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What to Rent: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 06:30:00 PDT

It's a happy Tuesday if you're looking for new movie rentals that are as light as freshly-popped popcorn. Check out the new movie releases out today and pump up your DVD player with some Summer 2010 flicks!

Prince of Persia

A beefed-up, shirtless Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this adventure fantasy as Prince Dastan, a street urchin-turned-royal who embarks on a desert-set escapade after he's framed for murder. Gyllenhaal takes on an accent and smokin-hot love interest (Gemma Arterton), and ultimately, I found the movie entertaining if forgettable. But if that's not the recipe for a rental, I don't know what is. The specials on the DVD include a featurette on the making of the film.

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Letters to Juliet

Girl-of-the-moment Amanda Seyfried top lines this romantic flick as Sophie, a starry-eyed idealist who discovers a letter in Verona, Italy (setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet), written years earlier. She then sets out to reunite the woman who wrote it (Vanessa Redgrave) and her long-lost lover. Predictably, sparks fly when the woman's nephew and Sophie fall for each other while he accompanies her on the journey. Though Pop wasn't impressed with the romantic drama, it could still make a cute centerpiece for a girls' night in. DVD extras include commentary with Seyfried and the director, deleted and extended scenes and a making-of featurette.

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Just Wright

Queen Latifah and Common are paired up in this romantic comedy about a physical therapist, Leslie (Latifah), who falls for the basketball player she's treating for an injury. Pam Grier and Paul Patton also costar as Leslie's family members. It has enough in common with one of my favorite romantic comedies - 2000's Love and Basketball - that it warrants a rental from a die-hard rom-con lover. The DVD extras include a gag reel, trailer, a making-of documentary, and a featurette.

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The Summer's Most Memorable Shirtless Movie Men

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:04:33 PDT

Whether or not you're ready to admit it, the Summer is quickly slipping away from us. PopSugar's heading into the finals for her annual shirtless men bracket, which inspired me to put together a slideshow of my own. The past few months have brought with it a bucket of sexy shirtless moments, so take a look back at the guys who helped make Summer 2010 memorable.

Box Office: Shrek Stays on Top

BuzzSugar — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 05:30:00 PDT

You can't keep an ogre down! Shrek Forever After dominated once again and landed at the top of the box office for the third week in a row with $25.3 million.

The animated flick handily beat out this weekend's newcomers: Get Him to the Greek took the second spot with $17.4 million, while Killers came in third with $16.1 million. Last week's second runner up, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, fell to fourth place with $13.9 million, beating Sex and the City 2 once again, which just barely made it into the top five with $12.6 million.

Jake Gyllenhaal Stays in Top Form After His Prince Claimed Victory Over Sex and the City 2!

PopSugar — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:32:32 PDT

Jake Gyllenhaal worked up a sweat during a trip to the gym in LA on Saturday. He's maintaining his impressive muscles after just finishing up a lengthy press tour for Prince of Persia, which contains many hot scenes of Jake and his killer abs. Despite early estimates that claimed his blockbuster ranked third at the weekend box office, revised figures show that Jake's movie actually beat Sex and the City 2! Jake recently joked about bringing his own form of sexy to the big screen on Memorial Day, and fans were evidently all about checking out his body of work between barbecues and trips to the beach .

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Buzz Backtrack: Best and Worst of May Entertainment

BuzzSugar — Sun, 30 May 2010 13:30:00 PDT

What a month May has been! Between the many TV finales and the start of the Summer blockbusters, my calendar was filled to the brim (not that I'm complaining!). Let's rehash the best and worst of the month's entertainment offerings, and then chime in with your own picks in the comments!

Role Play: Which Jake Gyllenhaal Is Hotter?

TresSugar — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:08:13 PDT

Jake Gyllenhaal's new movie Prince of Persia is out today, and we're extra excited after our screening in LA last week. So we rounded up 10 of Jake's best roles for you to decide which movie he's hottest in.

Will You See Both Sex and the City 2 and Prince of Persia This Weekend?

PopSugar — Fri, 28 May 2010 12:55:00 PDT

There is a big decision to make this Memorial Day weekend at the box office between the fashion- and friendship-filled Sex and the City 2 and the shirtless bonanza of Prince of Persia. There's always a third option of seeing both! Check out our reviews of the two films, and tell us - will you head to the theaters twice to see both SATC 2 and Prince of Persia?

Jake Gyllenhaal Shares Shirtless Secrets and Makes Birthday Dreams Come True: I'm a Huge Fan! Part 3

Molly — Fri, 28 May 2010 08:45:00 PDT

Jake Gyllenhaal knows how to make a birthday girl feel special! We've seen our winner travel to LA, get put up in style, and undergo her amazing makeover - now it's time for her big moment with Jake on the finale of I'm a Huge Fan! Amanda started feeling butterflies as she entered the theater to meet Jake, but he instantly put her at ease with his smile and adorable sense of humor. She sat down for a one-on-one interview where he touted his singing skills - though he doesn't have a go-to Karaoke song - revealed how much he loved the kissing scene, and said it was harder to maintain his hair than his muscles. Next, the two headed down to present Prince of Persia to the crowd of Sugar readers. Jake once again pulled out the charm, presenting Amanda with a birthday cake and leading a rendition of "Happy Birthday." As he left, he ran back in to tease us one more time about taking off his shirt, but in the end you're just going to have to see Prince of Persia for that. As Jake says, "any good woman needs to be wooed," and he certainly captured our hearts throughout I'm a Huge Fan! - enjoy!

In case you missed parts one and two - the big reveal and the makeover - watch them when you

Prince of Persia: A Forgettable but Fun Adventure

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 28 May 2010 05:30:00 PDT

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time teeters right on the brink of movie mediocrity. It's neither amazing nor offensively bad, the action sequences are entertaining but not mind-blowing, and the performances are fine but not nuanced. Using Jake Gyllenhaal's familiar face and jacked up abs as a promotional tool helps to tip the scales in the right direction, but ultimately it's not enough to keep the film afloat against Summer's heaviest hitters.

Gyllenhaal plays our scrappy titular prince, Dastan. Born a street urchin and taken under the King's wing as a boy, Dastan's lack of royal blood doesn't make him any less a part of the family, which consists of his two brothers and uncle (an always-excellent Ben Kingsley). That is, until he's framed for his father's murder and forced to flee the city. With only a mysterious dagger that can turn back time and a hot-headed princess in tow, Dastan sets out to prove his innocence and set things right - finding romance, hijinks, and some ostriches along the way.

So is Jakey G worth your money or not? Find out when you

For a movie that's based on a video game, I was impressed with how well the plot holds up throughout the two-hour film. There are plenty of weapons and choreographed fight sequences that had me reminiscing about the days I spent mastering Nintendo moves, but I certainly didn't feel like I was simply watching someone else play a video game. The story is predictable but still engaging, and is packed with enough characters (Alfred Molina is particularly fun as a wisecracking thief Dastan encounters) and twists to balance out the action and often (literally) blinding special effects.

There's no questioning that the movie is entertaining but it's unfortunately lacking in script and character development. The dialogue is often painfully cheesy, chock-full of badly delivered lines like "It is your destiny, not mine." We scratch the surface of Dastan and Tamina's chemistry, but not enough to really root for their romance or care about what happens to them. Yes, it's a cookie cutter superficial Summer blockbuster, but Prince of Persia could have gone so much further had it spent just a little more time getting the audience acquainted with the major players.

In the end, Prince of Persia is the kind of movie that's perfect for one-time use. If you end up seeing it, you just might be pleasantly surprised -but you're not missing out anything if you let it pass you by.

Photos courtesy of Disney

Jake Gyllenhaal's Big Birthday Surprise: I'm a Huge Fan! Part 3

PopSugarTV — Fri, 28 May 2010 05:00:00 PDT

The big moment is finally here! In the final episode of I'm a Huge Fan, Jake and our contest winner sit down for their private one on one before the PopSugar screening of Disney's Prince of Persia. Amanda's birthday wish comes true when Jake surprises her with a cake and sings Happy Birthday to her!