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A Good Year For Elizabeth Banks

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:00:39 -0800

Among all the great entertainment in 2008, a few people clearly stood out, including the beautiful and funny Elizabeth Banks. Why was this year good for Elizabeth Banks? Because she was everywhere.

The woman was in six - count 'em, six! - movies that were released this year. Some were ridiculous and silly (Meet Dave with Eddie Murphy, Meet Bill with Aaron Eckhart, Role Models with Paul Rudd) while one was ridiculous and raunchy (Zack and Miri Make a Porno alongside Seth Rogen). She got to be in the sweet movie Definitely, Maybe with Ryan Reynolds, and she did a serious Laura Bush impersonation, with Josh Brolin as her George, in Oliver Stone's W. And in just a few weeks we'll see her play a freaky stepmother in the scary movie The Uninvited.

She's got range and beauty and crazy comedic skills, and I wish every year could bring us this much Elizabeth Banks.

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Sugar Bits - Josh Brolin Arrested During a Bar Fight

PopSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:32:04 -0700

Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright were arrested during a bar fight Saturday morning in Shreveport, LA, and charged with the misdemeanor of interfering with police. The actors are in town filming the Oliver Stone movie, W, in which Josh plays President George W. Bush. - Shreveport Times
Former White House press secretary Tony Snow, 53, died of colon cancer in Washington, DC, Saturday morning. - CitizenSugar
Hellboy II: The Golden Army won the top spot at the box office this weekend earning an estimated $35.9 million and beating the first Hellboy's opening weekend profits. Eddie Murphy's Meet Dave, which cost $60 million to make, only earned $5.3 million. - BuzzSugar
Amy Winehouse was seen smoking this weekend, and her father, who collapsed last week due to stress, continues to express his concern over her well being. - PopSugarUK
Bernie Mac made inappropriate and offensive jokes at a fundraiser for Barack Obama in Chicago Friday night, upsetting many people who were waiting for Barack to come on stage. - AP
Quentin Tarantino is supposedly flying to France today to meet with father of newborn twins Brad Pitt about starring in a World War II movie called Inglorious Bastards. - Page Six

Box Office: Hellboy and Friends Kick Box Office Butt

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:15:15 -0700

Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy II: The Golden Army won the weekend box office with an estimated $35.9 million, not only handily beating the current competition, but also surpassing the first Hellboy's opening weekend earnings ($23.2 million). Yippee! I'm happy for that ragtag group of superheroes.

On the other end of the spectrum was Meet Dave, which Variety described as "one of the worst opening grosses ever for an Eddie Murphy pic." The details are even more painful. Consider this: It cost $60 million to make Meet Dave and it only earned an estimated $5.3 million over the weekend. That's not a pretty picture.

Hancock remained a draw (fun aside: at the movie theater over the weekend, a group of young boys sped past me while one yelled, "Hurry up! I don't want to miss a single second of Hancock!"), coming in second place, followed by the 3-D action flick Journey to the Center of the Earth. Pixar's Wall-E came in at No. 4 followed by Wanted to round out the top five.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Meet Dave: I Thought It Would Be Worse

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:33:33 -0700

So, full disclosure: I dragged myself to this movie with the lowest of expectations. Things like Norbit and The Adventures of Pluto Nash danced through my mind and I prayed to the comedy gods to spare me a numbingly unfunny experience. I mean, I've just barely recovered from The Love Guru.

And guess what: They sort of heard my prayers. I'm happy to report that Eddie Murphy's new comedy (that even he couldn't bring himself to watch) isn't all that bad. I wouldn't say it's good, either, but my soul is intact and I'm not as worried about the fate of all that is funny, so those are good signs. What's more, I came away with a renewed sense of Eddie Murphy's talent, and I think it's possible he might be back on that screen making me hurt with laughter one of these days.

To see what I think gets in the way of Murphy's hilarity in Meet Dave, making this another one of his forgettable comedies, read more.

When I first saw the trailer, I thought the premise was weird and even kinda gross. Little people running around inside Eddie Murphy? Falling out of his ears? No thanks. Plus I figured it was bound to get real scatological, real fast. Well, turns out it's actually a fairly inspired idea for a movie, and as I watched I saw glimpses of what could have been. Little tiny aliens coming to earth in a space vessel in the form of Eddie Murphy (who also plays the captain in charge of a Star Trek-like crew inside) starts out as a ridiculously silly twist on the extraterrestrial comedy, and I'll be honest, I couldn't help but smile.

My smile only widened during scenes in which Eddie Murphy takes those funny muscles and gives them a good workout. In the beginning when the aliens are learning how to get their human to stroll down the street, his brilliant herky-jerky walk is like a lesson in physical comedy. There is also a running gag in which the aliens decide that it's best to make their vessel just copy human behavior when they're not quite sure of the proper response. So when a good-natured character shakes hands with "Dave," Murphy does a pretty hilarious imitation right back at him that's akin to the "white man's over bite" in how dorkishly affable it is.

However, there is a "but," and it's a big one. Despite a handful of shimmering moments of good old-fashioned comedy, the movie crumbles under mostly idiotic jokes (he poops money, for example) and a plot so cliched you could bet $100 pooped dollars every 10 minutes on what will happen next and walk out rich.

Bottom line: Meet Dave will remind you that Eddie Murphy made hilarious movies once upon a time, but will make you wonder why he makes movies that are beneath him - and you.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

How Well Do You Know Eddie Murphy's Career?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:30:33 -0700

Few have enjoyed the kind of long-term box office success that Eddie Murphy has, and despite recent movies he's made (oh man, Meet Dave looks. . . interesting) there is no denying the permanent impact his work has had on TV, movies, and yes, even music.

So in honor of his newest comedy opening this weekend (and the news that he's not, actually, retiring from the biz), I thought I'd grill you on your Eddie Murphy knowledge. Good luck!

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Eddie Murphy's Meet Dave: Funny or Lame?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:30:14 -0700

Parts of the trailer for the Eddie Murphy comedy Meet Dave are pretty funny, while others fall into the "things that make me go 'Hmm. . .'" category. People jumping out of his ears! Aack!

Meet Dave opens July 11, so check out the preview and tell me what you think. Funny? Lame? Or just weird?

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Sienna Miller Muses Romance and Fame With GQ

PopSugarUK — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Sienna Miller strikes a pose on the cover of GQ magazine this month, looking a little sixties with her big hair. She discusses her love life, past and present, with the mag as well as how she deals with fame. You can take a glimpse behind the scenes at Sienna's beautiful cover shoot, but to hear a little of what Sienna has to say, just read on:

On womens' opinions of her: “I’m not going to bitch about women. I love women for all the right reasons. [But] I do think sometimes people get morally superior without understanding situations... And the situation I got into [with Balthazar Getty] was not ideal but it happened and if I could go back and be more responsible, I would....Well, I probably would be less naive about ignoring the fact that people care. I’ve always kind of done exactly what my instincts said. I have a good brain on me but I’ve never really used it when it came to making decisions about love, which has been a blessing and a curse. Some of my choices made me really unhappy.”
On the reality of her relationships: “I’m supposed to be this complete slapper, that’s my reputation. But actually I was in a relationship from 19 to 21 with [the fashion designer] Dave [Neville], 21 to 24, with Jude, then 25 to 26 with Rhys, and then Balthazar. And then a few dalliances, three months here and there, but I’ve never been like a shagger. I’ve actually been kind of single for the past year. I’ve had somebody on the end of the phone maybe, but I haven’t been living with anyone or been in a proper relationship, and it’s been really great. And now I’m completely on my own. I think I’ve grown up a lot.”

To read about her views on dating famous people, and her sudden rise to fame, just read more.

On dating famous people: “I hate it when I read interviews with people and they say they’d never date an actor. It’s like, ‘F*ck off!’ Actors tend to be quite inspiring people. People who do this job, we’re probably like-minded. They probably love getting pissed and reading poetry out loud, too. Dramatic talkers, I’m drawn to them. And if I meet an actor I’m not going to deny the feelings I have for him because it’s going to be perceived in the wrong way. I mean, f*ck off! How can anyone’s head affect their heart? That’s not in my make-up.”
On her sudden fame: “It was literally one day to the next. One day I was completely anonymous, the next day people were outside my flat. It was quite intense but initially it didn’t feel aggressive or scary. And I was so in love. It was the first time I’d really been crazy in love like that, just intoxicated by it, so really every experience I was having at that time was wonderful. It was a complete whirlwind, the most exciting time of my life. [Fame seemed] really appealing and really glamorous. And of course, when you’re going to your first premiere and there are photographers and a red carpet and your mum’s there, it’s really exciting. Anyone who says it isn’t is lying... [then] I think people get sick of you I understand why. It’s complete saturation.”

September's GQ magazine is out in the UK now.

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Megan Fox Is Allowed to Be Irresponsible and Immature

PopSugar — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Megan Fox continued to do her part in promoting Transformers 2, stopping by The Late Show on Thursday and Fuse studios yesterday in NYC. Her now-famous fan Harvey, aka rose boy, has been found and will be meeting her soon, though by the looks of things outside of Ed Sullivan Theater, she has enough groupies to keep her busy. In her interview, Megan talked to Dave about dropping out of high school, her Marilyn Monroe tattoo, and how she's not getting married since she's still young, "irresponsible and immature." Check out the video below.

To see more photos and the video of Megan's interview with Dave, just read more.

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Interview with Imagination Movers: Disney's Amazing Dad Band

LilSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:00:27 -0800

Disney's hottest dad act, the Imagination Movers encourage friendship, creativity, and thinking while they get kids up off the couch. You may assume this is just another example of the Mouse's Midas touch, but it's more. The four friends (three of which are fathers to a combined nine children) have a back story beginning in New Orleans that will have parents pushing their tots in front of the television as the band's message is genuine. Rich Collins (Mover Rich) explained, "We weren't four guys that went and auditioned and got put on a show. There's history that makes us what we are." I had the opportunity to sit down with the foursome (Collins, Scott Durbin, Dave Poche, and Scott "Smitty" Smith) recently in San Francisco. To see how Hurricane Katrina altered their lives and led them to become male role models on the Disney channel, read more.

lilsugar: How did you guys go from being an architect, a firefighter, a teacher and a journalist to having a kid's band?
Dave: We wanted to make quality music for kids because we had children who were steeped in the whole world of entertainment and a lot of what we saw was cartoons and puppets. We brought it back to what we had grown up with - Mr. Rogers and Captain Kangaroo. Mr. Rogers had just passed away and we thought there was a void and decided to take a shot at doing something about it. So we got together - four goofy dads who had an idea and here we are years later and it's turned into something that is of value.
Scott: Actually, the initial idea was local in New Orleans and then low and behold what we created resonated with people and we were tenacious about its development and were fortunate that Disney came and saw us at Jazz Fest. We played our set and started talking about doing a show together and had this concept and that's how it was born.

lilsugar: Did you guys quit your day jobs as touring and doing a show must take up the majority of your time?
Dave: When we started it was a hobby. We'd put the kids to bed and meet. At first, it was in my built out attic room and we'd be there from like nine at night until 12 or one in the morning a few days a week and brainstorm and work. Then, the music took on a life of its own. We made three independent CDs and a DVD and started playing shows. The business needed attention so Rich was the first one to quit and make the full time leap. Then, three years ago Katrina came. Once that happened we lost three of our four homes and Smitty was a firefighter.
Smitty: I still am a New Orleans firefighter, I'm just on leave of absence.

lilsugar: When you lost your homes, did you go stay with family and then reconnect later?
Rich: So the flood came and the three of us lived in one neighborhood (Smitty lived in a drier part of town) so our houses got completely flooded and were under eight feet of water for weeks and our office, Mover stuff and instruments - it was all gone. So we were all in our cars with the kids and the cat and the computer and a few pieces of clothing and a couple of pictures you saved and we were literally refugees, but it's funny. It's not funny really, but there was a day or two after when we were all holed up in different cities and hotels and things and we started communicating via text because we had a show booked that next Saturday in Dallas. And, so I was like - can you get there? Can we do this show?
Dave: I was sitting on the steps of a hotel in Houston, my kids were in bed and I'm exhausted outside with my wife and we're texting because that's the only way you can communicate. I looked at my phone and it was Tuesday or Wednesday and he's like so are we still playing Dallas Saturday? Saturday, I was in Dallas. We realized what else are we gonna do? We will have a hotel room there. I don't know if I have a job, I don't know where anybody is, and there's a small fee out there and I've got an obligation. Not knowing where anything was or where money was gonna come from, we went. People loaned us instruments.
Rich: Scott bought some replacement suits - I was wearing my old glasses. We were like refugee performers - so a bad thing happened and that's kind of a symbol for what happened in the bigger picture. We were totally thrown off of our routines, but quickly realized that there was this huge community of Movers fans in New Orleans and around the south who reached out to us to ask if we were okay. And to let us know, "your music was in the car and kept our kids feeling safe and please keep doing what you're doing". It was this outpouring of support. Doing the Movers gave us this safe harbor and in a bigger sense, it is what allowed us to pull ourselves up out of the storm. This is maybe getting a little too grand, but we managed to get the deal with Disney and bring the production of the show to the city. It was the lifeline for us and for our families to get the show going, but we're now employing more than one hundred people for seven months at a time when we do the show. It's a huge boost for the local film community.

lilsugar: No matter what happens, you're staying in New Orleans?
Smitty: New Orleans is a small town, we grew this thing from nothing. People would tell us that this was their sense of normalcy and for us this became the thing we rallied around to lift ourselves up.
Scott: The one guy who didn't lose his home, Smitty, penned the lyrics to the song, We Got Each Other which was probably the first recorded song in New Orleans after Katrina and was on our Eight Feet album.
Dave: You might lose your tangible things, but you've still got your family and friends and support.
Smitty: I didn't lose my house and none of my family died or anything, but as a fireman, for two weeks straight we banded together and relied on one another for our lives. That was part of that song too. It was pretty tough, but I think out of all that, here comes this good thing.
Scott: Our lives turn on a dime. We were professionals working jobs and then we were standing in line for welfare or to get food stamps. It was just a real experience.

Courtesy of Disney

Dakota Fanning Talks Twilight and Britney Spears

PopSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:00:00 -0800

Dakota Fanning looked stylish and mature in heels and a jumpsuit on her way to The Late Show last night. Her chat with Dave won't air until Friday, but Dakota recently addressed the Twilight rumors and taking on grown-up roles in an interview with Parade. Here's more:

On the Twilight rumors: "It's definitely being discussed but it's not set in stone. It would be really cool to be a part of Twilight if it works out. I'm a big fan. I saw the first movie but I haven't read all of the books yet, I'm working on it. I would be a vampire, which could really prove that I can be sweet, little Dakota Fanning and then I can be something different on the screen."
On growing up: "I can no longer do Lucy in I Am Sam. You have to grow up and I am doing it through films. Most people haven't seen me maybe as grown up as they will in Push. But eventually I'm probably going to play the person that you hate. I think that's the fun part about acting."
On being starstruck: "I remember when I was very little my idol was Britney Spears. I had just come to California and that's just who I wanted to meet. So I was in a store and she walked in and my jaw just fell to the floor. I started like sweating. I could not believe that I was meeting her. She told me that I was very cute. And I lost it - I was so excited."

Dakota has always seemed mature for her age, and it sounds like she's excited to continue branching out and honing her talents as she works right on through her teen years.

To see more photos of Dakota showing off her outfit, just read more.

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Source and Splash News Online