BuzzSugar

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:30:24 -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 movies below, there's also Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience and Madonna's directorial debut Filth and Wisdom. Check out this week's picks!

Away We Go

John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph star as an expecting, road-tripping couple in this indie comedy drama directed by Sam Mendes. I loved the quirky humor that came from not only the leads, but a star-studded cast of supporting characters played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeff Daniels, Alison Janney, and Catherine O'Hara. It may not be as laugh-out-loud as the two leads' usual work, but if you're looking for a sweetly funny flick you may like Away We Go. The DVD and Blu-ray have a making-of featurette, a commentary track, and a behind-the-scenes feature about how the filmmakers tried to make the production more environmentally friendly.

66%

See two more new releases when you read more.

Management

Jennifer Aniston stars as an everyday gal in the comedy Management. Steve Zahn is the shy hotel manager who meets and falls in love with her immediately, and Woody Harrelson is the has-been boyfriend he's trying to woo her away from. It's not the straightforward romantic comedy you'd expect from Aniston, which I don't mind at all, and Zahn's so adorable he can make stalker-like behavior seem OK. On the DVD are a commentary track, a gag reel, and deleted scenes.

44%

Monsters vs. Aliens

Monsters vs. Aliens boasts the vocal stylings of Reese Witherspoon as Susan Murphy, a woman who's hit by a meteor and turns into a giant as a result. The 3D movie from Dreamworks is definitely kid-friendly fare, but I tend to enjoy modern animated movies like this, especially when they also have the voices of Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson, Hugh Laurie, and Stephen Colbert. The DVD and Blu-ray discs have tons of special features, like music videos, deleted scenes, and the technology behind the movie.

72%

Away We Go: Happy to Come Along

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:15:09 -0700

Away We Go starts with a sex scene. There's no nudity, it's not overtly graphic, but it's unexpected and a bit jarring. It's certainly not the overture I was predicting. But just as I was starting to get uncomfortable, the moment becomes quite humorous. The hilarity of the scene is grounded in the screenplay (which was written by Dave Eggers and his wife Vendela Vida), but brought to life by John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. Known for their respective work on The Office and Saturday Night Live, the duo's comedic chops may not come as a surprise, but here these two are playing it pretty straitlaced. It's this juxtaposition that makes the film so good - seeing funny people playing serious roles with serious situations that end up being funny.

It's a formula that's worked before. As I guessed from the trailer, the film is very similar in tone to Garden State and Juno. All three are quirky little gems with heavy subject matters and great soundtracks (seriously, check out Alexi Murdoch if you haven't already). If I had to fault the film with anything, it would be that it didn't feel particularly fresh, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

To learn more about the film, and its cool costars, read more.

The story follows Burt and Verona (Krasinski and Rudolph) on their quest to find a place to call home. They're about to have a baby and because Burt's proximately close parents (played by Jeff Daniels and the always hilarious Catherine O'Hara) are moving to Belgium, the two find themselves looking for someplace to live. Verona's parents are dead, so they decide to visit friends and relatives in various parts of North America and Canada where they could potentially set down roots. What ensues is a road story that finds the couple in Phoenix, Tucson, Madison, Montreal, and Miami.

Along the way we meet a variety of characters who run the gamut from looney and hilarious (specifically Allison Janney and Maggie Gyllenhaal's characters) to more subtle and subdued. And this goes back to the overall tone of the film: serious sprinkled with a dash of silly. It works most of the time, but occasionally the antics of Janney, Gyllenhaal, or O'Hara seem a little too far-fetched for what is ultimately a dramatic film. But these missteps are mostly forgivable as the actresses are so hysterically funny.

Then again, maybe these women's characters aren't supposed to be realistic or relatable. Maybe we're supposed to identify solely with Burt and Verona as they navigate through their journey. I certainly did. I also identified with the film's key message - that home is truly where the heart is. It's a refreshing idea coming from the director of the great but depressing American Beauty and Revolutionary Road.

Bottom Line: If you're looking to escape the typical Summer fare, Away We Go is a solid option.

Photo courtesy of Focus Features

Buzz Interview: John, Maya, and Sam Take It Away

BuzzSugar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:30:37 -0700

I was giddy when I first heard about Away We Go, director Sam Mendes's quirky little film starring Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski. The movie's sweet trailer only increased my interest, so imagine my excitement upon getting the opportunity to interview Sam, Maya, and John. I sat down with the Oscar-winning director, SNL alum, and The Office star (on whom I admittedly have a bit of a crush) in San Francisco to chat about the film, which is already open in limited release.

The movie follows Burt (Krasinski) and Verona (Rudolph) as they travel across America in search of the perfect place to raise their unborn child. We journey with them as they visit different friends and family, picking up a few laughs and a lot of life lessons along the way. The trio had plenty to say about why they fell in love with the script, breaking out of TV roles, and lots more. Here are some highlights:

On Burt and Verona's relationship in the movie:

John: The thing I responded to most about the relationship is how perfect it was. And by that I mean both characters are dealing with the same world, the same cynical world that I think that we're all living through today. Especially for a time like now, the fact that you've heard the whole "love will conquer all" thing before but now you see it put into play in a real way, and not in a Romeo and Juliet way . . . I think that when you don't have a job and you're about to have a kid, all these real problems need real people and they need real best friends and they need real relationships. And that’s what I think I responded to most, it’s the relationship that I think, for the most part, most people have always wanted. . . . And that's what I thought was so great about the script, is not only did they show that it’s not unattainable, but it’s a lot simpler than we think.

There's more where that came from, so just read more.

Maya: I fell in love with Burt and Verona right away . . . I feel like they exist in this world because of each other. I loved how honest their relationship was in terms of how honest their love was that it wasn't trying to be some idea of romantic film love. That it was a real love that was bumpy, imperfect and weird, and it had stipulations about marriage and the baby was on its way and they weren't expecting it . . . I loved being a part of that, of the two of them on their own and then it branches out into them out in the world, and how you see them cope in the world, too.

On breaking free from their TV personas:

Maya: Well, luckily my television persona was a crazy person, so I don't know if anyone expected what was coming next. I’ve learned and I’ve seen this a lot with people who I’ve worked with on Saturday Night Live, that there really is an expectation of you to be that in everything that you do. And as wonderful as my relationship is with Saturday Night Live, as a human being and as an actor, there's even more inside my artillery and more inside me as a thinking, feeling human. It's really nice to be able to do other things, too. It’s never really turning my back on the world of comedy, or sketch comedy, or wigs for that matter, but just the opportunity to be able to do something else that’s closer to a real person like me, or a real girl, or a relationship.

John: I'd say that I'm in a rare position that The Office isn't really something you want to break out from. It's the best thing going. On top of that, I'm also really lucky to play a character on the show that I think is able to be funny sometimes but is probably the more realistic character of the bunch . . . I love comedy and I had never really gotten the opportunity to do something super dramatic but I had tried it a bit on the show, so it was really up to Sam to take a chance and say  "I want to go further with what I think you have to offer" and so I was really lucky to have that happen.

On the film's message:

John: In a more universal sense, it's really about that ability to find yourself, in a society that’s constantly trying to conform to whatever is going on now, or whatever's new, or whatever you parents did, or you need to make this amount of money to have a child. All those different things, even our characters are forced to think about where to live, but also bring in how are they gonna have a job, how are they gonna have all these other things that they do have to conform to, and how much of it will they conform to, and how much of it will be completely their own. Whether you bring in any political sense to it, it’s the same story at the end of the day, it’s "where do you belong?"

On how being a husband and father impacted the film:

Sam: One of the first things I thought about it when I first read it, that was kind of the magic about it, was that Dave [Eggers] and Vendela [Vida] had written it when they were pregnant with their first child. It had some of that magical period in it, where you’re on the precipice of a whole new life . . . I also recognized that there's a satirical line running through the whole movie about styles of parenting. And when you're a parent, you do watch other people’s parenting with different eyes . . . But you're also aware, as I think Burt and Verona are, that you are just as flawed as everyone else, you just have a different set of flaws. You're just a little less crazy than the really crazy ones. But there's no such thing as a perfect parent. You’re learning all the time, every day.

On making the transition from directing Revolutionary Road right into Away We Go:

Sam: It was actually really easy, because what I needed at the end of Revolutionary Road was a couple of laughs. It was a pleasure because, in a weird way, I’m not sure I would have been so certain I wanted to do Away We Go had I not just made Revolutionary Road. To state the obvious, they’re both movies about a couple that want to escape, but one of them can’t and that’s Revolutionary Road, and this one can . . . I'm not a bleak person by nature. I don’t believe that all men and women are destined to be apart and nothing can never work, and we're basically born to tragedy . . . So I felt the need to get out there and make a movie that was closer to the way I was thinking about the world I live in now, and this is it. I just happened to pick up that screenplay at the right time. And so for me it was just a pleasure from beginning to end.

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Movie Preview: Krasinski, Rudolph in Away We Go

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:30:48 -0700

Director Sam Mendes has gone from helming Revolutionary Road to Away We Go, yet another relationship-y film (though this one looks far less devastatingly sad than Revolutionary Road). Back when we first heard about this movie, I somehow assumed it would be a sort of light and happy comedy, but now that the trailer's out it more closely resembles something like Juno or Garden State. Except, you know, with John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph in the lead roles.

Krasinski and Rudolph play a couple expecting their first child and who "travel around the U.S. in order to find a perfect place to start their family." A nice assortment of cool, random actors pop up in supporting roles, including Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, Jeff Daniels, Cheryl Hines and more. The movie will have a limited run starting June 5. To check out the adorably funny and touching trailer, read more.

Buzz News Roundup, 5/2

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:30:02 -0700

Catherine O'Hara and Andie MacDowell have signed on for ABC pilots, Zap2it reports: O'Hara will play the mom in Good Behavior from Rob Thomas, while MacDowell's plot is described as a Hamlet-like drama set in the auto industry.
Maggie Gyllenhaal will replace Toni Collette in the Sam Mendes relationship comedy that also stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, Variety writes.
According to ComingSoon, comedian Demetri Martin will be joining Ang Lee's next project, Taking Woodstock.
Billboard writes that The Cure has announced the date of their next album release: September 13, with a new single coming out every month until then, starting on May 13.
Variety reports that iTunes will now offer movies to be purchased and downloaded on the day of DVD release.
If you liked the Christian Siriano-designed blouse that Amanda wore on Ugly Betty last night, you can bid on it now; details on how are at The Futon Critic.
E! reports that Leighton Meester will be reprising her role on Entourage as a Britney-esque pop star.
Pitchfork has new details on the new album from The Hold Steady, which will be released in July.

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Sam Mendes' "Relationship Comedy" Gets A Title - And Allison Janney!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:35:53 -0700

Update: As of Dec. 9, this movie is officially titled Away We Go.

This project already had so much going for it: Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition) directing, a script by Dave Eggers and his wife Vendela Vida, John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph playing the lead characters and Toni Collette recently cast in a supporting role. Now, the previously untitled "relationship comedy" has gotten a title - and Allison Janney!

In the tentatively titled This Must Be the Place, Janney will play "a loud, brassy, decidedly un-PC woman who admittedly has a few screws loose. She reunites with a former employee in Phoenix, where the expectant mother/employee (Rudolph) begins a tour of the country with her husband (Krasinski) to find the best place to raise their child."

Now, while I still can't wait for Mendes' adaptation of Revolutionary Road starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, I'm also insanely curious to see how he does with this comedic material and phenomenal cast. Also in Janney's future is a role in an Eddie Murphy movie A Thousand Words in which she'll play Murphy's boss, "a savvy, money-grubbing head of a literary agency."

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Three Funny Ladies Get Great Comedic Roles

BuzzSugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:30:01 -0700

I love news days like today. Three actresses I love and admire have nabbed roles in promising comedies. Check it out:

Leslie Mann - Everyone's favorite hysterical wife from Knocked Up is signed on to play another spouse, this time married to Jim Carrey in the black comedy I Love You, Phillip Morris. According to Hollywood Reporter, "The story follows a married father (Carrey) who is sent to prison and falls in love with a cellmate named Phillip Morris. His love leads him to make several escape attempts."
Toni Collette will be joining the untitled Sam Mendes "relationship comedy" that already stars Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski. The HR description makes me smirk: "Collette will play a college professor and close family friend of a couple (Krasinski and Rudolph) canvasing the country to find the best place to raise their unborn child. She's convinced that their kid will end up dysfunctional no matter where it's raised." Yet another funny lady, Cheryl Hines, will also star in this one.
Candice Bergen will probably effortlessly slip into the role of "Marion St. Claire, the queen of all wedding planners" in the wedding comedy Bride Wars which stars Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. According to Variety, "Story revolves around best friends (Hudson and Hathaway) who are pitted against each other when their wedding dates clash. They compete for venues, services and guests."

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Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski: Best Rom-Com Duo . . . Ever?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:30:47 -0800

When reading this casting news today, I got the eerie feeling that someone out there overheard my silent prayers for there to be a) more lead roles for talented female comedians, b) more funny film opportunities for John Krasinski, and c) more promising light-hearted movies in 2008. Now, the hilarious SNL star Maya Rudolph has been paired with Krasinski and given the lead role in a relationship-themed comedy. Amen!

Variety reports that the untitled film will be directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) and "follows an expectant couple (Krasinski, Rudolph) as they travel the country in search of a place to put down roots and raise a family." Other fun facts about this project: Cheryl Hines will co-star, and the screenplay was written by Dave Eggers and his his wife, novelist Vendela Vida.

With Baby Mama starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on the way to theaters this Spring and now this news about Rudolph, I'm overjoyed that some of my favorite female comedians are no longer relegated to goofy best-friend sidekick roles. These are the actresses that I find more interesting and relatable as leading ladies, especially compared to some of what we've seen this year. Are you guys as excited for this as I am?

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90210 vs. Melrose Place: Which Was More Scandalous?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:30:19 -0800

The Tuesday night CW block made a particularly strong showing this week. Personally, I thought 90210 had one of its best episodes of the season - nice character development, a few teary moments, and some "oh no she didn't" disses. And as for Melrose Place, I've got two words for you: Heather Locklear. Yes, Amanda Woodward is back, and it's quickly becoming clear that the residents aren't going to have it easy any time soon.

So with plenty of drama to go around, which show shocked more? Let's break down all the juicy tidbits and decide the victor when you read more.

90210 point: Well, Annie sleeps with Jasper, and she skips into the kitchen in the morning to tell her parents about her new boyfriend. Debbie invites him for dinner - but once Dixon warns about his druggie reputation, Deb and Harry are less than enthused and forbid Annie from seeing him. She, of course, gets defensive, and as for Jasper's reaction? He tries to kill Navid by pushing him down the stairs at school.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Speaking of crazy murderers, did Michael off Sydney? Sure seems like it after David ransacks his car and finds her bloody necklace in a plastic bag. Now, he's determined to clear Auggie's name (who has since been shunned by all of his friends) and get payback by putting Michael behind bars.

90210 point: Richard and his mom walk in on Naomi with Jamie. (How about the Dean sarcastically calling Naomi "classy?" Ouch.) Naomi admits to Jamie that she was dating Richard for the wrong reasons, and he breaks up with her over it. Her guilty conscience getting the best of her, Naomi then confesses to Richard, too. Jamie finds out and asks to get back together, but unfortunately for him, Naomi had an epiphany during their 24 hours apart - she's still not over Liam.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Like I said, Amanda Woodward is back, and she's out to make Ella's life hell. First she fires Caleb, and then she sends in an agent named Melissa to lure Ella away from WPK as a "test." Oh, and did I mention that Melissa comes on to Ella and the two women make out in a back room? That part totally came out of nowhere - talk about scandalous.

90210 point: Last week Silver's mom Jackie wasn't waking up, and this week starts with her being rushed to the hospital. The doctor tells Silver and Kelly to say their goodbyes, but Kelly refuses after all the years her mother mistreated her. She regrets that decision later, so she finally makes amends and tells Jackie that she forgives her. Jackie passes soon after, and I admittedly got a bit choked up.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Things are looking up for Riley - her jeans campaign is all over magazines - but once Amanda Woodward steps in, she concocts a rags-to-riches fake bio for Riley for PR purposes. Once the press starts asking questions, Riley admits to the lie and things blow up in WPR's face. Amanda seeks revenge by asking Ella to rat on Riley for abusing her sick days for the photo shoots. When Ella won't agree, ruthless Amanda does it herself, and Riley gets fired.

90210 point: Adrianna tells Navid that he was easy to get over because she was never really in love with him. Brutal. Then Naomi discovers Adrianna's stash, and she says good riddance to Adrianna, too. This can't be good for her substance problem.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Can we talk about Violet and Auggie's sex scene on the kitchen counter? Lauren's stripteases make me blush enough already, but this may have even topped that.

90210 point: I still can't stand Jen, but we're slowly starting to see her softer side. Ryan suggests going camping, and she packs a fondue set and a Burberry rain coat - not exactly low-maintenance is she? After she complains a lot, Ryan tells her he's disappointed since he's always bending over backwards for her. She takes his words to heart - even builds a fire! - and opens up about being broke . . . and still married.
Melrose Place counterpoint: In other couple news, David woos Lauren by decorating her apartment like Autumn, complete with falling leaves. But just as things get hot and heavy, she puts on the brakes, because of her "issues" with intimacy. How long are they going to drag this out?

While I really enjoyed 90210, we're talking about scandal here, so I'm going to give this week to Melrose Place. Having Amanda Woodward on your side already makes you a lock, but then throw in the borderline porno - Auggie and Violet, Lauren and David, Ella and Melissa - and it's a no-brainer. Plus, we had a great MP cliffhanger - what exactly is Sydney is referencing in her letter to Amanda that says, "You'll never find it?" You'll never find what?!

Tell me your theories (and what you thought about the episodes) in the comments! And don't forget that if you're a 90210 follower, you can always join the 90210 Superfans group in the Buzz Community.

Photos courtesy of The CW

Rob, Kristen, and Taylor Are This Week's Entertainment

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:56:22 -0800

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner have been posing for photo ops all over town - check out Pop's favorite promo tour moments - and it wouldn't be complete without an interview with Entertainment Weekly. In the cute interview, the costars quip about everything from Rob's attachment to his signature hair to Kristen's confession that she'd like to quit smoking to Taylor's obsession with hitting the gym for New Moon. There're also tidbits about Rob and Kristen's off-screen relationship and how Robert handles fandom. They're clearly a tight-knight trio, so check out the highlights below. If you can't get enough Twilight, keep the convos going in the Twilight Saga community group, and be sure to check back next week for my own interview with Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz!

Robert Pattinson on his hair in Eclipse: I swear to you I’ve never experienced anything like this. It's every single day. In Twilight, they wanted me to have extensions down to my hips.
Kristen Stewart: He's a liar. He doesn't remember. He's remembering how they made him feel, but they were just, like, down to here [pointing to her shoulders].
Pattinson: So I told them, "Look, that's just not going to happen." I said, "It looks like this already – I'll come to set like this." I sound so stupid, but in a lot of ways the hair is 75 percent of my performance, so in the second one I said, "Listen, I need to tone down the hair. Let's make it a little more real, a little bit more . . . Method.” [Laughs] And then in the third one, I'm doing fight scenes and there's a strand going down my forehead and they're like, "We need to do it again because no one will recognize you! No one will know who it is!" I'm like, really, is my face that generic?
Stewart: They want proof that you're doing your own stunts, man!
Pattinson: I have to look like the poster at all times. Just in case they want to use any clip for the trailer. Any clip at all! There were about five people in different departments who, because of my forelock, ended up in tears.

For tons of more quotes, just read more.

EW: How are you all coping with living in a fishbowl?
Pattinson: It really depends on the mood. When I met you last year [before Twilight came out], I was doing interviews very sporadically and I never got recognized. Now it's like anywhere I go there's immediate recognition. So there's more of a responsibility . . .
Stewart: I don't mind working every day. It's just, suddenly, I have this other role. And that's really disappointing. All I'd like to do is go outside with a book and figure out what to do with the day. And if I can't do that, then I'm just going to sit in my hotel room on my balcony and chain smoke. [Pauses] I'm going to stop smoking. I'm not such a good smoker, anyway. It's not in my bones. I'm gonna drop it.
Pattinson: The three of us have been working for two years [straight]. It does feel like your day has a shape just as soon as you wake up. I just forget what it's like when you're free.
EW: Taylor, you're the only one who almost lost a shot at the sequels. Do you have a different relationship with fame because you had to fight for your job?
Lautner: No, I kept my eye on the prize 100 percent of the time. I was motivated. I wasn't even thinking about anything else.
Stewart: Thank God you got the job. I wouldn't have wanted to deal with you if you didn’t. After all those months of working out!
Lautner: I just wanted to focus on what I could control, and I worked really hard.
EW: You mean in the gym? Because I see your abs everywhere these days.
Lautner: Yeah, the gym was a major part, but I really studied the books and the character, too. And it all turned out good.
EW: Kristen, it must be nice to watch the guys' appearances get obsessed over for a change.
Stewart: Seriously, it's a trip to sit back and look at the sexual objectification of these dudes. I've never been asked to do any of this stuff.
EW: You guys are lucky. You clearly all dig each other.
Lautner: The amount of time we have to spend with each other – if I didn't like these two, it would be exhausting.
EW: Rob, you made Remember Me this summer, between sequels. Was that the set in New York, where you were knocked into a cab by hordes of fans?
Pattinson: That was completely made up. I was walking across the street, and there was one cab going about one mile an hour and it nudged my leg. The story ended up being how I got hit by a cab because of a mob of screaming fans, [but] it was 4 o'clock in the morning and there was one person there – a paparazzi. . . . And then there was another time – apparently they said on the news that I had a drug overdose. The security guy saw it on TV, and I wasn't in my room, and he was like, "Uh-oh!" It's just so weird. I wake up and my room is too messy to order room service, and so I end up eating a pack of M&M’s for breakfast – and it takes me about five hours to find it. That's my first five hours of the day. [Laughing] And then you see the news and think, "Who cares if he had a drug overdose? It would probably make him more interesting!"
EW: Kristen and Rob, why do you think people are so obsessed with the state of your off-screen relationship?
Pattinson: Good question. That's a little thing I have to think about every day.
Stewart: Maybe it's just my personality, but I'm never going to answer it. I probably would've answered it if people hadn't made such a big deal about it. But I'm not going to give the fiending an answer. I know that people are really funny about "Well, you chose to be an actor, why don’t you just f---ing give your whole life away? Can I have your firstborn child?"
EW: You don’t think just saying, for example, "Listen, we dated for a few months, it was weird, we're better off as friends" would end the speculation?
Pattinson: No way.
Stewart: People are deeply judgmental and I'm not strong enough. I would love to be like, "I don't care what anybody thinks." But I'm a very private person. And think about every hypothetical answer: "Okay, we are. We aren't. I’m a lesbian." I've thought about this a lot. There's no answer that's not going to tip you one way or the other. I'm just trying to keep something. If people started asking me if I was dating Taylor, I'd be like, "F--- off." I would answer the exact same way."