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Men in Black 3: A Return to (Alien Life) Form

Becky Kirsch — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:29:01 PDT

I saw the original Men in Black movie so long ago that my memories of the film might as well have been zapped with a neuralyzer (that's the memory-erasing device the guys use in the movie, for those of you who are also having trouble recalling the original). What I did retain is that the film was funny, fresh, and silly and that it didn't hold up very well for the 2002 sequel. With that in mind, I had low expectations for Men in Black 3, but the newest installment is just as much fun as the original, and it actually benefits from the 15-year time lapse.

The script for the film is one of its biggest assets and truly sets Men in Black 3 apart from its predecessors. The aliens are still alive and ickier than ever now that they're in 3D, but the story is more focused on the friendship between J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) and how it has evolved over the years. We learn early on that K has been keeping a secret from J all these years, and the mystery drives a wedge between the partners. Meanwhile, a treacherous alien named Boris the Animal (played to hilarious perfection by Flight of the Conchords's Jemaine Clement) breaks out of maximum-security prison and goes back in time to get revenge on K, who arrested him back in the '60s. The day that K had Boris locked up is the key to K's secret, so J heads on a mission back in time to save K and learn the truth.

To see why Men in Black 3 is so much fun, just

Will Smith hasn't been in a movie since 2008's Seven Pounds, and I didn't realize I missed him until I found myself giggling all the way through Men in Black 3. His shtick is still the same (he's one-liners still consistent of dialogue like "Where did you come from? Planet damn?"), but you can't help but love Agent J as he bumbles through the '60s, desperately trying to sell his story to people who don't recognize him - or believe him. You can tell that Smith feels completely comfortable in the role, and in the signature suit, which still looks perfect on him, as he hasn't aged a day.

Tommy Lee Jones is ever the reliable curmudgeon, but the film mines extra laughs when J travels to the '60s and meets a much younger version of his partner, played by Josh Brolin. Brolin looks enough like Jones to pass for him, but it's really his studied delivery and mannerisms that sell the performance. We also get some insight into how K has evolved over the years (he's always had a penchant for cowboy music, but he also used to be a bit of a dreamer), giving the film an extra layer to the enjoyable banter between J and K.

I'm not usually one to gush about 3D, but the special effects really come to life in Men in Black 3 in a way they never did in the first two movies. Not only do the aliens look creepier than ever, but the cartoonish feel of the film is taken to the next level with the 3D aspect, especially with the time-travel thrill-ride element. Much like with the 3D movies from my youth, I found myself shrinking in my seat just to avoid being too close to the alien goo, blood, breath, and beyond. Combined with the welcome return of Will Smith, you've got yourself a fun, mindless blockbuster.

Photos courtesy of Sony

Reese Witherspoon and Matthew McConaughey Reconnect in Cannes

Katie Henry — Sat, 26 May 2012 08:57:53 PDT

Reese Witherspoon and Matthew McConaughey were all smiles posing side by side today at their Cannes photocall for Mud. During a press conference earlier today, Reese talked about her supporting role in Mud, saying, "I grew up with my brother in a creek, riding dirt bikes, dirt fishing, everything you see the boys in the movie doing. When I read Jeff's script, it felt like home. It's a beautiful story about the place I'm from." Reese and Matthew are expected at tonight's red-carpet premiere, but until then, you can catch up on all the hot photos you may have missed from Cannes!

Share Your Food Photos on YumSugar

Susannah Chen — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:24:28 PDT

Have you cooked, eaten, or spotted something mouthwatering recently? If so, then don't let anything hold you back from sharing it with the rest of us: we want to feast with our eyes too. On a recent trip to Chicago, I hit up one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, Big Star, for some south-of-the-border sustenance and wound up ordering their queso fundido, a platter of melted, pungent, cheesy goodness.

Are you ready to share? We've got a group called Savory Sights, where you can upload mouthwatering images of foods and drinks you've made, consumed, or simply salivated over. Start showing us your photos now. There are lots of ways to participate, so read on to learn more.

"Why Did He Cut Me Off?"

Tres Community — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:05:00 PDT

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

I was seeing a guy at work for a couple of weeks and I really liked him. Unfortunately we ran into problems and I broke up with him after finding that he wasn't considering my feelings at all regarding a particular situation. I was and still am so into him so it was such a hard thing to do. When I broke up with him he instantly asked me to delete his number and said we shouldn't speak anymore. Since then, at work he has pretended that I don't even exist. The week before, he introduced me to his friends even though we were only a couple of weeks in! I feel so rejected and hurt. If we were friends, maybe it wouldn't hurt so much? I think I was falling for him, but my values were much more important and he didn't respect them. Why did he cut me off that way? Can anyone help?

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

Savvy Links: 10 Guilt-Free Strategies For Saying No

Emily Co — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:42:08 PDT

10 guilt-free strategies for saying no - Real Simple
Celine Dion sells her $29 million private island - Tecca
My nonprofit career means I can barely afford groceries - LearnVest
Lessons new grads will learn - The Billfold
The real reason single women may be working less - HuffPost Women
How to do black-tie on the cheap - Corporette
6 tips to rocking yard sales this weekend - Budgets Are Sexy
Make your dream career a reality for less than $100 - Wise Bread
5 reasons not to check your email over the holiday weekend - The Grindstone

5 Things to Keep in a Plastic Folder When You're on a Trip

SavvySugar — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:43:48 PDT

I wouldn't dream of traveling without my trusty plastic folder! Be it for business or pleasure, I recycle the same one, slightly larger than a standard piece of paper that I've used since my college days. Mine's hot pink so it stands out in my travel tote amid magazines and other goodies and extra sturdy with a Velcro flap so things stay in better than pocketed, paper alternatives.

While there are some obvious things to go inside - such as flight checkins - I pack quite a few items, each with a very useful purpose:

Confirm everything - Bring a record of flight, hotel, and car rental in this folder. To save the environment, only print the official flight one (and do double-sided whenever possible) or simply create a word doc on one page with all addresses, phone numbers and confirmation codes where applicable.
Take the notes - While it's easy to rely a bit too heavily on smart phones (and the numbers and notes stored within), still jot down some personal details of things to do. If you want to be extra prepped, color code the printout pages for easy finding.

Learn how to organize the trip while you're on it to save time (and headaches!) afterwards and

Hold it together - Depending on the length of a journey, toss in a few paper clips and a business-sized envelope as well. Group all small receipts together for expensing and checking the budget later.
Get ready to write - If I had a dollar every time someone near me asked to borrow my pen (especially on international flights with forms that need to be filled out before landing), I'd have money to buy a new purse all together! Sure, many times there's a pen in your bag but save the digging and keep one instantly available inside the folder.
Keep the worries at bay - Extra passport photos and copies of important documents can also be stashed inside in case of emergency. If checking bags, you can write out an inventory of what's inside your suitcase - before you roll your eyes, this can help when planning how to pack lighter and picking out outfits once you're there.
Bring it back - Having this folder also makes it easier to bring back a postcard or other reminders of the trip like a menu from a new restaurant or a clipping from the local magazine.

Source

Ink Up With Photojojo's Camera Tattoos

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:37:06 PDT

What do you give a photography pal who already has every camera, lens, and accessory under the sun? Gift skin ink of the nonpermanent variety in the form of the Tattly Camera Tattoo Set ($25). Since the photographers we know are rarely without a camera, a tattoo of any duration seems like a natural next step.

The illustrations by three Brooklyn designers are not your average grocery-store toy-machine temporary tattoo. The set of 12 tattoos in six different designs - including an old-school Polaroid, Rangefinder, TLR, SX-70 Polaroid, and black-and-white aperture shutters - are so beautifully crafted that we almost hated having to use them during our real-world testing. A breeze to put on, each tattoo is about three inches in size and surprisingly long-lasting! Many of our testers weren't able to clear the ink for several days, scrub as they might (I'm going five days strong with my tat).

Sure, temporary tattoos may not seem like the most practical use of $25, but as a just-for-fun gift or party activity to show off your photography cred, this new scene of high-end washable tattoos is something we're ready to stick to.

Hysteria Director Tanya Wexler Talks Vibrators, Faking It, and Duck Sex

Tara Block — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:00:15 PDT

Don't be shy . . . It's time to talk sex toys! And Hysteria director Tanya Wexler is writing us a prescription for pleasure. Tanya's film - what she calls "the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to" - is in limited release and stars Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Rupert Everett. When working on a romantic comedy that centers around the invention of the vibrator, you end up with some entertaining and embarrassing situations along the way, and lucky for us, Tanya spilled all the hilariously dirty details. From teaming up with the film's partner Jimmyjane for a drive-by vibrator drop-off to a certain female Oscar-winner to trying unsuccessfully to get ducks to shag on command, Tanya was bursting with great stories from working on this very unconventional film. And while Tanya isn't ashamed to discuss the sexy subject matter of her latest film with us, the mother of four and her partner of 21 years did have a tricky challenge telling her preteen kids what her movie was about. (She eventually gave them the script and let them figure it out themselves!) Check out our interview with the fun-loving director now, and we dare you not to have a girl crush on her by the end!

TrèsSugar: What were some of the challenges to getting a movie made about vibrators?
Tanya Wexler: Getting the script right was tricky because if you just make a movie about the invention of the vibrator, it's actually a really short movie: you go "bzz" and it's done. And we had a kind of light romantic comedy. I say I made the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to. But some people wanted it to be raunchy or some people wanted it to be more serious and about feminism. People project a lot onto this movie of what they want, because there isn't a lot out there about vibrators and women's pleasure, and we still don't really deal with that topic very well, or we're overly antsy around it. And as a result, people have a lot of ideas of what the movie could and should be, and you can't please everyone. [laughs]

TS: Ha, good one.
TW: It's nonstop!

TS: Do you find sex toys inherently funny or something to be seriously celebrated?
TW: Yes!

TS: Both?
TW: Yes! Yes. I think they make me laugh, and I think that the inner kind of Beavis and Butt-head in all of us goes "[laugh]." You know, that inner 13-year-old, like, "Hahaha vibrator . . . " and yet they're awesome and fun.

TS: What shocked you the most when researching the movie?
TW: That ducks are the rapists of the bird world, and you'll see when you see the movie, because there's a little bit of questionable duck behavior - or awesome duck behavior - in the movie. It's totally a sidebar, but you cannot make ducks shag on command. I'm just saying.

TS: What about the whole history of hysteria being a medical condition?
TW: When I first heard the idea, I was like, "What do you mean it was invented in Victorian times?" I knew about hysteria, but the idea that the treatment was manual [British accent] massage deparaxism - which is what they called it - and, of course, the denial. The most shocking thing is the denial, that they didn't think it was sexual.

TS: Do you think they were really in denial?
TW: No, I don't think that some people were. My college roommate was with her high school boyfriend for two years and she had never had an orgasm. I think there's all kinds of denial, especially with women's sexuality. So the fact that there are young women today who haven't had an orgasm, whether self-induced - which is insane - or with a partner, then why wouldn't we think back then that women wouldn't know what orgasms were?

They would get a massage, and the doctor's saying, "Without a penis, this isn't sex, because sex is about procreation," so what is this? The best physical therapy you've ever had. So once you don't think of it as something other than what the doctor's supposed to do to cure your uncontrollable crying or uncontrollable laughter or whatever, then it's just an awesome muscle spasm. If you don't think women have their own inherent sexuality, then you're not thinking about it like that.

Keep reading for Tanya's thoughts on Fifty Shades and more!

Edun Goes to Ibiza With Its Exclusive Collection For Net-a-Porter

Noria Morales — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:30:45 PDT

Edun's Sharon Wauchob has Summer vacation on the brain as much as I do, designing an exclusive collection for Net-a-Porter that's inspired by Ibiza. The line of breezy dresses and this very cute romper are all done in cool blue shades, invoking "sunlight and indigo rainstorms" and designed for "the lighthearted Edun girl on holiday." In case you weren't sure, this romper is a highlight, super light and floaty, and goes effortlessly from day to night - pair it with flat strappy sandals and a woven tote for shopping outdoor markets, then throw on wedge espadrilles and a white linen blazer for a night out. The collection hits Net-a-Porter today.

Shawn Johnson Talks Weight Loss and Learning to Love Her Body

espnW — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:05:26 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson is blogging for espnW throughout her training for the Olympics in London this summer. Follow hers other Olympic hopefuls' journeys on espnW.com.

Four years ago, I was standing on an Olympic podium, wearing a gold medal, and still thinking to myself how I could have been better. It had nothing to do with my performance - it was all how I looked. Back then, I always felt like I could have been a few pounds lighter. But the irony is, when I look back at the pictures, I look unhealthy and too thin. It's easy to get into a trap as an elite athlete, because you're made to feel that you're never perfect, that you can always be better. That's how you improve in your sport, but it's also tough because you aren't satisfied with yourself ever - it's second nature not to be. I'd always think, "Just get a little stronger, a little lighter," until it was completely ingrained in my mind.

Shawn Johnson takes us inside training camp

It's easy for people to blame gymnastics for this mentality, but I feel like the sport has improved a lot. The horror stories we heard from generations ago (think Joan Ryan's infamous book Little Girls in Pretty Boxes), you don't hear at all anymore. But I do believe it can improve further and that good nutrition could be a key to all of this, if it were only taught at a young age. Many gymnasts go into the elite level at 13 or so, and a 13-year-old isn't going to go to the library to read some book on nutrition! She needs to be given the right information on how to eat well. Otherwise, it's not until she's out of the sport that she realizes the damage she's done to her body by not eating enough over the past 20 years.

Shawn Johnson in the driver's seat

I see all the success we have as a country where the gymnasts aren't 100 percent healthy, and I imagine how amazing we could be if we were doing it in the healthiest way possible. I don't think it's a failure on anybody's part; the education just isn't there right now, and it's just not thought about in our sport. My parents have told me since I was little, "You're given your body for a reason. It's OK to be different. Being unique is a good thing." But I always struggled to believe it. I'm stocky, muscular and short, and I wanted to be thin and flexible so bad! My mom would say, "You're not made that way, and you're not going to become that, so you have to learn to accept and love the body you're in." Well, some people are born with that appreciation, and some people have to work really hard to get there. Put me in that second camp.

Read on for more on what Shawn Johnson has to say about body confidence and how she feels in her gymnastics leotard.