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Disturbia Wins at the Box Office Yet Again

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 05:05:45 -0700

For the third week in a row, Disturbia has prevailed at the box office, though whether this is something to write home about is debatable since the competition wasn't exactly fierce. Overall, box office sales were way down this weekend, with Disturbia drawing in just $9 million - and that's the No. 1 film.

Coming in second place was the latest thriller The Invisible, while Nicolas Cage and his scraggly hair brought in just $7.2 million for the "action-thriller" Next. Following Next was Fracture, Blades of Glory, Meet the Robinsons and Hot Fuzz, each bringing in unremarkable sales.

Of course, this is just the end of April. Studios should expect to see a huge difference when they break out the summer big guns, which should start this weekend when Spider-Man 3 opens nationwide. Goodbye Shia LaBeouf, hello Spidey and the gang.

Photo courtesy of DreamWorks

Next: Predictably Bad

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 02:58:41 -0700

In Next, the action/sci-fi thriller based on a short story by Philip K. Dick, Cris Johnson (Nicolas Cage) has a special gift that is also a burden: he can see two minutes into the future - only his - and he can also choose an alternate outcome. “Every time you look at it,” he says of the future, “it changes because you looked at it, and that changes everything.”

In a sense, I, too, had the ability to look into the future within a few minutes of viewing Next. I knew I was in for about an hour and a half of ridiculousness, but unlike Nicolas Cage’s character, I was unable to change the outcome for the better. To find out just how bad it gets, read more

Traumatized by a lifetime of being poked and prodded by authorities wanting to exploit his abilities, Cris hides out in Vegas, performing as a magician in a cheesy Vegas lounge act under an assumed identity, “Frank Cadillac.” When Next begins, terrorists have stolen a nuclear bomb and threaten to detonate it in Los Angeles and Cris is being pursued by FBI special agent Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore) who wants him to use his clairvoyant powers to prevent the disaster.

The first sign that I was in for an unintentional comedy was Nicolas Cage’s appearance. Cage has never been considered a great Hollywood beauty, but his hangdog appearance once lent comedic poignancy to such screen gems as Raising Arizona. In Next, the aging Cage is caked with too-dark makeup and sports the ugliest hairdo I’ve ever seen on a leading man. (For the record, it’s a straggly page boy.)

This walking embalmed look, needless to say, does nothing for his credibility as an action hero or love interest. When Ferris observes Cris on a surveillance video at the casino, it’s his performance taking down a would-be casino robber that seals her decision to pursue him. As they play cat-and-mouse, the foreign terrorists become interested in Cris as well. The bulk of the film involves these warring sides chasing after the prized clairvoyant in dramatically staged action scenes.

As if this ludicrous storyline wasn’t enough to have me laughing out loud (“FBI and Global Terrorists Pursue Grizzled Vegas Magician to Save The World - or L.A. - from Nuclear Holocaust”), in comes love interest Liz (Jessica Biel), the only premonition of Cris’s he’s had for years. One day she arrives at the diner where he waits for her every day and an unlikely series of events turns them into lovers in no time. Sample dialogue cementing their love? “I like rain.” “I like rain, too.”

Jessica Biel has a pretty thankless role as Cage’s love interest. Her job in Next mostly consists in her looking surprised (in soft focus) at Cage’s revelations and pursing her distractingly glossy lips. But it’s Julianne Moore’s performance I was most disappointed in. Instead of assuming an air of authority, Moore overplays Agent Ferris’s tough act, spitting out lines like the bullets she shoots at target practice. Okay, Moore, we get it... you’re butch.

Next has some decent special effects (Nicolas Cage nonchalantly dodging bullets, splitting into multiple figures) and plot twists one would expect from a film that plays with time - but not much else. It has a silly storyline, miscast leads, and laughable dialogue. I predict you’ll be hearing about Next at an awards show soon - the Razzies. In the meantime, I’m going to wash my movie-going eyeballs out with another film. Next, please!

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Movie Preview: Next, Starring Nicolas Cage

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:00:11 -0700

Nicolas Cage is going back to Las Vegas in his new movie, Next, co-starring Jessica Biel and Julianne Moore. Despite its off-puttingly generic name, this sci-fi thriller might actually be pretty cool: Like Minority Report and Blade Runner, it's based on a work of fiction by the legendary Philip K. Dick - in this case, a short story called "The Golden Man."

Cage plays a Vegas magician named Cris Johnson, who can see the future, but only by a few minutes. He uses his power as a cheap parlor trick and nothing more, until he's confronted by a government agent (Julianne Moore), who wants his help in preventing a nuclear threat. Directed by Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day), Next opens nationwide next Friday, April 27. Watch the trailer and tell me what you think when you read more

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America's Next Top Model Quiz: "America's Next Top Model Is..."

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:15:56 -0800

The moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived: I've been gearing up with my America's Next Top Model quizzes for months, and Bella has been getting in on the excitement with her ANTM faceoff game - and now we finally have our Cycle 13 winner! (Not to mention the first petite champ.) Cue the drumroll and take this one last test to judge your knowledge from the finale.

And afterward, I'm curious to hear how you felt about this season overall. The competition wasn't as stiff as I had hoped, and I would've liked a few more solid contenders for the No. 1 spot - but we definitely got a mix of some fun personalities. (Laura and Jennifer immediately come to mind.) Weigh in on the cycle - and the final winner - in the comments. Or just click on over to the America's Next Top Model group in the BuzzSugar Community!

Photo courtesy of The CW

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America's Next Top Model Quiz: "Hawaiian Hip Hop"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:30:16 -0800

This week was a first in the history of America's Next Top Model: With only one episode until the finals, the judges decided to eliminate not one, but two girls. I honestly couldn't decide who I preferred seeing in the last round - Nicole and Laura, Nicole and Jennifer? (You already know how I feel about Erin, and it was a no-brainer that Nicole would make the cut.) So who got the boot? Take my quiz and see how much you remember!

And if you don't agree with the judges' picks this week - or want to just chat about the show in general - check out the America's Next Top Model group in the BuzzSugar Community.

Photo courtesy of The CW

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America's Next Top Model Quiz: "Dive Deeper"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:30:05 -0800

I don't know about you, but I'm sort of a fan girl for Marisa Miller thanks to the heyday of Victoria's Secret, so I was psyched to see her fill in as guest judge on this week's America's Next Top Model. This episode was all about the water - cliff diving, scuba diving - and some of the girls freaked. Who was able to overcome her fear and move on, and who choked? Test yourself to see if you remember all the details!

And don't forget that you can sound off about this week's episode in the America's Next Top Model group in the BuzzSugar Community!

Photo courtesy of The CW

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America's Next Top Model Quiz: "Let's Go Surfing"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:29:43 -0700

While it wasn't the most dramatic episode, this week's America's Next Top Model sure was beautifully picturesque. The models flew to the Hawaiian islands, tried out a little surfing, and then posed as a mix of different races. While Bella ranked the high fashion shoot as one of her 15 worst, I thought it was a nice hour of entertainment nonetheless. (Plus, Tyra stepped behind the camera a second time - a first in ANTM's history!) Do you remember everything that went down?

Dying to speak your mind about this week's episode? Don't forget to check out America's Next Top Model group in the BuzzSugar Community!

Photo courtesy of The CW

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America's Next Top Model Quiz: "Interview 101"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:30:52 -0700

Was it just me or was America's Next Top Model kind of a snooze this week? I miss the over-the-top fantasy glitz of the Cirque du Soleil or martial arts challenges. Not that the judges didn't give the models a tough task - each girl had to interview on camera for The Insider and script her own CoverGirl commercial. There were some major flubs, especially from Erin who had a sob-fest. I found her majorly annoying, but unfortunately she stuck it out till the end. Do you remember who did get sent home? It's time to test your ANTM IQ!

And if you want to dish about the show in more detail, take a peek at the America's Next Top Model group in the BuzzSugar Community!

Photo courtesy of The CW

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America's Next Top Model Quiz: "Petite Ninja Warriors"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:00:18 -0700

Which is harder - handling a sword on a high wire, or driving in LA traffic? This week on America's Next Top Model, the girls attempted both. Call me a dork, but I sort of loved the martial arts challenge. While it wasn't as flashy as their Cirque du Soleil shoot, it was fun to see each model take on a butt-kicking persona for the day. Not everyone handled it with grace however, and one girl was of course sent packing. Do you remember who it was, along with the rest of the episode? Test yourself by taking the quiz!

Don't forget to check out the America's Next Top Model group in the BuzzSugar Community if you want to talk about the show in more detail!

Photo courtesy of The CW

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America's Next Top Model Quiz: "Dance With Me"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:30:34 -0700

I've got to agree with Bella: it took surprise visits from Lil Mama, the Jabbawockeez, and Cirque du Soleil to do it, but this week's America's Next Top Model brought back some much-needed pizzazz to Cycle 13 - even if the models themselves were quasi-lackluster. (Come on, Kara! Bring the fierceness!) There was some drama with Ashley, the obligatory offbeat comments from Nicole, and by the end of the hour, I was fully rooting for small-town girl Laura, who's quickly proving to be a top competitor. What'd you think of the episode? Do you remember everything that happened? Time to find out - take the quiz!

Then if you want to dissect the episode in its entirety, pay a visit to the America's Next Top Model group on BuzzSugar!

Photo courtesy of The CW

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