BuzzSugar

What Is the Best Animated Movie of 2009?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:30:00 -0800

This year seemed to have particularly strong animated films. They were visually mesmerizing (Coraline), provided a few tearful moments (Up), and most catered to our adult sense of humor, too (Fantastic Mr. Fox). No wonder several are being considered for an Oscar! Tell me, which did you enjoy most?

Don't forget to vote on all of my Best of 2009 polls!

Buzz In: Which Animated Movie Is Most Oscar-Worthy?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:30:37 -0800

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a press release today, announcing that 20 films have been submitted for Best Animated Film consideration at this year's Oscars. This means there could be five movies competing at the awards show in March. (In the history of the category, there have typically been only three.) So who is up for the honor?

Some are obvious choices. Up, for example, comes as no surprise thanks to its huge accolades. I also think Coraline stands a chance, as well as Fantastic Mr. Fox (look for my review on Friday!). But Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel seems like a long shot - even though it hasn't hit theaters yet, so I'm just making an early prediction. (Sorry, Alvin.)

With 10 movies in the Best Picture category, I wouldn't be surprised if some of these films end up with more than one nomination. Check out the full list of animated film contenders, and tell me which you think is most deserving of an Oscar when you read more.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
Astro Boy
Battle For Terra
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
Disney's A Christmas Carol
The Dolphin – Story of a Dreamer
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Mary and Max
The Missing Lynx
Monsters vs. Aliens
9
Planet 51
Ponyo
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
A Town Called Panic
Up

Seth Rogen Talks Monsters, Aliens, and Halloween

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:30:00 -0700

Tonight, NBC is airing a Halloween-themed follow up to last Summer's animated hit Monsters Vs. Aliens, Monsters Vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins From Outer Space. Seth Rogen, who voices the gelatinous jokester B.O.B. in the half-hour special, chatted on the phone with a few reporters about reprising his role. He talked animated films, Halloween, and even a little bit of the upcoming adaptation of The Green Hornet that he's currently filming with Michel Gondry.

On why he enjoys voicing B.O.B.: I enjoy it because, I mean, this is the stupidest answer - I enjoy it because it's fun. The character is funny and the directors are cool and the story is funny; to me it's like a very fun format to kind of improvise, and try to discover a character in a different way than physically doing it, you know. You've got to do it all with your voice, and I really enjoy that.
On dressing up for Halloween: I have a girlfriend now and I've entered the unfortunate world of paired costuming. It's not fun. I don’t recommend it. I always end up being the lamer half - it's like she's a dog and I'm a fire hydrant or something like that. It's never fun. So maybe I'm dodging a bullet this year.

To hear what Rogen said about The Green Hornet and what he loves about Halloween TV, just read more.

On his Halloween TV faves: I always liked The Simpsons' Halloween specials, personally. They were always amazing. I always looked forward to that on Halloween. And I watched TGIF sitcoms growing up because I was a nerd and had nothing to do on Friday nights, and whenever the sitcoms would do their Halloween episode, I always enjoyed that for some reason. That always spawned some good comedy.
On the pressure of making The Green Hornet: I will blame Gondry if it sucks. No, I'm just joking. No, we are all in it, you know. I will say, I take a huge amount of the pressure. I understand that. I understand that. I understand that it's my face on it, you know, when it literally comes out even if it sucks for another reason, people will blame me and that's why I have to be so involved - to try to make sure that it doesn't suck. But there's a lot of pressure. I understand that. I've been talking about this movie for years, and if it sucks, then no one will be more disappointed than me, believe me.
On improvising as a voice actor: You can actually improvise a lot as a voice actor. I mean, real people I think don't - and I didn't - understand how animation works really. The time consuming part is really creating the characters and the sets and the worlds. And aside from that it's not that entirely different than shooting a live action movie; the characters mouths are quite easy to manipulate once all the information is built into the computer. So you can improvise a lot and it doesn't matter really how far along they are in the process; they can just make the character say something different. Almost more than in a live action movie because of how slow the process is.
On whether he'll do more voice acting in the future: I really enjoy it and I mean, I've always been a fan of animation - yes, I would like to.

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:30:24 -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. In addition to the movies below, there's also Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience and Madonna's directorial debut Filth and Wisdom. Check out this week's picks!

Away We Go

John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph star as an expecting, road-tripping couple in this indie comedy drama directed by Sam Mendes. I loved the quirky humor that came from not only the leads, but a star-studded cast of supporting characters played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeff Daniels, Alison Janney, and Catherine O'Hara. It may not be as laugh-out-loud as the two leads' usual work, but if you're looking for a sweetly funny flick you may like Away We Go. The DVD and Blu-ray have a making-of featurette, a commentary track, and a behind-the-scenes feature about how the filmmakers tried to make the production more environmentally friendly.

66%

See two more new releases when you read more.

Management

Jennifer Aniston stars as an everyday gal in the comedy Management. Steve Zahn is the shy hotel manager who meets and falls in love with her immediately, and Woody Harrelson is the has-been boyfriend he's trying to woo her away from. It's not the straightforward romantic comedy you'd expect from Aniston, which I don't mind at all, and Zahn's so adorable he can make stalker-like behavior seem OK. On the DVD are a commentary track, a gag reel, and deleted scenes.

44%

Monsters vs. Aliens

Monsters vs. Aliens boasts the vocal stylings of Reese Witherspoon as Susan Murphy, a woman who's hit by a meteor and turns into a giant as a result. The 3D movie from Dreamworks is definitely kid-friendly fare, but I tend to enjoy modern animated movies like this, especially when they also have the voices of Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson, Hugh Laurie, and Stephen Colbert. The DVD and Blu-ray discs have tons of special features, like music videos, deleted scenes, and the technology behind the movie.

72%

Buzz News Roundup, 7/29

BuzzSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:30:25 -0700

Bryce Dallas Howard will be replacing Rachelle Lefevre in the role of Victoria in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. - ComingSoon
FX has officially ordered the drama series Lawman starring Timothy Olyphant. - The Futon Critic
Charlize Theron will produce and star in an adaptation of Christopher Buckley's satirical novel Florence of Arabia. - Variety
USA has renewed Royal Pains and Burn Notice. - TV.com
Due to its underperformance in some major international audiences, Monsters vs. Aliens may not get a sequel. - The Hollywood Reporter
ABC Family has ordered 10 additional episodes of Make It or Break It. - Variety
Ron Livingston, Jim Gaffigan, Kelli Gellar, Rob Riggle, and Jason Sudeikis round out the cast of the romantic comedy Going the Distance, starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long. - ComingSoon
Corbin Bleu and Elle Macpherson have been promoted to series regulars on The Beautiful Life. - The Hollywood Reporter

Box Office: Wolverine Slashes the Competition

BuzzSugar — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:24:17 -0700

Summer movie season has officially arrived, folks, and it looks like American audiences were ready for it. Hugh Jackman's X-Men Origins: Wolverine easily took the No. 1 spot over the weekend and grossed an estimated $87 million. This is good news for X-Men fans because the success of Wolverine is a "key victory for Fox, Marvel Entertainment and star Hugh Jackman, since it likely keeps the franchise alive." Woohoo!

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past also did solid business over the weekend and came in second place with an estimated $15.3 million. The top five was rounded out by Obsessed, 17 Again, and Monsters vs. Aliens in third, fourth, and fifth place respectively.

Were you one of the millions who saw Wolverine? Do you agree with the reviews?

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Box Office: Zac Is the Man of the Hour

BuzzSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:30:05 -0700

Looks like young Mr. Efron is proving to be a bankable actor, as his movie, 17 Again, debuted at No. 1 this weekend, earning an estimated $24.1 million.

Meanwhile, Russell Crowe's political thriller, State of Play, came in second place with an estimated $14.1 million. Monsters vs. Aliens came in at No. 3, and it looks like there's only so much tween-love to go around, which might explain Hannah Montana: The Movie slipping from the No. 1 spot last week to No. 4 this week. Fast and Furious rounded out the top five.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Box Office: Miley's Big Weekend

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 08:30:18 -0700

Buzz readers are a savvy bunch and correctly predicted that Miley Cyrus's latest movie would debut at No. 1 over the weekend. Ms. Cyrus is a major force to be reckoned with at the box office, as this is her second blockbuster - and she's still a kid!

Hannah Montana: The Movie earned an estimated $34 million, zooming right by Fast and Furious which came in second.

Seth Rogen's dark comedy Observe and Report came in lower than expected at No. 4, behind Monsters vs. Aliens. Knowing rounded out the top five.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Box Office: Fast and Furious Races to the Top

BuzzSugar — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 08:30:05 -0700

Wowza! The fourth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise debuted this weekend and earned an estimated $72.5 million, easily taking the No. 1 spot at the box office. Variety reports this represents one of the biggest box office surprises of the season and is the biggest April opening ever.

Monsters vs. Aliens continued to do solid business and came in second place with an estimated $33.5 million. The top five was rounded out by The Haunting in Connecticut, Knowing, and I Love You, Man in third, fourth, and fifth place respectively. Finally, a movie I really enjoyed, Adventureland, debuted at No. 6.

Did any of you see Fast and Furious? Did your theater have shaky seats?

Source

Monsters vs. Aliens Wins Big at the Box Office

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:30:53 -0700

DreamWorks Animation's Monsters vs. Aliens scored the best opening of the year over the weekend earning an estimated $58.2 million. The movie's success signals to studios that audiences don't seem to mind paying an extra few dollars for movies in 3-D.

Meanwhile, the super scary-looking horror flick The Haunting in Connecticut was No. 2, grossing an estimated $23 million, followed by Knowing. Most of you said you'd be off to see I Love You, Man this weekend and the comedy hung out in the top five at No. 4, followed by Duplicity.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures