BuzzSugar

Shopping at the Buy More . . . I Mean, Visiting the Set of Chuck

BuzzSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:30:00 PDT

My first instinct upon stepping into the Buy More was to reach for the brochure for the store credit card. Hey, maybe I could get even better deals at the green-and-yellow big-box store if I just got one of the store-branded pieces of plastic . . .

I pulled my hand back just in time - the brochures, like everything else, were props on the set of Chuck during my visit on the TCA press tour. But it was hard to convince myself we were on a set, not just a Best Buy or CompUSA that had given the Warner Bros. TV crew the go-ahead to film there that day. As much as the set of ER felt like a real hospital, the set of Chuck felt even more like a place I might go to pick up some new DVDs and an extra controller for my Wii.

"We went to a lot of Best Buys, a lot of CompUSAs," said Paul Marks, the Chuck producer who oversees the set. "Just so it looked as real as possible."

There aren't a lot of signs that the 17,000-square-foot store isn't real, so to hear more about it, just

read more. The walls are lined with 50 TVs of various size and screen quality, all on. Every computer is functional, as are the video games. Even the DVD racks are full of real movies - "If you have so many choices, it doesn't feel like you're favoring one thing," said executive producer Josh Schwartz. When the show was first getting started, the producers needed an entire sound stage just for shipping and receiving, painstakingly cataloging each product for three weeks. To film the season one episode where there's a shootout at the Buy More, the crew took the entire store apart, transported it wholesale to a hangar at the Santa Monica Airport, and reassembled it in exactly the same layout. Chuck embraces the geek love for Hello Kitty, with one whole end shelf dedicated to pink-and-white Sanrio products. There's also a big display for the RoboSapien and another with various guitars for Guitar Hero and Rock Band. It doesn't look like it would be a soul-sucking place to work. In fact, it looks . . . kinda awesome. "We don't want it to feel like a bummer every time you go to the Buy More," Schwartz said. "For us, we go into a Best Buy and it's really fun - there's lots of cool new stuff you can buy, there's video games, there's music. It's a fun world. That's what we wanted to reflect here." It certainly worked for this busload of critics, who wandered around flipping through CDs, checking out the HD TV displays, and reading the rules for deployment of a Nerd Herd car. I leaned in to read the fine print on one sign, which listed a special deal where you could have your own personal Buy More nerd set up your computer, and came across this little gem: "Additional Charges May Apply. Like Felony Possession of a Really Lame Computer." Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. TV

The Muppets' Music Man Bret McKenzie on His Oscar Nod and Taking a Silly Job Seriously

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:50:41 PST

Bret McKenzie is up for an exceedingly rare honor this year, with his ballad "Man or Muppet" earning one of just two nominations in the Oscars' best song category. I caught up with The Muppets' musical supervisor today at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank to chat about the awards attention and the unique experience of penning music for Kermit and company. The New Zealand native talked about fighting the temptation to use the word "motherfrogger" in his songwriting and the roundabout way he came on board The Muppets project in the first place. Bret - who previously was best known as one half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords - also shared his hopes of bringing FOC to the big screen. Check out our conversation below:

PopSugar: It's got to be an honor to be nominated for an Oscar, but also in a year when the Academy only bothered to nominate two songs.
Bret McKenzie: They barely nominated anyone! When I found out, it sounded like there'd been a mistake, and yeah, it's a huge honor. It's great and it's really exciting, and I'm not complaining that there's only two nominees the year I'm nominated. I mean, this is the best chance I'll have of winning an Oscar, ever. It couldn't have been better, unless there was just one nomination, and then it would be a very dull ceremony . . . There's a lot of legendary musicians - tunesmiths - in that list of possible nominations. So it's all very surreal to think that I got in ahead of Elton John.

PS: And Madonna. Those two had a little rivalry going on.
BM: I know. I got nervous about what Elton John's husband was going to say about me. It's crazy, and it's great for The Muppets film, because we're all really proud of the film and it wasn't ever really going to get a best actor. Hey, Jason's good, that's not what I mean, but Kermit, Miss Piggy - they can't win these awards - and comedies don't generally get recognized at these awards ceremonies, so it's kind of cool. It's almost like the film as a whole is being recognized with this category.

For more from our chat with Bret, including what he says about his plans for a Flight of the Conchords film, coaching Jason Segel, and the pressure he felt on the project, just

read more! PS: What was the biggest unexpected challenge for you writing music for the film? I know you talked about one draft of a song where you referred to a Muppet as a piece of felt and were told you couldn't do that. BM: Yeah. Little piece of felt, and you couldn't say things like motherfrogger, even though it's very tempting. There were lots of hard parts to it. The Muppets can't sing certain notes. They can't sing too high or the voice changes and doesn't sound like the right character. There were so many weird things. I spent hours recording penguins and rats, and what's weird is that it's such a silly job, but you have to take it very seriously. So I would be in the studio for days, maybe a whole day recording penguins, and then I'm like, "I'm not happy with how the penguins are sounding! Where's penguin four?" You know, getting demanding. "We lost penguin track four! I can't hear the penguin!" PS: I was watching the movie again last night and watching Jason Segel's performance of "Man or Muppet." Did you coach him on any of his rockstar moves? Because he pretty much nailed it. BM: He nailed it. That's my favorite moment in the film. When he buckles down in the rain, that was one of my favorite shots. I was so proud of what James [Bobin, the director] and those guys achieved, because I wasn't there on set, I just saw them syncing the video, and I was like, "Wow, guys. You nailed it." What we did do in the studio, as Jason and I had a technique where I would sing a line, and he'd watch me through the window, and then he'd sing it back. So we did this thing where, I was really into the drama of it. So, I was like, "Am I a Muppppettt?" [balling his hands into fists] And he'd be like, OK, record. "Am I a Muppppettt!" So we kind of worked together to get that style. PS: Did it shatter some of your childhood illusions to have the guy that does Miss Piggy's voice come work with you [in the recording studio]? BM: Yeah. Well, it wasn't Frank Oz. The guy Eric, who does it now, yeah. That was strange. And the day that we recorded Kermit the Frog doing "Rainbow Connection" - I was sort of pinching myself, because that was probably one of the real moments for me where I realized that my world had really changed. That I'd come from New Zealand, I'd grown up with Kermit the Frog, and now I was in Hollywood in a studio recording Kermit the Frog. It felt like worlds had collided. PS: Was there pressure knowing there was already this great catalog of Muppet songs? To try to add to that or top it in some way? BM: I knew I wouldn't top "Rainbow Connection," but I was very intimidated, but the way I worked on the job was it actually started with me just writing one song, so I didn't feel the pressure of writing the whole movie. I think it would have been different if I'd been hired from the outset to do all the music. So I wrote one, then another, and gradually wrote more and more, so that helped. PS: What song did you write first? BM: The opening song. That's the one they needed, that's the one James asked me to write first. The script was probably on a second draft, and they were in preproduction, so I came in quite late. And the way they were doing it was, they got 100s of demos submitted from all sorts of songwriters, and surprisingly - even though they got some really great people to do demos - people weren't quite hitting the right tone. The Muppet tone. I'd just come off the Conchords tour and I had some time, and James asked if I was interested in doing that opening song, because he had a kind of specific thing he needed from that song. He needed it to be really Muppet-y, that song, and he had a great idea for the whole town joining in, it starting off small and becoming a big musical number, and that came together really well. PS: Is this experience maybe something you want to bring to a Flight of the Conchords movie? BM: Yeah, exactly. Having done this movie now, we're in a much better place to do a Conchords film, because James is more experienced - well, we're all more experienced. Not specifically, but James Bobin - well, we're all very keen to do another studio musical, because I really enjoyed being able to do comedy musical numbers on such a grand scale, and I think next time, I really think it will just get better and better. Because it's such a fun genre, and we've done like 50 songs for TV now, and now The Muppets movie, and I feel like we've accidentally sort of become musical comedy experts. PS: What do you imagine Bret and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords are up to these days, in their universe? BM: In the Lower East Side? That's a good question. I reckon they probably got a regular gig now. Like, at a Chinese restaurant. Photo courtesy Disney

Leighton, Penn, Ella, and Chace Bring a Double Dose of PDA to the Gossip Girl Set

Lauren Turner — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:15:35 PST

Love was in the air on the set of Gossip Girl in NYC yesterday. Leighton Meester and Penn Badgley kissed during a scene on the Upper East Side while Chace Crawford and Ella Rae Peck had their own intimate moment for the cameras on the Big Apple streets. Blake Lively wasn't spotted in character, but she's been busy with the series while her boyfriend Ryan Reynolds has been promoting his new movie overseas. Ryan and Blake will have a chance to reunite since Ryan's press tour for Safe House heads to NYC this week. Yesterday's Gossip Girl brought plenty more drama in the follow up to Blair escaping her wedding with Dan last week - make sure to check out all the OMG moments from the episode in Buzz's Gossip Girl recap!

Hot Daniel Craig Brings His Best James Bond to the Set of Skyfall

Lauren Turner — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:21:51 PST

Daniel Craig got serious in a gray suit on the London set of the new James Bond movie today. He's filming Skyfall after wrapping up a worldwide press tour for the thriller The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Daniel and his leading lady Rooney Mara traveled to Berlin, Paris, and more spots around the globe promoting the project. Rooney's style was the star of many photo ops, but heads also turned when Daniel's wife Rachel Weisz joined them on the red carpet in Madrid. It was the couple's first public appearance since tying the knot last Summer. Rachel recently made headlines when her L'Oréal ad was banned in the UK for being "misleading." Attention will be back to Rooney later this month though, when she hits the red carpet at the Oscars, where she's nominated for best actress.

Dream Come True Alert: Tour The TARDIS

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:32:32 PST

It's a dream up there with hanging out on the holodeck and flying the Millennium Falcon, but now you actually can set foot on the Doctor's TARDIS during the March 24 Doctor Who Convention weekend in Cardiff, Wales, this year. Available only to convention ticket holders, spaces on the TARDIS tour are extremely limited - so go sign up now!

The TARDIS set visit is just one part of the full two-hour tour agenda including transportation to the BBC studios, with the actual TARDIS fun making up just 30 minutes. In the 30 minutes of Whovian wonder on board the iconic police box, learn more about how it works and all the behind-the-scenes details that bring the TARDIS to life on our screens. Who wants to book a Spring trip to Wales with us?

Blake Lively Gets Sweet With Her Family Following a Day on Set

Lauren Turner — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:30:32 PST

Blake Lively posed with a heart-shaped box of Godiva chocolates at the launch of the brand's Sweetest Story Ever Told Contest in NYC last night. She wore Valentino for the sweet evening and had her parents, Elaine and Ernie, along for support. Blake's mom, Elaine, was spotted on set with her this week while boyfriend Ryan Reynolds is overseas promoting Safe House. Ryan and Blake will be able to reunite soon, though, since his press tour will take him to the Big Apple in the coming days. Dating was the topic of conversation in a recent Elle interview with Blake, in which she insisted she's "had four boyfriends in my whole life. I've never been with anyone that's not a boyfriend."

Ryan and Denzel Fall Victim to the Giggles While Talking Up Safe House

Katie Henry — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:42:29 PST

Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds continued their Safe House promotional tour yesterday with a stop by Spanish television's El Hormiguero. The variety show has hosted a wide range of A-list celebrities over the years, including Jennifer Aniston and Tom Cruise. The program gets the stars involved in puppet shows, magic tricks and science experiments. For his part, Denzel joined in the fun by attempting a complicated pool shot while Ryan tried to pull off an optical illusion.

The guys are charming their way across Europe and are scheduled to blitz NYC next week with appearances on The Late Show and Live With Kelly. Their stop in the Big Apple might give Ryan a chance to catch up with girlfriend Blake Lively, who is back to work on the set of Gossip Girl. Things seems to be going well for the couple while Ryan and ex Scarlett Johansson listed their LA home for $3.65 million earlier this week. Ryan and Scarlett shared the Los Feliz ranch during their marriage, but both have since moved on to other properties. She's also been spotted holding hands with new boyfriend Nate Naylor on the East Coast.

50 Geeky Date Ideas For Valentine's Day (and Beyond)

GeekSugar — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:30:10 PST

Coming up short for Valentine's Day date ideas? If you and your sweetheart are more of the geeky persuasion, simply hitting up an overpriced restaurant just won't cut it. We brainstormed 50 date ideas that incorporate science, tech, and video games, for a special Valentine's eve. But don't limit yourself - tackle these date ideas all year!

Bundle up, pack a dinner picnic, and head to the park for some stargazing.
Watch Contact (for the millionth time).
Go to a science museum.
Hit the natural history museum and check out your favorite dino bones.
Go retro - grab a roll of quarters, a slice or two, and hit the pizza parlor arcade.
Build your own planetarium with glow-in-the-dark stickers.
Catch up with the Doctor Who craze by watching the series from the beginning.
Throw a Star Wars party for two.
Whip up a batch of Cloud 9 mojitos (complete with mason jar glasses) and have a Battlestar Galactica marathon.
Visit Nerdy Day Trips and find geeky stuff to do near you.
Go to the planetarium.
Take a dream vacay to the Hobbit Hotel in New Zealand.
Spend a few romantic nights in the Hobbit House of Montana.
Visit the actual Lord of the Rings movie set.
Travel to the Chott el Djerid salt lakes in Tunisia, which were transformed into Luke Skywalker's home on Tatooine.

See the rest of the list after the break!

How to Get Rihanna's Rock-Hard Abs

Shape — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:32:58 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Rihanna is one hot singing sensation. Having recently been named the best-selling digital artist of all time - thanks to a whopping 47.5 million downloads of her hits - the sexy songstress is also a top contender for album of the year at this year’s Grammy Awards.

But not only does the Barbadian beauty know how to rock a stage, she also rocks a bikini, too! No stranger to showin’ off some skin, getting that taut and tight tummy definitely takes work.

The Top 10 Best-Dressed Stars at the Golden Globes

That’s where inspirational fitness expert extraordinaire Ary Nuñez comes in; she’s been training the artist hard for almost four years. “We focus on the core muscles and we do a ton of repetitions,” Nuñez says.

See Rihanna's ab workout after the break.

Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum Take Their Vow Overseas

Allie Merriam — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:51:04 PST

Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum kicked off their press tour for The Vow today in London. She was decked out in an embellished coat and a pair of Brian Atwood shoes. The duo stopped by the offices of both the BBC 1 and BBC 2 channels to sit for radio interviews. The movie opens in the UK and the US on Feb. 10. It's a busy period for Channing, who also has Steven Soderbergh's Haywire out in theaters this Friday, Jan 20. We caught up with Channing at a recent junket for the latter film. Channing shared his admiration for Haywire's leading lady Gina Carano, and also revealed that there was pressure for him and costar Matthew McConaughey to look good shirtless on the set of their upcoming male stripper flick Magic Mike.

Channing was just in LA over the weekend to attend the Golden Globes. He hit the red carpet with wife Jenna Dewan, who looked gorgeous in a green Maria Lucia Hohan gown. He was a presenter during the show, handing the best animated feature film honor to The Adventures of Tintin alongside Jessica Alba.