BuzzSugar

Ellen Page and Alia Shawkat Score HBO TV Show

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:30:13 -0700

Don't say you don't make friends on the derby rink. Ellen Page and Alia Shawkat, recent costars in Whip It, have scored a deal to write and produce a TV show for HBO. Another costar from the movie, Sean Tillman (AKA Har Mar Superstar, pictured here), is also collaborating.

The show, called Stitch 'N Bitch, will be about "two painfully cool hipster girls as they relocate from Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood to Los Angeles' Silver Lake enclave in hopes of becoming artists." It sounds obvious who these characters will be based on - both women fit that 'painfully hip' description, but there isn't a confirmation yet that they'll be starring. I'd love to see them in the roles, but also hoping this isn't one of those projects that will cause scheduling conflicts for the Arrested Development movie!

Whip It: A Rollicking Good Time

BuzzSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:30:56 -0700

Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, roller derby comedy Whip It, is not unlike the actress's persona: cute, fun, and with a whole lot going on.

Ellen Page stars as quiet 17-year-old Bliss Cavendar, whose mother (Marcia Gay Harden) wants to make her the queen of small-town Texas beauty pageants. Bliss meekly goes along with the idea, her voice too small to tell her mom she hates the contests. But one chance visit to nearby big city Austin and everything changes. Bliss admires some intimidating derby girls, and after sneaking off to a match, decides to try out. What follows is a fast-paced, highly entertaining girl-power anthem.

To read more about what I did and didn't like about the movie, just read more.

The movie is perfectly cast; Page plays a shy teen easily, never giving up her sweetness even after she adopts the moniker "Babe Ruthless" and gets repeatedly knocked into the rink sidelines. The team who welcomes her, the Hurl Scouts, is a motley crew: Eve and Zoe Bell don't become much more than background players, Barrymore is an ebullient if minor supporter ("Smashley Simpson"), but team captain Kristen Wiig is one of the hearts of the movie. With a part bigger than the trailer implies, Wiig (I never get tired of the derby names: "Maggie Mayhem") emerges as a mother figure when Bliss's relationship with her own mom is strained. It's nice to see her playing straight for once, and besides Page, Wiig is really the only multi-faceted derby girl.

That's not to say that the derby girls aren't anything special. Beautiful, tough, and impossibly cool, maybe you wouldn't want to meet them in a dark alley, but you'd definitely want to be invited to their party. Juliette Lewis looks every part the queen bee - aggressive and sexy, she'll push you in a locker before you know what hit you. And naturally, there's a love interest, musician Landon Pigg - but he's kind of an afterthought, which I liked. By not giving in to the cliche that a girl gets everything she wants when she finds her passion, it strengthens the movie's pervasive girl power idea.

The movie isn't just about derby; it's a coming-of-age tale too, and Bliss didn't come from a shaky foundation. Alia Shawkat (yay, Maeby!) plays the hilarious and supportive BFF who doesn't exist just to cheer Bliss on from the sidelines. She's got her own thing, and is too confident to be left behind when Bliss gets wrapped up in her new life - a refreshing departure from the typical best friend character. And Harden isn't merely a strict parent caricature; she may want something completely different for her daughter, but her caring nature shines through.

It's not all success on skates, though. Sometimes the portrayal of the derby world gets to be an overzealous glorification. Sure, it's an amazing outlet for a lot of people and one of the few contact sports that really belongs to women, but the movie pushes the sexualization of the players a little too far. It's already sexy that the women play such a powerful sport, so it's not really necessary to do close-ups of the actresses' bare flesh to show the bruises.

There are a few things you could criticize about Barrymore's direction; for instance, Shauna Cross's screenplay is really quite funny, but some of the actors' lines fall flat. Also, the roller derby scenes have such potential to be exciting, and they could have been even more epic. Then again, this is Barrymore's first outing as a director, and it's still what you would expect from her: a fun-loving, freewheeling confection of a movie with a killer soundtrack.

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Our Take on a JT/Biel Split, Justin Talks Drew on the Whip It! Red Carpet, and Kristin Gets Gleeful

Molly — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:25:18 -0700

Amid rumors of a split, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were spotted out holding hands on Monday night. Plus, check out what Justin Long had to say on last night's Whip It! red carpet and get a sneak peek at Kristin Chenoweth on Glee. Don't miss our exclusive message from a cast member too - super cute. Also, Lisa Kudrow whips out "Smelly Cat" at a benefit in LA last night. Watch it all on PopSugar Rush now!

Ellen, Rainn, and Liv Make For a Super Trio

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:30:51 -0700

Rainn Wilson is about to step out of The Office and into comic book territory. In the upcoming comedy Super, Wilson will play an average Joe who pretends to be a superhero to win his wife (Liv Tyler) back from a drug dealer. Calling himself Crimson Bolt, Wilson's character uses a wrench to make up for what he lacks in powers.

The film will be written and directed by James Gunn, whose previous credits include the Scooby Doo movies and Slither. We'll have to wait to hear more about Ellen Page's role, but as a Juno fan, I can't wait to see her team up with Wilson again. Wilson also seems like the perfect choice as a lovable loser, though I kinda hope he stays more on the side of regular guy rather than Dwight Shrute with a cape and a weapon. Yikes.

Movie Preview: Drew and Ellen in Whip It

BuzzSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:00:35 -0700

"So what are you, like, alternative now or something?"
"Alternative to what?"

Those images from last week were just a little taste of the Drew Barrymore-directed roller derby comedy Whip It - now there's a full trailer for the movie which gives us Ellen Page in a character that isn't nearly so smart-mouthed or brash as her previous roles. In fact, she's downright meek (and she wears glasses which, in my opinion, are incredibly cute on her)! Page plays Bliss, a quiet misfit who discovers that she's pretty good at roller derby, an "unladylike" activity that serves two purposes: it makes her happy and it annoys her controlling mother (Marcia Gay Harden - yay!). A bunch of other people also star, including Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis and Kristen Wiig (yay, again!).

Also, kudos to the trailer creators for using Weezer's "Pork and Beans." Awesome. Whip It opens Oct. 9. To see the trailer, read more.

This image premiered in USA Today

New Pics: Ellen and Drew as "Hurl Scouts" in Whip It

BuzzSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:40:39 -0700

I've been interested in Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, Whip It, ever since I first caught wind of the news and now there are some pretty awesome stills to check out. USA Today premiered these pics, explaining that the roller derby movie follows Ellen Page's character, "a rebellious teenager who signs up to play the brutal and sexy female sport against her mother's will, finding friendship and freedom among the bruises and falls." Drew also stars in the movie, as does Kristen Wiig and Juliette Lewis.

View Slideshow ›

Christopher Nolan's Inception Cast Gets Interesting

BuzzSugar — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:30:01 -0700

We knew that Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan was next directing a "contemporary sci-fi action" movie he wrote titled Inception, and that Leonardo DiCaprio would be the next big A-lister to work with him. Now an interesting trio has been added to the cast, including an Oscar winner, a young Oscar nominee and a "Scarecrow."

Apparently "Warner Bros. is in talks with Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy and Ellen Page to join the cast of Inception." Nolan has never worked with Cotillard or Page, but Cillian Murphy starred in Nolan's Batman Begins (and had a brief appearance in The Dark Knight) as the creepy Scarecrow.

The plot of Inception remains a mystery, besides being a sci-fi action flick "set within the architecture of the mind." (Architecture of the mind?) Still, though details are sketchy, the combination of this cast and Christopher Nolan in the director's chair has increased my interest in Inception tenfold.

Source

Variety's Women's Impact Report: Diablo Cody and Ellen Page

BuzzSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:30:59 -0700

Variety has issued its annual Women's Impact Report, highlighting women who have made an impression at all levels of entertainment. Just like last year, the list includes executive powerhouses, household-name performers, and lesser-known talents. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be spotlighting some of the women whom I find particularly noteworthy. Today's pick: the screenwriter and the star of Juno, Diablo Cody and Ellen Page.

Variety has a whole category devoted to Diablo Cody and Ellen Page, titled "The Muse and the Messenger." I had no way of knowing back in December when I first saw Juno that it would explode on the movie scene as much as it did. It even went on to earn Oscar nods as one of the few heartwarming Oscar films, and one of the even fewer female-centric Oscar films.

We can thank screenwriter Diablo Cody for dreaming up the sweet script, but it was the combination of that and a smart, sassy, lovable lead character that so endeared this film to many people. For more on these two ladies, read more.

The Variety profile goes into the backlash that followed Juno's popularity, especially toward Cody:

The lion's share of scorn was aimed squarely at Cody, whose oft-repeated backstory, distinctive colloquialisms and largely thesis-less Entertainment Weekly columns made her a conspicuous target for comment-board assassins. For the seemingly unpardonable sin of writing a distinctive, successful comedy on her first attempt (and collecting Oscar, BAFTA, Indie Spirit and WGA statuettes for her trouble), Cody has inspired a budding cottage industry of parodies.

I tend to think that the haters who get personal with their attacks - beyond just disliking the movie, which is all a matter of taste - are perhaps a little jealous. The awesome thing is that it's not getting Cody down, not even a little: "Tenacity is as important as talent," Cody says. "And criticism is as useful as praise. I eat it like fuel. I'm the little engine that runs on hate. My productivity spikes when I've got something to prove, and it seems like I always do."

Source

Man, I Can't Wait to Whip It!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:00:04 -0700

Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm talking about Whip It!, the film adaptation of Shauna Cross's novel Derby Girl, which just added Alia Shawkat (a.k.a. Maeby Fünke) to the cast. I knew that Drew Barrymore had signed on as the director of the film (and she'll be playing a role), and that the main character will be played by Ellen Page, but with every new addition to the cast I am even more intrigued to see this movie.

In addition to Page, Barrymore, and Shawkat, we've got Marcia Gay Harden (who I love), Juliette Lewis, Eve, former Xena stuntwoman Zoe Bell, and funny lady Kristen Wiig. The cast used to include Justin Long, but he quit after his relationship with Drew Barrymore ended.

The IMDB page for Whip It has this plot description:

In Bodeen, Texas, an indie-rock loving misfit finds a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin.

Have you read Shauna Cross's novel? Do you, too, think this might end up being totally adorable? Are there any additional fun actresses you'd add to this cast?

Source and source

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:30:16 -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.

Smart People
I had high hopes for Smart People, mainly due to the stellar cast that includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, Thomas Haden Church, and Dennis Quaid.

The story takes place near the Carnegie Mellon campus and centers around a family headed by a widowed professor (Quaid) who are all having a terrible time relating to each other and the outside world, despite how book smart they are. When the professor's free-spirited brother (Church) crashes into their lives they all start to thaw out a bit and discover how far a little humanity can go.

The movie didn't quite meet my expectations but it's certainly a worthwhile rental if you're looking for a few laughs and a genuinely talented ensemble cast.

Special features include interviews with the producers, cast and crew of the movie, commentary from the director and writer, a collection of outtakes, nine deleted scenes and exclusive footage from the premiere of Smart People at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Two more new options on DVD if you read more.

The Wire: Season Five
I still have not totally come to grips with the fact that this final season of The Wire was overlooked by Emmy voters. The show has spent years as one of the most consistently well reviewed shows on television, though its ratings were never high. Today the final piece of the puzzle, the show's fifth season, is out on DVD, and marks the final chapter of David Simon's epic saga about Baltimore with a critical look at the media.

The season got more criticism than most (maybe because the media had to see themselves, rather than police officers or teachers, through Simon's bleak lens), but that didn't make it any less satisfying for me. The 10 episodes wrap up many of the stories Simon and series co-creator Ed Burns had been working on for years, and even at the end, nothing about The Wire is ever too neat or tidy. Once again, the lines between good guys and bad guys end up blurred, and that's a big part of what makes the show so captivating.

Special features include "The Wire Odyssey: A Retrospective of the First Four Seasons," "The Wire: The Last Word - A Documentary Exploring the Role of the Media," and six audio commentaries with Simon and members of the cast and crew.

How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
I just happened to read something yesterday about how difficult it is for studios to embrace and market smart movies that are for and about women, even after the huge success of Sex and the City. So, it's an interesting coincidence that an example of this phenomenon is out on DVD today. I hardly heard anything about this film, even though it received an 84% on RottenTomatoes and stars one of Hollywood's biggest young stars. What the heck?

Anyway, How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer is about three generations of Mexican women grappling with issues of romance and sexuality - at all stages of life. It looks compelling, thoughtful and relatable and I, for one, am stoked to see this. The movie stars America Ferrera, Elizabeth Peña, Lucy Gallardo, and Eliana Alexander and was screened in competition at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. (Yeah: 2005! Sheesh.)