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The Ex: Lame, Except for Jason Bateman

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 May 2007 06:00:09 -0700

To say that Jason Bateman saves The Ex from collapsing in on itself would be to suggest that The Ex is actually a worthwhile film, which it basically isn't. It's not the worst thing ever, and there are some laugh-out-loud moments (all of which feature Jason Bateman or else another skilled comedian, such as Amy Poehler or Fred Armison), but it's not really worth the price of admission. My advice: Unless you are a die-hard Jason Bateman fan and refuse to miss a thing he does, then you should wait - not until this is out on DVD, but until it's on TBS at some random time like 2:00 PM the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Zach Braff and Amanda Peet star as Tom and Sofia, a young couple pregnant with their first child. When the baby is born, Tom loses his job and the family move from New York to Ohio where Sofia's father gives Tom a job at his advertising agency. There Tom meets Chip (Jason Bateman), his wheelchair-bound mentor who also happens to still have a massive crush on Sofia from their high school cheerleading days. What follows is a string of SNL-type skits in which Chip tries to sabotage Tom's career, while Sofia learns stay-at-home mothering is not exactly what she wants. There's more to learn about The Ex, though, if you read more

It saddens me to harshly review a movie that stars Jason Bateman, since I believe him to be a kind of comedic magician. But I can take solace in the fact that it's not Bateman himself but the story that's lacking - oh, and the direction, and the editing, and the fact that the boom mike is in more than a few shots, and the utter lack of chemistry between Braff and Peet. The chemistry thing is partially due to the writing, but it's also because Peet comes across as an empty shell of a person.

It appears the original intention was for the focus of the film to be the young couple and the frustrations they face while on the "fast track" to boring-old-adulthood, hence the first title: Fast Track. However, that storyline is muddled and uninteresting, and it seems that at some point the filmmakers decided to concentrate more on Jason Bateman's role, since his is the most compelling performance in the movie.

My assumption is when they completed the film they realized the only good thing about it was Jason Bateman as "the ex," so they changed the title to divert attention from anything besides Bateman and his hilarious antics. Then, still figuring the reviews would be bad, they forbade critics from publishing reviews before the movie released. See, even the studio was wary of this movie, and I think audiences would be wise to follow suit.

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Spidey Stays on Top in its Second Weekend

BuzzSugar — Sun, 13 May 2007 23:20:48 -0700

What do Lindsay Lohan, Zach Braff and zombies have in common? None of them can touch Spider-Man 3. In its second weekend, the web-slinger stayed strong at the box office, bringing in an estimated $60 million more and easily taking the No. 1 spot.

Sure, $60 million is nothing compared to the $151 million Spider-Man 3 racked up in its first weekend, but none of the weekend's other movies came close. Horror flick 28 Weeks Later, the sequel to 2002's 28 Days Later, slid in at No. 2 with $10 million. Lindsay Lohan, Felicity Huffman and Jane Fonda's Georgia Rule snagged just $5.8 million to finish third.

Disturbia finished fourth, while new release Delta Farce brought in $3.5 million and finished sixth. The weekend's other major new release, Zach Braff's The Ex, finished at No. 11 with a puny $1.3 million.

It's been a pretty easy ride for Spidey so far, but things will get tougher next weekend when he has to compete with a big green ogre as Shrek the Third premieres.

Spider-Man photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Movie Preview: The Ex

BuzzSugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 14:13:18 -0700

Okay, my trepidation for The Ex has just doubled. Not only has the release date been pushed back several times to finally this Friday May 11, but now this news: I'm allowed to see a pre-screening of the movie this week, but I'm not allowed to review it until next week. Sounds like somebody's anticipating negative buzz!

Yet I can't understand how a movie with such great people (Jason Bateman, Zach Braff, Amanda Peet) can possibly be that bad. I'm intensely curious about this, so check out my review next week, I guess. Until then, you can watch the trailer if you read more

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Summer Movie Preview: Comedies

BuzzSugar — Mon, 07 May 2007 06:35:16 -0700

We now come to my favorite part of the summer movie preview series: Comedies.

The Simpsons Movie
For one of the most highly anticipated movies of the summer, the Simpsons are taking their half-hour Fox show to the big screen and stretching it to feature-length. All the familiar Springfield faces will make appearances, satisfying the show's loyal fan base though the filmmakers have also promised some surprises, like a new character and the full-frontal nudity of a certain Simpson. I am waiting with bated breath for the movie's release July 27.

Knocked Up
By now you may have seen the funny trailer for Knocked Up, the upcoming "bromantic comedy" written by 40-Year-Old Virgin's Judd Apatow. The story follows two strangers (Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl) who suddenly find themselves pregnant after a one-night stand. Early buzz for this movie is overwhelmingly positive, with critics everywhere calling it this year's 40-Year-Old Virgin. Check out the trailer on the movie's website (favorite line: "He's playing fetch with my kids. He's treating my kids like they're dogs.") and tell me what you think of Knocked Up, which opens June 1.

So much more comedy if you read more

Shrek the Third
As I mentioned recently, the third Shrek movie will be coming out May 18. Check out the trailer and some stills from the movie, which looks like it will be loads of fun.

Superbad
I posted the trailer for Superbad as soon as I saw it because it really is that funny. The movie stars one of my comedy heroes, Michael Cera and Jonah Hill as dorky high school seniors who are coming to terms with the idea of parting ways once school ends and getting in their high school kicks before it's too late. Written by Knocked Up's Seth Rogen, the movie reminds me of a more self-aware '80s teen comedy, which is why I want to see it so Superbad when it opens August 17.

License to Wed
Starring some extremely charming folks, like John Krasinski, Mandy Moore and Robin Williams, I had high hopes for License to Wed. The story follows a young couple (Krasinski and Moore) whose reverend puts them through a grueling pre-marriage course. The trailer, unfortunately, leaves much to be desired, but I'll still see it, of course, when it comes out July 4.

Hairspray
If you love the campiest of musicals and have been dying to find out what John Travolta would look like as a woman, then here you go - here's your campy musical for the summer. It may seem like Travolta is channeling Divine from John Waters' 1988 Hairspray, but in fact this summer's version is based on the stage musical and not Waters' cult hit. Set in 1960s Baltimore, Travolta plays the mom to Tracey (Nikki Blonsky), a plump teenager who hopes to make a TV dance show open to both black people and white people.Check out the trailer on the movie's treatsy website.

Evan Almighty
Word on the street is Evan Almighty was one of this summer's most expensive movies to make due to all the live animals and computer effects necessary to portray a parody of the story of Noah's ark. This follow-up to 2003's Bruce Almighty has Morgan Freeman revisiting his role as God with Steve Carell taking on Noah, and Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls") playing Noah's wife. Prediction: Families and fans of "The Office" everywhere will flock to this comedy come June 22. (Get it? Flock?!)

The Ex
I posted this trailer way back when the movie was still called The Fast Track and was supposedly coming out either January or March, so now that it's finally opening this Friday May 11, I'm a little wary of it. Jason Bateman plays a wheelchair-bound man who tries to come between his old high school crush (Amanda Peet) and her boyfriend (Zach Braff). I do love me some Braff-and-Bateman, so here's hoping The Ex will be awesome.

Wedding Daze
Isla Fisher is also in Hot Rod this summer opposite Andy Samberg, but the trailer for Wedding Daze (also known as The Pleasure of Your Company) actually looks funny, so this is the one I'm highlighting. In it, Fisher plays a lonely girl who agrees to marry a stranger (Jason Biggs) - not unlike the story for Knocked Up except this time they're doing the marriage thing instead of the kids thing. The trailer is funny mostly because Isla Fisher is just about the most charming, adorable thing in the world, so check it out before Wedding Daze opens August 17.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
Apparently, the screenplay for this movie was passed from hand to hand for over a decade, and maybe that's not surprising since the movie focuses on two heterosexual firemen who pretend to be gay partners in order to get domestic-partner benefits. I myself balked at this concept when I posted the trailer for the film, wondering if a movie full of jokes that seem to depend on peoples' continued discomfort with homosexuality would be offensive. Yet, according to Entertainment Weekly, the filmmakers screened the movie for GLAAD members who ultimately said they "don't see the gay community getting upset about it." Well then, mazel tov, gentlemen. The movie opens July 20.

The Brothers Solomon
Will Arnett of "Arrested Development" fame claims The Brothers Solomon was "possibly the funniest script" he'd ever read, so if you trust the man's sense of funny like I do, this movie should prove nothing short of hilarious. Arnett and "SNL"'s Will Forte play brothers who make it their mission to give their ailing father grandchildren before he dies. It doesn't open until August 31, but check out the trailer for now:

The Simpsons Movie image courtesy of 20th Century Fox Pictures
Hairspray photo courtesy of New Line Cinema
Shrek image courtesy of Paramount Pictures
License to Wed photos courtesy of Warner Bros.
Wedding Daze photo source
All other photos source

House Rundown, "Ignorance is Bliss"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:30:45 -0800

With Cameron gone, the new (old) team is still working out the kinks in this week's House - and it feels like the writers aren't sure where the show's going either. The episode tackles a genius patient with what appears to be TTP, Thanksgiving, and House and Cuddy all in one swoop. And while the doc is back to acting like a selfish jerk following his recent good behavior, I didn't even find his quips that amusing. If anything, the episode felt like a downer!

Okay, so I know these are harsh words, so perhaps I'm not giving this week a fair trial. Let's go over the highlights, and tell me what you think when you read more.

The team gathers around the table to start hypothesizing, but to me it feels off without Cameron there. I'll give the writers the benefit of the doubt since it's the first week with the updated crew, but don't you agree?
We get it Chase - you're upset. He huffs and puffs and refuses invitations from Taub, Foreman, and Thirteen for friendly help. Then House refers to Cameron as Chase's "ex-smarter half" and gets punched. I want to be sympathetic to Chase because of his split from Cameron, but with that attitude? Forget it.
House needs to get Cuddy off the brain stat. He announces to Wilson that he's going to break up her relationship with Lucas, and then starts plotting ways to get invited to Thanksgiving dinner to see his plan through. Cuddy gives him the address where the meal is taking place, but (surprise!) the house is empty. I was shocked that she gave him faux info! Do you think it's too mean, or does he deserve it?
After being rejected, House gets drunk and breaks into Lucas's place to confess his love for Cuddy. Seriously. (He says to Lucas, "I'm pathetic," and I couldn't agree more.) The next day, Cuddy tells House that Lucas broke up with her over the incident - until we later find out that she's lying to get him to lay off. It seems like House might leave her alone by the end of the episode. Do you think he's finally giving up? And do you think his intoxicated act was real or fake? He tries to make it sound planned, but I'm not 100 percent sure.
While House and Cuddy were weighing down the show with sadder stuff, Taub and his wife brought a bit of comic relief. She's stopped sleeping with him, because she thinks he's a wuss for going back to House. But once Taub passes off a photo of House's black eye as his own handiwork – instead of Chase's - she basically jumps him!
The medical mystery involving a former genius who dumbs himself down, so he can love his "happy and dumb" wife (his words, not mine) is relatively interesting - even though I snarled at his comments about her stupidity. First they think he has TTP, but the problem is actually an old injury where he broke three ribs causing his spleen to split. Come on, 16 spleens?! I know I'm a dork, but that's pretty cool. Next time writers, less Cuddy skirt-chasing, more stuff like this.

Okay, so time for your assessment - what did you think of the episode? Isn't the House and Cuddy storyline starting to wear thin? (Even I'm over it, and I was rooting for them before!) And how do you like the team now that Cameron's dunzo?

If you're a fan of the show, check out the House! group in community!

Photos courtesy of Fox

Rashida Jones and Chris Pratt Talk Parks and Recreation

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:38:35 -0700

Since the beginning of the Fall season, Parks and Recreation has gone from shaky midseason replacement to a solid half-hour of comedy, thanks in part to a talented and hilarious cast. Two of my favorite actors from the show, Rashida Jones and Chris Pratt, who play Leslie's best friend Ann and Ann's ex-boyfriend Andy, respectively, chatted with some reporters this week about Parks and what's in store for their characters.

Rashida on the possibility of Ann and Andy getting back together: You know, I don't think it's an impossibility. I think there's still love in Ann's heart for Andy. I think so much would have to change for him to be OK with her. But I don't think it's an impossibility.
Chris on whether Andy will get a job or home: Yeah, the writers have found a nice way for Andy to get out of the pit and get a job and start sort of working his way up into independence.

To read more on why Chris and Rashida think the second season has been better, Ann and Andy's ex relationship, and those nude scenes, just read more.

Rashida on whether she likes Ann and Andy better together or apart: I think there's a lot of comedy both ways. I mean, I like this particular paradigm; I think it's really funny, because I just think Chris gets to shine a lot here and do something with something that could potentially seem really kind of cartoony and big which is like him, you know - showing up places and pretending to be casual about seeing me and all that. But he manages to make it kind of realistic and really sweet. So I like this dynamic for now.
Chris on whether Andy will start dating: I think that Andy's undying devotion toward Ann is one of the only things that sort of redeems him, so I hope not. I hope that he just keeps pining after Ann for 10 seasons to come. That would be the best for me.
Rashida on what Chris wears when he's naked on the show: They have those really unappealing little dance belts that were uncomfortable for Chris Pratt.
Chris on the nude scenes: Yeah, let's just say there was a dance belt included and it was uncomfortable. They kind of just are these little things that cover up your junk, but it was almost as if I was wearing nothing at all. Yeah.
Rashida on the show clicking more in the second season: It just takes time. I think for the actors, for the writers, for the audience, you just need some time to settle into what the characters actually are, and what's funny about their dynamics. And I'm super grateful that people gave us a shot to get there but I definitely think it takes about 10 episodes to even know what anything is, you know? I mean, you watch some early Seinfeld, you watch some early Sex and the City, it's nothing like the show turned out to be; the things that people loved about that show did not exist at the beginning of that show, you know.
Chris on the same: I've noticed that, as a fan of the show, I've seen it get better and better, and working on it I've noticed the scripts coming down the pipes have gotten better, but it kind of goes back to what Rashida said: it takes time for everybody. And I think it's just a matter of finding the sensibilities to all the characters and starting with Amy, you know; I think a lot of people compared Steve Carell to Ricky Gervais from The Office when they first started the American version of The Office. But he has a different style of comedy, and maybe they were writing for Steve the way they did for Ricky Gervais. And maybe in the beginning, they were writing for Amy the way that they wrote for Steve Carell, but her comedic sensibility is a little different. Maybe it's not that funny to watch her be uncomfortable the way it is with Steve Carell, but it's so goddamned endearing when she smiles. And you see her and when she's enjoying herself, so is the audience. And you see her doing that a lot more now; kind of just becoming comfortable in who she is, and like the episode with the beauty pageant, she's standing up for women's rights. You're seeing more dimensions of her. And maybe it's always been who they've envisioned her to be, or maybe they're figuring it out, but I sure like Leslie a lot more in the second season. I just enjoy watching her more and I think that's starting to happen with all the characters.

Don't forget to tune in to watch Ann and Andy on tonight's special Halloween episode; something tells me that some of what Rashida and Chris talked about will start developing sooner rather than later!

Angelina Jolie Is Going Gucci

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:30:00 -0700

Despite what she may have said in the past, Angelina Jolie's career isn't slowing down anytime soon. Last week we learned that she'll be taking Charlize Theron's place in The Tourist and she may be adding another femme fatale role to her resume. Jolie is in talks to take the lead in Ridley Scott's Gucci.

Jolie would play Patrizia Reggiano, who spent 29 years in prison for plotting the murder of her ex husband, Maurizio Gucci. The script is still being reworked and Ridley's search for his Maurizio continues - apparently Leonardo DiCaprio has been approached but has yet to sign on.

I could absolutely see Jolie in this role, and in general I like when she can show more of her acting chops and less of her kung fu skills. Bonus: Angelina and Leo would make for one hot big screen couple.

Ryan Reynolds to Dress in Drag?!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:30:18 -0700

Dude looks like a lady! Ryan Reynolds is one of Hollywood's hottest men, but for his next film he's going to be working those good genes as . . . a woman? The star just got cast in a new rom-com where he'll play a guy who cross-dresses in order to befriend his ex and win her back.

The man-in-lipstick thing has been way overdone, so the thought of yet another film kind of makes my eyes roll. On the other hand, comedy is Reynolds's bread and butter, so I'm hoping that this one is more Tootsie, less Sorority Boys.

You've said that you prefer Reynolds in big-studio movies as opposed to indies, (and I'd personally like to see him take on Jack Ryan), but what do you think of this new project? It's probably not Oscar bait, but sounds like it could be worth a few laughs.

FlashForward Breakdown, "137 Sekunden"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:46 -0700

This week's episode of FlashForward isn't exactly action-packed, but we do finally meet a few significant others - including Demetri's fiancee, Zoe - and get a bit more character insight and some clues about the blackout. Not to mention the introduction of one creepy former Nazi.

It wasn't my favorite of the first three episodes, but this show is still keeping me on the edge of my seat. Would ABC just pick up the full season already? To break it all down, just read more.

Did Mark and Janis get played?
The focal point of this week's episode is wrapped up in Guyer, a former Nazi who's imprisoned in Germany but sees his flashforward as a bargaining chip for freedom. When Mark hears that he makes an appearance in Guyer's vision, he and Janis soon square off about whether or not his "information" is worth setting a Nazi free. In the end, Guyer's biggest revelation is that the crows seem to have blacked out and died at the same time as the human race did. Janis and Mark are disappointed at first, until Mark realizes that this isn't the first time crows have "blacked out." Last week there was talk of pigeons, now crows. Could the mysterious blackouts be all wrapped up in birds?
Did Zoe really see Demetri in her flashforward?
Yay! This week we finally get to meet Demetri's fiancee, Zoe (Gabrielle Union). Am I the only one who is loving the couples on this show? Mark and Olivia are often very sweet together, but I'm also digging Demetri and Zoe's younger love. When Zoe describes her wedding day flashforward to Demetri, she seems totally confident that he is there - but does she actually see him, or just assume as much? While some of the other visions seem hard to believe given the six-month interim period (Olivia sleeps with a new man, boyfriend-less Janis is already pregnant) - this one takes the cake for me. If Demetri is really murdered, could his fiancee recover and find a new man to wed that quickly? I'm banking on the glimmer of hope that this means Demetri can overturn his fate.
Is Tracy alive or not?
Determined to get to the bottom of the veracity of his flashforward, Aaron pays a visit to his ex-wife, hoping to get her permission to exhume their daughter's body for DNA. We see that Aaron's not the only one who's been deeply impacted by his daughter's death, though Katie still refuses to sign the affidavit. Eventually, Aaron gets around it and has Demetri dig up the body - though the DNA is a match, meaning that Tracy really is dead. So, is Aaron lying or is it possible that his vision may not come true after all? I'm wondering if this could be a sign that some of the flashforwards come true and others don't? Though, I have a feeling that we'll still see Aaron heading to Afghanistan sometime soon.

Other points:

Nicole the babysitter is still MIA (perhaps spending some time in that other life of hers). I'm dying to know what she saw, so hopefully she comes back soon.

Um, isn't Dominic Monaghan supposed to be on the show? Let's add him to the list of people we want to see next week.

If all the crows die in the flashforward, what about the other animals? Is there going to be a tie-in to that kangaroo we saw hopping around?

Is Demetri going to report Jerome Murphy and his bong-hitting ways? I totally would!

So are you still lovin' FlashForward, or are you losing interest? Which of the visions are you most curious about?

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:30:44 -0700

Awww, I'm swooning so hard for Jim and Pam's wedding magazine cover - PopWatch
'70s horror film The Fly is going to be reborn as a TV show - Cinematical
MTV is going to air DJ AM's reality show - Vulture
TV's top 10 depressive doctors - TV.com
The CW has ordered more episodes for The Vampire Diaries and Melrose Place, but not The Beautiful Life - Zap2It
The 14 sexiest movie androids - Moviefone
Anna Heche addresses her comments about her ex on Letterman and her role on Hung - Movieline
Have a look at Ryan Adams's paintings - Pop Candy
Believe it! From the makers of Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus comes the trailer for Megafault! - MTV Movies Blog
Flight of the Conchords might be coming to Rock Band! - GeekSugar