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Me and Orson Welles: A Likeable Film For Theater-Lovers

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:00:33 -0800

Zac Efron can act, people! Okay, so he's not going to win an Oscar for his performance in Me and Orson Welles, but he does take a step away from the tween territory of High School Musical and 17 Again to prove that he can hold his own among more experienced performers.

Efron stars as the "Me" in Me and Orson Welles, an over confident aspiring young actor named Richard whose only prior work includes a couple of high school productions - until he lucks into a bit part in Welles's stage production of Julius Caesar. Richard has a romanticized view of theater, but once he enters Welles's company, he's forced to learn the real nature of what goes on behind the scenes.

For more on the film, read more.

Ready to burst his bubble is his new mentor, Orson Welles (Christian McKay). A philanderer and liar with an inflated ego, Welles takes Richard under his wing but knocks him down at the same time. Throw into the mix Welles's tenacious assistant Sonja (Claire Danes) who makes goo-goo eyes at the young guy, and it's clear that Richard is in way over his head (even though he seems clueless about it).

British actor Christian McKay as Welles is larger than life - he plays the role as if the director is always acting and putting on a show, even in his personal moments. Welles could be an unlikeable character, but McKay makes him a guy you love to hate. Even though Efron is the more recognizable face and handles his role well, McKay's performance is the one most critics will talk about.

The film is enjoyable, but it fails to pull you in. My biggest concern is that it won't find an audience. Older viewers might appreciate Welles and the music of the era, but the appeal of Efron might be lost on them. On the other hand, Efron's fans might find the Welles element to be a snooze. Honestly, it's probably best suited to those who have a passion for theater. I enjoyed watching rehearsals with the Caesar cast (which features a ragtag mix of faces, including Ben Chaplin and James Tupper). The office politics and mini-breakdowns that take place before the curtain goes up make the film fun.

My advice? If you do choose to see it on the big screen, catch it quickly before it goes to rental.

If you'd like to review a movie you've seen recently, check out the Movie Reviews Group in community. I may even feature your critique on the site!

Paperless Post Gets Holiday Parties Started

babysugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:29 -0800

This holiday season, go green, go cheap, and go beautiful! Instead of sending out a tree's worth of paper invitations for your holiday soiree, consider using creative and gorgeous online invitations. While e-vitations have been around a while, few are as sassy, simple, pretty, and well-organized as the custom stationery from the Paperless Post.

A cinch to figure out, and party queens can choose between traditional, contemporary, modern, and casual templates and add the perfect touch with an embossed design, colorful trims, a grosgrain ribbon, or even their own photos. New members get 25 free virtual stamps (good for 25 email addresses) when they sign up and pay an additional fee when they want to send out their notice to more guests. If a hostess wants to blast the invitation out to 100 people, she would only pay the $8 fee for 100 e-stamps as opposed to a $44 bill at the post office. For an extra $5, mama can make the envelope fancy and add a liner. In the end, an $8 stamp fee and $5 envelope liner are peanuts compared to the snail mail option, and she never has to wait in that dreaded line! The bonus is it makes managing the party details as easy as one, two, three. Mommy can tell who has opened the invite, replied to it, and made comments on it.

So the next time mum's throwing a bash - holiday or otherwise - she should consider Paperless Post. The guests will be impressed by her fabulous and savvy eco-friendly ways, and it will give her the opportunity to spend the money on wine and music, 'cause that's what will make her party legendary.

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A Peek Inside the New Twitter Office

GeekSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:05:07 -0800

The coolest kid on the Internet has some new digs! The Twitter crew moved into their new offices in San Francisco's SOMA district yesterday, and a friend gave me a sneak peek at their new office. My favorite part: the "@" symbol light I spotted a couple months ago decorating their lounge area.

The new offices are packed with more geeky details, too. The entire office is wifi-enabled, and each of the concrete conference tables is wired for meetings. There's an arcade game in the corner, and a DJ booth (yes, DJ booth) featuring turntables, an iMac, and several Sonos music systems. And as a cute, low-tech touch, adorable "Home Tweet Home" pillows welcoming employees to the new office. Check out the evidence below.

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Source: Flickr User the ryan king

Video of the Day: The Office's Kelly and Erin's Subtle Sexuality Music Video!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:30:53 -0700

As much as I heart The Office, one of my biggest gripes about the show is that there's not nearly enough Kelly Kapoor. If you're in the same boat as me, then I've got a very special Thursday treat for you! In a new string of websiodes, we'll get to follow Subtle Sexuality, the new Dunder Mifflin girl band consisting of Kelly and receptionist Erin.

Their first video, "Male Prima Donna," is not at all subtle, but everything you'd expect from celebrity-lovin' Kelly: gold lamé costumes, fierce dance moves, and a whole lotta auto-tuning. There're even some pretty stellar cameos from Andy and the male prima donna himself (spoiler alert: it's Ryan)! This is not one to be missed, and I already can't wait for more.To check it out (and you must!), just read more

Photos courtesy of NBC

Twilight Leads the People's Choice Awards Nominations

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:43:12 -0800

The 36th annual People's Choice Awards nominees are here, and last year's Twilight is leading the charge! American Idol's Kris Allen was among the announcers this morning for the nominees, which also include lots of nods for The Proposal - but of course, everyone's favorite bloodsucking love story landed in many categories, including favorite on-screen movie team.

Why didn't they look to 2009's New Moon? Because last year's nominations debuted before the first movie in the Twilight saga.

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

MOVIES

FAVORITE MOVIE
Twilight
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Star Trek
The Hangover
The Proposal

FAMILY MOVIE
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Up
Where the Wild Things Are

COMEDY MOVIE
17 Again
Bride Wars
He's Just Not That Into You
The Hangover
The Proposal

INDEPENDENT MOVIE
(500) Days of Summer
District 9
Inglourious Basterds
Paranormal Activity
Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail

FAVORITE MOVIE FRANCHISE
Twilight
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Star Trek
Transformers
X-Men

FAVORITE MOVIE ACTOR
Brad Pitt
Hugh Jackman
Johnny Depp
Robert Pattinson
Ryan Reynolds

FAVORITE MOVIE ACTRESS
Anna Hathaway
Drew Barrymore
Jennifer Aniston
Kristen Stewart
Sandra Bullock

FAVORITE ACTION STAR
Christian Bale
Gerard Butler
Hugh Jackman
Shia LaBeouf
Vin Diesel

FAVORITE COMEDIC STAR
Adam Sandler
Ben Stiller
Jim Carrey
Ryan Reynolds
Vince Vaughn

FAVORITE BREAKOUT MOVIE ACTRESS:
Anna Kendrick
Emily Osment
Ginnifer Goodwin
Miley Cyrus
Zoe Saldana

FAVORITE BREAKOUT MOVIE ACTOR
Chris Pine
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Sam Worthington
Taylor Lautner
Zachary Quinto

FAVORITE ONSCREEN TEAM
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, Twilight
Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, will.i.am, Dominic Monaghan and Daniel Henney, X-Men Origins: Wolverine

TELEVISION

FAVORITE TV DRAMA
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Grey's Anatomy
House
Lost
NCIS

FAVORITE TV COMEDY
Desperate Housewives
How I Met Your Mother
The Big Bang Theory
The Office
Two and a Half Men

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTOR
Hugh Laurie
Kiefer Sutherland
Mark Harmon
Matthew Fox
Patrick Dempsey

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTRESS
Anna Paquin
Blake Lively
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Katherine Heigl
Mariska Hargitay

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTOR
Alex Baldwin
Charlie Sheen
Jim Parsons
Neil Patrick Harris
Steve Carell

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTRESS
Alyson Hannigan
America Ferrera
Amy Poehler
Eva Longoria Parker
Tina Fey

FAVORITE TV OBSESSION
Dexter
Gossip Girl
The Hills
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
True Blood

FAVORITE TV TALK SHOW
Chelsea Lately
Live with Regis & Kelly
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Tyra Banks Show

FAVORITE TV SCI-FI/FANTASY
Heroes
Lost
Supernatural
The Vampire Diaries
True Blood

FAVORITE TV COMPETITION SHOW
American Idol
Dancing With the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Survivor: Samoa

FAVORITE ANIMAL SHOW
Animal Cops
DogTown
Dog Whisperer
It's Me or the Dog
Rescue Ink

FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA
Eastwick
FlashForward
Melrose Place
Mercy
The Forgotten
The Good Wife
The Vampire Diaries,
Three Rivers
NCIS: Los Angeles
V

FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY
Accidentally on Purpose
Brothers
Community
Cougar Town
Glee
Hank
The Cleveland Show
The Middle
Modern Family

MUSIC

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST
Eminem
Jason Mraz
John Mayer
Keith Urban
Tim McGraw

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST
Beyonce
Britney Spears
Carrie Underwood
Pink
Taylor Swift

FAVORITE COUNTRY ARTIST
Brad Paisley
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Rascal Flatts
Taylor Swift

FAVORITE BREAKOUT MUSIC ARTIST
Adam Lambert
Demi Lovato
Kris Allen
Lady Gaga
Susan Boyle

FAVORITE HIP-HOP ARTIST
Eminem
Flo Rida
Jay-Z
Lil' Wayne
T.I.

FAVORITE ROCK BAND
Daughtry
Green Day
Kings of Leon
Muse
Paramore

FAVORITE MUSIC COLLABORATION
Cobra Starship & Leighton Meester, "Good Girls Go Bad"
Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat, "Lucky"
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West, "Run This Town"
T.I. & Rihanna, "Live Your Life"
The Lonely Island & T-Pain, "I'm on a Boat."

FAVORITE R&B ARTIST
Alicia Keys
Beyonce
Jennifer Hudson
Mariah Carey
Usher

FAVORITE POP ARTIST
Britney Spears
Katy Perry
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift
The Black Eyed Peas

FAVORITE WEB CELEB
Andy Samberg
Ashton Kutcher
Miley Cyrus
P. Diddy
Will Ferrell

Got The Monday Morning Blues?

GiggleSugar — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 08:00:00 -0700

Monday morning has never been music to my ears--until now. This orchestra plays Dolly Parton's "Nine To Five" using office equipment as instruments. Cool, but I'd be more impressed if they could play away that fat stack of papers on my desk...

Thanks, i am bored!

Fab Site: Rent the Runway

FabSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:30:22 -0800

The words "rent the runway" are music to my ears. It's the ideal situation for a gal on a budget - falling in love with a catwalk look, borrowing it for a day, then returning it to its rightful owner. Now I can do that with Rent the Runway. Dying to begin? First sign up to be added to the wait list. Once you're in, peruse its A-list selection (Proenza Schouler, Matthew Williamson, Yigal Azrouel), get the dress in two different sizes, wear it, keep it for four or eight days, and send it back in a prepaid package without dry cleaning it. Trust me, there's some good stuff in there, and the prices don't sting ($50 to $200). Perfect for that holiday wedding or office party!

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0700

We got a double whammy of Matt Damon movie previews: Invictus and Green Zone, and the busy guy is in talks for the next Coen brothers movie.
What shows have been canceled, picked up for full seasons, or renewed? I racked up the results on my Fall TV scorecard and a late-week update.
I chit-chatted with some of my favorite TV stars this week; read my interviews with FlashForward's Sonya Walger and Parks and Recreation's Chris Pratt and Rashida Jones.
Many lovely ladies made movie casting news this week, including Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Biel, Diane Kruger and January Jones.
Michael Jackson's tribute doc This Is It premiered Wednesday, so I caught a show and gave it my review - and stamp of approval.
Good news for Hollywood's funnymen: Ricky Gervais is set to host the Golden Globes, while Steve Carell scored a role in a gold comedy, and Adam Sandler is going to play both Jack and Jill in his next movie.
The Office characters one-upped their own show with the webisode music video for "Male Prima Donna" by Subtle Sexuality.
The Martin Scorcese biopic is full steam ahead, with Leo as the top choice for both you guys and Martin Scorsese.

The Office, "Koi Pond": Best Lines of the Night and Video!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:30:00 -0700

This week's opening of The Office isn't necessarily a huge spooky surprise since we already got a peek at those costumed spoiler photos, but I still laughed through every minute of the intro. Jim's "Bookface" costume? A-ma-zing.

I sort of wished the rest of the episode followed suit with a Halloween theme, but that's OK, because we still get a great set up with Michael, Jim, and a lobby koi pond - not to mention a ton of quips that had me cackling. Check out my list of faves, and weigh in with your own!

"Kids, just remember suicide is never the answer . . . Why is Christmas the only holiday that can have a message?"-Michael
It's bad enough that Michael Scott has the D*ck in a Box costume, but to wear it - and hang himself - in front of children?! That's even more hilariously inappropriate than usual for him. And am I totally off base, or is Ryan trying to be Edward Cullen?

Even more funny lines, plus that koi pond video, when you read more.

"I date models - face models. My girlfriend, on a scale of 1 to Gisele? A nine. Pam's carrying our surrogate, because my girlfriend needed to keep her figure for Fashion Week."
Andy and Pam are forced to make cold calls when their sales figures are low, and clients mistakenly think they're married. This is when things get really awkward, leading up to a belly kiss. We normally don't get much interaction between Andy and Pam, but I think they do well as foils.

"The custodian called again. Apparently a koi has died."-Erin
I don't know why a koi pond is so funny to me, but I was giggling at the random jokes about Michael's mishap - yes, even Phyllis's lame, "Did you flounder?" 'Bout time the employees took a few shots at their bumbling boss. Then, when he gathers them into a meeting to make his "mocking" board, the insecurity really flies. Dwight's upset over his small nose, Angela's worried that she eats like a squirrel, and Meredith says she's embarrassed because she . . . had sex with a terrorist? (Um, did I read that right?!)

"The guy was like, Who are your five friends? And I was like, I don't even know . . . . I'm a total loser. Loooooser. Too far."-Michael
I died over this one. Michael tries to save his embarrassment over the koi incident by making fun of himself, and instead, he comes across as pathetic. But "too far" was the real kicker for me.

"Jim is my enemy. But Jim is also his greatest enemy. And the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So Jim is my friend."- Dwight
When the staff watches the security tape from the koi lobby and witnesses Jim actually letting Michael fall in, their loyalty swiftly changes. Dwight so confused, his mind gets blown. I am enjoying this new glimpse into the Michael and Jim work dynamic - by the end of the episode, it seemed like they might actually get along as comanagers. On the other hand, I have to say that I miss the days when Jim was the dude with a sweet crush who liked to pull pranks. Check out the actual video of Jim leaning out of the way:

"Oh, do you mean Marlon Wayans? Cause he is."- Erin
Way to go Erin! I've always sort of viewed her as a background character, but she delivered several funny ones this week. (I'm also loving her right now thanks to her Subtle Sexuality music video.) Do you think the writers are really going to set her up with Andy? Pam seems to be pushing it in that direction - even comparing Andy to Marlon Brando - and I think it's brilliant.

What'd you think of this week's episode? Who wore your favorite costume? Would you like to see Andy and Erin take their relationship to the next level? (I wonder if Angela would get jealous . . . )

And don't forget that you can always head over to The Office! group in the BuzzSugar Community to dish about the show!

Photo courtesy of NBC

8 Successful Companies That Are Still Hiring

SavvySugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:45:36 -0700

Personal experience and news reports might tell us that nobody is hiring right now, but Fortune says to think again. The magazine recently released its 40 Under 40 - a list of the hottest rising stars in business - and many of them are looking to expand their teams. To see who these entrepreneurs are and what they’re looking for, read more.