BuzzSugar

Box Office: Audiences Still Eating Up Meatballs

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:30:47 -0700

Dancing and Bruce Willis weren't enough to knock kid flick Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs out of this weekend's top spot at the box office. Sony's 3D Meatballs held its place for the second weekend in a row, making $24.6 million, followed by Willis's sci-fi movie Surrogates ($15 million) and Fame ($10 million), which both just opened Friday.

The Informant! came in fourth this week with $6.9 million, and Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All by Myself rounded out the top five with $4.7 million in its third week in theaters. Unfortunately, Cam Gigandet's Pandorum didn't break the top five with its debut; the space-set action movie only made $4.4 million.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Watch, Pass, TiVo, or Rent: Fame

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:30:31 -0700

I had semi-cynical feelings about the remake of Fame when I first heard it was being cast, but flash ahead two years later, and the trailer has me kind of pumped to see it on Friday. The music numbers look flashy, and it's got So You Think You Can Dance alum Kherington Payne, so I fully expect to be toe-tapping in my seat.

But here's the dilemma: I also really loved the original Fame. The characters were just these fragile, but impassioned people - and there were pirouettes on cars! It will always have a place on my list of dance movies.

I still want to see this new version - 'cause basically I'll see any film that features Capezios - but I'm hoping that it's different enough from its predecessor so I can just enjoy it for what it is: a total guilty pleasure.

Are you going to check out Fame this weekend? Or will you wait until it comes out on DVD, so you can do your dancing at home?

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:40:23 -0700

Buzz's Picks For Fall Movies: Best of the Rest

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:30:03 -0700

Fall means back to school, cooling temperatures, changing leaves . . . and a whole lot of new movies. I'm helping you sort through the coming releases by giving you my recommendations - I already talked about which dramas, comedies, and romances to see - but there are a few movies that don't fit perfectly into any of those categories. But what they are is exciting - check out the best of the rest of upcoming Fall flicks.

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Baby May Come Out of Her Corner For a Dirty Dancing Remake

BuzzSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:30:00 -0700

It's starting to feel like a week never goes by without news of a movie remake, and I have a feeling you're all going to have some strong opinions about this one. According to a tweet from Production Weekly, there's a remake of Dirty Dancing in the works. Details are still sketchy, but apparently the script will be written by Julia Dahl. Personally, I'm a little worried about messing with a classic - wasn't the Havana Nights sequel enough?

On the other hand, I have to admit that I'm looking forward to the remake of Fame, with fresh talent and new 21st century setting (check out a hot new trailer after the jump). I was also impressed with Channing Tatum's spot-on impression of Patrick Swayze from a few weeks ago, but I'm not sure I can imagine new actors doing justice to the original - Dirty Dancing's '80s setting and utterly cheesy dialogue are inherent in its wonder. A couple of years ago, you all weighed in on who would make the perfect Baby and Johnny, but who would you cast now that it is really happening?

To see the new Fame trailer, just read more.

Movie Preview: Fame

BuzzSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:45:16 -0700

Dance movie alert! All you fans of dance movies know that I'm talking to you - it doesn't matter how trite or lame it looks, we're still going to see it. And interestingly, the Fame remake, opening Sept. 25, doesn't look too bad. It's still the same old follow-your-dreams, I'm-gonna-live-forever, "somebody's gotta make it out there, why can't it be me?" stuff, but, you know, all new actors and a modern update.

The story focuses on a bunch of kids attending the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. So yes, the kids in this movie perform more than just dance but let's face it, the dance is why I'll watch. To check out the full-length Fame trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of MGM

First Real Fame Trailer Looks Cute

BuzzSugar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:30:14 -0700

We've met the dancers and the director, and now there's a trailer for the actual Fame remake itself. As a fan of dance movies in general (even documentaries that include dancing), I'm already interested in this movie and the trailer only increased my curiosity. Take a peek at the preview and tell me: Will the Fame remake be included in future "greatest dance movies" lists?

Fame opens Sept. 25. To check out the trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of MGM

Meet Some of the Fame Dancers

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:30:08 -0800

There's no official trailer yet for the Fame remake, but we now have a little taste of what we can expect to see - at least in terms of the dancing - when the movie hits theaters Sept. 25. And, as far as the dancing goes, it looks like this might be a pretty entertaining movie. In this video the movie's director, Kevin Tancharoen, mentions that they auditioned over 700 dancers for the film. Can you imagine making it through that audition process and being picked for the cast - out of 700 people? Maybe it's because I'm not exactly, ah, a gifted two-stepper, but I'm pretty darn impressed by people who can truly do it. I'm excited to see a full-on preview for this movie, but for now I'm enjoying this video with some interviews (including a few thoughts from former So You Think You Can Dance contestant Kherington Payne) and lots of dancing. To see it for yourself, read more.

Photo courtesy of MGM

Oscar Gives Us a Look at Sherlock Holmes, Amelia, and More!

BuzzSugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 06:30:21 -0800

One of the best parts of this year's Oscars ceremony was . . . the very end! As the credits rolled, we got a brief look at many of the new movies coming to a theater near us in the coming months. A good handful of the first-look clips are from movies I'm personally excited to see, including: Hilary Swank in costume for her upcoming biopic Amelia; Robert Downey Jr. and gang in Sherlock Holmes; an adaptation of one of my favorite reads in recent memory, Julie and Julia; one of this year's Sundance favorites, An Education; and even the remake of Fame.

These sneak peeks were mixed in with highly anticipated movies that already have trailers, like Terminator Salvation and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and unfortunately there's music dubbed over the entire thing so we don't actually get to hear anything. Still, it's pretty fun to finally get a look at movies I've been reading and writing about all year.

I grabbed the clip for you to watch again or check out for the first time. Just read more.

Source

Fame Remake Cast Shapes Up - And Includes Kherington!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:37:16 -0700

The remake of the 1980 musical movie Fame is getting a cast together, and so far there are nine actors who think they're gonna live forever. Notable names among them: Thomas Dekker of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (and the guy who played Claire's possibly gay best friend on Heroes before leaving the show) and So You Think You Can Dance's Kherington Payne. The Hollywood Reporter has more details:

Much like in the Oscar-winning original, directed by Alan Parker, the story will track the failures and fortunes of super-ambitious young performers and their teachers as they navigate a school year at the prestigious High School for the Performing Arts in New York.

"In many ways, the idea of pursuing a career in dance or music or acting is much more palpable now," MGM chairman Mary Parent said. "Anyone with a page on a social networking site is instantly 'famous,' and anyone with a digital camera is a potential filmmaker. The negotiation between fame and real talent is much more immediate and something with which audiences are familiar, and there's a universal relatability to experiencing the trials and tribulations associated with pursuing one's dream, regardless of the arena."

So, this is that "unique opportunity" Kherington mentioned in LA last week! It seems like a smart move for her. And it's actually a pretty good point that a story like this will be interpreted in a very different way now in comparison to when the original hit theaters in 1980. Do you think this story is more relevant today? Or are we spent on shows and movies about talent competitions and trying to realize dreams of becoming a famous dancer/singer/designer/chef/pet groomer?

Kherington photo courtesy of Fox and source