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My Bottom Five Movies of 2008

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:30:35 PST

While there are several runners-up to this list (like, say, Speed Racer and Nights in Rodanthe), these are the five movies during which I seriously considered leaving the theater. Big ol' thumbs down, if I may borrow the gesture from Mr. Ebert. To see which five I picked, hit "Start."

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Which Big Movie of 2008 Do You Most Want to See?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:31:40 PST

It seems like we've been hearing about some of these big movies for ages now, and the 2008 release dates always seemed so far away. Well, now it's 2008 and we can finally mark up our new calendars with our plans to see this year's most hyped films. So which one of these big '08 movies are you most excited to see?

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Men in Black 3: A Return to (Alien Life) Form

Becky Kirsch — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:29:01 PDT

I saw the original Men in Black movie so long ago that my memories of the film might as well have been zapped with a neuralyzer (that's the memory-erasing device the guys use in the movie, for those of you who are also having trouble recalling the original). What I did retain is that the film was funny, fresh, and silly and that it didn't hold up very well for the 2002 sequel. With that in mind, I had low expectations for Men in Black 3, but the newest installment is just as much fun as the original, and it actually benefits from the 15-year time lapse.

The script for the film is one of its biggest assets and truly sets Men in Black 3 apart from its predecessors. The aliens are still alive and ickier than ever now that they're in 3D, but the story is more focused on the friendship between J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) and how it has evolved over the years. We learn early on that K has been keeping a secret from J all these years, and the mystery drives a wedge between the partners. Meanwhile, a treacherous alien named Boris the Animal (played to hilarious perfection by Flight of the Conchords's Jemaine Clement) breaks out of maximum-security prison and goes back in time to get revenge on K, who arrested him back in the '60s. The day that K had Boris locked up is the key to K's secret, so J heads on a mission back in time to save K and learn the truth.

To see why Men in Black 3 is so much fun, just

Will Smith hasn't been in a movie since 2008's Seven Pounds, and I didn't realize I missed him until I found myself giggling all the way through Men in Black 3. His shtick is still the same (he's one-liners still consistent of dialogue like "Where did you come from? Planet damn?"), but you can't help but love Agent J as he bumbles through the '60s, desperately trying to sell his story to people who don't recognize him - or believe him. You can tell that Smith feels completely comfortable in the role, and in the signature suit, which still looks perfect on him, as he hasn't aged a day.

Tommy Lee Jones is ever the reliable curmudgeon, but the film mines extra laughs when J travels to the '60s and meets a much younger version of his partner, played by Josh Brolin. Brolin looks enough like Jones to pass for him, but it's really his studied delivery and mannerisms that sell the performance. We also get some insight into how K has evolved over the years (he's always had a penchant for cowboy music, but he also used to be a bit of a dreamer), giving the film an extra layer to the enjoyable banter between J and K.

I'm not usually one to gush about 3D, but the special effects really come to life in Men in Black 3 in a way they never did in the first two movies. Not only do the aliens look creepier than ever, but the cartoonish feel of the film is taken to the next level with the 3D aspect, especially with the time-travel thrill-ride element. Much like with the 3D movies from my youth, I found myself shrinking in my seat just to avoid being too close to the alien goo, blood, breath, and beyond. Combined with the welcome return of Will Smith, you've got yourself a fun, mindless blockbuster.

Photos courtesy of Sony

Cannes Minireview: Killing Them Softly

Molly Goodson — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:21:14 PDT

Brad Pitt's gritty new project, Killing Them Softly (formerly titled Cogan's Trade, and based on a book of the same name), made its debut to the press at the Cannes Film Festival this morning. Considering the early hour of the screening and just how violent and drug-fueled it is as a film, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it overall. Pitt is at his best playing the ruthless assassin, and James Gandolfini can, of course, carry a mob movie.

Who's behind it? Like Sapphires and Lawless, it's another The Weinstein Company film here at the festival. Writer-director Andrew Dominik brings together an excellent cast of men to tell his story, including Ray Liotta in addition to Pitt and Gandolfini. With that much testosterone on screen, there's not much room for the ladies. In fact, there's barely a female to be seen in the film at all. At the center, there are two bumbling thieves, played by Scoot McNairy and Ben Mendelsohn, who shine in their own deeply messed-up ways - often seen sweating and using drugs. Pitt, who we have seen playing a ruthless assassin before, does it again, this time with slicked-back hair and a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he explains his preferred method of murder - "killing them softly," rather than listening to them plead.
What's it about? On paper, it's about a heist at a mob poker game gone wrong, but as both the director and Pitt spoke at the film's press conference after the screening, it's a much larger commentary on America's capitalist society. It's set in New Orleans against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis and election, with actual speeches from Barack Obama and Sarah Palin sprinkled throughout. As for the actual heist at stake, Frankie and Russell (McNairy and Mendelsohn) rob a poker game that was previously hit up as part of a scam put on by its own owner, Andrew (Liotta). Pitt's character, Jackie Cogan, is brought in by the larger mob bosses to assassinate the men. Wires are quickly crossed and it can be hard to tell who is working for whom, but with the crazy visuals and hilarious, sometimes unsettling, one-liners, it is a riveting watch. I, for one, was particularly amused by the scenes about Russell running a racket by stealing purebred dogs.
More important even than the story, however, is the feel of the film. It takes place and was shot in New Orleans, a city which Pitt is clearly comfortable in. It's not quite a love letter to the city - or to anything for that matter - like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but it still has that uniquely gritty and stylized New Orleans feel.

To read what I thought of the film at Cannes, just

What did I think? The performances, especially by Gandolfini, could start award-season buzz, depending on how and when Killing Them Softly is released stateside. While the film is not for the faint of heart, it's a thought-provoking watch. The humor and political commentary keep it from being a straightforward mob movie, therefore setting it apart from being the same story we've seen 100 times before. Plus, Pitt's swagger, Gandolfini's monologue expertise, and a pack of dogs are welcome at any movie for me. Watch out for the last line, though, it will stick with you.

Photo courtesy of The Weinstein Company

Hope Springs Trailer: Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones Spice Things Up

BuzzSugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:49:58 PDT

As she's proved time and time again, Meryl Streep is a pro. Just ask her cabinet of Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes. But in the new trailer for Hope Springs it appears her character Maeve has lost her touch, or at least she has with Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones), her hubby of 31 years. After concluding that their marriage has lost its spark, Maeve and Arnold head to Great Hope Springs for an intensive couples therapy retreat, led by Dr. Bernie Field (Steve Carell). Along the road to reconciliation, the two encounter roadblocks, hijinks, and a banana.

Many Meryl Streep fans might be excited about this movie, but if this trailer were a person, I would be like "TMI, man." I know Jones was hot back in the day, but I do not want to picture him having a threesome with Streep and their neighbor. Having said that, the non-sexy stuff does look pretty cute, and given that it's being directed by David Frankel, who was behind 2006's The Devil Wears Prada and 2008's Marley & Me, it might be one of the feel-good movies of the Summer. Hope Springs comes out August 10, so watch the preview after the jump.

Shawn Johnson Takes Us Inside Training Camp

espnW — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:04:59 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson is blogging for espnW throughout her training for the Olympics in London this summer. Follow her journey and other Olympic hopefuls on espnW.com.

Say "camp" to an ordinary kid and she'll probably tell you about bonfires and sing-alongs and arts and crafts. Say it to an elite gymnast, and she'll tell you camp is every four weeks outside New Waverly, Texas, at "the ranch" - the national team training center.

Shawn Johnson in the Driver's Seat

The ranch is a lot different than it sounds. Yes, there are animals (camels, peacocks and lots of deer!), but it's also fully equipped with multiple gyms, a row of cabins for gymnasts, a separate row for their coaches and dining facilities. It's an honor to be asked to attend the national team camps, but spending a few days there is also really hard work, especially for a slightly older body like mine. I'm used to it, though - after all, I've been going to camp since I was 12 years old, and I'm now 20.

When we're there, we wake up around 6:45 a.m. and head straight for breakfast. Most of the girls grab eggs and coffee before we go back to our cabins and get ready to hit the gym. National team coordinator Martha Karolyi has an unwritten rule: If you're not 30 minutes early to practice, you're late. So although practice starts at 8:30, we all get there at 8. We get heat packs, get taped and do whatever we need to get ready, then sit in a loose circle on the floor and wait. At 8:30 on the dot, Martha walks out of the office. It's a signal - we stand up, line up and address her. She gives our assignments for the day, and we start practice.

My last camp, three weeks ago, was just a check-in for me. I'm not competition-ready yet, but it was good to be in the gym, working alongside all of the other girls. I'm impressed by them all, but I try not to watch too much because it makes me nervous. I don't want to compare myself to them yet; because of my knee injury and rehab, I'm not where they are right now.

Shawn Johnson Rehabbing, Eyeing London

Read on for more of a day in the life of Shawn Johnson at training camp.

What We Need to Talk About When We Talk About Sex and Feminism

The Good Men Project — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:00:00 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Lisa Solod, who came of age during the sexual revolution, explores what feminism means to this generation.

My mother married my father because, she told me in a rare moment of candor, she wanted to have sex with him. She was 25 and tired of pre-sex fumbling and stolen kisses. My father was, of course, far more experienced, having been in the Pacific Theater during World War II; far less discreet about his former life (and life in general) he told his daughters inappropriate tales of the women he had met on shore leave. One I particularly remember had her front teeth filed into points. Well into their marriage, each of them managed to be unfaithful and they finally separated (but not because of infidelity) after twenty years of marriage. Yet, for another dozen years or so they would hook up here and there, travel together, and, of course have sex. In a further revelation, my mother told me that the sex was the best part of her relationship with my father.

I came of age at the tail end but the real beginning of the sexual revolution (1971-1974). At that point, sexual liberation was inextricably tied to the rise of feminism. Having sex like men, i.e., without attachment, was part of our freedom. But too many of us got hurt. We hadn’t yet factored in the biology of mating and how really hard it was to have that much sex without any real commitment. Most of the women I know who grew up during those years had far more sexual encounters than they were ever willing to reveal to their husbands. Those of us who divorced then dived back into the sexual market with the same abandon. I am not sure we were all the wiser. I hear STDs are on the rise in the over 50 group, which doesn’t surprise me. We all were pretty practiced in birth control but we took it into our own hands, with the pill and the diaphragm. This was pre-AIDS. Barrier methods were not our methods of choice then. They are not, apparently, our method now, either.

Should a Man Stand Up For His Woman?

But those of us who grew up in the trenches of the sexual revolution know that feminism was about far more than women having the kind of meaningless sex with men that men had been having with us for eons. Feminism, which is still being parsed in the media as well as our own homes, still being debated and discussed and accepted and dismissed, was about being able to control (to the extent that anyone can) our work lives, our love lives, our lives as a whole. It was about being able to have a career, being paid equally well for that career, and making our own decisions about marriage and childbirth without having to merely capitulate to what society had set out for us. I, for one, was happy not to have to marry to have sex. I was thrilled to be able to go to college and think about a career without worrying that it might make me unmarriageable. I was ecstatic about the notion that I could make decisions for myself.

All those ideas I passed along to my daughter. But, of course, she had no need to wrestle with those notions as the women in my generation had. She lived in a society where (she thought) feminism was taken for granted. Women her age did not talk about marriage, either as an option or something to reject. They saw it as fact that women could do anything.

Read the rest of the story below.

Penelope Cruz Tells Harper's Bazaar About Baby Leo and Her New Priorities

Allie Merriam — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:23:13 PDT

Penelope Cruz is on the cover of Harper's Bazaar's May issue, which hits newsstands in the US on April 24. The actress is chatting up her new movie, Woody Allen's From Rome With Love. It's her latest collaboration with Woody, after also working together on 2008's Vicky Cristina Barcelona. The picture is rumored to be among those debuting at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Penelope spoke about another cinema legend, Meryl Streep, with the publication. She also touched on her changing priorities after welcoming son Leo Bardem in 2010, and how she suffers being a "worrier." Here's more from Penelope Cruz in Harper's Bazaar:

On her idol, Meryl Streep: "When I first started watching movies and I saw Meryl's work, that's when I became obsessed with acting. Now I kiss her whenever I see her! She must think I'm crazy."
On balancing work and family: "Maybe I'll make one movie a year, maybe two, but it's not going to be more than that because I have other priorities now."
On being a worrier: "I am living for every day and trying to have less fear, less worry. But I have always worried about everything; it's in my nature. It's the thing that makes me suffer the most."

Photos courtesy Terry Richardson in Harper's Bazaar

Flying Cars and Other Future Tech the Movies Got Right

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:50:53 PDT

The flying car is finally here! Well, almost. Though it doesn't look like The Jetsons' floating bubble or Marty McFly's Delorean, the Terrafugia Transition is street legal and can be preordered for the low price of $279,000. That's more than a space flight aboard the Virgin Galactic, but at least you'll be able to drive it (and pilot it!) again and again. Requirements for piloting are pretty tame: passing a test and logging 20 hours of flight time. You can get a closer look at the Transition at this week's New York Auto Show, but expect those preorders to roll out within the next year.

Of course, flying cars aren't the only sci-fi and future tech that movies and TV shows have predicted. Check out this list of other technology that has sprung from screen to real life, below.

Iris scanners - Those crazy iris scanners that identified everything from your identity to your last purchase at The Gap in Minority Report are here now.
3D Holograms - Though we can't yet watch 3D versions of ourselves on home movies, we can chat with others like CNN did during the 2008 election, and dance alongside a few holograms in Vegas.
Gesture-based interfaces - Not just for video games anymore, the gesture-based interfaces like we saw in Minority Report will soon be a real way of life - crazy gloves and all.

Check out the rest after the break.

What Has Today Show Guest Host Sarah Palin Been Up to Lately?

Annie Scudder — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:00:21 PDT

Almost four years after Sarah Palin told Katie Couric she couldn't recall the specific newspapers she reads, the two are going head to head again. This morning, Sarah and Katie are hosting rival morning shows. Liberal-media critic Sarah is this morning's guest host on NBC's Today, while longtime Today show host Katie is cohosting ABC's Good Morning America all week. No, this is not a leftover April Fools' Day joke. If you turned on your TV this morning to see Sarah Palin and wondered what she's been up to lately, here is a rundown.

Keeping up the heat on Obama. She may be out of politics officially, but you can still count on Sarah Palin to weigh in on the day's politics. Last week Sarah said, "President Obama will have ‘more flexibility’ to weaken us if he’s reelected in November."
Backing up Santorum. When GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum accused a New York Times reporter of "bullsh*t" Sarah had his back. She said, “Welcome to my world, Rick, and good on ya."
Handling the Game Change drama. Last month, HBO released its high-profile movie about the 2008 campaign, Game Change, with Julianne Moore playing Sarah Palin. In response, Sarah wrote to ABC News: “I believe my family has the right priorities and knows what really matters/ For instance, our son called from Afghanistan yesterday and he sounded good, and that’s what matters. Being in the good graces of Hollywood’s ‘Team Obama’ isn’t top of my list."
Keeping up with her Facebook friends. If you follow Sarah Palin's Facebook page, you can count on a steady stream of musings. On March 24, she wrote a Facebook note claiming that Alaskan women don't tolerate sexism, titled Last Frontier Women Don’t Tolerate Misogynists. "I personally do not seek an apology from these narrow-minded men. With a full family and productive 'to-do' list everyday, I just don’t have time for them. But I do feel sorry for them and for their obvious need to compensate for something that’s missing in their own lives, which compels them to belittle others in order to feel big," Sarah quipped.
Working for Fox. It's somewhat surprising Sarah Palin is going on NBC, considering she's been a contributor for Fox News. Just last week, she wrote an op-ed on Fox Nation, titled God, Guns, the Constitution – Still Clinging.
Being nominated for a Razzie. At this past weekend's Razzies, Sarah was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award as worst actress on account of her performance in the documentary The Undefeated, which chronicled her political career. She lost to Jack and Jill, which took home every single Razzie.