the buzz log
Enter the Designer
Real estate is a precious commodity in overcrowded Hong Kong. So it's not entirely startling to learn that Bruce Lee's old crib can be rented to couples by the hour.
But the love nest's hours are numbered. Officials took advantage of the 36th anniversary of Lee's death this week (which pushed up searches on Yahoo! 645% for the late martial arts actor) to announce that they're converting the 5,600-square-foot townhouse again, this time into a museum. And the design will be decided the right way—by a death match in a Roman Coliseum.
Well, okay, no death match. However there will be an "Ideas Competition for Bruce Lee's Residence" open to the public. Aspiring architects who want to sketch out a master plan for an exhibition center, AV-room, library, souvenir shop, and kung fu corner have to register by August 31. Entry deadline's October 15, and the winners get notified some time around Lee's November birthday.
There is a catch: Pros will be separated from the average Joes, and an honest-to-goodness architect can win $13,000 for a kick-arse design. From the looks of the contest's fine print, though, winners of the "Open Group" just get trophies, honor, and maybe a book of Chuck Norris facts. (All right, no book. Maybe a yellow jumpsuit.)
Those who can't draw a straight line to save their life could still get involved in honoring the American-born actor. His siblings have bestowed approval—first time ever—on a biopic series, to be done by a Chinese company. Or, if you want a project closer to home, the Broadway-bound Bruce Lee musical's still in development.
Worse-case scenario, you can try to book one last hour at the love motel. That'll be $30, please.
Filed under: Movies, Martial Arts, Museums, Architects, China, Design
Digging into the Terracotta Warriors
Terracotta warriors will rise one more time... again.
After 20 years, archaeologists are back to Pit A in Xi'an, China, the 2,000-year-old graveyard for 6,000 clay soldiers (plus a few hundred chariots and horses). At least that's the estimated troop number for the lifesized figures. Only 1,000 warriors had been uncovered before the dig was stopped in the 1980s, because 20th-century oxygen was ruining the soldiers.
But since men can't leave funerary arts well enough alone, they're back with new technology that's supposed to "preserve the original colors" against the elements. Pit A, at 2,152 feet, is the largest of the digs, holding about 5,000 warriors.
Scientists have already unearthed surprises on the dig's first day (June 13), including bronze arrowheads, artifacts in brilliant color, and tandem four-horse chariots. Incidentally, the emperor himself, Qin Shi Huang, is buried in the middle of this necropolis, but he has never been excavated... despite movies to the contrary.
The subterranean return to Xi'an has provoked lots of searches on Yahoo!. Armchair archaelogists can check out the dig in detail in this photo slideshow and a CCTV video (in Mandarin). A BBC video reports on the slow, steady work to reveal the first Chinese emperor's army of the dead. Tourists can watch the dig live, but for people who won't make it to the Shaanxi province any time soon, National Geographic Museum will be bringing a few artifacts stateside in November 2009. You can check out its online exhibit here.
Filed under: Museums, History, Military, Archaeology, China
Buzz Multiplex: Screening the Smithsonian
Ignoring critics may be a civic duty in the case of "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian."
Not all may be in love with the PG-rated sequel, but a busy box-office turnstile would be a win for museum fans. According to NPR, the taxpayer-funded Smithsonian—actually a collection of 19 museums—has always run at a deficit. So when the makings of a comedic blockbuster comes knocking at your docents, one says yes...albeit with lots of bureaucratic sign-offs along the way.
If the sequel does as well as the 2006 venture, the Smithsonian could tally up $1.25 million, and that's before merchandising like bendable toys or branded mac'n'cheese. Even dissatisfied reviewers think the museum has pulled off an A-list performance, and will likely inspire visitors to line up to see Ben Stiller get run down by stuffed warriors. Already people have been looking up "smithsonian institute" and "smithsonian museum."
But because museums are devoted to the mission of history and truth, plenty of full disclosure has been going around about what's really real and what's Hollywood special-effects gimmickry (aside from stuffed figures coming to life). USA Today notes, for instance, that Rodin's Thinker isn't in the D.C. complex, no Federal Archives exists, and "The Wizard of Oz" ruby slippers sits in a different room than the Wright brothers' plane (which never flew well either, by the way).
The biggest illusion of all? A Vancouver soundstage subs as the Smithsonian for most of the movie. Doesn't sound quite fair for Canada. Maybe the next "Night" should be talking totem poles and giant flying ravens from the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, ay?
The Complete King Tut
The mask has been removed and folks are finally getting a look at King Tut's face. Amazingly, Tut's remains have been preserved (well, pretty much, anyway) and are going on tour. After stays in Egypt and London, the Tutankhamun exhibit will visit American museums starting with the Dallas Museum of Art.
Once news of mummypalooza hit, searches on the Dallas Museum posted a triple digit gain. We started to wonder which other museums are big in Buzz. Below, we list the twenty most searched for museums of the past seven days. Stay behind the red line and enjoy.
Filed under: Museums
Searches on Display
Who doesn't love to stroll through a museum? The works of fine art, the intriguing installations, the blazer-wearing security force with earpieces at the ready. It all adds up to an enjoyable and edifying experience. Speaking of adding up, we wanted to see which museums accumulated the most searches over the last week. Here are our top 10...
Filed under: Museums
Adapted From True Search Stories
We're just gonna come out and say it -- Tinsel Town is a black hole of creativity. So how does Hollywood manage to release hundreds of films per year? Sequels, remakes, and adaptations are the major reasons, but true stories "ripped from the headlines" also play a part.
With industry execs always on the lookout for the next Glory Road or Eight Below, we thought we'd pitch them a few flicks "inspired" by true stories. Each certainly inspired big searches, a sign moviegoers might be willing to fork over the dough to see them on the big screen. So, here are three true stories that may be coming soon to a theater near you (but hopefully not).
Name of Movie: Yo Busco Yeyo
Story That Inspired It: 3-month-old miniature Chihuahua named Midge is trained by Ohio sheriff to be a drug-sniffing pooch.
Popular Related Searches: "chihuahuas" (the breed), "geauga county" (the beat), "drug dogs" (the brethren).
Casting and Plot: Russell Crowe as the sheriff. Hugh Grant as the slimy drug lord. The dog will be animated and voiced by the dependably hilarious Bobcat Goldthwait.
Name of Movie: The Sticky Kid and the Docent
Story That Inspired It: 12-year-old sticks a piece of gum on a $1.5 million painting.
Popular Related Searches: "detroit institute of arts" (the museum), "helen frankenthaler" (the artist), "the bay" (the painting), "wrigley's extra polar ice gum" (the weapon).
Casting and Plot: Aaron Carter as the kid who must repay the museum by selling his own kidneys to Russian mafia. Morgan Freeman as the world-weary museum docent who rediscovers his love of art and hatred of children.
Name of Movie: Oi! Who's Got the Bloody Money?
Story That Inspired It: Gang of thieves steals 25 million pounds from the Bank of England.
Popular Related Searches: "bank of england" (the victim), "securitas" (the "security" firm), "kent robbery" (the incident).
Casting and Plot: Think of it as an English Ocean's Eleven. Pierce Brosnan as the leader. Alan Rickman as the psychopath. Sean Connery as the detective. And Judi Dench as the vengeful ghost of Queen Elizabeth.
top movers
| Rank | Subject | 1-Day Move |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford 400 | Breakout! |
| 2 | Indonesia Ferry | Breakout! |
| 3 | Jordan Chandler | 3481% |
| 4 | Evan Chandler | 2322% |
| 5 | American Music Awards | 1841% |
| 6 | John F. Kennedy | 1529% |
| 7 | Turkey Stuffing Recipes | 1361% |
| 8 | Liam Hemsworth | 1172% |
| 9 | Lou Dobbs | 1142% |
| 10 | Hendrick Motorsports | 888% |
top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Friday | +340 | 1290 |
| 2 | NFL | +489 | 670 |
| 3 | Jennifer Lopez | +451 | 515 |
| 4 | New Moon | -67 | 250 |
| 5 | American Music Awards | +236 | 249 |
| 6 | UFC | -36 | 239 |
| 7 | Miley Cyrus | +66 | 169 |
| 8 | Hulu | -11 | 154 |
what's the buzz?
A subject's buzz score is the percentage of Yahoo! users searching for that subject on a given day, multiplied by a constant to make the number easier to read. Weekly leaders are the subjects with the greatest average buzz score for a given week.
For more detailed information, visit our FAQ.