BuzzSugar

'80s Throwback! 10 Movies That Pay Homage to the Decade

BuzzSugar — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 05:30:00 PST

Who doesn't love a good '80s movie? The shoulder pads, the hair bands, the abnormally large cell phones - many Hollywood films have tried to recreate the feeling of the era through film, including this week's release Take Me Home Tonight. The film's cast already had fun re-enacting classic '80s film scenes, but it got me thinking about other films that pay tribute to the beloved decade. Here are 10 of the most memorable!

Buzz's Favorite Movies of 2009

BuzzSugar — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:30:00 PST

Now that we've dished on my favorite movies of the decade, let's narrow things down a little. 2009 brought another glorious 12 months of movie-watching. As usual, it wasn't all Oscar contenders, but here are my 10 personal favorites of the year.

Which Movie Romance Is the Best of 2009?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:30:00 PST

You guys already weighed in on the couple with the hottest sexual tension on TV but now let's take it to the big leagues - love on film. Some couples were built to last while others fizzled, but there's no denying that 2009 brought a new batch of romances that made our hearts swell. Which is your favorite of 2009?

Don't forget to vote on all of my Best of 2009 polls!

Who Is the Best Comedic Actress of 2009?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:30:05 PST

Funny ladies of the big screen always make me happy; they can roll with the best of the boys and manage to be completely captivating doing it. This year's romantic comedies and girl-power anthems gave Hollywood's women plenty of chances to be silly, so let me know who you thought was the funniest this year. And don't stop voting there - check the rest of my Best of 2009 polls!

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:30:59 PDT

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. Besides the movies below, you can also find the Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal soccer charmer Rudo y Cursi, as well as TV shows Californication: Season 2 and House: Season 5.

Adventureland
This nostalgic coming-of-age comedy stars Jesse Eisenberg and angsty starlet-du-jour Kristen Stewart as co-workers and romantic prospects in an '80s-era theme park.
I loved director Greg Mottola's tender depiction of a frustrating but hopeful time in one guy's life. It's got more heart than the director's previous effort, Superbad, but just as many laughs.
The DVD extras include deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, cast commentary, and a feature music selection that lets you select scenes by picking the soundtrack song.

88%

Check out two other comedies out on DVD today when you

Sunshine Cleaning
Fans of Amy Adams and Emily Blunt will be into Sunshine Cleaning, a dark comedy about two down-on-their-luck sisters who find success in cleaning up gruesome crime scenes. I drew some parallels to earlier indie comedy Little Miss Sunshine when I reviewed it (blame the van and Alan Arkin), and like its predecessor, there's a certain lightness in the bleak world of the featured profession.
Extras on the DVD include not just the usual commentary, but also a mini-documentary on real-life crime scene tidiers.

73%

Duplicity
Gorgeous actors Clive Owen and Julia Roberts reteam in this slick comedic caper, light years away from their prickly married couple in Closer.
I appreciated the scenery, but not necessarily the plot - it was a bit too twisty, to the point of unevenness. Still, you'll enjoy the two leads here if you're not too exasperated by the hairpin storyline.

65%

Box Office: Fast and Furious Races to the Top

BuzzSugar — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 08:30:05 PDT

Wowza! The fourth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise debuted this weekend and earned an estimated $72.5 million, easily taking the No. 1 spot at the box office. Variety reports this represents one of the biggest box office surprises of the season and is the biggest April opening ever.

Monsters vs. Aliens continued to do solid business and came in second place with an estimated $33.5 million. The top five was rounded out by The Haunting in Connecticut, Knowing, and I Love You, Man in third, fourth, and fifth place respectively. Finally, a movie I really enjoyed, Adventureland, debuted at No. 6.

Did any of you see Fast and Furious? Did your theater have shaky seats?

Source

Adventureland: Dead-End Jobs Never Looked So Fun

BuzzSugar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 07:30:31 PDT

The director of Adventureland, Greg Mottola, is no stranger to the Summer comedy. His last film, the funny (and sometimes vulgar) Superbad, was a big hit with audiences and followed two high school buddies through one crazy night at the end of their senior year. Adventureland follows a recent college grad through one crazy Summer, so it's no surprise that the director's movies would be compared to each other.

However, now that I've seen the movie I take issue with the recent ads that go something like, "If you loved Superbad you'll really love this one!" I actually think this movie has more in common with the likes of American Graffiti in terms of capturing the cultural milieu of a generation, and maybe even Juno for the warm way it approaches post-adolescent angst.

Maybe my comparisons won't sell millions of tickets but I loved this movie, and I think that in addition to laughing a lot you'll likely leave the theater in a happy haze of nostalgia. To see why,

Jesse Eisenberg plays James Brennan, a recent college graduate whose plans to travel abroad over the Summer before heading to grad school in New York fall through. Forced to move home to the 'burbs of Pittsburgh, James takes a job at a craptastic theme park where he befriends other young employees, like the cynical, Russian-lit enthusiast Joel (played wonderfully by Martin Starr) and a college student home for the Summer named Em (Kristen Stewart).

I enjoyed Eisenberg in The Squid and the Whale so it's interesting to see him in an even more grown-up role like this one. He and Michael Cera have a similar gawky cuteness to them, but where Cera's characters tend to mumble and clam up in the face of a socially nerve-racking situation, Eisenberg's James is quite verbal (he wants to be a writer) and is often guilty of the over-share. He's got eyes for Em and fills in Stewart's cool silences with a lot of cringe-worthy - but endearing - chatter about what he's trying to do with his life. It's charming to see him stumble his way through a romantic relationship with Em, and when it comes to his future he vacillates between over-confidence and sheer terror at the unknown. His journey is not only entertaining but totally relatable.

While it's not perfect, there's so much good stuff going on in this movie it's hard to fit it all into one little post. Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are predictably hilarious as the amusement park's managers (Hader is rocking an awesome mustache, too), as are a lot of the douchey park-goers. I like that Em isn't just the pretty, cool girl at the park, but comes with her own set of complicated family issues and relationships that give her depth and make her love story with James all the more compelling. Their chemistry together is another positive that can't be denied.

This coming-of-age story set in the '80s will probably make many folks feel nostalgic for their youths, but I think more than anything, the movie nails what it is to be on the brink of adulthood, working a dead-end job. I've worked my fair share of weird jobs in high school and in college (and post-college if I'm being honest), and the great thing about Adventureland is that it makes me remember the positive side of that time of life, before I had things even remotely figured out. It makes me recall how free and innocent it was, despite all the anxiety.

Photos courtesy of Miramax

Watch, Pass, TiVo or Rent: Adventureland

BuzzSugar — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:15:11 PDT

It seems like ads for this little teen comedy have been everywhere I turn these days, and I can't figure out what to think of it. The trailer I saw in the theaters made me laugh out loud, but the previews on TV lately have made it seem a little dumb and cheesy. What do you think?

Adventureland follows James (Jesse Eisenberg) during his first Summer after college graduation as he works at the amusement park Adventureland. There he meets the cute Em (Kristen Stewart) and deals with some quirky bosses and co-workers (including the folks who run the park, played by the hilarious Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig).

Is this an in-theater movie for you, or a rental? Maybe you'll just wait until it's randomly on TV someday, or skip it altogether?

Image courtesy of Miramax

Life's an Adventureland For Ryan, Kristen and More

Molly — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 07:45:00 PDT

Ryan Reynolds didn't quite fulfill our shirtless wish just yet, but he did look quite handsome on the red carpet at the LA Adventureland premiere last night. On the other hand, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Bill Hader coordinated their plaid shirts. Ryan wasn't the only one who stepped it up - fresh from filming New Moon in Vancouver, Kristen Stewart looked sexy in her minidress. Between her many ongoing projects lucky Kristen manages to keep herself surrounded with some of the most sought after - not to mention hottest - guys in Hollywood.

To see more from the premiere including Kristen Wiig, Greg Mottola and more just

View 15 Photos ›

Images include: Bill Hader, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Greg Mottola, Kristen Stewart, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Reynolds

Source

Movie Preview: Adventureland

BuzzSugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:30:23 PST

From the director of Superbad comes another offbeat teen comedy, Adventureland. Kristen Stewart (who must be pretty stoked today at the insane success of her latest movie Twilight) stars alongside Jesse Eisenberg, both playing employees at the amusement park Adventureland. The story mainly follows Eisenberg's character and as far as I can tell, it's a comedy about the relationships that form at this kid's funny little first job out of college. Bill Hader seems like he might be a bit of a scene-stealer as the guy who runs Adventureland with his lady, played by Kristen Wiig.

Adventureland opens March 27, 2009. To watch the trailer,

Source