BuzzSugar

Zombieland: The Feel-Good Zombie Flick of the Year

TresSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:30:23 -0700

A Note From Buzz: With so many new movies this week, my friend Très was nice enough to apply her scary-movie expertise to review the box office's newest zombie flick.

In the United States of Zombieland, zombies outnumber people. A mad-cow tainted burger tipped the population in favor of the drooling, limping, and grunting set, and now zombies roam a crashed-car littered, empty-minimall-blighted zombiescape.

Columbus (Adventureland's Jesse Eisenberg), the virginal antihero of horror-comedy Zombieland, has learned to survive this zombie apocalypse by keeping a list of necessary survival skills. Rule #1? Cardio. If you don't want zombies gnawing on you like an hors d'oeuvre, you'd better be fast and limber. In addition, beware of bathrooms, practice the "double tap" (make sure your zombie's actually dead after you kill him), and don't be a hero. (Regarding this last rule - some rules were made to be broken.)

When Columbus meets up with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a swaggering cowboy type with a penchant for tank-like cars, shotguns, and Twinkies, and the spitfire sister duo of Wichita (Emma Stone) and Arkansas (Little Miss Sunshine's Abigail Breslin), Zombieland takes off like a scary/fun amusement park ride. To find out what happens on this motley crew's wild road trip from hell, read more

There's something funny about zombies and the zombie genre, and in his first feature film, director Ruben Fleischer plays their comic possibilities to the hilt. Zombies don't have what you'd call well-rounded personalities; they're pretty predictable. They have bad attitudes, come out of nowhere, grunt, and see all nonzombies as food to feast on. They're the perfect foil (or straight men, even) to a cast of characters with more than enough personality to make up for the zombies' boorish one dimensionality.

Take nebbishy Columbus. The world changed for him, he tells us in an early voice-over, when a pretty neighbor he calls #406, asks to stay over because a crazed homeless man tries to bite her. Sadly, although she falls asleep on Columbus's shoulder, she wakes up as a rabid zombie and begins chasing him around his apartment, forcing him to repeatedly knock her over the head with a toilet lid. "The first time I let a girl in my life," deadpans Columbus, "and she tries to eat me."

This kind of witty dialogue abounds in Zombieland, and although fans of gore and violence against zombies will be more than satisfied (Tallahassee's scenes of zombie-killing, especially, have a Tarantinoesque choreography to them), it's really the mismatched goofball characters and how they bond and evolve, surprisingly, that hold the film together. A hilarious cameo from Bill Murray in the Beverly Hills sequence of Zombieland, also, is practically worth the price of admission.

Harrelson chews the scenery as Tallahassee, but as we find out, part of the reason he's hell-bent on killing zombies is because they took away his baby boy. As for the sisters, tough-girl Wichita just wants to take care of her little sister Arkansas (who, as a good shot, doesn't seem to need much help), but a beautiful girl has needs, too, and before long she develops feelings for Columbus. Will he or won't he finally be able to live out his nerd-boy fantasy of brushing the hair over a girl's ear?

You probably know the answer to that question, but just because Zombieland adheres to certain formulas doesn't mean that it doesn't revive them in witty ways. Although the zombie-killing gore fest may not be for everyone, Zombieland's amazing visuals, charming characters, and witty dialogue may leave a goofy grin on your face as you leave the theater.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Movie Preview: Zombieland

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:30:26 -0700

As I mentioned when I came back from Comic-Con, I'm not really big on zombie movies, generally speaking, but after attending the panel there for Zombieland, I'm pretty much sold on this particular zombie movie. They screened the trailer, of course, as well as some funny clips from the movie, including a great scene with Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone as sisters that actually made me kind of sad - before it turned funny. It's really the cast that makes me want to see the film: Jesse Eisenberg is the dorky little guy who gets paired up with the crazy, Southern-drawlin' Woody Harrelson, and the two make for a very fun zombie-fighting team as Eisenberg's character uses the movie to run through the rules for surviving "zombieland."

Zombieland opens Oct. 2. To check out the trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Emma Stone Cast in Modern-Day Scarlet Letter, Titled Easy A

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:30:01 -0700

I feel compelled to write about this movie news largely because it's one of the funnier titles I've come across in a while. This modern-day, high school-set re-imagining of The Scarlett Letter just cast Emma Stone in the Hester Prynne-type lead role. And the movie is titled Easy A. Here's more:

Will Gluck is directing the film, which centers on a [high school] student who sees her life paralleling [Nathaniel] Hawthorne’s heroine Hester Prynne after she pretends to be the school slut in hopes she’ll benefit from the notion she’s promiscuous.

Seriously: Easy A! I kind of love it already, especially since it has Emma Stone who consistently delights me in her comedic roles. And maybe it'll be an awesome modern-day high school retelling of a classic work, like 10 Things I Hate About You or Clueless. What do you think of a Scarlet Letter "re-imagining"?

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The House Bunny: Generic Sorority Comedy

BuzzSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:46:07 -0700

To be honest, I really wanted The House Bunny to be great. I didn't expect it to be, but I wished it would surprise me and turn out to be fun and hilarious. Amidst the constant comedic bombardment from the Ferrells, Stillers and Apatows of the world, I wanted there to be a totally kickass, stand-out female-led comedy. And while Anna Faris is endearingly goofy, the movie overall is just another manufactured cookie-cutter cutout of the same ol', same ol' (not unlike an actual Playboy bunny, come to think of it).

You can glean pretty much all the necessary information about the plot from the movie's trailer. Playboy bunny Shelley (Faris) learns that she's been kicked out of the Playboy mansion after her 27th birthday. She wanders around until she spots a row of houses that look like miniature Playboy mansions: frat and sorority houses. Shelley ultimately finds herself at the Zeta Alpha Zeta house, thus far led by the adorably nerdy Natalie. ZAZ is the place where the "misfit" sorority girls go (you know, ones who have piercings, or a back brace, or were raised on a farm). The girls need to get at least 30 new pledges in order to keep the ZAZ house, so Shelley appoints herself as the sorority's housemother and gets to work changing around the sorority's reputation. For more on how she goes about doing this, read more.

Changing around the girls' image consists of giving them all makeovers so they look more conventionally pretty, and schooling them in the ways of flirting. The basis for this logic is that pledges will see that these girls can get boys, and they'll want to join up with these girls. Shelley instructs the girls on how to teeter around in insanely high heels, wear extensions and use Waterbras. In a scene that made me question what decade we're in, Shelley advises Natalie against coming across as intelligent in front of boys because they "don't like girls who are too smart." Later, Natalie falls for the smart, studious Oliver (Colin Hanks) and she goes about trying to make herself into more of an intellectual in order to impress him. But because that's not who she really is, it doesn't work so well.

Many similarities could be drawn between Legally Blonde's Elle Woods and The House Bunny's Shelley (and unsurprisingly, these two movies were written by the same people). Both characters are sunny, blond, girlishly sweet and underestimated because of the way they look. But the comedy in Legally Blonde often comes from her proving to the doubters that she's actually quite clever. In House Bunny we're laughing at Shelley's mispronounced words and dazed confusion over everyday things. And though the silliness of her misunderstandings is funny, she also sometimes seems to border on brain damaged.

Toward the end there's some vague references to the idea that maybe - just maybe - Shelley doesn't actually know everything there is to know about getting boys and being popular, and that it's better to just be yourself. But the thing is, even after they all come to that conclusion, they're still the glossier versions of themselves, and I found myself longing for the "freak" girls from the beginning of the movie - the ones with some character and sense of individuality. Of course I'd like those girls to be confident and well-liked, too, I just wish that the only way to achieve that wasn't by making each of them look like Hilary Duff. The message still seems to be that you can be an individual - but only after you've reached a certain base level of acceptable prettiness. I'm not saying I'm surprised, but it's a shame that this opportunity was wasted. A more fun and more interesting storyline might have been to have the "misfit" sorority succeed without having to wear pounds of makeup, tiny dresses and push-up bras.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

The Rocker: Major Points For Trying

BuzzSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:45:22 -0700

There is this undeniable, crazy-intense talent that I think Rainn Wilson has yet to unleash on us, that goes beyond his hilarious and iconic portrayal of Dwight Schrute on The Office. Thanks to smaller roles that he's had, including his creepy character on Six Feet Under, I've had faith that Wilson is not a one-note actor, and that he possesses the tools to take part in a variety of genres. So, I was looking forward to his first time out as a comedic lead in The Rocker. And while the movie is far from perfect and not the laugh-riot that will launch him into major stardom, it's an excellent start.

What strikes me most about this movie is how good-natured it is underneath its gimmicky concept. If I had some teenagers to entertain this weekend, this is the kind of movie I'd love to watch with them. It's hard not to compare the overall spirit of this funny high school tale with that of other recent Summer comedies, and the biggest difference to me is that it has a warm and fuzzy center (despite the groin pain it causes the main character).

To see what I mean by "groin pain" and why I think The Rocker is a pleasant addition to this Summer's comedies, read more.

The Rocker is a feel-good movie, and I think some people might take that as code for lame. But I was actually relieved to leave a comedy in an emotional space that was, well, good. The movie opens in the '80s at a concert where the heavy metal band Vesuvius is bringing down the house. Robert "Fish" Fishman (Wilson) is the drummer whose performance high is quickly killed when the band's label insists that they replace him. His buddies in the band, including lead singer Lex (played by the always hilarious Will Arnett in giant hair and eyeliner) and bassist Trash (Bradley Cooper doing an amazing Slash impression) don't bat an eye before kicking Fish out and then, to Fish's dismay, rocket to mega-stardom.

Years later, the out-of-work Fish is persuaded to join his nephew Matt's high school band, and it's not exactly smooth sailing. Fish is middle-aged, unhinged, and more interested in being "rock stars" than his teen bandmates. As the movie progresses, Fish actually helps the band make a name for itself, and though he is an unlikely source of wisdom, Fish ends up coming to terms with his own failures and immaturities by helping his bandmates through their teenage issues.

Here's the bad news: there is often way too much time that goes by without a good laugh. But when they do score one, it's genuinely funny. Christina Applegate is especially believable as a single mom, and despite the fact that Fish is such a spaz, I was cheering for these two to get together. Fish's little heart-to-hearts with the kids are mostly contrived, but all the actors are so freaking likable it's hard not to forgive the script a little. Wilson also takes one for the team and endures a steady stream of physical assaults - including many hits to the groin - and it's funny about two-thirds of the time, I'd estimate.

Most of all, however, I realized about three-fourths of the way through The Rocker that there had been zero blow job jokes. No - seriously. And then I noted that no one had said "mangina," not once. And while those kinds of jokes have their place and have made us all chuckle at some point, I have to say it was refreshing to see a whole other group of comedians with a whole new set of jokes attempting to make us laugh.

I can't give this movie a whole lot of stars, but I genuinely appreciate the effort and left the theater with a smile.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Movie Preview: The Rocker

BuzzSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:29:00 -0700

Finally! I have been looking forward to seeing a trailer for The Rocker for what feels like forever, especially when we get trailers for things that aren't even coming out until December and The Rocker is opening August 1.

Billed as "a comedy for the rocker in all of us," The Rocker stars Rainn Wilson and an assortment of comedic actors, like Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad (21) and Superbad's Emma Stone as a group of kids (and one of their uncles) who aim to rock out as the prom band. After the prom's over, they set off on tour and, I presume, ill-advised antics ensue.

The trailer's pretty funny, and Rainn Wilson is as straight-faced and hilarious as ever, so to check it out, read more.

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What to TiVo: Thursday

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:50:00 -0700

ABC is new with FlashForward, Grey's Anatomy, and Private Practice
CBS is new with Survivor: Samoa and CSI, and has a repeat of The Mentalist
FOX has MLB ALCS Game 5: Yankees at Angels
NBC is new with Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office, and 30 Rock
The CW has repeats of Vampire Diaries and Supernatural
MTV is new with Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, Nitro Circus, and MTV's Ultimate Parkour Challenge
Bravo is new with The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Comedy Central is new with The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report
FX is new with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Lifetime is new with Project Runway
Late-night highlights include President Barack Obama on a repeat of The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS; Hilary Swank on The Jay Leno Show on NBC; Charlize Theron and Dave Matthews Band on a repeat of The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on NBC; John C. Reilly and NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak from The Real Housewives of Atlanta on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC; Tim Gunn, Colbie Smulders, and Lynyrd Skynyrd on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson on CBS; and Ryan Reynolds and Emma Stone on a repeat of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on NBC

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:30:03 -0700

Please, Tracy Morgan, join Twitter! Check out the public plea, all you 30 Rock fans - Best Week Ever
Emma Stone talks about shooting zombies - Rotten Tomatoes
A list of the 13 best South Park episodes (with clips!) - TV.com
Alas, another Simpsons movie looks unlikely. Sigh . . . - Moviefone
A Mike Tyson biopic? It'll happen if Jamie Foxx gets his way - MTV Movies Blog
David Bowie and Iggy Pop get Lego'd - Stereogum
Bored to Death gets picked up for a second season on HBO - The Futon Critic
Concert video of Kelly Clarkson covering The White Stripes, Alanis Morissette, and Kings of Leon - Rolling Stone
Take this tech quiz on last night's episode of The Hills - GeekSugar
Mariah Carey dishes on her new album . . . and wearing Nick's clothes?! - HitFix

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:30:19 -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. Check out this week's picks!

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
I admittedly wasn't a fan of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past when it came out in theaters, but it may be worth considering if you're in the mood for a romantic comedy that doesn't make you think too much. The premise: When playboy Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) attends his brother's wedding, he runs into his first love Jenny (Jennifer Garner), setting off a Christmas Carol-like chain of events, complete with ghosts. Yes, the plot's contrived and Connor is incredibly smarmy, but I enjoyed the supporting cast of characters, especially Emma Stone as an 80's ghost with a bad perm and Michael Douglas as Connor's Lothario uncle.

27%

Two more up next, so read more.

Observe and Report
Observe and Report follows a self-important, semi-delusional mall security cop (Seth Rogen) who flips out when he realizes he may not become a police officer - or win over the makeup counter girl of his dreams (Anna Faris). When I first reviewed it, I was surprised by how dark the film turned out to be for a Rogen and Faris comedy. Still, it does have a few laugh-worthy moments, and Rogen fans will probably want to add this to their must-see list.

51%

Lymelife
Set in the 1970s, Lymelife is an ensemble drama that follows two families in a Long Island neighborhood dealing with a Lyme disease scare. It boasts a decent ensemble cast, including Cynthia Nixon, Alec Baldwin, and Timothy Hutton, but Rory Culkin (yes, Macaulay's brother) is the heart of the film as a 15-year-old struggling in the midst of messed-up chaos. (Emma Roberts also turns in a memorable performance as his crush.) The reviews were mixed when the film released in theaters, but if twisted suburbia is your thing (i.e., American Beauty or The Ice Storm), then Lymelife is worth checking out. Bonus material includes an alternate ending.

54%