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What's Your Favorite Form of In-Flight Entertainment?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:30:30 -0700

With the weather getting warmer and the days getting longer, I've got Summer travel on the brain. For me, travel often means sitting for hours on a plane, reading a book, or getting sucked into whatever movie is playing over the airplane's system. (Hey, next time I'm stuck on the tarmac, maybe I'll try Twittering with customer service like our Cotorture girls did!)

Now, some airlines have options for purchasing movies on flights, but when I asked you about it, most of you said you weren't sure you'd be buying. So, what is your favorite way to entertain yourself on a flight?

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Do You Buy Movies on Flights?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:30:38 -0700

Last week I got to fly down to L.A. to attend the super-fabulous Geek Goes Chic party thrown by TechCrunch and, of course, PopSugar. I flew Virgin America (pictured) and noticed that there is a crazy number of options for staying entertained during the flight! From instant messaging with fellow passengers to watching TV to playing video games - they've got you covered. And when it comes to movies, you have your pick of several different titles, as opposed to having to just suffer through whatever flick they pick. The only catch to watching a movie on the seat back in front of you: the movies cost $7 a pop.

Do you - or would you - shell out the cash for a movie on a flight? Or is $7 just too much, especially given all the other options for entertainment?

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GenArt & Delta Team Up For Sundance Shorts

Molly — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 11:02:20 -0700

Think you'll never have a chance to get to Sundance? Well, if you're into making shorts this is your lucky day. For the second year, GenArt and Delta airlines are teaming up for a short film competition, "Delta's Fly-In Movies." Filmmakers are invited to submit short films into the contest and five finalists' movies will be shown on Delta flights and flown out to the Sundance Film Festival where the winner will be announced and awarded $10,000 and a pair of round-trip plane tickets.

Viewers on both the selected transcontinental Delta flights as well as online (where the finalists' films will be available) will be able to vote for the winner. I'll probably end up catching the films online, but the inflight viewing idea is great. Considering the impulse to watch whatever an airline is showing, no matter how insipid, the thought of watching a few short films sounds like the perfect way to cut the boredom on a lengthy cross-country flight. Very cool. If you're interested in learning more, check out the full set of rules and regulations here. Thanks to Cinematical for the heads up on this competition!

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Up in the Air: A First Class Flight

BuzzSugar — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:00:00 -0800

As I mentioned in my December movies preview, we're officially in the midst of awards-buzz season. One of this year's most talked about films is Up in the Air, and all the hype has raised plenty of questions. Can Jason Reitman improve on the success of Juno? Does Clooney deserve all the hype surrounding his performance? How many parts comedy and how many parts drama is a "dramedy" anyway? I walked out the theater with my questions answered, a lot of food for thought, and that rare but wonderful mix of satisfaction and introspection that you can only get from a great film.

Jason Reitman wrote the screen adaption of the Walter Kirn novel with George Clooney starring as Ryan Bingham. To know Ryan is to fly with him; at least that's what he tells those he surrounds himself with - his co-workers, fellow fliers, and temporary buddies at airport bars. To Ryan, acquaintances are as disposable as hotel shampoo bottles and in-flight alcohol nips. As a professional corporate downsizer, Ryan even makes a living by helping bosses fire employees. He moonlights as a motivational speaker, advising his peers to cut as much emotional baggage out of their lives as possible. To see the rest of my review, read more.

Ryan loves his minimalist lifestyle and the ease in which everything fits perfectly into his carry-on suitcase. His airport navigation technique looks like a carefully choreographed dance, and he even fires folks with finesse. Naturally, he's less than enthused when his perfect life balance is disrupted when his boss (a deliciously sleazy Jason Bateman) asks Ryan take a younger colleague on the road with him. To make matters worse, Ryan's jet-setting days are threatened by a new technology that would enable layoffs to be done via satellite - right from his desk in Omaha.

Ryan's saving grace is wrapped up in a distraction of woman named Alex: a self-proclaimed female version of Ryan who's equally turned on by elite status and black cards. Ryan's trips from one place to another are brightened by romps in random cities and late-night text messages that slowly start to look an awful like an relationship - once again causing Ryan to question his neat little life.

The film's timing is impeccable; we watch Ryan lay off one employee after another, and the injured parties run the gamut of personality from angry to depressed to in denial. Reitman uses actors like J.K. Simmons and Zach Galifianakis in some of the bit parts, but he also showcases real Americans who've fallen victim to the economic downturn - and these are the moments that really hit home.

Clooney is perfection as Ryan Bingham, and what sets this performance apart from others is that he brings just the right amount of emotional depth to the role. His character has the propensity to be a complete jerk - we're talking about a guy who fires people for a living and meets his sister's fiance the night before her wedding - but as you watch Ryan contemplate the biggest epiphany of his life, you feel for him; you root for him; you desperately want him to just embrace life instead of continuing to exist in a bubble of false reality.

Reitman wrote most of the main roles for specific actors, and his cast fits the movie like a glove. Anna Kendrick is superb as Natalie, the wunderkind of Bingham's office that he's forced to take under his wing. Kendrick plays the part with equal parts naivete, sincerity, and false confidence. Though Natalie fancies herself as thick-skinned, inside she's just mush - and she slowly shows Ryan that he's not as hardened as he sees himself either.

Reitman's screenplay is so well-balanced between tender moments and laughs, but the genius is that you never feel emotionally manipulated. His actors delicately pull emotion from the audience rather than hit you over the head. In Thank You For Smoking the jokes are a little more obvious, in Juno there are times where the plot teeters on the brink of cheesy (though in the most lovable way), but Reitman's third film proves that he's only getting better with age and experience. The film is neither predictable nor cliched, which is incredibly refreshing in a time where it seems like everything old is new again in Hollywood.

What's Buzzworthy: Airplane Movies

BuzzSugar — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Last week, I challenged you to tell me some of the best airplane movies that have kept you entertained on long trips. Sounds like a few of you have had some good in-flight watching recently! Here were a few of my favorite picks:

Titanic
Bookmarked by tdamji, who wrote: "Not only is this 3 hour+ movie great for in-flight-movie-watching due to the great musical score and romantic qualities which can easily transport anyone to another time and place, but it brings back memories for me because I remember watching it during the 8 hour flight to England, my first overseas trip, which was my high school graduation present in 1998."

Uptown Girls
Menthadict checked this one out from 30,000 feet. She wrote: "A charming, entertaining movie about a girl who grew up too quickly and a girl who hasn't grown up at all. A little music, a little shirtless man, all in all, a nice flick to watch."

Two more, plus a widget with all your picks, so read more

Shrek
This original that launched a thousand sequels was tagged by CupcakeGal10, who called it "fluffy and fanciful, with plenty of sneaky grown-up jokes to keep you giggling. I thought I was going to hate it, but I loved it!"

My Dog Skip
Linda McP tagged this one. She said: "My family laughed when I put my headphones on, but I was determined to watch this film and I wasn't disappointed . While It is a real tear-jerker of a family film, it's so much more than just another "boy-and-dog" movie. Diane Lane and Kevin Bacon are well cast as the parents and the adorable Jack Russell terrier, Skip, is just a real scene stealer."

All your picks:

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Happy Thanksgiving from BuzzSugar!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 07:00:00 -0800

Hope your turkey day is spectacular! Have you celebrated by taking my Thanksgiving movie quiz yet?

Since this is a day for giving thanks, I've rounded up a few of the entertainment-related things I'm most thankful for this year. What pop culture delights have earned your gratitude? Be sure to tell me below.

Judd Apatow. From Freaks and Geeks to Superbad to Knocked Up, the Everyman producer/writer/director has yet to disappoint. Plus, he's made geeks, nerds, and everyday schlubs cool - so thanks, Judd!

DVR technology. Yes, it screws up sometimes, cutting off a big revelation on Heroes or the last few minutes of American Idol. But that doesn't change the overall warm fuzzies I get when I think about how much more enjoyable my TV viewing has been since getting a DVR. Where would I be without it? Chained to the couch watching TV at its regularly scheduled time - and that's no fun at all.

What else am I giving thanks for? Just read more

Dr. Gregory House. He's snarky, he's grumpy, he's socially inappropriate, he's drugged half the time, and yet I still want him to be my boyfriend. That's the true mark of genius. I give half the credit to Hugh Laurie for keeping House so appealing (intellectually and, um, physically) and half to the writers for daring to dream up this curmudgeon in the first place.

Feist. She's adorable, soulful, sweet, fun and feminine. Her music always manages to comfort me or get me dancing. This year in particular we've seen the Rise of Feist, from being a lesser-known indie musician to having her music in iPod commercials and various TV shows, and performing on Letterman. As a live performer, she's simply mesmerizing. Basically, I want to be Leslie Feist when I grow up.

FX. Over the past year, there's not a network that's given me more TV-viewing pleasure. This summer's Damages was stunning; The Riches sucked me in; It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia delivers some of the best belly-laughs on television. Heck, maybe I'll even give Dirt a second chance. Only for you, FX.

Ned and Chuck of Pushing Daisies. They may be the most chaste lovers on TV, and yet I'm more fully invested in their relationship than I am in any Mer-Der developments. They kiss through plastic! They hold hands through gloves! They dance in bee suits! They talk, all the time! They're completely adorable, and right now, they're my favorite fictional couple of the year.

Andrew Bird. Sometimes I forget just how much I love Andrew Bird. But as soon as I pop one of his CDs into my stereo or dial up a song on iTunes, I'm brought right back into his swirling, symphonic, whistling-filled wonderland. And the man has some of the best hair in rock-and-roll, to boot.

Airplane movies. What did people do before they had The Devil Wears Prada or Talladega Nights keeping them company on long cross-country flights? This now seems like a basic necessity when taking long trips, but think about it, seriously. Traveling would be so much more tedious without in-flight entertainment!

Netflix. It wasn't until I had to make an impromptu run to my local video store the other day that I realized how spoiled I've become by Netflix. For less than the cost of two theater tickets each month, I have thousands and thousands of movies at my disposal, without having to worry that one of my neighbors has rented the last copy of Home for the Holidays. Plus, I've rented so many TV shows that I totally missed the first time around, a must for this job.

Tina Fey. Every time I think I've said all I can say about Tina Fey, she comes up with another brilliant project or stop-in-your-tracks-hilarious episode of "30 Rock," and I'm worshiping at the altar of Fey all over again. She's not just one of the funniest funny ladies around; she's also a revolutionary in her field. Here's hoping we'll have comedy up-and-comers to watch for years thanks to her.

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Tina Fey, Judd Apatow, Andrew Bird and Feist photos Source
Pushing Daisies photo copyright 2007 ABC, Inc.
The Devil Wears Prada photo Source
House photo courtesy of Fox
TiVo photo Source
Netflix photo Source
FX photo Source

The Holiday: Frothy and Fun As a Cup of Cocoa

BuzzSugar — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:38:44 -0800

Holiday romantic comedies are bound to be a bit cheesy. When the movie is actually called The Holiday, cheesiness is almost guaranteed. But this latest romp from director Nancy Meyers, which hits theaters tomorrow, rises to the top of its frothy, feel-good genre. The self-aware storyline centers on two women-movie-trailer producer Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and British weddings columnist Iris (Kate Winslet)-who swap houses for the holidays to get away from their less-than-satisfactory love lives. Amanda, who sleeps with her Blackberry and has just ruined another relationship with her workaholism, goes to live in Iris's quaint Surrey cottage, while Iris takes up residence at Amanda's palatial LA haunt to forget her three-year unrequited love.

In the beginning, that scenario lends itself to too many scenes of lonely women talking to themselves; the ones featuring Diaz's high-strung Amanda are nearly intolerable. But when a trio of men enter the picture-including Iris's sexy, suntanned brother Graham (Jude Law)-things get a lot more interesting, so read more

Shortly after arriving in LA, Iris meets two very different men: a witty film-score composer named Miles (played with rare and refreshing subtlety by Jack Black) and Arthur (Eli Wallach), her octogenarian neighbor who also happens to be a legendary screenwriter. Back in England, Amanda makes the acquaintance of the hunky Graham when he shows up drunk at his sister's cottage, not knowing that she's gone on holiday.

To add drama to many of Amanda's scenes, the director employs a clever device: voice-over narration by that ubiquitous movie-trailer guy. Iris and Arthur, meanwhile, spend lots of time discussing the common conventions of script writing. That film-centric subplot on both continents gives the movie a sort of cheeky self-awareness about its own filmic-ness. That way, when the inevitable romantic-comedy cliches and convenient plot twists sneak in, it's more amusing than annoying.

I don't know what's gotten into me: maybe it's the holiday spirit or that my viewing of "The Holiday" comes on the heels of watching one of the worst romantic comedies I've even seen, Trust the Man, on a recent plane ride. (It wasn't even mentioned in the in-flight magazine, which makes me suspect that we were being subjected to a bizarre social experiment.) But implausibly neat and tidy plot aside, the way the characters interact in this movie rings very true to life. Particularly in the Iris/Los Angeles subplot, The Holiday addresses some very universal relationship truths in a clever way. I can't really say the same for the somewhat silly Amanda/Graham romance back in England, but at least there I had the Jude Law eye candy to keep me interested.

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Mr. Show's David Cross and Bob Odenkirk, Together Again

BuzzSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:30:27 -0700

And now, for some news that should warm the heart of any Mr. Show fan in the universe: David Cross and Bob Odenkirk are teaming up again, this time for an HBO comedy that's going to begin shooting this spring. They confirmed on their vaguely NSFW Web site that the pilot has officially been picked up and they'll soon be working together to "make funny TV happen." Oh, yes.

Cross has said the show, tentatively titled David's Situation, is a sitcom that pokes fun at sitcoms, with him starring as a fed-up, washed-up actor who's left Hollywood for the glamorous world of in-flight magazines. He's living in a gated community somewhere with two crazy roommates, one of whom is a cranky conservative and the other of whom is a left-leaning liberal. Of course, knowing Cross, this could all be a lie, and he's actually starring in a show about a farm in outer space. Who really knows?

My favorite thing Cross has mentioned is their plain for the commercial breaks. HBO, of course, doesn't have advertising, so he and Odenkirk plan to write their own faux commercials to play during the show where normal networks would have ad breaks. Advertising parodies were always one of my favorite parts of Mr. Show, so I'm glad they'll be churning out more twisted fake propaganda soon. To check out one of my favorites from Mr. Show, the segment pitching Coupon: The Movie, just read more.

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