BuzzSugar

Buzz News Roundup, 3/16

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:30:39 -0700

Andy Samberg will host the 2009 MTV Movie Awards on May 31. - PopSugar
The Sci Fi Channel is changing its name to Syfy in July, in part to sound less geeky. - TV Week
Tickets for Michael Jackson's run of 50 shows in London sold out in hours on Friday. - Billboard
Chevy Chase will star with Joel McHale in NBC's Community pilot, while Richard Dreyfuss will play opposite Jason Biggs in Happiness Isn't Everything. - TV Guide
Actor Ron Silver died Sunday at the age of 62. - TV.com
The Pixies are back in action this Summer with a series of European concert dates. - Billboard
ABC has announced its season finale dates (and the return of Ugly Betty), while NBC has a slew of new shows coming this Summer. - The Futon Critic

W: Too Little, Too Soon

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 08:30:33 -0700

No matter your political persuasion, most can agree that the presidency of George W. Bush is concluding on a low and solemn note, the full consequences of his years in office still unknown. There is no doubt he is one of the most controversial figures of a generation, and his life will provide vast and fertile ground for dramatists someday. Which brings me to my basic conclusion that someday is not here yet, and Oliver Stone's new biopic of the president, W, is a half-baked attempt at telling Bush's story and it suffers from the fact that the real-life tale is far from being over.

There is so much to think about when it comes to the life of Dubya. His transformation from a spoiled ne'er-do-well to the leader of the free world is good stuff. Because of the timing and the subject, it's the kind of biography that requires a director to have a point of view and a nuanced storytelling ability. Stone brings neither to his movie and the effect is a shallow psychoanalysis of Bush that too often borders on absurd and darkly funny in ways that I'm not sure was intentional. There is one thing that nearly salvages the whole ordeal, though, and that's Josh Brolin. To see why, just read more.

The truth is we don't know how this story ends yet, but most of us do know how it all began: Jr. started out as a silver-spooner born into a politically influential family. He aimlessly boozed his way through life without much consequence until he got married and religious and decided to make something of himself. All of this is more or less depicted in the movie.

The overarching Freudian theme is how Bush Jr. is forever wilting under the weighty expectations of his father (played nicely by James Cromwell), who has invested the family's political legacy in brother Jeb anyway. Basically the movie's premise is that Dubya needed a hug from his dad, and had he gotten that kind of love and support he may have ended up elsewhere (maybe he would have been baseball commissioner, which is suggested to have been his first love). But it was his drive to prove everyone wrong - along with a sign from God - that drove him to be president, despite being emotionally undermined by his dad along the way.

It's the kind of flimsy pop psychology that reminds me of an Oprah episode - and that's not even the biggest problem with it. The real laughs (intended or not) come from the cast assembled to portray Bush's cabinet, including: Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, Thandie Newton as Condoleezza Rice, Scott Glenn as Donald Rumsfeld and Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell. Whether coming up with the sound bite "Axis of Evil" in the oval office or planning world domination in a dark, cave-like war room a la Dr. Strangelove, the film lurches between eerily familiar and downright parody. Newton's portrayal as Rice is particularly jarring and quite bizarre. Sometimes the movie feels like an ambitious idea that just misses the mark and other times it seems like the rush job it is.

Interestingly enough, Brolin is able to pull a tremendous performance out of this exercise in wacky (and glib) history-telling. His interpretation of the character is a straightforward portrayal that never turns into a joke, despite the well-known (and often mocked) mannerisms of the president. It would be a performance to gush over under any circumstances, but the fact that he shines while playing a guy that comedians have had a field day impersonating for eight years is quite the accomplishment. I have a renewed respect for Brolin's talent, that's for sure.

Actors like Brolin, Elizabeth Banks (as Laura Bush) and Dreyfuss give this movie some life and I found it bizarrely riveting to watch the strange way these events are captured in the film. However, none of this makes up for the fact that it all feels slap-dashed and unfinished. Because Stone has everything and nothing to say about George W. Bush, the effect is just a surreal slog through a sad piece of our nation's history, the timing of which makes it not just a so-so movie, but a kick in the gut while the nation's already down.

Photos courtesy of Lionsgate

Preview For My Life in Ruins Is Long, Kinda Boring

BuzzSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:00:26 -0700

First off, this strange little trailer thing with subtitles is freakishly long (over four minutes!) and feels longer. This does not bode well for the comedy from My Big Fat Greek Wedding's Nia Vardalos.

When last we heard about My Life in Ruins, it was because Vardalos became the first filmmaker to be allowed to shoot inside the Acropolis. I was totally excited for this movie at that time. Now? Not so much.

From the trailer I'm guessing that - not unlike My Big Fat Greek Wedding - our protagonist learns how to love herself, loosen up and be confident, and from there everything falls into place for her. But the getting-there part looks ridiculously boring. When the majority of laughs come from Rachel Dratch's supporting character, we're in trouble.

Frankly, I am so disappointed! I really wanted Vardalos to have a big hit with this movie but she just isn't very engaging in the preview. Maybe there will be a better, official trailer before (if?) My Life in Ruins opens in theaters (the date of which is unknown). To check it out for yourself, read more.

Update: The video was removed from YouTube, but it looks like you can still view the preview here.

Source

Stone Finds His Cheney in Richard Dreyfuss

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:00:23 -0700

Come this Fall, the current administration will be movin' out of the spotlight just as Oliver Stone's movie about it is heading to theaters. As reported earlier this month, W. will be released October 17, 2008 so it's no wonder the casting news continues to break at a rapid pace. They've got George and Laura, and even found their British Prime minister and National Security Advisor-turned-Secretary of State but one of the most buzzed-about casting slots left to fill was that of Vice President Cheney. Now there's news that Richard Dreyfuss will likely fill those shoes.

The Hollywood Reporter notes similar public service roles Dreyfuss has taken on in his career thus far:

The 60-year-old Dreyfuss has never played a U.S. leader, but has had a few related roles. He starred as an opposition senator to Michael Douglas' commander in chief in 1995's The American President, as Alexander Haig in a television movie about Ronald Reagan and played the president of a banana republic in the 1980s comedy Moon Over Parador.

Usually Dreyfuss' name makes me think of Mr. Holland's Opus and What About Bob. Still, I think the acting veteran will have no problem pulling off this, ah, controversial White House guy. Rob Corddry is also signed on to play the president's former Press Secretary Ari Fleischer and Toby Jones will step in as Karl Rove. I believe that just leaves Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld open. Got ideas?

Source and Source

Movie Preview: Ed Norton and Ed Norton in Leaves of Grass

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0800

That double Ed Norton in the title is not a typo; Leaves of Grass stars the talented actor in a dual role, as polar opposite twin brothers.

As twins, Norton really goes for it - one twin, Bill, is straight-laced, while the other, Brady, is a mulleted hick with a heavy Southern accent. I've missed Norton's presence, but I'm wondering if this is going to a be an amazing acting opportunity or an embarrassing diversion for him. Joining him in the cast sans outrageous accents is Keri Russell, Susan Sarandon, and Richard Dreyfuss. It's a little hard to tell the tone of the movie from the trailer; it's been described as a comedic thriller, but I can't tell if it wants to be Adaptation or Joe Dirt.

To see the trailer, just read more.