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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:30:00 PDT

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, you can also rent Reservation Road (not to be confused with Revolutionary Road), and Leonardo DiCaprio's global warming warning, The 11th Hour.

There Will Be Blood
This April is a great month for renting DVDs because a new stellar, Oscar-nominated film seems to come out every week. Today's release is the stirring Paul Thomas Anderson masterpiece, There Will Be Blood. The film is loosely based on Upton Sinclair's novel Oil! and follows the story of an ambitious oil man, Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he becomes one of those famed self-made American magnates, a la William Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie.

If you haven't heard by now that this film is both visually stunning and soul-stirring, and that Daniel Day-Lewis gives the Oscar-winning performance of the year, then you've had a very distracting year. I stuck this movie on my April must-haves list not only because of its classic story of greed vs. compassion, but also because Day-Lewis only seems to emerge to knock one out of the park every five years or so, which in Hollywood years can seem like a lifetime. You'll want to own this one to get you through to 2013 when he's had enough of shoe-making on the Italian Coast or something and decides to show the rest of those amateurs how it's done. Again.

For two more titles that couldn't be more different than each other,

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
2007 truly was the year of Judd Apatow, though admittedly this spoof on the musician biopic he co-wrote was probably his weakest submission. While it was hard to recommend paying theater prices for this film, it is a perfectly serviceable at-home rental.

Starring John C. Reilly as Dewey Cox, a rocker with secrets (shocker!), the film pokes fun at movies like Ray and Walk the Line and takes many prisoners, sparing neither Bob Dylan nor the Beatles (in a hilarious scene starring Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Justin Long, and Jason Schwartzman as the Fab Four). While it drags in some parts, Reilly is great in this role and the whole thing is more or less a good time.

Special features include deleted and extended scenes and featurettes titled, "The Music of Walk Hard", and "The Real Dewey Cox."

Lions for Lambs
First of all, the stars of this movie need to have a serious talk with the DVD cover-art people. How is it possible to airbrush Robert Redford so that he looks utterly unattractive? And that's one highly arched brow on Meryl Streep. Anyway, don't let the cover distract you from this serious meditation on the nature of current American politics.

While I realize many are turned off by movies about the current war in Iraq, I think this film, directed by Robert Redford, gives us a lot of food for thought. More talking than action, I thought this might have worked better as a play than a movie, but it's still a highly worthwhile watch. Most intriguing are the questions Redford brings up about young people who, he asserts, seem to feel disaffected amidst these turbulent times. All three performances are fine (Tom Cruise is particularly good as a smarmy congressman), but most importantly it gets you thinking and might spur on good debate.

Special features include audio commentary by Robert Redford and a making-of featurette.

Box Office: Bee Movie Buzzes to the Top

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:30:00 PST

In round two of American Gangster vs. Bee Movie at the box office, the bees buzzed their way to the top. Bee Movie brought in an estimated $26 million in its second weekend, flip-flopping last week's results by edging out American Gangster's $24.3 million.

None of the weekend's new releases came close to challenging those two. Fred Claus brought in about $19.2 million to finish in third place, while Lions for Lambs was a very distant fourth with just $6.7 million. I suppose a lot of people must have agreed with those of you who said you don't necessarily enjoy contemporary political movies. Interestingly, the audience for Lions for Lambs skewed old, with two-thirds of its viewers over age 35.

Possibly the best news this weekend comes for No Country for Old Men. The Coen brothers' Western opened in just 28 theaters around the country, but it still brought in $1.2 million and finished at No. 14 for the weekend. It expands to more theaters this Friday and will be in wide release after Thanksgiving.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 08:00:44 PST

Hollywood writers went on strike this week, shutting down The Office and delaying 24, among other things. I wondered if you care and whether the strike will make you watch more Web-exclusive shows.
It was a week chock full of music videos, so watch as Rilo Kiley does The Frug, Jay-Z becomes an American Gangster, Rashida Jones rocks out with the Foo Fighters, and John C. Reilly walks hard.
We learned a lot about next summer's Valkyrie, thanks to this featurette and a full-length trailer.
This week saw the release of Lions for Lambs, and I wondered how you felt about movies dealing with contemporary politics.
What's your list of the worst TV shows ever?
NPR Music got infinitely cooler with its great new Web site. Also, I suggested a step-by-step guide to getting into Neko Case.
It was a week for first looks at a couple of creepy things: the Terminator-based Sarah Connor Chronicles and the freaky-looking film Awake.
And finally, something to mull over for the rest of the weekend: Who could be the heir to John Cusack in an updated Say Anything?

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Lions for Lambs: An Interesting Debate

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:30:00 PST

Robert Redford's Lions for Lambs is not exactly a cinematic tour de force. In fact, it could have easily been a play, or even a staged reading. Set in three places for the entirety of the movie's 88 minutes, it's low on action and high on talk. Thus, while it's not a visually interesting film, as a spirited debate about current politics, Lions for Lambs is very engaging.

One of the locales is in the office of California professor Dr. Malley who has called in one of his brightest students, Todd (Andrew Garfield) to find out why the boy went from enthusiastic debater to a slacker who's stopped participating. In their discussions Dr. Malley tells Todd about former students of his Ernest and Arian, who, inspired by Dr. Malley's class to do something meaningful with their lives, joined the military. He explains that the two were not the brightest kids and that he didn't even agree with their decision. But they risked their lives to do something important while Todd, with all his intelligence and privilege, was cutting class and slacking off. Meanwhile, in Washington, DC, a senator (Tom Cruise) reveals to a journalist (Meryl Streep) his bombshell plan of action that will directly impact Arian and Ernest's lives. Lively arguments about right and wrong ensue. Actually, with the exception of some combat scenes with Arian and Ernest, the majority of the movie is filled with argument.

For the rest of my take on Lions for Lambs,

This is not just a debate over the current administration's dealings in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan - what went right, what mistakes were made, etc. It's also an examination of the nature of apathy. In particular, I am intrigued by the critical eye Redford casts on young people - college-aged kids and people in their 20s who find themselves caught in an extended adolescence. The bright, youthful, idealistic and energetic members of our society who, instead of trying to do something, choose to be distracted and disaffected.

What's more, Redford never suggests all these youths join the military (in fact, his character discourages this). It isn't so much a call to arms as it is a call to heart. The performances are fine - Streep is especially compelling - but they are secondary to the issues at hand. Redford is wise and stern, and likable on screen. Cruise is smarmy and superior, employing that sneer that always reminds me of his hateful character in Magnolia. And yet, he's not totally without humanity. Whomever you sympathize at the end of this talk-heavy film, and however you feel about Redford's decision to make it, at the very least Lions for Lambs will get you thinking and maybe discussing some important stuff.

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Tom and Katie Go to Washington

Molly — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 07:14:05 PST

Another night another Lions for Lambs premiere for Tom and Katie, this time things got a little more political when they took the movie down to DC. Katie's hair and makeup looked great, but the dress is a little blah. That being said, I can't help but like her when she gives the old Joey Potter smile. Beyond Tom's costar Robert Redford, they were joined by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. It's been a big week of screenings for Tom's new movie, but Buzz has a sneak peek at his controversial and highly anticipated upcoming role in Valkyrie - check it out here. And for something a little lighter, Katie is apparently in final negotiations to star in a new fantasy-comedy movie called The Other Side. Her upcoming Mad Money looks pretty bad, but, call me crazy, I have faith in Katie's movie career yet.

To see more of the premiere just

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Images include Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Madeleine Albright, Robert Redford, Lynda Carter, Larry Boland

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What Do You Think About Movies Based on Current Politics?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:30:00 PST

This fall we've seen some films, like The Kingdom and Rendition, that deal with current political issues, and they've been met with mostly lukewarm responses. I'm curious to find out whether or not Lions for Lambs will experience the same fate when it opens this weekend. This all makes me wonder: do people want to see movies that deal with current politics?

Movie Preview: Lions for Lambs

BuzzSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 10:27:03 PST

The tag line for Robert Redford's political drama Lions for Lambs is "If you don't stand for something, you might fall for anything." Yet aside from that and the fact that Tom Cruise is making his first onscreen appearance since Mission Impossible III, what do you know about this upcoming movie?

The stories of three disparate Americans - one professor (Redford), one journalist (Meryl Streep) and one presidential hopeful (Cruise) - intertwine over the prickly subject of the war on terror. Meanwhile, two of the professor's students go off to Afghanistan in an attempt to do something important with their lives, and the professor is left with mixed feelings about their decision.

As with most movies dealing with current political issues, Lions for Lambs does not look like a particularly comfortable film to watch, though it may be very well-done. The movie opens this Friday November 9, so to watch the trailer and tell me what you think,

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Lions for Lambs Premiere in LA Brings Out the A-Listers

PopSugar — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 23:56:21 PDT

Tom Cruise was joined by his friends, family and costars on the red carpet at the premiere of Lions for Lambs in LA last night. Katie looked great in Berlin, but she went even more glamorous last night. Also there to support Tom was his stylish BFFs Will and Becks. It's Tom's time to show off his movie, but he recently took the time to gush about his wife. He said, "I have a lot of respect for [Katie] as an artist, as a woman. She's a very strong, gracious woman. She's very funny, a great comedian." Some of you don't have a lot of faith in Katie's acting skills, but it sounds like Tom can't say enough kind words about her. Of course, being the mother of his adorable little girl may make him a bit biased but we can't blame him.

Lots more pics of the gang above plus Jenna Elfman so just

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Images include Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Will Smith, Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, David Beckham, Jenna Elfman.

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Tom & Katie Better Get Shopping for Those Paper Gifts

PopSugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:29:28 PDT

We can't seem to stop gushing about how much we love seeing all of Suri Cruise's stylish outfits, but it was her mom who was shining today. Katie joined Tom on the red carpet for the premiere of Lions for Lambs in Berlin. We're not sure how we feel about the dress, but Fab wants to know if you like her look? Tom may be busy filming Valkyrie and promoting his new movie, but he's also got his one year wedding anniversary coming up. In an interview with ET, Tom reflected on his wedding and talked about our favorite little fashionista. Here's more:

On his wedding memories:
"I think every person has it when they look at their bride. That's something that I'll never forget..."
On his wedding overall:
"It was very beautiful. As big as it was from the outside, it was a very personal experience and something obviously I'll never forget."
On Suri:
"She's just very happy, a very joyous child."

We can't believe Tom and Katie have only been married a year. We feel like we have been talking about these two forever since their love fest/courtship to their big and extravagant wedding to now.

More of Tom and Katie all fancy on the red carpet so just

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Tom Wants to Do Manly Things With David

PopSugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:29:17 PDT

Another day and another country for jet-setting Tom Cruise, who premiered Lions for Lambs today at the Rome Film Festival. He was joined by his co-star and traveling buddy, Robert Redford. Tom has been busy filming Valkyrie and now promoting Lions for Lambs, but once he's done he plans to hang with his good friend Beckham. Tom spoke a bit about his plans while in London. Here's more:

"We will go out and fly some airplanes or race some cars or something like that," Cruise told BBC Radio 5 Live as he hit the red carpet for the London Film Festival premiere of his new flick, Lions for Lambs. Cruise, 45, admitted that any thrilling exploits would first have to get the go-ahead from Beckham's wife. "I'll talk to Victoria and see if she's all right with that. But we'll have some fun," he said.

Even though Tom and Becks might have big plans, Victoria is clearly the boss. Tom also told fans that later today he is flying to Berlin to re-join his family. Hope this means more adorable Suri sightings! Many more of Tom so

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