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2007 Sundance Film Festival: Comedies

BuzzSugar — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 05:34:47 PST

The Sundance Film Festival kicked off on Thursday in Park City, Utah. It's tough to underestimate the significance of Sundance, since the awards handed out and the subsequent buzz have helped to make many now-mainstream films successful, including Clerks, Memento, Murderball, and Hustle and Flow. I did some research to find out what films look the most promising and thought I'd share what look to be this year's stand-out projects. For today's installment, I'll focus on the must-see comedies.

Smiley Face
Starring The Office's John Krasinski (the beloved Jim Halpert), Anna Faris, and Adam Brody, Smiley Face looks like it will become popular with the same crowd that so warmly embraced Napoleon Dynamite. Faris plays an actress whose day goes in an interesting direction when she accidentally consumes her roommate's pot cupcakes.

Three more, so

read more Waitress Keri Russell is at the heart of this Southern small-town film, playing diner waitress Jenna who bakes pies and then gives them endearing names. Unhappily married, she tries to come to terms with her new-found pregnancy when a new man comes to town, turning her little ol' life upside down.
The Ten The cast of MTV's sketch show "The State" have been very productive since the show went off the air, churning out Wet Hot American Summer, Reno 911! and "The Michael Showalter Showalter." This year several of the cast members are going to Sundance with The Ten, a film that intersects ten different stories, each having to do with one of the ten commandments. The cast list features some of my favorite actors: Rob Corddry, Paul Rudd, and Gretchen Mol, as well as big names like Jessica Alba, Adam Brody, and Winona Ryder, so there's someone for everyone in this film.
Broken English The darling of the independent movie industry, Parker Posey gets to play yet another quirky lady in this romantic comedy. Written and directed by Zoe Cassavetes, Broken English tells the story of thirty-something Nora (Posey), whose mother loves to remind her of all she doesn't have: a good job, and the "perfect marriage" enjoyed by Nora's best friend Audrey. Enter an intriguing, oddball Frenchman. A crazy-Posey/crazy-Frenchman love affair? Sounds like a sure bet to me.

What to Expect When You're Expecting Set Visit: Elizabeth Banks on Her Fake Bump and Personal Baby Joy

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:05:11 PST

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood will share the big screen in the upcoming comedy What to Expect When You're Expecting, which follows different mothers-to-be as they prepare for the arrivals of their bundles of joy. Cameron Diaz, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, and Elizabeth Banks are among the famous ladies who strapped on fake baby bumps to portray different kinds of pregnant women, and Banks's character, Wendy, doesn't exactly have an easy time of it.

I visited the Atlanta set of the film last year, where Banks was shooting a climactic scene in which her character addresses all the woes of pregnancy - in an auditorium with a rather large audience. The hilarious meltdown, which you can see in the opening of the trailer for What to Expect When You're Expecting, includes harsh truths like "I'm calling it: pregnancy sucks." It was great fun to see Banks film the passionate speech again and again, especially since the funny lady mixed up her one-liners from one take to another. What was even more interesting was seeing all of the extras who played the audience members, since the group of women was a mix of actual pregnant women and women rocking fake baby bumps.

I chatted with Banks about her own experience filming the movie, and she revealed that she actually felt like she was in her own little movie, since she doesn't have much screen time with her costars. Banks was refreshingly honest about not having any parenting tips and also admitted that though welcoming her son, Felix, has brought her a great deal of joy, it hasn't changed her stance on how she feels about kids in general. Here's more of what Banks had to say about pregnancy and motherhood:

What inspired you to take this role?
Elizabeth Banks: I cried when I read the script. It has a really great ending: at the end of the movie, everybody has a baby! It really is just a very relatable story for everyone: anybody who is a parent, has considered being a parent, has a baby, whatever. It's just very universal, what happens in the film. We really explore so many great storylines and different paths to getting a child. I had a unique path to getting my son, so I understand how everybody's path to their child is different.

How does it feel to wear the bump?
EB: It's sweaty! [Laughs] I think it's probably a decent approximation; it weighs a good 10 lbs. The boobs weigh about 6 lbs. They are really unbelievable. It's fun. It definitely makes you sit and walk in a totally different way. As an actor, it's a great prop.

How did you change when you became a mom?
EB: I get drunk much faster and easier, and it's a big problem, so I can't go out very much. I find that I underestimated the amount of joy. I'm really learning about my capacity for joy through my son.

To see what Banks had to say about baby fever and her parenting tips, just keep reading.

Kirsten Dunst and Garrett Hedlund Couple Up For a Bike Ride

Allie Merriam — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:39:55 PST

Kirsten Dunst and Garrett Hedlund took to their bikes for a ride near her LA home yesterday. They practically matched in their gray sweats, but the outing wasn't all about exercising - Kirsten also put posters up to publicize her cat's disappearance. Kirsten and Garrett are together in California after spending a few days last month in Utah. They headed to Park City for the Sundance Film Festival premiere of Bachelorette, Kirsten's new dark comedy with Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, and James Marsden. Garrett skipped the red carpet, but he and Kirsten were seen getting close at the afterparty. It seems the couple got together at some point last year after meeting on the set of On the Road. Both Kirsten and Garrett star in the big screen adaptation of the classic Kerouac novel, which also features Kristen Stewart and Tom Sturridge.

50 Geeky Date Ideas For Valentine's Day (and Beyond)

GeekSugar — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:30:10 PST

Coming up short for Valentine's Day date ideas? If you and your sweetheart are more of the geeky persuasion, simply hitting up an overpriced restaurant just won't cut it. We brainstormed 50 date ideas that incorporate science, tech, and video games, for a special Valentine's eve. But don't limit yourself - tackle these date ideas all year!

Bundle up, pack a dinner picnic, and head to the park for some stargazing.
Watch Contact (for the millionth time).
Go to a science museum.
Hit the natural history museum and check out your favorite dino bones.
Go retro - grab a roll of quarters, a slice or two, and hit the pizza parlor arcade.
Build your own planetarium with glow-in-the-dark stickers.
Catch up with the Doctor Who craze by watching the series from the beginning.
Throw a Star Wars party for two.
Whip up a batch of Cloud 9 mojitos (complete with mason jar glasses) and have a Battlestar Galactica marathon.
Visit Nerdy Day Trips and find geeky stuff to do near you.
Go to the planetarium.
Take a dream vacay to the Hobbit Hotel in New Zealand.
Spend a few romantic nights in the Hobbit House of Montana.
Visit the actual Lord of the Rings movie set.
Travel to the Chott el Djerid salt lakes in Tunisia, which were transformed into Luke Skywalker's home on Tatooine.

See the rest of the list after the break!

Ryan Plays It Safe in Spain as Blake Celebrates Gossip Girl's 100th Episode

Katie Henry — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:35:12 PST

Ryan Reynolds joined Denzel Washington and Safe House director Daniel Espinosa for a photocall in Madrid today. The trio are kicking off their international press tour from Spain before making their way back to the States. Ryan and Denzel shot the CIA thriller in South Africa last year, and since then, Ryan's sparked up a romance with his former Green Lantern costar Blake Lively.

Blake and Ryan spent Thanksgiving together at her sister's Park City, UT bed and breakfast, Johnson Mill Bed & Breakfast, and then celebrated Christmas with his family in Vancouver. The couple were recently spotted on a romantic getaway to Louisiana where Blake and Ryan explored New Orleans on foot. Last night, Blake's 100th episode of Gossip Girl aired and it seems fans are one step closer to discovering Gossip Girl's true identity - get all the OMG moments from Blair's royal wedding including Georgina's return and Serena's big confession.

Best Celebrity Pictures of the Week!

Katie Henry — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:04:00 PST

Our favorite stars were busy this week as award season continued and many made the trek to Park City, UT for the Sundance Film Festival. Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux caught a movie as rumors of her latest real estate deal swirled. Jennifer Garner also made a major purchase and was spotted picked out a new Range Rover. Taylor Swift dined with Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin in London, while Rachel Zoe partied with her friend Anne Hathaway in LA. All that and more went down, so click through to see all the exciting pics!

Rewind: Sundance Magic

BuzzSugar — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:05:00 PST

We had a blast in Park City this year! Feast your eyes on these beautiful cast portraits from Sundance Film Festival.
Be sure to check out our reviews for Celeste and Jesse Forever and Your Sister's Sister: two of our favorite films of the fest.
The full list of Oscar nominations was released on Tuesday! Read through our snap judgments on the picks, and watch which nominees that surprised us!
New stills were released of some upcoming films we can't wait to see. Click through photos from The Amazing Spider-Man, The Hunger Games, and The Dark Knight Rises to see all we have to look forward to in 2012.
Cameron Diaz, Elizabeth Banks, and more rock big bellies in new What to Expect When You're Expecting movie posters.
We took a trip down memory lane, remembering all of Katherine Heigl's leading men through the years.
Check out all of the TV guest stars who will be making appearances on the small screen soon.
The first leg of the journey kicks off February 19 - check out the 11 dynamic duos who will compete on The Amazing Race Season 20.
Cougar Town is almost back! Get psyched for the season three premiere on Valentine's Day with these Cougar Town pics.

See All the Stars at Sundance Parties!

Molly Goodson — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:49:01 PST

The Sundance Film Festival has been jam-packed with parties, red carpets, and star-studded events since it kicked off witha rip-roaring, blizzard-filled opening weekend. The Bing Bar played host to everyone from Drake on Saturday night to Kristen Bell for her House of Lies happy hour on Sunday. Elsewhere in Park City, Emma Roberts partied with her cast of Celeste and Jesse Forever, while Joshua Jackson caught up with his Lay the Favorite costars. LTF was getting a lot of buzz coming into the festival and was completed just days before it premiered.

Aziz Ansari took advantage of Sundance to schedule some stand-up, and he actually acted as Drake's opening act at the Bing Bar on Saturday. During the show, Cuba Gooding Jr. stormed the stage when he thought people weren't giving Aziz the attention he deserved. Aziz also stepped out to support his Parks and Recreation costar Rashida Jones, who made her screenwriting debut in Celeste and Jesse. Lizzy Caplan and Kirsten Dunst's movie Bachelorette hits Sundance on Monday evening, but the girls caught up beforehand as well. On Sunday, Lizzy joined Allison Brie, Christina Hendricks, and her husband Geoffrey Arend all sat together to enjoy a relaxing dinner at Chefdance. Bradley Cooper rolled into town late, since his film The Words is one of the last to premiere at the festival. There'still the final weekend and Sundance awards to come, but here's all the latest party pics from all the awesome events!

Check out all of our Sundance Film Festival coverage!

Video: The Sundance Hits Everyone's Talking About!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:35:33 PST

This year's Sundance Film Festival brought a fresh crop of movies to snowy Park City, UT, and The Buzz is on top of the action. In this week's episode, Becky is on location to tell us about the five films that have everyone talking at this year's festival.

Our 15 Favorite Sundance Celebrity Sightings!

Molly Goodson — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:30:00 PST

The opening weekend of the Sundance Film Festival was jam-packed with celebrities, red carpets, and hot performances in Park City. Stars braved the blizzard conditions on Saturday night to check out the likes of Drake at the Bing Bar, LMFAO at Park City Live, and more. Christina Hendricks looked adorable snuggled up to her husband Geoffrey Arend and we witnessed an adorable moment between Kristen Bell and her camera-shy fiancé Dax Shepard. Cozy fashion, gifting suites, and old friends reuniting are trademarks of the independent film festival at this point. Check out our favorite sightings from our time at Sundance!