BuzzSugar

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

The Results Are In: Recast "I Love Lucy"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:29:16 -0700

Every Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie. The reader who submits the best cast wins a BuzzSugar t-shirt!

I was delighted by way too many of the recast ideas for "I Love Lucy" to name them all here, but I do want to make some shout-outs before running out of room! I was highly impressed with some of the non-Debra Messing ideas for Lucy, such as K2's Kelly Ripa, Livience's Amy Adams and most of all the popular choice of Isla Fisher. I also liked many of the Ethel casting choices, like Marcia Gay Harden selected by prbeachbum, and ddene5713's pick of Kate Winslet. Finally, I think Pinkflats is onto something with casting John Leguizamo as Ricky.
My favorite list overall, however, comes from pepperatstate! In the end, I do think Debra Messing would make a perfect Lucy, and pepperatstate's other choices are great too. So to see who she picked along with a new cast photo, read more

pepperatstate's cast:
Lucy - Debra Messing
Ethel - Jane Krakowski
Ricky - Antonio Banderas
Fred - Chris Noth

P.S. - Praise is also in order for marebare's very own self-made recast photo! Nice job, marebare!

The Results Are In: Recast "Designing Women"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 11:37:11 -0700

Every Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie and the winner gets a BuzzSugar t-shirt!

Last week, we considered "Designing Women," the show about four sassy Southern belles (and an ex-con) who run an interior-design business. Oddly, of all of the classics we've Recast so far - from Casablanca to "Cheers" - this one elicited the most hew and cry about tampering with perfection.

But you persevered with some clever choices: WhiplashGirlchild's paired "SNL" alums Amy Poehler as Mary Jo and Tim Meadow as Anthony, and PinkRabbit also had some great ideas, including Melanie Lynskey for the Suzanne Role. But there can only be one winner, and that's Sweet Tea, so congratulations! To see her picks and the new cast photo, read more

Sweet Tea's Cast:
Julia Sugarbaker: Mary-Louise Parker
Suzanne Sugarbaker: Kristin Chenoweth
Mary Jo Shively: Emily Procter
Charlene Frazier Stillfield: Jane Krakowski
Anthony Bouvier: D.L. Hughley

What to TiVo: Thursday

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:50:22 -0800

ABC is new with FlashForward, Grey's Anatomy, and Private Practice
CBS is new with Survivor, CSI, and The Mentalist
FOX is new with Bones and Fringe
NBC is new with Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office, and 30 Rock
The CW is new with Vampire Diaries and Supernatural
E! has 15 Remarkable Celebrity Body Bouncebacks, and is new with Secrets of Twilight
MTV has Jackass: The Movie, and is new with Gone Too Far
VH1 is new with Top 20 Celebrities Gone Good
Bravo is new with Real Housewives of Orange County
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 and The League
Lifetime is new with Project Runway
Late-night highlights include Dakota Fanning and Jane Krakowski on The Jay Leno Show on NBC; Ted Danson on Lopez Tonight on TBS; Stephen Colbert and John Mayer on The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS; Nicole Kidman, Anderson Cooper, and Leona Lewis on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on NBC; Carrie Underwood and Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC; Sandra Bullock and Ben Foster on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson on CBS; and Taylor Lautner on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on NBC

Cirque du Freak: An Unnecessary Addition to Vampire Entertainment

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:30:09 -0700

With Halloween just around the corner, October is the perfect time for movie studios to unleash their creepiest films, since we're all in the mood for a good scare. Combine with that the insatiable desire for vampire entertainment, and you've got Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant; a tween fantasy movie that plays out like R.L. Stein's Goosebumps novels on the big screen - but not nearly as scary.

Based on the book series by Darren Shan, Cirque du Freak is the story of Darren (Chris Massoglia), your typical 16-year-old boy trying to quell his high school boredom. Dubbed "Mr. Perfect" by his mischievous best friend Steve, Darren follows the rules, has plenty of friends, and does whatever his parents tell him to do - that is, unless Steve can convince him otherwise. The boys pick up a flyer for the Cirque du Freak and decide to check it out.

That's just the beginning though, so to see what I thought of the film, just read more.

Things go awry when Darren finds himself tangled up in the world behind the Cirque, particularly that of Larten Crepsley, a crotchety vampire who couldn't be bothered with a teenager. When Darren gets himself into a sticky situation, the only way he can bail himself out is by selling his soul to Crepsley, becoming his half-vampire assistant.

If you thought sorting out all the vampire lore in Twilight and True Blood was confusing, get ready for the most convoluted yet. In this story, a war is brewing between two breeds: the Vampanese represent the blood-suckers that are all for killing their prey, while the run-of-the mill vamps prefer to sedate, feed, and then letting their victims return to regular life. As a half-vampire who's reluctant to lose what little human qualities he has left, Darren obviously joins Larten Crepsley's team, while his best friend Steve joins the evil Vampanese.

As for the actual Cirque du Freak, the group of misfits and outcasts are more X-Men and less Carnivale. The crew includes unusual children who were abandoned by their parents (like "Snake Boy" and "Monkey Girl"), along with a few other vaudeville acts like the Bearded Lady (Salma Hayek) and a woman who can regenerate her limbs (Jane Krakowski). Some are friendly, others are surly, but the cirque in itself is more campy than scary; little hideout is basically an island of misfit toys.

The film isn't boring, but it's not exactly packed with pizazz either. Director Paul Weitz was sure to stay on the safer side of the movie's PG-13 rating, rarely pushing the envelope on what could have been a much creepier film. John C. Reilly is always reliable for a good performance, and he has some great comedic timing as the voice of brutal honesty to Darren's naivete. Massoglia gives decent performance for a newbie, and even reminded me of a young Emile Hirsch at times. That said, the movie is also packed with confusing subplots and some truly corny dialogue that evoked collective groans from the audience.

If you're looking for a fun movie to get you into the Halloween spirit, this might do the trick. Just make sure you're in a tween state of mind.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

What Do You Think About the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:27:23 -0700

Kristin Chenoweth is the winner of the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series award for Pushing Daisies! She beat out Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Jane Krakowski, Elizabeth Perkins, and Vanessa Williams.

How cute was she getting all teary eyed when she took the podium? What do you think about this win?

Vote on all my Emmy Awards polls here!