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Buzz Gift Guide: A Bounty For Boys

BuzzSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:30:41 -0800

Welcome back to my Buzz Gift Guide series for all the entertainment lovers in your life. On Monday I dug up some gifts for the little ones in your life and today I'm brainstorming ideas for the teenage dudes in your world who are pop culture sponges.

If I had a teenage brother I'd insist he own a complete set of Indiana Jones DVDs including (but more importantly, not limited to) this year's fourth addition to the franchise. In regard to other franchises, I've noticed that some teenage guys (and by "some" I mean my younger cousins) are always quoting Family Guy and The Simpsons and might have fun with these characters to stick up on their walls.

For the wannabe rock star in your life there's always Guitar Hero World Tour which expands the game from a lone guitar player to a full band that includes drums (it actually looks like a lot of fun!). You may know a young lad who enjoys that Shaun White snowboarding video game, so he might like listening to the pretty cool soundtrack from it, and finally, I'm sure many teens would be stoked to own Iron Man.

Indiana Jones - The Complete Adventure Collection ($59.99)	Stewie Thinks Fathead ($99.99)
Guitar Hero World Tour ($189.99)	Iron Man ($19.99)	Shaun White Snowboarding: The Official Game Soundtrack ($11.99)

Check out HolidaySugar for all of our holiday coverage and gift guides.

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:30:14 -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. In addition to the titles below, the Oscar-winning documentary Taxi to the Dark Side is also now available on DVD.

Iron Man
Hurray! It feels like just yesterday the Summer box office was electrified by this superhero hit. I really loved it (and saw it twice in the theaters), mostly due to a super cool performance by Robert Downey Jr. and the skillful storytelling abilities of director Jon Favreau. Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, and Terrence Howard also do well in this fun action movie. It's a good way to go back in time and shake off those dark, depressing blues you may have caught from your 10th viewing of The Dark Knight.

Special features include deleted and extended scenes, featurettes titled "I Am Iron Man: 7-Part Making-of Documentary," "The Invincible Iron Man: 6-Part History of the Hero," and "Wired: The Visual effects of Iron Man." Something I'm really curious to see in the extras is a Robert Downey Jr. screen test and a featurette on his acting process. More time with RDJ is always good.

Two more spiffy choices, so read more!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Another comedy from the Apatow universe to add to your at-home collection (or your Netflix queue): Forgetting Sarah Marshall, starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, and Mila Kunis in a story about a guy trying to get over his most recent ex. And this could be considered a good thing or a warning, depending on your opinion: VMA host Russell Brand is in this movie and has a ton of screen time.

The unrated version is cryptically described as including scenes "you couldn't see in theaters" which I pray does not mean more of Jason Segel's private parts. I saw plenty myself, how about you? Other special features include a gag reel and a featurette titled "Line-o-rama: Lines you'll be reciting for ages."

Sports Night: Complete Series
On days like today, I really wish Aaron Sorkin would stop fiddling around on Facebook and get back to writing really awesome TV shows. He's definitely more hit than miss on the small screen and today's release of the special anniversary edition of his acclaimed Sports Night is an example of what it's like when he's hit his stride.

If you've never heard of the show, it's loosely based on ESPN's Sports Center, and it takes a look at the behind-the-scenes dynamics. The awesome cast is led by Peter Krause and Felicity Huffman who skillfully deliver those faster-than-the-speed-of-light dialogues that Sorkin is so good at writing.

The special edition DVD set includes new interviews with Sorkin, cast members Josh Charles, Robert Guillaume, Felicity Huffman, Peter Krause, and Joshua Malina; a featurette where real SportsCenter employees compare their experiences with the characters on Sports Night; a look back with creators Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme; and of course, gag reels.

How Well Do You Know Robert Downey Jr.?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:30:02 -0700

If I had to give Robert Downey Jr. a Hollywood nickname it would be "enigma" because he has been a puzzling and contradictory force. By now everyone knows the story of his professional ascent (nominated for Oscars and such) and descent (arrests, a lot of booze, drugs, etc.). And while his talent has never been disputed, his personal antics have left many wondering if he would ever truly fulfill his enormous potential, or if his self-destructive tendencies would sabotage his work.

And then came Summer 2008. Iron Man was a huge hit and he's earning good reviews for his comedic, slightly controversial role in Tropic Thunder, out this week. So, in honor of RDJ's return to grace, I challenge you to a quiz!

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RDJ to Play a Cowboy Who Battles (What Else?) Aliens

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:29:07 -0700

Robert Downey Jr. is officially one of Hollywood's hottest commodities after the huge success of Iron Man this summer and it looks like studios are no longer skittish about placing their big-budget films on the shoulders of the star who was once considered a liability. RDJ will star in the film adaptation of the graphic novel Cowboys & Aliens, which has been in the works for nearly 10 years. The script that finally set the wheels in motion came from the writers of Iron Man and Children of Men, which is a good sign.

The Hollywood Reporter has the description of the plot:

The story centers on an Old West battle between the Apache and Western settlers, including a former Union Army gunslinger named Zeke Jackson (Downey), that is interrupted by a spaceship crashing into the prairie near Silver City, Ariz. The story draws a parallel between the American imperialist drive to conquer the "savage" Indians with its advanced technology and the aliens' assault on Earthlings, who must join together to survive the invaders' attack.

DreamWorks has tentatively set a release date for 2010.

Are you familiar with this graphic novel? Are you excited to see Downey Jr. back at the top of his game?

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

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:30:31 -0700

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?

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Box Office: SATC Sticks a Stiletto in the Competition

BuzzSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 05:45:14 -0700

As the saying goes: If you build it, they will come. Which was indeed the case this weekend for Sarah Jessica Parker and Michael Patrick King's two and a half hour fête gifted to devoted fans who showed up in droves to support Sex and the City's move to the big screen.

The movie smashed every record for an R-rated comedy and proved that women can drive box office sales just like men. SATC earned an estimated $55.7 million prompting Warner president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman to quote in Variety:

This has become a cultural phenomenon. What this shows is that given the right project, you can create a frenzy for the female aud, just like we are used to with boys and men.

The film was "the strongest ever for a movie carried by a female lead," beating the record-holder Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Sarah Jessica Parker told the New York Times, "I am so excited about the possibilities for movies about women.”

Dropping to the No. 2 spot, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull still had a strong second weekend earning an additional $46 million. Even the third spot was a shock to many with the seriously spooky The Strangers taking in an estimated $20.7 million. That's really good if you compare it to the approximate $9 million the movie cost to produce. Iron Man dropped to the fourth spot followed by The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian at No. 5.

Photos courtesy of New Line Cinema

Box Office: Indiana Whips the Competition

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 07:00:00 -0700

Traditionally, Memorial Day weekend is very kind to Summer blockbusters, and this year was no exception for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. According to Variety, the return of the Steven Spielberg franchise was his biggest movie opening ever, hauling in an estimated $126 million over the four-day holiday.

While these results are a career high for Spielberg, the film itself did not break any box office records related to this holiday weekend or any other long weekend openings.

Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian dropped to second place followed by Iron Man. The fourth spot went to What Happens in Vegas, which continues to perform well, followed by Made of Honor at No. 5 and Baby Mama at No. 6.

John Cusack's War Inc. - also starring Hillary Duff - opened in limited release and did not make the top 10.

Photos courtesy of Paramount

Narnia's Prince Gallops Away With the Box Office

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 08:15:21 -0700

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian handily won the top stop at the box office over the weekend, though it failed to bring in as much as the first Narnia film did in 2005.

In the "yikes" department, Speed Racer (already struggling at the box office) dropped from third place to fourth, only earning an estimated $7.6 million this weekend. Iron Man continued to set records, holding strong at second place while What Happens in Vegas took third. In fact, Iron Man was the first film to earn over $200 million at the domestic box office this year, according to Variety. Baby Mama closed out the top five.

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney

Box Office: Iron Man Continues to Soar

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:30:32 -0700

Update: As of this afternoon, What Happens in Vegas beat out Speed Racer for the No. 2 spot at the box office, Variety reports.

It will come as no surprise to the majority of movie critics who screened Speed Racer that the highly anticipated Wachowski brothers' flick had a disappointing opening weekend.

Not only did Speed Racer fail to knock Iron Man out of the top spot (the Marvel action hero brought in another $50 million over the weekend), but it's still unclear if the film can truly claim second place as What Happens in Vegas is hot on its trail in what Variety is calling a "photo finish." Vegas only earned an estimated $200,000 less than Speed Racer and both films are currently hovering around the $20 million mark.

In addition to poor reviews, another problem Speed Racer had is that it seemed to only appeal to kids, and filmmakers were shooting for a broader audience. An executive for the film told Hollywood Reporter, "What's hurting us is that the picture is playing very young." The Hollywood Reporter article also points out that if this is the case, then they'll have a hard time when even more competition heads to the theaters next weekend in the form of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

Made of Honor fell to fourth place followed by Baby Mama to round out the top five.

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures

My Shout Out to Jon Favreau

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:31:04 -0700

Now that the dust has settled around the huge Iron Man opening last weekend, I wanted to take a moment to give the director of the movie a little shout out. As buzz around Iron Man started to build, I heard a lot of people remark at what an odd canon of work Favreau has created as a director (even more so when you stick in his acting jobs) and that trusting him with the reigns of a giant film with a big-budget comic book movie seemed strange at first.

But just like casting Robert Downey Jr. struck me as totally inspired, I think Marvel knew what they were doing when trusting their big movie venture with Favreau. While his body of work may appear to be a bit random (Zathura: A Space Adventure, Elf, Swingers, Made, guest appearance on Friends), upon closer inspection it's clear that one thing ties it all together: a healthy respect for good old-fashioned storytelling. He knows what goes into a spinning a great yarn, and part of that is casting incredibly engaging lead actors (Will Ferrell in Elf, RDJ in Iron Man, etc.).

To read more about why I'm glad this guy was given the chance to direct Iron Man, and why I'm excited to see what he does next, read more.

At this stage in the game, it's pretty hard to freshen up the regular story arc of a superhero movie, much less create a fun summer blockbuster that isn't totally reliant on CGI, and he managed both. This is why I think we can expect a lot more from Favreau the director in the future: his heart is in the craft of filmmaking and he has a strong sense of what folks wants to see. In a recent interview with the LA Times, he reflected on arguably the most successful week of his career by summarizing the way he views filmmaking these days:

Right now is an interesting time because technology is what you're using to tell stories. Really, George Lucas was the guy who made that leap from taking the primal elements of storytelling, the sort of mythic Joseph Campbell storytelling and Jungian archetypal deconstruction of storytelling, and using modern technology to amplify that and present it to a new generation. But I contend it's not the technology that draws people to it, it's the story. It's touching something in us that's much older and deeper.

Here's hoping Favreau sticks around for a long time as I think he and his movies will help to balance out the ratio of story-to-computer generated robots in Hollywood.

Are you as happy as I am for Favreau's success?

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