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The Votes Are in: Best Comedy, Drama and "Little Movie" of 2007

BuzzSugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 11:31:00 -0800

This month I've been polling you guys on everything from who you think the best breakout TV star is to which on-screen movie romance you think was the best of 2007. Now lets see which actors, movies, albums, and TV shows earned the top honors. Drumroll please . . .

Best Comedy of 2007: Superbad
This is an Apatow-loving crowd, apparently: Superbad won Best Comedy, though Knocked Up was fairly close behind it. The other comedies barely stood a chance in this competition. Popular write-ins include Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? and Death at a Funeral.

I myself voted for Knocked Up, though it took a while to choose between that one, Superbad, and Hairspray (it's just so feel good!).

Best Drama/Thriller of 2007: Zodiac
The votes for this poll were much closer, with Zodiac winning by about 30 votes over Disturbia. Right behind that thriller was No Country For Old Men, though Gone Baby Gone very nearly tied with the Coen Bros. film, and one notable write-in was for Before the Devil Knows Your Dead.

This was perhaps the most difficult poll of all because there were some really solid dramas this year. I ultimately went with A Mighty Heart, but it was agonizing to choose between that, Gone Baby Gone, and American Gangster.

To find out which movie was chosen "best little movie that could," read more.

Best Little Movie That Could: Waitress
Waitress took the top honors by a long shot as your favorite "little movie," though Darjeeling Limited and Lars and the Real Girl were nearly tied for second place. Popular write-ins included Once and Juno.

I had to go with Waitress as well, for it occupies a tender place in my heart, but I thought almost all of the little movies on the list were well done.

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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:32:34 -0700

"Weeds": Season 2
The super-intense cliffhanger of the "Weeds" second season finale still has me reeling. If you thought the first season of this Showtime comedy was impressive, you ain't seen nothing yet. I'm so glad the show continues to get recognition in the form of Emmy nominations because I think both the writing and the acting on this show are stupendous. I know I'm gushing, but the series is seriously amazing, and this second season is particularly mind-boggling.

Mary Louise Parker is still Nancy Botwin, everyone's favorite pot dealer in the wealthy California suburb of Agrestic - only this season she strikes out with her business partner Conrad who defiantly carves his own path away from his domineering (and drug queen) aunt. Zooey Deschanel makes a guest appearance as the hilariously weird Kat, Andy gets down with his Jewish roots and Shane learns some, ah, important lessons from his uncle. Need I say more? Definitely watch these DVDs before the third season starts up again on August 13. You will not regret it!

Two more new DVDs, so read more

The Host
Unfortunately, I never got the chance to see this in the theaters, but based on all the critical praise, I wish I had. In particular, I am awed by this quote from the Time review: "If this madly entertaining movie has a fault, it's that it's too ingenious for the genre it ostensibly inhabits." Wow. The Host is a bona fide monster movie with all the shivery horror-flick trimmings, though it has elements of a traditional dramedy as well (that same Time article called it "sort of a Little Miss Korean Sunshine"). The story follows the Park family who own and operate a snack shop near the Seoul's Han River. When a slithery, mischievous sea mutant makes off with one of the Park girls, Hyun-seo, the family is devastated, but they soon discover she's still alive and resolve to save her.

Zodiac
Zodiac is one of those movies that impressed me when I saw it and then grew more impressive the longer I thought about it. As 2007 continues, it remains one of my favorite films of the year so far. The movie is a psychological thriller about a real-life San Francisco serial killer from the 60s and 70s who called himself the Zodiac. In the still-unsolved case, the Zodiac taunted police and journalists by sending letters and cryptograms to the offices of the San Francisco Chronicle. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr., the film follows the investigators and reporters who became obsessed with this killer-turned-media phenomena. For more on Zodiac check out my review.

Which Movie Are You Interested In Seeing This Weekend?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 06:34:37 -0700

There are some great movies out in theaters right now, like Zodiac and 300, and some others that have recently proven very popular (Norbit, Wild Hogs, Ghost Rider). Out of these options, which film would you most like to see this weekend?

Wild Hogs = Weird Weekend at the Box Office

BuzzSugar — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 10:49:22 -0800

I know that it's a big-budget movie with lots of big-name actors that's spending a lot of money on TV ads, but really: Wild Hogs?!? Yes, the perplexing buddy-meets-biker movie with a "did I read that right?" cast - John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, Tim Allen, and William H. Macy - was No. 1 at the box office this weekend, bringing in $38 million in its first three days.

Zodiac, which I liked quite a lot, came in at No. 2. Since I basically ignored the very existence of Wild Hogs, I'm a bit startled that so many moviegoers - given a choice between this movie, 2007 Oscar winners, and even Black Snake Moan - a failed experiment but at least it's thought-provoking - thought, "Hey, that Wild Hogs movie looks pretty good."

Did any of you see it? Let us discuss; read more

Popwatch blogger Michael Slezak watched Wild Hogs so we don't have to, and it sounds truly woeful. In one scene, Tim Allen apparently chugs gravy and eats a stick of butter. Ew. Also, poor, poor Marisa Tomei. Let's watch the trailer again, then ponder: What, exactly, about this movie appeals to people?

Photo courtesy Buena Vista Publicity

Zodiac: Spooky and Solid

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 00:01:56 -0800

Going into Zodiac, I was preemptively annoyed that it was such a long film, running 2 hours and 40 minutes. Director David Fincher even made the bold claim that he "couldn't find a way" to make it shorter, which made me roll my eyes. But when I went blinking back into the real world, I felt I actually could have watched even more. For one thing, it was a great movie and I really enjoyed it. For another, though, the case piqued my interest, and I still have questions.

The film primarily follows Robert Graysmith, a cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle in the 1960s and 1970s as he becomes gradually obsessed with the case of the Bay Area serial killer, The Zodiac. The killer sent letters and cryptograms to the Chronicle in which he claimed to have committed several murders and threatened many more if the newspaper did not run his letters. Thus, he became a media sensation. The Zodiac's elusiveness became infuriating and embarrassing for multiple police departments, and eventually, the letters stopped arriving. Long after the case faded from public interest, however, a few journalists and investigators were still obsessed with the Zodiac - Graysmith in particular - so

Gyllenhaal's Graysmith is the only real bleak spot in the cast of extremely capable actors. He comes across as a wide-eyed goody-goody with no identifiable reason why he gives up his life to pursue a case that is all but forgotten. Ruffalo far outshines him as investigator Dave Toschi, creating a character you immediately trust and want to succeed and playing nicely off his partner William Armstrong ("ER"'s Anthony Edwards). Robert Downey Jr. does his normal thing as the seasoned crime journalist Paul Avery, delivering his cynical lines in the usual deadpan, slightly effeminate manner.

One of the most fascinating things about the story is how the Zodiac used the media in a period of technological history that is drastically different from today's. It was a time when a call trace could take 15 minutes, few police departments even had a fax machine, and people didn't have cell phones, not to mention cameras in their cell phones. The way this one person could create such a public frenzy and elude the grasp of so many is baffling to modern audiences and was certainly of interest to the filmmakers.

With comparatively little gore, it’s a far cry from Fincher’s Seven or Fight Club, coming off more like a documentary in its meticulous attention to every piece of evidence. By two-thirds of the way into it, we are as worn down by the investigation as the characters are, and while that is true, the movies’ timeline sweeps along too swiftly to elicit much frustration. The way Fincher builds suspense is admirable, and the way he sustains this suspense and unravels each discovery even more so. The subject matter could have lent itself to more bloodshed and unrestrained, Hollywood-y deviation from the facts, but Fincher didn't fall into those traps. The storytelling is steady and controlled, creating - despite no actual resolution to the case - a fully satisfying movie.

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Link Time! 3/1

BuzzSugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 14:55:11 -0800

Idolator says Pearl Jam is headlining Lollapalooza - for Vedder or for worse.
PopWatch witnesses the big John McCain announcement on Letterman firsthand.
BuddyTV chats with Connie Britton, who better get an Emmy for "Friday Night Lights."
Meanwhile, TV with MeeVee interviews "Smallville" creator Al Gough.
Pop Candy fills us in on Julia Stiles' directing debut.
Stereogum reveals more about the Arcade Fire song switcheroo on "The Black Donnellys."
Best Week Ever also picked up on the Little Miss Sunshine theme in last night's "Lost."
TV Squad has the scoop on a "Supernatural" promo contest.
The Weinstein Company plans to remake Oscar-winner The Lives of Others, Cinematical reports between waves of nausea.
The TV Addict has a fun video interview with Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke from "Scrubs."
Film Experience is puzzled that Zodiac director David Fincher cast Jake Gyllenhaal,

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Movie Preview: Zodiac

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 05:25:34 -0800

Coming out this Friday, March 2, Zodiac is a psychological thriller about a real-life San Francisco serial killer who called himself the Zodiac. In the still-unsolved case, the Zodiac killer taunted police and journalists in the '60s and '70s by sending letters and cryptograms to the offices of the San Francisco Chronicle. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr., the film follows the investigators and reporters who became obsessed with this killer-turned-media phenomena.

The film is already being lauded for its detailed adherence to the true story, with the filmmakers largely avoiding dramatization. The result looks like a movie with some tedious parts but with even more that are eerily realistic. Zodiac is directed by David Fincher, who already has hair-raising successes Seven and Fight Club under his belt.

Will you see Zodiac? To watch the creepy trailer, read more

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures