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Movie Preview: Ed Norton and Ed Norton in Leaves of Grass

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0800

That double Ed Norton in the title is not a typo; Leaves of Grass stars the talented actor in a dual role, as polar opposite twin brothers.

As twins, Norton really goes for it - one twin, Bill, is straight-laced, while the other, Brady, is a mulleted hick with a heavy Southern accent. I've missed Norton's presence, but I'm wondering if this is going to a be an amazing acting opportunity or an embarrassing diversion for him. Joining him in the cast sans outrageous accents is Keri Russell, Susan Sarandon, and Richard Dreyfuss. It's a little hard to tell the tone of the movie from the trailer; it's been described as a comedic thriller, but I can't tell if it wants to be Adaptation or Joe Dirt.

To see the trailer, just read more.

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:30:47 -0800

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 my picks below, you can now watch Beverly Hills Chihuahua as many times as you'd like.

Australia
In my mind, there are many reasons to bring home Baz Luhrmann's Australia. There's Hugh Jackman, the costumes, a lot of cool scenery, and did I mention Hugh Jackman? He's just so gorgeous and manly as an outback cowboy. . . . Anyway, I'm just saying that I enjoyed his performance.

The story follows Kidman's character, Sarah Ashley, who gains sudden control of a cattle station in Australia called Faraway Downs. She relies on a rather motley crew to help her out there, including the sexy, no-nonsense Drover (Jackman) and a mixed-race Aboriginal child, Nullah. Things are grueling enough in the outback for these folks but then the war also engulfs their country, making for a very dramatic and epic cinematic journey. Special features include deleted scenes.

One more up next, so read more.

Wonder Woman
While I will continue to hope for a live-action Wonder Woman film, this animated straight-to-DVD movie about DC Comics's Amazon princess looks like it will suffice for now. Keri Russell voices Wonder Woman, a.k.a. Princess Diana, and is joined by Virginia Madsen, Alfred Molina, Rosario Dawson, Oliver Platt, and Nathan Fillion to tell the origin story of this superhero.

I've read some reviews about it and so far the buzz is pretty great. One reviewer called it "a terrifically entertaining action picture, with fully drawn characters, clever dialogue, and a clear and specific point of view." Also, FYI, the movie is PG-13 which means not necessarily suitable for the kids. And it means I can feel less dweeby about watching this at home.

Special features include commentary by the film's creative team and two in-depth documentaries titled "Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream," and "Wonder Woman: Daughter of Myth."

Buzz News Roundup, 2/16

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:45:10 -0800

The fact that this season's Bachelor has a kid has reinvigorated the series for ABC. - The New York Times
Keri Russell has signed on to star as Aileen Crowley, opposite Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford, in The Untitled Crowley Project. - ComingSoon
Wall-E and Slumdog Millionaire nabbed this year's top Eddie Awards for editing, and Slumdog went on to also win top honors from the American Society of Cinematographers. - Variety
Estelle Bennett, one of the Ronettes (the singing trio with the 1963 hit "Be My Baby"), has died at age 67. - Billboard
ABC is picking up the comedy pilot Funny in Farsi, based on a memoir by Firoozeh Dumas. - The Hollywood Reporter
NBC is planning to launch a bolder version of the To Catch a Predator series, this time targeting war criminals, and it's already catching some flak from government officials. - Reuters
Director Claudia Llosa's Peruvian drama The Milk of Sorrow won the Berlin film festival's top Golden Bear award. - AP

What Was Truly the Best Movie Kiss of the Year?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:01:07 -0700

This Sunday June 1, the MTV Movie Awards will strike again and while they aren't the most prestigious awards around, they at least get creative with their nomination categories. My favorite: Best Kiss.

Here are the nominees:

Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey, Enchanted
Briana Evigan and Robert Hoffman, Step Up 2 the Streets
Shia LaBeouf and Sarah Roemer, Disturbia
Ellen Page and Michael Cera, Juno
Daniel Radcliffe and Katie Leung, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I would love it if Ellen Page and Michael Cera won and then reenacted their kiss during the acceptance speech. But I have a feeling The LaBeouf will take that win.

Anyway, is it just me or were there some way better kisses this year than these nominees? There's a great scene in Waitress where Kerri Russell's character imagines a gorgeous kiss with her doctor friend (Nathan Fillion, anyone?) for example. Or hello? The library kisses between Keira Knightley and James McAvoy in Atonement!

Do you agree with this list or are there others you would add? What were some of the great on-screen kisses of the year (and by "this year" I guess we're talking all or most of 2007 since Disturbia came out in April of that year)?

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Buzz News Roundup, 11/30

BuzzSugar — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:39:25 -0800

PopSugar shares the news that Reese Witherspoon was the year's top-earning actress, followed by Angelina Jolie and Cameron Diaz.
The Kennedy Center will honor Steve Martin this Sunday, Dec. 2, reports Variety.
According to ComingSoon, HBO will make a Barry Bonds movie based on the book Game of Shadows.
Reuters has news that Keri Russell will join Adam Sandler in Bedtime Stories, a fantastical family movie directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray).
The Hollywood Reporter states that John Cusack will go back to doing the psychological thriller thing as he joins the cast of The Factory.
The 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's album Thriller will be marked with a new edition of the set including remixes by Kanye West, Akon and will.i.am, writes Billboard.
It's a banner week for Elizabeth Berkeley: Fresh off winning a recurring role on CSI: Miami, she'll also be the host of Bravo's new dance show, according to Variety.
Pitchfork reports that Portishead will finally release a third album - 10 years after the group's last record.

Source

Buzz Brainteaser

BuzzSugar — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 05:30:00 -0700

Welcome to Buzz Brainteaser, the trivia feature on BuzzSugar! Every weekday I'll test your knowledge about TV shows, music and movies. If you enter in the correct answer, you win points! During Felicity's freshman year of college, what is her major?

First Look: Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers in August Rush

BuzzSugar — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 07:30:00 -0700

August Rush is a fantasy-drama (I think) that comes out in October, but I know many of you are fans of Jonathan Rhys Meyers (don't forget to enter my "Tudors" DVD giveaway!), so I'm passing along this brand-new trailer. Keri Russell also stars, as Louis Rush's (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) love interest. Together the two have a child, August Rush, who they are forced to give up (played by Freddie Highmore who played Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). Later, they all magically seek each other out via their unique musical talents. Or something.

All I know is that it looks like Robin Williams plays an advice-doling urban cowboy - without a trace of irony. The jury's still out as to who, exactly, this movie is geared toward, but if you like any of these actors the trailer is worth checking out, so read more

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Happy Mother's Day!

BuzzSugar — Sun, 13 May 2007 06:09:30 -0700

Happy Mother's Day, Buzz readers! For all you mothers, enjoy your day! And for all you daughters, have fun pampering the moms and mother figures in your lives.

This week I had some special posts in honor of this holiday:

If you're hankering to see a wonderful girl movie with your mom, check out The Waitress with Keri Russell, and today at participating theaters you can get a free pie and other goodies at Waitress screenings!
Who are your favorite mother-daughter teams on TV?
Let's also celebrate all those mother figures from TV and movies who take care of children that are not biologically their own.
This week's Movie Night features three movies with strong, amazing moms.

Honor Your Mom with a Screening of Waitress

BuzzSugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 13:27:05 -0700

Still looking for a special way to celebrate Mom this Sunday? Fox Searchlight, the studio behind the clever, funny film Waitress, has cooked up something very cool. On Sunday, 100 theaters around the country will sponsor special screenings of Waitress and offer bags of goodies, including a pre-baked Sara Lee pie, to everyone who attends.

Check the list of theaters here, and if it's playing in your area, you can invite your mom - or favorite mother-figure - with an e-card right from the site.

I love this idea. Waitress is a a lovely "female film" - not "chick flick," please - and just the right way to celebrate the loving, powerful women in your life.

Waitress: Simply Lovable

BuzzSugar — Thu, 03 May 2007 14:52:44 -0700

Not long ago, the New York Times published an article wondering why Hollywood is "short on female power," stating that while there are some "female films" out there, it's still a "boys market." Agreeing with half the article (the "boys market" part), Cinematical writer Monika Bartyzel responded specifically to a female producer's comment bemoaning the fact that there aren't as many Devil Wears Pradas or The Break Ups thusly: "Maybe that's because women are more than flipping crazy ex-girlfriends or girls starving their already-thin frame to fit into the latest fashions? Could it be, perchance, that women want films that give them more credit?"

I wholeheartedly agree with Bartyzel's indignance, and, happily, I think movies like Waitress could be the kind of "female films" we need: films that are funny, creative and not too "floofy" (to borrow Bartyzel's term). To see what I mean, read more

In Waitress, Keri Russell plays Jenna, an inventive pie-baker and waitress in a small Southern town. She's married to the hissably villainous Earl (Jeremy Sisto) a possessive man whose controlling manner borders on insane. While Jenna dreams of owning her own pie shop, Earl takes her earnings and makes her parrot back terms of endearment. Her waitress friends, Dawn (writer/director Adrienne Shelly) and Becky (Cheryl Hines, who brings a lot of funny) have their own romantic issues, but once they learn about Jenna's unwanted pregnancy, Jenna takes the cake (er, pie) for having the most difficult life.

Enter Jenna's new cute OB-GYN Dr. Pomatter (Nathan Fillion) whose calm, sweet, slightly awkward demeanor is just what Jenna craves. They soon begin an affair that changes her life, though the bliss can't last long - the guilt of cheating starts to eat away at her, yet she's also still stuck in her miserable marriage with a baby she already resents. She finds unexpected encouragement and support from the pie shop's owner Joe (Andy Griffith), a curmudgeonly old man who reads the news and chuckles, "I like to live vicariously through the pain and suffering of others."

Throughout the film, Jenna thinks up new pies - both sweet and savory - that correspond with her feelings (Baby Waking Me Up in the Middle of the Night and Ruining My Life Pie, for example), and these pie ideas interject much-needed moments of comic relief. This tactic is comforting somehow, and we grow to hungrily anticipate her next pie idea, hoping each one is sweeter than the last.

The format of using the pie inventions to reflect what's going on in Jenna's life is clever and whimsical - much like the overall tone of Waitress, even in its darkest moments. I especially like the triumphant choral music that swirls around Jenna and Dr. Pomatter when they kiss, and the cartoon villain music Jenna hears every time she sees a certain unruly child in town. Thus, when the joyful yet absurdly tidy ending came around I was able to truly enjoy it because it certainly wasn't any more whimsical than anything else. The movie is very funny and more than a little touching, and while the gentlemen next to me in the theater seemed to love it, it will probably resound more with women. And I'm happy about that, because this is a great "female film."

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight