BuzzSugar

Where to Find Ted Kennedy Tributes on TV Tonight

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:30:20 PDT

Senator Ted Kennedy, the youngest of the Kennedy brothers, passed away late Tuesday night at the age of 77 after battling cancer. TV networks have quickly planned various tributes and specials about the late politician, and here's where you can find them (all times are EDT):

Tonight, Wednesday, Aug. 26:

6:30 p.m. - On NBC, Brian Williams will anchor a one-hour NBC Nightly News from Kennedy's town, Hyannis Port, MA.

7 p.m. - CNN will show a replay of the HBO documentary Teddy: In His Own Words, hosted by Campbell Brown.

8 p.m. - CBS News will air a one-hour primetime special titled "Ted Kennedy, the Last Brother" which "will look at the legacy of the long-time senator and patriarch of the famous political dynasty."

10 p.m. - ABC News will have "Remembering Ted Kennedy," anchored from Hyannis Port by World News's Charles Gibson.

11 p.m. - On MSNBC, Chris Matthews will host a presentation of The Kennedy Brothers: A Hardball Documentary, which had been scheduled to run Aug. 27, but was rescheduled after Kennedy's death.

In Memoriam: "Chapel of Love" Songwriter Ellie Greenwich

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:40:11 PDT

Songwriter/singer/producer Ellie Greenwich's songs (many of which were also produced by Phil Spector) are iconic in and of themselves (I can't even recall the first time I heard "Do Wah Diddy" or "Chapel of Love" - they've just always been there), but because they've been placed in so many movies and TV shows, I've come to fondly associate them with some of my favorite scenes.

I can't hear "Be My Baby" without conjuring up the image of that slow-motion black-and-white introduction to Dirty Dancing. Just hearing that percussive intro makes me smile, as I remember one of my most beloved movies. And I know many of you are fans of Father of the Bride, so you probably know exactly where "Chapel of Love" and "(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Going to Marry" can be heard in the film. "Then He Kissed Me" will always be tied in my memory to Elisabeth Shue prancing around her room while getting ready for the big date she never gets to go on in Adventures in Babysitting. Greenwich also wrote or co-wrote "Leader of the Pack," "Da Doo Ron Ron," "Christmas Baby (Please Come Home)" and "Hanky Panky," among many others.

In honor of Greenwich's passing today, I've gathered up some of my favorite songs she helped create. To check out the playlist,

Rest in Peace, John Hughes

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:15:43 PDT

John Hughes, writer and director of many beloved movies, has passed away at the age of 59. He reportedly had a heart attack while taking a morning walk today in Manhattan.

Just hearing Hughes' name makes me feel nostalgic. When watching his movies it always strikes me that his stories, so often dealing with the trials and tribulations of being a teenager (and frequently touching on issues of social class, the friction between the haves and the have-nots) shaped a whole genre of teen dramedy. Where would we be today without The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Sixteen Candles? Or what about Pretty in Pink, Home Alone, and the National Lampoon's Vacation movies? The world of film has benefited wonderfully from his contributions.

John Hughes, you will be missed.

What are your favorite Hughes movies?

Saying Goodbye to Bea Arthur

BuzzSugar — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:30:23 PDT

I was heartbroken to learn that Bea Arthur died this weekend in her LA home at the age of 86. Already the Web is overflowing with tributes to the distinguished comedic actress, which says so much about her great talent. Reading through some of them, I realize that an entire generation came to know and love her as Maude Findlay. Some even remember her for her stage accomplishments, for which she won a Tony Award.

For me, though, she was the razor-sharp, doting daughter to Sofia on The Golden Girls. Just thinking about the character Dorothy brings a smile to my face, and even when I watched the show as a kid it was clear that only someone of enormous talent could make a character that prickly so likable and hilarious.

In addition to the tributes, it's heart-wrenching to read statements from those who knew her best. Betty White, who played Rose on Golden Girls, told Entertainment Tonight: "I knew it would hurt, I just didn't know it would hurt this much. I'm so happy that she received her Lifetime Achievement Award while she was still with us, so she could appreciate that. She was such a big part of my life."

It's so sad she's gone and amazing how many lives and generations she touched. After the jump, I've included one of my favorite Dorothy and Sofia clips to remember them by. To watch,

Remembering Paul Newman

BuzzSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:30:13 PDT

For me, Paul Newman epitomized the term "Hollywood movie star." His devastating good looks (especially those blue eyes that make your knees go wobbly), paired with a great talent and sheer charisma made for a rare and winning combination. His cinematic career spanned over 50 years, a feat that only a handful of actors will probably ever match.

The New York Times has a terrific article about his life, and contextualized his mark in film with the following:

If Marlon Brando and James Dean defined the defiant American male as a sullen rebel, Paul Newman recreated him as a likable renegade, a strikingly handsome figure of animal high spirits and blue-eyed candor whose magnetism was almost impossible to resist, whether the character was Hud, Cool Hand Luke or Butch Cassidy.

While Newman will be remembered for his extraordinary career in movies, it was his mark in philanthropy and his dedication to his children and his wife of 50 years, Joanne Woodward, which ultimately made the man. It's an old cliché but it seems like it was coined for him: beautiful on the inside and out. He will be missed.

Source

Rest In Peace, Isaac Hayes

BuzzSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:33:42 PDT

It was a pretty depressing weekend in the world of entertainment as we lost first Bernie Mac and then Isaac Hayes. Hayes passed away on Sunday in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 65.

Many people know Hayes as the deep-voiced singer who brought the theme song to Shaft into the world. In 1972, he won the Oscar for that song, becoming the first African-American to win an Oscar in a non-acting category. Hayes went on to pick up three Grammy awards and was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

For people of a younger generation, however, Hayes will be remembered as the voice of Chef on South Park. To enjoy a video set to Chef's "Chocolate Salty Balls" in Hayes's honor, just

read more. Warning: The video includes some content that is NSFW, but it is also hilarious. Source

We'll Miss You, Estelle Getty

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:25:29 PDT

Sad news this morning, Buzz readers: Estelle Getty (a.k.a. Sophia from The Golden Girls) has passed away at the age of 84.

Best known as Sophia, the snappy, sarcastic mother of Bea Arthur's character Dorothy, Getty endeared herself to audiences everywhere for being hilariously no-nonsense - effectivey shattering the stereotype of the sweet old lady. According to the AP, Getty initially didn't get the part of Sophia because "she didn't look old enough to play 80." She later told an interviewer, "I could understand that. I walk fast, I move fast, I talk fast."

The AP article also includes this interesting tidbit:

Getty had gained a knack for one-liners in her late teens when she did standup comedy at a Catskills hotel. Female comedians were rare in those days, however, and she bombed.

Well, thank goodness she wasn't discouraged from continuing in the business; we'll all remember her as hilarious, sarcastic and spunky. We'll miss you Estelle Getty.

To check out a clip montage of classic Sophia moments,

Rest In #!&*@% Peace, George Carlin

BuzzSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:47:48 PDT

Will we ever know why we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway? No. But I'm glad we had George Carlin around to ask these questions.

On Sunday, at the age of 71, the hilariously foul-mouthed comedian passed away from heart failure (and surely Carlin would make fun of that usage of "pass away" rather than just saying "died"; you can see his bit about death, now a funny, bittersweet video, here).

Often regarded as one of the greatest stand-up comedians, he is today deemed a "counterculture hero" who pushed the envelope in regard to profanity, most famously with his "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" routine.

The AP continues to note that Carlin leaves a "legal legacy: His most celebrated monologue, a frantic, informed riff on those infamous seven words, led to a Supreme Court decision on broadcasting offensive language." In a 2004 interview, Carlin explained his thoughts on language that's considered taboo:

There's an idea that the human body is somehow evil and bad and there are parts of it that are especially evil and bad, and we should be ashamed. Fear, guilt and shame are built into the attitude toward sex and the body. . . It's reflected in these prohibitions and these taboos that we have.

Over his life, Carlin put out "23 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials, three books, a few TV shows and appeared in several movies." He won four Grammy Awards and was nominated for five Emmys. Most of all, however, he influenced countless comedians who came after him. Judd Apatow notes, "Nobody was funnier than George Carlin. I spent half my childhood in my room listening to his records experiencing pure joy. And he was as kind as he was funny."

Source

Director Anthony Minghella Dies at Age 54

BuzzSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:30:05 PDT

Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella died today at the age of 54 of a hemorrhage following surgery. He won the Best Director Oscar in 1997 for The English Patient, and was later nominated for his work on The Talented Mr. Ripley. He also directed Cold Mountain and the 2006 drama Breaking and Entering.

According to the AP, "Minghella's publicist, Jonathan Rutter, said the filmmaker died at London's Charing Cross Hospital. He said Minghella was operated on last week for a growth in his neck, 'and the operation seemed to have gone well. At 5 a.m. today he had a fatal hemorrhage.'"

His latest projects included the adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's book series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, which Minghella filmed in Botswana and which will be turned into a 13-part series for HBO. He was also scheduled to direct a short for the film anthology New York, I Love You (the New York version of the 2006 anthology Paris, je t'aime). In addition to serving as executive producer on various projects like Michael Clayton and the Kate Winslet film Iris, Minghella has one acting credit on his filmography: he played the interviewer at the end of Atonement.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is quoted as saying, "Anthony Minghella was a wonderful human being, creative and brilliant, but still humble, gentle and a joy to be with. Whatever I did with him, personally or professionally, left me with complete admiration for him, as a character and as an artist of the highest caliber."

Minghella photo source

Sundance Snapshot: Your Sister's Sister Puts the Fun in Family Dysfunction

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:05:00 PST

Director Lynn Shelton made her Sundance premiere with Humpday, and she returned to the festival this year with Your Sister's Sister. The film has a tiny cast - in fact, most of the scenes are between just three actors - but this little indie is one of the most memorable films I caught at the festival. Here's why:

Who's behind it? Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Mark Duplass make up the cast. Lynn Shelton (who also directed Duplass in Humpday) is behind the camera.
What's it about? Duplass plays Jack, a guy who's on a bit of a downward spiral a year after losing his brother. Jack's still close friends with his brother's ex, Iris (Blunt), who suggests that Jack spend some time in solitude at her father's rustic lakeside cabin. When Jack arrives at the cabin, he's surprised to find Iris's sister, Hannah (DeWitt), and when Iris pops up for a visit, a very tangled web is woven between the three characters over the course of a few days.
What did I think? This is a little gem of a film; all three actors turn in nuanced performances, making the complicated relationships between the three feel incredibly authentic. Duplass gets most of the laughs as Jack bumbles to keep the peace between Iris and Hannah, but it's Blunt and DeWitt that really shine as siblings that love each other through and through, but can't help pushing each other's buttons. The Seattle cabin setting also adds extra charm, and really makes the audience feel like you're trapped in the conundrum between the characters, isolated away from the rest of the world.