BuzzSugar

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:30:55 -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.

Flight of the Conchords: Season Two
If ever there was a DVD set to bring home and enjoy over and over again it's one for Flight of the Conchords! This show is a neverending source of joy because Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie are so very funny. Plus the songs are actually quite catchy.

In the second season of their HBO show, the two guys continue to struggle to make it in the music industry and meet the ladies of Manhattan. Some of the DVD extras include outtakes, deleted scenes, and Dave's Pawn Shop commercials.

Two more up next so read more.

The Soloist
The Soloist is an ambitious little film from Atonement director Joe Wright all about the relationship between a journalist and a homeless, mentally ill man who also happens to be a gifted Julliard-trained musician. The visually slick movie stars heavyweight actors Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx in the lead roles. Wright tries to pack a ton of stuff into one movie, so watching this one is a substantial - but worthwhile - undertaking.

Special features include audio commentary by Wright, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, a featurette about homelessness in Los Angeles, and a peek at the real-life men who inspired this remarkable story.

54%

Obsessed
Interestingly, Obsessed and The Soloist opened over the same weekend. Obsessed was No. 1 at the box office while The Soloist was No. 4.

Though I find the whole catfight thing to be a little tired, I have to admit that the trailers for Obsessed made me chuckle. In one preview, Ali Larter's character is brutally attacking Beyonce's character and Beyonce's husband calls to ask if she's OK. Beyonce responds with something like, "I got this" and hangs up. Ha! It might be worth renting for the camp factor alone.

Here's the plot: "Derek Charles (Idris Elba) seems to have it all - including the perfect job and the perfect wife (Beyonce Knowles). But his charmed life takes on an ugly tarnish when sexy office worker Lisa Sheridan (Ali Larter) sets out to seduce and destroy him. Now, it's much more than a dangerous liaison; it's a full-blown occupational hazard. Christine Lahti and Jerry O'Connell co-star in this Fatal Attraction-style thriller from director Steve Shill."

The DVD extras seem just as entertaining as the movie and include three behind-the-scenes featurettes: "Girl Fight!" (about the stunt coordination and the actresses' thoughts on "the fun of getting to fight each other!"), "Playing Together Nicely" (about the writing of the script and the casting process), and "Dressed to Kill" (featuring costume designer Maya Lieberman).

18%

The Office Spinoff: News, Rumors, and Funny Stuff

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:31:25 -0700

Well, here's our first proof that the spinoff of The Office is actually happening: The show might not have a title, a setting, or a concept, but at least it has an actor!

Aziz Ansari of MTV's Human Giant will join the show as one member of the ensemble cast that's still being assembled. In addition to his work on the MTV sketch show, Ansari provided one of the funniest moments of the first season of Flight of the Conchords, playing a racist fruit stand owner. I'm certainly not sad to be seeing more from him.

Meanwhile, there's a wild rumor going around that Rashida Jones could be joining the spinoff, with one source saying it's happening and another saying she hasn't even been asked. It's an interesting idea, though: Would you watch a show focusing on Karen Fillipelli and the Utica branch?

In announcing Ansari's casting, Office creator Greg Daniels and producer Michael Schur also talked a bit more about the spinoff in general, so to read what they had to say - and watch Ansari's great Conchords moment - just read more.

Some tidbits from the story:

It's unlikely that any current Office characters will jump to the new show.
However, it could be a "planted spinoff" where characters are introduced on the main show and then jump to their own series.
The show could also be a completely separate series with no direct ties to The Office at all. Schur simply said, "We're focusing on making the best show we can make as a companion to The Office."
The producers have a handful of ideas for the premise and will decide which one to pursue in the coming weeks.
The writers have been hired, and they come from Everybody Loves Raymond, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and South Park, among others.

Sounds to me like it's all still kind of a mess at this point, but I'm curious to see what comes of it by the time the series premieres after the Super Bowl next year.

Here's Ansari on Conchords:

And here's the Conchords song his character inspired (vaguely NSFW, though to be fair, they're just saying "uckers"):

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Buzz Gift Guide: Entertaining Dad

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:30:07 -0700

Dads: They're just like us. They, too, need good entertainment within arm's reach to keep life fun, so today I'm sharing a couple of gift ideas that I've got my eye on for Father's Day!

What dad wouldn't kill for the newly released collector's edition of Dirty Harry? This package comes with everything a fan would want related to the movie series, which stars Clint Eastwood as the macho San Francisco police inspector, including a new retrospective documentary titled The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry. Go ahead, make dad's day.

Music-wise, Al Green is the coolest cat of all - and his new album features duets with young singers including John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae, so it's a great candidate for a daddy-daughter sing-along.

I recently passed Ian McEwan's novel Saturday on to my dad while on vacation, and he gave it two thumbs up. It's the story of a middle-aged man who has everything you could want in life - a career, great kids, a loving wife - whose ordinary day takes an extraordinary turn that pushes his courage to the limits.

Finally, if you want to sit down and laugh with your dad this Father's Day, you'd do well to stay away from films like Knocked Up (awkward). Try introducing him to the goofy fun of the Flight of the Conchords HBO show instead.

Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector's Edition ($60)	Flight of the Conchords - The Complete First Season ($24)
Lay It Down, Al Green ($13)	Saturday by Ian McEwan ($13)

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 17 May 2008 07:30:35 -0700

We appear to have a mellow movie weekend ahead of us in terms of new releases, but there is still lots out there to keep you busy. Which movie are you headed to this weekend?
Holy cow, it was a busy week for TV! The network upfronts gave us a lot of good stuff to look forward to this Fall. Fox added some cool-looking sci-fi shows to its roster while the CW charts a clear path forward, littered with rich kids.
Speaking of the CW's rich kids, are you excited for the new 90210 now that we've got some pictures? And what do you think about the series Surviving the Rich (based on the book How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls)?
Hooray for Reaper! It will not be canceled, which I assume is a great relief to its star, Bret Harrison, who I had the honor of interviewing!
There were a lot of trailers out on the Web this week some good, some not so good. I thought Edge of Love looks breathtakingly gorgeous (and so romantic!) and I'm really intrigued by Woody Allen's latest all-star flick.
Is it just me or does it seem like only people raised in the '80s are running the show down in L.A. right now? They're bringing Fraggle Rock to the big screen and. . . wait for it. . . a cereal box mascot movie (yeah, it's odd, just read the post).
James Frey, author of the bestselling memoir A Million Little Pieces (which later turned out to be more fiction than anything else) has a new book out and it's getting stellar reviews. Are you open to reading his stuff?
Definitely make time to check out what's new on iTunes because there's some great stuff out this week, including Duffy and Death Cab for Cutie. And if you're curious about who's singing that sweet little tune on the diamond commercials, I have the entire song here.
Also, the new Flight of the Conchords video for "Ladies of the World" is. So. Funny.

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Prepare to Laugh: New Flight of the Conchords Video

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:30:02 -0700

I'm still smiling after having watched the video for the The Flight of the Conchords' single "Ladies of the World," off of their new self-titled album (one of my April must-haves). They "just want to do something special for all the ladies in the world" and they show us this by twirling around on their skates, singing shout-outs to all the ladies (and hermaphrodites) around the globe.

I seriously love how the New Zealand comedic duo embrace the '70's time period as they skate around a softly-lit California. Especially when you compare what these guys are doing to something like Will Ferrell's Semi-Pro, it's so much funnier because they are completely, hilariously sincere when they sing about lovin' the ladies.

No word yet on when their TV show will start-up again on HBO but this is the good stuff that gets me through these days without them on the air.

To check it out for yourself, read more

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Sasquatch: Mythic Creature With Great Taste in Music

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:30:00 -0800

The Sasquatch Music Festival, held annually at a gorgeous outdoor amphitheater in George, Washington, has just released this year's lineup, and at first glance I'm liking what I see. R.E.M. and The Cure are the big headliners, which, like Coachella where they're spotlighting Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, is in keeping with this year's trend of bringing back older bands. At least with Sasquatch I don't have to go as far back as bell bottoms; I just have to dig out my Doc Martens (or find new versions of my old Docs!).

Billboard reports that The Flaming Lips will premiere their anticipated film Christmas on Mars at Sasquatch. They'll also perform their U.F.O. Show in which the band emerges from a giant U.F.O. and then one of them finds himself in a hamster ball of some sort. I've seen these guys live, and it's super fun.

For more bands in the lineup and ticket information, read more.

The festival is held on Memorial Day weekend, May 24-26 and tickets go on sale March 8th for $56.50 per day. The price increases two days later. Also, this is a camping event so you have to plan for that as well. More info is available here.

A good chunk of the lineup is what I would describe as "Northwesty" as many of them hail from that part of the map, including Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie, Built to Spill, The New Pornographers, and Kinski. In addition to those bands M.I.A., the Hives, Tegan & Sara, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and the Breeders will be there, along with Flight of the Conchords! I'd also love to check out power-bop band The Cops that I've heard a lot of good things about.

A little something for everybody, no? What do you guys think of this lineup?

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What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:30:14 -0700

It's one of my favorite days of the week: Tuesday! Which means I get to add DVDs to my Netflix queue, along with some brand new tunes for my iPod. So check out today's music releases for what you should download. (And if you like to review albums, don't forget to take a peek at the Music Review Group in the community.)

A smooth ride: Sufjan Stevens takes a breather from his states project with BQE, an ode to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. He originally performed the work to accompany a film about the road, but the music stands on its own as a beautiful orchestral arrangement. Warning if you like Stevens's mellow voice: BQE is all instrumental. Still, it proves that he has what it takes as a composer, and I'd like to see him lend his talents to more of this sort of work. My picks: Movement II: Sleeping Invader, which sounds like a ballet dream sequence, and Traffic Shock, which mixes in clashing electronic sounds like a busy gridlock.

Pretty packs a punch: If you haven't heard of Florence and the Machine, get ready. Florence Welch is the latest spunky Brit singer on the scene, and her debut Lungs already went platinum in the UK. Today, it's available to buy stateside. She's the singer I'd want to be if I had my own band - a woman who wails while banging the tambourine - and her album veers between tough-chick anthems and haunting ballads a la Sarah McLachlan. Make sure you try the hand-clapping, feel-good Dog Days Are Over or the romantic Cosmic Love.

See two more releases when you read more.

Freaky fun: If you're a Flight of the Conchords fan - or even if you're not - you'll want to check out I Told You I Was Freaky, a compilation of music from season two (including three previously unreleased tracks). Sure, half the fun is watching the boys act out each song on the show (and Jemaine's wicked dance moves), but when you listen to the music on its own, you realize just how talented they really are. Each selection could qualify for radio-play - or just a ridiculously fun karaoke night. The album includes favorites like Sugarlumps, Hurt Feelings, and the Emmy-nominated Carol Brown.

Lyrical wanderlust: Jay Farrar of Son Volt and Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie team up on One Fast Move or I'm Gone: Music From Kerouac's Big Sur, an ode to the famous author's work. The two musicians met while working on a documentary about Kerouac and decided to collaborate on this album using words from his novel. It's fitting then that the result feels like a cross-country trip - lazy and laid-back with some twangy country, Americana sound. I'll be adding the title track and California Zephyr to my car playlist.

Is Flight of the Conchords Coming to Rock Band?

GeekSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:44:12 -0700

Last Sunday during the Primetime Emmy Awards, red carpet host Chris Harrison jokingly asked Flight of the Conchords duo Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement if they had any plans for a Flight of the Conchords debut on Rock Band.

A serious-sounding Bret leaned forward into the microphone and said, "We have three songs on the next Rock Band." A lot of people think he's joking, but I detected a note of seriousness. With a duo this funny, it remains to be seen if they're serious, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll soon be singing, "The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room" on Rock Band!

The Rad Flight of The Conchords Mouse Pad

GeekSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:00:59 -0700

Granted Bret and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords may not be early adopters to the latest gadgets, but they aren't totally clueless when it comes to tech - they've at least proven that they know difference between a DVD and a VHS! Flight of the Conchords always cracks me up, so when I saw this $10 Flight of the Conchords: Eco-Friendly Mouse Pad on Hippy Shopper, I had to convince myself that my desk accessories need a little makeover. Besides, looking at two adorably goofy guys all day isn't that difficult either.

"Flight of the Conchords": Man Pad Personified

CasaSugar — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 06:00:31 -0700

I was so sad to see the end of the season of "Flight of the Conchords." While I initially didn't expect much from this HBO show, I've consistently been impressed by Bret and Jemaine's great comedic timing and excellent songsmithing. What can I say? I'm a huge fan (and it seems as if BuzzSugar is as well).

I hate to admit it, but I've also been impressed by the interior design of the show. It's been meticulously designed to appear as if it's been designed by a pair of dudes absolutely clueless about design. It's bizarrely brilliant. From the '70s curtains to the thrifted bike in the corner to the castoff kitchenwear, the detailing is fantastic.

For instance, take a look at this photo of their kitchen nook. The bad florescent lighting, curbside vinyl chairs, and fake woodgrain folding table are only a few of the brilliant details.

For more photos and a link to a great video, just read more

What details would you Casa readers point to as deliberately bad-though brilliant-set styling in this photo?

Or in this one? (Granted, this is a bit odd-it's a photo from Jemaine's move to a new "apartment" that's actually a broom closet, so he's sleeping standing up.)

You can check out a hilarious Flight of the Conchords video over at GiggleSugar. And you can find the Conchords' "official" site here, though it doesn't read much differently (or coherently) than a meeting with band manager Murray.

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