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Buzz News Roundup, 5/15

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 13:30:38 -0700

Coldplay is giving away its live album for free online. - Billboard
Mickey Rourke will star in a remake of British gangster movie Mona Lisa. - Variety
NBC has renewed Last Call With Carson Daly. - Broadcasting and Cable
Terry Gilliam is making another attempt at bringing Don Quixote to the big screen. - The Hollywood Reporter
Kung Fu Panda will become a TV series for Nickelodeon. - ComingSoon
Susan Lucci and The View came up empty in the Daytime Emmy Awards nominations. - Zap2it
Chris Rock's Good Hair documentary will hit theaters this Fall. - The Hollywood Reporter
Comedy Central is developing an animated series with Jamie Foxx and a show called Ugly Americans from Simpsons writer David Stern. - The Futon Critic

The Informers: Convoluted and Boring

BuzzSugar — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:30:51 -0700

Greed is good. Sex is easy. Youth is forever.

Or so goes the tagline for The Informers, a new film adapted from a collection of short stories by Bret Easton Ellis. You may recognize Ellis's name from the posters of several films in the past decade, namely American Psycho and The Rules of Attraction (there's also Glitterati, if that ever sees the light of day). If you're familiar with his work, you'll know, loosely, what to expect from his latest venture: Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. There's plenty of all the aforementioned (hence the tagline), but, unfortunately the end result is more of a melodramatic mess than an examination of the excesses of the '80s.

Don't blame the actors, especially the more seasoned among them. A few - Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke and to a slightly lesser degree Winona Ryder and Billy Bob Thornton - even give memorable performances in a movie that is anything but. The younger newcomers don't fare quite as well with the inane script that contains far too many storylines with far too many unlikeable characters. What's worse, the stories barely intersect, adding confusion on top of disdain.

Let me try to explain what goes down, when you read more.

If you break it down, there are five major plot pieces fighting for attention throughout the movie (apparently a vampire subplot starring Brandon Routh was cut). The most watchable of the bunch are the scenes with Thornton, Basinger, and Ryder. Thornton plays a TV exec who is trying to reconcile his marriage to Basinger's character, while still having an affair with Ryder. Basinger's open to reconciliation, but she's also currently sleeping with one of her son's friends. Which brings in plotline No. 2 involving most of the younger actors of the film. Austin Nichols, Jon Foster, and Amber Heard form a trio of friends who have nothing better to do than drugs and each other. Plot No. 3 has their friend Lou Taylor Pucci fighting off seedy seductions with his gung-ho father (Chris Isaak) in Hawaii. And finally plot No. 4 (don't even get me started on the fifth storyline) follows Mickey Rourke who is trying to sell a kidnapped kid to pedophiles, despite objection from his nephew played by the late Brad Renfro. Confused yet? I certainly was. Bored? That too.

Ultimately the film falters in its attempt to cover too much ground, spreading itself too thin with characters not worth caring about. And not that this movie needed another subplot, but a little vampire love could have added some bite to this film without a pulse.

Bottom Line: The Ellis fans out there may want to check out this first film for which he (co)-wrote the screenplay, but I'd skip the theatrical release.

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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:30:23 -0700

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.

The Wrestler
I said it in my list of must haves for April and I'll say it again: In addition to being a touching film with an astounding performance by Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler is one of those rare movies that a diverse group of adults can agree to see together. There's something for everyone, really: Action, romance, some tearjerking, etc.

The movie follows an aging professional wrestler with a ton of regrets. He tries to take control of his life, however, when he befriends an exotic dancer (Marisa Tomei) and attempts to make peace with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood).

In addition to earning all kinds of nominations during awards season, the movie contains one of my favorite scenes of the year. Special features include a featurette titled "Within the Ring: A No-Holds-Barred One-on-One With Wrestlers and Filmmakers" and music videos (presumably featuring Bruce Springsteen).

Two more up next, so read more.

Frost/Nixon
Director Ron Howard successfully adapts for the screen a Peter Morgan play (Morgan wrote the screenplay for this movie as well) that portrays President Nixon's infamous interview with journalist/TV personality David Frost.

The movie follows Frost (played by Michael Sheen, reprising his stage role) on his journey to get the disgraced former President (Frank Langella, who also originated the role on stage) on television to face questioning about his involvement in Watergate. It's a duel between two giant egos where only one can really win, and the filmmakers take creative liberties filling in the backstory to the famous historical event.

Special features include deleted scenes, "The Making of Frost/Nixon," footage from the real interview, and commentary with Director Ron Howard.

Notorious
Notorious is a biopic based on the life of rap legend Christopher Wallace, a.k.a Notorious B.I.G., who was killed in his early 20s in a drive-by shooting.

Newly discovered actor and hip hop artist Jamal Woolard delivers a standout debut performance as the rapper, and is surrounded by other strong performances of well-known personalities (dead and alive). Naturi Naughton plays the pint-sized, naughty girl Lil Kim and Derek Luke does a great job channeling Sean "Puffy" Combs, as does Anthony Mackie as the late Tupac Shakur.

Special features include commentary with director George Tillman Jr., co-screenwriter Reggie Rock Bythewood and co-screenwriter Cheo Hodari, as well as commentary with Biggie's mom Voletta Wallace, Biggie's co-manager Wayne Barrow, and Biggie's co-manager Mark Pitts.

Buzz News Roundup, 3/13

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:30:46 -0700

Spider-Man 4 has gotten a release date of May 6, 2011. - Zap2It
Jack White has formed a new group called The Dead Weather with The Kills frontwoman Alison Mosshart, Raconteurs bassist Jack Lawrence, and Queens of the Stoneage guitarist Dean Fertita. - Billboard
Scrubs's Dr. Turk, Donald Faison, has joined Cedric the Entertainer in ABC's comedy pilot The Law. - The Hollywood Reporter
Mickey Rourke is confirmed to play the Russian villain in Iron Man 2. - Variety
NBC has unveiled a surprising Summer lineup that includes several scripted projects - including the long-awaited scheduling of The Philanthropist, starring James Purefoy and Neve Campbell. - Reuters
New Line is planning a sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth. - ComingSoon
TV production company Granada America is planning a show titled American Storytellers in which country songs are used to make one-hour TV dramas. - Billboard
Director Joe Wright (Atonement, The Soloist) will next take on a film adaptation of the book Indian Summer. - Variety

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

What Are Your Favorite Scenes From This Year's Oscar-Nominated Movies?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:30:48 -0800

I keep thinking about this great scene in The Wrestler between Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei's characters in a bar. I won't give it away for those who haven't seen the movie yet but it involves some funny dialogue between the two about the decade they agree was the best. It's a small, intimate moment rendered so perfectly that you completely forget you're watching two actors - it feels more like overhearing a conversation at your local dive bar.

Sometimes a movie contains a scene so well-done it has the power to stick around in our minds for years and years. Like one of the most romantic scenes in Wall-E: Eve and Wall-E's dance among the stars. So. Freaking. Cute. Not to mention beautiful. And Happy Go-Lucky contains an intense scene between the main character and her driving instructor that's so unsettling it will take me a long time to shake it off.

Sometimes I think there should be an Academy Award category for Best Scene! What do you think? Which scenes from this year's Oscar-nominated films stick out to you the most?

The Wrestler photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight, Wall-E image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures, and Happy Go-Lucky photo courtesy of Miramax

Movie Preview: Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane in Killshot

BuzzSugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:30:36 -0800

Killshot, a thriller starring Diane Lane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson and "comeback kid" Mickey Rourke, has already quietly opened in certain cities but hasn't gotten quite the promotional push you might expect from a film that boasts a recent Oscar nominee. Lane plays Carmen Colson who is placed in the Federal Witness Protection program with her husband Wayne "after witnessing an extortion scheme go wrong. Thinking they are at last safe, they are targeted by an experienced intimidating hit man [Rourke] and a psychopathic young upstart killer [Gordon-Levitt]."

Some reviews are saying it's nothing remarkable, which may well be true, though the trailer is more intriguing than I expected it to be. Chances are this one'll be available on DVD sooner rather than later, but for now you can check out the trailer if you read more.

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2009 Sundance Spotlight: Brooklyn's Finest, The Informers, 500 Days of Summer

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:30:39 -0800

While I won't be heading down to the 2009 Sundance Film Festival this year, I will be sorting through the humongous pile of festival entries to share with you some of the films I think look most promising. From quirky documentaries to talented young filmmaker debuts to a potential runaway hit, Sundance is filled with entertainment possibilities. Here are today's selections:

Brooklyn's Finest
Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), Brooklyn's Finest just became this year's first sale at Sundance. Apparently "Senator Distribution nabbed North American rights . . . on Saturday night, 24 hours after its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. . . Senator says it will release the film in the fourth quarter for awards consideration." According to Senator president Mark Urman, the company "went into aggressive pursuit right after Friday's screening." Wow! All of this spells good things for the cop drama which features a stellar cast (Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin). The plot is described as: "Three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location after enduring vastly different career paths." The guy responsible for the screenplay has a unique and intriguing story himself (you can read about it here). No clips available just yet, but now that it's been purchased I'm sure we'll hear and see much more about this film in the future.

Two more great-looking movies, with talented folks like Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Mickey Rourke, if you read more.

The Informers
Well, the long-awaited movie adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's collection of short stories is upon us. The movie, starring a whole lot of people from the '80s and early '90s (most notably Mickey Rourke, continuing his amazing career comeback) is about LA in the '80s in all its beautiful, indulgent, moral-decaying glory. The Informers also includes Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder, Billy Bob Thornton, Chris Isaak, and the late Brad Renfro (his final role). I have mixed feelings about this movie, but then again, any trailer that includes a song by A Flock of Seagulls deserves a chance in my book.

FYI: The trailer for The Informers below is not suitable for work due to some topless ladies. Proceed with caution:

500 Days of Summer
Oh, man. Could these two be cuter together? I think not. I was so excited when this casting news first came out and I'm even more thrilled that the movie's premiering at Sundance (to not-bad reviews so far) and has a release date (July 24) and now has a super cute teaser trailer (see below!). At first glance, the movie's description sounds like a little tale of unrequited love (boy loves girl, girl doesn't believe in love) but here's the part that got me really curious: "energized by dance numbers, split screens, and two dynamic performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel." Dance numbers? Why not?! Check out the trailer below and for additional clips, click here.

Photos courtesy of Sundance

Buzz News Roundup, 1/9

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:30:01 -0800

Breaking Bad will return in March and Mad Men should start up again in the Summer - even though Matthew Weiner still doesn't have a contract. - Zap2it
Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell are in talks to star as the villains in Iron Man 2. - The Hollywood Reporter
Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson and Amanda Seyfried are set to star in the thriller Chloe. - ComingSoon
ER is getting three more episodes and the next John Wells show, Police, is getting six. - The Hollywood Reporter
Steven Spielberg's Catch Me if You Can will be turned into a Broadway musical by the writers who adapted Hairspray for the stage. - Variety
Leonardo DiCaprio is in talks to take the lead in Beating the Reaper, a thriller based on Josh Bazell's as-yet unpublished novel. - Zap2It
Dennis Rodman and Joan and Melissa Rivers are among the contestants for the next Celebrity Apprentice. - SavvySugar
Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Hall, Michael Cera, Noel Clarke and Toby Kebbell are the five actors in the running for the BAFTA Orange Rising Star award. - Variety
Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess and Saoirse Ronan will star in The Way Back, a movie based on the memoir by Slavomir Rawicz. - ComingSoon

Photos courtesy of AMC

Movie Preview: The Wrestler

BuzzSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:30:01 -0800

I've been swatting away the buzzings of "Oscar watch" and "best film of the year" in regard to indie drama The Wrestler for a while now, just waiting until I could see a trailer and hopefully understand what all the fuss is about. The film stars Mickey Rourke (whose "astonishing performance" here has some calling him a "comeback kid") as an aging professional wrestler with a ton of regrets. He starts to try and take control of his life, however, when he befriends an exotic dancer (Marisa Tomei) and attempts to make peace with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood).

I'm honestly amazed by the praise this film is getting, and while I think the trailer makes it look poignant, I'll have to see the movie in its entirety to fully see what has gotten people gushing so much (100 percent at RottenTomatoes at time of posting this). The Wrestler opens Dec. 17. To check out the trailer for yourself, read more.

Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Buzz News Roundup, 11/12

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:40:16 -0800

Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood will tour together for 24 shows starting at the end of January, Billboard reports.
Author Norman Mailer died over the weekend at age 84, USA Today reports.
The CW will debut Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants, a mother-daughter beauty showdown, on Dec. 12, and all the scandalous details are at The Futon Critic.
TV Guide reports that the Star Trek movie has yet another cast member: Jennifer Morrison of House.
Spoon, Gym Class Heroes, and Muse took top honors at the MTVu Woodies last week, NME reports.
Rosie O'Donnell is eyeing an online talk show, writes People.
According to The New York Post, Project Runway is ridiculously grueling to film.
Hollywood writers aren't the only ones off the job: Broadway stagehands have gone on strike, too, The New York Times reports.
Mickey Rourke will replace Nicolas Cage in The Wrestler, an indie drama from director Darren Aronofsky, Variety reports.

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