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Buzz Gift Guide: The Best of 2008 For Guys

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:00:36 -0800

Welcome back to my Buzz Gift Guide series for all the entertainment lovers in your life. Yesterday I entertained myself, actually, by sorting through all the great pop culture-related t-shirts I'd love to get for the men in my life, and today I'm tackling a bigger project for the guys: the best in music, books, TV, and movies of 2008.

Now, this is by no means a definitive list of the best entertainment stuff that came this year. These are simply gift ideas that I think the lads will like. For example, I think the best piece of writing to come from a TV show this year has to be the tome by How I Met Your Mother's Barney Stinson: The Bro Code. The product description cracks me up:

Historically a spoken tradition passed from one generation to the next, the official code of conduct for Bros appears here in its published form for the first time ever. By upholding the tenets of this sacred and legendary document, any dude can learn to achieve Bro-dom.

It was also a great year for movies, and I'd be hard-pressed to think of a guy in my life who wouldn't be thankful to receive The Dark Knight and Hellboy 2 on DVD. As for TV in '08, I honestly don't know many guys who haven't given the FX comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia a chance yet, and my friends who are uber-fans will be gifted the show's DVDs this year. Finally, in regard to music, I know a lot of dudes who are really into the Bon Iver album released this year (me too!) as well as new music from The Hold Steady.

I've included several other ideas below so scroll through to check them out!

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 3 ($20.99)	The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts ($16.78)
Bro Code By Barney Stinson ($12.98)	The Dark Knight ($23.99)
For Emma, Forever Ago: Bon Iver ($11.49)	Stay Positive: The Hold Steady ($12.99)
Brighter Than Creation's Dark: Drive-By Truckers ($14.99)	Dear Science: TV on the Radio ($11.49)	Hellboy II: The Golden Army ($21.99)

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

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:30:14 -0800

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.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Oh, man, I am so excited that Hellboy II is out on DVD today. Even though the Summer was jam-packed with superhero movies, this sequel to Hellboy did not get lost in the shuffle for me. Guillermo del Toro lets his imagination fly in this second installment and the movie is littered with creatures and goblins that are a sight to behold.

I could go on and on about my love for this big red tough-guy-with-a-soft-spot-for-kittens but I'll stop here. Basically, if you didn't catch it in the theater I'd highly recommend bringing it home. Special features include an in-depth look at the creation of Hellboy II, a peek into the production workshop puppet theatre, deleted scenes and a tour of the Troll Market with Guillermo del Toro!

One more title up next so read more.

Scrubs: Season Seven
If you're anything like me, Scrubs hasn't always been making it onto your list of must-watch shows every week. I catch it when I can, but it's been spotty. Still, I'm glad the series continues to roll out on DVD so at least I have the option of catching up anytime I'd like.

Here's how Netflix describes season seven: "After pious nurse Laverne's death, her elbow-bending twin, Shirley (Aloma Wright, who also played Laverne), arrives at Sacred Heart Hospital. Meanwhile, J.D. (Zach Braff) and Elliot (Sarah Chalke) must decide whether to commit fully to their respective relationships with Kim (Elizabeth Banks) and Keith (Travis Schuldt). John C. McGinley returns as the caustic Dr. Cox in the seventh season of this Emmy-winning sitcom." Special features include the making of the ambitious finale episode, "My Princess," as well as deleted scenes, alternate lines, and bloopers.

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Box Office: Hellboy and Friends Kick Box Office Butt

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:15:15 -0700

Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy II: The Golden Army won the weekend box office with an estimated $35.9 million, not only handily beating the current competition, but also surpassing the first Hellboy's opening weekend earnings ($23.2 million). Yippee! I'm happy for that ragtag group of superheroes.

On the other end of the spectrum was Meet Dave, which Variety described as "one of the worst opening grosses ever for an Eddie Murphy pic." The details are even more painful. Consider this: It cost $60 million to make Meet Dave and it only earned an estimated $5.3 million over the weekend. That's not a pretty picture.

Hancock remained a draw (fun aside: at the movie theater over the weekend, a group of young boys sped past me while one yelled, "Hurry up! I don't want to miss a single second of Hancock!"), coming in second place, followed by the 3-D action flick Journey to the Center of the Earth. Pixar's Wall-E came in at No. 4 followed by Wanted to round out the top five.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Hellboy II: A Super-Fun, Satisfying Sequel

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:30:46 -0700

I was awed and amazed by Pan's Labyrinth, and I really liked the first Hellboy movie, but I can now say with certainty that I am officially in love with Guillermo del Toro's beautiful brain. Hellboy II: The Golden Army is like being cast back to a time when your young imagination had no boundaries and no inner editor. Del Toro's vibrant, exciting, sometimes nightmarish and often funny work of creative genius is a constant delight. At times it veers into cheesy superhero stuff, and viewers who don't like this kind of thing definitely won't be on board for this movie. But viewers who do like it - and those with a soft spot in their hearts for big Red - may be totally delighted.

When we catch up with our hero Hellboy, he and his lady love Liz (Selma Blair) and their good buddy Abe (Doug Jones) are still working for the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, using their superpowers to help people out. But even so, the public gives them no respect, no respect at all. And now they have the problem of Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), a rebellious leader of the creature world who is determined to summon the Golden Army, a vast army of robot-like warriors, to destroy all humans. Hellboy, Abe and Liz are joined by the ectoplasmic Johann Strauss (voiced by Seth McFarlane), along with the leader's twin sister Princess Nuala (Anna Walton) to stop Prince Nuada's evil plan. Meanwhile, Hellboy and Liz are having issues, Hellboy is struggling with his job, and Abe develops a bit of a crush on Princess Nuala.

For more of my take on the movie, read more.

In addition to del Toro's awesome visual style, which is sometimes nostalgically reminiscent of older movies like The Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal and Return of the Jedi, the story in this Hellboy sequel is great. It's simple, interesting enough, and easily wrapped up in less than two hours while also providing plenty of fodder for future sequels. But the real strength of the film lies in del Toro's artistic mastery combined with the motley gang of misfit creatures who lead us on this adventure. Of course, our beloved Hellboy, with all his macho posturing, sardonic wit and soft spot for cats, is at the heart of it all. But while his wry zingers sometimes smack of cheesy action hero lines previously reserved for the likes of Arnold Schwartzenegger, the character of Hellboy is more complex than that. He's insecure and struggles with his temper.

I think that's what I like most about these superheroes: they're quite flawed. They are incredibly emotional, fallible and misunderstood. And in an age-old lesson, they appear to be beasts but are actually helping to save the world. You won't find those toned, cocky Fantastic Four types here. There's a little more going on beneath the surface - not a ton, it's still a pretty light superhero flick, but enough to give us something to actually care about.

I'm not usually of the mind that a movie should have more and more sequels (see: the Spider-Man franchise, which should just stop), and in fact, I can't recall any time I've ever said I'd like to see a sequel to a movie as soon as possible. But if I had my way, I'd like del Toro to put out a new Hellboy installment every single year. I love what he's doing with this series, and I just can't wait to see what else comes out of that mind.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 07:30:58 -0700

Hmm. . . let's see, Magnum P.I. works when he feels like it, doesn't wear a lot of clothes, and is really tan. Yep! I'd say Matthew McConaughey could probably handle a role like that. What do you think?
The week started out with one bad idea - the rumor about Madonna remaking Casablanca - and ended with another: the remake of Short Circuit. Thankfully there were some good ideas sandwiched in there like the re-pairing of Steve Martin and Diane Keaton!
Kristen Bell could be a busy bee soon with another TV series possibly in the works. And, of course, Elle is probably returning to Heroes.
More exciting TV news this week: the big reveal of NBC's fall plans - including a spin-off of The Office. I break down what all of this news means for you and give you the lowdown on stand-alone webisodes they're working on as well.
In reading news: there were some strong reactions to that little Oprah book club sticker, I discussed the first section of The Light Before Her Eyes, and some of you confirmed that Blindness (coming in October, to a theater near you) is a tough, but worthwhile read.
Ian McShane is set to play a biblical king on a new NBC show. Meanwhile, American Idol got a little Bible love, too, from the one and only Dolly Parton with her show-stopping performance of "Jesus & Gravity" on elimination night.
When the second Juno soundtrack comes out will you buy the CD, or just put it on your iPod?
The new Hellboy 2 trailer looks so good and so frightening! Which reminds me: I need your help describing the creepy shadow approaching Jena Malone in this week's Caption It!

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Movie Preview: Hellboy 2 Full-Length Trailer

BuzzSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 06:30:26 -0700

Hold on to your red horns because the official full-length trailer for Hellboy II: The Golden Army has arrived and it looks awesome.

Although the first trailer was quite long and full of information, this new peek at director Guillermo del Toro's follow-up to the first Hellboy reveals more of the heart-stoppingly creepy monsters that rumble through the city.

I'm so glad the Hellboy franchise is in this director's hands as he truly understands what it takes to visually tell a great story, and he's one of the few people capable of creating a world where - as the trailer puts it - forces beyond our understanding reside.

We also get a little glimpse at the funny and adorable "I have a crush on you" banter between Ron Perlman's Hellboy and Selma Blair's Liz Sherman. Are you excited as I am?

Hellboy II opens in theaters July 11. To check out the new trailer with an introduction from Guillermo del Toro himself, read more.

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First Look: Hellboy 2

BuzzSugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:30:45 -0800

Yeah, I'll admit it: I loved the first Hellboy movie by Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro. I love the big red Hellboy (Ron Perlman) with his wry humor. I like Selma Blair in her role as Liz. And I love all the creepy, fantastical elements that the imaginative del Toro cooks up for his movies.

So naturally, I'm stoked to see a teaser trailer for Hellboy II: The Golden Army. The story goes like this: "The mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth, so Hellboy and his team must save the world from the rebellious creatures." And as the movie's official site points out, "He may be red. He may be horned. He may be misunderstood. But when you need the job done right, it's time to call in Hellboy."

Hellboy II opens in theaters July 11. To check out the teaser trailer, read more.

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What To Sky+: Sunday

PopSugarUK — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:00:00 -0700

BBC1 has Olympics 2008 and Scenes Of A Sexual Nature with Ewan McGregor, Tom Hardy and Catherine Tate
BBC3 has Spooks: Code 9 and Family Guy
ITV1 has a repeat of The X Factor
ITV2 has the America's Got Talent finale and American Pie
Ch4 has Big Brother, V Festival, Make Me A Christian and Wife Swap
E4 has Big Brother's Little Brother and Wife Swap: The Aftermath
Five has Hellboy with Selma Blair, and The Hellboy Story
Sky Indie has The Lives Of Others, Sky Sci Fi/Horror has Sunshine and Sky Modern Greats has RoboCop
Film4 has Mean Girls with Tina Fey, Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams

PopUK Gift Guide: Action Aficionado

PopSugarUK — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:00:00 -0800

This week across the Sugar Network we're bringing you gift ideas for the men in your life, whether it's your brother, your buddy, your boss or your boyfriend. Today I've got a selection of goodies for the guy who loves action films, action TV shows, video games and gadgets.

Awesome action films are available on DVD in time for the gift giving season. For the superhero fan, choose the five star The Dark Knight (one of my December Must Haves), Iron Man, or superhero-with-a-twist Hancock. If Indiana Jones is his hero, he'll love a copy of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. There's also Hellboy 2 and The Ultimate Bourne Collection, which you can both enjoy thanks to Matt Damon!

Next up I've got some suggestions for the man who loves TV shows full of action and adventure: Heroes Season 2, Prison Break Season 3 and Lost Season 4 are all available in time for the festive period. I've also got a range of gifts in different price brackets for the 24 fanatic, from the stocking filler-esque talking keyring and affordable 24: Redemption DVD to the blowout box set of Seasons 1-6 for £80.

If the guy you're buying for is a big kid at heart, you could treat him to a Star Wars light sabre torch, a pair of Incredible Hulk gamma rage hands, or a remote control helicopter. They each cost less than £15 and will give your pal the opportunity to become an action hero himself! Finally, there are video games for the guy who likes to pretend he's the hero. Games like Call of Duty: World at War, Brothers In Arms: Double Time and Grand Theft Auto IV will keep him occupied for hours!

Be sure to check out all my gift guide suggestions, and visit HolidaySugar for all of our coverage related to this festive, holiday season.

PopUK Gift Guide: Heroic Him

PopSugarUK — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:00:00 -0800

Today I'm bringing you gift ideas for any comic book or superhero lover in your life. I've got a selection of hero-related books and DVDs for any brothers, boyfriends, cousins and friends who may be interested.

First up are the DVDs - now, we've already seen Hancock, The Dark Knight, Hellboy 2 and Iron Man in our action aficionado list, so definitely don't forget about any of those fab recent superhero movies. Going back into the recent past there's also the Spiderman trilogy and Superman Returns, as well as many more Hollywood adaptations.

If you're looking for something a little spoofier or more playful then why not try Superhero Movie! for any Leslie Nielsen or parody fans out there. Persepolis - an animated film based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel of the same name - has a very different tone. The story follows a young girl as she comes of age against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution and is an absolutely fantastic film that I'm sure he'll be interested in if he reads comic books.

In terms of TV series', there's Heroes - which has two seasons currently out on DVD - or you can go with something that plays on the comic element of superheroism with The Tick, a fantastic funny live action American TV show starring Patrick Warburton.

Watchmen by Alan Moore or Y: The Last Man by Brian K Vaughan are well-known as great starts for any collector of graphic novels and each have film adaptations due to open in the next couple of years. Another series with a slightly lighter touch is the fabulous Scott Pilgrim series, which is filled with pop culture references - and you'll see Michael Cera playing Scott himself when the movie adaptation eventually hits cinemas. Also, while he's relaxing and reading all these graphic novels, perhaps he could listen to David Bowie's Heroes, for the full on heroic theme!

Superhero Movie	Heroes by David Bowie
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army - Special Edition	Persepolis
Heroes: Season 2	Scott Pilgrim, v. 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley
The Tick: The Entire Series	Y: The Last Man: Unmanned by Brian K Vaughan	Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons