BuzzSugar

Box Office: A Memorable Prom Weekend

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:30:38 -0700

Maybe it's that time of the year, or perhaps there was a strong nationwide desire to see a scary movie, but whatever the reason, horror flick Prom Night was crowned queen at the box office this weekend. Variety reports that the movie's $22.7 million marks the best opening for a horror picture so far this year, possibly due to the teen-friendly PG-13 rating.

Though Street Kings is loaded with bloodshed and big names like Forest Whitaker and Keanu Reeves, it was still no match for the teen screamfest, earning second place with an estimated $12 million. 21, on the other hand, is still performing well, taking the third spot with $11 million. It was followed by Nim's Island, Leatherheads, and Horton Hears a Who.

Little family comedy Smart People starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, and Dennis Quaid came in No. 7 earning about $4.2 million. The overall box office is still experiencing a slump compared to last year. I wonder if Forgetting Sarah Marshall will get more folks to the theaters next weekend?

And if you're curious about Prom Night, head over to movies.ivillage.com for the trailer and video clips.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Buzz In: Did You Have A Prom Song?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:00:50 -0700

The horror remake Prom Night, opening this weekend, doesn't look like the kind of movie I'd love, but it did get me thinking about my own prom (which was, thankfully, free of blood and guts). There was a vague Dirty Dancing theme to mine, and the prom song was "I've Had the Time of My Life," which seemed a little presumptuous to me. As Rayanne from My So-Called Life would say, I had a time, but I certainly wouldn't call it the time of my life. Anyway, this led me to wonder: Did other people have a prom song? And did it in any way influence the prom experience?

Conducting an informal little office poll, I got a pretty garden variety of high school dance standards, like "Wonderful Tonight," "Lady in Red," "We Are Family," and "Oh, What a Night." Then there was the girl who, lacking a prom song, decided with her friends that their song for the night would be "Ghetto Superstar."

What about you? Did your prom have a song? Did you like it? Hate it? Skip prom altogether?

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

It's Pop Culture Prom Week

BuzzSugar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:31:58 -0800

Break out the wrist corsages and sparkly tiaras - it's prom week! Yes, I know it's only January, but the pop culture universe has brought everyone's favorite spring formal back this week, big time. Consider:

We kicked off the week with the new trailer for Prom Night, the remake of the '80s horror flick that makes your own prom night, no matter how heinous, seem tame.
Then, NBC Entertainment Co-Chair Ben Silverman invoked the memory of the formal in an interview with E! when NBC was still angling to keep the Golden Globes on the air, saying: "Sadly, it feels like the nerdiest, ugliest, meanest kids in the high school are trying to cancel the prom. But NBC wants to try to keep that prom alive." The ugly, mean, nerdy writers then retaliated by promising to throw Silverman the prom of his dreams outside NBC next week.
And finally, in what can only be described as perfect timing, Project Runway went to prom, too, trotting out a parade of candy-colored gowns for 17-year-old aspiring goddesses. The dresses were just the second-best part of the episode, though, next to the prom photo flashbacks to the designers' awkward years.

I'm not sure what caused this sudden prom frenzy, but - just like real prom - I'm fretting less about that and more about whether anyone will ask me to the dance. Think Michael Cera would be my date?

Source, Source, and Bravo

Movie Previews: Prom Night, Then and Now

BuzzSugar — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:33:42 -0800

You know, I think I would be much more impressed by this trailer for the new version of horror movie Prom Night if it were maybe one minute shorter, or otherwise didn't include what seems like way too much of the film in the preview. As it is, I think the first part of the preview is scary enough, nothing original, but it is a remake after all. By the last 30 seconds or so, though, I'm bored. The story is predictable: a bunch of high school kids go to their prom and arrange to stay in hotel rooms afterward. Then a crazy sadistic killer shows up to terrorize the group - particularly the nubile young Donna (Brittany Snow) - and they must figure out how to survive... prom night.

After the jump, check out both the trailer for the new Prom Night as well as the super retro and creepy trailer for the original 1980 movie. Oh, the feathered hair! The disco! The horror!

The new Prom Night opens April 11. To check out the trailers, read more.

The new Prom Night trailer:

The 1980 Prom Night trailer:

Source

New York, I Love You: A Jigsaw Puzzle That Doesn't Quite Fit

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:30:00 -0700

As a city with so much personality and penchant for possibility, it's no surprise that the follow-up to Paris, Je t'aime heads to New York. New York, I Love You is a tale of the connections and personal missteps that occur every single day in the city that never sleeps. It plays out like a movie version of a song mash-up: some story lines are linear and independent of the rest while other characters wander in and out of each other's lives. Throw an all-star cast in there, and you could possibly have a recipe for perfection.

Unfortunately, the ingredients don't blend together as well as I had hoped, and instead we're left with an engaging but bland look at a handful of trials and tribulations in relationships. To see what I mean, just read more.

Made up of a series of short films, New York, I Love You is an homage to the city as well as the residents who hold it near and dear to their hearts. The "anything can happen" theme is alive and well, as strangers become acquaintances and friends, putting so much emphasis on each and every interaction that we take part in on a regular basis.

You meet a few characters that represent New York well enough; Bradley Cooper is the guy who's constantly jumping into a cab the same time as someone else, Orlando Bloom is the struggling musician who turns to Central Park for inspiration, Hayden Christensen is the pick-pocket who's as sexy as he is dangerous. But sometimes it feels just a little too forced; like the film is primarily concerned with proving that New York is a melting pot. Rather than seeing a few love stories shine through stereotypes, I was more distracted by the fake accents.

As with Paris Je t'aime, some of the stories shine brighter than others. Natalie Portman directs a sweet piece about a relationship between a father and daughter; Olivia Thirlby and Anton Yelchin are refreshing as a younger pair who makes the prom a night to remember. The lighter films are breaths of fresh air amongst others that are trying too hard to be hip and stylized.

The ensemble cast certainly gives the movie a boost; even when it's not provoking the deepest of emotions, the film always had my attention. There are solid performances all-around, particularly from Chloris Leachman and Eli Wallach as an aging couple who are still bickering when they aren't helping each other cross the street. It is the most hopeful of the scenarios, and by far the sweetest and most touching.

The film provides plenty of the standard money shots of Manhattan: a typical day in Grand Central Station in fast forward, subway rides, hours of people watching in a coffee shop. The encounters feel authentic and realistic, but the failure lies in the inability to make us feel something on a deeper level. Sometimes you can relate to the characters, and sometimes you feel sorry for them, but it doesn't squeeze your heart nearly enough - and with a title like New York, I Love You, this a disappointment.