BuzzSugar

US Army to End Forced Tour Extensions

CitizenSugar — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:15:21 -0700

Forcing troops to serve past their enlistment dates has been considered a back-door draft by some.

The AP reports that the Army plans to stop the unpopular practice known as "stop-loss" saving it for extraordinary circumstances only.

Previously the Army argued that stop-loss was crucial to unit cohesion and keeping specially trained soldiers on duty during war.

This yet to be announced change in policy will come as good news to the families of some 13,000 troops currently serving tours beyond their exit dates.

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Would You Send Your Child Away or Back to War?

LilSugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:00:46 -0700

The other night, I watched Stop-Loss holding my sleeping son. Without giving anything away, there was a poignant scene when a mother drives her son who has been "stop- lossed" to the border, because his options are to run or return to war. If he crosses, she will never see him again. If he goes back to battle, he may die. It's a position no mother would want to be in, but if it was a reality - what would you do?
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Pop A DVD In: Stop-Loss

PopSugarUK — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:00:00 -0700

Stop-Loss stars Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as three soldiers whose friendships and lives fall apart on their return home after serving in Iraq when Brandon King (Philippe) is "stop-lossed"; the US policy where soldiers who have completed their service are called back to serve again.

Brandon hits the road to seek justice and is accompanied by Michelle (Abbie Cornish), the fiancée of his childhood buddy Steve Shriver (Tatum), while those he leaves in Texas - particularly Tommy Burgess (Gordon-Levitt) - struggle to come to terms with life back home.

The acting by all three main male actors is great, and Channing Tatum won a Teen Choice Award in the "Movie Actor: Drama" category for his performance. I agree with my girl Buzz US that some of the accents are pretty awful, but that doesn't detract too much from the gripping drama.

To find out more about the film, and the DVD extras, read more

Watching Stop-Loss is an intense experience from the very beginning, with the film opening in Iraq and the camerawork contributing to the sense of unease and suspense. I didn't find the film sentimental nor sensational, more a gritty dramatisation of a frightening, frustrating and above-all complex situation. I was surprised at the lack of a love story, given Abbie Cornish's role, but I ended up pleased that the movie focussed more on the male friendships and the tensions within them.

The DVD extras are impressive, with a commentary from director Kimberly Peirce and co-writer Mark Richard, "Making Of" and "A Day in Boot Camp" featurettes and 11 deleted scenes, including some shirtless Ryan Phillippe action.

If you want to see more before deciding whether or not to pick up a copy of Stop-Loss you can head over to Buzz US to check out the trailer. I'd certainly recommend the film to those of you looking for a thought-provoking, well-acted film about the war.

Photos courtesy of Paramount

Manjoyment: Hello Shirtless Ryan Phillippe

PopSugarUK — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:00:00 -0700

What better way to cheer up a grey day than to see Ryan Phillippe in all his shirtless glory. We've got a sneak peak at these manjoyment stills, which come from the deleted scenes of the DVD release of Stop-Loss, Ryan's movie with Abbie Cornish. Also starring Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the film focuses on a how a group of friends and family in Texas react when their loved ones in the military are called back having already served in Iraq. It was out on DVD in the States a month ago, but us Brits will finally get the chance to get our hands on the film on 18 August.

Other DVD extras include commentary with director Kimberly Peirce and co-writer Mark Richard, "Making Of" and "A Day in Boot Camp" featurettes and ten more deleted scenes. Head over to my girl Buzz US to check out the trailer.

View 6 Photos ›

Photos courtesy of Paramount

Box Office: Horton Hears a Lot of Ka-Ching

BuzzSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:30:41 -0700

After shattering 2008 box office records last week, Horton Hears a Who once again took the top spot over this Easter holiday weekend. Variety reports that Good Friday was the strongest day for Dr. Seuss' Horton which took in $25.1 million over the weekend in addition to the movie's opening weekend earnings of $45 million.

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns also performed well, coming in second place with a respectable $20 million.

Plagued by poor reviews and a lack of promotion for the film, the Judd Apatow-produced Drillbit Taylor earned a disappointing $10.2 million, putting the movie at No. 4 behind the thriller Shutter. Compared to how Apatow's comedies like Knocked Up performed last year, this kind of opening indicates that Apatow's attachment to a project doesn't guarantee box office gold. The top five was rounded out by 10,000 B.C. which dropped several spots from the No. 2 spot it held last week.

This weekend will bring several openings that will likely shake up the box office including Kevin Spacey's 21 and the war drama Stop-Loss.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Ryan Lost His Costars, But That Didn't Stop His Night

Molly — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:34:17 -0700

Uh oh, looks like Ryan Phillippe didn't pack any smiles for his trip to NYC for last night's Stop-Loss premiere. Sad face. He also doesn't seem to have packed his costars Channing Tatum or Joseph Gordon-Levitt, not to mention Miss Abbie Cornish. That's all okay, though, because special thanks to all those workouts Ryan brings enough handsome for the whole lot of 'em. Just maybe a little bit sleepy.

To see more of the premiere including Howard Stern, Beth Ostrosky, Peter Dinklage and others just read more

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Images include: Mamie Gummer, Ryan Phillippe, Tatum O'Neal, Howard Stern, Beth Ostrosky, Peter Dinklage, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Tom Cavanagh

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Who Should Play the New Inhabitants of 90210?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:30:50 -0700

Since we now have an outline of the main characters for the rumored 90210 spinoff, my brain can't stop thinking about who might be cast in these roles. While these new characters have updated traits and hobbies (emo! YouTube!) they are, as some have pointed out, more or less the new versions of the original cast. While we all have our old favorites, I think it's really fun imagining the young stars who could play these updated versions of the original Kelly, Brenda, Donna, etc. Also, some of the original 90210 actors were, like, 30 years old when they played teenagers so I'm going to expand my own fictional casting reach as such.

For example, I could totally see Kristen Stewart (In the Land of Women, Into the Wild) as Annie, the emo girl looking to get popular, and Victor Razuk (Lords of Dogtown, upcoming Stop-Loss) as her adopted bad-boy brother, Dixon. I loved Kevin Zegers in The Jane Austen Book Club and could see him as the jock. Also, this Nickelodeon actress screams Daphne Silver to me. What do you think? Any hot young stars come to mind to fill these slots?

For a reminder of all the new characters and their descriptions, and to tell me who you're thinking could play them, read more.

Annie - 16, is an emo kid and drama nerd who's trying to make it with the cool crowd.
Dixon - Also 16, Annie's adopted brother, smart but bad.
Tabitha Mills - A washed-up, 60-ish actress and alcoholic. Annie and Dixon’s grandma.
Harry Mills - Tabitha's do-gooder son, who graduated from Beverly Hills High in the 1980s and has decided to move home to be near his mom.
Celia Mills - Wife of Harry, an ex-Olympic athlete who becomes a personal trainer.
Daphne Silver - High schooler who hosts her own YouTube series and wants to be a socialite. Related to David Silver?
Max Silver - 24 year-old brother of Daphne. Manages the Century City Mall's movie theater. He is probably hiding some dark secrets.
Navid Shirazi - Teen of Middle Eastern descent who runs the school's TV newscast and is a high school politician.
Ethan Ward - The token jock who gets dropped by the popular kids and ends up hanging out with the rest of the cast.
Naomi Bennett - Hot, rich, and dating Ethan. Starts out as brat but gets more dimensions as the show goes on.

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Movie Preview: Stop-Loss

BuzzSugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Stop-Loss, starring Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish, Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, examines the difficult government policy by which soldiers who have completed their terms of service can be called back to serve again. Phillippe plays a soldier who refuses to return to service, despite being recalled to duty. It's a prickly issue, and so far I'm impressed by how the trailer makes it look like the movie doesn't shy away from examining the various sides of the matter. Stop-Loss doesn't open until March 28, but it's worth checking out the trailer if you read more

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No Loss for Hot Guys at the Stop-Loss Premiere

Molly — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:25:29 -0700

Ryan Phillippe came out to premiere his new movie Stop-Loss in LA last night, but he didn't have his costar/girlfriend Abbie Cornish on his arm. In fact, she didn't come to her premiere at all, which isn't much of a surprise since the studio's PR team didn't want the couple promoting the movie together and reminding everyone of the Ryan-Reese break up. Instead, Ryan was joined by his male costars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Channing Tatum. It's been a while since we've had Ryan as the leading man so it should be interesting to see if he can pull off this heart-wrenching film with his fellow leading men and women.

To see more from the premiere including Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and others just read more

View 21 Photos ›

Images include: Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ryan Phillippe, Jenna Dewan, Kimberly Peirce, Steven Strait, Rob Brown, Victor Rasuk

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Sugar Bits - Read With Alexa

PopSugarUK — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Kooky presenter Alexa Chung's career plans include being on Radio Four, talking about books. – Guardian
Sarah Jessica Parker's five-year-old son is "very into Barack Obama" in the lead up to the US elections. I think I liked Care Bears when I was five... or perhaps Kylie and Jason. – People
Here's a day in the life of R.E.M. – Times
Ever wondered what a CGI Amy Winehouse, Pete Doherty or Prince Harry would look like? Rory Bremner's new show has their interpretation. – Daily Mail
Kate Bosworth's new movie 21 is number one in the US box office, other new entries include Superhero Movie at no. 3 and Stop-Loss at no. 8. – Variety
Amy Winehouse's third album will apparently be pretty bleak. – The Sun
Kevin Spacey has criticised the BBC for their musical audition TV shows, saying they're "unfair". – BBC
Oh the randomness – here's a TV spot for Eastenders about the return of Patsy Palmer as Bianca Jackson, and her four kids – aka, the Jackson 5. Do you see what they did there? I'm glad they're trying something different with their ads, but just as a warning get your earplugs ready...

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