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Buzz News Roundup, 5/16

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:30:28 PDT

Did you ever read R.L. Stine's Goosebumps books? Now there's going to be a movie version of the series, Variety reports.
Billboard has the rundown of this year's BET Awards nominees; T. Pain leads the pack with five nominations.
Hooray! The hilarious Rob Corddry has finally landed a starring role, in the action-comedy Project A, which will be produced by Ben Stiller, ComingSoon writes.
According to Variety, we'll see an English-language remake of the Chilean movie Pretendiendo in which "a beautiful woman . . . dons a fat suit to shield herself from any more romantic upsets."
American Idol's Taylor Hicks is headed to Broadway as the Teen Angel in a production of Grease, Billboard reports.
Zap2It writes that George Clooney will star in an adaptation of the non-fiction book Men Who Stare at Goats.
The Wall Street Journal claims that if ratings don't improve for the CW, the network may be doomed.
ComingSoon reports that Danny Glover will reprise his stage role in a big screen adaptation of Master Harold... and the Boys.
Check out the colorful pictures of the grand opening of the Simpsons ride at Universal Studios in the Orlando Sentinel.

What Puts the Goose in Goosebumps?

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:30:00 PST

I bet the chill in the air has give you a fair share of goosebumps. Want to know what causes them? Scientifically speaking, they're triggered by a reflex called piloerection. This reflex causes tiny muscles at the base of each hair to contract, making the little hairs that cover your body to stand up. Which in turn makes little bumps all over your skin, giving it the appearance of a freshly-plucked goose.

When animals get cold, this reflex helps to fluff up their hair or feathers to trap in body heat. Human goosebumps on the other hand are an attempt to make us warm, but since we have such little body hair, goosebumps serve absolutely no purpose.

Goosebumps are also a physical response to fear, just like when you sweat or your heart races. When animals are scared, like a cat or porcupine, they get goosebumps too and their fur or quills stand up, making them look more fierce. Our tiny hairs stand up, too, but I think we can all agree that it doesn't do much to protect us from harm or make us look more ferocious.

Our skin also gets all goosebumpy when we hear beautiful music or a touching story. Like other emotion-linked reflexes such as blushing, turning pale, and butterflies in your tummy, goosebumps are triggered by the limbic system of the brain. This bodily response isn't driven by a physical prompt, but by a psychological one. Yet another example of the mind-body connection. Wow. I just gave myself goosebumps.

Ooh, I Just Got Goose bumps

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 14:05:00 PST

It's been awfully chilly out there lately and I bet you've gotten your fair share of goose bumps. Want to know what causes them? Well, they're triggered by a reflex called piloerection (kind of funny name - don't ya think?). This reflex causes the little hairs that cover your body to stand up, because tiny muscles at the base of each hair contract. Which in turn makes those little bumps all over your skin giving it the appearance of a freshly plucked goose.

Like with a hissing kitty, piloerection is a response to cold or fear. But for people today, goosebumps are vestigial. That is a fancy way to say they serve absolutely no purpose. They do in fact NOT help you get warm.

Do you get goose bumps when you hear a moving story or nails scratching a chalkboard? Interested to know why? Then,

read more Goose bumps are an automatic response (like shivering or sweating) to strong emotions. Like other emotion-linked reflexes such as blushing, turning pale, and butterflies in your tummy, goose bumps are triggered by the limbic system of the brain. So our skin gets bumpy when we hear beautiful music or watch scary movies, and that bodily response isn't driven by a physical prompt, but by a psychological one. Yet another example of the mind/body connection. Wow. I just gave myself goose bumps.

Video: Best Dressed! Funniest Moments! Watch Us Break Down All of the Golden Globes Highlights

PopSugar — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:57:47 PST

It's the day after the Golden Globe Awards, and we're taking a look back at all of the show's major moments! Watch as our editors Allison McNamara, Molly Goodson, and Lindsay Miller dish on their favorite dresses of the evening, the speeches that gave them goosebumps, and the funniest moments of the night. Do you agree with their picks? Check it out in today's special PopSugar Rush.

Rewind: Tell Us Which Twilight Character Is Your Favorite

BuzzSugar — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 03:05:00 PST

In anticipation of the release of Breaking Dawn Part 1, we asked you to weigh in on your favorite Twilight characters.
Check out these behind-the-scenes Breaking Dawn pictures you won't see anywhere else.
Before you watch Breaking Dawn, take a look at the Twilight stars' pasts by reliving Edward and Bella's sweetest onscreen moments and reminiscing about what the Twilight stars were up to before starring in Breaking Dawn.
We swooned over our favorite George Clooney roles.
We also took the time to appreciate People's Sexiest Man Alive by rounding up pics of Bradley Cooper's sexiest roles.
If you can't wait for the big Gossip Girl wedding, we've got a sneak peek with photos of Blair Waldorf's wedding dress.
We caught up with some some of the Harry Potter stars when we chatted with Rupert Grint about the Harry Potter film franchise, while James and Oliver Phelps talked about their roles.
If you're a fan of animated films, guess which actors voiced these animated character.
We got goosebumps (and a little teary-eyed) over the new Hunger Games trailer.
In this week's other trailers, we also got a better look at Meryl Streep's turn as Margaret Thatcher in the trailer for The Iron Lady, and Julia Roberts going after Snow White in the Mirror, Mirror trailer.

Being Flynn Trailer: Robert De Niro Is Paul Dano's Deadbeat Dad

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:17:17 PST

If you were a fan of the book Another Bullsh*t Night in Suck City and eagerly anticipating the film adaptation, then I hope you paid attention to character names, otherwise you might not have recognized the film version. Retitled Being Flynn after its protagonist, the film is the memoir of Nick Flynn (Paul Dano), a young man who's trying to find his voice as a writer. He has plenty of source material in his tough life, having grown up with only his mother (Julianne Moore) and without his estranged father, Jonathan (played by Robert De Niro), who is also a writer. When Nick starts work at a homeless shelter, he finds Jonathan, an alcoholic who is staying there. Nick seems to find out that he can't escape the fact that his father has had a great deal of influence on his life - and his writing.

I'm probably most interested to see this movie for the pairing of De Niro and Dano as a father and son with a difficult relationship. De Niro is always good, but Dano keeps impressing me with his acting skills with every film he appears in. In this trailer alone, he gave me goosebumps in the more intense scenes, like fighting with De Niro and bashing his head into a mirror. Being Flynn doesn't yet have a release date, but you can watch the trailer after the break.

Watch the Awesomely Intense New Trailer For The Hunger Games!

Becky Kirsch — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:15:12 PST

If you were one of the many fans disappointed with the first Hunger Games teaser, then the full-length trailer should turn your frown upside down. This new preview is definitely a lot juicier than what we've seen before: we get a much better look at Panem, see Katniss interact with both Peeta and Gale, and meet a lot of the characters. For those of you who aren't familiar with the story, The Hunger Games tells the story of Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), a teenager living in a postapocalyptic world called Panem. Each year, a boy and a girl from each district (there are currently 12) are chosen to sacrifice themselves for The Hunger Games, in which the tributes fight to the death while the rest of Panem watches to see who emerges as a victor. When Katniss's sister, Prim, is called into the games, Katniss volunteers herself to take her place.

If there's one word that comes to mind when I think of this trailer, it's "intense." The lottery scene when Katniss sacrifices herself is as emotionally gripping as it should be, and I had goosebumps when the preview closed as the games begin. Plus, I loved getting a glimpse of Elizabeth Banks as Effie, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, and a practically unrecognizable Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman. All in all, this trailer has resurged my excitement for this movie. See if you feel the same way when you

Banned Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of the Last Two Decades

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:49:54 PDT

When a high school in Missouri recently banned Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut's story of World War II as told through a science fiction lens, for creating "false conceptions of American history and government," the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library stepped up to donate copies of the book to any affected student that requests it.

Despite First Amendment protection, banning or attempting to challenge books has a long history, with many cases even making it to the US Supreme Court. As the American Library Association explains: "books usually are challenged with the best intentions-to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information." Science fiction and fantasy books often contain these themes that some find questionable, whether it's alien life forms, magical powers, or mystical worlds. In honor of Banned Books week, we're rounding up the most challenged science fiction and fantasy books according to the ALA. Browse the list below!

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - The stories of the wizarding world are seen by challengers to have occult and violent themes.
Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins - The hot series for youth and adult readers has been deemed unsuitable to its target age group and violent.
Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer - Its movie stars may provoke pandemonium, but critics of the book say it's too sexually explicit.
His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman - The series beginning with The Golden Compass is often decried for its anti-religious viewpoints.
The Giver by Lois Lowry - Despite the book's message of freedom of choice, criticisms are made for the fictional dystopia's bleak family outlook.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - Offensive language, racism, and insensitivity are often cited in challenges to the future dystopian novel.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - The tale of a future world where the printed word is banned and systemically burned was criticized for offensive language.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - Children's search through space and time for their vanished father is often challenged for the inclusion of supposed witches.

Follow the break for more challenged books of the last 20 years.

Buzz Blabber: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Trailer Packs a Punch

BuzzSugar — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 16:10:00 PDT

This week's entertainment news brought out some great comments and discussion from you guys. The hottest topics? A highly anticipated trailer, TV reboot news, and a movie adaptation surprise. Check out this week's standout comments.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trailer impresses

"Amazing! I read all the books and watched all the Swedish movies but watching that right now just gave me goosebumps." - Vane Elliemae
"Although the trailer is good, Rooney Mara hasn't sold it to me yet . . . her version of Lisbeth Salander is, at least for me, a bit insulting for the character." - 1350458
"Woah, looks good!" - littlemunchkin

See what other hot topics got you guys chatting when you

"Oh no! Has it come to this? Not only are we rebooting old TV shows (Charlie's Angels, etc.), but now we're rebooting reality TV shows? Have we come full circle? (Not to say that I didn't like this series first time around)." - smileet147
"Great idea. I wasn't a huge fan of the show but when I did find it on tv I could not stop watching it." - awesomepants
"The underwater stunts freaked me out, I'm talking nightmares!" - Katie Henry

The Mockingjay movie split might be milking it

"It is a matter of greed, but I might be OK with it. The only problem I had with Mockingjay, and the reason I thought Catching Fire was the best book of the trilogy, is that it felt rushed (although that may have been because I was reading it so quickly to find out what was going to happen. Even though I have low expectations for these adaptations (only because Hollywood ruins everything), I hope that splitting the last book into two movies will help build the tension and make the climactic moments even better . . ." - lizlee89
"Of the three books, I felt Mockingjay had the lowest sense of urgency until about 2/3 of the way through. Splitting it into 2 movies is a terrible idea, unless they intend to add a lot of extra information or flesh out story lines that weren't explored thoroughly in the book." - testadura67
"I don't think that anyone can really be that surprised - and I think that it can be done pretty decently assuming they stick to the book. I just hope that the cast knows what they are getting into (those that are in all 3 books) since they'll be in this franchise for ages filming. I wonder what that schedule's going to look like." - ilanac13

Emily Giffin Shares Her Top Moments From the Royal Wedding!

Guest Writer — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:15:05 PDT

Editor's Note: The following is a guest post written by Emily Giffin, author of Something Borrowed and four other best-selling novels. For more from Emily, like her on Facebook.

Just as I got up at the crack of dawn with my mother and sister to watch Di and Charles wed, I set my alarm for four this morning, donned my fanciest hat (purchased for Royal Ascot during my years in London), and gathered with my mother and own satisfyingly brainwashed-to-care children to watch this generation’s version of the royal wedding. As we sipped Earl Grey and munched on iced royal-nuptial sugar cookies, I tweeted the action, entranced by every detail of Kate and Will's magical day. Thirty years from now, here is what I will remember most:

A "people's wedding" with pomp and circumstance. Just as the guest list included celebrities, royals, and dignataries, as well as the butcher, grocer and postman of Kate's Berkshire village, the ceremony managed to be both formal and intimate at once, a tricky balancing act. Even the avenue of English field maple trees placed along the aisle (Kate's idea, natch) brightened the somber, thousand-year-old abbey doubling as a final resting place of 17 monarchs. Right out of the gate, Kate proves that she can respect tradition - yet do things her way - with warmth and style.
The dress, the dress! Kate looked positively stunning in her Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen ivory, hand-laced gown. While Diana's dress conjured an overdone child's drawing (no surprise, since she herself was a teenager!), Kate's gown was elegant and sophisticated, wonderfully reminiscent of Grace Kelly. A real, grown-up princess. (And, of course, I'd be remiss not to mention Kate's "something borrowed" - a 1936 Cartier tiara, on loan from the Queen herself, per royal wedding tradition. Beautiful.)
Picture-perfect Pippa and hot Harry. In contrast to the hideously comical, Dr. Seuss-esque selections of the Princesses of York, Eugenie and Beatrice. Oh, no they didn't.
Prince William’s one-liner to his soon-to-be father-in-law . . . “just a small family affair!” I love that he loves her family - another good sign.

See the rest and more pictures when you read more.