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Rob Corddry Scores Deal With Warner Bros. For His Own Show

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:30:01 -0700

Rob Corddry, one of my favorite comedic actors who's usually relegated to bit parts in movies, has struck a deal with Warner Bros. to get his own sitcom.

Corddry will create, executive produce and star in the TV show, which he describes as an "unconventional family comedy" set in a "weird world that doesn't run by an exact rule."

The comedian got his start on The Daily Show and has made movies like What Happens in Vegas watchable. Though he has tried his hand at sitcoms before (the short-lived "The Winner" in 2007), I hope this idea sticks - my primetime lineup could always use some more funny.

Movie Preview: Hot Tub Time Machine

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:30:04 -0700

Right on the heels of the sweet geekfest that is Comic-Con, we get a little preview for a movie that deals with the space-time continuum. Kinda. (Well, it also references Stargate fan fiction, so there's an uber-geeky tie-in.) In Hot Tub Time Machine, we follow four guys (played by Craig Robinson, John Cusack, Rob Corddry, and Greek's Clark Duke) who get drunk and travel back in time (via hot tub, naturally). This red-band (read: NSFW) preview doesn't show a great deal of the movie but it makes me giggle because a) these four guys together make a silly bunch, and b) I find it funny to hear John Cusack say the F-word. I don't know why.

The movie opens Feb. 26, 2010, and to check out the preview, read more.

Again, the language in this video is NSFW so don some headphones!

Cusack and Co. Climb Into the Hot Tub Time Machine

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:30:10 -0800

First of all, it's called Hot Tub Time Machine. And that's exactly what we can expect to see in this movie: A hot tub that has the power to bring people back in time. The story will follow "a group of guys who have grown frustrated with their adult lives. They return to the ski lodge where they partied as teens to find answers and are transported to 1987 via their hot tub, a bubbly time machine."

Back when this project was first announced (and Popwatch deemed it the stupidest movie title ever), I figured the cast would be largely taken from the Apatow pool - and though Craig Robinson is one of the men in the hot tub, the other two will be played by John Cusack and Rob Corddry, with Greek's Clark Duke playing Cusack's younger brother.

I truly hope this movie is great and funny because I really like all these dudes. All I know is I'm relieved that this hot tub will have nothing to do with Brody Jenner and the young men with whom he is bromantically involved.

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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

Buzz News Roundup, 7/28

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:30:49 -0700

Citing a lack of stories to tell in a second season, HBO won't be bringing back Tell Me You Love Me after all, Zap2it reports.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Ridley Scott's Nottingham movie (starring Russell Crowe as Sheriff of Nottingham and Sienna Miller as Maid Marion) has been "indefinitely postponed."
Alexis Bledel and Scott Porter are joining Julio DePietro's romantic comedy The Good Guy, ComingSoon reports.
Harvey Keitel will play a detective in ABC's Life on Mars, marking the first time he's taken a regular TV role, the New York Times reports.
Billboard has the news that Coldplay's album Viva la Vida climbed back to the top spot on the U.K. charts.
Showtime is developing a drama about Studio 54 called Studio, writes Hollywood Reporter.
Ellen Barkin, Ving Rhames and Rob Corddry will star in the indie comedy Rogues Gallery, Variety writes.
Family Guy showrunner David A. Goodman will adapt Blatant Comics's Last Blood into a horror film, according to ComingSoon.
Entertainment Weekly reports that Nelly will guest-star on CSI: NY as a club owner.

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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?

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Buzz News Roundup, 5/16

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:30:28 -0700

Did you ever read R.L. Stine's Goosebumps books? Now there's going to be a movie version of the series, Variety reports.
Billboard has the rundown of this year's BET Awards nominees; T. Pain leads the pack with five nominations.
Hooray! The hilarious Rob Corddry has finally landed a starring role, in the action-comedy Project A, which will be produced by Ben Stiller, ComingSoon writes.
According to Variety, we'll see an English-language remake of the Chilean movie Pretendiendo in which "a beautiful woman . . . dons a fat suit to shield herself from any more romantic upsets."
American Idol's Taylor Hicks is headed to Broadway as the Teen Angel in a production of Grease, Billboard reports.
Zap2It writes that George Clooney will star in an adaptation of the non-fiction book Men Who Stare at Goats.
The Wall Street Journal claims that if ratings don't improve for the CW, the network may be doomed.
ComingSoon reports that Danny Glover will reprise his stage role in a big screen adaptation of Master Harold... and the Boys.
Check out the colorful pictures of the grand opening of the Simpsons ride at Universal Studios in the Orlando Sentinel.

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What Happens in Vegas: Sometimes the Formula Works

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:30:06 -0700

Perhaps it's because last week's Made of Honor left me with sub-zero expectations for this genre but whatever the reason, I really liked What Happens in Vegas. Sure, it's cheesy, there's a ton of overacting and absurd coincidences, but there's also a strange charm to this movie. And while I never thought there might be real chemistry between Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz, two actors who I think have become like robots trying way too hard to impersonate human beings with their exaggerated goggle-eyes and faux indignation, there is, actually, something there between them.

These two leads are also seriously aided by an engaging, well-paced (if a little silly) plot that rarely drags, and supporting actors like Lake Bell (whose droll humor is great in small doses here, as opposed to the leading lady roles like the one she had in Over Her Dead Body) and The Daily Show's solid comedian Rob Corddry, both of whom help anchor the ridiculous moments with dashes of sarcasm and superb comic timing. It's one of those times when I just want to give the casting director a kiss for taking this project from so-so to a pretty good time. For more of my take on What Happens in Vegas, read more.

Jack Fuller (Kutcher) and Joy McNally (Diaz) both live in New York City, but they're worlds apart. Joy is a high-strung trader on Wall Street while Jack is a lazy schlub who "works" for his dad's company. When Joy is dumped by her fiance and Jack gets fired by his dad for the last time, the two set off for Las Vegas to unwind with their respective best friends (Bell and Corddry). In a classic opposites-attract situation, they spend a wild night together, ending in drunken nuptials. Hungover the next day, they sheepishly decide to annul the marriage, but when Jack uses Joy's quarter in a slot machine and wins three million dollars, they enter into a legal battle over who should get the money.

Back in New York, the two are faced with a bitter judge who decides to grant the divorce only after they've lived together for six months and tried to make the marriage work. If they prove that they've tried, after the six months they will be able to get divorced and each will get half of the Vegas winnings. If either one slips up, however, the other one will receive the full amount of money. Of course, the unlikely lovebirds fight tooth and nail to one-up each other in their shared apartment and then attempt to sabotage each other's chances for receiving the entire amount, all the while growing fond of each other.

Though the initial big action takes place in Las Vegas, the majority of the story is set in New York, and the pacing of the film benefits greatly from these two giant, fast-paced cities where there's never really any time to get bogged down in lame attempts at sentimentality. In some romcoms, it's these long, drawn-out cheesy moments that choke the life out of something that might have just been lighthearted and sweet. It's hard to feel satisfied after those movies because it's like they strained to achieve something and didn't quite make it. After this movie, though, I felt satisfied and better yet - I felt uplifted.

To see the trailer and more videos from What Happens in Vegas check out movies.ivillage.com.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Buzz News Roundup, 10/22

BuzzSugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:03:35 -0700

You were right: After just four days and two episodes, Viva Laughlin is the season's first scripted show to get canceled, writes The Futon Critic.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt will produce an HBO dramatic series following disaster-relief workers, and PopSugar has the details.
According to USA Today, we shouldn't believe those spoilers about which new House doctors are sticking around.
ComingSoon reports that Eva Longoria, Jason Biggs and Rob Corddry have signed on for an "elementary school comedy" called Lower Learning.
Paramount and MTV have signed on to create the fact-based drama Bong Hits 4 Jesus, writes Variety.

Niki Taylor and Tyson Beckford will host a Bravo modeling competition series called Make Me a Supermodel, Zap2it reports.
Billboard reports that Jay-Z will briefly tour to support his American Gangster album.
Reuters reports that musician Chris Isaak has been cast in the film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' The Informers.

Photo courtesy of CBS

The Heartbreak Kid: Middle-of-the-Road Comedic Fluff

BuzzSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 15:15:37 -0700

When it comes to The Heartbreak Kid, here's the bottom line: If you loved Along Came Polly, chances are you'll probably enjoy The Heartbreak Kid. The two movies are very similar: Ben Stiller plays the lead and yet he's not the most interesting character by a long shot. The female characters are far more compelling than he is and the male peripheral characters are way funnier. The premise includes comical misunderstandings and amusing misadventures. It's not bad. It's not exactly charming, either.

Stiller plays Eddie Cantrow, a commitmentphobe who meets Lila (Malin Akerman), the woman of his dreams, and impulsively marries her. While honeymooning in Cabo, however, Eddie sees another side of his new bride and discovers that she's a wild child with a sketchy past and an insatiable desire for rough sex. Moral of that story: talk to your fiancee about things like money and sex before taking the plunge. Seems easy enough. Anyway, in Cabo Eddie meets a real dreamgirl, Miranda (Michelle Monaghan), who is vacationing with her family. They hit it off, but Eddie refrains from telling Miranda and her fam that he's married. The lies! The lies are so funny! To find out more, read more

The script, a remake of Neil Simon's 1972 version, is actually somewhat clever - some offensive fat jokes and the implication that illegal immigration is laugh-out-loud hilarious (or at least it is when a white guy does it!) notwithstanding. Many of the characters are great, and the actors playing them are even better. Rob Corddry, Malin Akerman and Jerry Stiller (playing, adorably, Eddie's dad) particularly stand out.

My biggest problem with the whole thing is Ben Stiller who, coasting on his former success with similar fare like There's Something About Mary, seems to think that he can now phone it in and audiences will stupidly gobble up anything he does. He doesn't bother with things like changing his expression (ever) or putting any sort of earnestness into his delivery. He seems to shrug at us, "Why bother?" He gets paid either way. Stiller aside, however, as yet another Farrelly Brothers comedy, the movie gets the job done.

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