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Jonah Hill Gets Animated!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:30:34 -0700

Seth MacFarlane is the cartoon king right now - Family Guy is still going strong, and its spinoff The Cleveland Show has already been picked up for a second season. But could Jonah Hill give him a run for his money?

The funny guy best known for his roles as the slacker friend is developing an animated show for Fox. Hill is co-writing and voicing the series, which will center around a smarty-pants 7-year-old who gets a culture shock when his parents send him to public school.

I know you guys are mixed about whether Hill has romantic leading man potential when it comes to movies, but I think this sounds like the perfect project for him. How hilarious will it be to hear him as a snarky kid? Plus, I'm semi-curious to see how his comedic writing stacks up when he's not paired with a Rogen, Cera, or Sandler.

What do you make of this news? Will you tune in?

The Invention of Lying: Sweet, but Unsteady

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:45:37 -0700

In his Hollywood directorial debut, Ricky Gervais takes us to an alternate universe where honesty makes the world go round. It's not just that lie-telling is an impossibility; everyone can't help but speak their minds at all times, no matter how personal, embarrassing, or brutal their innermost thoughts may be. The premise of The Invention of Lying is rife for comedy, but the film is also a commentary on religion and has its sad moments as well.

The film tells the story of Mark Bellison, an average joe who just can't seem to get ahead in a world where his mediocrity is ridiculed day after day. His co-workers can't stand him and women reject him based on his looks alone. When he loses his job as a screenwriter, Mark is ready to give up - until he mysteriously becomes the world's first liar.

To see what else I thought of the film, just read more.

Ricky Gervais stars as Mark, living in a world that's mostly free of flair, frills, and aesthetics. Mark's house and office are plain and boring, complementing his every-day appearance. Those who stand out are the people who are naturally attractive, like the object of Mark's affections, Anna (Jennifer Garner) and his snarky co-worker Brad (Rob Lowe). Anna can't help but show her shallow side on her first date with Mark. She immediately rejects him on the basis that she doesn't want to have "fat, snub-nosed" children someday and must find a "better genetic match." Once Mark starts to stretch his newfound talent though, he decides he can have whatever he wants - and begins a quest to win Anna's affections.

Gervais surprised me with his performance because he finally takes a break from his typical British dry humor. As affable, down-on-his-luck Mark, Gervais proves that he doesn't need his signature sarcasm to be witty. The most important scene of the movie requires a lot of raw emotion from Gervais, and he absolutely nails it, showcasing a sweet side that we rarely see from the actor.

There are two major aspects of the movie that wore me down: the cameos and the product placement. I love a good celebrity appearance, but after Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ed Norton, and Jason Bateman pop in, it starts to feel like Gervais is trying to use his comical buddies to keep the storyline afloat when it starts to lose focus. Seeing a familiar face is always fun, but this isn't a Judd Apatow movie.

The product placement is funny and fitting at first; there's not much room for advertising in a world of stark truth. With only a reputation to rely on, Coke and Pepsi are left with the slogans "It's very famous" and "When they don't have Coke," respectively. The film goes way overboard from there though, and suddenly Mark is surrounded by Budweiser bottles at all times and at the film's climax he's standing in front of a group clutching a pair of cardboard Pizza Hut boxes.

The movie's biggest problem is that it tries to appeal to too many genres. It's packaged as a comedy, but Mark becomes a god-like character once the world gets wind of his lies. His peers literally take everything he says as gospel, and Mark becomes a blatant modern-day Moses (complete with long hair and beard). Just as the audience begins to wonder where it's all going, the movie quickly ditches the religious aspect and finishes up as a love story. The ending is satisfactory, but what's the point of satirizing religion when it doesn't hold much water for the overall message of the movie?

Like I said, the premise is rife for comedy and starts us down a path that's packed with laughs - I just wish Invention of Lying didn't wander off before finding its way back home.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Brad, Will, and Jonah Lend Their Voices to Oobermind

BuzzSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:30:35 -0700

I don't know about you guys, but I'm always more excited about an animated movie when I love the actors behind the voices. Before I even read the description of Dreamworks' Oobermind, I was already on board since Brad Pitt and Will Ferrell will lend their vocal talents to the lead roles. Along with Jonah Hill, the actors will play three superheroes - Brad's a good guy, Jonah's a bad guy, and Will's the title character who apparently swings both ways. Robert Downey Jr. was originally set to play Oobermind, but it sounds like he's got his eye on bigger projects. RDJ would have been fun, but added bonus: Tina Fey's already signed on as well.

Do You Like the Idea of Jonah Hill as a Romantic Leading Man?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:30:03 -0700

Universal has recently acquired the script for The Best Thing About Pam Rooney, a "high-concept romantic comedy" that will apparently star Jonah Hill in the lead role. No real details yet on plot, but this casting news alone got me thinking about Jonah Hill's career thus far. I've enjoyed him, for the most part, as a supporting character to many other funny lead actors, but I wonder if I'll enjoy sitting through an entire romantic comedy centered around his role. It may come down to what the relationship is like between his character and the other romantic lead, but I'm a little bit wary nonetheless.

What do you think of Jonah Hill as the main man in a rom-com?

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Movie Preview: Gervais, Garner, Fey in The Invention of Lying

BuzzSugar — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:30:49 -0700

According to Ricky Gervais's blog, J.J. Abrams has seen Gervais's movie The Invention of Lying and is raving about it. Whether Gervais is joking or not remains to be seen, but he writes:

J.J. Abrams (Star Trek director) watched The Invention of Lying and said it was one of his favourite films. I know I shouldn't care what people think - some people will like it, some will hate it, and some won't care either way. But the reason I'm so excited in this instance is that I think J.J. is one of the most exciting directors out there at the moment.

Well, that's a nice endorsement. The movie (previously titled This Side of the Truth) certainly does look interesting, and it's chock-full of fun people like Tina Fey, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Rob Lowe, and more. Of course, Gervais himself is also in the movie, as the central character who lives in a world in which everyone only ever tells the truth - always. The movie shows what happens when lies are introduced to such a world. Naturally, Gervais's character is the inventor of lying.

The movie opens Sept. 25. To check out the trailer, read more.

Buzz News Roundup, 12/10

BuzzSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:30:37 -0800

ABC will show Wipeout opposite the Super Bowl. - The Hollywood Reporter
Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler are in negotiations to star together in an untitled comedic bounty hunter movie. - ComingSoon
Five people, including Martha Plimpton, have joined the cast of Matthew Perry's Showtime pilot. - Zap2it
Kiss has decided to hit the studio next year to record its first new album since 1998's Psycho Circus. - Billboard
And speaking of circuses, Britney Spears's album topped the charts this week, making it her fifth No. 1 album. - Billboard
John C. Reilly has signed on to play the love interest to Marisa Tomei's character in an untitled comedy. Jonah Hill will play Tomei's son who comes between the two lovebirds. - Variety
A commencement speech by David Foster Wallace will be turned into a book. - New York Times
Keanu Reeves will play a samurai swordsman in the epic period film 47 Ronin. - ComingSoon

Did You Watch 21 Jump Street?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 07:00:36 -0700

The recent news about Jonah Hill writing a film adaptation of the 1980s TV series 21 Jump Street sent up warning flags a-plenty. First off, the assumption is that this movie will be a comedic version of the drama which, as EW points out, often used to include "earnest public service announcements." In fact, it might be a spoof version of 21 Jump Street, which doesn't sit right with me. Additionally, I can't imagine Johnny Depp will be involved in this film, and let's face it - he was one of the greatest parts of the show, if not the greatest.

Were you as addicted to 21 Jump Street as I was? What do you think about a film version spearheaded by Jonah Hill?

Source

Buzz News Roundup, 4/30

BuzzSugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:32:15 -0700

According to ComingSoon, America Ferrera will star in the coming-of-age drama An Invisible Sign of My Own, which will be directed by Mad Hot Ballroom's Marilyn Agrelo.
Paramount and Brad Pitt's production company Plan B have picked up the rights to two memoirs, Beautiful Boy and Tweak, Variety reports.
FX has ordered a series about a rebel motorcycle gang from one of the producers of The Shield, reports Zap2it.
Mariah Carey's album remains at the top of the charts for the second week in a row, while Ashlee Simpson is coming in at No. 4, behind Leona Lewis and the Flight of the Conchords album, writes E! Online.
The iTunes store has added three series from BBC America to its catalog, Broadcasting & Cable reports.
Reuters reports that there's already a book and documentary in the works about New York governor Eliot Spitzer.
Spike TV has given the green light to its first comedy series, The Factory, an improvised show from the co-creator of Strangers with Candy, writes the Hollywood Reporter.
Jonah Hill is in talks to provide the comic relief as Shia's sidekick in the Transformers sequel, writes ComingSoon.

Source

Judd Apatow and Co. to Strike Again With 20-Somethings Comedy

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:29:39 -0700

Right on the heels of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Judd Apatow is again teaming up with Sarah Marshall director Nick Stoller for yet another 20-something dude comedy. Titled Get Him to the Greek, this one will also draw from the Sarah Marshall cast (well, and the Superbad, Knocked Up and 40-Year-Old Virgin casts, too) with Russell Brand and Jonah Hill toplining.

The comedy will follow "a fresh-out-of-college insurance adjuster (Hill) who is hired to accompany an out-of-control rock star (Brand) from London to a gig at L.A.'s Greek Theater." I wonder what bit part Paul Rudd will have.

So, the Apatow machine continues to churn 'em out. What do you think about this news? Anybody getting slightly tired of the same kinds of movies with the same dudes in them? Or is Apatow and his band of merry men an endless source of good comedy?

Source

Forgetting Sarah Marshall: Lots of Laughs, Not a Lot of Heart

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 05:30:30 -0700

For the first half of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I laughed out loud almost nonstop. Deliciously rife with Apatowian elements - bumbling self-deprecating characters, bawdy jokes, "call-'em-like-I-see-'em" bits of social commentary - it's a satisfying parade of sarcasm and sight gags. It even begins with a shamelessly, utterly nude Jason Segel, a move I fully admire. Yet somewhere along the line everything starts to lose steam, and it's hard to care much about any of the characters - least of all our schlubby protagonist. And sure, it's still funny, but - awesome musical puppet interpretation of Dracula notwithstanding - the heartbeat of the film weakens tremendously.

Of course, for many people this won't matter, and the fact remains that it's still a good comedy in that it makes us laugh. But is it a tight story with great characters? I'm not so sure. In case the extremely pervasive marketing techniques for this movie never permeated your consciousness, here's the story: Pete Bretter's (Segel) TV actress girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. Grief-stricken, Pete sleeps with as many women as possible before finally deciding a trip to Hawaii will better help him forget Sarah Marshall. But when he reaches the lush, beautiful hotel, there she is - with her new boyfriend, Brit rocker Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). Awkwardness ensues as Pete obsesses over Sarah and also tries to avoid her. Enter hot girl hotel employee Rachel (Mila Kunis) who is happy to take Pete's mind off Sarah, which only ignites Sarah's jealousy. Soon, Pete must decide what - and who - he thinks will make him happiest.

For more of my take on it all, read more.

In a largely character-driven comedy, the problem is that we're not entirely sure how to feel about most of the characters, and eventually we give up and feel nothing. This is a directional issue that most afflicts our main twosome, Pete and Sarah. I get the feeling that I'm supposed to hate Sarah, but frankly, I just can't. She shows a vulnerable side, opening up and crying to Pete about what made her break up with him and though her reasoning seems sensible, we're still supposed to hate her. Also, by the time it all comes out, we've been so entertained by all the slapstick and silliness that we end up judging and mocking Sarah's vulnerability, and it feels awkward. So, maybe it's not so much that there is no heart to the story, but that it comes too late to take very seriously.

Same goes for Pete's journey. When Rachel inspires him to jump off a cliff into the ocean (after they've talked about him taking risks with his career, insert heavy-handed life metaphor here), I find it difficult to care about what's going on with him. The following montage of scenes indicating that he's on the up and up (he attends a stranger's wedding! He swims with kids! He refuses alcohol!) rings empty, and again, I can't seem to care about this guy. Thus, whether or not Pete ends up with Rachel, a character I find to be incredibly obnoxious and, well, trashy, isn't something that concerns me in the least, especially since, while he's a relatively nice guy (or, "too sensitive," as Rachel so helpfully puts it), he's sort of a blah person. As the epicenter of an entire narrative, he doesn't quite manage to hold it all together.

There is one character who is both well-defined and endlessly entertaining, and that is Sarah's new man, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). This is the perfect situation: a fantastically gifted comedic actor combined with a solidly formed character. At least with Aldous we know where he stands and what he's about: egotistical fame-hungry rock-n-roll personality by day, tireless lothario by night - all the while maintaining this relaxed comfort with the world, this assumption that pleasure will find him. This movie won't make it to my DVD collection, but I do want a clip montage of Aldous Snow-isms to cheer me up on sick days.

Bottom line: It's not my favorite comedy ever, but the character of Aldous and a bunch of funny jokes make it more or less worth the price of admission.

Source

To see the trailer and more clips from Forgetting Sarah Marshall check out movies.ivillage.com.