BuzzSugar

The 2008 Oscars in 60 Seconds!

BuzzSugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:39:56 PST

Want to catch the 2008 Oscars in one minute? Well, now you can do just that! Experience all the highs and lows of Hollywood's glamour-fest in just 60 seconds - starting with Gary Busey's extreme affection for Jennifer Garner on the red carpet, continuing through Tilda Swinton's shout-out to her agent's Oscar-like buttocks and ending with the Coen Brothers running out of things to say by the time they win Best Picture. To watch, just click below!

Beyoncé's Fit Philosophy

Leta Shy — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:05:51 PDT

How does someone become crowned People magazine's World's Most Beautiful Woman? Genetics, of course, play a major part, but so does having a healthy and happy lifestyle. Here's how 2012's winner Beyoncé has stayed fit throughout the years.

She's realistic: "I can't eat what I want, and I can't not go to the gym," Beyoncé told Self. She also has the right outlook; she knows that there isn't a quick fix when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. "The truth is, it's a lot of sacrifice. It's more about your mental strength than physical strength. You have to push yourself. It doesn't matter what trainer you have. And it doesn't matter what program you're on. You have to be healthy and make the right choices," she said.

She saves time: Beyoncé is a fan of celebrity trainer Marco Borges, who trains her using his signature Power Moves philosophy. This system helps Beyoncé save time since it relies on exercises that work several muscle groups at once. She also saves time by interval training, alternating between sprinting and running while on the treadmill, to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time.

Learn more about Beyoncé's diet and fitness routine after the break!

Hunger Games Set Decorator Larry Dias Shares Stories and Decor Details From the Film

Elka Karl — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:17:42 PDT

Watching The Hunger Games at a press preview, both Angela and I were scrambling to jot down notes on the fantastic set design showcased in the film. Now, we have the answers to all of our set design questions. Set decorator for The Hunger Games Larry Dias was integral in making the film come to life, from the Appalachia-inspired homes seen in District 12 to the opulent palace of President Snow. Dias was nominated for an Oscar for his production design work on Inception, and he's worked on the set design for films including The Village, The Last Airbender, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Keep reading to find out more about the process of designing the look of The Hunger Games. CasaSugar: I read that much of the decor for District 12 was sourced from local antique shops in North Carolina. How were you inspired by these antiques, and how did the look for this district develop?
Larry Dias: When [production designer] Phil Messina discovered the North Carolina location that serves as District 12 in the film, it just made sense to utilize the local antiques sources. In the book, District 12 lies within what is formerly known as the Appalachians. It could not have been more perfect. We found a number of dealers that had an abundance of unfinished "as is" antiques with rotting wood, peeled finishes, broken drawers, and rusty hardware, and they were items from the region. It was a perfect fit.

CS: The train car seems to have an art deco feel. Was this an influence for the look? How did you decide on the color palette and wood choices? What items did you include that seemed particularly important for these scenes?
LD: Phil came up with the design of the train cars, and the palette was an early idea that we toyed with changing a number of times but we always went back to the blue. The velvet I used in the upholstery was from Dedar, and at first we were having some trouble having it fit within our time frame. It was milled in Belgium, if I remember correctly, and we tried numerous times to find a replacement close to our original choice and just could not find a suitable one, so we played the odds and got it at the last minute. I'm glad we did because it had such amazing depth and was a really regal-looking hue that ended up being the perfect complement/contrast to the muted blue dress that Judianna Makovsky had designed for Katniss.

Of course we compared our swatches, but I think it really told a story when she entered that train car. The wood tones were chosen by Phil. As my team and I were sourcing the furniture for the train it became apparent that we would need to do part antique and part reproduction mainly because of quantities and also because Katniss drives a knife into the dining table! A lot of deco furniture is veneered, and we found a lot of great pieces that had irreparable finish issues or pieces that were too diminutive in scale, so we ended up finding some good reproductions that we could get quantities of. Because it was really difficult to get the woods to work well together on pieces coming from all over the US, we had our lead scenic Rick Riggs and his amazing crew faux finish the furniture to tie it all together.

A funny thing is the barrel chairs that play prominently were pieces that my buyer Sara Gardner-Gail found online, and they were really inexpensive but had the perfect shape. I had the legs cut off and added a swivel platform base, had them painted and upholstered, and they looked like the finest antiques. One of the things about set decoration is that you have to be ready to improvise as well as accommodate change. Unlike the design of, say, a hotel lobby where everything has been drawn in will not change, a film set is quite the opposite. Once the actors, camera, and crew are in the set, furniture starts flying, literally.

First, just to accommodate the cast and crew, usually at least one half of the set will be cleared of furniture, then as the shots and camera angles are being set up, the director may decide he needs things to rearrange a bit to accommodate a scene. It can be a little improvisational so having a few extra chairs, lamps, or occasional pieces hanging around is a good thing.

Keep reading for more of our interview with Hunger Games set decorator Larry Dias!

4 Details to Look Forward to in Pixar's Brave

Kelly Schwarze — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:16:16 PDT

The magic of Pixar's Oscar-winning films is in their ability to take seemingly ordinary story lines about childhood toys or a garbage-collecting robot and transform them into emotional narratives about love and life. The studio's upcoming Summer film Brave is its first foray into the familiar coming-of-age tale, this one as told through the experiences of a defiant teenage girl. Pixar's first female lead, Merida, is a princess with an affinity for archery in ancient Scotland who refuses to give up her freedom by submitting to an arranged marriage and sets off to change her fate.

Though the movie isn't due for release until June 22, 2012, we caught an unfinished preview of the first 30 minutes of Brave, and there's a lot to get excited about in this Pixar period piece. Here's why the film is worth the wait:

Pixar Technical Wizardry - Brave demonstrates the studio's technical prowess at its best. Merida's gorgeous curls (seen in the above picture) are no easy feat of animation. There's a reason so few of your favorite animated characters have big, curly hair - it's very difficult to create on the computer. Over 111,000 individual curls were hand-drawn for Merida's mane, which was then digitally rendered as 1.8 million strands. Pixar then had to create a physics simulator to mathematically control how the waves move in the wind and exist within gravity.
The Art - Without verging into awkward moments of uncanny valley, Brave has moments of startling realism amid its fantasy story line. The overcast skies and moss-covered landscape of Scotland have been painstakingly studied, drawn, and shaded to create a setting worthy of this new legend. By the time filming wrapped, 111,394 storyboard drawings were created, a number that far exceeds the preproduction that went into most other Pixar films.

Keep reading how the film's great for gingers and view the official trailer after the break.

Behind the Scenes and Backstage at the Oscars

Kimberly Timlick — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:51:15 PST

There was so much action on the Oscars red carpet and during the Billy Crystal-hosted show. Backstage and in the audience, though, is where the fun really went down. Angelina Jolie took a last-minute chance to rehearse her presenter's lines ahead of handing out the best screenplay awards. George Clooney and Stacy Keibler chatted with his Descendants' costars Judy Greer and Shailene Woodley, and Gwyneth Paltrow hung out by the curtains in her chic Tom Ford. Octavia Spencer may have taken home best supporting actress, but she was still the one carrying her black leather bag - click through to see all the backstage highlights.

Octavia Spencer Calls Her Oscar Win "Fan-Effing-Tastic"

Becky Kirsch — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 23:11:07 PST

Octavia Spencer completed her award season sweep with the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in The Help. After giving a very teary speech on stage, Spencer dried her eyes and cracked jokes back in the press room. She talked about how humbled she is by her win, her deep love and respect for her cast mates, and why you can't take yourself too seriously in showbiz.

On the tone of the film: We wanted to make the movie that Kathryn Stockett had envisioned when she wrote the book. I don't think there's anything lighthearted abut the civil rights movement, but if you can have a laugh every other 10 minutes while you watch the struggle, then I have no problem with it.

On her upcoming plans: Tonight I am going to find my cast mates and I'm actually going to have a quarter of a glass of champagne and hang out. I think we all start projects within the next couple of days, but I'm just gonna live in this moment because lord knows it's never gonna happen again.

On what the cast meant to her: It's very rare that you have the type of ensemble that we had. You don't get all the Academy Award nominees and winners coming together to do a project. And then you have the collaboration of Academy Award nominees behind the scenes. We just left our egos at the door and worked together as one beautiful unit. It was an award-winning cast. So to be a part of that, and to just sort of dissolve into the world that we were representing is something that we're supposed to do as actors, but it was rare that we did it without judgment of each other.

On her love affair with The Help: The word I want to use, I can't. I want to say fan-effing-tastic. But we'll leave the "effing" out. Fantastic. It is humbling, the love affair I have with The Help. I'm a benefactor of all of the riches that the real life Minnys, Aibileens, Cosntantines, Skeeters, that they basically reaped. And so I am very humbled because I get to stand here and accept this award and I haven't really done anything.

On what she was feeling at the moment she won and advice: Really and truly I was just trying not to fall down. This is one of those evenings in my life that I'll never forget. I hope it's the hallmark for more aspiring actresses of color, and by color I don't just mean African American. I hope that in some way I can be some sort of beacon of hope. Especially because I am not the typical Hollywood beauty.

On her advice for aspiring actresses: Get a great designer because you don't know if you're gonna be on TV or not. I think that you have to believe in yourself, and you have to work very hard. You can't think that you're the best thing that sliced bread, because there are going to be Viola Davises, Jessica Chastains, Emma Stones, who are the best things since sliced bread. Take it seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously.

On her dream role: I don't have one role that I want to play. I guess I want to be a producer. I want be an activist. I want to be proactive in bringing about work for men, women, boys, girls, that are good at what they do and deserve a shot at it. I want to have a presence behind the scenes and in front of the camera. I want to be a jack of all trades and hopefully decent at one of them.

Get Red Carpet Ready With This Circuit Workout From Valerie Waters

Michele Foley — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 03:25:57 PST

With the Oscars and all its afterparties only days away, celebrity trainer Valerie Waters and her Red Carpet Ready workouts are in high demand! Valerie, who also serves as a fitness expert on the LIVESTRONG.COM advisory board, still managed to find time to create a full-body strength circuit exclusively for us. Start incorporating this workout into your weekly routine, and you'll be able to hit the red carpet in no time!

Keep reading to see the six moves Valerie uses to get clients like Kate Beckinsale, Poppy Montgomery, and Jennifer Garner in shape, and find out which moves are Poppy's favorites when shaping up for a big night out.

Complete this circuit without resting in between exercises. Rest one minute between circuits. Do it three times. What you'll need: resistance band with handles, a set of light weights, and the Valslide.

Source

How Stacy Keibler Gets Red-Carpet Ready

Fitness Magazine — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:37:17 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Fitness Magazine here on FitSugar!

Awards season is in full swing, and we can't help but wonder how these celebs manage to look so good. And what's a girl without access to expensive Hollywood trainers and stylists to do? We caught up with actress, model, and former wrestler Stacy Keibler (who looked stunning on the arm of boyfriend George Clooney at the SAG Awards!) to learn about the new game she uses at home to keep her svelte figure looking fabulous for the red carpet.

First of all, you look great! How often do you work out each week?

I always try to fit in some type of activity every day, but just like everyone else's schedules, some days are busier than others. I'm a big believer in being active no matter what, so even if I only have a few minutes to squeeze some moves in, it's better than nothing.

What are your go-to moves for those busy days?

I love lunges, especially because you don't need any equipment to do them. So no matter where you are, you have those to fall back on.

Keep reading more about Stacy's relationship to home workouts and George.

Reese Witherspoon's "Om"-azing Arm Workout

Self — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 04:15:35 PST

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Reese Witherspoon may be one of Hollywood's most in-demand leading ladies, but don't expect the Oscar winner to solicit any special treatment during her tri-weekly yoga sessions.

"We've done private training a few times but she usually comes to the group class," says YogaHop owner Matthew Reyes, who has trained Witherspoon for the past five years. "I treat Reese the same as I treat everyone else but I'm glad she feels comfortable enough to come in with the general public."

Reyes enthusiastically endorses the 35-year-old's other passion (running) as a perfect complement to yoga but warns, "Women across the board, especially runners, have a much better developed lower body than upper body." That's why he pushes the actress to find her edge in every power yoga session. "My goal is, if someone were to work out until their arms were exhausted, take a day off then do it again, take a day off and do it again. You will see some really nice development in your muscular tone."

Want to get strong, sexy arms like the Water For Elephants star? Add these four moves to your regular routine three times a week and you'll be flaunting Witherspoon-like guns in no time.

See the moves after the break.

New York Film Festival Takeaway: A Dangerous Method

Allie Merriam — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 05:30:00 PDT

David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method is one of the most-anticipated movies showing at the New York Film Festival, which kicked off last weekend and continues on until Oct. 16. Cronenberg and one of his leading men, Michael Fassbender, joined writer Christopher Hampton in the Big Apple this week to present the picture and conduct a Q&A for press. I was able to check out the screening and hear a little of what Michael, David, and Christopher had to say.

Who's behind it? David Cronenberg was behind the lens, teaming up with regular colleague Viggo Mortensen for the third time, after the men also worked together on A History of Violence and Eastern Promises. Mortensen plays Dr. Sigmund Freud, along with Fassbender's psychoanalyst Carl Jung, and Keira Knightley as Sabina Spielrein, a hysterical patient who turns her interest in medicine into a doctorate. The script is from Atonement's Christopher Hampton, who also wrote the play, The Talking Cure, on which the movie is based.
What's it about? A Dangerous Method is based on Freud, Spielrein, and Jung's real lives. Spielrein and Jung first cross paths when she's admitted to his Zurich clinic, and it's there that she's introduced to his and Freud's psychoanalytic method. Jung shares with Freud a belief that many, if not most, psychological problems are rooted in sex. Spielrein seems to agree, and her relationship with Jung became both personal and professional. Jung later visits with his friend Sigmund in Vienna on a sort of hero-worshipping pilgrimage. However, on a trip to America, the men have a falling out over Jung's spiritualism, to which Freud is opposed. Hampton's story examines the effects of Jung and Spielrein's affair on their careers, families, and professional futures.

To read what I thought about the movie, just read more