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What to Rent: New DVDs This Week

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 08:00:27 PDT

Mark Wahlberg plays real-life boxer Micky Ward in this moving film, which landed seven Oscar nominations. It charts the rise of Ward's boxing career, which had been held back by his influences in working-class Lowell, Mass., including his drug-addict brother Dicky (Christian Bale) and meddling manager mother (Melissa Leo). Inspiring, foul-mouthed, and entertaining, it was one of my favorite movies last year, owing to the incredible performances of the whole cast (in case you missed it, Bale and Leo took home Academy Awards for their roles). DVD extras include deleted scenes, a making-of documentary, and a commentary track from director David O. Russell.

90%

The Switch

Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman are paired in this romantic comedy as Kassie and Wally, two platonic best friends. When single Kassie decides she wants to get pregnant via artificial insemination, a drunken Wally switches the sperm sample with his own. Fast forward a few years later, and Wally meets Kassie's son, Sebastian, and is quite sure they're related. The interaction between Wally and Sebastian makes this movie a sweet, funny rom-com, even if the premise is a little disturbing and the ending more than a little predictable. The DVD includes deleted scenes and an alternate ending as extras.

52%

One more release to check out after the break.

Link Time - Spike Jonze's Trailer For Scenes From the Suburbs

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:30:25 PDT

Watch the trailer for Spike Jonze's film with Arcade Fire - Vulture
Is Catherine Hardwicke's Red Riding Hood just another Twilight? - Moviefone
Insider scoop on Supernatural, including the show's buzzy Western episode - TV Squad
10 TV pilots that sound terrible - TV.com
Josh Hutcherson is keeping his fingers crossed for the lead in Hunger Games - EW.com
Matt Damon's Hereafter gets pulled from Japanese theaters - MTV.com
Take at peek at the teaser for Conan the Barbarian - Zap2it
6 savvy business strategies from this week's The Celebrity Apprentice - SavvySugar

Box Office: Saw 3D Cuts Through the Competition

BuzzSugar — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 05:30:00 PDT

Scary movies reigned supreme at the Halloween box office. Newcomer Saw 3D came in at No. 1 with 22.5 million, followed by last week's champ, Paranormal Activity 2 which continued to spook audiences and took in $16.5 million. Saw 3D 's win isn't a complete victory, however; the opening is only the fifth-best in the seven-film franchise, leaving some critics to question if the series has lost momentum.

For those moviegoers who weren't looking for a fright, Red proved to be a viable alternative. It came in third with $10.8 million, while Jackass 3D and Hereafter finished out the top five with $8.4 million and $6.3 million respectively.

Box Office: Paranormal Activity 2 Scares Off Jackass

BuzzSugar — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 05:30:00 PDT

Audiences are already getting in Halloween spirit! The spooky sequel Paranormal Activity 2 earned the top spot at the box office over the weekend with $41.5 million (perhaps that's not so surprising since the majority of you said you'd see it). It beat last weekend's champ Jackass 3D, which fell to the No. 2 slot with $21.6 million. What's even more impressive: Paranormal Activity 2 set a new record for the biggest three-day opening ever for a horror film.

Red fell one spot to take third place with $15 million, while Matt Damon's Hereafter received a boost as the film expanded into more theaters to earn $12 million for fourth place. Rounding out the top five was The Social Network, which took in $7.3 million.

Watch, Pass, or Rent: Hereafter and Conviction

BuzzSugar — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 10:30:00 PDT

If it's as cold and rainy in your neck of the woods this weekend as it is in mine, then we'd highly recommend popping inside a theater to catch a movie. As for what you should see, let us give you the rundown on which of the new releases - Hereafter and Conviction - are worth your money.

Watch, Pass, or Rent: Matt Damon & Hilary Swank!

PopSugarTV — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 00:01:00 PDT

They may be Academy Award winners, but Matt Damon and Hilary Swank's latest flicks aren't watch-worthy according to BuzzSugar. Find out why in the latest Watch, Pass, or Rent!

Hereafter: A Matter of Life and Death

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 05:30:00 PDT

There's a scene in Hereafter where death is described as "merely the beginning." The statement barely scratches the surface of the spiritual afterlife, but Clint Eastwood's latest film takes us on three journeys to find a deeper meaning in death and how life goes on after others pass away.

Each story takes place in a different part of the world. In France, television journalist Marie (Cécile De France) is having trouble getting back to work after nearly drowning in a tsunami on a vacation with her boyfriend. Meanwhile, a young boy in London named Marcus finds his life in shambles when his identical twin brother is hit by a car and killed (both boys are played by twins Frankie and George McLaren). At the epicenter of the story is George (Matt Damon), a factory worker in San Francisco who just wants to have a normal life despite his ability to communicate with the dead. As Marie tries to make sense of a vision she saw shortly before she was revived, and Marcus struggles to go on with his life without his closest companion, both find themselves questioning the afterlife and seeking answers. At the same time, George is doing all he can to think about anything other than death.

Though we're taken down three different paths for most of the film, Eastwood keeps the story tidy, giving equal screen time to each scenario and arranging the segments cyclically. The transitions are welcome and feel natural, though one of my biggest gripes is that the paths converge too late in the game, and the film's climax is reached all too quickly.

To see what else this movie is all about, just

read more. Hereafter is not just a movie about death; it's also a depiction of how lonely life can be for those who are left behind. George is perhaps the loneliest character of all: his self-proclaimed "curse" prevents him from getting close to anyone. His friends and potential paramours can't resist asking George for a reading, and once he acquiesces, his relationships are forever changed. Thus, Eastwood focuses on George's simple, solitary life. He spends his days in a factory (making far less than he did as a professional psychic) and his nights listening to the works of Charles Dickens on tape. It's easy to see why George doesn't agree with his brother Billy about his wonderful "gift": George's ability to communicate with the dead has made it almost impossible to maintain healthy relationships with the living. To complement the bleak undertones, Eastwood cloaks his actors in shadows and paints his scenes in shades of grey. George eats meals alone in his stark San Francisco apartment while rain is often conveniently falling outside. The same can be said for Marcus's days spent under a cloudy sky in London. Eastwood's methods are effective, and we're left with a general feeling of melancholy and sympathy for the living (rather than an air of being haunted by the dead). Though Hereafter is not Eastwood's most gripping film (ultimately, it's surprisingly lighthearted), it's certainly not an eyesore on his resume. It has moments of both heartbreak and joy, and his masterful storytelling creates a compelling tale that could be drudging otherwise.

Career Evolution: Matt Damon

BuzzSugar — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:15:36 PDT

It's no secret that we're pretty big fans of Matt Damon here at Sugar HQ. The actor has been in the business for decades (remember his Good Will Hunting Oscar acceptance speech?), yet he continues to churn out a solid mix of performances in dramas, action flicks, and comedies (even on the small screen on 30 Rock). There's nothing this guy can't do. So in light of his recent 40th birthday milestone and this weekend's release of Hereafter, let's take a look back at how far Damon's career has come!

Matt Damon Follows a Late Night With an Early Morning Alongside Clint

Lindsay Miller — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 13:30:00 PDT

Matt Damon stopped by The Early Show today to promote Hereafter with his director and longtime friend Clint Eastwood. Matt was fresh from an appearance on Letterman last night, where he dished on the baby girl he and his wife are expecting any day now, and busted out his ever-popular Matthew McConaughey impression. Despite his busy schedule, Matt made time to celebrate his 40th birthday last weekend with the ladies in his life. He strolled in the Big Apple with his daughter Isabella on his big day, threw a bowling bash for loved ones, and later stepped out with Luciana for the premiere of his latest project.

View 2 Photos ›

Video: Matt Damon and A Very Pregnant Leopard-Wearing Luciana in NYC

Molly Goodson — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:37:18 PDT

Matt Damon leads pregnant Luciana down the red carpet on the final night of the New York Film Festival. Check it out on PopSugar Rush!