BuzzSugar

Box Office: It Pays to Have a Game Plan

BuzzSugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 06:30:00 -0700

The Farrelly Brothers and Ben Stiller are left broken hearted today after their bawdy comedy The Heartbreak Kid failed to draw in the masses at the theaters. Taking home just $14 million its opening weekend, The Heartbreak Kid came in second place at the box office, behind the family friendly Game Plan starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The Game Plan is enjoying its second weekend of being No. 1 at the box office after its successful opening weekend.

The Kingdom continued to do well with action flick fans, coming in third place with $9.3 million. Resident Evil: Extinction came in fourth place with newcomer The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising following up in No. 5. The George Clooney legal thriller Michael Clayton didn't thrill a whole lot of moviegoers; the movie came in twenty-first place with $704,000 for the weekend.

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Box Office: The Game Plan Lands No. 1 Place

BuzzSugar — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 06:30:00 -0700

In a surprising turn of events - even for people behind the movie itself - The Game Plan, a PG-rated family-friendly flick starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, came in at No. 1 at the box office this weekend. The Disney movie far outpaced the action-war film The Kingdom, which took in $17.7 million and the No. 2 spot. Variety speculates whether The Kingdom's weak opening is an indication of audiences' reluctance "to see films addressing the consequences of the war on terror."

Favorites from last weekend held over: Resident Evil 3: Extinction came in third place with Good Luck Chuck following it at No. 4. 3:10 to Yuma continued to hold its own in its fourth weekend, coming in at No. 5. Feast of Love didn't even make it into the top ten and brought home a slim $1.7 million.

This weekend we'll see if Ben Stiller and Co. will be breaking any hearts at the box office with The Heartbreak Kid.

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The Kingdom: Comes Too Late

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:43:35 -0700

We’ve been talking a lot about the onset of the fall movie season. Gone are the hot days of summer and with them the never-ending sequels, gross-out Judd Apatow comedies and big-budget action films. And as the weather gets cooler, suddenly some of the movies get smarter.

The Kingdom tries to parade itself as a fall movie. It wants to be clever and politically relevant, but in the end it’s just a summer movie in sheep’s clothing. And though that’s not necessarily a bad thing, in this case, it’s not especially good either. The movie begins with a brief, written, tutorial of the Saudi Arabia oil empire and the resulting partnerships and conflicts with the United States of America. It’s an informative and authentic intro, but that’s where the authenticity ends. From there, the movie falls into a “blame the terrorist” cliché that has affected other big Hollywood movies like Flightplan. For more about The Kingdom, read more

The story centers on an investigation into the bombing of a Western housing complex in Saudi Arabia. Hoping to avoid an international incident, a team of FBI agents is sent abroad to get the bad guy, who is emulated after Osama Bin Laden. Jamie Foxx leads the team of agents comprised of Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman. Foxx delivers an adequate performance, but the supporting cast far outpaces him. Besides the fact that Jennifer Garner looks obnoxiously flawless in the desert (but really when doesn’t she?), it's great to see her back in action. Jason Bateman is also a pleasant surprise, offering much needed comic relief. It’ll be great to see these two together again this winter in Juno.

But the true knockout performance belongs to Chris Cooper. He is such a chameleon, always able to convincingly adapt to every role. Conversely, Jeremy Piven’s cameo as an American Diplomat in Saudi Arabia seems rather forced. It’s as if his “Entourage” character, Ari Gold, is roaming around in the desert. And while that may win him an Emmy, I’m placing my bet that it won’t win him an Oscar.

In the end, the movie’s not all bad. It’s no Syriana, but it’s an enjoyable popcorn flick nevertheless. The movie’s final 20 minutes is especially riveting and pulls you in even if you’re sitting begrudgingly at the back of your seat. If you’re looking for a movie that will allow you to hold on to the dog days of summer, this is it.

Do You Want to See The Kingdom?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:29:04 -0700

This Friday finds Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman and Chris Cooper starring in The Kingdom, a war movie set in modern-day Saudi Arabia. After a terrorist bombing of a Western housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, an elite team of FBI agents is formed to locate the mastermind behind the bombing. I'm going to see The Kingdom this week, though I wonder if a movie about terrorism in the Middle East will be able to draw in the crowds. Then again, lots of people love the action movies. Check out the trailer and tell me: Are you interested in seeing The Kingdom?

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Fall Movie Preview: Thrills and Action

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Well it's September, folks, and the summertime movie season is officially over. Now we have a whole new crop of films to check out in the coming chillier months, so in preparation for that, I'm giving you little glimpses of this fall and winter's must-see movies with my Fall Movie Preview series. Today I'm checking out some of the season's thrillers, chillers and action flicks.

Pathology
Opening November 30, Pathology stars Milo Ventimiglia as a med student who becomes embroiled in a dangerous game along with a group of other students: to see who can commit the perfect murder. No trailer yet, but you can be sure I'll post one once it comes out.

More thrilling and action-packed titles to check out, so read more

Rendition
The trailer for Rendition already gives me goosebumps: A woman (Reese Witherspoon) tries to find out what's happened to her missing husband, who is being tortured on suspicion of being a terrorist. The fantastic cast (Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streep, Alan Arkin, Peter Sarsgaard) only adds to my anticipation for this movie, which opens October 19.

Reservation Road
Joaquin Phoenix. Mark Ruffalo. Jennifer Connolly. A dark and twisty thriller that combines murder, suspicion and family drama... Need I say more? Based on the novel by John Burnham Schwartz, Reservation Road has all the fixin's for a thoroughly satisfying thriller. We'll find out if it is for sure when it opens October 19. Check out the trailer and see what you think.

Hitman
IMDB describes the plot for Hitman thusly: "A gun-for-hire known only as Agent 47 (Olyphant) is ensnared in a political conspiracy, which finds him pursued by both Interpol and the Russian military as he treks across Eastern Europe." Yikes. Watch the trailer - eerily set to "Ave Maria" - before Hitman hits theaters November 21.

The Orphanage
I have heard only phenomenally positive things about this Spanish-language thriller about creepy little ghost children. However, it looks so scary I'm not sure I can handle watching it! The story follows Laura (Belén Rueda) and her young son Simón who transform Laura's childhood home into an orphanage. Soon, however, Simón makes an invisible friend. Aaaah! Creepy McCreepfest. The film opens in Spain in late October, but not until December 28 for us Americans.

Eastern Promises
Naomi Watts and Viggo Mortensen star in this mystery-thriller which was directed by David Cronenberg (A History of Violence). Mortensen plays Nikolai, a member of a notorious London crime family. Watts is Anna, a midwife who accidentally uncovers potential evidence against the family. As the plot description puts it, "Now Nikolai must put into motion a harrowing chain of murder, deceit, and retribution." The trailer is so spooky, I can't wait to see this when Eastern Promises opens September 21.

The Kingdom
Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman and Chris Cooper star in this war drama/action flick which opens September 28. "When a terrorist bomb detonates inside a Western housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, an international incident is ignited. While diplomats slowly debate equations of territorialism, FBI Special Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) quickly assembles an elite team (Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman) and negotiates a secret five-day trip into Saudi Arabia to locate the madman behind the bombing." I'm sure everything goes as planned. Or maybe not.

Rendition photo courtesy of New Line Cinema
Reservation Road, Hitman and The Kingdom photos source
All other images source

Link Time! Robert De Niro Ready to Tackle the Pigskin

BuzzSugar — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:30:12 -0800

Robert De Niro to play famed Packers football coach Vince Lombardi - Collider
Lost's Michael Emerson reveals his, um, "situation" - TV Squad
The Tribeca Film Festival announces its feature lineup - Vulture
Put on your Poker Face: Lady Gaga is joining Rock Band - Spin
Looks like the Jersey Shore is moving their hot tub to South Beach - E! Online
5 shows Undercover Boss should infiltrate next season - TV.com
Evan Rachel Wood drops out of Broadway's Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark musical - Splash Page
Keri Russell is returning to TV, yay! Even better: she's playing Will Arnett's love interest - Ausiello Files
Two Wizard of Oz reboots? Ugh. - Cinematical
6 free apps you need before heading to SXSW - GeekSugar

Alice in Wonderland: A Fun Trip, but Lacking Muchness

BuzzSugar — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:30:00 -0800

Towards the opening of Alice in Wonderland, a young Alice lays in bed as her father leans in to tell her a secret. She's been having odd dreams about a rabbit in a waistcoat, and questions if she's losing her mind. He responds by telling her that crazy people are the best kind. I'd venture even further: in this film, crazy is king.

Alice in Wonderland feels like a story that's tailor-made for Tim Burton's directorial touch. Where else can you shrink ten sizes smaller with just a sip of a drink? In this new re-telling, a now 19-year old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is about to be engaged against her wishes. That is, until she spies her old furry friend the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen).

Chasing after him, she once again ventures into the world known as Underland (which she once fondly referred to as "Wonderland" in childhood). Seeing the new landscape, we immediately empathize with Alice's mix-up. This land is not the Disney-riffic place that many of us think of, but a bleaker setting where the Mad Hatter's tea party is in the middle of a wasteland and lopped-off heads float in a moat around the Red Queen's castle.

It should go without saying then, that this film is not for tiny tykes. Older children and adults, however, may find stuff to like - particularly the performances. For more on those, read more.

Helena Bonham Carter nearly steals the show here as the Red Queen; her huge, heart-shaped head sits atop a tiny body as she shouts "off with her head" like a bad tick. Alice infiltrates her castle in order to retrieve a sword that controls the kingdom, and put it into the benevolent hands of Red's sister the White Queen (Anne Hathaway). Thus, Alice becomes a Joan of Arc heroine, and this story is ultimately about her finding her own gumption, aka her "muchness" - with some help from the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), naturally. Depp delivers his usual silly shtick, breaking into a jig or a brogue at the drop of a, er, hat; but he also has tender scenes with Alice that depict the Mad Hatter as Alice's alternative father figure. It's these interactions that give the film heart in the midst of the chaos. It's also something I would have liked to see more of.

Where the film misses its own "muchness," however, is perhaps in the collaboration of Burton and Disney. The film is a little too dark for Disney, but a little too slicked out in CGI and 3D for Burton. I'd be curious to see where Burton would have taken the story if left to his own devices. Instead, the film we get builds up to a battle climax that takes a page from Lord of the Rings. It's still entertaining, but to me, the treasure to be found in Wonderland is its characters - and for a story that lends itself to such an array of delightful possibilities, we don't get to play with them nearly enough.

If you'd like to review a movie you've seen recently, check out the Movie Reviews Group in community. I may even feature your critique on the site!

Photos courtesy of Disney

What Villains Deserve Their Own Movies?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:30:00 -0800

Nothing's been set in stone yet, but rumors are flying that Tim Burton is in talks to make a live action movie about Maleficent, aka Sleeping Beauty's villainess. The movie would tell the story we all know and love, but from the evil fairy's point of view.

Turning a fairy tale on its head isn't a new idea by any means, but it's always fun to envision a more developed backstory for some of history's most vile (and seemingly one-dimensional) bad guys. Of course, I can only imagine what Tim Burton would dream up - and how he can fit Johnny Depp into the story line.

The musical Wicked gave a voice to The Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West, and many of the Batman movies explored the motives and inner workings of Gotham's most terrible criminals. I can't help but think of other famous villains that were never fully explained: for instance, why was Ursula banished from the sea kingdom in The Little Mermaid? Or what made Cruella de Vil so vile? I also wouldn't mind stepping out of the Disney realm and learning a little more about No Country For Old Men's Anton Chigurh or Bill the Butcher from Gangs of New York.

What villains would you like to see get a second chance at sympathy?