BuzzSugar

Men Love Love, Too

BuzzSugar — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 16:18:36 PST

As Valentine's Day approaches, I've got romantic movies on the brain. Apparently, so do many men! According to a recent U.S. study, men are more fond of romantic movies than originally suspected. Kansas State University psychology professor Richard Harris surveyed 250 men and women, having them watch a romantic film together and rate it from 0 to 7, 7 being the highest. The average score from women was about 6, while men rated the films around 4.8 - much higher than expected. The Reuters article continues:

"Everyone thinks that women like romantic movies and that they drag guys along to them," Harris told Reuters.

He said movie studio executives should put aside stereotypes about "chick flicks" and recognize the fact that there is a moderate interest among men in romantic movies.

"There are a lot of men who go to these romantic movies and enjoy them. I wouldn't write off the male audience just because it is a romantic film. I would suggest marketing to the men in the audience," he said.

I for one am all for getting rid of the term "chick flick," and I'll tell you why if you

A label like "chick flick" is an automatic deterrent when couples are trying to choose a movie they'll both enjoy. Also, nowadays "chick flick" implies something insubstantial and silly, which seems to become a comment on women and the kinds of things we find interesting and relevant. Ultimately, movies don't have to have a gender assigned to them. Sometimes a romantic film is just a romantic film.

Wes Anderson's Guide to Love

Tara Block — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:10:00 PDT

As a self-proclaimed Wes Anderson junkie, I was ecstatic to see his latest film Moonrise Kingdom this week. And considering I was either smiling or tearing up (or both) the entire 94 minutes, I'd say it was a hit. The camp-themed coming-of-age film has all the recognizable Wes Anderson-isms fans of the director love, and the young star-crossed lovers at the center of the sweet story really just melt your heart. Set in the '60s on a New England island, the film follows Suzy and Sam, troubled preteens who write love letters to each other before deciding to run away together. Wes Anderson's films always incorporate a romantic coupling, exes, or love triangle in them, and the characters involved are usually full of witty advice and observations on relationships. So see some of my favorite couples and ex-couples from Wes Anderson movies along with their lines on love's redeeming, disappointing, and confusing qualities.

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!

Diane Kruger and Josh Jackson Couple Up For a Glamorous Night in Monaco

Katie Henry — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:48:05 PDT

Diane Kruger, dressed in Nicholas Kirkwood stilettos and a straight-off-the-runway look from Prabal Gurung's Fall '12 collection, cuddled up to boyfriend Joshua Jackson at the Nights in Monaco Gala in Monte Carlo tonight. The philanthropic event brought out some of Hollywood's biggest stars and also raised funds for the William J. Clinton Foundation and Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. Diane's amped up her red-carpet looks for the Cannes Film Festival, where she's judging the competition, and tonight was another knockout look. She's been busy attending screenings and press events, but she took a night off from work over the weekend and joined Josh on a romantic dinner date. We've been on the scene checking out the hottest films, chatting with your favorite stars, and tracking all the fashion. If you've missed a moment of the glamorous film festival, check out all the photos from Cannes!

Cameron Diaz Leads Her What to Expect Costars Overseas

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:08:29 PDT

Cameron Diaz and several of her What to Expect When You're Expecting costars hit the red carpet in London today to bring the romantic comedy to England. Cameron sported a sexy, strapless Stella McCartney jumpsuit for the British unveiling of the film. She's been busy promoting the adaptation of the best-selling book in the States for several weeks already. Cameron stopped by Chelsea Lately to dish on her own feelings about family and motherhood, and also teamed up with her costar Jennifer Lopez to pay a visit to The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Jennifer had to skip the overseas trip this week and stay put in LA for the finale episodes of American Idol, which air tonight and tomorrow. While Jennifer missed out on today's festivities, Anna Kendrick, in Christian Dior, and Chace Crawford, who play a couple in the movie, were on hand. So were Matthew Morrison, Cameron's love interest in the movie, and Rodrigo Santoro, who plays J Lo's husband.

Best Celebrity Pictures of the Week!

Meghan Rooney — Sat, 19 May 2012 06:49:35 PDT

Stars were all over the globe this week promoting films and making fashionable appearances at some of the swankiest events, including the Cannes Film Festival. Snow White and the Huntsman stars Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron premiered their fairy tale in London, while Diane Kruger was spotted at a Calvin Klein party in Cannes with boyfriend Joshua Jackson. The X Factor revealed new judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato during the show's upfront presentation in NYC, and What to Expect When You're Expecting leading ladies Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez screened their romantic comedy together in LA. That's not all that went down - check out what other stars were up to.

The Dictator: Ruled by Tasteless but Funny Jokes

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:00:23 PDT

Full disclosure: I laughed out loud many times during The Dictator, knowing full well that I should have been offended instead. But what you see is what you get when it comes to Sacha Baron Cohen, and after movies like Bruno and Borat, you already know whether you'll be able to find humor in film about a horrifyingly ignorant world leader who's as naive, racist, and prejudiced as they come.

I know that sounds hard to swallow, but there is a big difference between The Dictator and Cohen's previous work: this time, it doesn't even feel remotely real. Whereas Borat and Bruno are made to taunt and embarrass what appear to be unsuspecting, everyday people, there's no mistaking The Dictator for what it is: a total farce that comes complete with actors you've seen before. It may sound obvious, but having Cohen's Aladeen interact with the likes of Ben Kingsley, Anna Faris, and John C. Reilly makes the whole story easier to digest - and much easier to laugh at in spite of yourself.

To see what else I enjoyed about The Dictator, just

At the core, The Dictator is really a fish-out-of water comedy, just taken to staggeringly inappropriate levels. Aladeen has ruled his North African country, Wadiya, since he was a small child, and in many ways, he's never grown up. While he's busy ordering execution for anyone that rubs him the wrong way (including the engineer that couldn't make his nuclear weapon pointy enough), his uncle Tamir (Kingsley) is the one that's really making the decisions about how the country should be run. Predictably, Tamir turns on Aladeen and seizes power during a trip to NYC, leaving Aladeen lost, penniless, and unrecognizable on the streets of the Big Apple.

The Dictator then turns into a bizarre romantic comedy, as Aladeen befriends a crunchy protester named Chloe (Anna Faris), who he initially mistakes for a boy. Chloe gives Aladeen his first job in her organic whole foods store, which opens a Pandora's box of jokes about the irony of a world leader wearing a hairnet. Meanwhile, Aladeen hatches a plan to bring down his uncle, and somewhere along the way, you start rooting for the same guy that suggests aborting a baby because it's not a boy.

I'm not saying that The Dictator is sophisticated by any means, or even groundbreaking as a comedy. Cohen spares us no expense of crude humor that pushes the envelope (and literally takes us inside a woman's birth canal), and if you're not a fan for Cohen's brand of humor, you'll probably walk out of the theater before you even get there. But if you've ever found his antics to be funny before, chances are you will again - even if you're slightly embarrassed to admit it when the credits roll.

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures

The Words Trailer: Bradley Cooper Has Got a Story For You

Shannon Vestal — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:50:51 PDT

Get ready to bend your brain as you watch the trailer for The Words, starring Bradley Cooper as a writer. His character, Rory Jansen, suffers from writer's block until he has a breakthrough and finally produces a best-selling novel. The only problem is that he stole the story from former soldier (played by Jeremy Irons), who put his life story to words years before Rory finds his writings. As you watch the preview that doesn't really come across, because the trailer starts out telling Rory's story, paralleling it with Irons's character in flashback (played by Ben Barnes). And then, randomly, Dennis Quaid and Olivia Wilde show up, because apparently Quaid's character wrote Rory's plagiarism tale. Got it?

None of that is really clear as you watch, nor does it make sense as to why a cheesy, romantic-comedy-esque song comes on in the final moments. Let's hope the movie itself is far more coherent than this first look, because I know I won't be missing a chance to see Cooper and his baby blues as a struggling artist. The film comes out Sept. 21, and you can watch the trailer after the jump.

Tom Cruise on His Beautiful, Creative Wife and Growing Up Without His Dad Around

Allie Merriam — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:33:00 PDT

Tom Cruise chatted with Playboy about his new movie Rock of Ages, but the conversation between the actor and interviewer Michael Fleming got quite personal. No stranger to promoting movies, Tom is happy to discuss his career and ambitions, but rarely talks about his childhood. However, in Playboy, Tom gave a great deal of insight about growing up with his mom and sisters, but not his dad. Tom also spoke about the tough career time he went through in 2005 after PR-unwise interviews on the Today show and Oprah. Tom additionally had nothing but kind words to say about his wife Katie Holmes and their family. Here are highlights:

On loving Katie: "She is an extraordinary person, and if you spent five minutes with her, you'd see it. Everything she does, she does with this beautiful creativity. When she becomes interested in something, she doesn't talk about it, she does it. One week I said to her, 'You've been up in the middle of the night. Is everything okay?' She smiled and then threw this thing on my desk and said, 'I wrote this script.' She wanted to try it, and she did. She wanted to try designing clothes, and now her line is wonderful and, to me, an example of how she just creates beautiful things in her life. She has a voice and warmth as an artist, as a mother. She's funny and charming, and when she walks into the room, I just feel better. I’m a romantic. I like doing things like creating romantic dinners, and she enjoys that. I don't know what to say - I'm just happy, and I have been since the moment I met her. What we have is very special."
On growing up without his dad around: "It wasn't a big conflict when I was growing up; that's just the way it was. I don't look back and feel bad. I know some people do, but it's not a burden I carry through life. It's more like, OK, this happened. That's how he behaved, that's how he did things. He tried, but it just was who he was. Traveling has given me a broader understanding of people, and I've always been interested in the similarities we have and why people make certain choices in life. I got an introduction to that as a young child, but it never felt like a weight I carried on my shoulders."
On how he looks so young: "I honestly have no idea. [laughs] I work. I'm always with family. I train, go without sleep. I just go hard."

To read more about what Tom says on having the same values as when he was a child, not caring about bad press, and his tough times in 2005, just read more