BuzzSugar

What Is the Best Comedic Movie of 2009?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:30:10 PST

As we've already seen with my polls on comedic actors and comedic actresses, this year delivered lots of laughs, thanks to some funny bromances and a rom-com or two (or three). Which one was your favorite in '09?

Don't forget to vote on all of my Best of 2009 polls!

Who Are the Best Dude Buddies of 2009?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:30:00 PST

There's nothing wrong with a little guy love between two guys, and 2009 brought on a new batch of bromances. Some of the pairings led to big laughs while other dudes teamed up to take on some of the year's biggest villains. Which dude buddies are your favorites?

Don't forget to vote on all of my Best of 2009 polls!

Who Is the Best Comedic Actress of 2009?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:30:05 PST

Funny ladies of the big screen always make me happy; they can roll with the best of the boys and manage to be completely captivating doing it. This year's romantic comedies and girl-power anthems gave Hollywood's women plenty of chances to be silly, so let me know who you thought was the funniest this year. And don't stop voting there - check the rest of my Best of 2009 polls!

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:30:00 PST

It's Tuesday, so you know what that means - new DVD releases just in time for the Thanksgiving break! I've already shared some fresh music picks, but here are three movies to add to your Netflix queue for the weekend.

Funny People

Adam Sandler plays a comedian who tries to turn his life around and befriend a past love (Leslie Mann) after being diagnosed with a blood disorder; Seth Rogen steps in as his idealistic assistant. Both men turn in solid performances in Funny People, and there are laughs, even though this is way more serious than director Judd Apatow's previous work. One of my complaints in the theater was that it was much too long, but that's the good thing about DVDs - you can always hit pause and go back later.

The single disc version includes a gag reel and a feature commentary with Apatow, Rogen, and Sandler. (Normally I don't watch with the commentary on, but in this case, I might just tune in for their wise cracks.) The special two-disc collector's version is loaded with extras, including a 13-year old Seth Rogen doing stand-up!

68%

Two more DVD releases to check out when you

read more. Four Christmases I love Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, and while they don't necessarily have any sparks in Four Christmases, they still serve up a cute comedy. The pair star as a couple stuck visiting four sets of relatives around the holidays - his mom, her mom, his dad, her dad. And while it's not the funniest or most charming film that either actor has done, I still had a few laughs, especially thanks to the supporting cast of quirky characters (Jon Favreau and Kristin Chenoweth in particular). Even if it doesn't stack up against the classics in my holiday movie faceoff, it's worth trying if you're looking to get into the spirit of the season. 25%
Angels and Demons Tom Hanks fans have Angels and Demons to look forward to. The actor is incredibly long-winded in the follow-up film to The DaVinci Code, but at least he's no longer sporting that ridiculous bouffant hairdo. This time, Robert Langdon tries to save the Vatican from an ancient group known as the Illuminati. Personally, I was bored by the first half when I saw the film in theaters, but the second part is actually fun - so if you catch it at home, you may want to fast forward a bit to get to the good stuff. Special features include behind-the-scenes featurettes. 36%

G.I. Joe: A Real American (Box Office) Hero

BuzzSugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:00:58 PDT

Did you know that G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra posted the highest opening for an August non-sequel on Friday? Well, now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Over the weekend, the movie grossed an estimated $56.2 million domestically, and, combined with overseas numbers, took in an estimated $100.3 million worldwide. As Variety points out, Paramount is having a stellar Summer this year: "Not only has the studio launched another franchise in G.I. Joe, it has reenergized the Star Trek franchise and continued successfully mining the Transformers property."

Julie and Julia also opened over the weekend and grossed just over $20 million, coming in second place. The animated guinea pigs in G-Force pulled in about half that but still came in at No. 3 at the box office. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince followed closely behind at No. 4 while Judd Apatow's Funny People "fell a steep 65 percent" in its second week, rounding out the top five with an estimated $7.9 million.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

What's Your Favorite Judd Apatow-Directed Movie?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:30:26 PDT

When I saw Funny People last week, I was quick to call it my least favorite of the three movies Judd Apatow has directed. I just didn't have quite the same feeling as I did after seeing 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up when I wanted to watch them again and again. Out of the three, I have a particularly special place in my heart for 40-Year-Old Virgin, but tell me - what's your favorite Judd Apatow movie?

Box Office: People Love Funny People

BuzzSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:30:02 PDT

Though the Judd Apatow movie Funny People opened in first place at the box office this weekend with a respectable $23.4 million, that number is "the lowest tally for a No. 1 film this Summer." It's an interesting season when Bruno's opening weekend surpasses that of a Judd Apatow-Adam Sandler-Seth Rogen film.

After the guinea pigs in G-Force took the box office crown from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last weekend, the two hit films nearly tied this time around with both hovering around the $17 million mark. Harry Potter beat G-Force by less than $1 million. The latest in family-friendly entertainment, Aliens in the Attic, took in a dismal $7.8 million over its opening weekend, though it did come in fifth at the box office, just after The Ugly Truth.

The best news comes from the indie film arena, as 500 Days of Summer and The Hurt Locker continue to have impressive per-screen averages.

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Do, Dump, or Marry? Adam Sandler

TresSugar — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 01:30:00 PDT

Funny person Adam Sandler is trying on a more serious role in Funny People, which comes out this weekend. From his stint on Saturday Night Live to his string of hit movies after, Adam has always had a well-received and one-of-a-kind brand of comedy. But I want to know - do you find him sexy?

Funny People or Julie and Julia: Which Interests You More?

BuzzSugar — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 10:30:47 PDT

In my poll last week, many of you expressed interest in seeing the Judd Apatow-directed Funny People in theaters. Next weekend the Meryl Streep-Amy Adams movie, Julie and Julia, about one woman's quest to try every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering The Art of French Cooking opens in theaters as well. One focuses largely on two men (played by Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen) along with issues of mortality, comedy and male friendship, while the other is based on the lives of two women who, at the very least, shared a love of good food.

These are some of our only options these days for mainstream (and widely released) adult comedies-with-heart, so I ask you: Which are you more interested in seeing?

Funny People one-sheet courtesy of Universal Pictures, Julie and Julia one-sheet courtesy of Sony Pictures

Funny People: Apatow Almost Gets It Right

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:30:01 PDT

Before we get right into my thoughts on Funny People, let me preface by saying that I loved Judd Apatow’s first two films, The 40-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. I would count both among the best comedies to hit Hollywood in the past few years, and I had full faith that he would hit another home run with his third directorial stint. I understand that he was ready to try something new and a get a little more serious, but looking back at his first two achievements I have to wonder: when the formula works so well, why mess with it?

Adam Sandler stars as George Simmons, a middle-aged comedian who's found fame and fortune thanks to a movie career filled with silly, Eddie Murphy-esque characters. His house is a palace, but George's selfish behavior has pushed away all of his friends and family. This leaves most of his social interactions with his personal staff, female conquests, and his fans. When George learns that he’s dying from a blood disorder, he decides to go back to his roots in standup comedy while taking on aspiring comedian Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) as his assistant. As George assesses what could be the end of a lonely life, Ira slowly becomes his closest friend and sidekick.

That's just the beginning, so to see what I thought of the film, just

read more. While George isn’t exactly the most likable character around, Adam Sandler does a great job of capturing his moody (and often downright mean) personality. The role is perfect for Sandler as it gives him a chance to shine as the effortlessly funny comedian we all know and love, but at the same time deliver a strong performance as an ailing man who is trying to change his life in the 11th hour. Seth Rogen is equally impressive and perfect as innocent, puppy dog Ira. Rogen's no stranger to playing the everyman kinda guy, but this is the first time I feel like he's playing a role with no hint of sarcasm or arrogance. Ira could easily be mistaken for another lovable loser, but Seth shows that he’s so much more than that. There’s also something endearing about seeing Ira’s wide-eyed enthusiasm juxtaposed with George’s apathetic nature as they face the world of standup comedy as a team. Beyond Sandler and Rogen, the film’s supporting cast provides a lot of life (and many of the laughs) to the story. Leslie Mann really brings out Adam’s sweeter side as Laura, George's "one that got away," and Eric Bana gets a rare chance to show his comedic chops as her bread-winning husband. Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman round out the group as Ira’s quirky and witty roommates. As an added bonus, Apatow and Mann’s daughters, Maude and Iris, are adorable as Laura’s kids. As promised in the title, Funny People delivers jokes, and plenty of them. Granted, more than half of them are about the male anatomy and another large percentage are directed at Seth Rogen’s weight loss, but they're still there. The problem is that the laughs aren't free. George’s illness creates a dark cloud that hangs over the story, even when he learns that he has a good chance of pulling through. Apatow has your heart in his hands because everyone in the audience knows that there's a potential death scene lurking around every corner. The movie has a lot of depressing moments, but what's even sadder is that the biggest takeaway of the film is the length. At over two and a half hours, the movie drags and is entirely too long. Apatow wanted to take his time to make his point, but by the end he had lost me and I just didn’t care that much about the film's final message. Funny People has a lot to offer and isn’t terrible by any means, but it is hands-down my least favorite of Apatow's three films. I'd still give him golf claps, but there just isn't enough to earn a standing ovation this time around.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures