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Great Movie Mothers: Honorable Mention

BuzzSugar — Sun, 08 May 2011 05:30:02 PDT

To celebrate Mother's Day, I've been taking a look at some of the most memorable moms in movies, as played by big-name actresses like Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton. To finish up the series, let's recap some of the other famous names that I've left out - you didn't really think I could do a list without mentioning Sally Field now, did you?

NYC Is Where Spike, Blake, and Tom Check Out the Wild Things

PopSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:30:52 PDT

Blake Lively was one of the few ladies at last night's NYC premiere of Where the Wild Things Are. It's only Wednesday, but this was already Blake's second red carpet of the week after turning out to support boyfriend Penn Badgley Monday at his screening of The Stepfather. Blake was in rather impressive company, as Tom Hanks and Forest Whitaker also turned out to see Spike Jonze's latest film. Spike took his turn in the limelight to pose with the young star Max Records and author Maurice Sendak, who wrote the famous children's book on which the movie is based. The movie opens Friday - make sure to check out the latest trailer - and there is a huge promotional effort underway, including related lines of home furnishings, children's Halloween costumes, and even clothes for adults.

More photos from the premiere so read more.

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Images include: Catherine O'Hara, Tom Hanks, Forest Whitaker, Martin Short, Spike Jonze, Max Records, James Gandolfini, Blake Lively, Keisha Whitaker, Catherine Keener, Maurice Sendak

Away We Go: Happy to Come Along

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:15:09 PDT

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

FABTV: Beetlejuice "Day-O"

FabSugar — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 02:12:22 PDT

Beetlejuice is such an awesome flick. I kinda wanted to save this FABTV for around Halloween, but that's hella far away and when inspiration strikes . . . This scene, led by the glorious Catherine O'Hara, is unforgettable. The eccentric dinner guests, and goth daughter Winona, sing the Banana Boat song and execute some hot moves. Notice the disco decadence of the woman in bronze lame - is that a jumpsuit?! The scene is short and sweet, and the finale - attack of the lobster claw! - is brilliant.

Buzz News Roundup, 10/3

BuzzSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:32:35 PDT

Frasier's John Mahoney is joining the cast of Burn Notice. - Entertainment Weekly
Liev Schreiber and Helen Hunt will play a couple in a troubled marriage in the upcoming drama Every Day. - Variety
David Strathairn and Catherine O'Hara are among the new additions to HBO's Temple Grandin film, which already stars Claire Danes. - Hollywood Reporter
Feist is turning her Fall tour into a charity drive. - Pitchfork
AMC is developing a TV series about a human colony on Mars. - TV Guide
Salma Hayek will reportedly guest-star on 30 Rock. - New York Post
Tyler Perry's in trouble with the Writers' Guild for firing four writers. - Variety
Live tracks from Ben Folds' tour will be available almost immediately on iTunes. - Billboard

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Buzz News Roundup, 5/2

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:30:02 PDT

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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Penelope: Fanciful But Not Fantastic

BuzzSugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:45:03 PST

There are some intriguing issues buried within the story of Penelope: what it means for a woman to love and accept herself the way she is, the way beauty ideals are - sometimes cruelly - passed down from mother to daughter, society's eagerness to vilify those who are different and then, just as quickly, to embrace them as "cute" upon discovering that they're harmless. These things are touched on, but mostly with a glazing brush, leaving the pretty film with adorable people lacking anything resembling "oomph."

The story follows Penelope Wilhern who, due to a curse put on her wealthy socialite family long ago, was born with a pig nose. In order to break the curse, she must find "one of her own" (i.e. a "blue blood") to love her just as she is and marry her. Only then will the spell break and her nose take on a normal shape. Desperate to break the curse and have a normal daughter, Penelope's mother (Catherine O'Hara) devotes her life to finding Penelope a husband, but the men who meet Penelope keep jumping out the window at the sight of her. Meanwhile, a one-eyed journalist determined to get a photo of "the pig-faced girl" and a selfish blue-blooded young man pay a down-on-his-luck musician (James McAvoy) to try and woo Penelope. For more about the movie than just this plot - some spoilers ahead -

read more. Visually, the fanciful made-up world providing the backdrop for this modern fairy tale is endearing and at times quite lovely. The performances are mostly great - I especially enjoy Reese Witherspoon in her funny, tough girl role as Penelope's friend, a wonderful departure from Witherspoon's bright and sometimes two-dimensional rom-com stuff. James McAvoy is lovable as always, and Catherine O'Hara as Penelope's hysterical mother sometimes steals the show. My favorite performance comes from Peter Dinklage who plays the desperate journalist. Not only is he a master of deadpan humor, but he's perhaps the only person in the film who goes on any kind of identifiable emotional arc. We're supposed to be on Penelope's journey, but Ricci has a hard time fluctuating the tone of her performance beyond a steady whine. Thus, the few good performances can't make up for Ricci's low-octane delivery and a disappointing cop-out ending. This tired, predictable ending features Penelope learning to accept herself and being rewarded with what she's always wanted. The message within this is frustrating. Penelope's final, hard-won self-acceptance, once found, is rendered useless and thrown out the window because that's when she becomes "normal." Phew! Now she no longer needs to like being different. Normal is still best. How refreshing. Bottom line: It's a modern fairy tale that still supports age-old beauty ideals and doesn't really try anything new or interesting. Source

For Your Consideration Premiere

PopSugar — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 13:56:08 PST

Christopher Guest and his large dedicated cast came out for the LA premiere of For Your Consideration last night at the Director's Guild of America. If you are a fan of Waiting for Guffman or Best in Show, word is, you are going to love this film. That's because this time Guest sets his satirical sights on Hollywood! The film is about the negative effect that internet-generated Oscar buzz has on the cast of an independent film. How perfect for us, and just in time for Oscar season! Guest’s ensemble cast is back including Eugene Levy (who also co-wrote the film with Guest) Catherine O’Hara, Parker Posey, Jennifer Coolidge, and Harry Shearer. In limited release November 17th.

For more pics of Guest and wife Jamie Lee Curtis, Annette Bening and Warren Beatty, Cheryl Hines, Fred Willard, Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, Eugene Levy, Bob Balaban, Catherine O'Hara, Harry Shearer, Jennifer Coolidge and Alyssa Milano just

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