BuzzSugar

Jack Nicholson to Play Paul Rudd's Dad in Rom-Com

BuzzSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:30:19 -0700

This is fun to imagine: Jack Nicholson is in talks to join the cast of an untitled romantic comedy directed by James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment, As Good as It Gets) as the blueblood father of a character played by Paul Rudd. The cast also includes Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson and the story "involves a love triangle, with Rudd playing a white-collar executive vying for Witherspoon's affections, and Wilson portraying a professional baseball pitcher who is also a love interest."

Nicholson's part was originally supposed to go to Bill Murray, but apparently "Murray's interest in the project waned and he fell out of touch," so Brooks asked Nicholson to step in. As Variety notes, Brooks' projects have led to two of Nicholson's three Oscar wins (one for Terms of Endearment and one for As Good as It Gets), so maybe this new comedy will bring Nicholson more good things.

Will Nicholson and Rudd make a good father-son team? Do you think Nicholson's a better fit in that role than Bill Murray would have been?

Source

I Love You, Man: Bromance at Its Cutest

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:45:52 -0700

I Love You, Man is a sweet, low-key comedy about two guys who find true friendship. As I left the screening a friend said it struck her as a kind of poor man's Judd Apatow movie (meant as a positive thing, BTW) - in the literal sense, it seems lower-budget but it's also just quieter, tamer, and less yucky. There's tons of super awkwardness, similar to the kind we see each week in The Office, and little gross-out humor. It's also simply more genuine than something Apatow might do, and it's a nice change.

The movie focuses on the platonic relationship between two guys, and the fact that they're guys is central to the humor of their awkward blossoming friendship. It all starts when Peter (Paul Rudd) proposes to his girlfriend Zooey (Rashida Jones) and realizes that he has nobody to be his best man in the wedding. So, on the advice of his gay brother Robbie (Andy Samberg), he goes on a series of "man dates" to try and find a friend to be his best man. Finally, Peter meets Sydney (Jason Segel), the carefree and fun-loving antidote to Peter's buttoned-up steadiness. Peter discovers what it's like to talk frankly with another guy and how to loosen up a little bit and not always play by the rules. Sydney's relaxed attitude starts to rub off on Peter, which is refreshing until it gets to the point that Peter (and Zooey, for that matter) feels like he's not totally himself anymore. He then has to figure out if he can balance both romance and bromance in his life. For more of my thoughts on it all, read more.

There are a lot of perfect fits in this movie. Rudd and Segel are natural together, and they strike a comfortable balance of sincere affection and dudeliness. Rudd fits well with his character, Peter, who's just a nice, stable guy with a calm and respectful temperament. It's easy to like Peter for who he is, though we recognize that he lacks some confidence and might be more successful if he believed in himself. Rudd easily takes on this role, without judging Peter, and it's satisfying to see that he's quite capable of carrying a movie as the lead character.

The emphasis is on the "bromance" between these two guys - their totally straight man-love - and a lot of the humor stems from Peter trying to navigate a male friendship. How to get close but not really intimate? How much of himself should he show? It's an exploration of friendship in general, really (finding the people who bring out the best in us, etc.). It's just a new and funny story because of the ever-changing societal norms that dictate how men should acceptably express emotion and love.

There are funnier movies out there, but I Love You, Man is certainly one of the easiest and most digestible comedies I've seen in a long time. The boys are cute and funny without being over-the-top, and the girls are relatable and funny without being naggy psychos. There's no poop or menstrual blood, but there are lots of silly lines that people will be quoting for a long, long time ("Sleppin' da bayse, mon"). It's like this year's Anchorman or Superbad in that sense - but it's a helluva lot cuter than both of those.

Photos courtesy of Paramount

Movie Preview: I Love You, Man

BuzzSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:32:21 -0800

In theory, I think the premise for I Love You, Man is funny and cute: A guy (Paul Rudd) gets engaged to his lady (Rashida Jones - yay for her having more movie roles!) but he doesn't have a best guy friend so he basically goes on a manfriend-hunt to lock down a best man for the wedding.

The trailer features some funny folks (Jason Segel, Andy Samberg, Thomas Lennon) and people I just love seeing pretty much anytime (JK Simmons), and yet, it doesn't really make me laugh. Also (and I'm assuming this is explained in the movie), why doesn't he just ask his brother (Samberg) to be his best man, instead of asking his brother for tips on going on man dates to find some guy he barely knows to be his best man? Time will tell, I suppose. I do appreciate the use of the Pixies' "Here Comes Your Man" in the trailer, anyway.

I Love You, Man opens March 20. To check out the trailer, read more.

Role Models: Setting a Good Example For Comedic Movies

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 06:30:35 -0800

For the second time in recent history, I left an R-rated comedy feeling really happy. First Kevin Smith's crass, dirty film about low-budget porn turns out to be rather sweet, and now Role Models. Though full of crude language and nasty jokes, the movie is really a twisted sort of coming-of-age story - for the adult characters more than the kids - that's ultimately heartwarming.

Danny (Paul Rudd) and Wheeler (Seann William Scott) are two energy drink reps who have been with the company for several years now. Danny has grown frustrated with what he sees as a dead-end career, while Wheeler is something of a frat-boyish slacker who rather enjoys his low-commitment lifestyle. One day, however, Danny's aggravation overwhelms him and he and Wheeler end up getting in trouble with the law. They choose to put in 150 hours of service at a mentoring program rather than go to jail, and they meet their charges: Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and Ronnie (Bobb'e J. Thompson). For more of the story and my thoughts on it all, read more.

Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott make a great, well-cast team, but my favorite actor in the whole thing is Jane Lynch, who plays the ex-convict director of the mentoring program. She keeps a watchful (if not slightly twitchy) eye on the two men as they attempt to bond with Augie and Ronnie. These relationships are rocky at first (since the big joke here is that these two schlubs are allowed to be role models at all), but in the end, everyone learns a little something about himself.

I have paid attention to director David Wain's career ever since he was a member of MTV's awesome/bizarre sketch show The State, and though I love Wain's Wet Hot American Summer, I understand that it's something of an acquired taste. When his movie The Ten came out last year, though, I was disappointed. Now it seems Wain has struck a good balance: Taking a simple story (two guys who join a mentoring program and struggle to connect with their charges) and infusing it with his weird, sometimes awkward, sometimes crass sense of humor. This way, we're not overloading on the cheesy, mundane stuff of the ordinary mainstream comedy, but it's also not just one long string of bizarre jokes.

The message (if one is wont to look for such things), too, is particularly accessible to the 20- and 30-somethings of America. Danny experiences a specific kind of ennui, a sense of despair at not knowing what makes life meaningful. This idea that the key to happiness is community and helping others can been found in countless movies, but here it's coming all wrapped up in sarcasm and sex jokes and the cute, droll Paul Rudd. But then, of course, as soon as we realize that there might be a goopy central theme to all this, someone punches someone else in the crotch and we're back to just having a good time. It's both funny and satisfying.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Movie Preview: Role Models

BuzzSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:30:31 -0700

Does the world need another one of these man-child comedies? Old School, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Drillbit Taylor, Step Brothers . . . it just keeps happening. There's the guy (or usually more than one guy) who's schlubby and immature and thinks behaving like an adult is akin to destroying one's soul. He "hilariously" messes up over and over again until the sensible killjoy female character frowningly sets him on his way down the Right Path. It's kinda been done. A lot.

Role Models finds Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott playing energy drink reps who mess up so much that they're told by sensible killjoy (played by Elizabeth Banks) that they need to become basically Big Brothers to some kids (one of whom is played by Superbad's Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who is pretty funny in the preview). The movie opens Nov. 14. To see the trailer, read more.

Role Models - Theatrical Trailer | Movies & TV | SPIKE.com

Source

Buzz News Roundup, 4/28

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:30:01 -0700

Lori Loughlin is set to play the mother in the CW's 90210 spinoff, TV Guide reports.
And, says Variety, The CW officially wants Hilary Duff on board to play Loughlin's daughter.
NME has the scoop on a new free music streaming website for Sony/BMG artists.
Angela Bassett will check into ER to play a doctor in the drama's final season, Zap2it reports.
Brothers & Sisters and Ugly Betty were repeat winners at the GLAAD Media Awards over the weekend, the Associated Press reports.
Paste reports that the next issue of McSweeney's DVD magazine Wholphin will feature a short film starring Paul Rudd and Zooey Deschanel and written by Michael Chabon.
The Coen Bros. film Burn After Reading will open the Venice Film Festival in August before premiering in the U.S. on Sept. 12, writes the Hollywood Reporter.

Source

Forgetting Sarah Marshall: Lots of Laughs, Not a Lot of Heart

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 05:30:30 -0700

For the first half of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I laughed out loud almost nonstop. Deliciously rife with Apatowian elements - bumbling self-deprecating characters, bawdy jokes, "call-'em-like-I-see-'em" bits of social commentary - it's a satisfying parade of sarcasm and sight gags. It even begins with a shamelessly, utterly nude Jason Segel, a move I fully admire. Yet somewhere along the line everything starts to lose steam, and it's hard to care much about any of the characters - least of all our schlubby protagonist. And sure, it's still funny, but - awesome musical puppet interpretation of Dracula notwithstanding - the heartbeat of the film weakens tremendously.

Of course, for many people this won't matter, and the fact remains that it's still a good comedy in that it makes us laugh. But is it a tight story with great characters? I'm not so sure. In case the extremely pervasive marketing techniques for this movie never permeated your consciousness, here's the story: Pete Bretter's (Segel) TV actress girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) breaks up with him. Grief-stricken, Pete sleeps with as many women as possible before finally deciding a trip to Hawaii will better help him forget Sarah Marshall. But when he reaches the lush, beautiful hotel, there she is - with her new boyfriend, Brit rocker Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). Awkwardness ensues as Pete obsesses over Sarah and also tries to avoid her. Enter hot girl hotel employee Rachel (Mila Kunis) who is happy to take Pete's mind off Sarah, which only ignites Sarah's jealousy. Soon, Pete must decide what - and who - he thinks will make him happiest.

For more of my take on it all, read more.

In a largely character-driven comedy, the problem is that we're not entirely sure how to feel about most of the characters, and eventually we give up and feel nothing. This is a directional issue that most afflicts our main twosome, Pete and Sarah. I get the feeling that I'm supposed to hate Sarah, but frankly, I just can't. She shows a vulnerable side, opening up and crying to Pete about what made her break up with him and though her reasoning seems sensible, we're still supposed to hate her. Also, by the time it all comes out, we've been so entertained by all the slapstick and silliness that we end up judging and mocking Sarah's vulnerability, and it feels awkward. So, maybe it's not so much that there is no heart to the story, but that it comes too late to take very seriously.

Same goes for Pete's journey. When Rachel inspires him to jump off a cliff into the ocean (after they've talked about him taking risks with his career, insert heavy-handed life metaphor here), I find it difficult to care about what's going on with him. The following montage of scenes indicating that he's on the up and up (he attends a stranger's wedding! He swims with kids! He refuses alcohol!) rings empty, and again, I can't seem to care about this guy. Thus, whether or not Pete ends up with Rachel, a character I find to be incredibly obnoxious and, well, trashy, isn't something that concerns me in the least, especially since, while he's a relatively nice guy (or, "too sensitive," as Rachel so helpfully puts it), he's sort of a blah person. As the epicenter of an entire narrative, he doesn't quite manage to hold it all together.

There is one character who is both well-defined and endlessly entertaining, and that is Sarah's new man, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). This is the perfect situation: a fantastically gifted comedic actor combined with a solidly formed character. At least with Aldous we know where he stands and what he's about: egotistical fame-hungry rock-n-roll personality by day, tireless lothario by night - all the while maintaining this relaxed comfort with the world, this assumption that pleasure will find him. This movie won't make it to my DVD collection, but I do want a clip montage of Aldous Snow-isms to cheer me up on sick days.

Bottom line: It's not my favorite comedy ever, but the character of Aldous and a bunch of funny jokes make it more or less worth the price of admission.

Source

To see the trailer and more clips from Forgetting Sarah Marshall check out movies.ivillage.com.

Two Straight-to-DVD Romances, One Long Night

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:30:43 -0800

Sometimes movies go straight to DVD and you can kind of guess why (sidenote: thank you, Molly, for watching Blonde Ambition so I don't have to!). But then there are those sweet-looking films with some big names - Alec Baldwin, Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd, Sarah Michelle Prinze - that pique my curiosity. What could be so bad about movies like Suburban Girl and I Could Never Be Your Woman that they went straight to DVD? Well, in honor of Valentine's Day, I popped in these straight-to-DVD romances to find out just that.

The Description:
"Neophyte editor Brett Eisenberg (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is paying her dues in New York's publishing world when she attracts Archie Knox (Alec Baldwin), an aging industry luminary. Soon, their romance is complicated by real-life pressures, including Archie's alcoholism and Brett's dying father."
The Good:
Some of you may recall The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, a collection of short stories by Melissa Bank that became a huge hit in 1999, and Suburban Girl is based on two of the stories in that book. They did well to maintain most of the protagonist's character (now named Brett): her wise-beyond-her-years maturity, her immense (and proud) knowledge of literature. If nothing else, it's refreshing to see a main female character in a romantic comedy (I guess this is a comedy?) who is not a bumbling fool. She's like a heroine for any bookish girl who loves Dante and leather pants all at the same time. She's not altogether humorless, either - my writer's heart melted upon hearing Brett gush, "Don't you just love alliteration?"

To find out "The Bad" and my take on the other romantic DVD, read more
The Bad:
With the exception of endearing quips like those, the dialogue is shockingly bad. For this alone, I can see why Suburban Girl was not theatrically released. Some people have also criticized the relationship between Brett and Archie, claiming Sarah Michele Gellar and Alec Baldwin have zero chemistry, though I don't share this opinion. Their relationship is supposed to feel awkward at times, seeing as Archie is nearly the same age as Brett's dad. Sure, there are moments when their interactions feel forced, and they beat the whole "stop treating me like your daughter!" thing over our heads ad nauseum. But I was more or less okay with it.
Bottom line:
I completely understand why this film went straight to DVD but it's not without its charms, and I fervently hope to see characters like Brett on the big screen someday. Also, the movie's soundtrack could make those of similarly billed "chick flicks" weep with shame. It's cute enough if you're a huge fan of these actors.

I Could Never Be Your Woman
The Description:
"Just as Rosie (Pfeiffer) strikes up a romance with a handsome younger man (Paul Rudd), her daughter Izzie (Saorise Ronan) falls in love for the first time - and Mother Nature (Tracey Ullman) can't resist the temptation to meddle."
The Good:
Pfeiffer and Rudd are surprisingly cute together - to the point where I deeply wished the movie were solely about their relationship. Instead, there are a dozen different things smushed into this one film, and it all gets muddled and (especially in the scenes featuring an ethereal-looking Tracey Ullman as "Mother Nature") super weird. There are vague strains of female empowerment and some commentary on the culture of plastic surgery and degradation of women's bodies in Hollywood, but it all gets diluted amidst the rest of the storylines. Still, on some level, I appreciate the attempt to shed light on a culture in which little girls make their Barbies ridicule each others' bodies.
The Bad:
There's a romantic story involving Pfeiffer's character as The Hot Older Woman (at 40) and Rudd's character as The Funny Younger Man (at 29). But then there's the daughter's coming-of-age stuff and her own shrieky problems with boys at school. And there's Rosie's career troubles and her struggles with self-image within Hollywood. Finally, topping off this messy pile is the smart-mouthed Mother Nature who comes around to criticize Rosie's every move. It's just perplexing, and while there are some funny lines - and Rudd is as adorable as you've ever seen him - it's not actually a fun movie.
Bottom line:
The actors are great, but they can't save this overloaded, bizarre and not especially pleasurable story.

Love It or Leave It: Over Her Dead Body

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:30:00 -0800

Our little Gaby Solis from Wisteria Lane is trying her hand at a posthumous romantic comedy role, and admittedly, I don't know what to think about this. She plays a woman who dies and then haunts the new girlfriend of her former boyfriend. The trailer is . . . interesting. It looks like it feasibly could have been sort of similar to So I Married an Axe Murderer in tone, but maybe got a little lost along the way.

What do you think about Eva Longoria Parker's foray into playing a main character in a movie? Will you give Over Her Dead Body a shot when it opens February 1?

Source

Buzz News Roundup, 12/12

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:31:14 -0800

The Golden Globe nominations will be announced tomorrow morning, but Variety says nominees might not attend the January ceremony because of the writers' strike. Also on the chopping block because of the strike: the Television Critics Association press tour, says the Associated Press - and maybe splashy Upfront presentations, too, says the New York Times.
But, the Screen Actors Guild Awards will go on as planned, Variety reports.
According to ComingSoon, Will Arnett will voice Knight Rider in the TV film.
Amy Adams just might join the cast of Doubt, which also now includes Viola Davis, writes Zap2It.
Journeyman is done, Broadcasting & Cable reports, though its final two episodes will air.
According to Variety, Josh Groban's holiday album Noel continues to be a bestseller for its third week in a row.
ComingSoon writes that Paul Rudd will star in the wedding-themed comedy I Love You, Man, about a groom-to-be who is on the hunt for a best man.
Joan Allen will star and Lasse Hallstrom will direct a remake of the Japanese film Hachiko, A Dog's Story, reports Variety.
Rolling Stone has an intriguing interview with Billy Joel regarding his wartime holiday album Christmas in Fallujah.

Source