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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:30:13 -0700

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 the titles below you can now also find the first season of the 90210 reboot and the indie film starring Zooey Deschanel, Gigantic, on DVD.

I Love You, Man
Paul Rudd proves he can be more than just a funny sidekick in his leading role in I Love You, Man. Paul plays Peter, a sensitive guy who genuinely enjoys spending all of his time with his girlfriend. Upon realizing that his wedding party is lacking a best man, Peter sets off on a search for true guy love. He soon finds both fun and trouble in his new friendship with Sydney (Jason Segel).

I really loved exploring the sweeter side of the bromance genre with this movie and I can't wait to see it again. Extra DVD features include a gag reel, Jason Segel discussing whether or not to shave before a man-date, and a mash-up of the movie's bear-hug scenes. Aww.

82%

Two more new DVD selections this week, so read more.

The Class
An Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film, The Class gives us a year in the life of François Marin, a teacher at an inner city high school in Paris. The teachers struggle to find a balance between inspiring their students and showing them how to help themselves. As commonly seen in the teacher-student genre, Marin's trials and tribulations with his teenagers are littered with just as much failure as victory. It may sound like something you've already seen before, but I found that the raw emotion in the storytelling really makes this French film worthwhile.

97%

17 Again
Feeling nostalgic for your high school years? Me neither, but it's always fun to watch cute teenagers bumble through adolescence - in this case, for the second time around. In 17 Again, Matthew Perry plays Mike O'Donnell, a 37-year-old longing for the good old high school years when his adulthood doesn't turn out the way he expected (spoiler alert: his wish comes true). Enter Zac Efron as the hot, teenage version of Mike who tries to get through to his (actual teenage) kids and put his family back together. Things are a little weird when Mike's daughter gets, um, uncomfortably close to the young version of her dear old dad, but it's fun to see Zac in a high school scenario that doesn't involve jazz hands.

57%

Box Office: Trek Hits No. 1 at Warp Speed

BuzzSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 06:30:33 -0700

J.J. Abrams' reboot of Star Trek was a smash success this weekend with an estimated $76.5 million (including $4 million Thursday night), taking the top spot at the box office (though not surpassing X-Men Origins: Wolverine's opening weekend take of $85 million, as so many of you thought it would). This was "the biggest Trek opening yet, soaring past the previous high of Star Trek: First Contact, which started at $30.7 million or the equivalent of over $50 million adjusted for ticket price inflation."

Meanwhile Wolverine "wilted to an X-Men franchise low" in the wake of Star Trek, coming in at No. 2 with an estimated $27 million. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past took the third spot, followed by Obsessed and 17 Again in fourth and fifth place.

Sounds like good word of mouth quickly spread about Star Trek. Were you swayed by the stellar (ha, ha) reviews? Did you head out to see it?

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Box Office: Wolverine Slashes the Competition

BuzzSugar — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:24:17 -0700

Summer movie season has officially arrived, folks, and it looks like American audiences were ready for it. Hugh Jackman's X-Men Origins: Wolverine easily took the No. 1 spot over the weekend and grossed an estimated $87 million. This is good news for X-Men fans because the success of Wolverine is a "key victory for Fox, Marvel Entertainment and star Hugh Jackman, since it likely keeps the franchise alive." Woohoo!

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past also did solid business over the weekend and came in second place with an estimated $15.3 million. The top five was rounded out by Obsessed, 17 Again, and Monsters vs. Aliens in third, fourth, and fifth place respectively.

Were you one of the millions who saw Wolverine? Do you agree with the reviews?

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Caption It: Which Caption Should Win?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:30:21 -0700

Thanks, everyone, for contributing your funny captions to this week's Caption It challenge:

As you know, there can only be one winner. Here are your finalists:

Basketball. School cafeteria. Zac Efron. Where have we seen this before?
"Let's take it outside, where I will dance and play basketball in circles around you."
"That is right. I was in THREE High School Musical movies . . . sucker!"
"It's just three easy steps to perfectly coiffed hair like mine. 1. Spin the basketball on your finger. 2. Let the wind generated from said ball ever so gently wisp your hair to the side, just out of your eyes. 3. Spray and set."

Time to vote!

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Beyonce's Box Office Surprise

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:15:34 -0700

The Beyonce Knowles thriller Obsessed topped the box office over the weekend earning an estimated $28.5 million-kind of amazing given the critical reaction wasn't pretty. Zac Efron's 17 Again came in at No. 2 followed by Fighting, another movie that debuted much better than expected.

The Soloist, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx had a somewhat disappointing debut at No. 4. and earned about $9.7 million. According to Variety, "box office observers had expected Soloist to debut in the $10 million-$12 million range. They say the pic could have been dinged by so-so reviews." Interestingly, Disney's Earth rounded out the top five, earning an estimated $8.6 million.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Caption It!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:15:43 -0700

Welcome to the Caption It game on BuzzSugar! Every 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!

First we have to discuss last week's challenge. At the time I wrote this post, soulight was winning the poll with this caption:

"Fine I'll admit it, Lost is worse without you! Stop being so dramatic and get back into the car!"

Now on to this week's challenge from 17 Again:

Leave your captions in the comment space below before 5 p.m. PDT on Monday, April 27, to be considered for a spot in the voting round. Have fun!

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Box Office: Zac Is the Man of the Hour

BuzzSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:30:05 -0700

Looks like young Mr. Efron is proving to be a bankable actor, as his movie, 17 Again, debuted at No. 1 this weekend, earning an estimated $24.1 million.

Meanwhile, Russell Crowe's political thriller, State of Play, came in second place with an estimated $14.1 million. Monsters vs. Aliens came in at No. 3, and it looks like there's only so much tween-love to go around, which might explain Hannah Montana: The Movie slipping from the No. 1 spot last week to No. 4 this week. Fast and Furious rounded out the top five.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Movie Preview: Efron and Perry in 17 Again

BuzzSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 05:30:21 -0700

Sure, 17 Again looks an awful lot like Big in reverse (or one half of Freaky Friday), but you know what? The trailer looks really cute. Matthew Perry plays a down-on-his-luck dad who gets the chance to be 17 years old again (this is where Zac Efron comes in). So, he enrolls in his kids' high school and befriends them. He learns that his daughter is dating a nasty boy and tries to give her advice.

The whole cast is super charming, and I'm actually most impressed with Efron who does funny really well - but without trying too hard or making it awkward. 17 Again opens April 17 (nice date/title match-up there). To check out the trailer, read more.

Buzz News Roundup, 11/28

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:34:29 -0800

Jake Gyllenhaal has signed on to play Joe Namath in a biopic of the star quarterback, Zap2it reports.
John Cusack and Gong Li will topline the historical drama Shanghai, teaming up with 1408 director Mikael Hafstrom, writes ComingSoon.
Josh Groban's holiday album topped the charts this week, Billboard reports, while Jordin Sparks' debut had the lowest sales numbers for any American Idol winner's album.
The Writers Guild of America has slammed Carson Daly over his decision to return to work, writes Broadcasting & Cable.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reports that even if the strike ended today, shows would need up to five weeks to get back into production.
The Hollywood Reporter has news that Matthew Perry will play the adult version of Zac Efron's character in the movie 17.
Billboard reports that Aimee Mann's next album, Smilers, will feature a lot of synthesizer and zero electric guitar.
According to ComingSoon, the Weinstein Company has acquired the screen rights to Bridie Clark's novel I Think She's Got It - before it's even been published.
Variety reports that Walter Cronkite will receive the History Makers' first lifetime achievement award at the organization's fancy event in January.
Wondering why House fired the candidate he did last night? TV Guide has some answers.

Source and Source

Buzz News Roundup, 9/10

BuzzSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:17:04 -0700

The fourth Indiana Jones movie has an official title: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It was announced by an excited Shia LaBeouf at Sunday night's MTV Video Music Awards.
"Power of 10" is getting six more episodes for midseason, Zap2it reports.
ComingSoon reports that the "Big in reverse" movie 17, starring Zac Efron, has nabbed director Burr Steers (Igby Goes Down).
"My Boys" is getting a third season on TBS, Variety reports.
New Line Cinema has obtained the rights to remake Guillermo Del Toro's creepy ghost child thriller The Orphanage, says Hollywood Reporter.
Billboard has some details on Coldplay's newest album, which is due in 2008.
According to Variety, Karen Moncrieff's mystery-thriller The Dead Girl won the grand prize at the Deauville Festival of American Film on Sunday night.
ABC has bought an hour-long, high-stakes game show called "The Duel," in which competitors try to outwit each other in one-on-one trivia battles, says the Hollywood Reporter.