Yes Man

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to my selections below you can take home The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Tale of Despereaux, and Beverly Hills, 90210: Season 7.

Yes Man
I'm a little baffled as to why the DVD cover for Yes Man doesn't include Jim Carrey's costar, Zooey Deschanel. She's a major selling point for me! Anyway, this movie is actually pretty cute and a great choice if you're looking for some laid-back, feel-good entertainment at home.

The story follows divorced loan officer Carl (Carrey) who lives life turning down everything from invitations to parties to the loan requests he hears every day. One day Carl finds himself at a self-help-type meeting all about the power of saying "yes" to every opportunity and it completely turns his life around. While he's in the process of becoming a "yes man" he starts up a romance with the free-spirited Allison (Deschanel), and soon learns that there are some negatives to his new lifestyle.

Special features include "Downtime on the Set of Yes Man with Jim Carrey," and "Jim Carrey: Extreme Yes Man — The Outrageous Physical Stunts the Star Performs."

Two more up next so read more

After breaking Christmastime records last week, audiences once again put the adorably naughty pup in the top spot at the box office over the weekend. Marley & Me, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, earned an estimated $24 million "for a cume of $106.5 million in only 11 days."

In second place came Adam Sandler's Bedtime Stories followed by The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in third, Valkyrie in fourth and Yes Man in fifth.

Another unusually great weekend for the box office during the holiday season! What did you check out this first weekend of the new year?

Photos courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Welcome to the Caption It game on BuzzSugar! Every other Wednesday, I'll post a photo still from a TV show or movie here and challenge you to think of the most hilarious caption possible. I'll announce the finalists the following Tuesday, and you'll get to vote for the best caption; the winner will get a fabulous BuzzSugar t-shirt!

First, congratulations to kgiuffre who won last week's poll with her caption for a Gossip Girl photo:

"Does this sign say to the left or to right for casting call for the Twilight series sequel?"

Now onto this week's challenge! I'm using a photo from the new Jim Carrey-Zooey Deschanel movie, Yes Man:

Leave your captions in the comment space below before 5 p.m. PST on Monday, Dec. 29 to be considered for a spot in the voting round. Have fun! To see a photo of the BuzzSugar t-shirt, just read more

It seems the dismal weather plaguing parts of the nation proved detrimental to box office earnings this weekend. Of the less-than-robust numbers, however, the Jim Carrey-Zooey Deschanel comedy Yes Man ended up taking the most in ticket sales with a little over $18 million. Will Smith's Seven Pounds did almost as well, though still worse than expected with $16 million.

Variety claims both movies "were expected to come in at least $5 million higher" and blames inclement weather for the quiet opening weekend:

Friday’s crippling storm in the Northeast dragged down grosses dramatically in a menacing start to the Christmas holiday. Weekend was down by as much as 44% over last year. In Boston, Friday’s B.O. dropped a whopping 81% from the previous Friday, while it fell 45% in Gotham.

Yeesh. After Seven Pounds, The Tale of Despereaux came in third place, followed by The Day the Earth Stood Still and Four Christmases respectively. In less bah-humbuggy news, the indie film market is doing quite well these days: The Mickey Rourke movie The Wrestler had an excellent weekend, as did Slumdog Millionaire.

This upcoming holiday weekend promises a whole slew of fresh blood at theaters: Marley & Me, Valkyrie, Bedtime Stories, The Spirit, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button all open in wide release on Christmas Day this Thursday.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

It may be a silly and simplistic movie, but Yes Man is also one of the few movies this year that left me grinning from ear to ear at the end. From the premise we know that it's about the power of positive thinking and being open to things and changing one's life for the better, etc. etc. And the crazy, great thing about this ridiculous film is that it’s actually pretty effective in making you think that you can (and should) do just that. It's funny, sure, and even more inspiring. And what’s wrong with that — especially these days?

Divorced loan officer Carl (Jim Carrey) is basically a "no man," turning down everything from invitations to parties to the loan requests he hears every day. At the suggestion of a friend, however, Carl finds himself at a self-help-type meeting all about the power of saying "yes" to every opportunity that comes around. So, Carl makes a pact with himself to say "yes" to everything. And while this leads to some bizarre (and sometimes dangerous) situations, it also frees him to try new things, which ultimately improves his attitude, his job life and his relationships. He even meets the irresistibly fun, charming and beautiful Allison (Zooey Deschanel). But it turns out there are negative things that can come from this extreme yea-saying, and Carl learns that the program has its limitations. Yup, that's about it for plot, so for more of my take on the whole thing, read more

Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy channeled some old school glamour for the LA premiere of Yes Man last night. After Jim's joking failed proposal on Ellen yesterday, the two looked perfectly happy together on the red carpet. Jim's costar Zooey Deschanel looked simply gorgeous in her wintery silver dress but she doesn't only act in the movie, but she provides her lovely voice too. The feel-good movie hits theaters tomorrow and in the interest of all things Zooey and all things Jim, hopefully audiences say yes to this one over the weekend.

To see more from the premiere including Emily Deschanel, Molly Sims and more just read more