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Thor: Enter the Realm of Excitement

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 06 May 2011 03:05:00 PDT

It may not be Summer quite yet, but the arrival of Thor hammers it in: blockbuster season has arrived. Chris Hemsworth plays the title character, the good-looking, gloriously built God of thunder who's in line for the throne in the mythical realm of Asgard. On the night that he's supposed to be inducted as king by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), an invasion from the enemy Frost Giants derails the festivities. Thor secretly organizes a retaliation, and when Odin has to rescue his sons and friends from the unsuccessful mission, he angrily punishes Thor by banishing him from his home.

Exiled to Earth, the disoriented God is hit by the van of scientists led by Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). Jane and her colleagues (Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings) bring Thor to the nearest town, where he has to assimilate with the mortals. Needless to say, his huge ego and fish-out-of-water behavior draws attention to him and produces lots of laughs. It's Thor's ability to succeed on different levels - action and comedy, specifically - in a sleek, energetic package that makes it a supremely entertaining movie. To find out why I enjoyed it so much, just

read more. Though Thor boasts some major thespian credibility like Hopkins and Portman, it's the newcomers who really impress here. Hemsworth is a major find as Thor; his character could be a beefcake warrior of few words, but Hemsworth brings a robust personality to the part. He's convincing in each of Thor's phases: as the arrogant prince, the despondent stranger in a strange land, and the impish charmer. Likewise, Tom Hiddleston is fantastic as Loki, Thor's jealous and conflicted younger brother. He's more than just a one-dimensional villain; Hiddleston makes Loki's turn to the dark side understandable. Thor pulls off a victory I wasn't expecting: the dramatic, action-filled scenes in the fantasy realm are just as entertaining as his misadventures on Earth. The battle scenes are exciting, and thankfully brief, an unusual feat for this genre. And at a time when 3D is being overused on the big screen, this is a movie that's enhanced by it. The visuals are awe-inspiring, especially in the stylized world of Asgard. The only thing that doesn't reach its full potential in Thor is the romance between Thor and Jane. There's an adequate amount of chemistry between Hemsworth and Portman, but the love story is rushed, and the intensity of their connection is unconvincing. But other than that, Portman adds to the movie's overall comedic success, as does Dennings as her dry, sassy sidekick. It's the rare movie that can please a wide audience, but Thor is one of those films. No scene drags on too long, the dialogue and plot are engaging, and it all adds up to the high amount of fun that a Summer action movie should be.

The New Thor Trailer Looks Even Better (and Funnier) Than the First

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:50:05 PST

There's a new trailer for Thor, and unlike the first one, this one is going for laughs and more Natalie Portman (whose Oscar nominee status probably has something to do with this newly cut preview). Kat Dennings also gets some more love, helping illustrate that comedy can be found in the story of a God adjusting to modern life on Earth. But it's not all funny bits about Facebook and coffee; watch the new trailer and let me know if you're more excited now when you

Anthony Hopkins to Play Alfred Hitchcock in Biopic

BuzzSugar — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 19:40:35 PST

Anthony Hopkins has played some pretty dark characters ("Hello, Clarice . . ."), but for his latest role, he's going to play the man who mastered darkness. Hopkins is in talks to play Alfred Hitchcock in a biopic about the legendary director's life.

The film is an adaptation of the book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, which focuses on the relationship between Hitchcock and his wife while he was developing the iconic thriller Psycho. Sacha Gervasi (director of Anvil! The Story of Anvil) is in negotiations to direct.

The Thor Trailer Hits With a Powerful Swing

BuzzSugar — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 22:30:52 PST

The trailer for Thor received its unveiling over the Summer at Comic-Con, but the full preview is now here for the rest of the world to ogle! The basics: Chris Hemsworth plays the beefy Thunder God Thor, who gets booted from his homeland Asgard by his father (Anthony Hopkins). After plummeting to Earth, he bumps into Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her friend Darcy (Kat Dennings). Foster naturally assumes he's just a hot homeless guy, but once he discovers his magical hammer, Thor becomes a fighting machine and a threat to his villainous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

The stars of the film already shared their excitement over the project at Comic-Con, but between these scenery shots of Asgard and Hemsworth's long, flowing locks as he charges at opponents, I'm officially sold on the movie, too - well, at least the trailer. But my favorite part: Iron Man 2's Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) makes another appearance, which proves that we're getting closer to the epic crossover that will be The Avengers movie. He even references Tony Stark! Give it a look, and share your thoughts when you

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger: Fools For Love

Lauren Bradshaw — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 06:30:00 PDT

Boys will be boys, and as Woody Allen's latest You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger proves, they're suckers when it comes to matters of the heart - or well, libido.

As a rendition of "When You Wish Upon a Star" plays in the background, we meet Roy (Josh Brolin) and Alfie (Anthony Hopkins). Roy is a one-hit-wonder author who is unhappily married to Alfie's daughter, Sally (Naomi Watts), an art gallery assistant with babies on the brain. When the film begins, Alfie leaves his wife Helena (Gemma Jones) when his approaching mortality brings on the desire to reclaim his youth. He satisfies the urge with gym time and by trying to date women half his age. Delusional? Absolutely. But then again, so is every character in this wry comedy. They feed into the notion that the grass is greener on the other side, and this sense of entitlement makes them mostly unlikable (even though at times they are funny to watch). For more on what I mean, just keep reading.

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger Trailer: Outlook Good

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:45:39 PDT

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger looks like all of Woody Allen's signature ingredients: neuroses, dry humor, and a delightfully tangled plot. Naomi Watts stars as the wife of Josh Brolin; she's eyeing Antonio Banderas, while her husband is flirting with Freida Pinto. Anthony Hopkins plays Watts's father, and the hilarious Lucy Punch is his younger bride-to-be - much to the chagrin of his ex-wife, Gemma Jones (you know her as Bridget Jones's mom). Follow all of that?

The film already opened at Cannes to average reviews - many saying it's not the director's best, but not his worst, either. I'm still intrigued. How will Brolin fare in the comedic, Allen archetype? Will Banderas and Watts have romantic heat? Plus, Freida Pinto in her first role after Slumdog Millionaire! I have plenty of reasons to watch, but tell me your take. The film hits theaters Sept. 22. Check out the trailer (just ignore the subtitles) when you

The Wolfman: Monstrously Bad

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:30:00 PST

Since werewolves are so hot right now, I wanted Benicio Del Toro's The Wolfman to be the sophisticated, gothic horror entry into the creature-centric movies. It's promising at first - Del Toro's Lawrence is brooding, dark, and a little sexy, and the atmosphere is rich and spooky.

The film begins with Lawrence returning to Blackmoor, England, to his childhood home and the father who'd sent him away as a boy. Tragedy has struck: Lawrence's brother Ben has been brutally, mysteriously murdered and Lawrence is determined to find out what happened. He hopes to comfort his disapproving father, played by Anthony Hopkins, and Ben's grieving love, Gwen (Emily Blunt).

The secrets of the Talbot home rattle Lawrence and the viewer, but by the time the first werewolf attacks Lawrence, the movie devolves into slasher-flick gore, a paper-thin plot, and dialogue so bad you don't know whether to grimace or laugh.

For more of an explanation, just

read more. I'd love to know what happened between shooting the movie and editing it down. It seems like the juiciest parts of the story were cut in order to make room for the horrific scenes of violence. I assume that's where all the attention to detail went: people are torn in half, gutted, limbs pulled off, eyes gouged out - this movie is not for the squeamish. I will give props to The Wolfman for creativity, in particular showcasing little-seen human parts like entrails, which so rarely get their shining moment in film. The gross factor is the movie's highest achievement, though, and doesn't make up for any of the spectacular failures. This is the worst acting I've seen from Benicio Del Toro in years, but that's not to say he needs to turn in his Oscar - the dreadful script carries the blame. Even fellow respected thespian Anthony Hopkins shuffles about onscreen spewing unintentionally funny lines. The only performance I wasn't appalled by is Blunt's. As Lawrence's love interest, she generates very little heat with Del Toro, but she does have an excellent scared face. The movie ends with an uncreative hint at a sequel, clearly hoping to have a few more years with the hairy monster as a bankable item. The irony is that with offerings like this, people will only want to see the pop culture werewolf will die a swift death.

Photos courtesy of Universal Studios

Link Time! Molly Shannon Is Coming to Glee

BuzzSugar — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:30:38 PST

Molly Shannon is set to guest star on Glee as Sue's nemesis - The Ausiello Files
Phil Harris, captain of The Deadliest Catch, has sadly passed away - PopWatch
Summit picks up Seth Rogen and James McAvoy's I'm With Cancer, while Bryce Dallas Howard joins the cast - The Playlist
The creator of Breaking Bad talks about what to expect when season three returns next month - PopCandy
Susan Sarandon is in talks to star in the remake of The Big Valley - Inside Movies
Conan's Tonight Show contract did have a clause about the time slot - Vulture
Emily Browning cast in a racier, darker Sleeping Beauty - Cinematical
The controversial White Stripes/Air Force ad is back online - Flavorwire
The best movies of Anthony Hopkins - Rotten Tomatoes
TV's 10 most ineligible bachelors (Tom Haverford made the list!) - TV.com
The Bachelorette's Jillian Harris wants to make an iPhone app for her hot dog dating theory - GeekSugar

Movie Preview: Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt in The Wolfman

BuzzSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:45:48 PDT

I learned way more about The Wolfman movie than I needed to know back in July of '08 when I saw a Comic-Con panel with actors Benicio Del Toro and Emily Blunt. At the time I thought the footage looked really cool, and I figured we'd get a real trailer for the movie soon because the release date was April 3, 2009. That Comic-Con panel was, you know, over a year ago, and obviously April came and went. But now we do have a trailer for The Wolfman along with some interesting images, and I think it was all worth the wait.

Now set to hit theaters Feb. 12, 2010, The Wolfman tells the story of Lawrence Talbot (Del Toro), "a haunted nobleman," who returns to his ancestral homeland and is bitten (and cursed) by a werewolf. I wish the movie were coming out around Halloween! To see the new trailer and a gallery of spooky images,

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Photos courtesy of Universal Studios

Kris and Adam Bring Their Best to Their Final Idol Faceoff

PopSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:00:36 PDT

Last night's final showdown between Adam Lambert and Kris Allen was exciting and entertaining. I can't remember the last season of American Idol where I really didn't care which person won because they were both so great in different ways. Cute Kris has such a sweet and talented voice, while Adam has showmanship like no other contestant we've seen on the Idol stage. It's bound to be a close race, and these two men seem to both be humbled and happy just to be a part of the action.

The judges said their praises throughout the evening with Simon giving Kris round one. Adam took round two, and without officially saying it, the judges basically crowned him this year's new worldwide star. Kris held his own, and at the end the judges were thrilled he made it to the finale but they made it seem like he was second choice. The exciting night brought out a few big stars like Katie and Suri and Anthony Hopkins. Buzz was also at the show and has more details of how the evening went down. She even met up with the contestants after their show, so click here to see what they had to say about last night's big finale.

Lots more from the exciting night so read more

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