BuzzSugar

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:30:34 -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. In addition to my selections below you can now add High School Musical 3, Flash of Genius, Religulous, and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People to your queue.

Changeling
If you're trying to catch all the Oscar-nominated performances before the big night, now's your chance to see Angelina in her award-worthy role in Changeling. Here's the Netflix plot description in case you forgot: "Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) is overjoyed when her young kidnapped son Walter is brought back home. But when Christine suspects that the Walter who was returned to her isn't her actual child, the police captain (Jeffrey Donovan) has her committed to an asylum. John Malkovich co-stars as the crusading reverend who comes to Christine's rescue in this gripping, 1920s-set drama helmed by ace director Clint Eastwood."

I'm glad to see they dispensed of that creepy movie poster for the DVD cover. Extras include featurettes titled "Partners in Crime: Clint Eastwood and Angelina Jolie" and "The Common Thread: Angelina Jolie Becomes Christine Collins."

Two more up next, so read more.

Body of Lies
Ridley Scott fans will have a good time with this political thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. The two talented actors play CIA operatives trying to find a major terrorist leader by working with the Jordanian secret police. It's a timely, action-packed tale of espionage that might even make you think.

Special features include commentary by director Ridley Scott, screenwriter William Monahan and original novel author David Ignatius, and a featurette titled "Actionable Intelligence: Deconstructing Body of Lies."

Choke
I'm excited to see Sam Rockwell star in this adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's darkly comedic novel. Rockwell plays Victor Mancini, a guy who works at a Colonial-era theme park, frequents Sex Addicts Anonymous meetings to hit on women, and lies about being a choke victim to make money for his ailing mother (Anjelica Huston). He doesn't appear to be what we generally describe as a "winner" which makes it all the more intriguing to me.

Special features include audio commentary with director/writer/actor Clark Gregg and Rockwell, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and "A Conversation with Clark Gregg and Chuck Palahniuk."

Chuck Chats About Choke

PopSugarUK — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Like the majority of you, I'm excited about seeing Sam Rockwell and Angelica Huston in Choke, and the wait is now over as the film is released nationwide today. Having read the book for October's PopUK Book Club, I'm intrigued to see how the film compares to Chuck Palahniuk's fantastic novel.

Choke follows Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell), a sex addicted Colonial village re-enactor who pretends to choke in restaurants to help pay for his mother's medical bills. Concerned that time is running out, he engages in various fantasies in an attempt to find out the identity of his father, aided by his best friend Denny (Brad William Henke) and his mother’s doctor Paige (Kelly Macdonald).

The book is hilarious, moving and shocking, so the film adaptation has a lot to live up to. Having won the Special July Prize for Best Work by an Ensemble Cast at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, it certainly sounds like it's going to be great.

Check out the video below to see Chuck chatting about the film.

To see more video footage of Chuck, plus scenes from the movie, just read more.

Images and video footage courtesy of 20th Century Fox

PopUK Book Club: The End of Choke

PopSugarUK — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Welcome back, members of the PopUK Book Club. We've discussed the first section and the second part of Choke, so now it's time to talk about the final section and the ending.

Here's a reminder of how the PopUK Book Club works: each week I'll suggest chapters to complete by the next post (each Monday). In these weekly posts, I'll suggest a few discussion-provoking questions for us all to think over and respond to in the comments section.

After the jump you'll find some questions and topics to get the discussion started, but feel free to write about whatever you found interesting.

Take a look at my slideshow of possible future Book Club reads and be sure to let me know what you'd like to read!

Ready to discuss the final section of Choke? Just read more.

The importance of creation and invention become more and more explicit as the novel moves towards its ending, with Ida Mancini regretting her destructive past. What forms do creation and invention take?
Victor says he wants to be needed. How does this affect your reading of his addiction, and his choking routine, and his friendship with Denny?
I was surprised by the twist that Paige Marshall turns out to be a patient, not a doctor. Did the twist work for you? How does her delusion relate to the other forms of invention in the book?

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PopUK Book Club: Choke, Section Two

PopSugarUK — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:00:00 -0700

Welcome back, members of the PopUK Book Club! Last week we discussed the first part, so now it's time to talk about the middle section of Choke. Feel free to read ahead, but please don't reveal any spoilers in the comments.

A quick reminder of how the Book Club works is that each week I'll suggest a section to complete by the following Monday, and will post a few questions to start our discussion in the comments section. We'll read a book a month.

We'll discuss the final part on Mon. 27th, so we're ready for the film version, starring Sam Rockwell and Angelica Houston, when it's released next month.

After the jump you'll find questions to start the discussion, but feel free to write about whatever you found interesting.

The next assignment: Read to the end of Choke (Chapter 49) by Mon. 27 Oct.

Ready to discuss the middle section of Choke? Just read more.

What do you think about the idea that Victor was conceived from the foreskin of Jesus? And his mantra of: What would Jesus NOT do?
What are your thoughts on Denny's rock collecting?
Victor says addictions enable us to escape our knowledge, and he claims being an addict is a pro-active way of knowing how you'll die. How do you feel about the way addiction is represented in the novel?

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PopUK Book Club: Choke, Section One

PopSugarUK — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:00:00 -0700

Welcome back, members of the PopUK Book Club. At the beginning of the month I announced the title of our October Book Club: Chuck Palahniuk's Choke.

We've had some time to get a copy and read to the end of Chapter 16, so now it's time to discuss! You are of course welcome to read ahead, but please don't reveal any spoilers in the comments.

We'll discuss the second section next Monday, and the final part the following week, ahead of the film release in Nov.

After the jump you'll find some questions and topics to get the discussion started, but feel free to write about whatever you found interesting.

The next assignment: Read to the end of Chapter 32 by Mon. 20 Oct.

Ready to discuss the first section of Choke? Just read more.

What do you think about the device of Victor writing about himself as a child in the third-person? And his use of "you" in addressing the reader? Do you feel alienated, engaged, uncomfortable?
Choke is a very physical book: what do you make of the graphic descriptions (of sex, bodily functions, his mother's illness)?
A lot of Victor's time is spent pretending to be someone else: in Colonial Dunsboro and at his mother's hospital. What are your thoughts about this aspect of the novel?
In Chapter 7, Victor explains some of the motives behind his choking routine: to put adventure in people's lives, create heroes, put people to the test, make money, and be adored. Do you find any of these reasons more convincing than the others? Do you think he is right or wrong in doing this?

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Link Time! 10/7

BuzzSugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:37:05 -0700

How do you handle Sleeping Beauty and other fairy tales with young girls? - Popwatch
Given Heather O'Rourke's tragic death, does DirecTV’s new Poltergeist commercial go too far? - MTV Movies Blog
Download two Bob Dylan tracks for free! - Spinner
Which Dunder Mifflin staffer would you actually want in your office? - Pop Candy
Is it weird when TV stars who play siblings date in real life? - TV Squad
Nick and Norah's Ari Graynor might be your next crush. - Vulture
The video for Common's "Universal Mind Control" (featuring Pharrell) is all robot-y and cool-looking. - Stereogum
If you've ever wanted to discuss Chuck Palahniuk's novel Choke, now's the time! - PopSugarUK

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PopUK Book Club: Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

PopSugarUK — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:00:00 -0700

Welcome back, members of the PopUK Book Club. On Monday we finished discussing our first title, Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, and now it's time to announce our second title.

I've chosen Choke by Chuck Palahniuk for October's Book Club. It's a timely decision, as the film version (starring Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston) will receive its UK premiere tonight at the Raindance Film Festival, before it hits UK cinemas nationwide in November.

By the end of the month we will have completed this hilarious novel from the author of Fight Club together, and we'll be equipped to watch the film to see how it compares.

To see what Choke is all about, and to get your first assignment, read more.

The synopsis for Choke reads:

"Victor Mancini has devised a complicated scam to pay for his mother's hospital care: pretend to be choking on a piece of food in a restaurant and the person who 'saves you' will feel responsible for you for the rest of their lives. Multiply that a couple of hundred times and you generate a healthy flow of cheques, week in, week out. Victor also works at a theme park with a motley group of losers, cruises sex addiction groups for action, and visits his mother, whose Alzheimer's disease now hides what may be the startling truth about his parentage."

Your first assignment is to read to the end of Chapter 16. Feel free to read ahead, but no spoilers please! As we'll need some time to buy the book, we'll take a few extra days to get to grips with it, and chat about the first section on Monday 13 October.

We'll discuss Chapters 17-32 on Monday 20 October, and Chapters 33-49 on Monday 27 October, so we'll have finished the book before the film's release in November.

Happy reading!

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Sugar Bits - Michael Jackson's Dating Pamela Anderson?

PopSugarUK — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:55:00 -0700

50-year-old Michael Jackson has reportedly been on a string of dates with Pamela Anderson in Malibu. - The Mirror
Dannii Minogue has been secretly dating 30-year-old rugby league player, Kris Smith, since meeting him in Ibiza. - The Sun
Ruth Jones has said Gavin and Stacey could be back for a third series, but only if the storylines are good enough. - Radio One Newsbeat
Coldplay have received four nominations for the Q Awards, with Adele and Duffy facing off for Breakthrough Artist. The Ting Tings, Vampire Weekend, Kings of Leon, Nick Cave and The Last Shadow Puppets also figure prominently on the list. - MTV
The UK premiere of Chuck Palahnuik's Choke, starring Anjelica Houston and Sam Rockwell, will open the Raindance Film Festival, taking place in London's West End October 1-12 showcasing 75 features and 100 short films. - Press Association
Josh Hartnett's London stage debut in Rain Man has been delayed by a week to allow for extra rehearsals, after the original director pulled out for family reasons. It is currently in previews at the Apollo Theatre and will start on 19 September. - BBC
Step Brothers has taken the top spot in the UK box office, with Mamma Mia! keeping second position and new entry The Strangers coming in at number three. - Reuters

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First Glance: Choke – Love It Or Leave It?

PopSugarUK — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Here's your first glance at Sam Rockwell playing Victor and Anjelica Huston co-starring as his mother in Choke – an adaptation of the Chuck Palahniuk novel – a movie that won a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Lovely British actress Kelly Macdonald also appears in the movie, and I think it looks pretty intriguing, although I'm not sure any Palahniuk adaptation will beat the wonders of Fight Club for me.

Take a look at the trailer and let me know what you think, it's rather NSFW, so if you're at work you might want to postpone your view and vote until you get home.

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Movie Preview: Choke

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:01:20 -0700

Hey, all you fans of Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk - the trailer from the movie adaptation of his fourth book Choke is tonally what one might expect from him: quite dark and post-modern in its despair, with an odd, social outcast as the main character. Oh, and funny, of course. Also, just like Fight Club, there are group therapy scenes as this character is a bit of a sex addict.

The movie received a lot of good buzz coming out of this year's Sundance Film Festival, even winning the Special Jury Prize. The film hits theaters August 1 and stars Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Houston, and an actress I'm always excited to see onscreen again (especially after her performance in No Country for Old Men), Kelly Macdonald.

Who read the book? Are you excited to see this on the big screen? To check out the trailer for yourself, read more.

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