BuzzSugar

Box Office: Forbidden Kingdom Kicks the Competition

BuzzSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:30:28 -0700

Forbidden Kingdom gave kung fu fans the match up of their dreams, pairing up martial arts screen giants Jackie Chan and Jet Li for the first time. Together the two stars proved to be a formidable force at the box office, earning the top spot over the weekend with an estimated $20.9 million. Forgetting Sarah Marshall came in second place, earning $17 million.

Variety reports that while this opening represents a vast improvement over recent Apatow films like Drillbit Taylor and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, it still wasn't a return to the box office glory of his mega-hits like Superbad, Knocked-Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

Prom Night continued to do well, coming in at No. 3 followed by the weekend opener starring Al Pacino, 88 Minutes which only took in $6.8 million. Nim's Island rounded out the top five followed by 21, Street Kings, and Horton Hears a Who. In the ninth spot was the Ben Stein documentary about intelligent design, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Buzz In: How Has John Hughes Influenced You?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:30:01 -0700

John Hughes' work is so far-reaching, he is still making news today despite having quit directing in 1991. The L.A. Times recently ran a story in which some of the most popular directors and actors today point to movies like Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, and The Breakfast Club as movies that made an impact on them as artists.

A ton of Hughes nostalgia has been popping up online lately, like this interview with Jon Cryer EW dug up in which he stated:

John had a real need to believe in teenage icons and create teenage iconography - that's what he was doing with Breakfast Club. I think he was really tortured in his high school, and [movies] were a way of him psychologically coming to terms with his youth and sort of reordering it in his mind as a storyteller. I think kids will always latch on to people saying, "Your experience is important. What you're going through right now is not trivial. We care about it, and we're right there with ya."

My sentiments exactly. What about you? Has John Hughes' work influenced you? What mark, if any, do you think he's left on Hollywood's portrayal of teenagers? To see what folks like Judd Apatow, Kevin Smith and Courtney Love have said about the now-reclusive filmmaker, read more.

Box Office: Horton Hears a Lot of Ka-Ching

BuzzSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:30:41 -0700

After shattering 2008 box office records last week, Horton Hears a Who once again took the top spot over this Easter holiday weekend. Variety reports that Good Friday was the strongest day for Dr. Seuss' Horton which took in $25.1 million over the weekend in addition to the movie's opening weekend earnings of $45 million.

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns also performed well, coming in second place with a respectable $20 million.

Plagued by poor reviews and a lack of promotion for the film, the Judd Apatow-produced Drillbit Taylor earned a disappointing $10.2 million, putting the movie at No. 4 behind the thriller Shutter. Compared to how Apatow's comedies like Knocked Up performed last year, this kind of opening indicates that Apatow's attachment to a project doesn't guarantee box office gold. The top five was rounded out by 10,000 B.C. which dropped several spots from the No. 2 spot it held last week.

This weekend will bring several openings that will likely shake up the box office including Kevin Spacey's 21 and the war drama Stop-Loss.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Drillbit Taylor: Slightly Amusing, Mostly Lame

BuzzSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:30:49 -0700

Will the high school nerds-seeking-revenge story ever get to be annoying and old? Actually, yes, and soon, thanks to Drillbit Taylor. The universal themes of high school hierarchies and the oppressed having their day of triumph, along with the Judd Apatow stamp of approval, somehow can't save this thin, watery story. Inconsistent and jerkily edited, It's one of the sloppiest movies I've seen in a long time. It's not the worst thing ever - the verbal humor works in fits and starts - but mostly it's just messy and poorly thrown together. Toward the end it starts to drag considerably, and then gives up and becomes an endless series of scenes in which dudes punch other dudes.

Owen Wilson plays Drillbit Taylor, a homeless man who is hired by three high school kids to be their bodyguard against the fearsome school bully Filkins (Alex Frost) and his sidekick, Ronnie (Josh Peck). Drillbit, feigning extensive knowledge in combat and human psychology, "trains" the boys to defend themselves against the bullies. But when Drillbit's advice backfires, he's takes matters into his own hands and pretends to be a substitute teacher at their school in order to "protect" the boys from a closer proximity. The movie doesn't end there, though, so read more.

At school he meets a fellow teacher, Lisa (a totally underused Leslie Mann), and they start up a relationship under the pretense that he's a doctor . . . and a substitute teacher. Ultimately, however, it comes out that Drillbit's been taking everyone for a ride, and the boys, predictably, need to figure out what bravery means for themselves.

My favorite parts of the movie are Owen Wilson's scenes, which actually surprises me a little. I've always wondered if Wilson himself had any true talent, or if he was just one of those lucky actors to happen upon great material. In this case, he's the most enjoyable thing about Drillbit Taylor. In fact, it's disappointing how flat and empty the boys are (with the exception of the villainous Alex Frost who sometimes borders - deliciously - on psychopathic), when they could have been the heart of the story.

Skinny, awkward Wade is tolerable, and the littlest guy Emmit (David Dorfman) serves mainly to make high-pitched squeaks and scurry frantically around like Gollum. But Ryan (Troy Gentile), supposedly one of our protagonists, is such a truly unlikeable person I actually found myself longing for the tiresome hysteria of Seth (Jonah Hill) in Superbad, a recent high school comedy that worked successfully. And one of the most satisfying things about Superbad is that in the end, it's all about the relationship between Evan and Seth. The movie is funny and crude, but there is a genuine sweetness to that friendship. This is absent altogether in Drillbit Taylor, along with many other things.

Bottom line: If you're a 12 year old boy, this might be the funniest thing ever. But then again, I may be underestimating 12 year old boys everywhere.

To see the trailer and more clips from Drillbit Taylor check out movies.ivillage.com.

Photos courtesy of Paramount

Sugar Bits – Live! Nude! Winehouse!

PopSugarUK — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 04:00:00 -0700

Amy Winehouse is showing off rather a lot in Easy Living magazine. I didn't think it was that kind of mag! – Radar
Simon Cowell paid off a woman's mortgage on Oprah. Ahhh, he does have a heart... – Press Association
The Hills star Audrina Patridge has released a statement about the topless photos of her currently littering the net. – People
Michael Cera is in talks to play the lead in Edgar Wright's movie version of well-loved comic Scott Pilgrim's Little Life – BuzzSugar
Gnarls Barkley are rush releasing their new album. But why? "With the shifting seasons, furtive romantic entanglements and fierce college basketball rivalries, the latter half of March can be confusing. People need to be soothed and inspired now." Rightyho. – BBC
The first pictures of Benicio Del Toro as The Wolfman have been released. – Empire
Coldplay's new album will be called Viva La Vida. – NME
ICYMI shopping fans, our first Banana Republic opens in London today. – FabSugar UK
Egg-shaped chocolate Beckhams, anyone? – Page Six
Apparently, Drillbit Taylor is "flimsy and unconvincing." Oh dear. – Hollywood Reporter
Kerry Katona is in The Priory. – Daily Mail
Enid Blyton's Famous Five have had a 21st Century revamp. – Guardian
The first pics of Jennifer Lopez's twins Max and Emme are due today. – People

Got a Bully? Get a Bodyguard!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:30:29 -0700

According to a recent Canadian study, workplace bullying is on the rise, and can be more subtle and more destructive than sexual harassment because there is rarely any clear cut policy on the issue and little legal recourse victims can take.

So, for victims of bullying everywhere, AOL and the people behind the upcoming Owen Wilson comedy Drillbit Taylor are offering a chance to win a day of respite with your very own bodyguard. Drillbit Taylor is the story of three kids who hire a bodyguard to defend against their school bully. By entering this sweepstakes, you are in the running to win a bodyguard for a day. Sure, the majority of people entering this contest are probably going to be kids, but there's no specific age limit! Of course, it's possible that having a bodyguard for one day will only provoke bullies and make things worse the next day when the bodyguard is gone, but hey. These are the risks we take.

Photo courtesy of Paramount

Movie Preview: Drillbit Taylor

BuzzSugar — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:30:04 -0800

Somehow, this movie, written by Seth Rogen (you know, the guy who co-wrote Superbad) and starring Owen Wilson, has been completely off my radar, despite the trailer coming out a few months ago. Now there are only a couple of months until Drillbit Taylor hits theaters and I'm surprised there's not more promotion for it - especially with Judd Apatow listed as a producer. What's weirder is that John Hughes (yes, The Breakfast Club John Hughes) has a writing credit for this movie.

The goofy comedy focuses on a man named "Drillbit Taylor" (Wilson) who's hired as a bodyguard by high school nerds, even though he's not really much of a tough guy himself. I predict Taylor helps the boys realize their own self-worth and confidence, etc. and they defeat the school bullies all on their own, with a bunch of raunchy humor and sight gags sprinkled throughout.

Drillbit Taylor opens March 21, so to check out the trailer, read more.

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What To Sky+: Thursday

PopSugarUK — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:45:56 -0700

BBC2 has The Graham Norton Show
BBC3 has Don't Tell The Bride
ITV2 has American Idol and Katie & Peter: Stateside
E4 has The Big Bang Theory and Reno 911
More4 has The Daily Show, ER and Brothers and Sisters
Five has The Mentalist
Living has Grey's Anatomy
Sky1 has Bones
BBC4 has Flight Of The Conchords: One Night Stand
Sky Premiere has Drillbit Taylor, Sky SciFi/Horror has Sunshine
Film4 has Internal Affairs

What To Sky+: Saturday

PopSugarUK — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:52:12 -0700

BBC1 has Robin Hood
ITV1 has Britain's Got Talent and Hell's Kitchen
ITV2 has Britain's Got More Talent
Ch4 has The Good Girl
Sky Indie has The DIving Bell and the Butterfly, Sky Premiere has Drillbit Taylor
Film4 has Mean Girls

Movie Preview: Role Models

BuzzSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:30:31 -0700

Does the world need another one of these man-child comedies? Old School, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Drillbit Taylor, Step Brothers . . . it just keeps happening. There's the guy (or usually more than one guy) who's schlubby and immature and thinks behaving like an adult is akin to destroying one's soul. He "hilariously" messes up over and over again until the sensible killjoy female character frowningly sets him on his way down the Right Path. It's kinda been done. A lot.

Role Models finds Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott playing energy drink reps who mess up so much that they're told by sensible killjoy (played by Elizabeth Banks) that they need to become basically Big Brothers to some kids (one of whom is played by Superbad's Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who is pretty funny in the preview). The movie opens Nov. 14. To see the trailer, read more.

Role Models - Theatrical Trailer | Movies & TV | SPIKE.com

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