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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.

Announcing the Winners: The 2008 Independent Spirit Awards

BuzzSugar — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:02:53 -0800

Juno, I'm Not There, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly were big winners at Saturday's beachy, laid-back Independent Spirit Awards, which recognized the year's best independent films. Juno won awards for Best Feature, Best Actress, and Best First Screenplay, while Diving Bell won awards for Best Director and Best Cinematography - a precursor to tomorrow's Oscars?

Meanwhile, Cate Blanchett won an acting award for I'm Not There, and the film also received the Robert Altman Award, which recognizes an outstanding ensemble cast. That award led to a touching tribute to Heath Ledger from director Todd Haynes, who said he still has a hard time imagining the film world without Ledger in it.

To see the full list of winners, just read more.

BEST FEATURE
Juno

BEST DIRECTOR
Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
The Lookout
Director: Scott Frank
Producers: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Laurence Mark, Walter Parkes

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000)
August Evening

BEST SCREENPLAY
Tamara Jenkins (The Savages)

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody (Juno)

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Ellen Page (Juno)

BEST MALE LEAD
Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Savages)

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There)

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Chiwetel Ejiofor (Talk To Me)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Janusz Kaminski (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Crazy Love

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Once
(Ireland)

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (Given to one film's director, casting director and its ensemble cast)
I'm Not There
Director: Todd Haynes
Casting Director: Laura Rosenthal
Ensemble Cast: Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw, Marcus Carl Franklin, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Bruce Greenwood

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

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Dazzlingly Imagined

BuzzSugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 07:30:00 -0800

Every year there is a foreign/arthouse film that has critics raving and award committees atwitter. You know you ought to see it, but you can’t quite find the right moment to check it out. Before you know it, one of the best movies of the year becomes destined for the film version of purgatory - your Waitflix Queue.

I'm so glad I spared The Diving Bell and the Butterfly this fate. The movie was just nominated for Oscars in several categories including Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Achievement in Cinematography - all of which are well-deserved. It's a beautiful and ambitious cinematic journey to the place where our strongest emotions intersect with imagination, and it's worth adding to your list of movies to see ASAP.

Jean-Dominique Bauby (played by Mathieu Amalric) was once the glamorous editor-in-chief of Elle France, enjoying a fashionable and charmed existence in Paris. The good times screech to a halt, however, when he suffers a rare stroke that renders him paralyzed except for the ability to blink his left eye, a condition called "locked-in syndrome." This is where some might get turned off by what appears to be an unbearably depressing premise: A man who "has it all" becomes condemned to watching and listening to the world go by from the inside of a motionless body. Yet to my surprise, Bauby's true story is far from depressing. In fact, I found it to be exciting and inspiring. To see what I mean, read more.

Shot as though we're looking through his one eye, the movie begins with a confused Bauby awakening from a coma. As well-meaning doctors ask him questions he can't physically answer, we feel Bauby's frustration. Director Julian Schnabel allows us to experience the situation along with Bauby, whose easy sense of humor and wit actually manages to keep many of these scenes light. From here Bauby is confined to the care of the dedicated hospital staff in Berck where a patient and kind speech therapist (played by a sweet Marie-Josée Croze) teaches him to communicate through a system of blinking to indicate a letter of the alphabet. Expressing his thoughts this way, he begins to write a memoir.

Bauby starts out observing the most pathetic, even boring details of his day-to-day happenings, like having strangers bathe him and orderlies turning off his television mid-soccer game just as it gets good. Over time, however, he begins to unleash his imagination, indulging in the very best of his memories. We join a dashing Bauby as he dines at the best restaurants in Paris, makes love on the beach to his physical therapist, and relives tender moments with his father (Max von Sydow).

Through vivid bursts of color and possibly the most beautiful cinematography you'll see this year, the end result is a freeing of the mind - not a confinement of it. Incredibly, I almost felt envious of his unique experience rather than horrified by his tragedy.

Photos courtesy of Miramax

Movie Preview: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:35:20 -0800

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, a film adaptation of the French memoir Le Scaphandre et le Papillon, has been getting tons of buzz ever since it premiered at Cannes last year, and that buzz only increased with the two wins the Diving Bell garnered last night at the Golden Globes. Yet many people don't know a thing about it, so in honor of the movie's Best Foreign Language Film win and Julian Schnabel nabbing Best Director, check out the trailer for Diving Bell after the jump.

The story follows Jean-Dominique Bauby's life after he suffers a massive stroke at the age of 43, leaving him with the condition "locked-in syndrome." His only means of communication: blinking his left eyelid. To watch the trailer and see what everyone's talking about, read more.

Source

Announcing the Winners: The 2008 Golden Globe Awards

BuzzSugar — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 18:52:23 -0800

The dramatically scaled-back Golden Globe Awards spread things around Sunday night, with Atonement, Sweeney Todd, No Country for Old Men, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly each taking home two awards.

Atonement and Sweeney Todd nabbed the night's biggest prizes, for the Best Dramatic Picture and Best Musical or Comedy Picture; Atonement also won for Best Original Score, while Johnny Depp won the Best Actor: Comedy or Musical prize. Diving Bell took home awards for Best Foreign Language Picture and Best Director for Julian Schnabel. No Country won the Best Screenplay award, and Javier Bardem was recognized for Best Supporting Actor.

In the television categories, Mad Men and Extras won the series awards. To see the complete list of winners, just read more.

MOVIES

DRAMATIC PICTURE
Atonement

MUSICAL OR COMEDY PICTURE
Sweeney Todd

FOREIGN LANGUAGE PICTURE
The Diving Bell & the Butterfly (France/USA)

BEST DIRECTOR
Julian Schnabel, Diving Bell & the Butterfly

BEST DRAMATIC ACTOR
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

BEST DRAMATIC ACTRESS
Julie Christie, Away From Her

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There

SCREENPLAY
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

ANIMATED FILM
Ratatouille

ORIGINAL SONG
"Guaranteed," Into the Wild

ORIGINAL SCORE
Dario Marianelli, Atonement

TELEVISION

DRAMATIC TV SERIES
Mad Men

BEST ACTOR, TV DRAMA
Jon Hamm, Mad Men

BEST ACTRESS, TV DRAMA
Glenn Close, Damages

TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Extras

BEST ACTOR, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY
David Duchovny, Californication

BEST ACTRESS, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Tina Fey, 30 Rock

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Longford

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Queen Latifah, Life Support

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Jim Broadbent, Longford

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Samantha Morton, Longford

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Jeremy Piven, Entourage

Source

Adrien, Petra, and Chloë Are Divining

Molly — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:30:49 -0800

Adrien, Petra, and Chloë were all out in NYC last night for the premiere of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Petra looked like she was ready for the cabaret, while Adrien was all about quietly slipping his hand into his girlfriend's dress. Scandalous. I guess he was content to let her be the metallic one for the night. Chloë kept her usually daring fashion sense pretty low key last night, and while the color of her dress is nothing to scoff at, we all know what she is capable of. Seriously though, while Petra is one of the few girls who can pull off a fedora, she shouldn't be encouraging people like that.

For lots more including Benjamin Bratt, Petra and Adrien just read more

View 10 Photos ›

Images include Adrien Brody, Elsa Pataky, Benjamin Bratt, Petra Nemcova, John Leguizamo, and Chloë Sevigny

Source

What To Sky+: Sunday

PopSugarUK — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0700

BBC1 has Emma
BBC2 has Last Chance to See and Charley Boorman: Sydney to Tokyo by Any Means
BBC3 has Harper's Island
ITV1 has All Star Family Fortunes, The X Factor and The South Bank Show: Lee Hall
ITV2 has The Xtra Factor and Trinity
Ch4 has Born Survivors: Bear Grylls and Will Ferrell, Come Dine With Me and The Last King of Scotland
Five has Spider-Man
Sky1 has House and Fringe
MTV1 has the return of The Hills and The City plus Kelly and Luke in 24 Hours
Sky Indie has The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly

What To Sky+: Sunday

PopSugarUK — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:00:00 -0700

BBC2 has Charley Boorman: From Sydney to Tokyo by Any Means
BBC3 has Harper's Island
ITV1 has The X Factor
ITV2 has The Xtra Factor and Trinity
Ch4 has Come Dine With Me
E4 has Privileged and 28 Days Later
More4 has When Keith Met Keith
Five has Dirty Dancing
Sky Indie has The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly
Film4 has This Is England

What To Sky+: Saturday

PopSugarUK — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:52:12 -0700

BBC1 has Robin Hood
ITV1 has Britain's Got Talent and Hell's Kitchen
ITV2 has Britain's Got More Talent
Ch4 has The Good Girl
Sky Indie has The DIving Bell and the Butterfly, Sky Premiere has Drillbit Taylor
Film4 has Mean Girls