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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:19:23 -0800

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.

Gilmore Girls - Season Seven
Oh, Gilmore Girls, how we miss you! Say what you will about the final season of this fun, heartwarming, silly CW show, I will always look back on the series fondly, even if the final episode was a little rushed and abrupt. This six-disc set includes all 22 episodes of the seventh season, from "The Long Morrow" to "I'm a Kayak, Hear Me Roar," through to "Bon Voyage" (tear!). As is often the case with GG DVD sets, there are no commentary tracks and slim pickins in the special features department. In fact, there's just one: a behind-the-scenes featurette. So, if you need to round out your GG DVD collection, today's the day. Sigh.

Three more new releases, so read more

Paris, Je T'Aime
Paris, Je T'Aime is a collection of 20 different five-minute films all focusing on Paris. The various writers, directors, and actors involved provide an eclectic grouping of voices and techniques. Some of the directors include Gérard Depardieu, Gus Van Sant, and Wes Craven, while Maggie Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Steve Buscemi, Juliette Binoche, and Willem Dafoe are among the many actors lending their talents. It's like a collection of short stories about Paris vividly brought to life.

Ocean's Thirteen
Neither groundbreaking nor the worst movie ever, this third installment of the Ocean's series finds the regular assortment of handsome men (Clooney, Damon, Pitt, Cheadle, etc. etc.) planning yet another casino heist - this time aided by the dashing Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). Also, this time the crew is banding together to take down a seedy high roller, appropriately played by Al Pacino. Special features include a set tour, deleted scenes, and a Vegas documentary.

Shrek the Third
Another third chapter in a series that didn't necessarily require more movies, Shrek the Third couldn't possibly live up to the adorable success of the first movie, but it's cute and watchable nonetheless. If nothing else, I could watch that little Puss in Boots for hours and still be hopelessly enchanted by him and his big eyes. This time around, Shrek and Fiona are happily married and looking toward parenthood when Fiona's father, King Harold, falls ill, and Shrek has to find Artie (voiced by Justin Timberlake) and drag him back to the kingdom as heir to the throne. Meanwhile, Fiona, Queen Lillian, and a few of the other ladies of the kingdom (a sleepy Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, etc.) kick some Prince Charming butt, proving that not all princesses need rescuing.

If you don't have the other Shreks and want them all at once, the trilogy is now on sale as well.

Ocean's Thirteen Swindles Pirates Out of No. 1 Spot

BuzzSugar — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 05:30:00 -0700

Ocean and his cohorts robbed the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie out of their No. 1 spot at the box office. Ocean's Thirteen took in an impressive $37 million its opening weekend while Pirates followed behind in second place with $21 million. Knocked Up showed a strong second weekend coming in just barely behind Pirates with $20 million.

Animated family flicks Surf's Up and Shrek the Third took 4th and 5th places, while the gory torture-fest that is Hostel: Part II straggled after them, bringing in just $8.7 million. Well, sure, I'd rather see a surfing penguin than torture-tainment any day. This weekend the Fantastic Four will try their hand at taking the top slot from Ocean's Thirteen.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Ocean's Thirteen: Analog Heroes In A Digital World

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:59:21 -0700

At the beginning of Ocean’s Thirteen, security systems expert Roman Nagel (Eddie Izzard) consults Danny (George Clooney) and Rusty (Brad Pitt) on how best to infiltrate the ultra high-tech security system at The Bank, a luxury hotel/casino set to open on the Vegas strip. As Roman tries to explain the system in tech-speak, it’s clear Danny and Rusty are out of their element. “I like you two,” says Roman. “You’ve got style, brio. But you’re analog people in a digital world.”

No matter how high-tech the revenge shenanigans get in Ocean’s Thirteen, it is precisely this “analog” quality - the old-school loyalty, humor, and charm - that keep us rooting for these thieves and cons. Fast-paced and fantastically convoluted, Ocean’s Thirteen (like its two predecessors) is almost all exposition. The journey to the sweet moment of revenge against wicked casino kingpin Willy Bank (Al Pacino), in other words, is the bulk of the film. Their revenge may be high-tech, but their values are old-fashioned. Like Ocean’s 11, in which Danny’s motivation is as much about getting his wife Tess back from Bellagio owner Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) as it is about robbing Terry’s casino, Ocean’s Thirteen is about men who want to save their stricken friend Reuben, no matter what the cost. Although there's a bit of a lag in the middle, and an unfortunate sexist misuse of Ellen Barkin as Bank's right-hand woman, the fact that they have a fantastic time doing it makes it a joyride for us viewers as well, so read more

Ocean's Thirteen begins with Rusty hearing the news that Reuben has had a heart attack and is in critical condition after being screwed by Bank. After visiting the unresponsive Reuben, Rusty and Danny begin scheming their revenge. Willy Bank’s hotel/casino, The Bank, is the new crown jewel in his empire of casinos. He and the built-like-a-brick-house Abigail Sponder (Ellen Barkin) run a tight ship and aim to make, well, bank on opening night.

What Bank and Abigail don’t know is that Ocean’s crew is going to treat The Bank like a fun house. In order to bankroll this over-the-top revenge job, they are helped by the unlikeliest of protagonists: Their once arch-enemy Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). As long as they steal Bank’s diamonds, Terry claims, he’ll pay for everything. So, using their collective wiles, they rig, bribe and digitally maneuver their ways into ruining The Bank's opening night. And how will they get into the insanely impregnable vault where the diamonds are held? Old fashioned seduction: Send in “Lenny Pepperidge” (Matt Damon, with a ridiculous fake nose) to seduce Abigail with some special love potion he puts on his neck.

"There’s a code among people who have shaken Sinatra’s hand," Reuben says in disbelief to Bank when he’s getting screwed. As charming as that “old fashioned” code of loyalty is, part of it seems to include the notion that “broads” are just trouble. As a result, with the exception of Abigail, who is called a "cougar," humiliated and ultimately dispensed with, Ocean’s Thirteen is largely a world without women. In spite of this and the lag in the middle, Ocean’s Thirteen is loads of fun.

Which Lady Could Be Ocean's Fourteenth?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 05:45:00 -0700

Let's just say that there were an Ocean's Fourteen in the works (and there's not, I'm playing pretend here). And let's pretend the fourteenth member of Ocean's gang was going to be a lady. Who should play the part? Who could be sexy, tough and poker-faced but also silly enough to wear goofy costumes from time to time?

Here are the women I could see playing the role of Ocean's fourteenth. I mostly looked at smarts, sexiness and wisdom - I simply can't see anyone too young in the role, so no Knightleys, Portmans or Biels allowed. What do you think?

New Ocean's Thirteen Photos!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 24 May 2007 09:30:13 -0700

Not only do we get to see the dreamy Ocean's Thirteen cast all gussied up in Cannes where the film is premiering today, but we can enjoy some new, lovely production photos from the movie (like the one of George, above), released by Warner Bros this week. We still have to wait two more weeks to see the movie, though with all these photos, the trailer and this featurette, there's no chance we'll forget about it over these last remaining Ocean's Thirteen-free days. To see the gallery of stills, read more

View 34 Photos ›

Ocean's Thirteen: New Featurette With Clips and Interviews

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 May 2007 12:00:28 -0700

The Ocean's Thirteen folks are readying themselves for the Cannes screening this Thursday, and the more I see of the movie the more appealing it looks. In particular, I am loving this 4-minute featurette in which we catch more glimpses of the movie along with interviews with the cast. It's particularly cute when Brad Pitt calls Al Pacino "another handsome, handsome man," and when Ellen Barkin describes how "fabulous" it is to be the one lady in such a guy-heavy cast.

To watch the featurette, just read more

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Clooney, Cheadle, Ocean's Thirteen Help Darfur

BuzzSugar — Wed, 09 May 2007 16:25:52 -0700

George Clooney continues to use his star power for good. He recently produced and narrated a documentary about the atrocities in the Sudan's western region Darfur, titled Sand and Sorrow, which will be screened at a film festival in Monaco.

What's more, the premiere events for Ocean's Thirteen will help raise money for relief efforts in Darfur. Ocean's Thirteen producer Jerry Weintraub is throwing a launch party for the humanitarian aid organization Not On Our Watch (also the title of Don Cheadle's book) later this month, and benefit premieres for Ocean's Thirteen will be held in Las Vegas and Chicago. This is such an excellent idea: taking big-budget movie premieres and using them to do good rather than using them to bring more attention to an already heavily promoted movie.

Don Cheadle was prompted to write his book Not On Our Watch after filming Hotel Rwanda and hearing firsthand accounts of genocide in Rwanda. Now, Cheadle is committed to spreading awareness of similar horrors occurring in Darfur.

Source

Which Big-Budget Summer Movie Are You Most Excited to See?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 01 May 2007 05:40:07 -0700

By now you may have read the first part of my Summer Movie Preview series, featuring the movies that promise to be this summer's "big deals." Whether you're breathlessly waiting to see Harry Potter work his magic, Jason Bourne elude the authorities or Danny Ocean's gang rule Las Vegas once more, you must have a favorite upcoming summer blockbuster. So tell me: which of these big summer flicks are you most interested in seeing?

Ocean's Thirteen: New Website and Lots of Photos

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:51:04 -0700

Warner Bros has fully launched the official website for the latest Danny Ocean casino heist, Ocean's Thirteen, complete with plenty of stills from the film. This third in the series will feature the same handsome men and excellent actors as usual - we got us some Clooney, some Pitt, a little Cheadle, and a dash of Damon, among others.

As you may have seen from the preview, Ocean's 13th addition is Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), who helps the gang take down another high roller, played by one of cinema's ultimate casino guys, Al Pacino. The movie hits theaters June 8, so you have plenty of time to peruse the new site and drool over all the photos. To see a gallery of stills, read more

View 24 Photos ›

Source

Movie Preview: New "Ocean's Thirteen" Trailer

BuzzSugar — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 12:49:40 -0700

Compared to Ocean's Eleven, the first sequel was a bit too indulgent and devoid of substance. But the just-released new trailer for Ocean's Thirteen is reinvigorating my enthusiasm for the whole slick franchise. And thank goodness, because I am quite happy to sit through a movie featuring George Clooney and two other debonair dudes acting impossibly cool alongside a wonderfully quirky supporting cast - Elliot Gould, Bernie Mac, and, of course, our beloved Don Cheadle.

Who is Danny Ocean's lucky number 13, you may ask? Why it's the gang's former nemesis, Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), who is helping them take down another high roller, played by Al Pacino. The movie hits theaters June 8, but you can watch the brand new trailer right now when you read more

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.