BuzzSugar

Ellen, Rainn, and Liv Make For a Super Trio

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:30:51 -0700

Rainn Wilson is about to step out of The Office and into comic book territory. In the upcoming comedy Super, Wilson will play an average Joe who pretends to be a superhero to win his wife (Liv Tyler) back from a drug dealer. Calling himself Crimson Bolt, Wilson's character uses a wrench to make up for what he lacks in powers.

The film will be written and directed by James Gunn, whose previous credits include the Scooby Doo movies and Slither. We'll have to wait to hear more about Ellen Page's role, but as a Juno fan, I can't wait to see her team up with Wilson again. Wilson also seems like the perfect choice as a lovable loser, though I kinda hope he stays more on the side of regular guy rather than Dwight Shrute with a cape and a weapon. Yikes.

Buzz News Roundup, 5/8

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:30:32 -0700

Universal Pictures is developing a modern retelling of the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, titled Jekyll, with Keanu Reeves attached to star. - ComingSoon
ABC has picked up its first Fall series, a mockumentary titled Modern Family. - LA Times
Bassist Donald "Ean" Evans of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd has died at age 48. - Billboard
Guitar Hero could be turned into a reality TV series and/or a live concert tour. - The Hollywood Reporter
Marisa Tomei and Liv Tyler will star in the independent psychological thriller 10A/10B. - Variety
Jay Leno's final Tonight Show guests will include Mel Gibson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Prince, and Billy Crystal. - People
Director Bill Couturie and Stacey Snider are teaming on the documentary Clueless, which looks at the all-consuming media world inhabited by kids today. - Variety
Aisha Tyler is filming a talk show pilot for ABC. - The Hollywood Reporter

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Families Are Kooky! Previews for Smother and Easy Virtue

BuzzSugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:34:25 -0700

These two movies might take place in completely different countries and time periods, but the Monster-in-Law/Meet the Parents/isn't-family-wacky overtones are the same. If there's anything to take away from the trailers for Smother and Easy Virtue it's "beware the in-laws!"

We've been keeping an eye on Easy Virtue for a while now, seeing as it's Jessica Biel's (as a bright blonde?) first big leading lady role in a comedy - a British comedy that takes place in the 1920s, no less. The movie, based on Noel Coward's play, follows an American divorcee, Larita (Biel), who travels to England to meet her new in-laws, having spontaneously married a young Englishman (Ben Barnes). Unfortunately, Larita's new mother-in-law is not too fond of Americans, and regards Larita specifically as a woman of "easy virtue." No U.S. release date yet, but Easy Virtue opens in the UK Nov. 7.

Coming back to present day, the trailer for Smother makes me laugh. To find out why, read more.

In Smother, Dax Shepard (who reminds me of Zach Braff more than a little here) stars as average guy Noah Cooper, whose wife (Liv Tyler) is anxious to make some babies. When Noah's wacky mother (Diane Keaton, whose manic tendencies come in handy here) comes to live with them for a while, Noah begins to have second thoughts about becoming a father. The movie (which has a really adorable poster) apparently opens in limited release next Friday, Sept. 26.

Check out these mother-knows-best trailers below.

Easy Virtue

Easy Virtue Trailer | Movies & TV | SPIKE.com

Smother

'Smother' Theatrical Trailer @ Yahoo! Video

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The Incredible Hulk: Most Improved But Not the Best

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:30:47 -0700

Bringing Marvel's Hulk to the big screen is a challenging undertaking. For one thing, the idea of the Hulk is just funny: when a guy loses his temper he morphs into a giant green monster who smashes things. Plus, that green monster in ripped-up pants is just cartoonish, any way you slice it. You can always update Iron Man's suit with sleeker corners and more abilities or give Batman cooler gadgets, but how do you make a green monster-man something today's audience will take seriously?

So, given these obstacles, and the fact that Ang Lee did everyone a favor by demonstrating what not to do if you want the fanboys to show up, the most recent incarnation of The Incredible Hulk is pretty much a success. All things considered, the CGI looks great, there is plenty of action to keep hearts pounding, and Ed Norton and Liv Tyler turn in wonderful performances with the lines they have. That said, it's no Iron Man and I'm about 99.9% sure once The Dark Knight hits theaters we may all forget this movie even happened.

To find out why this Incredible Hulk will be remembered as the superhero movie that gave us something to do between Iron Man and Dark Knight, read more.

First of all, it's worth the ticket price alone to see Ed Norton with this much screen time. Despite the fact that he isn't given much material to work with and not a minute is spent on character development, he still manages to convey the emotional toll that spontaneous, out-of-control monster transformation can take on a person. I was also pleasantly surprised by the chemistry Norton and Tyler have together.

Taking a cue from the movie itself, I'm not going to waste time on plot, and you just kind of accept certain things about each of the characters. For example, Norton's Bruce Banner is very concerned with the weapons General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (played by a superbly chilly William Hurt) will create with the science behind whatever turns Bruce into the Hulk. I'm not sure where Bruce's initial concern comes from, nor do I understand what motivates Thunderbolt's obsession. But right when this started to bother me, the movie kicked into high gear with lots of action sequences and scary CGI and I forgot what I was puzzling over before.

It's in this way that the pendulum swings just a bit too far in the other direction from Lee's film. Sure, it can be boring to spend too much time building up the sad events that lead to the Hulk's creation. But when you nearly banish all dialogue and scenes that include a little humanity, you end up with a fun ride that lacks a heart (despite the cast's best efforts to inject one). So, while I laughed (it has some genuinely witty moments) and clung to my chair (Poor Hulk! Stop shooting at him!) I didn't leave with the emotional connection I had with Iron Man.

In any other year a B+ superhero movie would be something to get excited about. But 2008 is shaping up to be the summer of the superhero - and everyone else is bringing their A-game.

To see the trailer and more clips from The Incredible Hulk, visit movies.iVillage.com

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The Strangers: Slow and Steady Gets the Scare

BuzzSugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:31:11 -0700

The Strangers director Bryan Bertino takes a simple storyline based in reality ("inspired," in fact, by true events) and tells it with such careful realism that our own basic human terror, usually lying dormant within us, rises inescapably to the surface. He has figured out a perfectly lethal recipe for horror movie success: take a large dose of realism, add a few scary things and then patiently wait for the fear to rise.

This movie is a great example of a horror/suspense film done well. We human beings already have so many fears just lying inside us, waiting to be tapped into. We don't need two hours of cheap jump scares (looking at you, Prom Night) or gratuitous, nauseating gore. We just have to witness very simple, normal things that could happen to plant a tiny seed of fear in the backs of our minds. Then, all it takes is a patient, detail-oriented filmmaker to nurture that seed until it grows into all-consuming terror.

To see the basic plotline and how it somehow so thoroughly scared the living daylights out of me, read more.

As far as the movie's plot points go, I really mean it when I use terms like "basic" and "simple." A couple, James (Scott Speedman, who makes me miss Felicity so much!) and Kristen (Liv Tyler) drive to a remote cabin to spend the evening where some strangers come by and terrorize them. That's it. Really. However, the simplicity of the story doesn't mean it's boring. A good chunk of the beginning of the film is devoted to the romantic troubles the couple is experiencing (one of them wants to get married, the other does not, they find themselves at a heartbreaking crossroads). Even though I knew that they were setting us up to be spooked and I was trying to brace myself for it, I found myself relaxing into the drama of their story: the heartache, the sweetness, the helplessness. . . and then bam! Girl with scary wispy voice shows up on doorstep and from there a slow unspooling of eerie happenings begins.

And these eerie happenings are so. Very. Simple. Aggressive pounding on the front door. A flash of someone's creepy masked face. A discordant bit of old timey country music skipping on the record player. Shaky close-ups of a broken champagne flute. A shadow looming longer and longer along the wall. In this day and age, these things almost seem like relics of an old-fashioned brand of storytelling, but the thing is, maybe we need to go back to those old times. The tried and true is often the most effective, and The Strangers is a perfect example of this. The ending of the film is sickeningly sad and gross, but as far as suspense goes, everything leading up to the climactic ending is almost flawlessly frightening.

To see video clips from The Strangers, check out movies.ivillage.com.

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Movie Preview: The Strangers

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:00:27 -0700

I'm currently working on my full review of The Strangers, starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman but I'll go ahead and tell you now: it's so scary! I'm posting the full trailer here today to get you scary movie fans pumped up, and to remind you that there are some cool, smaller movies making their way into theaters nowadays besides the big blockbusters.

But OMG I cannot even watch this trailer! That's how not recovered I am from the screening. Anyway, after the jump check out the trailer and tell me: does this look terrifying? Or tame?

The movie opens tomorrow, May 30. To see the trailer read more.

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What's the New Hulk Movie's Biggest Challenge?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:30:25 -0700

Recently The LA Times ran a piece that analyzes the bumpy road it's been to bring the latest Marvel comic book hero, The Incredible Hulk, to the big screen.

First and foremost there's the question of "why?" Ang Lee's disappointing stab at it was out in theaters a mere five years ago. Fans feel burned by that adaptation and skepticism lingers that anyone can get it right.

More anxiety grew as the trailer was suspiciously delayed. Now that two trailers have been released it seems fans are feeling better about the film. Then again, behind-the-scenes rumors persist that the movie's star Edward Norton isn't thrilled with some of Marvel's choices. And while the trailers definitely look more action-packed than Ang Lee's movie, those CGI monsters running at each other in the end still strike me as a bit silly.

When all is said and done, I'm wondering if the good buzz will triumph over the bad in time for audiences to get on board by June 13. What do you think is the biggest hurdle the filmmakers are facing in getting people to see their movie? Do you have high hopes for The Incredible Hulk, or not so much?

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The Incredible Hulk Teaser Trailer Arrives!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:28:41 -0700

While the results of my comic book adaptation poll leaned toward the "I'm sick of these movies" option, many of you commented that there are some movies based on comic books that you simply cannot wait to see - and The Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton is one of those. And now, after nearly a year of following this project, we have a teaser trailer for this summer blockbuster.

Edward Norton will earn my sympathy and support pretty much every time, so watching him struggle with his powers and his identity - which takes up the majority of the trailer; we don't see an inch of green skin until about two-thirds of the way in - is actually pretty interesting. The Incredible Hulk hits theaters June 13. To check out the teaser, read more.

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First Look: Liv Tyler in The Strangers

BuzzSugar — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:30:01 -0700

Apparently this trailer is R-rated, though I can't say I see much of anything too racy in it. The preview for the horror film The Strangers, does get pretty scary toward the end, though, and I like both her and Scott Speedman, so I'll be interested to see this film when it comes out in October.

The plot outline is pretty basic: "A young couple cozied up in a vacation home are terrorized by three unknown assailants." Sometimes simpler is better, though, especially when it comes to horror flicks. Looks like this will make a great movie choice come Halloween - especially since I have little interest in seeing the fourth Saw movie, also opening in October. To watch the new trailer for The Stranger, read more

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Comic-Con Report: Simpsons, Pixar, Narnia, More

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:39:58 -0700

At Comic-Con in San Diego this weekend, Team member Phasekitty got some great scoop on some upcoming movies from Disney, Focus Features and more. Be sure to check out all of her blogging about the event. Here are a few highlights:

At the Simpsons panel, Phasekitty got the answer to one burning question about The Simpsons Movie: What happened to Spider Pig? Apparently, the special creature will return in this year's season premiere. Another fun Simpsons Movie fact: The script went through 166 drafts in four years. As for the TV version of "The Simpsons," Jack Black and comic legend Alan Moore will voice characters in an episode about a rival comic shop opening in Springfield, and Dan Rather and Jon Stewart will lend their voices to a politically driven episode that finds Ralph Wiggum as the frontrunner for both parties in their primary elections.
Liv Tyler really knows how to please a geek: She spoke elvish upon request during the Rogue/Focus panel. She was there to promote her upcoming horror film, The Strangers. Phasekitty says: "First time director Bryan Bertino brings to life his own script about a couple who is attacked in their home by three strangers. Bertino, along with stars Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler, headed up this panel and showed two tension-filled clips and an eerie, original teaser trailer."
Balls of Fury, on the other hand, kind of bombed: Phasekitty says the humor among the panelists seemed forced, the clips were only mildly funny, and "the questions were mostly directed to the creative team about other projects of theirs like 'Reno 911' and 'The State.'"

More, including a glimpse at the next Pixar film, so read more

At the Disney panel, Phasekitty got a good look at Wall-E, Pixar's latest film, which is scheduled to be released next summer. Her blog has a great summary of the plot, but here's a quick version: Wall-E is a robot left behind when the humans evacuated earth; he's spent the past 700 years cleaning up our waste. He's developed a personality and feelings over the years, and he eventually falls for a robot named Eve, who has no feelings of her own. Here's Phasekitty's summary of the clip she saw:

[Writer/director Andrew] Stanton ended the panel with a lengthy clip (about 15 minutes) from the beginning of Wall-E in which Wall-E goes about his daily routine compacting trash at work, but laying aside special "treasures" for himself which include a ring box (he quickly discarded the diamond ring inside), a rubber duck, and a bra. Underneath a pile of trash, he discovers a small green sprout, which he carefully scoops up, pots, and adds to his collection. Having finished a day's work, Wall-E heads back to his garage with his spoils; a cricket as his only companion. He sees a red light on the ground and begins to chase it only to be terrified when a spaceship lands directly on top of him (he digs underground for a quick escape to safety). Wall-E watches curiously as the spaceship opens to reveal....for a split second it's Eve, and then the film cut to black and Stanton seemed quite pleased with himself for being an incredible tease.
Phasekitty also got a glimpse of Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the latest in the series. Director Andrew Adamson, who plans to step down as director after this film but remain on board as a producer, said the plan is to put out one Narnia movie every May, starting with Prince Caspian in 2008. The next one, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is set to begin production early next year.