BuzzSugar

Disturbia Wins at the Box Office Yet Again

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 05:05:45 PDT

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

Nic Cage Makes His Next Move

PopSugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 07:08:34 PDT

Nic stopped by Letterman last night to promote his new film Next that opens today. In the movie he stars as a man who can see two minutes into the future. As a result he's relentlessly pursued by the FBI, which wants to use him to stop a terrorist threat. The action thriller also stars Jessica Biel as his love interest. Unfortunately for him (and Jessica), the film isn't getting very good reviews. To check out BuzzSugar's take on the film click here.

View 4 Photos ›

Source

Next: Predictably Bad

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 02:58:41 PDT

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,

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

Jessica Biel Crushes on Her Leading Men

PopSugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:25:00 PDT

Jessica was caught at JFK looking pretty fresh faced considering she has no make-up on. She's recently been promoting her new film Next with Nic Cage. In the sci-fi thriller Nic plays her love interest. She recently told eXtra about having a crush on him as well as her favorite on screen kissing co-stars. Here's more:

On Nic:
“My mother said to me,'Do you remember that you were in love with him when you were thirteen?' So I’ve had this mini crush on him for a long time.”
On her favorite on screen kisser:
“On my God, let’s see… It might be a tie between Nic, Ed Norton and Adam Sandler… they’re all very good kissers.”

Well, it looks like Jessica is doing pretty well for herself in the leading man department (and in her personal life as well). We're betting kissing JT is pretty amazing also. To check out a preview of Next and the trailer just click here.

View 2 Photos ›

Source

Movie Preview: Next, Starring Nicolas Cage

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:00:11 PDT

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

Source

Kristen Stewart Rocks Short Shorts to Party With Robert Pattinson

Katie Henry — Sat, 26 May 2012 11:33:00 PDT

Kristen Stewart slipped out of her Reem Acra gown and into a Dolce & Gabbana t-shirt and sexy black shorts for Robert Pattinson's Cosmopolis Cannes Film Festival afterparty. Earlier in the evening, Rob hit the red carpet solo at the film's formal premiere, while Kristen stuck close to his best friend, and her On the Road costar, Tom Sturridge. The trip to France came right in the middle of Kristen's international Snow White and the Huntsman press tour. The film opens in theaters June 1, and Kristen's headed back to the states next week for a few more promotional stops. As for Rob, he's in the running for two of the hottest roles in Hollywood. New reports say Rob's considering the part of Finnick Odair in Catching Fire, the follow-up to The Hunger Games, and he's among the sexy guys competing to play Christian in Fifty Shades of Grey.

What Was Hot the Year You Graduated From High School

Tara Block — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:35:28 PDT

For today's generation of teenagers, high school's almost out for Summer. And for seniors graduating this month and the next, this is a big time of transition as they enter the collegiate world and beyond. We've long said our goodbyes to our high school days, but during this graduation season we can't help but reminisce about our past. So if you graduated from high school any year from 1990 to 2005, we've got a blast from the past for you! Here are some of the hottest pop-culture moments by year that will take you back to the days of backpacks, lockers, and homework!

Men in Black 3: A Return to (Alien Life) Form

Becky Kirsch — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:29:01 PDT

I saw the original Men in Black movie so long ago that my memories of the film might as well have been zapped with a neuralyzer (that's the memory-erasing device the guys use in the movie, for those of you who are also having trouble recalling the original). What I did retain is that the film was funny, fresh, and silly and that it didn't hold up very well for the 2002 sequel. With that in mind, I had low expectations for Men in Black 3, but the newest installment is just as much fun as the original, and it actually benefits from the 15-year time lapse.

The script for the film is one of its biggest assets and truly sets Men in Black 3 apart from its predecessors. The aliens are still alive and ickier than ever now that they're in 3D, but the story is more focused on the friendship between J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) and how it has evolved over the years. We learn early on that K has been keeping a secret from J all these years, and the mystery drives a wedge between the partners. Meanwhile, a treacherous alien named Boris the Animal (played to hilarious perfection by Flight of the Conchords's Jemaine Clement) breaks out of maximum-security prison and goes back in time to get revenge on K, who arrested him back in the '60s. The day that K had Boris locked up is the key to K's secret, so J heads on a mission back in time to save K and learn the truth.

To see why Men in Black 3 is so much fun, just

Will Smith hasn't been in a movie since 2008's Seven Pounds, and I didn't realize I missed him until I found myself giggling all the way through Men in Black 3. His shtick is still the same (he's one-liners still consistent of dialogue like "Where did you come from? Planet damn?"), but you can't help but love Agent J as he bumbles through the '60s, desperately trying to sell his story to people who don't recognize him - or believe him. You can tell that Smith feels completely comfortable in the role, and in the signature suit, which still looks perfect on him, as he hasn't aged a day.

Tommy Lee Jones is ever the reliable curmudgeon, but the film mines extra laughs when J travels to the '60s and meets a much younger version of his partner, played by Josh Brolin. Brolin looks enough like Jones to pass for him, but it's really his studied delivery and mannerisms that sell the performance. We also get some insight into how K has evolved over the years (he's always had a penchant for cowboy music, but he also used to be a bit of a dreamer), giving the film an extra layer to the enjoyable banter between J and K.

I'm not usually one to gush about 3D, but the special effects really come to life in Men in Black 3 in a way they never did in the first two movies. Not only do the aliens look creepier than ever, but the cartoonish feel of the film is taken to the next level with the 3D aspect, especially with the time-travel thrill-ride element. Much like with the 3D movies from my youth, I found myself shrinking in my seat just to avoid being too close to the alien goo, blood, breath, and beyond. Combined with the welcome return of Will Smith, you've got yourself a fun, mindless blockbuster.

Photos courtesy of Sony

What Would You Rather Spend Money on?

Emily Co — Sat, 26 May 2012 00:24:52 PDT

Spending money is very subjective; what some of us see as a necessity, others might view as a frivolous waste. Play our faceoff game and tell us which expense you're willing to spend money on.

The choices are endless, from gym memberships to having a kid to premium cable channels; you never know what crazy matchup will come next. Pick which one you'd rather spend money on and see if your peers agree. The pairs won't always be apples-to-apples comparisons - say, taking a honeymoon vs. eyebrow shaping! - but they are designed to inspire tough choices, which is what personal saving is all about.

10 Tips to Save on Memorial Day Grocery Shopping

Emily Co — Sat, 26 May 2012 00:15:10 PDT

It's fun to host people for a barbecue, but it can also get quite pricey when everyone isn't chipping in. Consumer expert Andrea Woroch provides suggestions to cut your grocery bill when shopping for your Memorial Day meal:

Prepare most of your meal. Woroch says, "The general rule for prepared foods is that they are more expensive, and it's cheaper to buy the ingredients to prepare yourself." For example, prepared veggie platters and fruit salads "are never a good deal" and aren't exactly the freshest produce. However, prepared potato salad at a regular supermarket is less expensive and will save you time in the kitchen.

Get chicken from the butcher. Buy chicken breasts from the butcher counter instead of the prepared packets. They tend to be cheaper and are generally more fresh.

Consider boxed wine. Save money by skipping the bottled wine and going for the box. "Boxed wine is an affordable option for large parties, and the quality has greatly improved in recent years," she says.

Buy liquor at a superstore. If you're insistent on a specific bottle, then check out warehouse clubs like Costco. There are better deals on wine, liquor, and beer at a superstore, according to Woroch. While you're there, pick the store's generic version of vodka for an even cheaper deal.

Make your own salad dressing and marinade. Check out recipes online - here's a list of over 60 different marinades to make. "Most people will already have the basic ingredients like olive oil, some type of vinegar, and herbs at home," she says. "Other ingredients like lemon or lime, soy sauce, or honey won't cost much extra."

Read on for more.