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Box Office: Audiences Book a Night With Couples Retreat

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:30:00 -0700

Well, the numbers speak for themselves - people love a Vince Vaughn movie. I was admittedly lukewarm about Couples Retreat, but that didn't stop it from cashing in at the box office. The ensemble comedy took in $35.3 million, making it the first big hit for Universal after a lackluster Summer. Last week's winner Zombieland dropped to No. 2 with $15 million, at No. 3 was Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs with $12 million, and the double feature of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3D followed behind with $7.6 million.

Rounding out the top five was the real champion of the weekend, Paranormal Activity. I had heard the indie was one of the most terrifying flicks in a long time, and now it's broken records by taking in over $7 million in ticket sales - even though it played in less than 200 theaters and only cost a reported $15,000 to make. Paramount expanded the release of this little-engine-that-could after an onslaught of online demands from fans. (Perhaps it deserves a spot on my scary movie bracket, too!)

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Take a Break With My Three Favorite Viral Videos Right Now

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:32:35 -0700

As everyone who's even somewhat familiar with the Internet knows, there's a new viral-video-of-the-hour well, pretty much every hour. Some are hilarious, some just so-so, but I've come across three lately that have made me laugh out loud. They're not new, exactly, but they're still so funny, no matter how many times I watch each of them. It's helping along this sluggish Monday afternoon.

First, there's a Toy Story 2 trailer set to the Dark Knight trailer. Hard to explain further than that, so just take a look. Then, a video with a similar idea: Bert and Ernie trying out gangsta rap (there's a metal version of this, but I prefer the rap one). And finally, the most recent of the three (and I think the most hilarious): the literal interpretation of the music video for A-Ha's "Take On Me" (hat tip to Giggle for that one). It's all after the jump, so if you have approximately six minutes to spend watching amusing videos, read more.

The Dark Knight/Toy Story 2 Trailer

Bert and Ernie Try Gangsta Rap

A Literal Version of "Take On Me"

Cirque du Freak: An Unnecessary Addition to Vampire Entertainment

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:30:09 -0700

With Halloween just around the corner, October is the perfect time for movie studios to unleash their creepiest films, since we're all in the mood for a good scare. Combine with that the insatiable desire for vampire entertainment, and you've got Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant; a tween fantasy movie that plays out like R.L. Stein's Goosebumps novels on the big screen - but not nearly as scary.

Based on the book series by Darren Shan, Cirque du Freak is the story of Darren (Chris Massoglia), your typical 16-year-old boy trying to quell his high school boredom. Dubbed "Mr. Perfect" by his mischievous best friend Steve, Darren follows the rules, has plenty of friends, and does whatever his parents tell him to do - that is, unless Steve can convince him otherwise. The boys pick up a flyer for the Cirque du Freak and decide to check it out.

That's just the beginning though, so to see what I thought of the film, just read more.

Things go awry when Darren finds himself tangled up in the world behind the Cirque, particularly that of Larten Crepsley, a crotchety vampire who couldn't be bothered with a teenager. When Darren gets himself into a sticky situation, the only way he can bail himself out is by selling his soul to Crepsley, becoming his half-vampire assistant.

If you thought sorting out all the vampire lore in Twilight and True Blood was confusing, get ready for the most convoluted yet. In this story, a war is brewing between two breeds: the Vampanese represent the blood-suckers that are all for killing their prey, while the run-of-the mill vamps prefer to sedate, feed, and then letting their victims return to regular life. As a half-vampire who's reluctant to lose what little human qualities he has left, Darren obviously joins Larten Crepsley's team, while his best friend Steve joins the evil Vampanese.

As for the actual Cirque du Freak, the group of misfits and outcasts are more X-Men and less Carnivale. The crew includes unusual children who were abandoned by their parents (like "Snake Boy" and "Monkey Girl"), along with a few other vaudeville acts like the Bearded Lady (Salma Hayek) and a woman who can regenerate her limbs (Jane Krakowski). Some are friendly, others are surly, but the cirque in itself is more campy than scary; little hideout is basically an island of misfit toys.

The film isn't boring, but it's not exactly packed with pizazz either. Director Paul Weitz was sure to stay on the safer side of the movie's PG-13 rating, rarely pushing the envelope on what could have been a much creepier film. John C. Reilly is always reliable for a good performance, and he has some great comedic timing as the voice of brutal honesty to Darren's naivete. Massoglia gives decent performance for a newbie, and even reminded me of a young Emile Hirsch at times. That said, the movie is also packed with confusing subplots and some truly corny dialogue that evoked collective groans from the audience.

If you're looking for a fun movie to get you into the Halloween spirit, this might do the trick. Just make sure you're in a tween state of mind.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Motherhood: A Harried-Mom Tale That Often Feels Tired

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:30:20 -0700

When you have a parenting movie set in New York, you should know better than to expect a warm-'n'-fuzzy story about the joys of having kids. In fact, Motherhood is out to prove that mothers have it rough.

The film follows Eliza Welsh (Uma Thurman), a Manhattan writer dealing with a cramped apartment, busy husband, and side-street parking while raising her two kids. A day in her life feels like a really, really long 24 hours. Eliza runs around frantically trying to prepare for her 6-year-old's birthday while composing an essay for a parenting magazine contest and squeezing in a sample sale with her mommy friend Sheila (Minnie Driver). We know that Eliza was once a great writer, but when she had kids, she decided to give up her job to raise her family. Now, she's a shell of her former self in frumpy clothes and messy hair. Simply put, Eliza is dealing with the classic parent conundrum: how do you care for your kids and still retain something for yourself? The answer? It ain't easy.

For more about what I mean, read more.

Eliza doesn't try to feign martyrdom. In fact, she often whines about her plight in a way that screams, "I'm angry, dammit!" And at first, you're angry for her too. (No woman deserves to put up with all that she does.) But as the film goes on, Eliza's bitterness knocks you over the head, and you have to you wonder - is she like this every day? Yeesh.

Luckily we have Eliza's friend Sheila for some needed comic relief. Sheila is the cool single mom to the more neurotic Eliza - she mouths off cheeky one-liners and uses her son's motorized bath toy for her "alone time." Jodie Foster also delivers a hilarious cameo as a celebrity mom swearing at the paparazzi on the playground - aka, herself. Both women keep Eliza's "what-can-go-wrong-will-go-wrong" storyline from wearing too thin.

Mothers will probably identify with either Eliza or Sheila but what about the rest of us? While the actors perform well and the movie provides laughs for those who can relate (read: parents), most of the jokes don't feel fresh, and you've probably seen similar setups on shows like The Middle or In the Motherhood or any of the other dozens of family comedies in recent years. Props to the filmmakers for giving mothers their due, but if you're not one yourself, an hour and a half with Eliza may be enough to make you rush out of the theater and buy birth control.

Movie Preview: Toy Story 3

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:30:00 -0700

Back in April we got a taste of Toy Story 3 with this little teaser, but that was nothing compared to the full-length trailer. It doesn't take much more than Randy Newman's voice and a few flashbacks to Andy's life with Woody, Buzz, and the gang to remind me how Pixar can be so damn emotionally manipulative - in the best way, of course.

In the movie's third installment, little Andy is all grown up and heading off to college. Like most of us, he's abandoned his childhood treasures for more grown-up toys (like an over-stickered laptop). Overcome with the fear of being chucked (or getting sold on eBay), Woody, Buzz, and their tiny toy army find themselves in an even worse predicament - a kid's daycare center. The original film still stands tall among my Pixar favorites, and there's something so comforting about hearing all those celebrity voices again. Considering how well the Toy Story 1 & 2 3-D double feature is doing at the box office right now, I won't be alone when the movie hits theaters next Summer.

To get all nostalgic over the trailer, just read more.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Zombieland Eats the Competition Alive at the Box Office

BuzzSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:30:55 -0700

Well, it looks like Très isn't the only one who loves a good horror comedy - Zombieland took the top spot at the box office this weekend with $25 million in ticket sales. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs slid to No. 2 with $16.7 million, followed by the Toy Story 1 &2 3-D double feature with $12.5 million.

The Invention of Lying made its box office debut in fourth place with $7.35 million, and Surrogates rounded out the top five with $7.4 million. Drew Barrymore's Whip It couldn't hack it in its opening weekend and finished in seventh with $4.8 million, right behind Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures