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Vote for Your Favorite Bjork Video

BuzzSugar — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:02:06 -0700

Back in April, I told you that Bjork was hosting a music video contest, where fans could submit their very own visual accompaniments to "Innocence," a song on Bjork's new album, Volta. Now, the videos are now being uploaded for viewing here - currently, there are seven, but the site promises 10 total - and when all the movies are up, fans can vote on their favorites.

Anything but amateurish, every entry interprets the song differently, using all sort of assorted styles of animation. One resembles a Nintendo-like video game, while I'm partial to Number 4, which has more of a high-tech gothic wonderland vibe. Watch them online and tell me which one is your favorite.

Make a Music Video for Bjork

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 09:37:03 -0700

Bjork has long been known for her quirkiness (two words: swan dress), and her approach to her newest music video is no exception. She's asking fans who have a way with short videos - the "madwebcarpenters," as she's calling them - to make the video for her new song "Innocence," from the Volta album coming out May 8.

Bjork is providing several of the tools you'd need to make such a video: the song (streaming on her MySpace page), pictures of the sculpture on the album cover, and the song's lyrics, one of which - "let's open up: share!" - seems perfectly appropriate for the contest.

Videos need to be done by early July, so get filming.

Where the Wild Things Are: A Passionate Ode to Childhood

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:30:00 -0700

There's been a bit of a controversy over how to market Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book, Where The Wild Things Are. Is it for kids? Adults? Adult hipsters?

The answer is anyone who wants to feel what it's like to be a child, and not in the fun-loving, no-responsibilities way. As adults, we tend to forget the insecurity and fears we had as kids, which the film's young character Max is in the throes of. There's just enough exposition before the fantasy begins: Max has a single mom (Catherine Keener) and an older sister who has recently outgrown him. His first few acts at home show his innocence and the savage emotions under the surface. He knows it as being "wild."

Where the Wild Things Are isn't a heavy-handed allegory, or an edgy children's movie; it's a loyal tribute to the way kids think and feel. To see what else I thought of the film, just read more.

Max reaches the world of the wild things after throwing a particularly heinous fit, prompting his mother to yell, "You're out of control!" After running away, Max finds himself on a boat that finally brings him to a strange land. This is where the wild things are. The creatures Jonze has created are aesthetic wonders: creepy, hostile, and huggable at once. These aren't Jim Henson's Muppets, but real characters, led by Carol (voiced by James Gandolfini). The rest of the group is comprised of Lauren Ambrose as aloof KW, Catherine O'Hara as prickly Judith, Paul Dano as timid Alexander, Chris Cooper as Douglas, and Forest Whitaker as Ira.

Each creature has a fully realized personality, with flaws and varying temperaments; their faces are so emotive and their dialogue so human that their scenes with Max are as real as those with his mother. This group is not easily classified as friend or foe - they're dysfunctional in their relationships and don't always treat each other well. One of the most successful elements of the movie is the dialogue of the wild things, which is rooted in Max's head.

In many ways, screenwriter Dave Eggers's job was tougher than Spike Jonze's, because it's imperative to remember the way children think. Max's interactions with Carol and his new clan are made up of the kind of things a kid would hear from his parents and peers and then internalize. In fact, in the wild world, Max declares himself king to bring order, and he summons up speeches from the authority figures that he's pulling away from in his real life. Naturally, he's too young to recognize how his subverted position is significant.

Max's relationship with Carol is most telling. As the de facto leader of the group who can't handle sadness, loneliness, or jealousy, he acts out as a mirror of Max while still being his own character. The richness of Carol and the creature cast stays with you; when Max has to say goodbye to his friends, your heart breaks.

Jonze impressed me with his non-conformity; in another movie, Max would have demonstrated the grand lessons he learned from his time on the island, but in this one, he doesn't have to learn anything. He just gets to feel and experience and appreciate his emotionally fragmented new friends. It's devastating as a viewer, especially if you can put yourself back in that childlike place when your feelings were so raw and simple.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Desperate Housewives Rundown, "Never Judge a Lady by Her Lover"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:30:08 -0700

Is it just me, or do the housewives seem even more desperate than usual this week? Susan takes some drastic measures to scare Danny away, which in turns sets Angie off with a few crazy antics of her own. Meanwhile, Bree's jealousy sends an innocent woman to the hospital and Lynette makes Tom look like a fool to cover up her pregnancy at a company dinner.

Jesse Metcalfe also makes his (triumphant?) return and Katherine is pretty much nowhere to be found. Ready to hash it all out? Just read more.

Gaby - Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Wisteria Lane, Jesse Metcalfe is back. Again. Both Gaby and Carlos are taken by surprise to see John at one of their restaurants of choice, especially when they learn that he's the owner. Naturally John is immediately making eyes at both Gaby and Ana, and I think we all know where this one is heading. Gaby later convinces Carlos that she doesn't have feelings for her former gardener anymore, but then she gets all nostalgic looking at photos of him. (I love that they had time to head to a photo booth during their affair - isn't the mall a little high profile for that?) One thing that really bothers me about Gaby this week is that suddenly she's all frumpy again, when she's been pretty much flawless since she and Carlos were back to being rich.

Susan - We don't get any updates on Julie's progress this week, but it's clear that her condition is taking a serious toll on Susan. Susan wastes no time spreading the word about Danny to all her neighbors, even when Mike gently reminds her that Danny hasn't been convicted yet. This leads Susan to start her own investigation for proof - which seems like a perfect opportunity for one of Susan's klutzy, over-the-top schemes, but instead takes a very dark turn when she basically tries to kill Danny herself by squishing him under a car. I give Susan a free pass for her antics this week since in the end she reaches out to Angie and starts to make amends when Danny's alibi comes through.

Angie - Angie's mama bear side really comes to the light this week. She's pretty scary trying to scare off prank calls, and even more threatening when she comes at Susan wielding a baseball bat. There are a few allusions to the Bolens' previous life (like that they change their name constantly and had to raise Danny "on the run"), but in the end Angie seems more like a protective mom with a secret than an evil person. Her husband on the other hand. . .

Bree - Despite her requests for pain au chocolat in lieu of a burrito, Bree begins to realize just how much she actually likes slummin' it with Carl. When she tells him that she's not looking for anything serious, Carl totally plays her by bringing a date to a function Bree is attending with Orson. In a matter of minutes Bree's all green-eyed about the idea of Carl taking someone else to their beloved motor lodge, and eliminates the other woman - literally. Meanwhile, Orson thinks he's making major strides and that Bree was jealous of the other woman for dancing with Orson. Though Katherine isn't around this week, I still think the whole thing will be smoothed over once she and Orson get together.

Lynette - The Scavos get to be the comic relief this week, which is refreshing after all the doom and gloom that was previously surrounding Lynette's pregnancy. The reactions she gets from her kids are priceless, particularly Porter's little speech about how she and Tom were irresponsible about birth control and are "destroying their futures." (I kinda agree about the birth control thing - may I suggest something permanent, like a vasectomy?). Right on cue, Lynette's career path is tested when Carlos admits he wants to give her a promotion after passing on another co-worker who is pregnant. Tom helps cover for her, but we all know she won't be able to hide twins for very long.

So what did you think of the episode? Are you happy to see Jesse Metcalfe again? How long until Gaby and Ana are vying for his attention?

Want more of the latest on Desperate Housewives? Check out the Entertainment Group in the Buzz community!

Desperate Housewives Rundown, "Being Alive"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:39:57 -0700

This week's episode of Desperate Housewives follows the residents of Wisteria Lane as they deal with the aftermath of Julie's attack. At the epicenter, Susan's friendships with the housewives are tested (though most of the betrayals happen behind her back). Meanwhile, the newest neighbors find their son on the list of primary suspects and Mrs. McCluskey lands a new love.

There were scandals all over the place this week, so to talk about it just read more.

Susan - Susan's post-wedding morning bliss with Mike is quickly interrupted by Mrs McCluskey screams. As she faces the possibility of losing her daughter, Susan turns to her friends for comfort. In typical fashion, all the ladies have got their secrets - Lynette admits that Julie confided in her, Bree is sleeping with Carl, and Katherine's throwing herself at Mike.

Lynette - Still in denial about her pregnancy, Julie's accident turns out to play a vital role in Lynette's decision-making process. I was surprised that she's seriously considering having an abortion, but relieved that Susan used her own situation to talk her out of it. Most of all, I'm glad that Lynette is facing the truth from here on in, since pretending her pregnancy isn't real was starting to get depressing.

Gaby - I'm loving Gaby's new life with a teenager. Her guidance on playing hard to get cracked me up, particularly when poor Carlos realizes how many dates Gaby broke off for no real reason. Bonding time between Gaby and Ana never lasts long though, and by the end of the episode Gaby is grounding Ana for lying to the police about Danny's alibi. Though Ana continues to push Gaby's limits, so far her actions haven't strayed far from the typical high school realm - but I'm willing to bet it won't be long before things get out of hand.

Angie - Like any good wife and mother, Angie struggles to protect her family from both the police and the scrutinizing eyes of their neighbors on Wisteria Lane. She spends most of the episode trying to prove that Danny is innocent in Julie's attack, but I'm more worried about her husband than her son.

Katherine - Katherine finds a new confidant in Orson this week, trying to convince him that she's going to get Mike back. Orson has done some questionable things in the past, but even he doesn't fall for Katherine's deluded re-telling of what happened while Susan was at the hospital. Now that Bree's moved on, how long before Orson and Katherine end up in the sack?

Bree - Bree's discovering that Carl can bring out a whole side of her she never knew she had - a bad girl side. Not only do Carl's sleazy ways turn her on, but she realizes a bit too late that she's become a bad friend to Susan. Now the real question is whether or not Julie will remember catching Bree and Carl in the act when she wakes up from her coma.

What did you think of this week's episode? Who do you think is behind the attack on Julie? (My money's still on Mr. Bolen). Are you excited to see Jesse Metcalfe's return?

Want more of the latest on Desperate Housewives? Check out the Entertainment Group in the Buzz community!

90210 vs. Melrose Place: Which Was More Scandalous?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:30:29 -0700

We're now in our third week of episodes from The CW's Tuesday night guilty-pleasure block, and while both 90210 and Melrose Place are in full swing, the latest batch of drama wasn't my favorite. Both shows seem to be setting up for some action-packed episodes later on in the season, but for now, let's discuss which was more juicy this week.

Ready to figure out which episode get this week's crown of shameless scandal? Weigh in on the debate when you read more.

90210 point: The episode kicks off with Adrianna dreaming of Navid, but it quickly turns into an ab-tastic vision of Teddy shirtless. Obviously she can't get the six pack out of her head and later locks lips with Teddy - and, of course, Silver catches a glimpse.
Melrose Place counterpoint: The gang gets a new landlord, and it's none other than Sydney's sister Jane. Violet greets her with one of her creepy dead-eyed smiles, and Jane wastes no time blackmailing Ella.

90210 point: Dixon and his adult lady friend take it to the next level, hardcore! Massages, hotel rooms, showering together. . . that is, until Sasha discovers the trunk full o'porn in the trunk of the Lamborghini. Dixon continues to dig himself deeper into a mess of lies, I continue to wonder how the hell this woman hasn't figured out that he's only 17 yet.
MP counterpoint: When the cops come knocking at her door, Violet abandons ship and jumps out the window. She and Jane have a creep-off when Violet tells her that she's a long-lost niece, and Jane has her thrown in jail.

90210 point: Liam and Jen take us on an emotional roller coaster. First Liam turns the tables on Jen when he gets dirt on her gold-digging past! But then Jen pulls the sweet and innocent act on Naomi instead of telling her that she slept with Liam, as Liam had requested. I felt so defeated until the episode's final moments where we learn that Liam has Jen's nasty confessions on tape.
MP counterpoint: Lauren heads to a hotel to meet Toby, and another dude quickly recognizes her as being a prostitute. First she gets offended, then agrees to sleep with him - but he won't pay up. Lauren has her first taste of the hard life when the john throws her in the corner, until she finds herself a madam.

90210 point: When Annie's hit-and-run homeless guy leaves $100K to West Beverly in his will, his creepy nephew comes out of the woodwork. By the end of the episode he offers to "take Annie for a ride" and she accepts. I do not like where this is going.
MP counterpoint: Michael hires a guy to follow David; David figures it out and punches the guy in Auggie's restaurant. Auggie is not pleased.

90210 point: Navid and Adrianna finally get it on.
MP counterpoint: Ella and David finally get it on.

So who's the big winner of the week? I'm giving this one to 90210. Partly because Liam finally figured out how to take Jen down, and partly because I really enjoyed the inclusion of an actual high-school level crime - cutting class! What do you think? Does crazy Violet warrant more credit in the scandal department?

Photos courtesy of The CW