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Should Young Adult Authors Be Careful With Their Messages?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:30:36 -0700

Now that the Twilight series's popularity has reached a deafening pitch with the release of Breaking Dawn, there is starting to be a bit of blowback, particularly concerning the messages it might be sending to young, female readers. Many have noted Bella's low self-esteem, stating that she may not be the best role model for the young tweens captivated by this tale of vampire love.

But Twilight is not the first young adult series to cause a stir. C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia books were often accused of having heavy religious undertones, while Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy (which includes The Golden Compass) has weathered the opposite criticism as a purportedly negative portrayal of organized religion.

Do you think young adult authors have a greater responsibility to their readers when it comes to messages they might be sending? Or is the simple fact that they get kids reading good enough?

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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:30:58 -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. In addition to the titles below, you can now rent or own the fourth season of Beverly Hills 90210, which - according to Netflix and my memory-includes moments like Andrea finding out she's pregnant and Brandon meeting Bill Clinton!

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is based on an astonishing true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the one-time glamorous editor of Elle France living the high life when he suddenly suffers a stroke and is rendered paralyzed except for the movement of one eyelid. From a premise that sounds unspeakably bleak, director Julian Schnabel (nominated for an Oscar for his work on this film) takes Bauby's own words and whips them into a film imbibed with gorgeous images and touching performances to tell what is actually a very hopeful and life-affirming tale.

I enjoyed this movie very much and think you should consider bumping it up to the top of your queue today. Special features include a featurette titled "Submerged: The making of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"and a Charlie Rose interview with Julian Schnabel.

Two more titles after the jump, so read more.

27 Dresses
It seems as if we are about to get somewhat bombarded with fun films to see with girlfriends (Sex and the City, Made of Honor) but if you're looking for a head start, you can pick up 27 Dresses this week starring Katherine Heigl.

It's probably no surprise that this is a formulaic romantic comedy; however, despite how predictable the plot was, I couldn't resist its charms and found it extremely enjoyable. You have to be in the mood for love and romance (and wedding cliches) but Heigl is charming as the eternal bridesmaid whose 26th and 27th turn standing beside a bride catch the eye of a journalist even though she's deeply smitten with her boss (Ed Burns). Love triangle! Silly moments! Gather the girls, microwave some popcorn, and settle in for a night of fabulous movie escapism.

The DVD is packed with deleted scenes and special featurettes, including titles like "The Wedding Party" and "You'll Never Wear That Again."

The Golden Compass
The Golden Compass is many things, but at the top of my list of reasons to see this film are the amazing, Oscar nominated visual effects that completely bring to life the world Philip Pullman has created in his novels. The story follows an orphan named Lyra who is given a golden compass that allows her to see the truth of things. Her adventure leads her to an evil icy lady (Nicole Kidman) who claims she wants to help kids by taking away their ability to think freely, and it is up to Lyra to save the children from this plan. Definitely appropriate for anyone looking for a new family friendly rental this week.

Special features include clips that explore the origins of the film and how the filmmakers approached adapting the popular novel for the screen.

Nicole Kidman's Golden Compass All in White

Molly — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:00:13 -0800

Nicole Kidman went from sheer and black at the press conference to long and white for the Tokyo premiere of The Golden Compass today. Her baby bump is still barely noticeable, but the mom-to-be definitely had that certain glow about her. While she's all the way over in Asia, Keith is still on tour with Carrie Underwood here in the states. Hopefully the two will be back together soon, because I'm sure there's a lot to get done before their big addition over the summer.

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Nicole Is Still Golden in Tokyo

PopSugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:31:08 -0800

Nicole may be five months pregnant, but there was hardly any hint of a bump under her crazy-looking dress at a press conference for The Golden Compass in Tokyo today. Once the baby arrives there will be lots of big changes for Nicole of course, including the kinds of projects she will be tackling. The mom-to-be said that having children helps her look forward to taking on more kid-friendly films like this one. She said,

"My Bella and Connor are 13 and 15. So they have seen the film and they loved it . . . my child inside won't see the film for a long time. But I think once you have children you want to balance the work you do because they give up so much of you to your work. So occasionally you want to make films that they can take their friends to, they can go to the premiere of, that they celebrate."

Nicole will have plenty to celebrate later on in the year, but right now she's still focusing on her latest film, including this weekend where she'll be cheering on her Golden Compass live from the audience at the Oscars.

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Oscar Nominee: The Golden Compass for Art Direction

BuzzSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:32:39 -0800

Every week up until the Oscars, I'll be featuring the nominees in the various visual categories. This week, I'm looking at the nominees for Best Art Direction, which encompasses the entire look and feel of a film from the scenery to the lighting. So far we've looked at stills from two other nominees in this category: American Gangster and Atonement. Today I bring you images from The Golden Compass.

Cheesy as this sounds, The Golden Compass really is a feast for the eyes. The imaginative, whimsical visuals stunningly bring to life the fantasy world as described in Philip Pullman's novels. The rich, golden hues and mystical landscapes give the appearance of a far-off world, but it's all so textured and lifelike, you get pulled in as though this place and these characters actually exist before you. I found this movie so visually mesmerizing and vivid, it seemed entirely possible by the end that I might encounter a talking polar bear or come to possess a magical compass. See what I mean?

For many more stills from The Golden Compass, read more.

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Photos courtesy of New Line Cinema

The BAFTA Awards: The Winners

PopSugarUK — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 22:04:57 -0800

There were smiles all round on Sunday night, as the British Academy of Film and Television award winners were announced in London. Jonathan Ross presented the award ceremony, in place of the familiar Stephen Fry, and the gongs were split fairly evenly over the best films of last year. Out of its massive haul of fourteen nominations, Atonement picked up only two awards – although one of those was the top award of Best Film, and La Vie En Rose picked up four awards. Its star, the very sweet Marion Cotillard, unpredictably beat Brit Julie Christie to receiving the Leading Actress nod.

To catch up on the rest of the winners, including the pictured Daniel Day-Lewis, Diablo Cody and Shane Meadows, just read more

BEST FILM

Atonement – Tim Bevan/Eric Fellner/Paul Webster

BEST BRITISH FILM

This Is England – Mark Herbert/Shane Meadows

THE CARL FOREMAN AWARD
(for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer in their First Feature Film)

Matt Greenhalgh (Writer) – Control

DIRECTOR

No Country For Old Men – Joel Coen/Ethan Coen

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Juno – Diablo Cody

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Diving Bell And The Butterfly – Ronald Harwood

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

The Lives Of Others – Quirin Berg/Max Wiedemann/Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

ANIMATED FILM

Ratatouille – Brad Bird

LEADING ACTOR

Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood

LEADING ACTRESS

Marion Cotillard – La Vie En Rose

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton

MUSIC

La Vie En Rose – Christopher Gunning

CINEMATOGRAPHY

No Country for Old Men – Roger Deakins

EDITING

The Bourne Ultimatum – Christopher Rouse

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Atonement – Sarah Greenwood/Katie Spencer

COSTUME DESIGN

La Vie En Rose – Marit Allen

SOUND

The Bourne Ultimatum – Kirk Francis/Scott Millan/David Parker/Karen Baker Landers/Per Hallberg

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

The Golden Compass – Michael Fink/Bill Westenhofer/Ben Morris/Trevor Wood

MAKE UP & HAIR

La Vie En Rose – Jan Archibald/Didier Lavergne

SHORT ANIMATION

The Pearce Sisters – Jo Allen/Luis Cook

SHORT FILM

Dog Altogether – Diarmid Scrimshaw/Paddy Considine

THE ORANGE RISING STAR AWARD

Shia LaBeouf

Buzz In: What Are the Best Book-to-Film Adaptations of 2007?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 07:03:21 -0800

It seems to be all the rage to find fodder for movies within books these days, and 2007 featured a good number of book-to-film adaptations. Aside from the beloved Harry Potter movie, this year's projects were met with varied success. The Golden Compass, based on the first of Philip Pullman's series His Dark Materials was not exactly praised by either those who read the book or those who had not. I Am Legend, though popular at the box office, managed to irritate some fans of Richard Matheson's 1954 sci-fi novel in its transition to film.

There were some success stories, as well. Bridge to Terabithia, for example, will never be as great on screen as it is in one's imagination, but I was pleased with what they did with the movie version. And, of course, I believe Atonement is a fine example of how to create an excellent film that can stand on its own as a piece of art while still honoring the original text.

What do you think about this year's adaptations? Which ones worked the best, and which ones probably should have just stayed on the bookshelf?

Nicole's Heart of Gold and Golden Compass

PopSugar — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 13:25:28 -0800

Nicole Kidman kept it simple in a LBD and a much-sleeker hairstyle at a charity screening of The Golden Compass in Sydney today. Spending time with the kids from the Children's Hospital is obviously one of Nicole's passions - this time last year she shared her Happy Feet with the kids, and she's already talking about coming back next year. She said, "This is a small gesture and I would just like to say I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope to come back next year and present the film I have just been making, Australia." The Golden Compass may not be winning the hearts of critics or crushing the box office, but it's still a fun, family film that Nicole's biggest fans are sure to enjoy.

More of Nicole in Sydney with the kids if you just read more

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Nicole Chooses Silver For Golden Compass

PopSugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 07:45:00 -0800

Nicole Kidman shined in her silver Balenciaga pantsuit in Sydney on Sunday at the premiere of The Golden Compass. Nic had her parents and sister by her side and spoke about how she was thrilled to be home despite the rainy weather and her latest film losing the top spot this weekend. Remaining in good spirits, Nicole said, "It is nice to be able to come and say, 'Thank you' to the fans, especially since I've been here for nine months now filming Australia."

Lots more of Nicole showing off The Golden Compass in Australia so just read more

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Sugar Bits - Amy Winehouse's Mother Writes Letter

PopSugar — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:32:33 -0800

In light of Amy Winehouse's recent erratic behavior, her mother has written an open letter urging her daughter to take the first step towards recovery by acknowledging her drug problems, phoning home, and letting her family help her get well. We hope it's not too little too late. - News of the World
Despite its bad early buzz, The Golden Compass took the top spot at the box office over the weekend with $26 million, while Enchanted came in at number two, and This Christmas at third. $26 Million isn't too bad, except for the fact the film cost $180 million to make. - BuzzSugar
Ugly Betty's David Blue, who stars as Michael Urie's boyfriend, was mugged at gunpoint on Saturday in LA after leaving a wrap party for the show, but fortunately he was unharmed. That sounds ugly! - TMZ
Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough married Leigh Boniello in Orlando on Saturday, in front of his bandmates. Congrats to the happy couple! - OK! Magazine
Scott Baio married his longtime girlfriend Renee Sloan, on Saturday in LA. The two recently welcomed their first child together. Charles in Charge is officially off the market. - People

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