BuzzSugar

What's Buzzworthy: Comfort Movies

BuzzSugar — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 19:35:02 PST

Wow, you all really blew me away with your response to my most recent Buzzworthy challenge about comfort movies. Your lists of trusty favorites were fantastic - but I really loved reading your descriptions of how and why the movies came to be your fallback films. It was so hard to pick some to list here, so I highly recommend reading through them all yourselves! Tough as it was to choose, here are just a few of the many that caught my eye:

The Princess Bride
Bookmarked by Fab_Kitty, who wrote: "When stuck in bed on a sick day, I always watch The Princess Bride. In a fevered delirium, I also always giggle and think about how little Fred Savage and I are both escaping our illnesses through the endearing story of Wesley and Buttercup. Hooray for being easily amused!"

Party Girl
This Parker Posey movie was tagged by marcella, who said: "Great comfort movie with a hilarious Parker Posey as the title character that parties so much that she can't afford to pay her rent. She gets a job as a librarian. It's totally a trashy film, but I turn to it when I want to turn my brain off and just laugh."

More great choices and one giant widget with all the picks when you

Now and Then
PinkUnicorn picked this movie, which is another one of my own reliable favorites. She wrote: "The ultimate comfort movie! I love the exploration of how women's relationships with each other evolve over time. Plus it is simple yet touching. I have memorized every line!"

Being There
Phil picked out this movie, saying: "Every comfort movie needs a comforting figure. And to me, none can be more comforting than Chance, better known as Chauncy Gardener.

This movie is great in the sense that you can accept it at any frequency. Whether if I'm in an overly contemplative mood and want to think and run around in a circle in my mind, this movie works. But, only when I turn off and just appreciate the film for its hilarious scenes and misconceptions do I really appreciate Hal Ashby's brilliant little satire."

Dead Poets Society
scorpstarr77 picked a movie that's had a huge impact on her life: "This movie is the reason I was an English major in college, the reason I decided to become a teacher, and the reason I fell head over heels for Josh Charles at a young age. I find it uplifting and inspiring, and also devastating - always there when I need a good cry!"

Home Alone
This old standby was picked by komler, who sounds like she'll be pulling the movie out again not too long from now: "Home Alone is one of the movies that I watch every year around Christmas - or when I want it to be Christmas and be around my family."

Finding Nemo
Here's how Phasekitty explained why she's partial to this Pixar flick: "My boyfriend loves horror movies, but when I watch them I get scared and have trouble falling asleep. He knows now that if he wants to see a scary movie with me, all he has to do is have this movie on standby that night. A little Finding Nemo to take my mind of the aliens, serial killers, zombies, and vampires and I'm sleeping like a baby."

Source

What's Buzzworthy? Comfort Movies

BuzzSugar — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 09:30:00 PST

Watching challenging films is a worthy goal, but sometimes, I just want to relax with a movie I've seen a zillion times before. My comfort movies may not be the best or smartest movies in my collection, but they're perfect for curling up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and mentally reciting the lines I've heard a million times before.

So for this week's Buzzworthy challenge, I'm asking you to bookmark your favorite comfort movies, the most trustworthy films in your collection. I'm starting you off with Beautiful Girls, a movie I've seen more times than I could count on my fingers and toes put together. All through college, I toted around a VHS tape with a recording of it from my parents' TV; then, I upgraded - slightly - to a beat-up official version I bought from eBay. I finally got the movie on DVD a couple of years back, and I still pull it out every time I just want to watch something familiar. For good measure, I've tossed in a couple of my other standbys, Laurel Canyon and Drop Dead Gorgeous.

Just use BuzzSugar's cool bookmarking tool to find your favorite comfort movies from around the Web, tag them with the phrase comfort movies, and let me know why you love keeping them around. I'll post some readers' favorites here next week.

You can also now make a list of your picks. Here are mine:

Men in Black 3: A Return to (Alien Life) Form

Becky Kirsch — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:29:01 PDT

I saw the original Men in Black movie so long ago that my memories of the film might as well have been zapped with a neuralyzer (that's the memory-erasing device the guys use in the movie, for those of you who are also having trouble recalling the original). What I did retain is that the film was funny, fresh, and silly and that it didn't hold up very well for the 2002 sequel. With that in mind, I had low expectations for Men in Black 3, but the newest installment is just as much fun as the original, and it actually benefits from the 15-year time lapse.

The script for the film is one of its biggest assets and truly sets Men in Black 3 apart from its predecessors. The aliens are still alive and ickier than ever now that they're in 3D, but the story is more focused on the friendship between J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) and how it has evolved over the years. We learn early on that K has been keeping a secret from J all these years, and the mystery drives a wedge between the partners. Meanwhile, a treacherous alien named Boris the Animal (played to hilarious perfection by Flight of the Conchords's Jemaine Clement) breaks out of maximum-security prison and goes back in time to get revenge on K, who arrested him back in the '60s. The day that K had Boris locked up is the key to K's secret, so J heads on a mission back in time to save K and learn the truth.

To see why Men in Black 3 is so much fun, just

Will Smith hasn't been in a movie since 2008's Seven Pounds, and I didn't realize I missed him until I found myself giggling all the way through Men in Black 3. His shtick is still the same (he's one-liners still consistent of dialogue like "Where did you come from? Planet damn?"), but you can't help but love Agent J as he bumbles through the '60s, desperately trying to sell his story to people who don't recognize him - or believe him. You can tell that Smith feels completely comfortable in the role, and in the signature suit, which still looks perfect on him, as he hasn't aged a day.

Tommy Lee Jones is ever the reliable curmudgeon, but the film mines extra laughs when J travels to the '60s and meets a much younger version of his partner, played by Josh Brolin. Brolin looks enough like Jones to pass for him, but it's really his studied delivery and mannerisms that sell the performance. We also get some insight into how K has evolved over the years (he's always had a penchant for cowboy music, but he also used to be a bit of a dreamer), giving the film an extra layer to the enjoyable banter between J and K.

I'm not usually one to gush about 3D, but the special effects really come to life in Men in Black 3 in a way they never did in the first two movies. Not only do the aliens look creepier than ever, but the cartoonish feel of the film is taken to the next level with the 3D aspect, especially with the time-travel thrill-ride element. Much like with the 3D movies from my youth, I found myself shrinking in my seat just to avoid being too close to the alien goo, blood, breath, and beyond. Combined with the welcome return of Will Smith, you've got yourself a fun, mindless blockbuster.

Photos courtesy of Sony

Moonrise Kingdom: A Retro Delight

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 25 May 2012 06:00:00 PDT

Everything about Moonrise Kingdom is unmistakably Wes Anderson: the hazy cinematography, the clever dialogue, and even the use of the director's favorite actors. Indeed, Anderson isn't leaving his comfort zone as a filmmaker, but Moonrise Kingdom is still a pleasure to watch. Set in 1965, the movie tells the story of Sam and Suzy (newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward), preteen pen pals who conspire to run away together. As they set up camp all over an island off the coast of New England, they're being pursued by Sam's scout troop (led by camp counselor Edward Norton), Suzy's parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), and different authorities (Bruce Willis and Tilda Swinton). Sam and Suzy's experience with young love is sweet and complicated, and made all the more dreamy through Anderson's lens.

The elements might be familiar, but Anderson proves why he's such an admired director with a film like this. It's surprisingly romantic, but there's also a real threat to Sam and Suzy in the wild. Their compelling journey paired with the optical treat of Anderson's style makes Moonrise Kingdom a must-watch for fans of the distinctive director. To find out what else I liked about the film, just keep reading.

Hysteria Director Tanya Wexler Talks Vibrators, Faking It, and Duck Sex

Tara Block — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:00:15 PDT

Don't be shy . . . It's time to talk sex toys! And Hysteria director Tanya Wexler is writing us a prescription for pleasure. Tanya's film - what she calls "the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to" - is in limited release and stars Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Rupert Everett. When working on a romantic comedy that centers around the invention of the vibrator, you end up with some entertaining and embarrassing situations along the way, and lucky for us, Tanya spilled all the hilariously dirty details. From teaming up with the film's partner Jimmyjane for a drive-by vibrator drop-off to a certain female Oscar-winner to trying unsuccessfully to get ducks to shag on command, Tanya was bursting with great stories from working on this very unconventional film. And while Tanya isn't ashamed to discuss the sexy subject matter of her latest film with us, the mother of four and her partner of 21 years did have a tricky challenge telling her preteen kids what her movie was about. (She eventually gave them the script and let them figure it out themselves!) Check out our interview with the fun-loving director now, and we dare you not to have a girl crush on her by the end!

TrèsSugar: What were some of the challenges to getting a movie made about vibrators?
Tanya Wexler: Getting the script right was tricky because if you just make a movie about the invention of the vibrator, it's actually a really short movie: you go "bzz" and it's done. And we had a kind of light romantic comedy. I say I made the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to. But some people wanted it to be raunchy or some people wanted it to be more serious and about feminism. People project a lot onto this movie of what they want, because there isn't a lot out there about vibrators and women's pleasure, and we still don't really deal with that topic very well, or we're overly antsy around it. And as a result, people have a lot of ideas of what the movie could and should be, and you can't please everyone. [laughs]

TS: Ha, good one.
TW: It's nonstop!

TS: Do you find sex toys inherently funny or something to be seriously celebrated?
TW: Yes!

TS: Both?
TW: Yes! Yes. I think they make me laugh, and I think that the inner kind of Beavis and Butt-head in all of us goes "[laugh]." You know, that inner 13-year-old, like, "Hahaha vibrator . . . " and yet they're awesome and fun.

TS: What shocked you the most when researching the movie?
TW: That ducks are the rapists of the bird world, and you'll see when you see the movie, because there's a little bit of questionable duck behavior - or awesome duck behavior - in the movie. It's totally a sidebar, but you cannot make ducks shag on command. I'm just saying.

TS: What about the whole history of hysteria being a medical condition?
TW: When I first heard the idea, I was like, "What do you mean it was invented in Victorian times?" I knew about hysteria, but the idea that the treatment was manual [British accent] massage deparaxism - which is what they called it - and, of course, the denial. The most shocking thing is the denial, that they didn't think it was sexual.

TS: Do you think they were really in denial?
TW: No, I don't think that some people were. My college roommate was with her high school boyfriend for two years and she had never had an orgasm. I think there's all kinds of denial, especially with women's sexuality. So the fact that there are young women today who haven't had an orgasm, whether self-induced - which is insane - or with a partner, then why wouldn't we think back then that women wouldn't know what orgasms were?

They would get a massage, and the doctor's saying, "Without a penis, this isn't sex, because sex is about procreation," so what is this? The best physical therapy you've ever had. So once you don't think of it as something other than what the doctor's supposed to do to cure your uncontrollable crying or uncontrollable laughter or whatever, then it's just an awesome muscle spasm. If you don't think women have their own inherent sexuality, then you're not thinking about it like that.

Keep reading for Tanya's thoughts on Fifty Shades and more!

Nicole Stands Out in Red With Matthew and Zac For Paperboy Press

Lauren Turner — Thu, 24 May 2012 08:41:45 PDT

The stars of The Paperboy were up early in France to promote their project at the Cannes Film Festival today. Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, and Matthew McConaughey's morning photocall comes after an appearance on the French show Le Grand Journal just yesterday. Zac opened up about filming mostly in his underwear, saying, "I don't think I was supposed to feel comfortable. It's like life. This character is supposed to be learning the ways of the world, and that can be very uncomfortable. But it's also exciting." The trio will be back in the spotlight later today, when they premiere their movie at the Grand Palais.

Pregnant Reese Witherspoon Takes on a Tennis Match

Lauren Turner — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:30:13 PDT

Reese Witherspoon hit the tennis court with friends in Brentwood, CA, this morning. She grabbed a racket for the workout session and showed off her pregnant belly in a fitted top - check out FitSugar's picks for comfortable maternity activewear. While Reese awaits the arrival of her third child, she's been spending time with family. She went for a hike with her kids, Ava and Deacon, and father, John, on Saturday and joined husband, Jim Toth, to watch Deacon's flag football game over the weekend. Reese also had some recent professional excitement, since her romantic comedy This Means War was released on DVD this week, and we got an exclusive look at a deleted scene from the movie.

Cannes Minireview: Killing Them Softly

Molly Goodson — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:21:14 PDT

Brad Pitt's gritty new project, Killing Them Softly (formerly titled Cogan's Trade, and based on a book of the same name), made its debut to the press at the Cannes Film Festival this morning. Considering the early hour of the screening and just how violent and drug-fueled it is as a film, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it overall. Pitt is at his best playing the ruthless assassin, and James Gandolfini can, of course, carry a mob movie.

Who's behind it? Like Sapphires and Lawless, it's another The Weinstein Company film here at the festival. Writer-director Andrew Dominik brings together an excellent cast of men to tell his story, including Ray Liotta in addition to Pitt and Gandolfini. With that much testosterone on screen, there's not much room for the ladies. In fact, there's barely a female to be seen in the film at all. At the center, there are two bumbling thieves, played by Scoot McNairy and Ben Mendelsohn, who shine in their own deeply messed-up ways - often seen sweating and using drugs. Pitt, who we have seen playing a ruthless assassin before, does it again, this time with slicked-back hair and a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he explains his preferred method of murder - "killing them softly," rather than listening to them plead.
What's it about? On paper, it's about a heist at a mob poker game gone wrong, but as both the director and Pitt spoke at the film's press conference after the screening, it's a much larger commentary on America's capitalist society. It's set in New Orleans against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis and election, with actual speeches from Barack Obama and Sarah Palin sprinkled throughout. As for the actual heist at stake, Frankie and Russell (McNairy and Mendelsohn) rob a poker game that was previously hit up as part of a scam put on by its own owner, Andrew (Liotta). Pitt's character, Jackie Cogan, is brought in by the larger mob bosses to assassinate the men. Wires are quickly crossed and it can be hard to tell who is working for whom, but with the crazy visuals and hilarious, sometimes unsettling, one-liners, it is a riveting watch. I, for one, was particularly amused by the scenes about Russell running a racket by stealing purebred dogs.
More important even than the story, however, is the feel of the film. It takes place and was shot in New Orleans, a city which Pitt is clearly comfortable in. It's not quite a love letter to the city - or to anything for that matter - like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but it still has that uniquely gritty and stylized New Orleans feel.

To read what I thought of the film at Cannes, just

What did I think? The performances, especially by Gandolfini, could start award-season buzz, depending on how and when Killing Them Softly is released stateside. While the film is not for the faint of heart, it's a thought-provoking watch. The humor and political commentary keep it from being a straightforward mob movie, therefore setting it apart from being the same story we've seen 100 times before. Plus, Pitt's swagger, Gandolfini's monologue expertise, and a pack of dogs are welcome at any movie for me. Watch out for the last line, though, it will stick with you.

Photo courtesy of The Weinstein Company

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes Are Loved Up For an NYC Lunch

Allie Merriam — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:18:18 PDT

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes held hands after lunch in NYC yesterday. The couple are together in the US after Ryan spent a few months in Thailand earlier this year shooting Only God Forgives with his Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn. This weekend, though, it's Eva's turn to focus on film. She has Girl in Progress finally hitting theaters. The Girl in Progress reviews are not universally positive, but The New York Times praised Eva's performance, writing that she "seems so confident, so comfortable in her beauty, that it can be easy to underestimate her emotional range and her comic instincts." Eva will have another movie debuting later this month at Cannes. Her Holy Rollers is among the many movies debuting at the French film festival.

4 Simple Tips to Encourage Your Kids' Creativity

Laura Marie Given — Tue, 01 May 2012 08:06:21 PDT

Painting and drawing are great artistic outlets, but creativity means more than simply diving into a box of crayons. To encourage your kids' creativity in other areas, it's best to step outside the box and introduce them to fresh, new activities and environments. Whether it's a quick cooking date or a day spent out on the town, we've come up with four simple tips to help your little ones exercise their imaginations:

Invite them into the kitchen. Make a space for your kids in your cooking routine and teach them about different spices or food combinations. Let them create their own recipes, have taste tests, and bring them to the farmers market to introduce them to new foods. Giving them a glimpse of what goes into their meals is a great way to stimulate their curiosity and maybe even kick-start a new passion.
Turn off the TV and turn up the music. Whether it's during arts and crafts or while your kids do their homework, try switching the focus away from TV and computers. Instead, play different kinds of music that the lil ones may not be used to - from classical compositions to indie ballads to the Beatles, listening to something different can spark their inspiration in new, unexpected ways.

Keep reading for more creativity-boosting tips.