BuzzSugar

Have You Ever Gone to a Sing-Along Screening?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:30:13 PDT

One of the most interesting pieces of box office news this past weekend was the Labor Day sales bump for Mamma Mia!. The movie was in its seventh week in theaters, but it actually saw its sales go up after several weeks of drops. Getting most of the credit: special sing-along screenings in almost 300 theaters, which alone brought in $1.2 million over the long weekend. Hey, I can understand - who hasn't belted a cheesy ABBA tune or two in their day?

Of course, Mamma Mia! is just the latest in a tradition of sing-along screenings. Hairspray held some sing-along events, there was a popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer sing-along (until it got itself in trouble with Fox), and of course there's the king of all sing-alongs, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Heck, even R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet got some sing-alongs earlier this year. So I'm wondering: Have you ever been to one of these events? Tell me your stories in the comments!

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Shawn Johnson Takes Us Inside Training Camp

espnW — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:04:59 PDT

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

By Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson is blogging for espnW throughout her training for the Olympics in London this summer. Follow her journey and other Olympic hopefuls on espnW.com.

Say "camp" to an ordinary kid and she'll probably tell you about bonfires and sing-alongs and arts and crafts. Say it to an elite gymnast, and she'll tell you camp is every four weeks outside New Waverly, Texas, at "the ranch" - the national team training center.

Shawn Johnson in the Driver's Seat

The ranch is a lot different than it sounds. Yes, there are animals (camels, peacocks and lots of deer!), but it's also fully equipped with multiple gyms, a row of cabins for gymnasts, a separate row for their coaches and dining facilities. It's an honor to be asked to attend the national team camps, but spending a few days there is also really hard work, especially for a slightly older body like mine. I'm used to it, though - after all, I've been going to camp since I was 12 years old, and I'm now 20.

When we're there, we wake up around 6:45 a.m. and head straight for breakfast. Most of the girls grab eggs and coffee before we go back to our cabins and get ready to hit the gym. National team coordinator Martha Karolyi has an unwritten rule: If you're not 30 minutes early to practice, you're late. So although practice starts at 8:30, we all get there at 8. We get heat packs, get taped and do whatever we need to get ready, then sit in a loose circle on the floor and wait. At 8:30 on the dot, Martha walks out of the office. It's a signal - we stand up, line up and address her. She gives our assignments for the day, and we start practice.

My last camp, three weeks ago, was just a check-in for me. I'm not competition-ready yet, but it was good to be in the gym, working alongside all of the other girls. I'm impressed by them all, but I try not to watch too much because it makes me nervous. I don't want to compare myself to them yet; because of my knee injury and rehab, I'm not where they are right now.

Shawn Johnson Rehabbing, Eyeing London

Read on for more of a day in the life of Shawn Johnson at training camp.

5 Entertaining and Romantic Movie Dates

Anna Monette Roberts — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:50:00 PST

In honor of this year's Sundance Film Festival that just began yesterday, it's time to explore different movie date night options for you and your honey to warm up to this Winter. Beyond your average movie complex, there is a whole world of independent theaters and festivals to explore and attend to have a romantic and memorable date experience. Here are a few ideas to reinvigorate the ol' movie night standard.

Technicolor features: Films in technicolor have intensely vivid and dreamy hues. Usually independent and historical theaters will screen special technicolor features, and it's a unique and rare opportunity to see such amazing colors and classic films like Gone With the Wind on the big screen. Even if the film you see isn't a classic, it's still nice to curl up close and enjoy the romantic, sleepy quality of technicolor.
Historical theaters: Check to see if your town has at least one historical theater with a classic, blinking marquee and intricate interior architecture. Research the history behind the building before you go so you and your date can appreciate the theater's story and architectural details upon your visit.
Cult midnight movies: There is an entire culture that follows midnight screenings of B-rated films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The especially diehard will dress up, act out scenes, and sing along. Attending a midnight movie like Rocky can be a ridiculous yet fun way to bond and break any inhibitions.
Film festivals: Independent, horror, documentary, shorts, underground, and international are just a few of the dozens of film festivals that take place in North America. It's cold and dark during the Winter, so you might as well use the time to expand your film repertoire and have a dozen new stories and concepts to discuss with your date afterward.
Drive-ins: If you live in an area with a milder climate, you could drive out of town to go to a drive-in theater. The tickets are cheaper, you're in the comfort of your car, and you can bring your own food. Most importantly, depending on your parking spot, you might have enough privacy to engage in some high-school-esque backseat action.

Carey Mulligan Tells W About Facing Her Nude Scene Fears in Shame

Allie Merriam — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:54:25 PST

Carey Mulligan shows some skin on the cover of W's January 2012 issue. She's been off in Australia working on The Great Gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, but it's her most recent release, Shame, that she discussed with the magazine. The Steve McQueen-directed movie earned a NC-17 rating for its graphic sex and frequent nude scenes, and leading man Michael Fassbender has gotten a great deal of attention for the amount of time he spends in the buff. Carey also has her moment sans clothes, and she spoke about that, as well as getting the role and her start in acting, with the publication. Carey Mulligan told W:

On going nude in Shame: "I’ve never been comfortable with the idea of nudity . . . When it came to this, it just seemed so obvious that she is the sort of person who would have no trouble being naked in front of any family member, especially not her brother . . . I thought I had a week before the nude scene to go to the gym, but we shot it on my first day of filming."
On wanting the role in the picture: "When I read the script, I found it terrifying. My English agents sent it to me and said, 'There’s this amazing part.' For me, as an actor, it was sort of scary. I’d seen Hunger, which was done by Steve McQueen, the director of Shame, and I thought it was just incredible. And I’d always wanted to work with Michael Fassbender, who had been cast as the brother. So, I asked to have a meeting with Steve to pitch myself for the job."
On being dramatic as a child: "I would put my earphones on and sing along to soundtracks of musicals like Les Misérables. I’d act it out in the mirror and cry. When I was 11 or 12, I asked my parents about going to a performing arts school, and they said no. Although I did audition to be a presenter on a TV show called Dig It."

Watch Jason Segel's SNL Monologue With The Muppets!

Shannon Vestal — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:21:55 PST

Jason Segel hosted Saturday Night Live this weekend, just ahead of the release of his new movie, The Muppets. Like his character in the film, Segel decided to express himself through a musical number, and naturally, Kermit, Miss Piggy, and a few other Muppets showed up to sing along with him. The song goes a little bit awry when it becomes clear that The Muppets think they're also hosting the show, and Segel has to set them straight, but as they remind him, The Muppets have been a part of Saturday Night Live history for a long time. Watch now!

Buzz In: What's Your Favorite Song From a Disney Movie?

Shannon Vestal — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 08:00:00 PDT

Judging by the success of The Lion King's 3D re-release, many of us still love to watch an old-school Disney movie (come on, it can't all be kids who went to see it in theaters). It's not just the classic stories that are fun to watch, though; Disney musicals have some of the best songs, and many of them are ones we can still sing along with, no matter when you saw it last. We all have our favorites, and for me, it comes down to "Part of Your World" (I know the lyrics from memory and can burst into it at any time), but I also have a soft spot for other classics like Aladdin's "A Whole New World," and The Jungle Book's "I Wanna Be Like You." There are so many to choose from, so now I want to hear from you: what's your all-time favorite song from a Disney movie?

Harry Potter and Twilight Are Both Big Winners at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards!

Becky Kirsch — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 20:58:37 PDT

Another Teen Choice Awards has come to an end, leaving in its wake some nerdy fun with Zachary Levi, a sing along with Ashton Kutcher, and many a surfboard distributed to favorites in movies, TV, and music. The wizards beat the vampires this year, as Deathly Hallows Part 1 dominated the movie category with seven wins. Rupert Grint and Tom Felton represented Hogwarts, while a handful of the Twilight kids came out for the show, including Robert Pattinson, who took home the surfboard for choice movie actor in a drama.

Vampires also ruled the TV roost, with The Vampire Diaries taking home five awards, with Glee in a close second. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Selena Gomez seriously cleaned up in the musical category. To see the full list of big winners, just

MOVIES

CHOICE MOVIE OF THE SUMMER
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

CHOICE MOVIE: SCI-FI/FANTASY
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

CHOICE MOVIE ACTOR: ROMANTIC COMEDY
Ashton Kutcher, No Strings Attached

CHOICE MOVIE ACTRESS: ROMANTIC COMEDY
Emma Stone, Easy A

CHOICE MOVIE ACTOR: SCI-FI/FANTASY
Taylor Lautner, Eclipse

CHOICE MOVIE ACTRESS: SCI-FI/FANTASY
Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

CHOICE ACTION MOVIE
Fast Five

CHOICE MOVIE ACTOR: ACTION
Johnny Depp, The Tourist

CHOICE MOVIE ACTRESS: ACTION
Angelina Jolie, The Tourist

CHOICE SUMMER MOVIE ACTRESS
Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

CHOICE SUMMER MOVIE STAR
Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

CHOICE MOVIE ACTOR: COMEDY
Justin Timberlake, Bad Teacher

CHOICE MOVIE ACTRESS: COMEDY
Cameron Diaz, Bad Teacher

CHOICE MOVIE ACTOR: DRAMA
Robert Pattinson, Water for Elephants

CHOICE MOVIE SCENE STEALER: MALE
Kellan Lutz, Eclipse

CHOICE MOVIE SCENE STEALER: FEMALE
Ashley Greene, Eclipse

CHOICE MOVIE HISSY FIT
Ed Helms, The Hangover Part 2

CHOICE MOVIE VILLAIN
Tom Felton, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

CHOICE MOVIE LIP-LOCK
Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

CHOICE MOVIE: DRAMA
Black Swan

CHOICE MOVIE ACTRESS: DRAMA
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

CHOICE MOVIE: ROMANTIC COMEDY
Easy A

CHOICE MOVIE: HORROR
Paranormal Activity 2

CHOICE ANIMATED MOVIE VOICE
Johnny Depp, Rango

CHOICE MOVIE CHEMISTRY
Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, Just Go With It

CHOICE MOVIE BREAKOUT: MALE
Alex Pettyfer, I Am Number Four

CHOICE MOVIE BREAKOUT: FEMALE
Brooklyn Decker, Just Go With It

TELEVISION

CHOICE TV SHOW: COMEDY
Glee

CHOICE TV SHOW: DRAMA
Gossip Girl

CHOICE TV SHOW: SCI-FI/FANTASY
The Vampire Diaries

CHOICE REALITY SHOW
Jersey Shore

CHOICE TV REALITY/VARIETY STAR: MALE
Pauly D, Jersey Shore

CHOICE TV SCENE STEALER: MALE
Michael Trevino, The Vampire Diaries

CHOICE TV SCENE STEALER: FEMALE
Katerina Graham, The Vampire Diaries

CHOICE TV VILLAIN
Justin Bieber, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

CHOICE TV ACTRESS: DRAMA
Blake Lively, Gossip Girl

CHOICE TV ACTOR: DRAMA
Chace Crawford, Gossip Girl

CHOICE TV ACTRESS: COMEDY
Selena Gomez, Wizards of Waverly Place

CHOICE TV ACTOR: SCI-FI/FANTASY
Ian Somerhalder, The Vampire Diaries

CHOICE TV ACTRESS: SCI-FI/FANTASY
Nina Dobrev, The Vampire Diaries

CHOICE TV ACTOR: COMEDY
Cory Monteith, Glee

CHOICE TV BREAKOUT STAR
Darren Criss, Glee

CHOICE TV SHOW: ACTION
NCIS: Los Angeles

CHOICE TV ACTOR: ACTION
Shane West, Nikita

CHOICE TV ACTRESS: ACTION
Linda Hunt, NCIS: Los Angeles

CHOICE TV ANIMATED SHOW
The Simpsons

CHOICE TV PERSONALITY
Jennifer Lopez, American Idol

CHOICE TV REALITY COMPETITION SHOW
American Idol

CHOICE TV REALITY/VARIETY STAR: FEMALE
The Kardashians, Keeping Up With the Kardashians

CHOICE SUMMER TV SHOW
Pretty Little Liars

CHOICE SUMMER TV STAR: FEMALE
Lucy Hale, Pretty Little Liars

CHOICE SUMMER TV STAR: MALE
Ian Harding, Pretty Little Liars

CHOICE TV BREAKOUT SHOW
The Voice

MUSIC

CHOICE ARTIST: MALE
Justin Bieber

CHOICE ARTIST: FEMALE
Taylor Swift

CHOICE MUSIC: GROUP
Selena Gomez & The Scene

CHOICE MUSIC: R&B/HIP-HOP ARTIST
Eminem

CHOICE MUSIC: ROCK GROUP
Paramore

CHOICE MUSIC: ROCK TRACK
“Monster,” Paramore

CHOICE MUSIC: R&B/HIP-HOP TRACK
“Run the World (Girls),” Beyoncé

CHOICE FEMALE COUNTRY ARTIST
Taylor Swift

CHOICE MALE COUNTRY ARTIST
Keith Urban

CHOICE MUSIC: COUNTRY GROUP
Lady Antebellum

CHOICE COUNTRY SONG
"Mean," Taylor Swift

CHOICE BREAKUP STAR
"Back to December," Taylor Swift

CHOICE SONG OF THE SUMMER
"Skyscraper," Demi Lovato

CHOICE MUSIC: OVE SONG
"Love You Like a Love Song," Selena Gomez & The Scene

CHOICE SINGLE
“Who Says,” Selena Gomez & The Scene

CHOICE MUSIC STAR OF THE SUMMER: MALE
Bruno Mars

CHOICE MUSIC STAR OF THE SUMMER: FEMALE
Katy Perry

CHOICE MUSIC BREAKOUT ARTIST
Bruno Mars

OTHER

CHOICE ATHLETE: MALE
Shaun White

CHOICE ATHLETE: FEMALE
Shawn Johnson

CHOICE COMEDIAN
Ellen DeGeneres

CHOICE ACTRESS
Selena Gomez

CHOICE MALE HOTTIE
Justin Bieber

CHOICE FEMALE HOTTIE
Selena Gomez

CHOICE RED CARPET FASHION ICON: FEMALE
Taylor Swift

CHOICE RED CARPET FASHION ICON: MALE
Zac Efron

CHOICE TWIT
Justin Bieber

CHOICE WEB STAR
Rebecca Black

CHOICE VAMPIRE
Robert Pattinson

ULTIMATE CHOICE AWARD
Taylor Swift

Storybook Masks Bring Books to Life

babysugar — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:00:58 PST

There's a reason classic storybooks continue to resonate with lil ones. The sweet tales, with their fun characters, colorful story lines and ultimate morals, have educated generations of tots.

Getting tykes interested in the classic characters can be a tough sell. Given all of the products associated with the movies, television and video games they watch, it can be hard to convince a wee one to follow a classic tale like Goldilocks. With EQD's storybook mask sets ($12), traditional books and songs come alive. Each set includes four or five foam masks that can be used to act out the traditional tales or sing along to the nursery rhymes. Perfect for dress-up, impromptu plays and even classroom story times, the sets include such beloved stories as Cinderella, Three Little Pigs and The Ugly Duckling.