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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:30:26 -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 the titles below, you can now rent or own the Hillary Swank and Gerard Butler weepie, P.S. I Love You.

I'm Not There
I'm Not There was a highly buzzed-about film last year with a lot of the attention focusing on director Todd Haynes' unique conceptualization of Bob Dylan's (or, "a musician like Bob Dylan") life through the years. The talent associated with this film was staggering but the untimely death of one of the stars, Heath Ledger, added even more poignancy to Haynes' ambitious endeavor.

In the movie, six different actors emulate Bob Dylan using different names and appearing in different eras. I wasn't the biggest fan of the film, but other folks were enamored with this movie, more willing than I to ignore the annoying parts and focus on the great performances by Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett (who won the Independent Spirit award for her role), and Christian Bale. This is a good addition to your queue if you have been curious about this film but would enjoy the luxury of a fast-forward button.

Special features include commentary by director/co-writer Tod Haynes, red carpet footage, and deleted scenes.

Two more titles if you read more.

Teeth
GiggleSugar watched this oddly funny and scary movie about a teenage girl who, as IMDB puts it, "discovers she has a physical advantage when she becomes the object of male violence" or as Giggle put it, "her vagina has teeth." Giggle found it to be much more than the vulgar horror flick one might expect from this premise, where you simply watch a "vajayjay rip men to shreds" (sorry, Giggle has so many amazing lines in her review I can't stop quoting her). Instead, Teeth is a genre bending, wickedly scripted good time - but definitely not for the faint of heart.

Special features include commentary by writer/director Mitchell Lichenstein, behind-the-scenes footage, and deleted scenes.

First Sunday
David E. Talbert is sort of a creative jack-of-all-trades: playwright, novelist, and - in the case of this movie starring Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan - writer/director. The film follows two amateur crooks as their plan to rob a church goes terribly wrong and they find themselves with a full-blown hostage situation. I've read that it's a bit cluttered but definitely a fun little farce, so I figured I'd wait for the DVD with this one.

Special features include a gag reel, outtakes, David E. Talbert's camera wrap speech, and a "Hood Robbin' With the First Sunday Cast and Crew" featurette.

Announcing the Winners: The 2008 Independent Spirit Awards

BuzzSugar — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:02:53 -0800

Juno, I'm Not There, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly were big winners at Saturday's beachy, laid-back Independent Spirit Awards, which recognized the year's best independent films. Juno won awards for Best Feature, Best Actress, and Best First Screenplay, while Diving Bell won awards for Best Director and Best Cinematography - a precursor to tomorrow's Oscars?

Meanwhile, Cate Blanchett won an acting award for I'm Not There, and the film also received the Robert Altman Award, which recognizes an outstanding ensemble cast. That award led to a touching tribute to Heath Ledger from director Todd Haynes, who said he still has a hard time imagining the film world without Ledger in it.

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

BEST FEATURE
Juno

BEST DIRECTOR
Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
The Lookout
Director: Scott Frank
Producers: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Laurence Mark, Walter Parkes

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000)
August Evening

BEST SCREENPLAY
Tamara Jenkins (The Savages)

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody (Juno)

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Ellen Page (Juno)

BEST MALE LEAD
Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Savages)

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There)

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Chiwetel Ejiofor (Talk To Me)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Janusz Kaminski (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Crazy Love

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Once
(Ireland)

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (Given to one film's director, casting director and its ensemble cast)
I'm Not There
Director: Todd Haynes
Casting Director: Laura Rosenthal
Ensemble Cast: Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw, Marcus Carl Franklin, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Bruce Greenwood

I'm Not There: You Shouldn't Be, Either

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 23:59:00 -0800

It must be something with the name Todd that motivates talented directors to make films that have the potential to be great, but then ruin them with complicated casting and an overly ambitious plot. First it was Todd Solondz (director of the wonderful Welcome to the Dollhouse) who cluttered Palindromes by employing eight different actors to play the same 13-year-old girl; now it's Todd Haynes who uses a very similar technique in the truly awful I'm Not There. Instead of a 13-year-old girl, the actors portray Bob Dylan, and this time around there are six actors instead of eight. One would think that two less actors would make the movie a little less jumbled. It didn't.

The reason I'm Not There is even more perplexing than Palindromes (which I didn't believe was possible) is that in addition to six actors emulating Bob Dylan, they each have different names and live in different eras. At least Palindromes was linear and each of the eight actors used the same name. In I'm Not There "Bob" is referred to as John, Jack, Jude, Woody, Arthur, and Billy. Confused? I certainly was! If you want to read the only two compelling reasons to watch this film read more

Undeniably the strongest part of this film is the music. Just like Across the Universe, the other film this year that featured a catalog of songs from a specific artist (in that case, The Beatles), the true standout is the vocal artistry of Bob Dylan. Although most of the songs included are a little more obscure (surprise), there are tried-and-true favorites like "All Along the Watchtower," and "Highway 61 Revisited." If you're a Dylan fan, take my recommendation and just buy the soundtrack. But, if you still want to see this film, there is one thing worth watching.

The one, and only, reason to actually go see this film is for the incredible work done by Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett, and Christian Bale - all of which is almost undone by the ridiculously ill-conceived Richard Gere as Billy the Kid/Bob Dylan. I honestly don't blame Gere for his lacking performance, he did the best he could with the cards he was dealt. The other actors, most notably Blanchett and Bale, have more realistic Dylans to portray, and each do so beautifully.

There are other things I could mention about the film: the political subtext (the film deals with the JFK's death, the civil rights movement, Vietnam), Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore's cameos, or Heath Ledger's nude scene, but I'm afraid this might entice you to see the film. And I'd rather you buy the soundtrack, if you must.

Photos courtesy of The Weinstein Company

The Many Faces of Bob Dylan and the New Trailer for I'm Not There

BuzzSugar — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 04:30:00 -0700

Wow, Christian Bale is almost unrecognizable in these photos from the set of I'm Not There, the Bob Dylan biopic in which seven different actors will be playing the beloved musician. Between these photos, the images from the set of The Dark Knight, and the trailer for his upcoming Western 3:10 to Yuma, we're getting quite the Christian Bale fix these days, which I'm sure you all don't mind too much.

In addition to Bale, we've caught glimpses of various other Dylan incarnations as played by Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Cate Blanchett and Ben Wishaw. Now, there's a newly cut - albeit brief - teaser trailer for I'm Not There in which we see flashes of all these Dylans. For photos of all the Dylans along with the new I'm Not There trailer, read more

Another of Christian Bale:

Heath Ledger:

Richard Gere:

Cate Blanchett:

Ben Wishaw:

And apparently, this kid is also going to play a version of Bob Dylan:

I'm Not There photos source
Marcus Carl Franklin photo source

First Look: Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan in "I'm Not There"

Molly — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:30:01 -0700

When I first heard that Cate Blanchett was going to be one of the actors portraying Bob Dylan in a new biopic about the singer, I'm Not There, I was intrigued.

When I first saw this photo of Cate as Bob Dylan, I was impressed.

But when I saw this first clip from the movie, all my hopes were dashed. I'm certainly not trying to knock Cate's acting chops - if any woman could pull it off, it would be her - but this is downright ridiculous. I mean, unless I was under the wrong impression and this is supposed to be a comedy...but I don't think that is the case.

David Cross is playing Allen Ginsberg? And driving around in a zany golf cart-ish mobile? Uh, okay!

Honestly, it's a little painful, but maybe it will be better in context? Let's hope. To see the clip just read more

Source

Judy Greer Is Giving TV Another Go

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:30:41 -0700

Back in August, the overwhelming majority of you said that Judy Greer deserves more leading roles, and now she's getting one. The actress will be returning to the small screen in I'm With Stupid, a new comedy in development for ABC.

Based on the novel by Elaine Szewczyk, the show will focus on Manhattanite Kas Sienkiewicz (Greer), whose life takes an unexpected turn when she has a vacation fling with a park ranger in South Africa, and a few days later he shows up on her doorstep and moves in.

Greer seems to have a pretty loyal fan base out there, but it wasn't enough to save Miss Guided. I'm a bit skeptical about this project, but maybe it's just the title that's throwing me off. What do you make of this news? Will you welcome Greer back to TV with open arms?

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:30:14 -0700

It's one of my favorite days of the week: Tuesday! Which means I get to add DVDs to my Netflix queue, along with some brand new tunes for my iPod. So check out today's music releases for what you should download. (And if you like to review albums, don't forget to take a peek at the Music Review Group in the community.)

A smooth ride: Sufjan Stevens takes a breather from his states project with BQE, an ode to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. He originally performed the work to accompany a film about the road, but the music stands on its own as a beautiful orchestral arrangement. Warning if you like Stevens's mellow voice: BQE is all instrumental. Still, it proves that he has what it takes as a composer, and I'd like to see him lend his talents to more of this sort of work. My picks: Movement II: Sleeping Invader, which sounds like a ballet dream sequence, and Traffic Shock, which mixes in clashing electronic sounds like a busy gridlock.

Pretty packs a punch: If you haven't heard of Florence and the Machine, get ready. Florence Welch is the latest spunky Brit singer on the scene, and her debut Lungs already went platinum in the UK. Today, it's available to buy stateside. She's the singer I'd want to be if I had my own band - a woman who wails while banging the tambourine - and her album veers between tough-chick anthems and haunting ballads a la Sarah McLachlan. Make sure you try the hand-clapping, feel-good Dog Days Are Over or the romantic Cosmic Love.

See two more releases when you read more.

Freaky fun: If you're a Flight of the Conchords fan - or even if you're not - you'll want to check out I Told You I Was Freaky, a compilation of music from season two (including three previously unreleased tracks). Sure, half the fun is watching the boys act out each song on the show (and Jemaine's wicked dance moves), but when you listen to the music on its own, you realize just how talented they really are. Each selection could qualify for radio-play - or just a ridiculously fun karaoke night. The album includes favorites like Sugarlumps, Hurt Feelings, and the Emmy-nominated Carol Brown.

Lyrical wanderlust: Jay Farrar of Son Volt and Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie team up on One Fast Move or I'm Gone: Music From Kerouac's Big Sur, an ode to the famous author's work. The two musicians met while working on a documentary about Kerouac and decided to collaborate on this album using words from his novel. It's fitting then that the result feels like a cross-country trip - lazy and laid-back with some twangy country, Americana sound. I'll be adding the title track and California Zephyr to my car playlist.

What Artist (Living or Dead) Would You Want to See on Tour?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:30:29 -0800

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band recently played the final show of their tour in Buffalo, but is it the last time we'll see ever them? Springsteen sure made it sound like a goodbye saying, "The E Street Band has come thousands of miles tonight to be here one last time - for a little while." I'm wondering exactly what "a little while" means . . . Was this possibly their swan song?! I would've loved to have been there. They reportedly played for three and a half hours, so I'm sure it was an epic show.

It got me thinking about all of the acts I'd like to catch someday before they go the way of the E Street Band - and a few I wish I could see (at least in a dream world), e.g. Neutral Milk Hotel before they split, the original Weezer lineup, and the most obvious, The Beatles.

So chime in and tell me: which artists (living or dead) would you want to see on tour?

House Rundown, "Ignorance is Bliss"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:30:45 -0800

With Cameron gone, the new (old) team is still working out the kinks in this week's House - and it feels like the writers aren't sure where the show's going either. The episode tackles a genius patient with what appears to be TTP, Thanksgiving, and House and Cuddy all in one swoop. And while the doc is back to acting like a selfish jerk following his recent good behavior, I didn't even find his quips that amusing. If anything, the episode felt like a downer!

Okay, so I know these are harsh words, so perhaps I'm not giving this week a fair trial. Let's go over the highlights, and tell me what you think when you read more.

The team gathers around the table to start hypothesizing, but to me it feels off without Cameron there. I'll give the writers the benefit of the doubt since it's the first week with the updated crew, but don't you agree?
We get it Chase - you're upset. He huffs and puffs and refuses invitations from Taub, Foreman, and Thirteen for friendly help. Then House refers to Cameron as Chase's "ex-smarter half" and gets punched. I want to be sympathetic to Chase because of his split from Cameron, but with that attitude? Forget it.
House needs to get Cuddy off the brain stat. He announces to Wilson that he's going to break up her relationship with Lucas, and then starts plotting ways to get invited to Thanksgiving dinner to see his plan through. Cuddy gives him the address where the meal is taking place, but (surprise!) the house is empty. I was shocked that she gave him faux info! Do you think it's too mean, or does he deserve it?
After being rejected, House gets drunk and breaks into Lucas's place to confess his love for Cuddy. Seriously. (He says to Lucas, "I'm pathetic," and I couldn't agree more.) The next day, Cuddy tells House that Lucas broke up with her over the incident - until we later find out that she's lying to get him to lay off. It seems like House might leave her alone by the end of the episode. Do you think he's finally giving up? And do you think his intoxicated act was real or fake? He tries to make it sound planned, but I'm not 100 percent sure.
While House and Cuddy were weighing down the show with sadder stuff, Taub and his wife brought a bit of comic relief. She's stopped sleeping with him, because she thinks he's a wuss for going back to House. But once Taub passes off a photo of House's black eye as his own handiwork – instead of Chase's - she basically jumps him!
The medical mystery involving a former genius who dumbs himself down, so he can love his "happy and dumb" wife (his words, not mine) is relatively interesting - even though I snarled at his comments about her stupidity. First they think he has TTP, but the problem is actually an old injury where he broke three ribs causing his spleen to split. Come on, 16 spleens?! I know I'm a dork, but that's pretty cool. Next time writers, less Cuddy skirt-chasing, more stuff like this.

Okay, so time for your assessment - what did you think of the episode? Isn't the House and Cuddy storyline starting to wear thin? (Even I'm over it, and I was rooting for them before!) And how do you like the team now that Cameron's dunzo?

If you're a fan of the show, check out the House! group in community!

Photos courtesy of Fox

Movie Preview: Amanda Seyfried in Letters to Juliet

BuzzSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:30:33 -0800

Amanda Seyfried's latest film Letters to Juliet looks like a mash up of her other work. First off, her character's name is Sophie, which brings Mamma Mia to mind, as does the romantic foreign locale. But even the title itself made me do a double-take - wait, isn't she already doing a book-turned-film about letters called Dear John?! Still, I'm not writing it off just yet. (No pun intended). I can be a sucker for a love story, even if it's a bit sappy.

The film follows Seyfried as an American tourist who discovers an unanswered "letter to Juliet" while on a trip in Verona, Italy. (The notes are left by visitors asking for help from Shakespeare's famous heroine.) She responds to the plea, and then sets off to find its author (Vanessa Redgrave) and reunite her with the man she left decades before. Of course, there's a triangle in there too, as Sophie begins to question her own relationship with her fiance (Gael Garcia Bernal) and falls for the woman's grandson (Christopher Egan).

The trailer pretty much gives away the whole movie, but this sort of storyline is usually predictable so I'll forgive the studio for it. Bonus for Taylor Swift fans: her "Love Story" is the theme song. The film doesn't arrive in theaters until May, but check it out and tell me what you think when you read more.