BuzzSugar

Sequel News: The Fast Enchanted Code

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:29:34 PST

One good flick deserves another, right? Franchise-happy Hollywood has a block of sequels in the works, and today's three include one that makes me groan, one that's actually fun, and one that we all saw coming.

Fifth time's a charm: The Fast and the Furious's next installment has been confirmed, with Paul Walker and Vin Diesel attached yet again. At least the title, Fast & Furious: Fast Five, is a more creative title than the fourth's. This time, Dom and Brian's characters are fugitives on the run from authorities. I bet they have the perfect getaway vehicles in mind.
Get Enchanted all over again: Disney is going full steam ahead with a sequel to the 2007 fairy tale. There's no news about the story and none of actors, like Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey, are attached yet, but Variety reports that Disney "will likely try to bring [them] back." A new director has been hired, though: The Proposal's Anne Fletcher.
Da Vinci's Third Decoding: Finally, Dan Brown's latest book about Robert Langdon, The Lost Symbol, is also getting the film adaptation treatment. No shocker here, since its predecessors The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons did so well at the box office. Tom Hanks is not yet confirmed to reprise his role as Langdon, though I can't imagine he won't.

Personally, I think that The Lost Symbol's movie future was a total given, while Disney always finds a way to extend its fairy tales, and Enchanted's delightfulness almost begs for more to the story. But I'm kind of reeling that The Fast and the Furious is getting another sequel. I thought the fourth, such a close replay of the first film, was its swan song - and kind of unnecessary itself. What more can be said about these men who love fast cars? Do you want to see more of Paul and Vin, driving furiously?

10 Memorable Movie Monarchs

BuzzSugar — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:30:21 PST

The Young Victoria hits limited theaters on Friday, with Emily Blunt as the 19th-century royal in her younger years. Blunt's already up for a Best Actress Golden Globe for her depiction of Queen Victoria, but she's not the first Hollywood star to don a crown. With that in mind, I give you my favorite movie monarchs of all time. Check 'em out!

The 2008 Saturn Awards Honor the Best in Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:30:40 PDT

Each year the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films hands out the Saturn Awards, honoring the best actors, movies and TV shows in these genres. It's a pretty all-encompassing way to group things together and the list of projects that earned awards this year runs the gamut, from Cloverfield and Enchanted, to Lost and Dexter. Oh, and August Rush, which I guess fits into some kind of other-worldly realm. Robin Williams does star as some kind of magical urban cowboy, after all.

Looking at the list of winners, I'm struck by how mainstream they are. The sci-fi, fantasy and horror genres have really broadened and become popular over the years, no longer relegated to certain niche circles. It's pretty cool, really.

I'm happy to see that Will Smith and Amy Adams won the movie actor and actress awards (for I Am Legend and Enchanted), though the TV actress award went to Jennifer Love Hewitt for Ghost Whisperer, which just makes my little heart ache for the old Buffy days. And hands down, my favorite winner on the list is Michael Emerson who won for his performance as the crazy/scary/sad/manipulative Ben on Lost. Perhaps an Emmy is not far behind?

Next year's awards should be an incredibly close race, what with all the fantasy-filled movies this year (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, The Dark Knight, not to mention The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Watchmen, Frank Miller's The Spirit, and even The Time Traveler's Wife). Batman Begins swept the Saturns in 2006, though The Dark Knight will have some tough competition this year. To check out a full list of the 2008 Saturn Award winners,

To see the other nominees in each category, click here.

BEST SCI-FI FILM:
Cloverfield

FANTASY FILM:
Enchanted

HORROR FILM:
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER FILM:
300

ACTOR:
Will Smith (I Am Legend)

ACTRESS:
Amy Adams (Enchanted)

SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Marcia Gay Harden (The Mist)

PERFORMANCE BY A YOUNGER ACTOR:
Freddie Highmore (August Rush)

DIRECTION:
Zack Snyder (300)

WRITING:
Brad Bird (Ratatouille)

MUSIC:
Alan Menken (Enchanted)

COSTUME:
Colleen Atwood (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)

MAKE-UP:
Ve Neill, Martin Samuel (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End)

SPECIAL EFFECTS:
Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl, John Frazier (Transformers)

ANIMATED FILM:
Ratatouille

INTERNATIONAL FILM:
Eastern Promises

NETWORK TELEVISION SERIES:
Lost

SYNDICATED / CABLE TELEVISION SERIES:
Dexter

PRESENTATION ON TELEVISION:
Family Guy: Blue Harvest

ACTOR ON TELEVISION:
Matthew Fox (Lost)

ACTRESS ON TELEVISION:
Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer)

SUPPORTING ACTOR ON TELEVISION:
Michael Emerson (Lost)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS ON TELEVISION: (TIE):
Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost)

DVD RELEASE:
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (remix)

DVD SPECIAL EDITION RELEASE:
Blade Runner (5 Disc Ultimate Edition)

DVD CLASSIC FILM RELEASE:
The Monster Squad

DVD COLLECTION:
Mario Bava (Box Sets 1 & 2)

TELEVISION SERIES RELEASE ON DVD:
Heroes (Season 1)

RETRO TELEVISION SERIES RELEASE ON DVD:
Twin Peaks (Definitive Gold Box Ed.)

Special Awards

THE GEORGE PAL MEMORIAL AWARD:
Guillermo del Toro

THE SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
Tim & Donna Lucas

THE SERVICE AWARD:
Fred Barton

LIFE CAREER AWARD:
Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr.

FILMMAKERS SHOWCASE AWARD:
Matt Reeves for Cloverfield

Dexter photo courtesy of CBS
Source and source

Buzz In: Which Movies Have You Seen Multiple Times in the Theater?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:30:31 PDT

And no, multiple viewings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show doesn't really count. I'm talking about the movies that so captivated your imagination you just had to go back for more. Or the movies that were such a fun event, you piggiebacked along with different friends and family members to keep the party going all weekend.

Just this past weekend, I know there were plenty of girls' nights out. . . and then girls' afternoons out and girls' Sunday evenings out for the Sex and the City movie. When the first Spider-Man came out, I couldn't get enough and may have seen it four times in the theater. I've also heard some mom friends talk about how many times they escorted their kids to Enchanted over the holidays. And um, I might have known someone, who - ahem! - may have seen The Cutting Edge several times in the theater when it came out in 1992.

What movies have you seen more than once in the theaters?

Source

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:30:00 PDT

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, Guy Ritchie's Revolver and Southland Tales starring Justin Timberlake, The Rock, and Sarah Michelle Gellar are also available today.

Enchanted
Is it just me or does it feel like we've been waiting for this movie to come out on DVD for forever? Enchanted is a treat for anyone who grew up loving those good old-fashioned animated Disney films (remember life before Pixar?). I truly enjoyed this trip down Disney Memory Lane and I know a lot of you did, too. The movie, starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Susan Sarandon, and James Marsden is a wonderfully fun twist on the classic princess tale.

The story centers around Giselle (Adams), an amalgamation of Disney heroines from the days of yore who lives in a land called Andalasia. Giselle's chief concerns are marrying Prince Edward (Marsden), singing, and dancing with forest creatures. Edward's stepmother (Sarandon) is unhappy with Gisele and Edward's relationship, and she uses her evil magic to boot Giselle out of the animated world and into real-world Times Square. Once there, Giselle's simple, optimistic outlook on life is challenged by a force much darker and more cynical than any evil witch: a New York divorce attorney (Dempsey).

This DVD comes with lots of special featurettes including bloopers, a glimpse behind the creation of Andalasia, and extra shorts about Pip's (Giselle's trusty chipmunk friend) adventures.

More romance and adventure coming out this week, so

I am Legend
I Am Legend was hit or miss with folks when it came out, but now that it's on DVD it's the kind of movie that will do the trick if you're looking to kick back and be entertained by some action. Plus, it's Will Smith and he's always good entertainment.

The film is based on Richard Matheson's 1954 sci-fi novel and follows Robert Neville (Smith), one of the few people who survives a virus that nearly renders humanity extinct. Robert's not alone however, there is another group of people, the infecteds, who have turned into "the night seekers." These scary things are like vampires/zombies that go around at night trying to infect surviving humans. Robert, a scientist, is working hard to find a cure for the disease before the creepies can get him. Thus, this sci-fi thriller takes you through a suspenseful race against time.

Special features include four animated comics as well as bonus material "exploring the history and current status of life-threatening viral infections."

Love in the Time of Cholera
I'm a big fan of Gabriel García Márquez’s wonderful 1985 novel Love in the Time of Cholera, as are many, but when I heard it was being adapted to film I had a hard time figuring out how that would work. In the book, plot isn't necessarily the driving force so much as the long, gorgeous sentences and the poetic feeling of the exquisite torture of longing for something you love. Like many, this film slipped off my radar and I still haven't been able to see this story brought to life onscreen.

I'm adding this to my queue partly out of curiosity, but also because the Oscar-winning super dreamy Javier Bardem stars as Florentino Ariza, a young man who falls hard (seriously, he loves her forever) for Fermina Daza (played by Giovanna Mezzogiorno). The film is directed by Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco, Four Weddings and Funeral) and was filmed in Columbia. Add it all up and this is one romantic drama I'm excited to get lost in at home.

Link Time! 2/14

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:30:23 PST

FilmExperience is excited about today's news that Amy Adams will be one of the performers at this year's Oscars, singing "Happy Working Song" from Enchanted, while Kristin Chenowith will sing another song from the film, "That's How You Know."
Stereogum has found some funny Valentines for your indie sweetheart.
Pop Candy also rustled up some Get Smart and The Office e-valentines if you want to have a very Steve Carell-y V-Day.
TV Squad's Annie Wu danced with Stephen Colbert at a Colbert Report taping. Jealous? Who, me?
The MTV Movies Blog has outed Nicole Kidman as the person who will play CIA agent Valerie Plame.
Give Me My Remote has clips of Dexter cleaned up for CBS.
I Guess I'm Floating rounds up a whole bunch of covers of Arcade Fire's "Black Mirror."
Cinematical has a list of movies that make you glad to be single, including Sleeping With the Enemy and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

The Votes Are in: Best Romance and Best Girl Friendship of 2007

BuzzSugar — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:30:00 PST

This roundup of my best of 2007 polls include your final picks for the best onscreen movie romance and the best friendship/relationship between women in a movie. And the winners are...

Best Movie Romance: Giselle and Robert, Enchanted
Looks like many of you were swept up into the magical romance shared by Giselle (Amy Adams) and Robert (Patrick Dempsey) in the sweet Disney princess story Enchanted. However, after that the votes are outrageously close for the second place winner. As of right now, the relationship between Jane (Anne Hathaway) and Tom (James McAvoy) in Becoming Jane is beating out the relationship between Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) and Will (Orlando Bloom) in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End by exactly one vote.

I voted for the relationship between Lars and his real girl, Bianca, because there truly is something so lovely and pure about that relationship, as strange as it sounds.

Best Girl Friendship: The three waitresses, Waitress
There weren't a ton of great depictions of friendship (or sisterhood) between women in this year's crop of films, but of the options available, you all favored the sweet, quirky friendship between the trio of waitresses in Waitress. The relationship between sisters Alison and Debbie in Knocked Up followed behind, and the adorable friendship between Tracy and Penny in Hairspray was a close third.

I joined the voters picking the women of Waitress, as I found those relationships to be both heartwarming and true-to-life.

Source and Waitress photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Sugar Bits - Amy Winehouse's Mother Writes Letter

PopSugar — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:32:33 PST

In light of Amy Winehouse's recent erratic behavior, her mother has written an open letter urging her daughter to take the first step towards recovery by acknowledging her drug problems, phoning home, and letting her family help her get well. We hope it's not too little too late. - News of the World
Despite its bad early buzz, The Golden Compass took the top spot at the box office over the weekend with $26 million, while Enchanted came in at number two, and This Christmas at third. $26 Million isn't too bad, except for the fact the film cost $180 million to make. - BuzzSugar
Ugly Betty's David Blue, who stars as Michael Urie's boyfriend, was mugged at gunpoint on Saturday in LA after leaving a wrap party for the show, but fortunately he was unharmed. That sounds ugly! - TMZ
Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough married Leigh Boniello in Orlando on Saturday, in front of his bandmates. Congrats to the happy couple! - OK! Magazine
Scott Baio married his longtime girlfriend Renee Sloan, on Saturday in LA. The two recently welcomed their first child together. Charles in Charge is officially off the market. - People

Bauer-Griffin

Golden Compass Tops the Box Office, Studio Still Disappointed

BuzzSugar — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:30:00 PST

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

Sugar Bits - Enchanted Tops the Box Office Again

PopSugar — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 09:35:34 PST

Enchanted took the top spot at the box office for the second week in a row, followed by This Christmas and Beowulf. The holiday movie season will be in full swing next weekend with the release of The Golden Compass and Atonement, so it will be interesting to see who comes out on top then. - BuzzSugar
Denise Richards' mother passed away on Friday after a long battle with cancer. Our hearts go out to Denise and her family. - People
In an auction to benefit the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne sold items worth $800,000 from their former LA home, including a pair of Ozzy's skull-adorned sneakers ($2,625) and his old portable coffee mug ($1,625). Maybe we underestimated how much people still want a piece of their personal lives. - BBC
After settling his lawsuit against Kanye West just last week, Evel Knievel died Friday after struggling with ill health for years. Our thoughts are with the family of the legendary stuntman. - E! News
Ethan Hawke had appeared single but apparently he's been dating his children's former nanny for two years. At least he was courteous enough to wait until his relationship with Uma was over unlike a lot of other men. - Gatecrasher

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios