BuzzSugar

7 Weekend Movies That Motivate

SavvySugar — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:41:41 PDT

After a rough week at the office, you deserve your downtime. I'm usually begrudging Friday traffic as I make my way home to climb into bed and a pair of cozy sweats. But, just so I don't lose all motivation come Monday, I'm setting my sights on a movie marathon that packs some career-minded motivation this week. Read on to get my movie suggestions - then, grab a snack, kick back, and kick off your weekend with a little career-inspiring entertainment.

Moonrise Kingdom: A Retro Delight

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 25 May 2012 06:00:00 PDT

Everything about Moonrise Kingdom is unmistakably Wes Anderson: the hazy cinematography, the clever dialogue, and even the use of the director's favorite actors. Indeed, Anderson isn't leaving his comfort zone as a filmmaker, but Moonrise Kingdom is still a pleasure to watch. Set in 1965, the movie tells the story of Sam and Suzy (newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward), preteen pen pals who conspire to run away together. As they set up camp all over an island off the coast of New England, they're being pursued by Sam's scout troop (led by camp counselor Edward Norton), Suzy's parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), and different authorities (Bruce Willis and Tilda Swinton). Sam and Suzy's experience with young love is sweet and complicated, and made all the more dreamy through Anderson's lens.

The elements might be familiar, but Anderson proves why he's such an admired director with a film like this. It's surprisingly romantic, but there's also a real threat to Sam and Suzy in the wild. Their compelling journey paired with the optical treat of Anderson's style makes Moonrise Kingdom a must-watch for fans of the distinctive director. To find out what else I liked about the film, just keep reading.

Zac Efron Sports a Scruffy Mustache on His Way to Cannes

Lauren Turner — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:02:59 PDT

Zac Efron carried his luggage into LAX yesterday. He covered up in a beanie and sported a mustache for the trip to France, where he's set to premiere The Paperboy at the Cannes Film Festival. His costars Matthew McConaughey and Nicole Kidman have already arrived in the South of France, joining the many celebrities at Cannes. Zac's on the go again after traveling overseas to promote his other project The Lucky One for much of April. He popped up in London and Berlin for press before the movie's solid opening at the US box office last month.

The Avengers Easily Sinks Battleship in a Box Office Showdown

Maggie Pehanick — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:05:00 PDT

For the third week in a row, The Avengers has taken the top spot at the box office. The Marvel superhero flick earned $55.1 million this weekend, bringing its total gross to an impressive $457 million. New releases Battleship and The Dictator trailed behind, with $25.3 million and $17.4 million, respectively. Johnny Depp's vampire revival Dark Shadows came in fourth in its second week in theaters, taking in $12.8, and the Jennifer Lopez ensemble comedy What to Expect When You're Expecting rounded out the top five with $10.5 million in its first weekend.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

J Lo and Casper Are Loved Up During a Sunday Shopping Trip

Lauren Turner — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:33:42 PDT

Jennifer Lopez and her boyfriend, Casper Smart, held hands while shopping at The Grove in LA yesterday. They stopped by Zara and left with two large bags stuffed with goodies. The sunny afternoon came during a break from J Lo's busy schedule juggling her American Idol judging duties and dance rehearsals for her upcoming tour. She recently took time out to meet our I'm a Huge Fan winner, though, and opened up about life with her kids in an interview with our winner. If you haven't seen the series, make sure to check out all the I'm a Huge Fan: Jennifer Lopez episodes now.

It was an extra exciting weekend for J Lo since she also had the opening of What to Expect When You're Expecting. The movie had a solid opening at the box office but was no match for action movies The Avengers and Battleship.

Battleship: Needs a Lifesaver

Maggie Pehanick — Fri, 18 May 2012 06:00:00 PDT

I don't remember aliens making an appearance in my own childhood sessions with Battleship, but I suppose when you try to make a toy into a feature-length film, you're afforded a few liberties. Unfortunately, the producers of Battleship may have spent too much time finding creative ways to explode things and not enough time on a plot, ending up with underutilized actors, in a wishy-washy destruction story.

Battleship starts out in 2005, when the US establishes the Beacon Project, an effort to reach out to potential life forms on a planet that has a similar climate as the Earth. The government sets up a powerful signal on Hawaii capable of sending transmissions to the foreign territory. Little do they know the frequencies are being received, and not by friendly folks. Enter brothers Alex (Taylor Kitsch) and Stone (Alexander Skarsgard). Stone is clean-cut and responsible while Alex is generally a mess. We first meet them in a bar scene that turns to Alex breaking into a convenience store to steal a chicken burrito for his future girlfriend, Sam (Brooklyn Decker). Thanks to Kitsch's surprising physical comedy skills, the scene is the highlight of the movie. It all goes to the aliens after that.

Read the rest of my thoughts on Battleship after the break.

16 Weird Reasons People Quit Their Jobs

Emily Co — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:28:26 PDT

Although common sense dictates a graceful exit when you're leaving a company, there are always going to be some who slip up. Staffing agency OfficeTeam recently conducted a survey among more than 1,300 employers who divulged some of the strangest reasons former employees have given them when resigning from their jobs. Here are a couple of doozies:

"A guy said he was making too much money and didn't feel he was worth it."
"The worker told us he just couldn't get up in the morning."
"He quit because he didn't like the way the office smelled."
"An individual did not like the sound of file cabinets being slammed."
"One person quit to watch a soccer tournament."
"We had someone leave because he had to stay home to feed his dog."
"An employee left because he wanted to watch a movie with his girlfriend during work hours."
"A person quit because he hated the carpet."
"He just walked out without a peep. We have no idea why he left, and we were not able to contact him."
"One worker left to become an apple farmer."
"A staff member quit to climb Mount Everest."
"There was an individual who left to play the trombone."
"Someone left because her boss lost the dog she had given him."
"Our employee said he was joining the circus."
"One person left because she lost her cell phone too many times at work."
"An employee said it was his routine to change jobs every six months."

Although you may be tempted to leave a job in a manner of your choosing (especially if you harbor negative feelings), it's best to reconsider your approach.

"How you leave a job can be just as important as what you did while you were there," said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. "Regardless of the reason for resigning, making a graceful exit by tying up loose ends and thanking colleagues shows your professionalism and can help you down the road in your career."

For those who are contemplating an exit, here's a quick guide to leaving your job with grace.

Box Office: The Avengers Continues to Conquer

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 14 May 2012 03:05:00 PDT

After breaking the opening weekend record in its first week of release, The Avengers easily topped the box office again with $103.2 million, also setting a new record for best second weekend ever. New release Dark Shadows followed far behind in second place with $28.8 million, while Think Like a Man came in third with $6.3 million. The Hunger Games hung in there at No. 4 with $4.4 million, and The Lucky One rounded out the top five with $4.1 million.

Photo courtesy of Disney

Box Office: Easter Comes Early For Hop

BuzzSugar — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 03:05:00 PDT

Who says holiday movies are only for December? Russell Brand's animated bunny film Hop easily took the top spot at the box office in its opening weekend, taking in an impressive $38.1 million. Despite an SNL appearance by Jake Gyllenhaal himself, newbie action flick Source Code trailed in second with $15 million. Horror flick Insidious took third with $13.4 million, while former number one movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules slid to fourth with $10.2 million. Limitless clung onto a top five spot with $9.4 million.

Sexy Charlize and Kristen Link Up With Their SWATH Costars For a London Premiere

Lauren Turner — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:50:20 PDT

Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, and Charlize Theron brought their hotness to the London premiere of Snow White and the Huntsman in Leicester Square last night. Charlize wore a sheer Christian Dior gown while Kristen got sexy in Marchesa. They were joined by costars Lily Cole, Nick Frost, and Sam Claflin for the big event. Sam even brought his girlfriend Laura Haddock, who's a bit of a star in the UK. She had a role in last year's The Inbetweeners movie, as well as various TV shows.

It was an extra special few days for many of the castmembers including Chris, who became a first-time father when his wife, Elsa Pataky, gave birth. Chris unfortunately missed the special moment due to his work obligations but shared a sweet message with fans about naming his daughter India. He also has the continued success of The Avengers, which took the top spot at the box office on its second weekend, to get excited about.

Kristen had her own celebrating to do since it was her boyfriend Robert Pattinson's 26th birthday Sunday. He partied with friends at a bash at Claridge's hotel on the big day, and the duo kept the fun coming late night yesterday at Quo Vadis. Charlize, Sam, and Chris, though, attended the premiere's afterparty at the Empire Leicester Square.