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Up and The Hangover Have a Photo Finish at the Box Office

BuzzSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:30:16 -0700

Adults flocked to see The Hangover over the weekend, helping the comedy earn an estimated $43.3 million. However, it wasn't quite enough to bump Pixar's family-friendly movie, Up, out of the top spot with its estimated $44.2 million. Despite coming in second place, The Hangover's debut far exceeded expectations and is "the third best opening ever for an R-rated comedy."

Meanwhile, Will Ferrell's Land of the Lost is being called the first "bomb" of the Summer. The adventure flick, which received pretty bad reviews, came in at No. 3 with only $19.5 million over the weekend.

Nia Vardalos's romantic comedy My Life in Ruins also debuted this weekend, coming in at No. 9.

Up image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures and The Hangover photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Preview For My Life in Ruins Is Long, Kinda Boring

BuzzSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:00:26 -0700

First off, this strange little trailer thing with subtitles is freakishly long (over four minutes!) and feels longer. This does not bode well for the comedy from My Big Fat Greek Wedding's Nia Vardalos.

When last we heard about My Life in Ruins, it was because Vardalos became the first filmmaker to be allowed to shoot inside the Acropolis. I was totally excited for this movie at that time. Now? Not so much.

From the trailer I'm guessing that - not unlike My Big Fat Greek Wedding - our protagonist learns how to love herself, loosen up and be confident, and from there everything falls into place for her. But the getting-there part looks ridiculously boring. When the majority of laughs come from Rachel Dratch's supporting character, we're in trouble.

Frankly, I am so disappointed! I really wanted Vardalos to have a big hit with this movie but she just isn't very engaging in the preview. Maybe there will be a better, official trailer before (if?) My Life in Ruins opens in theaters (the date of which is unknown). To check it out for yourself, read more.

Update: The video was removed from YouTube, but it looks like you can still view the preview here.

Source

Nia Vardalos: First Person to Film at Acropolis

BuzzSugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:30:00 -0700

Nia Vardalos, of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame, is apparently a beloved treasure in Greece. So great is her pull that she was granted permission to film her next romantic comedy My Life in Ruins at the 2,500-year-old Acropolis at Athens, a first-time event for the ancient site.

While acquiring this permission entailed plenty of schmoozing on Vardalos' part, her popularity in Greece certainly didn't hurt. According to the Reuters article, "One of the most important factors was that Nia is beloved in Greece. She is a daughter of Greece and represents a positive representation of what being Greek is," said Michelle Chydzik, a producer on the film.

There are, of course, restrictions to the filming, including:

They get exactly one day to shoot at the ancient ruins.
No one can eat or drink at the site.
No hanging lights off columns.
No faking any of the sites, even with a fake background or column. "If you are standing at the Temple of the Oracle, you have to say it is the Temple of the Oracle. You can't cheat it even in the location. You can't walk 50 feet away and say that that's the temple," Chydzik said.
Because tourism is very important to the country, no site or road may be closed or restricted on account of the filming.

The government also requested some changes be made to the script, particularly for a part when two characters are drinking beer on the ruins' premises. This moment was rewritten because alcohol is not permitted.

She hasn't had a ton of success since My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but I think of Vardalos as the little indie filmmaker that could. Seriously, how cool is she?

Source and source

House Rundown, "Teamwork"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0800

Prepare for a changing of the guard: This week's House marks a major shift for the medical team. House is back in charge after reclaiming his license, and the shakeups start. Cameron is out - but we already knew that was coming. In her place, a couple familiar faces return to the fold, which will hopefully distract House from last week's Lucas letdown. Throw in a porn star with a mysterious health issue, and you have a packed episode.

Ready for the breakdown? If you don't mind spoilers, read more.

The episode starts off with a special delivery - House's medical license. The guy was already pulling the strings despite his suspension, so the transition is easy. Still, I'm a little surprised that Foreman goes along with the takeover without making a peep.
After Chase finally came clean to Cameron last week about Dibala, she suggests that they leave the team to work on their marriage. They announce their departure to House - who, of course, spends the rest of the episode manipulating them to stay on board. Do you think he was right to meddle? Or should he have stayed out of it?
Really, writers? A porn star? I know they're trying to sex up the show, but it felt like a cheap ploy to me - not to mention a stretch when they draw parallels between Chase's Dibala dilemma and the porn star's own morality. Were you interested in his medical case? I wasn't that intrigued, but luckily there's plenty of personal drama among the doctors to keep my attention.
Thirteen returns - but not without some coaxing from House. After she tells him no repeatedly, he lures her in with the mysterious porn star case. The excitement of the challenge is enough to get her in House's office again for good. But what do you think will happen with her and Foreman? He implies that he's over her, but I don't buy it.
Guess who else is back? Taub! The doc swaps his plastic surgery practice to rejoin House's crew after some major prodding from House. (Of course his wife isn't happy with the decision, but no surprise there.) Are you glad to see Taub again?
Okay, so I was pulling for House and Cuddy, but the scene with Cuddy and Lucas at her place might have changed my mind - you've got to admit they looked cute on the couch together. Are you pulling for Cuddy and Lucas, or Cuddy and House?
House thinks that Cameron is quick to forgive Chase, because she actually blames House for the murder of Dibala. And she does. So with that, she says sayonara to her job and delivers a speech to House about how he's ruined Chase. She rips into him about how he doesn't care for the "sanctity of a human life" anymore, but she says it with pity - even kissing him on the cheek at the end. Next thing you know, she's packing her bags and leaving Chase, too. It felt sort of rushed, but I thought her monologue was completely riveting to watch. What did you think about her departure?

Plenty to talk about in this week's episode, so sound off in the comments! I'm especially curious to hear your thoughts on Cuddy and Lucas, Thirteen and Taub's return, and Cameron's goodbye. And don't forget you can always head over to the House! group in community to talk about the show there, too.

Photos courtesy of Fox

Tell Mommy: What Was Your Toughest Postpartum Moment?

babysugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:05:58 -0800

An inspiration to many mothers who suffer from postpartum depression, superstar mama Brooke Shields continues to give hope to new moms through her raw and honest revelations. A spokesperson for the debilitating disease and depression, she recently spoke at the Hope for Depression Research Foundation in Manhattan where she recalled a harrowing moment in her life. She said:

I finally had a healthy beautiful baby girl and I couldn't look at her... I couldn't hold her and I couldn't sing to her and I couldn't smile at her... All I wanted to do was disappear and die... That was the week I almost did not resist driving my car straight into a wall on the side of the freeway... My baby was in the back seat and that even pissed me off because I thought she's even ruining this for me. I just wanted to drive into the wall and my friend stayed on the phone with me and made me safely get home.

It takes guts to talk about those dark moments but her story undoubtedly gives hope to many women who are having similar experiences. If you care to share, tell us what your toughest postpartum moment was.

Feeling overwhelmed by motherhood? Join our A Place to Vent group over in our LilSugar Community and share your plight with other moms who understand.

Vampire Diaries "History Repeating": The Good, The Bad and The Bloody

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:30:00 -0800

Dear The Vampire Diaries, I see your master plan now: it's to bring it every week now. Please continue to do so. Moving on, this week we learned more about Bonnie and her family ties, revealed Damon's master plan, and met the new mysterious, history teacher.

But that's not even half of the amazing things that went down, so to see the good, the bad, and the bloody from this week's episode, just read more.

The Good

Bonnie's talisman/necklace is bringing her nightmares and visions of her ancestor Emily, who we learn was definitely Katherine's handmaiden back in the day. Her appearances are so creepy, but I was kind of digging that the scares were coming from a non-vampire source.
Damon and Stefan's interactions this week are brilliant. The role reversal, where Stefan takes on Damon's persona and Damon mocks Stefan in kind, are priceless. There even seems to be some genuinely affectionate times between the brothers, but was it just Damon's vulnerability/lack of strength due to avoiding human blood?
New characters for this show have tended to be pretty intriguing, and new teacher Alaric Saltzman is no exception. The dreamy Alaric, played by Legally Blonde's Matt Davis, has a shady past (dead wife who was almost certainly murdered) and every sign points to him being a vampire: the sun-protecting ring, the lingering exchange of Jenna not inviting him in. It's almost too obvious. If he is a vamp and not some other supernatural being, then what role does he play? I'm sure he must know the Salvatores.
Gratification! In one episode, we get two mysteries solved: why Damon came back to Mystic Falls and what's up with Emily and her necklace. The master plan - and Damon's reason for return - is Katherine. Specifically, to rouse her from the spell that left her trapped but unharmed (well, relatively unharmed, considering she was already dead) underneath the church 100 plus years ago. It's news to Stefan that Katherine didn't perish in the fire, but that's not the only revelation about her; the boys trade barbs about their last encounters with their shared first love, and they both end up wounded. I think Stefan is lying when he insists that Katherine compelled the brothers into loving her and that it wasn't real; why else would he have come out of hiding to pursue Elena?
One seed-planting I appreciated: The Gilbert family history. You know Jeremy's on the verge of discovering something big. I have my theories.

The Bad

Right about now I feel the need to introduce something I'd like to call Twilight Corner. It'll be where I bring up any glaring similarities The Vampire Diaries has to that other vampire story. This week, it's Stefan leaving Elena, telling her it's for the best. I smirked early on, when Stefan tells Elena that he's backing off from school, that it's the right thing to do; but I pretty much spit my water out at the end of the episode when Stefan tells Elena he's leaving to protect her while they're in the woods. Shades of New Moon! Generally, the show has distinguished itself from Twilight but that's waaay too close for comfort.

The Bloody

Damon swears off drinking human blood in a demonstration of goodwill to Stefan after killing Lexie last week. My my. Damon, showing repentance? What is this crazy fake world coming to? However, he doesn't maintain his new diet for long: he takes a big bite out of a possessed Bonnie after she, as Emily, destroys the amulet and Katherine over the Fells Church ruins.
OK, let's talk past bloody: We got more of the story of the history of Mystic Falls, including what sounds like an epic, ongoing battle between vampires and humans. It was no accident that Katherine was in that church, having been rounded up by the townspeople to be killed. And she wasn't alone; Emily sealed up the whole church, full of other vampires, who potentially could have been freed upon the town this week. Stefan accuses Damon of not wanting to free Katherine out of love, but revenge, rather; he nearly introduces an army of angry, ancient vampires on the ancestors of the people who exterminated them. Personally I think it was a little bit of both for Damon - love and revenge. He almost has his soul mate and a group of allies back in his life.
I'm counting Damon's broken heart as a casualty this week, as cheesy as that sounds. I just can't ignore how wrecked his face looks at the end of the episode. We went from seeing how inhumane Damon is just last week, to being confronted by an emotional man who faces a final loss of love. Ian Somerhalder, you're rocking it.

What did you think of "History Repeating"? Are you disappointed at all that Katherine didn't rise from the grave tonight, along with a crew of her nearest and bloodthirstiest? Do you even believe she's totally gone? And what about Jenna's situation - are both Logan and Alaric out to suck her blood? For more chatting beyond this week, join the Hooked on Vampire Diaries group in the Buzz Community!

Photos courtesy of The CW

Nicole Kidman's Candid About Sexual Fetish and Tom Cruise

PopSugarUK — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:50:10 -0800

Nicole Kidman has given a frank interview to British GQ for their December issue, and posed in lingerie for the accompanying photo shoot. While yesterday's rumours about her teaming up with Robert Pattinson for Bel Ami have been quickly denied, Nicole did tell the magazine about her relationships with other men. She reveals her penchant for sexual fetish, opens up about Tom Cruise, and speaks about the challenges of marriage. Here are the highlights:

On Tom Cruise: "I became famous very young. I became very famous because I was the wife of somebody. I did a lot of good, worthwhile work in Australia between the ages of 14 and 19 and then I married someone famous... I know my agents at the time were like, 'Do not get married! It will ruin your career!' And I was like, 'But I’m in love!' All I know is that I wasn’t someone interested in fame. And that’s not why I got married."
On her explorations in love and sex: "My life has been about exploring types of love. I’ve explored obsession, I’ve explored loss and love in terms of being in a grief-stricken place, I’ve explored strange sexual fetish stuff, I’ve explored the mundane aspect of marriage, and monogamy. But I’m still on that journey."
On Keith Urban's problems with drugs and alcohol: "I don’t talk about that. That’s the sanctity of our marriage. Our relationship is pretty much off bounds and we really don’t discuss it except to say we’re very together. And you know, you work on it. It’s a very adventurous, extraordinary place to be: incredibly raw, incredibly dangerous and you’re very much out at sea. You’re exposed. You could drown. When you commit to someone like that you live and die together by that decision."

To find out what Nicole had to say about where her marriage to Tom went wrong, being a working mum, what she wants out of her career and not choosing the safe option, read more.

On the state of her relationship with Tom during Eyes Wide Shut: "[W]e were pretty happily married throughout that period. People will always watch the movie in hindsight and go, ‘Oh no, that must be where it all went wrong.’ I don’t want to say whether anything is or isn’t true any more. Listen, people can mythologise and think what they want, and that’s where it begins and ends for me. The rest of it is information. Some of it is isinformation. And some of it isn’t. I don’t care now at this stage in my life to refute rumours, or confirm them... We’ll see where it takes me and where it ends up but, right now, I quite like that abandoned feeling."
On refusing to talk about Tom and Scientology: "I want to honour that marriage for what it was, and there is nothing I would go into about that. I have never discussed the intricacies of it and I never will."
On filming Nine after giving birth to Sunday: "I'd just given birth, so i was like, 'OK, I'm [still] a woman – I want to do this film! And I do have a life other than simply feeding this baby.' I think when you give birth you get itchy to get back to work and you want to feel life still goes on."
On what she wants from her career: "I make films that aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, I realise that. I get it. But that’s where i am. if I were a painter I certainly wouldn’t be painting for the masses. And I’m unwavering on this. I want to take risks. I want excitement, danger and uncertainty."
On not choosing the safe option: "I have a career where I have had to weather the storms. It’s become second nature to me. I’m used to my roles and the movies I’m in being criticised. I seek it out. In my life i do not seek out a safe place. I like existing in an uncomfortable place artistically. People can believe this or not, but in the end I hope my life will be a mix of extreme love and bold artistic choices. I’ve never wanted to be safe. I’ve never chosen safe relationships. And I’ve never chosen safe films. I would have had a much easier life if I did."

Let PopUS know if you think Nicole is being refreshingly honest or over-the-top with her revelations. You can read the full interview in GQ, on sale today.

Nicole Talks About Marriage and Sex- Refreshingly Honest or Over-the-Top?

PopSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:59 -0800

Nicole Kidman is on the cover of December's GQ UK as she gets out there to promote Nine before its release. Inside the magazine she opens up about her marriages to Tom Cruise and Keith Urban, as well as some of her more extreme bedroom interests. Here's more:

On her romantic past: "I’ve explored obsession. I’ve explored loss and love in terms of being in a grief-stricken place, I’ve explored strange sexual fetish stuff."
On marriage: "You work on it. It’s a very extraordinary, adventurous place to be: incredibly raw, incredibly dangerous and you’re very much out at sea. You're exposed. You could drown. . . When you commit to someone like that, you live and die together by that decision."
On being with Tom Cruise: "I became famous very young. I became very famous because I was the wife of somebody. . . I know my agents at the time were like, "Do not get married! It will ruin your career!" and I was like, "But I’m in love." All I know is that I wasn’t someone interested in fame. And that’s not why I got married. I wanted to work with people who intrigued me."
On keeping things private: "You can’t read somebody’s diary. You shouldn’t read it. I burnt most of my journals after I remarried… You’re only going to find out bad things."

It's rare to hear Nicole discuss her marriage to Tom or even her sex life, so tell us what you think - are her comments okay or over-the-top?

Prince Charles Visits Burberry HQ

FabSugarUK — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:00:25 -0700

Burberry isn't interested in the credit crunch. The British brand has continually reported a growth in sales throughout the economic downturn and Christopher Bailey, along with CEO Angela Ahrendts, has been a big factor in this. It has one of the biggest budgets for advertising and yet still made the slightly risky decision to return home during London Fashion Week to show one of the most talked about lines for Spring 2010. It's this kind of savvy business which has attracted the attention of Prince Charles who paid a visit to their new headquaters yesterday to officially open it.

The 160,000-square-foot base near the River Thames was packed with over 800 employees all eager to see the Prince who gave Burberry a royal warrant in 1990. On his visit Charles joked: “I fear I’ve caused complete and utter confusion. I’ve probably ruined your production targets for the day - I seem to spend my life doing that!” If you're wondering what's in the bag, Christopher presented him with a small gift of a gabardine walking jacket and a trademark check cashmere scarf – both made in the British Isles.

To see more images from Prince Charles' visit just keep reading.

NPH Readies His Balancing Act For the Emmy Stage

PopSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:00:42 -0700

Neil Patrick Harris has a big job on his hands hosting the Primetime Emmys this Sunday - don't forget to fill out your ballots on Buzz! - but the charm that landed him the gig and a nomination shines through in this New York Magazine profile. NPH reveals his passion for magic while also taking us through his unique career. We'll get a double dose of him next week since How I Met Your Mother returns on Monday - ICYMI, get a sneak peek here. In the magazine, NPH also talked about how he's navigated his way from being a young Hollywood star to openly gay in Hollywood. Plus, he has some sweet things to say about his longtime partner David Burtka. Here are highlights:

On his relationship with David: "We yin and yang very well. We’re both Geminis, but I, you can probably tell, I process what the options are, and figure out what to say, and he tends to just say what he is feeling. I’m just bowled over by him. He’s made my life exponentially more livable. He’s just-great. I’m his forever protector, and I’m happiest when he’s happy."
On being a child star: "I was a late bloomer, and when you’re a youngster, and you’re in the public, and people are recognizing you-it’s hard to behave normally. It was like a circus sideshow. You’d wear a hat and walk fast, because if someone recognized you, they’d shout your character’s name. And no one would come up-it was just like everyone was watching you, whatever you did."
On the decision to come out of the closet: "No one was ever old-school Hollywood, with a cigar in their mouth, saying 'You can’t do this, see! It’ll ruin your career, kid.' long as you’re representing yourself well, you’re making good choices for good reasons, all of the circumstantial things will vanish."
On being inspired by Danny from the Real World: New Orleans: "He was a unique entity at that time, as someone who was seemingly so confident in their own skin that they didn’t need to wear their sexuality, uh- Or to flaunt their sexuality? To be more of one thing or another. And I-it’s a personal thing, I suppose, but I personally responded to his lack of overt grandstanding. Again, tricky waters, because if I say something like ‘He didn’t wave flags,’ it sounds like I’m disrespecting people that do, who I think are tremendously important, but there’s more than one way to get into people’s psyches. Oh, he was very sexy, but everyone thought so. One wants to be sexy to everyone...As Barney, I get to make out with all sorts of girls. And I’m allowed to say that women are sexy and not have them say, 'That’s not true!' But I’m now in a really fun position, where I can tell a guy that he’s sexy, and most aren’t put off by that."

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