to Hollywood dreams.

The Cleveland Show: The Cleveland Show is a new animated series that follows everyone’s favorite soft-spoken neighbor, Cleveland Brown (Mike Henry), to his hometown in Virginia as he settles down with his high school sweetheart, her unruly kids and his own 14-year-old son, Cleveland Jr. (Kevin Michael Richardson). Many years ago, Cleveland was a high school student madly in love with a beautiful girl named Donna (Sanaa Lathan). Much to his dismay, his love went unrequited, and Donna wound up marrying another man. Cleveland once told Donna he would always love her, and if this man ever done her wrong, he’d be there when she called. Well, this man done her wrong. Donna’s husband ran off, leaving Donna with a teenage daughter and a young son. Now she’s open to Cleveland and has offered him another chance at love. Unattached after the Loretta-Quagmire debacle and true to his word, Cleveland joyously reunites with Donna, and he and Cleveland Jr. move to Virginia to join their new family. Once in Virginia, there are a few surprises in store for Cleveland, including Roberta (Reagan Gomez-Preston), a rebellious new stepdaughter; Rallo (Henry), his new 5-year-old stepson who loves the ladies; and a collection of neighbors that includes a loudmouth redneck, Lester (Richardson); a hipster wanna-be, Holt (guest voice Jason Sudeikis); and a religious pair of talking bears, Tim (Seth MacFarlane) and his wife Arianna (guest voice Arianna Huffington).

Brothers: Starring Michael Strahan and Daryl "Chill" Mitchell, Brothers is a new half-hour comedy about a former NFL hot shot who learns that even though you can always go home again, the trip back might be tougher than you think. Mike Trainor (Strahan) seemingly has it all - he’s a good-looking, wealthy and recently retired NFL player living the high-life in New York City, but he’s about to get sidelined. When Mike gets a phone call from his Mom (CCH Pounder) who orders him home to Houston, he quickly realizes the more his life has changed, the more his family has stayed the same. His brother Chill (Daryl "Chill" Mitchell), whose life was altered drastically after a car accident left him in a wheelchair, is struggling to keep his restaurant afloat with the help of his loudmouth associate, Roscoe (Colton Dunn). The dynamics between Mike and Chill are the same as when they were kids, and their sibling rivalry hasn’t lessened with age. If they can stop their bickering, put aside their differences and learn to be teammates, the brothers might just turn out to be each other’s biggest asset. Wedged between Mike and Chill are their parents. Their father, whom everyone refers to as Coach (Carl Weathers), is the local high school football coach and the conservative, opinionated alpha male of his clan. Coach thinks he runs the show, but really it’s Mom who calls the shots. Saucy, stern and a schemer, she is the mastermind of the family. And when she learns that Mike’s business manager took off with all his money, she orchestrates a plan to keep Mike in Houston, save Chill’s restaurant and bring the family back together under one roof again - all without anyone realizing what she’s up to. Mom’s plan helps Mike realize that his family - however dysfunctional they may be - is the only family he’s got. And although he may not have a penny to his name, as long as he’s surrounded by people who love him, he’ll always be a rich man.

The Wanda Sykes Show: Emmy Award-winning actress, comedian and author Wanda Sykes returns to FOX to host the innovative and irreverent new Saturday late-night series, The Wanda Sykes Show (working title). The high-energy one-hour show will feature biting commentary on topical issues and heated panel discussions with recurring personalities. The series’ unique format will highlight Sykes’ outspoken comedic perspective on current events and will also allow her to leave the studio to shoot segments in the field.

Human Target: It takes a brave, selfless man to make himself a "human target" in order to save the lives of those in danger. Based on the popular DC Comics graphic novel, Human Target is a full-throttle action drama centered on Christopher Chance (Mark Valley), a unique private contractor/security guard hired to protect. Call him what you like, because for Chance, it’s about one thing only: saving his clients' lives. When there is an unusual or imminent threat that can’t be solved through "normal" means of protection, Chance is hired to completely integrate himself into his clients' lives - to become the human target. If you’re a corporate manager whose disgruntled employee has gone violently off the deep end, Chance is your new auditor. If you’re the president of a bank who’s been tipped off to a potential heist, Chance is your unassuming bank teller. During each job, Chance, assisted by his business partner Winston (Chi McBride) and hired gun Guererro (Jackie Earle Haley), puts himself directly in the line of fire as he races against time to save his client, while unraveling the truth behind the mission. With every new danger, Chance’s dark history will also unravel. Does anyone know who Christopher Chance really is, or what secrets lay buried in his past? What would make a man willingly become a human target?

Past Life: Have you ever experienced déjà vu or met someone you thought seemed familiar? Do you believe in karma, fate or love at first sight? From writer David Hudgins (Friday Night Lights, and inspired by the book The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose, comes Past Life, a new drama series about an unlikely pair of past-life detectives who investigate whether what is happening to you today is the result of who you were before. Dr. Kate McGinn (Kelli Giddish) is not your typical psychologist. Confident, outspoken and highly educated, she works at The Talmadge Center for Behavioral Health in New York City, a world-renowned institute dedicated to the study of the science of the soul. After experiencing a past-life regression in her 20s, Kate became a believer in reincarnation. Using regression therapy and her natural gift for reading people, Kate helps solve the mysteries of her troubled clients who suffer from present-day problems caused by past-life traumas. She believes there are levels of consciousness and explanations for human behavior that science can’t begin to explain. Accustomed to skeptics, but not bothered by them, Kate is an unapologetic believer and a force of nature who marches to the beat of her own drummer. Her partner, Price Whatley (Nicholas Bishop), is a different story. A former NYPD homicide detective, pragmatic and cynical, Price is a damaged soul who constantly battles grief and guilt over the accidental death of his wife. Price feels that Kate, though not certifiable, certainly operates on the fringes of science. It’s a volatile relationship, but with Price’s solid detective skills, and Kate’s penchant for out-of-the-box thinking, together they make a formidable, if somewhat dysfunctional, team. A fast-paced emotional thrill ride, each episode finds Price and Kate working with their colleagues to unravel a new mystery involving the past-lives of their clients. DR. Malachi Talmadge (Richard Schiff) is Kate’s mentor and the center’s namesake, an avuncular but gruff elder statesman who is a legend in the field of cognitive research. Dr. Rishi Karna (Ravi Patel) is the rookie of the group, a baby-faced therapist from Calcutta who loves bad American TV, Cuban jazz and driving everyone crazy.

Sons of Tucson: In the tradition of Malcolm in the Middle and The Bernie Mac Show, Sons of Tucson is a family comedy about three brothers who hire a charming, wayward schemer to stand in as their father when their real one goes to prison. What begins as a business relationship evolves into something more complex and compelling: a family unlike any we’ve ever seen. The three brothers find their dad-for-hire, Ron Snuffkin (Tyler Labine), at the local sporting good store. Ron will be forced to draw on a wide array of skills and a vast bag of tricks as he steps into the patriarch role to take care of the boys of the Gunderson family. Robby Gunderson (Davis Cleveland), 8, is a loose cannon who doesn’t respond well to authority; Gary Gunderson (Frank Dolce), 11, is a bright and street-savvy leader who is every bit the con man his father is; and Brandon Gunderson (Troy Gentile), 13, is a gentle free spirit who simply goes along for the ride. Maggie Morales (Natalie Martinez), Robby’s second-grade teacher and the object of Ron’s affection, might just be the only stable figure in the lives of this quirky quartet. While Sons Of Tucson is grounded in the day-to-day challenges of a single-parent home, nothing in the Gunderson household is quite what it seems. An ongoing chess match between Ron and the boys will keep both parties on their toes, as neither side can afford to give up too much power or independence.

Photos courtesy of Fox

TV Tonight: Dollhouse's Season Finale

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:30:53 -0700

Alpha is in the house! The former doll (played by Alan Tudyk) revealed himself on last week's episode of Dollhouse, and he's definitely the scariest character on this show by a landslide. His story is also the most fascinating to me: Back when he was a doll just like Echo (Eliza Dushku), all his pre-programmed personalities blended together one day, and he turned into a psychopath. He broke out of the dollhouse, killing a bunch of people and slashing up the faces of a few survivors. That face-slashing thing he does is so freaking creepy! Oh, and he's also a genius.

The preview for tonight's season finale shows the aftermath of Alpha's return and just how deep his obsession with Echo goes. The craziest part in the clip is Alpha sticking Echo's former personality, Caroline, into some random lady. So "Caroline" wakes up only to find herself in a strange body staring at, well, herself. Weird!

Are you still tuning in to this show? Are you sad to see it end? And how much do you want it to come back next season? To watch a preview for tonight's season one finale, read more.

Photo courtesy of Fox

Buzz In: What TV Show Can You Just Not Quit?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 07:30:02 -0700

The other day at Sugar HQ, some coworkers and I started talking about whether Joss Whedon's Dollhouse is good (or at least getting better). One colleague said it was just too cheesy and nonsensical at times for her to really stick with it. I was in a different boat: It doesn't matter how many cons there are with Dollhouse, I just can't seem to quit it. It's sort of the opposite of a guilty pleasure, in that there's not a lot of pleasure, but if I stopped watching now, I'd feel too much guilt. I also sometimes feel this way about Private Practice.

So I'm curious: Is this unique to me, or are there shows that you keep watching despite not necessarily always enjoying them? What shows' flaws do you put up with, for some reason, week after week?

Photo courtesy of Fox