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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:30:01 PST

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to my selections below you can also add Soul Men, the creepy thriller Blindness, and the first volume of the fifth season of Melrose Place to your queue.

Frozen River
Frozen River won the Grand Jury Prize in the dramatic competition at Sundance last year, and now the movie's star Melissa Leo is up for an Academy Award. I've been curious to check out this performance that landed Leo in a category alongside Meryl Streep and Angelina Jolie.

The movie is set near a border crossing on the Mohawk reservation between New York state and Quebec, and follows a single mother (Leo) who smuggles people across the border via the frozen St. Lawrence River.

Special features include commentary with writer and director Courtney Hunt and producer Heather Rae.

Two more up next so

read more. Miracle at St. Anna The latest Spike Lee film to come to DVD begins in 1983 with a deadly shooting. A young reporter (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) interviews the shooter in his jail and learns about his experience as one of four black American soldiers trapped in a Tuscan village behind enemy lines in World War II. In addition to Gordon-Levitt, the movie also stars Laz Alonso, Derek Luke, John Turturro, Omar Benson Miller and Michael Ealy and is based on a novel by James McBride.
W. Josh Brolin is one actor who can do no wrong lately (er, acting-wise, anyway) and it's his considerable talent that I think saves the day in this odd, somewhat satirical look at our previous president. It's strange, it's controversial, it has daddy issues all over it - what else would you expect from Oliver Stone? You can check out my full review here. Special features include audio commentary with Stone and a featurette titled "Dangerous Dynasty: The Bush Presidency."

Wahlberg Feels No Payne at the Box Office

BuzzSugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 07:30:34 PDT

Mark Wahlberg had a good weekend. His movie Max Payne was No. 1 at the box office, with an estimated $18 million. Plus, it looks like he made nice with Andy Samberg, after things got tense last week.

Second place turned out to be what Variety calls a "photo finish" between those dancing dogs and The Secret Life of Bees. Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua just barely eked out a second place finish its third weekend in theaters with an estimated $11.2 million with Bees close behind with about $11.1 million.

Oliver Stone's biopic W also did well, coming in at No. 4 with an estimated $10.6 million its first weekend out followed by Eagle Eye at No. 5.

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

W: Too Little, Too Soon

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 08:30:33 PDT

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

Teaser Trailer For Oliver Stone's W

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 05:30:43 PDT

From the minute-and-a-half-long teaser trailer for Oliver Stone's movie about George W. Bush, W, it looks like the degree to which you will like or be intrigued by this movie depends on how curious you are about Dubya (played here by Josh Brolin) and his past. Not that it's a totally accurate portrayal, but it does appear to be a relatively straight, dramatic telling of his life, focusing in particular on his relationship with his father, George H. W. Bush.

I will say it's interesting to see the portrayals of well-known political figures like Rove, Rumsfeld, Laura Bush, Condoleeza, Barbara Bush, etc. The teaser includes a few shots of scenes from things we pretty much already know about Dubya's past like his partying and drunk driving, along with prickly interactions with his dad. Then it's mostly a montage of images of those other figures, played by actors like James Cromwell, Elizabeth Banks, Richard Dreyfuss and others.

W opens October 17. To check out the teaser,

W Gets a Poster and a College Roommate

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:48:10 PDT

Casting for Oliver Stone's movie W, based on the presidency of George W. Bush, just continues to roll along and so far it all seems a little. . . absurd (the idea of Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush just makes me chuckle, for example). Today there's a poster, which gives us some new hints at what we can expect. I'm now willing to predict that this will be total and utter farce, given that the poster is simply a roundup of some of the most. . . questionable statements George Bush has ever uttered.

As for the latest casting news, Jesse Bradford (a.k.a. that guy from Bring It On and Swimfan) has been added to the group as Thatcher, president of Bush's fraternity. Shooting is underway as I type in Shreveport, LA and the movie will be careening toward a theater near you this October.

So, what do you make of all this? Will this movie be brilliant? Could you see it as a drama, or do, too, you think it'll be farcical?

Source and Source

Stone Finds His Cheney in Richard Dreyfuss

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:00:23 PDT

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

Buzz News Roundup, 5/9

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:39:48 PDT

More Arrested Development alum casting news: Portia de Rossi has been cast in an ABC comedy pilot, Reuters reports.
Sopranos creator David Chase will write and direct his first feature film, E! reports.
Justin Timberlake will produce a reality show styled like "a real-life Bourne Identity," TV Week reports; excited yet?
According to Variety, specialty studios Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures are shutting down.
Writers' strike be dammed - we're still going to get all 48 promised episodes of Lost, with 17 more to come in each of the next two years, Zap2it reports.
Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte, and Leslie Bibb will star together in a comedy called A Good Old Fashioned Orgy, reports ComingSoon.
So much for that idea: Natalie Portman has dropped out of the big-screen Wuthering Heights adaptation, Variety reports.
According to Zap2It, Oliver Stone's W movie has a release date - and it's soon! The George W. Bush movie will hit theaters October 17, 2008.

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Link Time! 5/8

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:33:14 PDT

Popwatch has the recent EW cover featuring Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Banks as George W. Bush and Laura Bush for the Oliver Stone movie.
Stereogum has the initial lineup for the 2008 Siren Festival.
At The TV Addict, you can watch a video of Zach Braff introducing tonight's Scrubs episode.
Cinematical has a clip from the latest movie from Francis Coppola, Youth Without Youth, out on DVD next week.
BestWeekEver has the top 10 words that only appear in gossip magazines, including "beau," "tipster" and "canoodling."
TV with MeeVee wonders if Smallville will be less super next season since everyone seems to be leaving.
Vulture just saw Flight of the Conchords live, and yes, it was awesome.
The Underwire chats with Isabella Rossellini about her absurd yet fascinating Green Porno series.

Thandie Is Condi and Gruffudd Is Blair in Stone's Bush Movie

BuzzSugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:30:45 PDT

Ordinarily, I wouldn't care quite so much about all the casting news for one movie, but Oliver Stone's project about George W. Bush is different. These are political figures that everyone is familiar with, and the project is about a president who's still currently in power. I have to admit, I'm intrigued. I wish I'd thought to do a recast challenge for this film, though so far I think the casting decisions have been interesting.

The most recent news has to do with National Security Advisor-turned-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British prime minister Tony Blair, who will be played by Thandie Newton and Ioan Gruffudd, respectively. Newton is the first non-American cast member in this project to portray a US political figure.

In regard to the script itself, Hollywood Reporter remarks:

As one of the few cabinet members to serve during both Bush terms, Rice's role in the Bush White House is seen as pivotal. According to those who've read the W script, Rice is said to be in a key first scene as well as a number of scenes connected to the Iraq War. Blair also appears in Iraq-related scenes.

Still yet to cast: Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and advisor Karl Rove. Any ideas about who should play these parts?

Source

Elizabeth Banks to Play Laura Bush in Oliver Stone Movie

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:33:41 PDT

Oliver Stone is trucking right along with his George Bush biopic, W, for which Josh Brolin has already been tapped to play the current President. Today there's news about the woman Stone wants to portray First Lady Laura Bush: funny lady Elizabeth Banks.

This just cracks me up. Banks is so good at the fun, campy comedic stuff (or, in the case of Wet Hot American Summer, the fun comedies set at camp), like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and her recurring role on Scrubs. I think she's a great, capable actress, but the idea of her playing Laura Bush - especially walking off the set of the Kevin Smith movie Zack and Miri Make a Porno and into the White House - strikes me as rather hilarious.

Political movie role aspirations aside, Banks is everywhere these days. After starring in Definitely, Maybe, she went to work with her costar Seth Rogen on Porno, will appear alongside Paul Rudd in Little Big Men, and in the coming months she can be found in both Meet Dave (with Eddie Murphy) and Meet Bill (with Aaron Eckhart).

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