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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:30:00 -0800

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, 30 Days of Night is available if you have the need to get the bejesus scared out of you, and you can finally catch the emotional Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale on DVD.

The Darjeeling Limited
In the latest addition to director Wes Anderson's growing collection of movies that feature dysfunctional families, The Darjeeling Limited gives us Anderson's typically quirky characters, his stylized look and of course some witty, awkward dialogue. The movie stars Adrien Brody alongside Anderson regulars Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman as brothers who plan a road trip across India.

The first part of the film contains all the goofy and neurotic trademarks of this director's films, though the story takes an unexpected dark turn in the middle. While there are certainly problems with this movie, fans of Wes Anderson won't be disappointed. The DVD's special features include the film's prequel Hotel Chevalier which stars Natalie Portman.

Two more movies you might enjoy are out this week, so read more

Death at a Funeral
I've been waiting for Death at a Funeral to come out on DVD as it was one of my Must-Haves this month and I never got to catch it in the theaters. The movie received a lot of great reviews from critics and audience members alike, and the tag line perfectly sums up what I've heard about it: "From director Frank Oz comes the story of a family that puts the F U in funeral."

I'm a big fan of those find-humor-in-the-bleakest-of-situations stories so I'm really excited to see this one. Special features include a gag reel as well as commentaries by the film's writer, Dean Craig, and director Frank Oz.

Beowulf
The epic English poem comes to life (albeit with some liberties taken) as a 3-D animated film thanks to director Robert Zemeckis. Voiced by big-time talent including Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins and John Malkovich, the movie tells the story of a Scandinavian warrior's journey to find and kill some terrifying monsters. In Beowulf, Zemeckis again employs the motion-capture process used in The Polar Express, which proves very impressive during the battle scenes.

Today this title is also released in an unrated director's cut version which takes the chains off the film's scenes that include violence and nakedness. Special features include a treat for folks interested in animation with plenty of making-of featurettes, an extensive look behind the scenes, and an odd bit with Zemeckis discussing how much he hated the original poem.

Golden Compass Tops the Box Office, Studio Still Disappointed

BuzzSugar — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:30:00 -0800

The Golden Compass opened this past weekend to the tune of $26 million, easily taking the top spot at the box office, but still disappointing New Line studio heads who'd expected more like $30-40 million. This is especially frustrating given the $180 million it took to make the film.

Enchanted followed behind The Golden Compass in its third week in theaters, bringing in $10.7 million while This Christmas came in at No. 3. Fred Claus inched its way from sixth place to fourth this weekend, as audiences perhaps sought out more holiday-themed fare. Beowulf rounded out the top five with $4.4 million.

This upcoming weekend I predict the top films will be I Am Legend and Alvin and the Chipmunks, though it should also please many folks that Juno finally opens in more cinemas this weekend.

Photo courtesy of New Line

Box Office: Enchanted's Spell Is Long-Lasting

BuzzSugar — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 07:30:00 -0800

For the second weekend in a row, Enchanted hypnotized audiences, topping the box office by a long shot with $17 million. Family holiday flick This Christmas stayed strong at No. 2, though took home about half as much as Enchanted did. Beowulf followed up in third place while the new psychological thriller Awake came in at No. 4 with $6 million. Hitman just barely edged out Fred Claus for fifth place.

This weekend I'll be curious to see if The Golden Compass succeeds in drawing the masses that New Line is so desperate to see. According to Variety, the studio held sneak preview screenings this past weekend, hoping to "boost interest in the film, which has been lagging in tracking, although awareness is high." Also opening this Friday is the romantic drama Atonement, starring James McAvoy and Keira Knightley.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Box Office: Audiences Are Enchanted

BuzzSugar — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:30:00 -0800

The magic of Disney strikes again! The half-animated, half-live-action fairytale story Enchanted put a spell on the box office over the long Thanksgiving weekend, bringing in approximately $50 million over the five-day stretch. After Toy Story 2, Enchanted is the highest-grossing Disney movie to open Thanksgiving weekend.

Holiday newcomer This Christmas enjoyed an impressive opening in second place while Beowulf held steady at No. 3. The video game-inspired action flick Hitman opened at No. 4 and the animated Bee Movie continued to "bee" successful at No. 5. Meanwhile, The Coen Bros.' No Country for Old Men just barely edged out Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium for the No. 10 spot.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Beowulf Is a Box Office Warrior

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 06:00:00 -0800

Beowulf killed more than just a couple monsters over its opening weekend, easily coming in at No. 1 at the box office with just over $28 million. The movie enjoyed the widest release for a 3-D digital film ever, and was the first 3-D movie that wasn't for children. The success of the film spells good things for the future of digital 3-D filmmaking.

In second place taking home half as much was animated family film Bee Movie, and American Gangster held steady at No. 3. Following up in fourth place was holiday comedy Fred Claus, while Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium opened at No. 5, bringing in $10 million.

This upcoming holiday weekend should prove successful for studios releasing new titles, like Disney's Enchanted, the Bob Dylan flick I'm Not There, heartwarming family drama August Rush and Stephen King's The Mist. Also, this weekend expect to kick into the holiday season when This Christmas opens this Wednesday.

Image courtesy of Paramount

Beowulf: See It in 3-D or Not at All

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:27:27 -0800

"I. Am. BEOWULF!" roars a computer-generated (and significantly enhanced) Ray Winstone over and over and over again. The animated epic story of Beowulf is impressive from a visual standpoint - it really is like living inside a video game - though story-wise it's empty and forgettable. But if nothing else, you will absolutely remember who. Is. Beowulf.

I managed to see Beowulf in an IMAX theater, donning some giant, goofy 3-D glasses. In this way, the movie is spectacular. You'll be splattered with blood, threatened with sharp spears, and nearly dropped into the sharp-toothed mouths of terrifying beasts. It is, quite simply, amazing. I completely understand Robert Zemeckis' desire to bring this story to life via animation. Using (and improving upon) the motion-capture technology he tried with The Polar Express, the humans look as real as possible (more or less) while still existing in a mystical land alongside monsters, mermaids and water serpents.

Overall, it's a cool idea. In execution, it's enjoyable enough, though I'm not sure I would have liked it half as much if I were not watching it on an IMAX screen in 3-D. However, having said that I agree with the complaint of a fellow reviewer that if you turn your face even the slightest bit, the 3-D image is skewed and unpleasant to look at. Sitting in the same position with my head frozen in place for two hours and watching a 3-D movie left me with neck pains as well as a headache. For more about the pros and cons of this movie, read more

As cool as Beowulf looks, it succeeds visually at the expense of interesting storytelling. Winstone voices the great warrior himself, though his "onscreen" self is a far cry from the doughy man we've watched in things like Sexy Beast. In a handsome war hero's body, Beowulf is our protagonist who arrives in Hrothgar's kingdom with his entourage. As Beowulf consistently reminds everyone, he's here to "kill your moanstah," the horrifyingly disgusting creature named Grendel (Crispin Glover) who terrorizes Hrothgar's people. In a laughable scene, Beowulf insists on fighting the monster in the nude, his manhood expertly hidden by various "coincidental" objects in a scene that mirrors the hide-the-pickle scene from Austin Powers.

There are moments like these that provide some much-needed levity, though there are many other moments that unintentionally generate laughter, like the "shot" of Grendel's Mother's (Angelina Jolie) stiletto heel-shaped feet (not shoes, feet). Indeed, this movie seriously pushes that PG-13 rating to the max. Just because it's animation doesn't make Grendel's Mother's buxom body any less near-nude.

Anyway, Beowulf fights Grendel and succeeds, only to then have to answer to Grendel's Mother. Once he meets her, he is seduced by her womanly charms (as she literally melts his sword in some not-so-subtle imagery) along with the promise of kingly glory. Herein lies the moral, I guess, of the movie (though not necessarily the literary work on which it's based): hubris and pride will doom the greatest of warriors.

The actors are quite good in this arena, with John Malkovich particularly standing out as the darkly complicated Unferth, though despite how close these animated figures have come to approximating human beings, there's an emptiness to them that still seems creepy. Their bodies have a strange weightlessness, and they often remind me of the human characters in the Shrek movies. Also, at times Angelina Jolie's character somehow looks worse than she does in real life (and I'm talking about scenes in which she is supposed to be stunning), which seems preposterous given that she is already unbelievably beautiful.

Bottom line: It's visually neat, if not a bit of an assault on the senses, but I sincerely hope this isn't our "future of filmmaking" as the promos for this movie keep promising.

Images courtesy of Paramount

Fall Movie Preview: Fantasy Adventure

BuzzSugar — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 07:30:00 -0700

We may not be getting the crisp fall weather just yet, but we are getting previews for tons of movies opening in the fall. In preparation for this autumn and winter at the theaters, I've broken up the lengthy list of upcoming movies into many small themes for my Fall Movie Preview series. This way, you'll be in the know when the chillier months roll around, bringing a whole new crop of new films. Today's preview features three other-worldly movies (and for those of you who are fans of science-fiction, fear not - I'll do a separate sci-fi preview post!).

The Golden Compass
This movie isn't even opening until December 7 yet there's already crazy buzz around it and its star-studded cast (Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Eva Green). The movie, based on the bestselling trilogy of His Dark Materials novels by Phillip Pullman follows Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards), a 12-year-old girl who, while rescuing her kidnapped friend, is drawn into a quest to save her world. There's already a fun, flashy website for the movie, and we've gotten to see a trailer, a 5-minute preview, and a behind-the-scenes look - all for a film that doesn't even open for over four months! Well, the hype has worked to draw me in, and I can't wait to catch The Golden Compass on the big screen.

More fantastic fall flicks if you read more

Beowulf
Speaking of star-studded casts, lots of well-known folks (Angelina Jolie, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, John Malkovich) appear - kind of - in this computer-animated telling of the classic text Beowulf. For many, the title conjures up memories of sophomore year English class, but it looks like Neil Gaiman (who adapted the work for the screen) and director Robert Zemeckis are hoping Beowulf will be a breathless adventure full of war and seduction. Or, as seductive as people with those CGI "dead eyes" can get, anyway. Check out the trailer for Beowulf before it opens in theaters November 16.

The Water Horse
This tale of a boy and his creature friend is also based on a novel, this time by the same author who wrote Babe. Starring Ben Chaplin (remember The Truth About Cats and Dogs?!) and Emily Watson, The Water Horse brings us the story of a lonely boy (Alex Etel) in Scotland who finds a mysterious egg. The egg hatches into the Loch-Ness monster and is quickly feared by many - except for the boy. Check out the cute trailer (baby Loch-Ness is so adorable!) before The Water Horse opens December 25.

Compass and Beowulf images source
Water Horse image source

First Look: Beowulf

BuzzSugar — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 10:29:28 -0700

Speaking of Comic-Con, apparently there was a screening of 20-minutes from Robert Zemeckis' computer-generated version of the epic tale Beowulf, starring Angelina Jolie and Anthony Hopkins, among others. MTV's movie blogger was there, and reported this:

"This is the oldest story in the English language," [Neil] Gaiman told the crowd of press and VIPs. "And it’s told with the most modern technology available," [Roger] Avary finished.

After a few hundred people strapped on their 3-D glasses, the verdict was in. While scenes featuring Anthony Hopkins and a near-nude Angelina Jolie are astonishingly photo real, the fantasy epic still occasionally suffers the "Dead Eyes" look of Robert Zemeckis’ Polar Express.

The flick, which costs $1 million per minute, is aiming for a PG-13 take on the tale we were all forced to read in high school. "That was my reason for doing this," grinned Avary. "I wanted to make it easier or future generations."

Well, for us poor hacks slaving away at work instead of chatting up Neil Gaiman at Comic-Con, at least we can check out the trailer for Beowulf, which hits theaters November 16. As was sometimes the case with Zemeckis' Polar Express, I find it eerie to see well-known actors portrayed in not-quite-reality, but I'm still supremely excited to see this movie in 3-D. To see the CG-tastic trailer, read more

Source

Would You Call Yourself a Geek?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 08:30:05 -0700

Today in San Diego, Comic-Con kicks off to the delight of comic book geeks everywhere. Yet this year, more than any other year, the supposed sci-fi convention will be wooing all sorts of folks with presentations by hit TV shows like "Lost" and "Heroes", as well as movies with big names attached like Beowulf (starring Angelina Jolie) and Shoot 'Em Up (with my man Clive Owen, pictured). When did being a geek become so mainstream?

When Comic-Con began back in 1970, the event drew a modest crowd of 300, many of whom probably sounded just like Comic Book Guy from "The Simpsons." Yet nowadays, even mainstream schmoes are joining the crowd of 120,000 and calling Comic-Con the Best. Event. Ever. And not only are the audiences more mainstream, but the studios are presenting movies and shows that seem to have little or nothing to do with science-fiction or comics (I mean, Good Luck Chuck with Dane Cook? Seriously?). As Variety puts it, Comic-Con has expanded "to become a showcase for all sorts of programs with nerd or superfan appeal."

I myself never imagined I'd be interested in Comic-Con, but with my love of "Heroes," my excitement for Indiana Jones 4, and seeing how much I'm looking forward to "Reaper," I truly wish I'd had the foresight long ago to plan a trip down there. As it is, I'll rely on reader Phasekitty's reports from the scene.

So I have to wonder: Have I changed, or has certain sci-fi content become more palatable to me? What do you think? Do you wish you could be at Comic-Con, too? Would you consider yourself a "geek"?

Source

Beowulf: The Movie

BuzzSugar — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 16:05:13 -0700

You may have heard about this project of Robert Zemeckis' (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump) to turn the epic poem Beowulf into an animated movie which, it was recently announced, will be screened in IMAX theaters. The movie's official website is up and running (though it basically just features dancing flames, dramatic music and a cast list), and now a Dutch website has posted photos of the posters for the movie, including the one above. The posters aren't groundbreaking, but they have piqued my curiosity in this project.

Namely, I wonder who, exactly, is going to see this? It's animated like many children's movies are, though I've never scanned my memory for works of literature to make into children's movies and gone, "Oh, I know! Beowulf!" Yet are adults interested enough in the story - even an adaptation written by Neil Gaiman - to see a classic piece of literature made into a CGI movie on an IMAX screen?

I must say, however, that the cast of actors voicing the characters is quite impressive:

Angelina Jolie as Grendel's Mother
Crispin Glover as Grendel
Anthony Hopkins as King Hrothgar
Robin Wright Penn as Queen Wealhtheow
John Malkovich as Unferth
Alison Lohman as Ursula
and Ray Winstone, who I don't know, as Beowulf

What do you think? Come November 16 will you be checking out Beowulf?