BuzzSugar

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:30:58 -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 rent or own the fourth season of Beverly Hills 90210, which - according to Netflix and my memory-includes moments like Andrea finding out she's pregnant and Brandon meeting Bill Clinton!

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is based on an astonishing true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the one-time glamorous editor of Elle France living the high life when he suddenly suffers a stroke and is rendered paralyzed except for the movement of one eyelid. From a premise that sounds unspeakably bleak, director Julian Schnabel (nominated for an Oscar for his work on this film) takes Bauby's own words and whips them into a film imbibed with gorgeous images and touching performances to tell what is actually a very hopeful and life-affirming tale.

I enjoyed this movie very much and think you should consider bumping it up to the top of your queue today. Special features include a featurette titled "Submerged: The making of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"and a Charlie Rose interview with Julian Schnabel.

Two more titles after the jump, so read more.

27 Dresses
It seems as if we are about to get somewhat bombarded with fun films to see with girlfriends (Sex and the City, Made of Honor) but if you're looking for a head start, you can pick up 27 Dresses this week starring Katherine Heigl.

It's probably no surprise that this is a formulaic romantic comedy; however, despite how predictable the plot was, I couldn't resist its charms and found it extremely enjoyable. You have to be in the mood for love and romance (and wedding cliches) but Heigl is charming as the eternal bridesmaid whose 26th and 27th turn standing beside a bride catch the eye of a journalist even though she's deeply smitten with her boss (Ed Burns). Love triangle! Silly moments! Gather the girls, microwave some popcorn, and settle in for a night of fabulous movie escapism.

The DVD is packed with deleted scenes and special featurettes, including titles like "The Wedding Party" and "You'll Never Wear That Again."

The Golden Compass
The Golden Compass is many things, but at the top of my list of reasons to see this film are the amazing, Oscar nominated visual effects that completely bring to life the world Philip Pullman has created in his novels. The story follows an orphan named Lyra who is given a golden compass that allows her to see the truth of things. Her adventure leads her to an evil icy lady (Nicole Kidman) who claims she wants to help kids by taking away their ability to think freely, and it is up to Lyra to save the children from this plan. Definitely appropriate for anyone looking for a new family friendly rental this week.

Special features include clips that explore the origins of the film and how the filmmakers approached adapting the popular novel for the screen.

Box Office: Hudson and McConaughey Strike Gold

BuzzSugar — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 08:15:00 -0800

The chemistry between Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey proved lucrative once again as their comedy, Fool's Gold, won the top spot at the box office over the weekend, earning $22 million. Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, starring Martin Lawrence and Cedric the Entertainer, came in No. 2 grossing $17 million, followed by Disney's super tween 3-D concert experience Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour in the third spot.

Fans of Hudson and McConaughey seem like they're most in the mood for this duo around Valentine's Day as their previous rom-com How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days opened the same weekend in 2003 with similar box office results, Variety reports.

Oscar nominee Juno remained in the top 10 coming in fifth this week just behind Jessica Alba's thriller, The Eye. Katherine Heigl's 27 Dresses continued to draw fans coming in sixth place and There Will Be Blood came in at No. 10.

If you're still in the mood for love next weekend, there will be even more to choose from when Ryan Reynolds and super cutie Abigail Breslin hit the screen in Definitely, Maybe.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Box Office: Spartans Defeat Rambo

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:30:54 -0800

The 300 spoof movie Meet the Spartans took the box office crown this weekend, just barely edging out the latest Rambo for first place. Still, Rambo's numbers are encouraging to studio heads, who appear to be "thinking about reviving Rambo as a franchise." According to Variety, Harvey Weinstein remarked, "Based on these numbers, there should be another one."

Meanwhile, 27 Dresses and Cloverfield swapped places, with Dresses coming out ahead in third place. Cloverfield suffered a decrease in sales of over 68% - maybe news got around about the movie's camera work making audiences vomit. Newbie Untraceable followed up just behind Cloverfield in fifth place, knocking Juno out of the top five for the first time in many weeks.

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Box Office: Cloverfield's Monster Weekend Breaks Records

BuzzSugar — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:30:09 -0800

January usually isn't the month to expect big things at the box office, but Cloverfield just changed all of that. JJ Abrams' monster flick was No. 1 at the box office this weekend, earning an estimated $41 million and setting an all-time January record, Variety reports. Katherine Heigl's 27 Dresses came in a respectable No. 2 earning $22.4 million - another great opening for this time of year.

On the other hand, the ladies of Mad Money didn't fare well at all over the weekend, coming in low down the list at No. 7. The Bucket List took the third slot while audiences continued to enjoy the little comedy that could, Juno, which came in No. 4.

Despite this weekend's huge numbers, we might not be done yet: Studios could gross even more today if moviegoers head to the theaters on their day off.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

27 Dresses: Formulaic but Enjoyable

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 05:30:00 -0800

If you have just the right mindset before viewing 27 Dresses, you just might - dare I say it?- love this movie. It's not deep, it won't win any awards, but it's the perfect complement to a big buttery bucket of popcorn. And really, isn't that what going to movies like this is all about? If your expectations are low, and mine admittedly were, you will be surprised at how enjoyable this movie is. Don't get me wrong, the movie is dripping with wedding clichés, but luckily it's smart enough not to take itself too seriously. In fact, the movie takes those wedding clichés head on. My favorite example is how many times Katherine Heigl's character is told that "the great thing about the bridesmaid's dress is you can shorten the hem and wear it again." Hilarious.

True to the title, Katherine Heigl's Jane has been a bridesmaid 27 times. The movie begins with number 26 and number 27. That's right: She's a bridesmaid twice in one night. What follows is a hilarious comedy of errors as she tries to navigate two weddings: one in Manhattan, another in Brooklyn. It's quite a feat considering that Jane has to jump back and forth between the weddings, requiring, as you can imagine, a quick change in the back of a cab. The resulting antics catch the eye of Kevin, a wedding journalist played by James Marsden. But Jane's heart belongs to her boss George (Edward Burns). Smell a love triangle?

For the rest of my take on the generically enjoyable 27 Dresses read more.

Jane's love for George is unrequited, as he is so oblivious to Jane's affection that he bypasses Jane for her sister Tess (played by Malin Akerman, Ben Stiller's wife in The Heartbreak Kid). The two fall madly in love, which leaves Jane planning a wedding for her sister and her boss. Enter Kevin.

You can take the plot from here. Jane loathes Kevin, then falls in love with him, then something happens to tear them apart, then it ends in a way that won't surprise you. What is surprising is that, despite the formula, the movie still feels fresh. I commend the cast, specifically Katherine Heigl and James Marsden. Heigl, with last year's blockbuster Knocked Up, is clearly proving that she can hold a film. And the adorable Marsden (have you seen him in Enchanted, or better yet, Hairspray?) continues to delight.

All in all, it's no Atonement, but if you typically like movies in the same vein as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, you'll adore 27 Dresses.

To see the trailer and more clips from 27 Dresses check out movies.ivillage.com.

Photos courtesy of Fox Movies

Which of This Weekend's New Movies Are You Most Interested to See?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 05:30:00 -0800

There are some super-hyped and well-promoted movies coming out this weekend . . . along with Mad Money. Which of these movies are you most interested in seeing?

Source

The Release Dates, They Are A-Changin'

BuzzSugar — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:31:13 -0800

Who knows why the studios do what they do? It took me a while to forgive the moving of the U.S. release date for Simon Pegg comedy (directed by David Schwimmer) Run, Fat Boy, Run from October 26, 2007 to March 28, 2008. Then the release for Angelina Jolie-James McAvoy action movie Wanted moved to the summer, and the Tom Cruise-Bryan Singer WWII thriller Valkyrie will be released in October instead of June.

Now there are more releases being pushed back, most notably the one for the heavily promoted 27 Dresses. To check it out, read more.

27 Dresses - Now opening January 18 instead of January 11, the film will compete with Cloverfield and the Katie Holmes-Queen Latifah-Diane Keaton comedy Mad Money. If it had opened as originally scheduled, it would have only really had The Bucket List to contend with, though now this way Dresses will open on a 3-day holiday weekend (Martin Luther King Day). Apparently, the test screenings have gotten such an "overwhelming response" they want to cash in by opening on a 3-day weekend.

Be Kind, Rewind - The Michel Gondry-directed comedy that stars Mos Def and Jack Black will now open February 22 instead of January 25. I'm really stoked to see this one, so I'm bummed to have to wait another month.

Inkheart - Originally scheduled to open March 19, the kids' fantasy movie (based on the books by Cornelia Funke) will now be released on another date, TBA.

Source

Dresses at 27 Dresses Screenings - Cute or Cheesy?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:00:30 -0800

According to Hollywood Reporter, "Twentieth Century Fox is introducing what it calls the first ever 'live standees' to promote 27 Dresses - 27 models at 27 specially-selected theaters across the country, who will be wearing specially-made bridesmaid dresses adorned with the film's title and credits."

The promotion is taking place at advance screenings today which is, of course, the 27th of December! I can't tell if this is an irritatingly dumb promotional stunt, or kind of cute and innovative. What do you think?

Photo courtesy of John Sciulli/Berliner Studio/BEImages

Movie Preview: 27 Dresses

BuzzSugar — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 15:35:31 -0700

The movie doesn't open until January 11, 2008 but we already have a trailer for Katherine Heigl's next romantic "comedy," 27 Dresses. She plays a woman who has been a bridesmaid 27 times and, surprise surprise, never a bride. It appears that her tendency to be kind of a doormat has something to do with her getting stepped on a lot.

Judy Greer (13 Going on 30) yet again plays the shrill friend and James Marsden looks beautiful but seems slightly dull. I wished this would be a better-looking movie, but the trailer makes it look pretty generic. To get a load of Heigl and her 27 Dresses, read more

Source

Katherine Heigl to Wear 27 Dresses

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 15:32:52 -0700

As everyone gears up for wedding season, Katherine Heigl is preparing to sigh "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride," for her next film project, 27 Dresses. The movie will be Anne Fletcher's second directorial venture after Step Up, and the screenplay comes from The Devil Wears Prada writer Aline Brosh McKenna. According to Variety:

Heigl will play a single woman who has served as a bridesmaid 27 times. She is enlisted once again for the job, and this time it's particularly painful: Her sister is marrying the man the bridesmaid is madly in love with.

Huh. Well, so far, the movie sounds like a silly, campy, girly flick, and I'm sure Heigl will do well with it. Apparently, the actress has been courted for more roles ever since she signed on to do Knocked Up with 40-Year-Old Virgin writer/producer Judd Apatow. If the early buzz is any indication, Heigl is likely to have even more offers after Knocked Up comes out. To find out why, read more

Despite its release date being more than two months away, Knocked Up is already garnering critical praise after screening at the SXSW Film Festival. The trailer looks pretty average, but these super early reviews make the movie sound like this year's 40-Year-Old Virgin, and the presence of Virgin star Rogen can't hurt. To see for yourselves, watch the trailer below and tell me what you think.

Source