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Buzz In: What Are the Best (and Worst) Shakespeare Adaptations?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:01:14 -0700

Terrence Howard recently revealed that he's producing and starring in a modern-day adaptation of Macbeth, taking the lead role and setting the story in the "exotic island setting" of Puerto Rico. Howard commented, "Yes, it's updated present time, Caribbean. It'll be a nice thing to see Shakespeare under a Caribbean sun."

That could be true, as we've seen Shakespeare set in a wide variety of locations and time periods - from 19th century Tuscany to an American high school in the 1990s (incidentally, a story that will return in the form of an ABC Family TV series, premiering July 7). Some have been pretty straight adaptations with wonderful performances, some have used the language but taken liberties with the visuals, while others have not even used human beings.

What are the best Shakespeare adaptations? What are the ones that make you cringe?

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Iron Man: The Most Fun Ever

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:30:22 -0700

All hail John Favreau for rescuing the Summer blockbuster! Iron Man is the most fun I've had watching a movie in a long time. Going into the screening, I was wary of a premise centered around a giant robot superhero. I figured it would be a recipe for a lot of CGI and explosions and not much else, something any old director with a giant budget can churn out this time of year. However, as soon as the first scene opened, AC/DC's "Back in Black" guitar riff filled the theater and I got my first glimpse at Robert Downey Jr.'s acerbic smirk, something told me I was wrong.

If Spider-Man's alter ego is a dweeb and Batman's Bruce Wayne is kind of a "Debbie Downer," then the human inside this iron suit, Tony Stark, brings us a new kind of superhero: the coolest cat in the room. I haven't read the Marvel comic the movie is based on, but I think the cool factor has less to do with the original character and more to do with the spin director John Favreau puts on it - along with Robert Downey Jr.'s mesmerizing and nuanced performance.

Can you tell yet that I'm excited about this film? To see what else I loved and what I thought of the other performances from Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, and Jeff Bridges, read more.

Our hero Tony Stark is a brilliant manufacturing magnate who is supplying the United States government with sophisticated and deadly weapon technologies. He has seemingly bought into the party line that without these weapons the world would be thrown into chaos and his company keeps everyone safe. We get to know Stark as a ladies' man who approaches just about everything, including charges that he is responsible for a lot of the world's suffering, with a largely irreverent outlook. He's charming, witty and arrogant, and watching Downey play him during this first part is a whole lot of fun.

This isn't to say that there aren't parts that, upon reflection, are fairly preposterous, like when Stark is captured by the bad guys in the Middle East who order him to make them a weapon and instead he builds a giant robot . . . in the desert. But it's a testament to how fun (and how well-made) this movie is that I totally didn't care about the absurdity.

I know I'm not the first to point out that anyone who has observed Downey's personal ups and downs will be able to see the similarities between him and his character. It's as if someone decided to make an allegorical comic book hero based on his life. Because of this inspired casting choice, Tony Stark's personal transformation into a superhero is more than just believable - it's downright moving. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference between Tony and Robert Downey Jr. when his eyes well up and he realizes he should use his life to do good things with his unique talent.

Gwyneth Paltrow is wonderful as Stark's love interest/steadfast assistant, and Terrence Howard makes a great, straightlaced sidekick - first to Stark's hard-partying self, but later as someone who tries to understand his friend's new ambition to destroy all the weapons he supplied bad guys with. And then there is Jeff Bridges, who makes a marvelous, if prototypical, villain. This mature group of supporting actors, combined with a commanding lead actor and a director who leans heavily on story (not special effects) makes this one of the best movies you'll treat yourself to this year.

For the trailer and more videos from Iron Man, check out movies.ivillage.com.

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Movie Preview: Awake

BuzzSugar — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:30:00 -0800

Strangely, it appears that Awake was originally in production years ago, and is now scheduled to open November 30 but hasn't really been on anyone's radar at all. It stars Jessica Alba, Hayden Christensen and Terrence Howard, yet nobody's been talking about it - until now with the release of a full-length trailer.

The movie doesn't look like a total gem, and yet the trailer seriously freaked me out by tapping into a major fear. Christensen plays a man who experiences "anesthetic awareness." He goes under anesthesia for his operation but is still aware of everything around him. Terrence Howard plays his surgeon friend who operates on him, and Jessica Alba plays the confused wife. There looks to be an element of the supernatural to it all as well. To check out the trailer for Awake and tell me what you think, read more

The Brave One: A Flawed Superhero Saga

BuzzSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:30:00 -0700

The trailer for Jodie Foster's latest vehicle The Brave One makes it look like a slightly tiresome tale of one woman's revenge. But the chick-power flick also has an alter ego: It's a modern-day superhero story in disguise.

Foster plays Erica Bain, who lives a blissful Boho existence hosting a public radio show about the found sounds of New York City. But her fate shifts when she and her fiance (Naveen Andrews) are beaten by punks in a park and only she survives the assault. How, a friend asks, can you come back from something like that? You can't, she answers: "You become someone else." For where she goes from there, read more

Llike Batman avenging his parents' death, Bain becomes - without entirely trying - a vigilante who trolls the streets in anonymous pursuit of justice. Along the way, she befriends Detective Mercer (Terrence Howard), the NYPD cop on the case of the headline-making vigilante. As in so many superhero sagas, the relationship between our flawed hero and her law-enforcement counterpart is marked by mutual respect and muted antagonism.

It's an interesting concept, and more artful in the hands of director Neil Jordan than I expected. The performances - particularly those from Foster, Howard, and Nicky Katt as Howard's partner - prove that subtle, natural acting can be far more powerful than histrionics.

Unfortunately, the movie just isn't great. Since the setting and characters are presented in a realistic way, it's tough to get past the far-fetched premise that Bain is getting away with these crimes and the complex balancing act of her life. If the movie relied more on its cool concept and less on hokey Hollywood tropes, it would be a far greater triumph.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Movie Preview: The Brave One

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 08:30:00 -0700

I saw the trailer for The Brave One before seeing The Invasion recently and was instantly intrigued. Not only do I appreciate that Jodie Foster is at the center of this drama, but it also stars Terrence Howard who always turns in compelling performances (his role in Crash moved me to tears, for one). Naveen Andrews from "Lost" also stars. Most of all, however, I'm curious about the subject matter.

Foster plays radio host Erica Bain who falls victim to a horrific beating that her fiance (Andrews) does not survive. She purchases a gun and becomes obsessed with finding her attackers. Yet now armed with the gun, she starts to use it on various violent perpetrators she encounters in the city. Howard plays the official on the hunt for this "vigilante," unaware that she's right in front of him. I'm fascinated by this story mostly because any woman who lives in a city - especially anyone who has been attacked in some way - can relate to the sense of powerlessness and the desire for revenge, or at the very least the desire to never feel powerless again. Variety has a really great interview with Jodie Foster all about these issues her character faces in the movie.

The film opens on September 14, so to check out the trailer, read more

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What to TiVo: Friday

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:50:43 -0800

ABC is new with Supernanny, Ugly Betty, and 20/20
CBS is new with Ghost Whisperer, Medium, and NUMB3RS
FOX has repeats of House and Bones
NBC is new with Law & Order and Dateline NBC
The CW is new with Smallville and has a repeat of America's Next Top Model
USA is new with Monk and White Collar
Bravo has Legally Blonde
E! is new with The Soup
TLC is new with Say Yes to the Dress and Battle of the Wedding Planners
MTV has repeats of Southpark and Jackass, and has Kill Bill: Vol. 2
VH1 has Cocktail and a repeat of Sex Rehab With Dr. Drew
Late-night highlights include Terrence Howard and Sheryl Crow on The Jay Leno Show on NBC; Mariah Carey on The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS; Reese Witherspoon, Danny DeVito, and Kris Allen on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on NBC; Diddy on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC; Harry Connick Jr. on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson on CBS; Amanda Peet on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on NBC; and Emmy Rossum on Last Call With Carson Daly on NBC