BuzzSugar

Movie Preview: Robert Duvall and Bill Murray Get Low

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:45:00 PDT

Bill Murray has come a long way since his prime years in films like Groundhog Day and Ghostbusters, but I still have a soft spot for the comedic actor - which is just part of the reason I was excited to see Get Low at Sundance this year. Murray plays funeral director Frank Quinn, who sees a gold mine opportunity when "mysterious hermit" Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) comes into his office looking to make arrangements for his own "death party." The catch is that Bush wants to be present at the ceremony to mingle with the locals - after cutting himself off from society for four years.

The word of Felix's party slowly spreads as the townspeople's intrigue is captured by Felix's story and background. Where has he been all these years? Why is he throwing himself a party? As we see in the trailer, Felix's party becomes the perfect platform for him to finally spill his darkest secret. The trailer adds a spooky element, though I found it to be on the sweet side in the end. Even if the plot can get a little sleepy at times, I was really impressed with the performances from veterans Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, and of course, Bill Murray. See for yourself when you

Sundance Snapshot: Get Low

BuzzSugar — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 13:00:16 PST

Hello from snowy Sundance! Once I got settled in to Park City (and stopped by the Howl red carpet to chat with Jon Hamm and James Franco), it was time to start the screenings. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be sharing my thoughts about the movies I check out, giving you guys a preview of the films that may go on to be the blockbusters (or bombs!) of the future. First on the list is Get Low.

Who's behind it? Directed by Aaron Schneider, the film stars Bill Murray, Robert Duvall, Lucas Black, and Sissy Spacek.
What's it about? Felix Bush has been living in an isolated cabin in the woods of Tennessee for 40 years. Blocking out the 1930s society around him, his only interactions are with the boys who dare trespass on his territory, hoping for a glimpse of a local legend. The stories of Felix's eccentricities grow right along with his long white beard, and the hermit adds fuel to the fire when he makes an appearance in town. Felix asks a local funeral director to arrange a "funeral party" for him as a means to gather all the locals to share their respective stories about him. Here's the twist: Felix wants to schedule the party before he dies so that he can actually attend.

To see my verdict on the film, just

What did I think? When you put veterans like Murray, Spacek, and Duvall in a movie together, stellar performances are pretty much guaranteed. Duvall is particularly impressive as wacky old Felix, especially when his complexities slowly begin to unravel. I was also pleasantly surprised with Lucas Black, who held his own among Hollywood's heavy hitters.

The plot itself was a bit slow and dragging at times, but it has enough charm to keep it afloat, and ends on a sad yet satisfying note. The movie is worthy of a pickup, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the little film fly under the radar and disappear into the background either.

Bill Murray Joins Movie About Funeral-Staging

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:31:49 PST

The premise for this movie is actually kind of funny (I mean, if you ignore the emotional toll this would take on your loved ones): In 1938 a Tennessee recluse named Felix "Bush" Breazeale staged his own funeral so he could be around to enjoy it.

Now the story will be adapted for the big screen, with Bill Murray and Lucas Black signed on to play partners at the funeral home. Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek are also starring in the film which has the title Get Low. But here's the super weird part: Variety claims the movie will be a "period dramatic thriller." A thriller? Really? I figured this would have more of a Waking Ned Devine-esque feel to it - dark and funny with adorable elderly guys.

It's pretty morbid stuff but then again, many people wonder what their funerals will be like. . . Right? Maybe it's just me. Of course I would never stage the thing (can you imagine?!), but I'm very curious to see a movie about someone who actually did.

Source and source

Tribeca Preview: Lake City

BuzzSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:45:58 PDT

The description of this movie caught my eye largely because of the eclectic cast list: Sissy Spacek, Rebecca Romjin, Drea de Mateo, and . . . Dave Matthews. Yup, Dave "Ants Marching" Matthews. The story follows Billy (Troy Garity) and his young son Clayton who are on the run from Billy's wife's (de Mateo) drug dealer (Matthews) after his wife stiffs him and disappears. Desperate, Billy hides out at his mother's (Spacek) countryside house in Virginia where he "reconnects with his childhood friend, now a local police officer (Rebecca Romijn), and begins to confront his troubled past" in the midst of escalating threats against his family.

I love seeing Sissy Spacek still getting work, and a family drama seems best suited for her (though she is also pretty funny as Andy Samberg's mom in Hot Rod). Also, after his turn on House, I'm curious to see what Dave Matthews can do with this threatening drug-dealer role.

Frightful Friday: Carrie

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:30:00 PDT

While Carrie is probably my favorite Stephen King story ever, I also find it to be terribly sad in addition to being terrifying. Every time I watch it I'm catapulted back to those high school days when kids were so outright cruel to each other. Then again, despite the sadness in Carrie's life, this is also the ultimate revenge fantasy - what victim of a vicious high school hierarchy wouldn't want to lock her tormentors in a gym and unleash the wrath of hell on them?

The movie follows the teenage Carrie (played by Sissy Spacek with the spookiest eyes in cinematic history) who can't seem to catch a break. At school, the other students ruthlessly poke fun at the socially awkward Carrie while at home her fanatically religious mother basically screams at her for constantly sinning. Soon, Carrie discovers that she has the ability to move objects with her mind which is at first confusing, and then pretty helpful.

At the school prom, however, things take a turn for the worse. She's nominated prom queen as a horrible prank and then is further humiliated by her classmates when they douse her in pigs' blood. The rest, as they say, is horror movie history.

Hot Rod: More Like Lukewarm Rod

BuzzSugar — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:01:11 PDT

After meeting the funny, friendly Andy Samberg and his buddies ("The Dudes") I wanted very much to give Hot Rod a great review. But I just can't do it. Luckily, Samberg himself said once in a separate interview that he knows the movie will get bad reviews. So... woo hoo! I can write this guilt-free.

The premise of Hot Rod is pretty funny, really. Rod Kimble (Samberg) gets no respect from his surly stepfather Frank (Ian McShane). So when he learns that Frank will die unless he gets an expensive heart transplant, Rod vows to raise the money to get Frank a new heart so he can then kick his ass and prove that he's a man. Rod and his buddies cook up a plan for a fundraising event in which Rod will jump his motorbike over a bunch of buses. Montages set to '80s music ensue. That's just the plot, though, so to see what I thought of the movie,

Despite not having written the movie, the entire thing has the look and feel of one of Samberg and Friends' "SNL" shorts that goes on for way, way too long. It was originally written as a vehicle for Will Ferrell, and indeed it seems just like a Will Ferrell movie... without Will Ferrell. I think Will Ferrell can sell through a lot of poor scripts just on his fully committed, blithely innocent charm. Andy Samberg... not so much. It's funny that Samberg's buddy and Hot Rod director Akiva Schaffer claims to have tweaked the script to make it more appropriate to Samberg's humor because they didn't want it to be "like Samberg doing a Will Ferrell impression." Because that's exactly what it seems to be.

I enjoyed the allusions to 80s movies - all the synth music, the homages to Rad and Footloose, the wacky low-budget tone. And I love anything Isla Fisher does, though as the generic "girl" part in the movie she's insultingly underused. The focus isn't on her at all, but on these dudes and their gimmicky antics. The most entertaining and relaxed scenes are those that include "Arrested Development"'s Will Arnett whose breezy ability to play the ultimate douchebag comes in handy once again.

Andy Samberg has a great comedic mind for writing "SNL" shorts ("Dick in a Box" was hilarious, for example), but he isn't commanding enough to be the lead in a feature film. In fact, he doesn't seem particularly comfortable playing the lead in a feature film. Next time someone writes a Will Ferrell film, I hope they can get Will Ferrell to be in it.

Photos courtesy of Paramount

Buzz Blabber: Chloe Moretz Can Carry Carrie

BuzzSugar — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 03:05:00 PDT

It was a big week for pop culture and from the looks of the comments, there was a lot to discuss. The season five premiere of Mad Men got everyone "Zou Bisou Bisou"-ing, Klaus's reemergence on The Vampire Diaries was exciting to fans, and the news that Chloe Moretz snagged the titular role in the remake of Carrie got everyone weighing in. See what you had to say below!

The casting for the new Carrie could work

"I'd definitely say Chloe Moretz has the chops for the role and will add the needed credibility for a very solid supporting cast. I think the deciding factor is how dark [Kim] Peirce and [Roberto] Aguirre-Sacasa are allowed to go with the story." - Greg2495317
"Although Sissy Spacek gave a truly great performance, I see no reason to believe Miss Moretz isn't capable of doing equally as well, at least. The kid (no disrespect intended, Ma'am) has got serious chops as an actress. I doubt anyone would make a shabby B-Movie with an actress of her prestige." -R.d.2495359
"In my opinion, Chloe will do a great job. She did wonders and scared the hell out of me in Let Me In . . . She may do as good or better as Sissy Spacek. And I agree that Sissy should play her mother . . . so that way we could all say that whatever happens . . . she got it from her mom." - Jennifer2496458

See what else got your feathers ruffled after the jump.

3 Concerns About the New Carrie Remake

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:46:12 PDT

A remake of the 1970s horror film Carrie is coming, with Chloe Moretz in the titular role of the tortured high schooler turned telekinetic teen. Even though I'm not a huge horror fan, I still consider Carrie to be a classic - and a movie that doesn't need any updating. Still, the reboot is on its way, and while I'm curious to see how it will translate 36 years later, I have some concerns - check them out below.

The acting in the original will be hard to top. After impressing in films like Kick-Ass, we know that 15-year-old Moretz is certainly talented, but she's filling the shoes of Sissy Spacek, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role as Carrie. It takes a certain quality to take on a character like this, who's shy and withdrawn, and then suddenly psychotic. Can Moretz live up to Spacek's legacy?
It might be silly now. Carrie is terrifying, but there are parts that now feel extremely campy. Carrie's classmates throw tampons at her, Carrie's mom calls her breasts "dirty pillows," and the possessed look on Carrie's face when she's at the prom all make up scenes that are unforgettable, but they're straight up goofy now. An update will need some serious revamping for those elements to not be laughable.
It's already been revisited, and it wasn't good. There was a sequel of sorts in 1999, Carrie 2: The Rage, with new characters set in modern day, but it was a cheap knockoff of the original that just borrowed the concept of the gifted teenager. As far as the new remake goes, director Kimberly Peirce has a solid credit behind her (Boys Don't Cry), but it'll be hard to measure up to legendary director Brian De Palma, who's also responsible for iconic films like Scarface.

Octavia Spencer Says She's "the Same, Old, Ordinary Girl" as She Takes Home Two Big Wins

Lindsay Miller — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:52:45 PST

Octavia Spencer hit the press room at the Critics' Choice Awards tonight fresh off her best supporting actress and best ensemble cast wins. The actress has been receiving lots of accolades for her role in The Help this award season, but when she stopped by to chat with reporters after accepting her latest honors, she said she's "still the same, old, ordinary girl from Mississippi" that she was before becoming a household name. She also promised we won't be seeing any pies come out of her own kitchen anytime soon during her chat with reporters.

On how much life has changed since The Help came out: "The biggest change is, three days a week I work out with a trainer, because otherwise I would half ass it. Honestly, my life hasn't changed that much. I am grateful that I had this opportunity and I am getting to bigger rooms and more substantive roles, but I'm kind of glad I'm still the same, old, ordinary girl from Montgomery, AL."

On the women who inspire her: "The women that inspired me growing up as an actress are Sally Field, Sissy Spacek, Cicely Tyson, Esther Rolle, Jessica Tandy, and . . . Allison Janney, [who] I got to work with in real life, is one of my idols. And there are a lot of young brilliant actors in the movie, Jessica Chastain being one of them, Viola Davis being one of them. So to be in a comedy of all of this brilliance is more than an actor can hope for."

On her own kitchen skills: "Honey, I don't bake at all, I don't cook at all. I'm not a cook, you guys do not have to worry. Even though they said they're serving Minnie's chocolate pie for dessert in there, I would stay far, far away from it. But that's just me."

On The Help's impact: "We've done many Q&As all over the world, actually, and there are a lot of people who were moved by The Help. I was moved by The Help when I read the book and then when I saw it for the first time it was with Tate Taylor, the director, Viola Davis, and her husband. And I was moved by it. I think everybody likes rooting for the underdog, and the fact that it was part of our nation's history - we've grown so much - is a testament to how far we've come, but we still have a lot of work to do."

Cannes Mini Review: Restless

Molly Goodson — Sun, 15 May 2011 03:05:00 PDT

Gus Van Sant's new movie Restless debuted this week at the Cannes Film Festival and while it may not elicit the same visceral reaction from critics as We Need To Talk About Kevin, the sweet indie movie is a treat of its own. The film follows the relationship of Enoch Brae (Henry Hopper), a death-obsessed teen with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze fighter as his best friend, and Annabel "Annie" Cotton (Mia Wasikowska), a young woman with brain cancer and three months to live. They meet at a funeral he's crashing, which is a hobby of his, and the two quickly fall for each other, quirks and all. She's a naturalist obsessed with water birds, he plays battleship with his ghost friend. The film is set in Portland, and at points veers a bit far into the "twee" category. One montage includes scenes of Annie and Enoch playing badminton and riding fixed gear bikes in old timey clothes and they have a running bit about a xylophone, for example.

It's also a veritable celebrity kids party between Henry Hopper, son of Dennis, and costar Schuyler Fisk, daughter of Sissy Spacek, as well as producer Bryce Dallas Howard, daughter of Ron. Fisk will always have a place in my heart from the movie Orange County, but she's grown up a lot since then and is touching as Annabel's protective older sister. Also, Hollywood may have a new cute indie heartthrob in the form of Hopper; Restless is the first starring role for the 20-year-old actor, and I could barely take my eyes off his moody looks and perfectly tousled blond hair. Bottom line: it's not a perfect movie by any stretch, but the dialogue is good, Wasikowska and Hooper give wonderful performances, and thankfully the inevitable ending doesn't become an emotionally overwrought mess.