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Buzz In: What Acclaimed TV Classic Do You Just Not Get?

BuzzSugar — Sat, 16 May 2009 13:30:01 -0700

30 Rock made a M*A*S*H joke this week, and my friend practically threw a fit telling me all about her hatred for that show. She said every time her parents turned it on and she heard that famous theme song, she wanted to cry from boredom. I actually know quite a few people who feel that way, even though M*A*S*H is considered one of the best shows of all time.

Maybe it's an age thing - do teenagers love Mad Men as much as I do? Then again, I know plenty of people my own age who think Mad Men looks boring despite all its critical acclaim. And even though I'm a huge fan of The Wire, I know there are lots of folks out there who don't get it and don't care to.

I'm wondering: What critically acclaimed show - whether now or in the past - do you just not think deserves all the fuss?

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Five Seasons of The Wire - In Rap

BuzzSugar — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 13:30:00 -0800

You know, I've seen a lot of clever "X TV Show in Y Minutes"-type videos in my day, but this one might be my new favorite. To promote the giant complete series set of The Wire, HBO has put together a summary of all five seasons of the series - in rap.

Seeing characters like Frank Sobotka and D'Angelo brings back all kinds of memories, of course, but I'm also getting a kick out of the lyrics - I mean, they manage to rhyme "his own" and "Brother Mouzone" at one point. And I don't know if I've ever heard a more concise summary of the whole first season than "the judge had heard enough/the witness goes down/the wire goes up." That about covers it, right?

To state the (very) obvious: If you haven't seen the whole series, this video will have tons of spoilers. But you knew that, right? To check it out, just read more.

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Buzz's Gift Guide: Box Set Bonanza!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:30:21 -0800

Welcome back to my Buzz Gift Guide series for all the entertainment lovers in your life. Yesterday I came up with some ideas for your coworkers, and today, I'm focusing on some splurge gifts for someone special: DVD box sets. These sets, whether a whole TV series or a collection of films, are pricier than the average gift, so they're definitely meant for that superfan who you know will cherish these DVDs forever.

I know many a Sopranos fan that would covet this giant box set that includes the complete series of the HBO show plus tons of special features - including creator David Chase and the cast talking about one of the alternate endings.

Fans of Freaks and Geeks will forever love anyone who gifts them this special "Yearbook Edition" box set. Also, the acclaimed series The Wire is available in its entirety now just in time for the holidays.

Finally, I personally would kill for this collection of films directed by Pedro Almodovar with eight movies including Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, All About My Mother, Talk to Her, The Flower of My Secret, and Bad Education.

Viva Pedro - The Almodovar Collection ($105.99)	The Sopranos - The Complete Series ($199.49)
The Wire: The Complete Series ($134.99)	Freaks & Geeks: Yearbook Edition ($129.99)	Amazon.com: Deadwood ($104.99)

Check out HolidaySugar for all of our holiday coverage and gift guides.

Tristan Wilds on Moving From Baltimore to Beverly Hills

BuzzSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:15:49 -0700

One of the biggest reasons I'm excited for the new 90210 is the casting of Tristan Wilds. For two seasons on The Wire, Wilds played Michael, a tough and complex kid from the Baltimore streets. It was an incredibly nuanced performance from someone so young, one that had me hanging on his every word. When I heard someone that talented was making 90210 his new TV home as Dixon, the adopted son of Debbie and Harry Wilson (Lori Loughlin and Rob Estes), it made me take notice.

At the CW's party at the TCA press tour, I chatted with Wilds about making the transition from Baltimore to Beverly Hills. Here are highlights:

How did you find 90210 - or how did 90210 find you?
My manager called me and told me about 90210. I was a little skeptical about it, but I definitely wanted to show that I had a broader range than just Michael. Of course, when I went out for it, I found out that Dixon isn't really that much different than Michael. They both grew up with a really bad beginning - Dixon has been in and out of group homes his whole life, landed in Kansas, got into a little fight over something that got him in real trouble and that was going to send him to a juvenile detention center until the Wilsons came in and rescued him. They adopted him, so they saved him in a place where Michael really needed to be saved.

When you told your friends from The Wire that you were going to be on 90210, what did they say?
Actually, all they were saying was, "Really, you're on 90210? Wow!" They were all giving me accolades and all that. It was great.

What's it like going from a show like The Wire, which had a lot of acclaim but maybe not the viewers, to something like 90210 that has so much buzz?
It has so much buzz, and the way that we're shooting it - it's going to be edgy, it's going to be a little bit racy, but it's going to show the real lives of teenagers. Every character is a different aspect of teenagers' lives. I think that every teenager will be able to identify themselves with at least one character on the show.

To learn whether Wilds watched the original 90210 and what his experience was like on The Wire, read more.

Did you watch the original 90210?
To keep my manhood intact, I don't want to say I watched it too much, but I've seen a couple episodes. I've done my research on it. But of course, you know, you always have that time where you want to watch cartoons and your big sister puts you in the headlock and makes you watch TV with her - so yeah, I've seen it a couple of times.

When you were working on The Wire, in those moments, did you realize how big and important the show was?
I was a big fan of The Wire from the beginning, from season one when the cops beat the kid until he was blind in one eye. I was a really big fan; I was really into it. Season four - I didn't know how big it would be, because it was always such an underground thing. You would see people every now and then talking about how good The Wire was, but you never knew how big it was going to be until after it came on and everybody was watching it, and I was like, "Wow. We have a fan base like this?" And it was so diverse, which is why I love it so much.

After The Wire, what were you looking for in your next role?
I think the main thing I was looking for was growth. I was trying to build myself as an actor, which is why I was going to acting classes . . . When this came along, I was like, all right, maybe this will take me to the next level. I'm praying this is what it is.

Are there things you get to tap into with Dixon that you couldn't with Michael?
I get to show the playful side of me. I get to show that troublemaker. I get to show the suave ladies man, if you will. Dixon portrays all of this. Michael didn't really get a chance to because he was a kid stuck in his ways.

What would you say to people who are fans of yours from The Wire who might be rolling their eyes at 90210?
I would say to them, "Just watch." Just like Michael was a three-dimensional character, Dixon is a three-dimensional character . . . You get to see life through another kid's eyes who lived like Michael did but got another chance at life.

If I looked at your TiVo right now, what would I see?
You'd probably see America's Best Dance Crew, two episodes of Tom and Jerry, the whole season of Family Guy, and probably Ugly Betty, 'cause I watch it with my mom.

Source and courtesy of The CW

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:30:16 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

Smart People
I had high hopes for Smart People, mainly due to the stellar cast that includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, Thomas Haden Church, and Dennis Quaid.

The story takes place near the Carnegie Mellon campus and centers around a family headed by a widowed professor (Quaid) who are all having a terrible time relating to each other and the outside world, despite how book smart they are. When the professor's free-spirited brother (Church) crashes into their lives they all start to thaw out a bit and discover how far a little humanity can go.

The movie didn't quite meet my expectations but it's certainly a worthwhile rental if you're looking for a few laughs and a genuinely talented ensemble cast.

Special features include interviews with the producers, cast and crew of the movie, commentary from the director and writer, a collection of outtakes, nine deleted scenes and exclusive footage from the premiere of Smart People at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Two more new options on DVD if you read more.

The Wire: Season Five
I still have not totally come to grips with the fact that this final season of The Wire was overlooked by Emmy voters. The show has spent years as one of the most consistently well reviewed shows on television, though its ratings were never high. Today the final piece of the puzzle, the show's fifth season, is out on DVD, and marks the final chapter of David Simon's epic saga about Baltimore with a critical look at the media.

The season got more criticism than most (maybe because the media had to see themselves, rather than police officers or teachers, through Simon's bleak lens), but that didn't make it any less satisfying for me. The 10 episodes wrap up many of the stories Simon and series co-creator Ed Burns had been working on for years, and even at the end, nothing about The Wire is ever too neat or tidy. Once again, the lines between good guys and bad guys end up blurred, and that's a big part of what makes the show so captivating.

Special features include "The Wire Odyssey: A Retrospective of the First Four Seasons," "The Wire: The Last Word - A Documentary Exploring the Role of the Media," and six audio commentaries with Simon and members of the cast and crew.

How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
I just happened to read something yesterday about how difficult it is for studios to embrace and market smart movies that are for and about women, even after the huge success of Sex and the City. So, it's an interesting coincidence that an example of this phenomenon is out on DVD today. I hardly heard anything about this film, even though it received an 84% on RottenTomatoes and stars one of Hollywood's biggest young stars. What the heck?

Anyway, How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer is about three generations of Mexican women grappling with issues of romance and sexuality - at all stages of life. It looks compelling, thoughtful and relatable and I, for one, am stoked to see this. The movie stars America Ferrera, Elizabeth Peña, Lucy Gallardo, and Eliana Alexander and was screened in competition at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. (Yeah: 2005! Sheesh.)

BuzzSugar's Must Haves for August

BuzzSugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:30:27 -0700

August is the month when Summer comes to a close and entertainment-land gets a case of the doldrums. It's typically slow for music releases, and Hollywood doesn't necessarily put out the year's best films this month either. But that doesn't mean there aren't a few good gems out there that you'll want to get your hands on this month. To see what I uncovered, hit "Start."

View Slideshow ›

Link Time! 5/1

BuzzSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:30:37 -0700

The Onion AV Club points me to a site where an artist is drawing characters from The Wire in the style of The Simpsons.
The MTV Movies Blog has put together an incredibly bizarre talk show, hosted by, of course, Josh Horowitz.
What now? According to Hollywood Insider, Project Runway will be moving to Los Angeles when it starts on Lifetime in the Fall.
According to Cinematical, these are the seven children's books that need to be adapted to film immediately.
Between the fictional MILF Island and the very real new cougar dating show on TV Land, TV Filter declares that it's officially the year of the cougar.
One EW writer explains on Popwatch why she's OK with letting her kids watch Gossip Girl.
Vulture uses Baby Mama to explore the history of the girlfriend - note: not chick - flick.
Sun Kil Moon's Mark Kozelek gives a rundown of all the things he loves about San Francisco in the travel-meets-music feature Off The Record on AquariumDrunkard.
Give Me My Remote has a clip of Ed Helms on The Tonight Show, complete with scenes from tonight's episode of The Office.

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Link Time! 3/11

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:31:47 -0700

Popwatch is thrilled to see that Square Pegs, starring a baby-faced Sarah Jessica Parker, is finally on DVD, and wants to know what TV shows you're dying to see released on DVD. My vote goes to Ally McBeal.
Cinematical has all sorts of South by Southwest film news and reviews, including a super great review of The Promotion, an indie comedy starring John C. Reilly and Sean William Scott.
Goldie Hawn and Matthew Broderick have popped up on TV Squad's list of actors who should consider small-screen gigs.
If you didn't watch The Bachelor's "where are they now" special, TV Filter tells us, um, where they are now.
Idolator is pumped for the Pitchfork Music Festival, which will feature Public Enemy, Vampire Weekend, M. Ward, and Animal Collective, among others.
With Fox seemingly rolling out a new show every night, The TV Addict delivers a make your own Fox show Mad Libs game.
Check out PetSugar's adorable slideshow of her top 10 movies that star animals, including Best in Show and The Truth About Cats and Dogs, among others.
Vulture has a shot-by-shot commentary on the final scenes of The Wire.

Farewell to The Wire: Five Seasons of Montages

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:32:50 -0700

I still haven't stopped thinking about Sunday's finale of The Wire. It wasn't a fade-to-black talker of an ending, Tony Soprano-style, but I did think it was a fitting conclusion to five years of examining the rise and fall of the police, union workers, drug lords, government officials, school teachers, and newspaper reporters of Baltimore.

Specifically, I've been playing the show's final montage over and over - both in my head and in real life. The Wire is known for ending every season with a montage showing what comes next for various characters and stories, and I'm so glad that tradition continued for the final episode. So, as a final farewell to the show, I've gathered up all five montages from The Wire's five seasons. Note that there's some violence and spicy language (we are talking about hoppers, bangers, and poh-leese, after all), but if you want to check them out, just read more.

Season One:

Season Two:

Season Three:

Season Four:

Season Five:

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TV Tonight: The Wire Series Finale

BuzzSugar — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:00:06 -0700

After five relentlessly gritty seasons of exposing the highs and lows of Baltimore and exploring creator David Simon's thesis that people today matter less than ever, HBO's great series The Wire comes to a close tonight. I tore through all the previous seasons on DVD this Fall so I could be here tonight, watching the finale live alongside the show's other fans. But, as I wrote when I asked about your favorite series finales the other day, now that the moment's arrived, I'm feeling overwhelmingly ambivalent. Fact is, I'm just not ready to let Bunk, McNulty, Kima, Lester, Bubbles, Carcetti, and even Marlo go. And I can only imagine how fans who watched and dissected each season over the past five years must feel.

There are so many plot threads still unraveling, and so many stories yet to be connected, that I doubt there's any way tonight's 95-minute finale can tie them all up. Will Lester's shining drug bust end up falling apart? Will Scott's lies grow bigger? Will McNulty recover from his latest downward spiral? I think I may leave the show with as many questions as answers. But in a way, that's exactly how a sprawling series like The Wire should end: messy and complicated, just like it's always been.

HBO has been putting episodes On Demand a week early all season, but the network held the final episode back (and yes, it leaked online - no spoilers in the comments, please!) so fans would watch together. As a result, a very funny preview aired On Demand, featuring Clay Davis and his signature catchphrase: "Sheeeeeeeit." You can watch it, plus the promo for the final episode, if you just read more.

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