TresSugar

Elmo and De Niro in Casino?

GiggleSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:14:00 PDT

We know that Elmo isn't the angel he pretends to be. He can be something of a psychopath, which makes perfect sense after you look at him in this audition for the Martin Scorcese mob movie Casino. His part? Conniving wackadoodle Joe "Am I a clown? Am I here to make you laugh?!" Pesci's character of course.

Skyfall Teaser: Daniel Craig Is Back Again as Bond

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:38:26 PDT

Ready or not, James Bond is back! The first teaser for Skyfall is here, and while there's only a small bit of dialogue and not a lot of hints about the plot (though a word association game makes it sound like the title "Skyfall" is a mission that Bond has no problem completing), there is enough of star Daniel Craig looking slick and sexy to get me excited about this installment.

The ominous music and images we do see - including a shadowy figure I'm assuming is the villain played by Javier Bardem - make Skyfall seem more intense and high-stakes than the last film, Quantum of Solace. That's good news, since I didn't love that Bond movie. I can't wait to see if this movie is as good as his first outing, Casino Royale, when Skyfall comes out Nov. 9. Watch the teaser and let me know what you think after the break.

Sneak Peek: The Real World Las Vegas's Hard Rock Penthouse

Julia Millay Walsh — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 03:05:00 PST

The Real World returns to Las Vegas tonight at 10 p.m. EST for its 25th season premiere - can you believe it? The days when I followed the show have long been over, but I am continually impressed with the set decoration. This season the penthouse suite of the Hard Rock Casino in Sin City will be home to the seven new strangers. It's the perfect place to go wild with prints, bright colors, bold artwork, and graphic interior architecture, and the designer got it all right. If not in Vegas, where else would you indulge in over-the-top design? Come along and check out this sneak peek of the suite!

The Best of the Bond Girls

Tara Block — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:05:37 PDT

Say hello to the newest women to join the ranks of iconic Bond babes! French actress Bérénice Marlohe and Britain's Naomie Harris have started training for their roles in Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond flick out Nov. 9. More details about the movie are currently being released; there's speculation that Adele will release a single for the film, and the queen herself might make an appearance in a James Bond short to be played at this Summer's Olympic opening ceremony. We'll count them among honorary Bond girls, too!

Last year the very first Bond girl, Linda Christian, passed away at 87. She played Valerie Mathis in the 1954 TV adaptation of Casino Royale before James Bond films hit the big screen. There have been countless Bond girls over the years, from Pussy Galore to Mary Goodnight to Strawberry Fields, and the most iconic 007 femme fatale would probably be bikini-clad Ursula Andress, who played Honey Ryder in the first James Bond film, Dr. No, in 1962. See the bodacious ladies who've wielded guns, showed off their assets, and bedded Bond for the last 50-plus years!

Oyster Lovers: Make These!

Katie Sweeney — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:45:11 PST

Although you can essentially enjoy the briny bivalve all year round, it's widely known that oysters are best eaten in months that have a letter "R." Oysters are delicious on the half shell, but my favorite way to prepare them is casino-style. Bacon and butter make everything taste better! The best thing about this recipe is that it can be prepared in advance. The herb butter will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, and the bacon can be crisped the night before you plan to serve the oysters. Bake them just before eating. Offer the oysters with sparkling wine and you've got the perfect appetizer. Here's the uncomplicated recipe.

Oscar Date 411: Christopher Plummer

Annie Scudder — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:15:57 PST

In his acceptance speech for the best supporting actor Oscar, Christopher Plummer thanked his wife, Elaine Taylor, for "coming to my rescue every day of my life." The couple has been married since 1970.

Elaine, an actress in her own right, was a Bond Girl in 1967's Casino Royale, around the same time Christopher Plummer became famous for his role as Captain Von Trapp in 1965's The Sound of Music. She met her future husband a few years later in 1969 when they were working on Lock Up Your Daughters in Ireland. Although he was 14 years older and drank too much for her taste, she met back up with him in London after filming. By October of 1970, he was drinking less, and they were married by the same reverend who wed Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. In his memoir In Spite of Myself, Christopher called Elaine, his third wife, "my one true strength." Here are photos of the Oscar winner and his wife at the Oscars tonight!

Wanderlust: Could Have Used Some More Direction

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 03:05:02 PST

Many of the characters in Wanderlust preach about freedom, whether it's in relation to work, love, or clothing, and the philosophy seems like it was over-applied to the making of this film, because it ends up completely lost. Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston play married couple George and Linda, Manhattanites who have just put all their money into buying a home in the city when George loses his job, and thus, their new apartment. On their way to stay with family, they get derailed at Elysium Bed & Breakfast, a property that's more hippie than hospitable. George and Linda like their taste of living on the commune, so they decide to try out the lifestyle and challenge their uptight sensibilities. The setup is rife for humor, but Wanderlust is too thin on story and character development to be the fun romp that it could be.

Wanderlust has so much promise onscreen and off (writer/director David Wain is also behind Wet Hot American Summer and Role Models), but even with an occasionally funny script, Rudd and Aniston's shared charm can't save a movie that would have been better suited for a five-minute sketch. To find out my other problems with the film, just keep reading.

Mind-Sets That Will Keep You From Getting Rich

Business Insider — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:15:06 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Business Insider story here on Savvy!

A scarcity mind-set, or believing you aren't entitled to what you deserve, can hold you back financially.

"When you think the pie is already set, competing against the next guy to get a bigger piece of the pie seems pointless," says Toby Johnston, CPA and CFP with Mohler, Nixon, and Williams in San Francisco, CA.

Read on as we point out the poorest money mind-sets and how to drop them so you can get rich.

I can't make ends meet

Someone stuck in this mind-set may think they only have enough to make ends meet, says Johnston. They're living day-to-day and not thinking of the future.

"They never get beyond thinking, 'Hey, if I made a little effort to cut back, I'd have something left over to invest,'" Johnston says.

Make going on a BS diet a priority, so you can stop spending on things you don't want and put money toward things that you do, like your emergency piggy bank.

Read on for more mind-sets.

Uh Oh! Watch Out For These 12 IRS Audit Red Flags

Kiplinger — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:06:09 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

The IRS audits only slightly more than 1% of all individual tax returns annually. The agency doesn't have enough personnel and resources to examine each and every tax return filed during a year. So the odds are pretty low that your return will be picked for review. And, of course, the only reason filers should worry about an audit is if they are fudging on their taxes.

However, the chances of being audited or otherwise hearing from the IRS increase depending upon various factors, including your income level, whether you omitted income, the types of deductions or losses you claimed, the business in which you're engaged and whether you own foreign assets. Math errors may draw IRS inquiry, but they'll rarely lead to a full-blown exam. Although there's no sure way to avoid an IRS audit, you should be aware of red flags that could increase your chances of drawing unwanted attention from the IRS.

1. Making too much money

Although the overall individual audit rate is about 1.11%, the odds increase dramatically for higher-income filers. IRS statistics show that people with incomes of $200,000 or higher had an audit rate of 3.93%, or one out of slightly more than every 25 returns. Report $1 million or more of income? There's a one-in-eight chance your return will be audited. The audit rate drops significantly for filers making less than $200,000: Only 1.02% of such returns were audited during 2011, and the vast majority of these exams were conducted by mail. We're not saying you should try to make less money - everyone wants to be a millionaire. Just understand that the more income shown on your return, the more likely it is that you'll be hearing from the IRS.

Read on for more red flags.

8 Life Lessons Learned From CES 2012

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:31:59 PST

This year's CES didn't just teach us about gadget trends and the future of the industry - it also taught us a few things that we'll remember in our everyday lives as well. Here, we offer up a few tips to take with you on your next journey to a big tech conference, or to keep in the back of your mind for life. Trust me: our pain is your gain!

Get plenty of sleep. Between long hours on the show floor and various industry parties (and afterparties), there's a good reason we'd love to see siesta lounges at CES. But if you can't nap during the day, be sure to get enough shut eye at night. This is true even for the real world, where you've got emails, shows, and news to catch up on. Put away the laptop at a decent hour and get your beauty rest. You'll wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day's to-do list.
Carry water. Downing coffee, cocktails, and Diet Cokes, coupled with the dry weather in the desert, and filtered air in the hotels and casinos can cause dehydration fast. Keep a bottle of water on you at all times. This not only keeps your skin fresh, lips hydrated, and head clear, but it'll keep you from overheating due to thirst.
Wear good shoes. Did I mention how much we walked at CES? Seriously, the biggest expo I've ever seen, it spans the Las Vegas Convention Center and surrounding hotels. It's not hard to walk six miles in a single day. Multiply that by three or four days, and you've got yourself a good workout. Dress your feet appropriately for CES, and everyday life, since it can save your back later down the road.
Get in the lunch line early. Hungry bloggers line up to get their lunches far before the 11:30 a.m. call time. Although we never saw a shortage of food, who wants to wait in another line when you're tired and hungry? This is another way to say "eat your lunch." Skipping meals can lead to headaches and crankiness, symptoms you don't want to experience when you're in a fast-paced and crowded space or in your office.

Check out the rest of the list when you read more.